On Saturday night, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the chapter office of the North Carolina Sierra Club.
We heard a great speech from out going national Sierra Club President Lisa Renstrom (her last in office.)
Then awards were presented to folks who have gone above and beyond in their service to the chapter over the years. Honorees included former Chapter chairs Elyse Jung and Rod Hunter, Sierra Fest chair Bernadette Pelissier, and Administrative Coordinator Meagan Honnold.
The real star of the night though was our Director Molly Diggins. Numerous speakers got up to applaud her service to our chapter through the years, culminating in the presentation to her of the gift of a bird bath!
It was a nice conclusion to the weekend's festivities.
Showing posts with label Sierra Fest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sierra Fest. Show all posts
5.15.2007
5.12.2007
Outings Summary
Bill Kloepfer, one of the Sierra Club's long time leaders, led a group of us on a tour of Eastern North Carolina hotspots this afternoon.
His choices were great. I particularly enjoyed the Scuppernong River Boardwalk in Columbia. Meagan Honnold and I saw all sorts of wildlife walking around on it- nice things like lizards, salamanders, and turtles and not so nice (at least as far as we were concerned!) snakes! We saw three different sets of snakes, some of which were very big and very close to us. I'm sure they were perfectly innocuous but if we wanted to let ourselves get all stressed out about it I suppose that's our perogative.
Thanks Bill for a great tour of some of eastern North Carolina's most beautiful spots.
This was one of just six outings over the weekend, all of which I heard were very good. Eight people from the Cypress Group helped in planning and leading them and folks from the Neuse River Foundation, Pettigrew State Park, the Palmetto Peartree Preserve, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service all went out of their way to be helpful as well. Thank you to everyone who worked on the outings!
His choices were great. I particularly enjoyed the Scuppernong River Boardwalk in Columbia. Meagan Honnold and I saw all sorts of wildlife walking around on it- nice things like lizards, salamanders, and turtles and not so nice (at least as far as we were concerned!) snakes! We saw three different sets of snakes, some of which were very big and very close to us. I'm sure they were perfectly innocuous but if we wanted to let ourselves get all stressed out about it I suppose that's our perogative.
Thanks Bill for a great tour of some of eastern North Carolina's most beautiful spots.
This was one of just six outings over the weekend, all of which I heard were very good. Eight people from the Cypress Group helped in planning and leading them and folks from the Neuse River Foundation, Pettigrew State Park, the Palmetto Peartree Preserve, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service all went out of their way to be helpful as well. Thank you to everyone who worked on the outings!
Afternoon Updates
Well it was an, um, interesting afternoon.
The most notable event being about a dozen people pushing my car out of a deep muddy hole it got stuck in.
When I parked my car at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, nothing seemed amiss. We went on a nice walk for about an hour. When we got back to the car it lurched slightly forward and then just sunk. Nothing could make it move.
But in the North Carolina Sierra Club we stick together. So chapter lobbyist Christa Wagner got behind the wheel, about a dozen people pushed, and we got the car out of the ditch.
I'll be going to the carwash tomorrow.
I'll talk more about the wildlife we saw on our outings later.
The most notable event being about a dozen people pushing my car out of a deep muddy hole it got stuck in.
When I parked my car at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, nothing seemed amiss. We went on a nice walk for about an hour. When we got back to the car it lurched slightly forward and then just sunk. Nothing could make it move.
But in the North Carolina Sierra Club we stick together. So chapter lobbyist Christa Wagner got behind the wheel, about a dozen people pushed, and we got the car out of the ditch.
I'll be going to the carwash tomorrow.
I'll talk more about the wildlife we saw on our outings later.
Keynote Speech: The solution to the problem
Sally and Sara Kate Kneidel are now going to move on to discussing the solutions to the problem of environmental degradation caused by the production of animal products.
They say the solution is a 'local food system.' When food travels an average of 45 minutes, carbon dioxide emissions are 5 to 17 times lower. These small farms are happening in North Carolina at places like Warren Wilson and Cane Creek farms.
On these small farms animals are free to ramble and run, socialize, build nests, forage and roll in the mud- it was like the idyllic 'Old McDonald's' farm.
This is better for the animals and for the land.
Small and local farms are greener- no waste management problems, no airborne ammonia, fewer greenhouse gases.
Animal products are then healthier for the consumer.
This model can be profitable- Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project prove it.
They say the solution is a 'local food system.' When food travels an average of 45 minutes, carbon dioxide emissions are 5 to 17 times lower. These small farms are happening in North Carolina at places like Warren Wilson and Cane Creek farms.
On these small farms animals are free to ramble and run, socialize, build nests, forage and roll in the mud- it was like the idyllic 'Old McDonald's' farm.
This is better for the animals and for the land.
Small and local farms are greener- no waste management problems, no airborne ammonia, fewer greenhouse gases.
Animal products are then healthier for the consumer.
This model can be profitable- Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project prove it.
Keynote Speech: The environmental implications of animal products
The keynote speech is being delivered by Sally and Sara Kate Kneidel, a mother/daughter team that authored Veggie Revolution.
They are talking about how animal products make carbon dioxide. Things like the clearing of forests to raise feed for livestock and the clearing of forests to make room to graze for livestock are primary culprits.
There are also a lot of emissions related to the transportation of animal products.
Methane is also created, from fermentation in livestocks rumens and from livestock waste.
Chemical fertilizers and leguminous feedstocks result in the production of nitrous oxide.
There are major land use implications as well. 90% of agriculture land is used for things related to the raising of livestock. We are running out of land.
The amount of land that sustains 10 meat eaters could sustain 100 plant eaters.
Cattle grazing is allowed on many public lands.
They are talking about how animal products make carbon dioxide. Things like the clearing of forests to raise feed for livestock and the clearing of forests to make room to graze for livestock are primary culprits.
There are also a lot of emissions related to the transportation of animal products.
Methane is also created, from fermentation in livestocks rumens and from livestock waste.
Chemical fertilizers and leguminous feedstocks result in the production of nitrous oxide.
There are major land use implications as well. 90% of agriculture land is used for things related to the raising of livestock. We are running out of land.
The amount of land that sustains 10 meat eaters could sustain 100 plant eaters.
Cattle grazing is allowed on many public lands.
Good morning from Sierra Fest
I'm coming to you live this morning from Sierra Fest in Columbia, NC!
I'm going to do my best to live blog the festivities all weekend.
Most folks got in last night and we had a nice opening reception expertly planned by Bernadette Pelissier.
If the wireless works, I will keep you posted!
I'm going to do my best to live blog the festivities all weekend.
Most folks got in last night and we had a nice opening reception expertly planned by Bernadette Pelissier.
If the wireless works, I will keep you posted!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)