Through its "Stop the
Litter!" initiative, the MountainKeepers organization is demonstrating
how it works to "think globally and act locally."
Leaders say the anti-litter movement in Watauga County is picking up steam,
thanks to a basic, grass roots effort by interested citizens.
"We have been thrilled with the community's response and encouragement
shown by people from all walks of life," said Nancy Reigel, who serves
as the group's treasurer and web master.
"So many people have expressed their willingness to pitch in; quite literally, there has been a ground-swell of support from all quarters.
"The realization that we can make a difference and improve the appearance of our little patch of earth has buoyed all our spirits," Reigel added.
"Our role has been to focus attention on the litter issue and bring to the forefront the resources - people with a multitude of creative ideas who can help change the culture, including Mother Nature."
In her human form, Mother Nature is Kaye Warren of High Country Honda.
She also believes it is possible to "think locally and act globally," which also fits with the MountainKeepers' mission of balancing environmental and economic interests.
Mike Evans, professor of hospitality and tourism management at Appalachian State University, serves as the MountainKeepers' president and is a beacon of energetic leadership.
He and others associated with the sustainable communities movement encourage the whole community to examine a national effort via www.EcologyFund.com that seeks to similarly make a difference on the global level.
Check out the web site. EcologyFund is owned and operated by The Hunger Site Network. It offers ordinary citizens a simple way to protect critical habitat and wilderness areas around the world by using the power of the Internet, Evans said.
When an individual clicks on the projects that are supported by EcologyFund, sponsors pay to expand wilderness preservation. Citizen clickers have absolutely no financial obligation.
EcologyFund was founded by Tim Kunin, who has been active in environmental issues since 1976. He is quoted on the EcologyFund web site: "Preserving the wild parts of the planet is an important legacy we can leave our children. EcologyFund allows each person to save a little wilderness everyday.
"These donations add up, so that each person can save more than an acre a year," Kunin said. With thousands of people clicking everyday, we will be able to save tens of thousands of acres of critical wilderness habitat every year," he said.
So far, more than 20,000 acres of land (31 square miles) connected with 10 separate projects have been protected through EcologyFund.
The largest territory has been the preservation of nearly 13,000 acres in the Amazon Rain Forest in South America. Some of the other projects include expanding in Tanzania the National Park in East Africa, reforestation in Mexico to benefit the winter home of most North American Monarch butterflies and buying land to protect the Patagonian Coastal Reserve.
Three projects deal directly with endangered species - the Mexican thick-billed parrot in Sierra Madre, Canadian wildlife in the Rockies and on the islands of Lake Erie and the birds who inhabit the bogs of Scotland, offered in association with the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds.
Four projects are based in the United States, sponsored by the American Chestnut Foundation, the Wilderness Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy and Cascade Mountains Conservation Partnership.
Reigel said she logged on just for the sport and camaraderie of it.
Here are the
particulars. At the EcologyFund home page, click on "Get Involved."
From there, go to "How to Join."
Under "Select a Category," click on "Other Organizations."
Scroll down to MountainKeepers and click on "Join."
If you do, there is no obligation to actually join the MountainKeepers organization.
Rather, it merely assigns you to an EcologyFund group.
It's not an EcologyFund requirement to be part of a group, and each person has an "individual account." The group affiliation, however, adds to the MountainKeepers' cumulative total.
If all of Watauga
County were to sign up, it would be interesting to chart the progress.
To access The EcologyFund Home Page Click the Following: www.ecologyfund.com
-- Mike Wagoner
President, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
This page created 12/08/02