Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems (GLADE)

I promised in my last blog entry to elaborate on a brand new environmental education project that my colleagues and I have been developing. The best way to describe the whole exciting project is to share the press release with you, incorporating a few green partner logos* and pictures along the way. So, here's our new project, the collective brainchild of GOAS environmental activist Lisa Berger, MSU Biology professor Dr. Janice Greene, field station manager Celeste Prussia, and environmental educator, me!


If you are currently in the 10th or 11th grade in Southwest Missouri and have a strong interest in ecology and environmental issues, the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems is looking for you!The Greater Ozarks Audubon Society is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a TogetherGreen Innovation grant to help fund a Green Leadership Academy for teens. The seven day residential academy is a joint project of GOAS and Missouri State University, and will be held June 21-27, 2009. GOAS is one of 41 newly-announced TogetherGreen national innovation grants that will help change the lives of some local young people and help them to shape a better environment.

Teens working with entomologist at recent TogetherGreen Volunteer Day.

A $26,000 one-year grant will allow the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society and Missouri State University to join forces to create a seven-day teen leadership skills academy, building on previous educational collaborations to bring new environmental skills and restoration opportunities to local students.

Participants in the GLADE project, located at MSU’s Bull Shoals Field station, will learn about local species and habitats, endangered species, riparian corridors and water quality. They will participate in hands-on habitat restoration and will design environmental programs.

Organizers expect the program will equip academy attendees with a green skills toolbox for initiating conservation projects in their schools, homes, and communities.

"Each teen participating in the academy with develop the leadership skills and ecological knowledge to reach others and to make a positive difference in our natural environment," said Greg Swick, Director of GLADE.

“Our long-term goals are to build a network of young conservation leaders and to develop a working model for youth conservation leadership development. We are excited about the possibilities.” “We hope to build an enthusiasm for the natural world that will continue to grow as participants return to their communities, and we hope that each will gain the confidence to know that they can make a difference,” added Janice Greene, Director of the Bull Shoals Field Station.

The solar powered renovated Drury House at the Bull Shoals Field Station.

The Bull Shoals Field Station is located within the White River Glades and Woodlands Important Bird Area and the Drury-Mincy Conservation Area, managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. This area was historically characterized by abundant hill-top gladed areas mixed with savanna and woodland and streams lined with giant cane. Today, many of the glades are overgrown with eastern red cedar. Encroaching commercial development from nearby Branson and Table Rock Lake resort districts poses a threat to habitat coverage, continuity, and management.

TogetherGreen is a National Audubon Society program funded by Toyota Motors.

For more information, go to the official GLADE website.

*logos of Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri State University, Greater Ozarks Audubon, and TogetherGreen used with permission only.

RAVEing about GOAS

Valley Water Mill Pond

My son and I became involved with the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society (GOAS) in the early to mid 1990's. We have come to know the individuals involved in our Audubon chapter as a group of movers and shakers unlike any other in the Springfield environmental scene. These people are leaders in the community, and coalition formation has always been at the top of the club's priorities, second only to the birds of our region.The history of GOAS is relayed to current members through oral traditions. Names like Nathan Fay, Leonard Confer, Rebecca Matthews, Betty Dyer, Kay Johnson, Betty Johnson, Jan Horton, Dorothy Thurman, Sue Schuble, Charley Burwick, Dave Catlin, and Lisa Berger echo from the past and shout into the future.



A new page has turned in the tradition of "moving and shaking" for GOAS, and this page emcompasses a much wider radius of influence, and thus, leads us into new frontiers of discovery. Things started moving fast when the Toyota Corporation donated $20 million over the next 5 years to the National Audubon Society for use on "green" ventures. The win-win collaboration has resulted in the TogetherGreen project. This project is now awarding grant money to innovative groups and chapters that organize green partnerships to educate and shape the public's view of conservation and bird ecology.

Thanks to the lightning quick reactions of Charley Burwick, Lisa Berger, and Dr. Janice Greene, our local chapter has received two grants, one for Green Volunteer Days and the other for Green Innovation Projects. Today, I'll address our $7000 Volunteer Days grant. More later on the cool innovation grant!

The volunteer grant requires that GOAS organize and coordinate six volunteer work days in the coming year. We have partnered with Springfield Parks and Recreation to carry out our projects.The first Volunteer Day will occur this Saturday, September 20, at the Valley Water Mill Park, the home of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and the future LEED certified Watershed Education Center.Our green partners include the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, who will host the many groups and the Springfield Plateau Master Naturalists, who, along with GOAS, will coordinate the volunteers. The local Sierra Club will work in the Rain Garden, while the Ozarks Greenways Project will work on linear parks and trails in the area. All participants will receive a free T-shirt, will be assigned to one of the many groups of workers for the morning, and will join with others for a combined lunch.To me, GOAS, has the most fun project for the day. Of course, as a child and adult, I've always been thrilled when I ran into a snake, frog, toad, lizard, or other animal along the way. So, for all of those volunteers so inclined, we are conducting a R.A.V.E., Rapid Assessment Visual Exploration, which will provide us with a four hour plant and animal inventory, a mini-BioBlitz. Teams formed will inventory all birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, aquatic species, herbaceous plants, and trees/shrubs at Valley Water Mill Park in that four hour window. Many university and MDC experts are acting as team leaders for each group.

Videographers will be brought in to make a 3-4 minute video of our day, and our event will serve as an example to others with TogetherGreen projects awaiting completion.Here's me, looking forward to a grand Volunteer Day. Hope this weather holds!

Of course, I'll have a follow up entry soon.

Storming the Castle

Conservation Lobby Day 2008 was a huge success! Between 100 and 150 conservation minded lobbyists "stormed the castle" at the State Capitol Building in Jefferson City. Key legislators were inundated by our groups. We focused on Streams, Green Building, Renewable Energy, and CAFO's, and other environmental issues as well. Our voices were, indeed, heard loudly and in force.

I was assigned to the Green Building group, where we advocated for high performing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification on all new state and local government and public buildings in Missouri. O ur best option in regard to this seemed to be SB100, LEED for Public Building, sponsored by Sen. Joan Bray of St. Louis. The bill reads:

"LEED for Public Buildings requires a state or local government guilding that is constructed or substantially renovated to be U.S. Green Building council LEED certified. Allows exclusions from standards when the cost of compliance exceeds the expected energy savings."

I spoke to several legislators, including Sen. Tim Green, Rep. Mott Oxford, and Rep. Sara Lampe. All of these Democrats were eager to join our forces and to relish in our support for their legislative efforts in environmental reform.

My favorite was Sara Lampe, who was a great professor and friend when I was working on my Master's degree at Drury University. Her uncompromised support for education, the elderly, the uninsured, and the environment are unmatched by her Southwest Missouri colleagues. My own Rep. Ray Weter mentioned that she comes on a little too strong in her advocacies, but that's just the way I like it. She legislates with the same passion with which she teaches, and remains a steadfast supporter and trailblazer in the field of Gifted Education. As a legislator, her positive impact upon Southwest Missouri continues to grow and the ripples are changing the landscape in the entire state of Missouri. We need more Sara Lampes!

In stark contrast is my State Senator, Dan Clemens. I've written him a number of times on issues of education, the environment, and conceal and carry legislation. I have never received a personal reply. It was no surprise then that he was not available when I reached his office. It's frustrating to have a Senator in Jefferson City that does little to improve the quality of life in our portion of the state. He is simply a rubber stamp Republican, with little work ethic and no regard for the welfare of the common Missourians that he serves.

Clemens' fellow Republican Ray Weter is my State Representative. Ray is a kind man and a strong supporter of public education. In this area, he finds himself at odds with the powers that be in his own party. He is a good listener, and votes his conscience. Even though we differ on way more political issues than we agree upon, I always feel appreciated as a concerned citizen after I talk to him. He is concerned about wars caused by fossil fuel addiction. To him, this justifies the subsidized ethanol industry in America and probably drilling in ANWR. To me, it justifies increased funding for R & D in sustainable alternative energy.

Why is it that the Republicans spout ideology that "the free market forces should dictate the viability of the product" , yet they subsidize ethanol plant developers Archer, Daniels, Midland and agribusiness oriented corn growers to the tune of billions of dollars? How obvious can it be that Republican policies are protecting the greedy, squandering our future, and continuously relying upon fear to coerce people, who mindlessly embrace their flawed ideology?

But, I sense that the ripples of change are spreading throughout this great country. That is the feeling that I strongly detected while walking the halls of that building in Jefferson City. Last year the state legislature began to turn, and we successfully defended our state against CAFOs gone wild. This year there is reason to believe that our proactive, progressive, legislative efforts may begin to take hold in both our state and nation. Yes, the smog that has engulfed our country for the past eight years is lifting, and I am beginning to breathe clean air again.

Join us in taking back our country in 2008!

Fellow lobbyists Marvin and Charley pause in front of our State Capitol Building.