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Climate Change Advocacy & Awareness

Sorry to say it, but I dropped the ball here: I should’ve announced this event at least a week ago, but didn’t.

On the off chance you may be a last minute pick-up-and-go type of person and in the mood for a drive to the Poconos tomorrow, there’s a program being offered that could help you get your climate change advocacy groove on. (Phew – that was a long sentence.)

Three advocacy and educational organizations, Brodhead Watershed Association, PennFuture, and Brodhead Trout Unlimited will be co-hosting “A Day for Environmental Advocacy and Awareness” tomorrow. From 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., three different workshops will be offered at the Brodhead Creek Heritage Center, 1539 Cherry Lane Road, East Stroudsburg.

Advocacy 101

In the first session, from 10:00 to noon, a workshop will be offered on Meeting With Your Legislator. All the little things that cross your mind when you contemplate actually making your position on climate change known to your local, state, or federal representatives will be covered.

It’s one thing to rail against what you know to be true about climate change, feel the pain of reading about its effects on birds and animals (including humans), or experience the anxiety and fear engendered by extremes in weather, an increase in wildfires, and rising sea levels. But it’s a whole other thing to effectively, coherently, and cogently bring those concerns to the attention of those who actually make policy.

A second session, aimed at honing your ability to write an effective ‘letter to the editor’ will take place from 1:30 to 2:30.

During a lunch break between those two sessions, there will be an opportunity to get a close up look at a variety of ‘clean cars’ – from hybrids to electric.

Birds and Climate

The day concludes with a third session, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.: a “Birds and Climate” Walk and Talk. This program, which I’m particularly looking forward to attending given my recent angst over the disappearance of the birds from my feeders as noted here, here, and here, will be led by Darryl and Jackie Speicher of the Pocono Avian Research Center. The Speichers will be teaching about how climate change is impacting bird populations, their migration, and of course, their habitats.

Follow the Links

If you’re interested in learning more and are up for a road trip to the Poconos, I urge you to follow the links provided and register for the sessions you wish to attend. It may be late notice to them, but it will give them a heads up that you’re coming.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

I’ve heard from a local up there that this weekend will probably be prime for ‘leaf peeping,’ thus the roads will be rife with tourists. (Technically, I guess we might qualify?!) All the more reason to attend this event! We all need to do what we can to preserve and protect our amazing earthly environment for generations to come.

Again, my apologies for not sharing this information with you sooner. But if it works out that you can attend, I hope the organizations involved will welcome some last minute attendees.

I don’t know if anyone will answer on such late notice, but there is a phone number for the Brodhead Watershed Association: 570-839-1120 and an email address: info@brodheadwatershed.org.

Maybe I’ll see you there!

(T-763)

Our Voices Matter!

When I first read the great news a few days ago, I immediately thought, “I’m going to have to write about this tonight!” Alas, I ended up writing about other things, some definitely not as important as this.

But here we are, better late than never.

Back in June, I wrote a post about the Tohickon Creek, an utterly lovely waterway that has twisted, turned, flooded, dried to a meager trickle, been dammed, become free-flowing again, and hosted whitewater enthusiasts to fly-fisherpeople, to small children. Through millennia, the Tohickon has provided a place for humans of all stripes to connect to Mother Earth, and at the same time created a habitat for woodpeckers, blue herons, trout, kingfishers, frogs, turkeys, turtles, vultures, water snakes, carp, eagles, groundhogs, hawks, deer, osprey, sunnies, crows, foxes, and bluejays (to name a few). And sometimes, when the humans get lucky, these residents allow themselves to be seen and admired by the humans.

The purpose of my post in June was to ask you to take a stand on behalf of the Tohickon and speak out to prevent the downgrading of its classification.

I know; I write about the Tohickon frequently. But take a look at that list I just made (off the top of my head) of the creatures I’ve been lucky enough to share time with along her banks. It’s extraordinary!

Overflowing Gratitude

As a result of over 900 comments from the public, essential advocacy by non-profit groups, and some pressure by local officials, it appears as though Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has agreed to reevaluate their classification of this creek.

I love this body of water unabashedly. For me, I guess, it symbolizes everything I love about where we live and how deeply privileged I feel to have the freedom to visit her whenever I want.

Thank you for indulging my love and reading this post. Thank you for taking the time to speak out and submit your comment(s) to the Department of Environmental Protection. Thank you for helping us buy more time for the Tohickon to be studied further and, hopefully, designated an Exceptional Value stream in the eyes of the DEP.

Our Mutual Reward

Thank you for anything and everything you did to help this extraordinary body of water continue its quest to gain crucial environmental protections.

I can only hope that as a result of us taking a stand today, our grandchildren and great grandchildren (and beyond) will still be safely playing in that creek, creating treasured memories, and feeling awe at the sight of even more abundant wildlife!