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Dr. Jane Goodall meets with Martha's Vineyard environmental leaders. |
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OAK BLUFFS, MASSACHUSETTS, Aug. 10 -/E-Wire/-- Dr. Jane Goodall spent time on the Island last week with environmental scientists, planners, local businesses, and teachers to talk about how to face challenges on the Vineyard. At a historical gathering at the home of Martha Shaw on Farm Pond in Oak Bluffs, Dr. Goodall gave local leaders from the MV Commission, Vineyard Conservation Society, Water Alliance, Sheriffs Meadow,Land Bank, Great Pond, OB Shellfish, Farm Institute, Wampanoag Tribe, Friends of Farm Pond, Felix Neck Sanctuary, Mass Audubon, grocers, and farmers—plenty of reasons for hope by finding common ground.
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On a small island that is still building over 200 new houses a year and has long passed its capacity to sustain its inhabitants, including the fish and foul, hope is the catalyst that gets those people who are trying to manage the resources excited about going to work every day. The group sat around a small campfire and passed a talking stick while sharing stories with the woman who has won most every accolade on the planet as an ambassador of hope for an environmentally sustainable future. "How can we pull the community together when the interests on the Island are so diverse, and where many of the people don't stay long enough to understand the issues?" asked one participant who held the talking stick. "Keep finding new ways to communicate," she responded. "What about egos?" asked another. "I like some chimps better than certain people, and some people better than certain chimps," said Jane. "But there is usually a way to reach everybody if you take the time to think about it. People like to save face."
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Most striking about Dr. Goodall is her peaceful approach to confrontation and the messages imbedded in the countless stories she tells about her experiences around the world. Many of these tales deal with communities not unlike the Island, places where enormous wealth and meager subsistence intertwine seasonally and where the natural resources are in peril. On this Island, the population explodes with day trippers, vacationers and seasonal residents, many of whom never see or feel things like the electric bill or the trash removal, much less the disappearance of a species. "If you can get people to want less, not more," she said. "To think about what they need rather than pressuring the resources with excess."
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One biologist spoke about the need for funding to study the coastal eco-systems before we can correct the harm done by nitrogen loading, the obstruction of natural tides that flush them out, and other human effects. "The Vineyard is a collection of coastal ponds," another observed. "The Island could be called 'coastal pondia.' What does Nantucket have? Two? Our lagoons define us." A discussion ensued, concluding that many of what seem to be unique problems are united by nature.
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The gathering around the fire wrapped up at about 11 pm with a word of encouragement and reminder from Jane that the issues on the Island and around the world have much in common and are all interconnected. Her Roots & Shoots program for youth of all ages creates the foundation in over 90 countries for dialogue and hope. She wished the Island well and promised to return.
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Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute continues Dr. Goodall's pioneering research of chimpanzee behavior -- research which transformed scientific perceptions of the relationship between humans and animals. Today, the Institute is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. It also is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa, and the Roots & Shoots education program, which has groups in more than 90 countries.
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See Vineyard Unplugged, a 14-part series on energy independence for the island of Martha's Vineyard by Martha Shaw: http://earthadvertising.com/mvunplugged.shtml
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Martha Shaw is founder of Earth Advertising, a creative media agency that promotes sustainable goods and practices, and eFlicks Media which serves the e-media needs of environmentally-driven clients.
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/SOURCE:
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Earth Advertising |
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08-10-2006 |
/CONTACT:
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Martha Shaw
CEO Creative Director
Earth Advertising
530 E 76th St 12F
New York, NY 10021
212-933-1391
617-921-9552 mobile
Courtney Shike
Oak Bluffs
508-696-6296
info@earthadvertising.com |
| /WEB SITE: |
http://www.earthadvertising.com
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