BEN - Websites and Presidential Passages

Dear BEN Readers:

Below are some great websites to check out today, featuring The Wilderness Society - pictures of the new Canyon Center at Little River Canyon - a short film about the Alabama Water Agenda, Earth Gauge, an environmental education website - Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama Upcoming Events - Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 - info about the Alabama Sierra Club's Annual Retreat - Walk Score - and Presidential Candidate questionnaire from the League of Conservation Voters.

I've also added some Presidential Environmental Passages.  It is striking to me, reading these quotes, the consensus and common themes on environmental issues reflected in the rhetoric of our Presidents.  Our challenge is to make sure they live up to their words.

Best Wishes,

Pat Byington

BEN Publisher

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Websites

The Wilderness Society has upgraded it's website.  Check it out at http://www.wilderness.org

Photos of the Little River Canyon Center - http://photos.al.com/gallery/4461/Little%20River%20Canyon%20Center

A Short Film by Hunter Nichols on the Alabama Water Agenda.  The film was produced for the Alabama Rivers Alliance -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uASodyrC4tQ&fmt=18

Earth Gauge - A new environmental education website - http://www.Earthgauge.net/kids/index

Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama Upcoming Events - Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 -

http://www.landtrust-hsv.org/Event%20Calendar.htm

Alabama Sierra Club Annual Retreat - Nov. 14-16 -  http://alabama.sierraclub.org/retreat.html

Walk Score - My neighborhood on Southside Birmingham scored an 89.  Find out your Walk Score at http://www.walkscore.com/

The League of Conservation Voters Presidential Profiles: A lengthy and in-depth Q&A  between LCV and the candidates.   

http://presidentialprofiles2008.org/Obama/tab1.html - Senator Barrack Obama

http://presidentialprofiles2008.org/McCain/tab1.html - Senator John McCain

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Presidential Environmental Passages

"To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed."  President Theodore Roosevelt; Message to Congress, December 3, 1907

"The civilized people of today look back with horror at their medieval ancestors who wontonly destroyed great works of art or sat slothfully by while they destroyed. We have passed this stage... Here in the U.S. we turn our rivers and streams into sewers and dumping grounds, we pollute the air, we destroy our forests and exterminate fishes, birds and mammals - not to speak of vulgarizing charming landscapes with hideous advertisements. But at best it looks as if our people were awakening." - President Theodore Roosevelt, "Outlook" June 25, 1913.

"A nation that destroys it's soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people." - President Franklin Roosevelt

"No one has the right to use America's rivers and America's waterways, that belong to all the people, as a sewer. The banks of a river may belong to one man or one industry or one state, but the waters which flow between the banks should belong to all the people." - President Lyndon B. Johnson upon signing the Clean Water Act of 1965

(Upon signing of the Wilderness Act, 1964) "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." - President Lyndon B. Johnson

"Restoring nature to its natural state is a cause beyond party and beyond factions. It has become a common cause of all the people of this country. It is a cause of particular concern to young Americans, because they more than we will reap the grim consequences of our failure to act on programs which are needed now if we are to prevent disaster later."  President Richard Nixon - Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union, 1970 

"I remember as a ranger the first time I stood alone on Inspiration Point over at Canyon Station looking out over this beautiful land. I thought to myself how lucky I was that my parents' and grandparents' generation had the vision and the determination to save it for us. Now it is our turn to make our own gift outright to those who will come after us, 15 years, 40 years, 100 years from now. I want to be as faithful to my grandchildren's generation as Old Faithful has been to ours. What better way can we add a new dimension to our third century of freedom?" President Gerald Ford - Remarks at Yellowstone National Park, August 29, 1976

"It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honor nature's gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever." - President Jimmy Carter

"What is a conservative after all but one who conserves, one who is committed to protecting and holding close the things by which we live...And we want to protect and conserve the land on which we live -- our countryside, our rivers and mountains, our plains and meadows and forests. This is our patrimony. This is what we leave to our children. And our great moral responsibility is to leave it to them either as we found it or better than we found it." President Ronald Reagan - Remarks at dedication of National Geographic Society new headquarters building in 1984.

The Curse is Over

Philadelphia Wins the World Series.  Let's hear it for the Phillies!

Keeping It Wild in Atlanta

Attended the 4th Annual Keeping It Wild Gala, co-sponsored by The Wilderness Society this past Saturday in Atlanta.  A great event.  Check out all upcoming  Keeping It Wild events at http://www.KeepingItWild.org .

Left to Right - BEN Publisher, Pat Byington, Wilderness Society's Frank Peterman and Audrey Peterman, and Former National Wildlife Federation Chair, Jerome Ringo

The Curse of William (Billy) Penn - and the World Series

A quick break from Environmental News...

On my recent visit to Philadelphia, my friend Jon Meade told me about the curse of "Billy Penn."   As told to me by Jon, up until the early 80s there was a city ordinance that no buildings in the city center should be taller than city hall, which has a statue of William Penn on top of  it.  That ordinance was taken off the books in the 80s, so if you ever visit Philadelphia today you are greeted with some impressive skyscrapers, including the 80 story Comcast Building (also above). 

 The curse?  

Since the ordinance change, Philadelphia has been shutout of sports championships for 20 years.  Is there a curse???  I guess we'll find out this week when the Phillies play Tampa Bay in the World Series.

Here is wikipedia's take on the curse.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Billy_Penn

BTW - Some construction workers placed a Billy Penn replica on top of the just finished Comcast Building this past year.

BEN - October 16, 2008 #310

1. LNG Plan Withdrawn After Governor Riley's Concerns

2. League of Conservation Voters Release their 2008 Scorecard

3. Anniston to Atlanta Bike Trail Opens

4. Legacy Announces 2009 Grant Recipients

5. BEN Notes:  River Network Winter Training, Wolf Bay's Trash & Treasure/Plant Sale, Alabama Wildlife Center "Creatures of the Night", Bays and Bayous Symposium, Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, Sweetwater Brewing Company "Save the Black Warrior River", Moss Rock Festival, AUFA Annual Conference, St. Mary's Harvest Supper, A Gala Evening in Honor of Jack Edwards

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BEN Recommended Websites to Visit

Solar Energy Becoming a Reality - From MIT

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/oxygen-0731.html

Climate Crisis - What You Can Do 

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/whatyoucando/index6.html

Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition

http://www.safc.org

Environmental Education in Alabama 

http://www.eeinalabama.org

 

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Black Warrior Riverkeeper - Whole Foods Today

Here is a great reason to visit Whole Foods in Birmingham today.  Whole Foods Market is donating 5% of their sales today - October 21st to the Black Warrior Riverkeepers.  Today would be a great day to check Whole Foods out.

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1. LNG Plan Withdrawn After Governor Riley's Concerns - Last week, according to the Mobile Register, a Houston-based company has withdrawn its plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Gulf of Mexico after  Republican Governor Bob Riley expressed concerns over the facility's potential environmental impact.

TORP Technologies had proposed to build the terminal 63 miles south of Mobile and offered up to $30 million to the state to deal with potential damage to sea life created by the "open loop" process of heating the natural gas. The project caused concern among environmental and coastal conservation groups who argued the process would damage fisheries and marine life in the area.

The governor's action was praised by both the Coastal Conservation Association of Alabama and Mobile Baykeeper.   "I felt strongly the governor would do the right thing for the state and for our fisheries.  I know this was the governor's call, and I'm so proud," stated Mobile Baykeeper's Casi Callaway in the Mobile Register.

2. League of Conservation Voters Release their 2008 Scorecard - With the end of the second session of the 110th Congress occurring this month, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has released it's annual national environmental scorecard.  Here is how the Alabama delegation scored:

Senator Richard Shelby - 18%

Senator Jeff Sessions - 18%

Rep. Jo Bonner - 0%

Rep. Terry Everett - 0%

Rep. Mike Rogers - 31%

Rep. Robert Aderholt - 0%

Rep. Bud Cramer - 77%

Rep. Spencer Bachus - 15%

Rep. Artur Davis - 92%

To access the entire scorecard, including descriptions of the  environmental "votes" to determine the scores, visit http://www.lcv.org/scorecard

3. Anniston to Atlanta Bike Trail Opens - Last month, after 20 years of work, the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama and Silver Comet Trail in Georgia connected, making it one of America's longest paved trails.

The entire trail, which is nearly 100 miles long starts on the Georgia side in the suburbs of Atlanta.  In Alabama, the trail begins in Anniston, passing through the city of Piedmont, Alabama, which now has become the junction between the Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga Trails and also the Pinhoti Trail, which has now linked up with the Appalachian Trail.  The Alabama effort was made possible by unprecedented regional and state cooperation involving four cities, two counties, Jacksonville State University, the state of Alabama, various federal agencies, countless volunteers and donors.

For more information about this great achievement visit, 

http://www.jsu.edu/news/July-Dec2008/10032008c.html

4. Legacy Announces 2009 Grant Recipients - Legacy (the folks with the environmental car tags) has announced their 2009 grant recipients.  This year, Legacy will give away more than $85,000 in grants to schools and environmental education programs.  Below are the 2009 recipients:

FY 2009 Competitive Grants

Munford Elementary School - Water Wonder Lab

University of Montevallo - University of Montevallo Observatory

Alabama 4-H Foundation - Teaching Equipment for the Ala- 4-H Environmental Science Center

Alabama Envirothon - Alabama Envirothon

Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - Baldwin County Grasses in Classes Program

University of Montevallo - Ebenezar Swamp Boardwalk Interpretive Program

Alabama Department of Conservation's - Project WET, Project WILD and Project Aquatic Wild Workshops

YMCA Camp Cosby - Camp Cosby Avian Education Project

FY 2009 Mini-grants

Sand Mountain-Lake Guntersville Watershed - A Traveling "Show and Tell" on Conservation

Danville Middle School - "Green" Water

Pike County Office ACES - 2009 County Groundwater Festival

Mobile United Natural Resources Committee - Hurricane Preparedness Guide Coloring Book

Jefferson State Community College - Shelby County Living Laboratory

Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama - Girl Scouts Go Green

The Montessori School of Huntsville - A Legacy's Monarch Waystation Habitat

Coffee County Ground Water Partnership - Ground Water Festival

For additional information about Legacy and their programs, visit http://www.legacyenved.org/

5. BEN Notes:  River Network Winter Training, Wolf Bay's Trash & Treasure/Plant Sale, Alabama Wildlife Center "Creatures of the Night", Bays and Bayous Symposium, Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, Sweetwater Brewing Company "Save the Black Warrior River" , Moss Rock Festival, AUFA Annual Conference, St. Mary's Harvest Supper, A Gala Evening in Honor of Jack Edwards

River Network Winter Training -  River Network will be holding several training sessions in Nashville Tennessee on December 10-12.  

For details visit - http://www.rivernetwork.org/news.php?NewsID=67

Wolf Bay's Trash & Treasure/Plant Sale - Wolf Bay Watershed Watch will be holding their annual Trash & Treasures/Plant Sale October 23-25 at the Miflin Community Center in Faihope, Alabama.  Please visit http://www.wolfbay.org for additional info.

Alabama Wildlife Center "Creatures of the Night" - The Alabama Wildlife Center will be holding an educational event featuring "things that go bump in the night."  The event will be held on October 25th 1:00 to 5:00 PM at the Alabama Wildlife Center in Oak Mountain State Park.  For details call Janet Byars at 205-663-7930 or visit http://www.awrc.org  .

Bays and Bayous Symposium - The Mississippi-Alabama Bays and Bayous Symposium will be held on October 28-29 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.  For complete information and registration materials, visit  http://www.mobilebaynep.com/site/Forefront/Bays%20and%20Bayous%20Save%20the%20Date.pdf

Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival - The Alabama Rivers Alliance and the Alabama Environmental Council will be hosting the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival on November 6th, 5:30PM at the McWane Center in Birmingham.  Visit http://www.alabamarivers.org/wild  for details.

Sweetwater Brewing Company "Save the Black Warrior River" - Sweetwater Brewing Company has launched a campaign throughout October called "Save the Black Warrior" to help raise funds and awareness for the Black Warrior Riverkeeper.  As part of the campaign local bars and businesses in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham will be selling paper fish to their clientele for $1 to $5, as well as special edition t-shirts.  The Tuscaloosa kickoff event will be on October 16th at Jupiter Bar and Grill (visit http://www.jupiteronthestrip.com)  For complete month-long details about this creative campaign go to http://www.savetheblackwarrior.com

Moss Rock Festival -  The annual Moss Rock Festival in Hoover, Alabama will be held on Nov. 1 & 2.  Check out all the details at http://www.mossrockfestival.com

 AUFA Annual Conference - The Alabama Urban Forestry Association will be holding their Annual Conference November 5-7 in Anniston, Alabama.  For details, visit http://www.aufa.com/convention/8.11Agenda.pdf

St. Mary's Harvest Supper - Please join St. Mary's on the Highlands Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama on November 9th, 6:00PM  at 701-25th Street North in Birmingham for the Harvest Supper  in Fellowship with our neighbors at Jones Valley Farm ( http://www.jvuf.org ).  The event will benefit the Episcopal Church Women Outreach.   Food will be prepared by Daniel George Restaurant.  Minimum donation is $50.  For more info about this wonderful event Robin Kidd at rkidd@realtysouth.com .

A Gala Evening in Honor of Jack Edwards - The Weeks Bay Foundation is hosting "A Gala Evening in Honor of Jack Edwards," December 4th, 6:00 PM at the Fairhope Yacht Club.  Jack Edwards is a former Republican Congressman and the outgoing board chairman of the Foundation.  Tickets are $50.  For more information, go to http://www.weeksbay.org  or call 251-990-5004.

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The Bama Environmental News is edited and published by Pat Byington.  To receive back copies of BEN go to http://www.BamaNews.com .  If you would like to be removed

from this e-mail listserve contact BEN at pkbyington@aol.com .

Scenic Alabama Reception

Scenic Alabama held a reception in Birmingham earlier this month honoring "scenic" advocates throughout the state.  To learn more about Scenic Alabama visit - http://www.scenicalabama.org

 

Left to Right - BEN Publisher & Scenic Alabama Chair Pat Byington, Lisa Harris, Scenic Alabama Director, Kevin Fry, President of Scenic America and Ed McMahon, native Alabamian and founder of Scenic America

BEN Publisher Pat Byington Addresses Alabama Joint Legislative Committee for Water Policy and Management on Water

Members of the Alabama Environmental Community - leaders from Conservation Alabama, Nature Conservancy, Alabama WaterWatch,  Alabama Rivers Alliance and the Wilderness Society.

BEN Publisher Pat Byington addressed the Alabama Joint Legislative Committee for Water Policy and Management on September 23rd in Guntersville, Alabama.

Download the presentation 

WaterPresentation.doc

Colors of New Hampshire & Mount Washington's Summit

Just returned last week from New Hampshire after attending the Wilderness Society's Governing Council meeting.  

BEN - October 9, 2008 #309

(cut & paste links)

1) Watercress Darter Fish Kill in Birmingham

2) Alabama's Freshwater Biodiversity - Info from the Nature Conservancy

3) Birmingham Business Journal's Green Awards

4) Engineering News-Record Names Top Alabama Contractors

5) America's First Biofuels Corridor Opens In Mobile

6) Ruffner Mountain Construction Underway

7) BEN Notes: Help Wanted: Enviro Jobs Available, Renew Our Rivers Schedule, Alabama Heritage Wild and Rural Art Show, Weeks Bay Native Plant Sale, Baldwin County League of Women Voters "Critical Water Issues", Alabama Wildlife Center "Creatures of the Night", Bays and Bayous Symposium, Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, Sweetwater Brewing Company "Save the Black Warrior River" 

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Ecofest 10 Tonight

The Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham Southern College will be celebrating Ecofest 10 tonight, September 9th, 6pm at WorkPlay in Birmingham.  Don't miss this fantastic event and a chance to support environmental education.  Tickets are available at the door for $50.

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Thicket Magazine and Breast Cancer Awareness

Subscribe to Thicket during the months of October and November and 50% of the proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, North Central Alabama Affiliate. Look for the pink subscription cards inside the magazine (found in local Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million bookstores around the state), or subscribe online. 

http://thicketmag.com/subscribe-today.php

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Check out Huntsville Times John Ehinger's Blog "Bird Droppings" 

http://blog.al.com/bird/

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1. Watercress Darter Fish Kill in Birmingham - Last month, city of Birmingham employees removed a dam in a Roebuck Springs pond that resulted in killing or stranding 11,760 endangered watercress darters.  The removal of the dam, at the edge of the pond, was done without consultation with federal agencies, according to the Birmingham News.  

Until the dam was breached, the park's 50 to 60 foot wide pond was home to the largest population of the federally protected watercress darter, which lives in only four known locations, all in Jefferson County.  The dam was removed because the pond occasionally flooded adjacent tennis courts.  

In coordination with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, a team of biologists have made recommendations in an effort to restore the darter's habitat.  Their recommendations can be found here - http://www.alabamarivers.org/press-room/headlines/scientific-reccommendations-for-roebuck-springs

To view "before and after" pictures of the pond and a detail story about this devastating incident, visit - http://blog.locustfork.net/tag/formal-investigation-launched-in-roebuck-fish-kill/ 

You can also read an op-ed BEN publisher Pat Byington wrote about the watercress darter in 2007.

http://www.bamanews.com/2007/07/bham-news-preserve-gods-tapestry-in.html

2. Alabama's Freshwater Biodiversity - Info from the Nature Conservancy -  How does Alabama rank nationally in freshwater biodiversity?  From the Nature Conservancy of Alabama:

Alabama Ranks 1st Nationally in Freshwater Biodiversity

1st - Freshwater Fishes - 317 species

1st - Freshwater Mussels - 178 species

1st - Freshwater Snails - 174 species

1st - Crayfish - 85 species

1st - Turtles - 27 species

Alabama Ranks 2nd in extinctions (1st in lower 48 states)

Number of species

                                         Extinct                 Extirpated               Total                             

Freshwater Mussels               27                         18                       45

Freshwater Snails                  39                          2                        41

Freshwater Fish                     2                            9                        11

Birds                                     3                            2                        5

Mammals                               0                            4                        4

____________________________________________________

Total                                   71                           35                     106

3. Birmingham Business Journal's Green Awards - The Birmingham Business Journal (BBJ) announced their Going Green Awards last week at a luncheon in downtown Birmingham.  The BBJ received 75 nominations in six categories.  The following are this year's winners:

Green Project of the Year - Hilltop Montessori School

Finalists - Red Mountain Park, Miller Gorrie Center, 4-H Environmental Center

Green Advocate of the Year - USGBC Alabama Chapter

Finalists - Cahaba River Society, HKW Associates

Green Builder of the Year - JohnsonKreis Construction

Finalists - Brasfield & Gorrie LLC, Stewart Perry

Green Business Leader of the Year - Ruffner Page, McWane Inc.

Finalists - Andy Fagan, WattStopper; Chris Lewis, L&S Enterprises; Joy Maples, Earth Creations

Green Educator of the Year - Scott Walton, Green Resource Center for Alabama

Finalists - Pete Conroy, Jacksonville State University; Homewood City Schools

Green Innovator of the Year - Trussville Springs

Finalists - Freshwater Land Trust, Seedco Financial

Check out the winners at - http://www.birminghambusinessjournal.com or order their Green Awards special edition by calling 205-322-0000.

4.  Engineering News-Record Names Top Alabama Contractors -  The construction trade magazine, Engineering News-Record, known for its industry lists, named five (5) Alabama Contractors to its list of the nation's Top 100 Green Contractors for 2008.

Published in its September 22nd issue, the listing was based on the volume of green projects worked on by contractors that have been  registered or certified based on sustainability.  An example of certification would be the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certifications.  Here is how the five Alabama companies ranked nationally:

#23 - Harbert International LLC of Birmingham

#26 - Caddell Construction Co. Inc. of Montgomery

#58 - BE&K Inc. of Birmingham

#89 - Hoar Construction LLC of Birmingham

5. America's First Biofuels Corridor Opens In Mobile - Earlier this week, the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition and the ADECA-Energy Division, in partnership with Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee state governments and businesses, opened up the nation's first Biofuels Corridor on I-65 beginning in Mobile and ending in Gary, Indiana.

There will now be thirty-two (32) E85 ethanol and eight (8) B20 biodisesel pumps throughout the 886 mile I-65 corridor. Fifteen (15) of the E85/B20 pumps  are located in Alabama.  E85 (85% Ethanol and 15% Gasoline) can be used in any vehicle designated to use "Flex Fuels."  A guide to determine if your vehicle is Flex-Fuel ready may be found at http://www.e85refueling.com .  B20 (20% Biodiesel, 80% petroleum based diesel) may be used in any diesel engine.

Alabama has been moving forward on several fronts in the past 2-3 years promoting alternative energy/fuels.  Some of those of those projects have included:

* City of Hoover is operating 85% of its vehicles on alternative fuels;

* "Grease to Biodiesel" programs implemented in Hoover, Montgomery, Daphne, and Gadsden;

* City of Auburn's 250 diesel vehicle fleet now uses biodiesel;

* Gulf Coast Energy opens and produces ethanol at their first cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant in Livingston, Alabama.

To learn more about the I-65 Biofuels Corridor and projects throughout Alabama, visit http://www.AlabamaCleanFuels.org

6. Ruffner Mountain Construction Underway - Exciting news from Ruffner Mountain. Stewart Perry has been awarded the contract by Ruffner Mountain Nature Center for construction of its new LEED certified Tree Top Visitor Center and Education Pavilion.  These “green” structures will replace the existing Visitor Center (a former residence) and small pavilion. The existing pavilion is being moved and rebuilt near Ruffner’s new wetland located off Ruffner Road.  

Construction began September 3 and is expected to be completed by early summer 2009.  The Visitor Center will contain new live wildlife exhibits (turtles, snakes, frogs & non-releasable birds of prey), a birdviewing window, a large multipurpose meeting/activity room, staff offices, restrooms, gift shop and a viewing deck.  The new Education Pavilion will have a large space for programs, restroom facilities, a vending area with adjacent picnic deck and storage space.  Already completed is a 3 acre wetland with an ADA accessible boardwalk/trail winding through it located on the Irondale side of the mountain.  A new access road to the wetland has been surveyed but no construction date has been announced. Ruffner’s Board of Directors is completing its capital campaign for this $5.5 million Phase I of a 2005 Master Plan for expansion.  The nature trails and existing Visitor Center will remain open to the public during construction. 

  

7. BEN Notes: Help Wanted: Enviro Jobs Available, Renew Our Rivers Schedule, Alabama Heritage Wild and Rural Art Show, Weeks Bay Native Plant Sale, Baldwin County League of Women Voters "Critical Water Issues", Alabama Wildlife Center "Creatures of the Night", Bays and Bayous Symposium,  Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, Sweetwater Brewing Company "Save the Black Warrior River" 

Help Wanted: Enviro Jobs Available - There are several jobs available within the environmental community this fall.  Here are links to the latest listings:

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Director Position Open - 

http://www.mobilebaynep.com/site/Forefront/Director_Ad-09-08.pdf

Conservation Alabama hiring an Outreach Director  -http://www.conservationalabama.org/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={B8BDE2CD-75C7-49F3-B613-2ABEBFB938E1}&DE={3FB4D8FE-4A5C-4372-8456-950FD47298F5}

Alabama Rivers Alliance seeking Program Director -

http://www.alabamarivers.org/careers/job-opening-program-director-for-the-alabama-rivers-alliance

Coastal Wonders seeking Assistant Program Director - 

http://www.coastalwonders.org/images/stories/Microsoft_Word_-_Assistant_Program_Director_Job_Announcement_-_2008.pdf

Renew Our Rivers Schedule - Alabama Power's Renew Our Rivers Program has enlisted  in 2008 more than 5000 volunteers picking up 750,000 pounds of trash. Here are the remaining cleanups in 2008 with contact info included:

October 10 - Locust Fork (Birmingport boat ramp and Plant Miller holding pond - Brandon Patrick, 205-288-4562;

October  20-22 - Smith Lake at the Smith Dam boat launch - Jim Beason 205-387-2654;

October 25 - Lake Mitchell (Coosa River) at Higgins Ferry Park, 8:00 am - Larry Waldron 205 987-7217 or Doug Martin, 205 755-0863;

Alabama Heritage Wild and Rural Art Show - Join with conservationists, hunters, anglers, farmers, artists and all lovers of nature for a creative celebration of the wild diversity of Alabama - October 11th, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Blackwood Gallery in Springville, Alabama.  The event - Alabama Heritage Wild and Rural Art Show is sponsored by the Alabama Sierra Club's Sustainable Agriculture and Hunter/Angler Campaigns.

Weeks Bay Native Plant Sale - The 15th Annual Native Plant Sale at Weeks Bay is scheduled to be held at Safe Harbor (across from the Weeks Bay Reserve across Hwy 98) on October 10-12 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Baldwin County League of Women Voters "Critical Water Issues" - On October 23rd, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM the League of Women Voters of Baldwin County will be holding a forum on "Critical Water Issues" at the Adult Activity Center, 260 Clubhouse Dr. in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  Featured speaker - Dr. George Crozier.

Alabama Wildlife Center "Creatures of the Night" - The Alabama Wildlife Center will be holding an educational event featuring "things that go bump in the night."  The event will be held on October 25th 1:00 to 5:00 PM at the Alabama Wildlife Center in Oak Mountain State Park.  For details call Janet Byars at 205-663-7930 or visit http://www.awrc.org  .

Bays and Bayous Symposium - The Mississippi-Alabama Bays and Bayous Symposium will be held on October 28-29 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.  For complete information and registration materials, visit  http://www.mobilebaynep.com/site/Forefront/Bays%20and%20Bayous%20Save%20the%20Date.pdf

Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival - The Alabama Rivers Alliance and the Alabama Environmental Council will be hosting the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival on November 6th, 5:30PM at the McWane Center in Birmingham.  Visit http://www.alabamarivers.org/wild  for details.

Sweetwater Brewing Company "Save the Black Warrior River" - Sweetwater Brewing Company has launched a campaign throughout October called "Save the Black Warrior" to help raise funds and awareness for the Black Warrior Riverkeeper.  As part of the campaign local bars and businesses in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham will be selling paper fish to their clientele for $1 to $5, as well as special edition t-shirts.  The Tuscaloosa kickoff event will be on October 16th at Jupiter Bar and Grill (visit http://www.jupiteronthestrip.com)  For complete month-long details about this creative campaign go to http://www.savetheblackwarrior.com