26 July 2008

If ever someone earned an award...

Congratulations to Soos Weber, our local ecologist / nature enthusiast on receiving the DAR Conservation Medal!

I met Soos through her husband at the time, Chuck Weber. Chuck and I helped set up and coordinate the Huntsville Christmas Tree Recycling Program back in 1990. Soos and Chuck always seemed to put their private lives aside for the sake of taking care of the environment. I lost contact with Chuck years ago (probably a good reason that the Christmas Tree Recycling Program no longer exists; that, and the fact many people use artificial trees, making Christmas tree recycling too expensive on a large-scale basis, meaning a lot of trees uselessly get put in the city dump every year).

My wife and I continue to see Soos, especially since along with Soos we're life members of the Flint River Conservation Association (FRCA, pronounced frik'-uh, for short) and supporters of the Alabama Public Television program, "Discovering Alabama," and its one-hour segment, program #63, on the Flint River:

"63. Flint River. Across the nation today, numerous rivers and streams are being encroached upon by sprawling growth and development. Such is the case with a beautiful mountain-fed stream in north Alabama. The Flint has historically been surrounded by hardwood forests and abundant wildlife. Today, the accelerating growth in Madison county and surrounding areas is rapidly robbing the Flint of its special natural qualities. In this show, host Doug Phillips floats the Flint River from near its mountainous headwaters to its juncture with the Tennessee River. Along the way, interviews with various experts and local residents help to highlight the impressive history of the Flint and the pressing changes that threaten the river today."

We also support the Hays Nature Preserve and the Goldsmith-Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary through the Friends of the Preserve and Sanctuary program.

Once again, way to go Soos! Your energy and dedication put the rest of us to shame but we'll try to keep up, all the same.

No comments:

Post a Comment