
Conservation
Conservation
The Garden Club of America, Preserves our Gift of Nature through Conservation
From the time of its founding, the Garden Club of America has been an active force in the promotion of environmental awareness and the preservation of natural resources. In 1921, one of the four founding GCA members testified before Congress on behalf of the parks of Washington, DC. The Conservation Committee was one of the earliest GCA committees established, and many GCA members were active in the 1930s in the battle to save the redwoods.
In the 1960s, as the environmental movement grew strongly in response to growing alarm about pollution and species loss in our country, the GCA’s legislative involvement grew along with it. In June 1969, the National Affairs and Legislation Committee was established as a separate entity from the Conservation Committee.
Conservation Committee Mission
In the words of Mrs. Thomas Waller, a primary founder and former GCA president, the purpose of NAL is to “bring to the attention of the membership important legislative proposals in Washington which fall within the fields of our endeavor.”
The NAL and Conservation Committees work in tandem to enhance the GCA mission to “restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.” Although NAL and Conservation committees meet together, their purposes and functions are different. NAL follows in detail legislation that ultimately affects the above purpose, while Conservation provides education on the environmental issues themselves. Conservation Committee members work with youth, member clubs, and the general public to promote local conservation projects and responsible environmental stewardship.
Click here to: Read GCA Conservation Watch Magazine
Click here to: Read Garden Club of America Position Papers
SOUTHEASTERN GRASSLANDS INITIATIVE
The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative (www.segrasslands.org) is a developing non-profit based out of Austin Peay State University’s Center of Excellence for Field Biology in Clarksville, TN. SGI is attempting to tackle the greatest threat facing eastern North American biodiversity, the loss of Southern grasslands.
THE UNDERWATER FOREST
The Underwater Forest, a new documentary by Ben Raines produced by This is Alabama, details the discovery and exploration of an ancient cypress forest found sixty feet underwater in the Gulf of Mexico, due south of Gulf Shores, Alabama. The forest dates to an ice age more than 60,000 years ago, when sea levels were about 400 feet lower than they are today.
PARK IT! CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL PARKS
PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION SPEAKS OUT
FOUR WAYS TO AVOID A CATASTROPHIC DROUGHT
10 TIPS FOR CONSERVING WATER
HOW WOLVES CHANGE RIVERS
THE MAJESTIC PLASTIC BAG – A MOCKUMENTARY
SOIL CARBON COWBOYS
SOIL CARBON COWBOYS from Peter Byck on Vimeo.
TENNESSEE BEES
Cumberland County beekeeper Jeff Dayton delivers some fascinating facts on the sticky business of bees. Then—just to see how easy bees can be—amateur beekeepers Gay and Todd McNab offer up a look at their garden apiary and a taste of Dripping Springs Honey.
FANTASTIC FUNGI
An excerpt from the feature documentary by Louie Schwartzberg following notable mycologist, Paul Stamets, as he discusses the important role mushrooms play in the survival and health of the earth and human species.
THE BEAUTY OF POLLINATION by Louie Schwartzberg
BLUMENAUER WELCOMES THE GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA TO CAPITOL HILL
CONSERVATION GALLERIES
Under the leadership of Mayor Karl Dean, the open space plan became a priority for Davidson County.
The Land Trust for Tennessee organized the planning and public involvement process for crafting the open space plan.
The Garden Club of Nashville has embarked on a wonderful opportunity to support Nashville Parks through the Open Spaces Plan
Envisioned are large reserves of protected open space in each of the four corners of the county that serve as anchors for the open space network.
This year over 30 spaces around the Downtown Nashville are transformed into small pocket parks and parklets! GCN won the Cone Award fro Most Sustainable!