Citizens Devoted to Saving Buzzards Bay Recognized at Coalition 20th Annual Meeting
The Coalition for Buzzards Bay held its 20th Annual Meeting on April 3 in Bourne, during which, the Coalition elected two new Board members—Louise Mauran Nadler of Marion and Christopher Reddy of Falmouth—and presented this year’s Bay Guardian Awards and Volunteer Appreciation Award. The meeting also featured a special presentation by one of the world’s leading climate change scientists, Dr. James McCarthy. The Coalition proudly recognized four exemplary citizens as Bay Guardians for their outstanding service in the clean-up, restoration or protection of Buzzards Bay. The Bay Guardian Award is the highest honor granted by the Coalition. Each recipient received a beautifully hand-carved Bay Scallop sculpted from driftwood collected on Cuttyhunk Island by Coalition Board Member Seth Garfield. New Bedford artist John Magnan hand-crafted and generously donated the awards. “We are very proud this year, to have chosen the Bay Scallop as the new symbol of our Guardian Award. And to have an award to honor these four recipients that is, in every way, a product of Buzzards Bay,” said Mark Rasmussen, Executive Director of the Coalition.
Tally Garfield received the first award of the evening as a “farewell” and special recognition for serving the maximum term limit of 12 years on the Board of Directors. Garfield was the longest-serving Board Member in the Coalition’s 20-year history. The Coalition also honored Captain Larry Palmer (posthumously) for his lifelong career as a marine pilot safely escorting tankers and oil barges up and down Buzzards Bay. Additionally, Palmer assisted the Coalition in drafting the 2004 Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention Act. Flora Palmer, his wife of 38 years, and Captain Howard McVay, President of the Northeast Marine Pilots accepted the award for him.
Steve Smith, Executive Director of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District, received an award for his commitment to sound land use planning and watershed preservation. Smith helped launch the Southeastern Massachusetts Vision 2020 initiative, a regional growth management effort, which marked the first regional collaboration of municipal leaders to discuss a new way of cooperating in planning and development.
Michael and Margie Baldwin also received a Bay Guardian Award. The Baldwins received the award in recognition of their tireless efforts in “thinking globally, and acting locally.” Aside from founding the Marion Institute in 1992, the Baldwins received the award for their local commitments, such as opening the area’s first organic, locally grown market “How on Earth,” and donating a permanent conservation restriction to protect waterfront land they own on Sippican Harbor. The Baldwins also plan and coordinate an annual conference called “Bioneers by the Bay” that attracts more than 800 of the world’s best minds to the area to discuss new models for environmental restoration.
The Coalition presented the Volunteer Appreciation Award of the year to Chris Parks for her personal fortitude and commitment to the Bay that she has demonstrated through nearly 100 hours of volunteer work. Parks has consistently offered her time and energy to help the Coalition and Buzzards Bay by participating in the Coalition’s Annual Swim Buzzards Bay, Saturday morning cleanups, assisting with boat pump-outs each summer, collecting water monitoring data, and assisting with important in-house mailings. The evening ended with a presentation by keynote speaker James J. McCarthy, Harvard University’s Alexander Agassiz Professor of Biological Oceanography and Co-Chair of Working Group II of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Dr. McCarthy provided an important update on the anticipated impacts of global climate change and emphasized that what we do today and tomorrow will not profoundly affect climate in our lifetimes, but it will affect the climate in our children’s lifetimes, and most dramatically in our grandchildren’s lifetimes. McCarthy discussed natural and human influences on climate, as well as the risks of adverse impacts of climate change.
To listen to the Annual Meeting, choose an audio podcast chapter below: Executive Director’s Report – Coalition Executive Director, Mark Rasmussen
Presentation of 2008 Guardian Awards – Coalition President, John Ross
Keynote Speaker – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Co-Chair, Dr. James McCarthy
View Dr. McCarthy’s slideshow presentation on “Climate Change: Facts and Uncertainties” while listening to the audio podcast of his talk.
For more about the science of global warming, visit www.ucsusa.org |
