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By Misty Herrin
October 9, 2008: From Maine to the Mediterranean – Connecting the Dots
One of the most interesting sessions I attended today was about something we all need and often take for granted – freshwater. One of my colleagues, Kate Dempsey, senior policy advisor for the Maine field office, was a presenter. Afterwards it was interesting to hear her perspective, as a state-based staffer, on the value of being a part of this international event. As it turns out, she was already in the process of writing her own blog of sorts back to the Maine staff. Here’s what she had to say:
Kate Dempsey: As part of the Conservancy’s team in Maine, I don’t often find myself in the company of dignitaries from the United Nations, the World Bank and the Spanish Ministry of the Environment. Business trips usually take me to Washington, D.C., where I engage with U.S. legislators and encourage them to create policies that protect the natural resources we all cherish and need.
So what am I doing in Barcelona? In a way, I am embodying the Conservancy’s local-to-global commitment.
Today, I made a presentation on the Penobscot River project at a workshop about freshwater conservation and the connection to human health. Alongside Nicole Silk of the Global Freshwater Team, we shared on-the-ground stories about places in the world where environmental flow issues are impacting the lives of people and posing serious threats to biodiversity.
“Environmental flow” – not quite a household term – simply refers to the way a river moves, rises and ebbs, without dams, without being diverted, and without being constrained to channels.
Rivers need to be able to behave like natural rivers if fish and other species are to thrive – and provide benefits to people.
I explained it to my seven-year-old with a joke: “You know what the fish said when she went up the river? Dam!”
In the presentation we emphasized the connection that the Penobscot River Restoration project has to people. Once implemented the project will reconnect the river to the Penobscot Indian Nation and continue to supply hydro-electricity to homes in Maine.
It’s so gratifying to share lessons and successes from our work in Maine with people from places like China, Zambia, and Colombia who are striving to protect their freshwater resources too. Knowing that our partnership efforts in Maine might propel others to think big about river ecosystems is an exciting prospect.
Misty Herrin is a senior writer with The Nature Conservancy’s marketing team. She reports on news from our international programs for nature.org and print publications.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Misty Herrin (Misty Herrin).
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