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VOLUME II, Issue 1
http://www.GreenForNewEngland.org

JANUARY 3, 2001
SPECIAL "YEAR IN REVIEW - Part II" issue:
    1 - Time Flies
    2 - Teach Me
    3 - Happy Trails
    4 - Foreign Service
    5 - Racing to Save the River
    6 - A True Top Ten

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Welcome to our special "Year In Review - Part II" edition. The following highlights only some of 2000’s significant events, issues, and environmental accomplishments; the Environmental Federation has 36 member organizations. You can always find additional information in the "Members" section of our website.   Thanks for your support!

1 – Time Flies
For the New England Aquarium, 2000 must have gone by with a "woosh!" Many new exhibits opened throughout the year, including "Nyanja! Africa's Inland Sea," "Unforgettable Boston," "Rogue Batfish," and "Planet of the Penguins."  At different times throughout the year, visitors had the opportunity to swim with sharks, experience Turtle-palooza, and get a special behind-the-scenes look at marine mammals at the Aquarium.  The Aquarium kept at it right up until the final bell for 2000 sounded, as they co-hosted a student ocean summit in December.  Over 60 students learned about the recently designated Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts.  For information on upcoming exhibits and fun events, visit www.neaq.org.

2 - Teach Me
The Center For Ecological Technology educated people from ages 8 to 80. CET initiated the "Earth Stewards" program this past year for elementary and middle school children.  For three weeks, CET staff met with students twice a week to discuss air quality, energy, waste, and water issues. The kids used their knowledge to make recycled paper and build model solar homes.  For the fifth year, CET sponsored the "Recycling Education Assistance for Public Schools" (REAPS) in Western Massachusetts, providing four teacher training sessions and 140 classroom presentations focusing on reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting.  For the post-graduate world, CET published, "Building a Market-based System of Farm Composting of Commercial Food Waste."  The report describes CET's three-year project to create a market-based infrastructure for farm composting of commercial food and other organic waste.  For a copy of the report or to find out what CET plans for 2001, contact them at (413) 445-4556 or visit www.cetonline.org

3 – Happy Trails
The Green Mountain Club enjoyed a very active year in 2000, and not just because of the amount of hiking they do.  Last spring, the Vermont House of Representatives voted to allocate $325,000 for protection of the Long Trail.  In June, the GMC added a 14th club section, the Northeast Kingdom.  During the summer, the GMC was instrumental in planning for the recreational uses of the former Champion Lands, which will include hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, biking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.  And, when GMC-ers weren't busy hosting the Tenth Annual Taconic Mountains Ramble in July, they were helping to rebuild Butler Lodge atop Mount Mansfield, which for 67 years has been a welcome site to Long Trail hikers.  For information on how you can stay active in 2001, visit www.greenmountainclub.org.

4 – Foreign Service
During the past 12 months, students at the School for Field Studies experienced the environment at the far reaches of the world.  At the Center for Coastal and Marine Mammal Studies in Mexico, students camped out on a turtle-nesting beach and learned about the natural history and conservation of sea turtles.  At the School's Center for Marine Resource Studies in the South Caicos Islands of the British West Indies, students identified native seagrass, reef fish, and coral reefs and participated in several research projects that involved talking with local fisherman and collecting and mapping data about conches, lobsters, and bonefish.  Other SFS students took tree measurements in Costa Rican rainforests and documented the distribution of Beach Stone Curlews, a stocky shorebird threatened in Australia.  For information on what SFS has in store for its students in the coming year, call (800) 989-4435 or visit www.fieldstudies.org.

5 - Racing to Save the River
You may have seen the blue and red flags flying along the Charles River this summer indicating safe or unsafe water quality, but, were you aware of what else the Charles River Watershed Association was up to this past year?  To start the year off, CRWA welcomed a familiar environmental face to their Board of Directors: John DeVillars, former Regional Administrator of EPA - Region One.  In April, CRWA hosted its 18th annual Run of the Charles canoe and kayak race, with nearly 1,500 participants competing in five different races.  To further promote sound use of the river, CRWA also published a new waterproof Canoe and Kayak Guide, complete with maps and access information.  On the conservation side, CRWA found time to assist 13 other watershed organizations with tools for checking uncontrolled development.  In addition, they sponsored a major conference on compliance with federal stormwater regulations and co-sponsored a conference on the pathogen risks in recreational waters.  To keep up to date on what CRWA is doing, visit www.crwa.org.

6 - A True Top Ten
Those who have visited The Breakers, a Newport mansion with a stunning ocean view, will not be surprised to learn that Conde Nast Traveler readers named The Breakers one of the Top Ten monuments in the US.  The Preservation Society of Newport County, however, hardly rested on its laurels in 2000.  The fifth annual Newport Flower Show featured several noted designers and horticulturists and is named one of the top 100 Best Events for 2001 by the American Bus Association.  The Society focused attention on its horticultural achievements with walking tours of mansion gardens throughout the summer.  The series began with a tour of the Chateau-sur-Mer and its Victorian Park, and followed up with Victorian gardens at Kingscote and the Isaac Bell House, the topiaries at Green Animals, The Breakers Greenhouse and Cutting Garden, and the classic garden at The Elms.  For more information on the Society's activities, visit www.newportmansions.org.

Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2001!  The entire staff at the Federation wishes you a splendid New Year and we look forward to providing the latest news and events from New England's top environmental organizations. If there is anything that we can do for you to make 2001 a green year, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@GreenForNewEngland.org.

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