Welcome to a Sustainable Driftless!
What we cover? Our own health and that of our built, wild, and cultivated communities!
What’s new?
I invite you to join us as we are embarking on a “new chapter” within Sustainable Driftless and the issues that affect us all. As we contemplated the work after the loss of dear friend and leader George Howe last year (he was instrumental in the production of “Decoding the Driftless”), we naturally needed to consider our impact via our outreach. We are so happy to share that our work thus far has been impactful–our first major effort, the award winning documentary “Decoding the Driftless” has reached over 180 Million viewers since its premier, and is still in circulation! Subscribers here at SustainableDriftlessMag.com exceed 10,000 views and shares each issue, and our growing social media reach is so encouraging—just seeing what “a few committed individuals” can accomplish (and that is for all of us working towards sustainability) is gratifying–and we continue to want to grow that impact!
In this issue we want to hear from you–check out the new “Driftless Forum” page, where we will post opinion & discussion notes. Feel free to write to me and contribute to the conversation! Secondly, I can share that on September 23rd, “Spirit of the Driftless: Protecting the Legacy” will be premiered at Viterbo University, 7 p.m. Doors “open” at 5:30…showing is at 7, and the reception follows!
This new film is a thoughtful documentary essay on the spirit (of all types) that make this region special.
The “Next Chapter” –What is Sustainable?
My thoughts as I contemplate our fast changing world? It is about community, and caring for one another and the primary basis of that– is our shared environment. To live well in this place, we citizens are the decision makers that will determine abundance, or lack thereof. It’s about understanding what non profits and local government is doing, but also about what we as individuals do to make this world better. I hope you will get involved! We set the tone, and should be advising our own local, state, and federal leaders to think better about what can be done to ensure a sustainable world. Whatever your political stripes, we all need to remember that we also have a lot of control by the individual, particularly when it comes to building sustainability in our lives, and in our communities.
Making a Good Life–A Comprehensive Viewpoint to Sustainability
Sorting out sustainability goes beyond sorting one’s recycling–it includes ensuring our communities are strong with anchoring services, our kids are capable, resilient, and well-educated, our water is clean, soils are healthy, and the ecosystem of humanity, and of nature, is thriving. Sustainability includes what, where, and how we build to accommodate our families, schools, and communities. Sustainability means a life of contentment.
Interconnected and Independent–Public and Private Participation
We are dependent upon and must support those talented and determined farming families that contribute to our food system locally and to our communities–large and small. Each specialty that works in sustainability–biologists, engineers, farmers, extension, activists, not for profits, business, political leadership, counties, school boards, educators, and volunteers of all ages– make it possible. In this time of “privatization”, don’t lose site that our own efforts at preservation and protection are all more critical–privately–or via public/private/or NGO participation.
Best to you and yours– and savor this season of joy and change while you manage your own summer garden–and our transistion into fall–with a sense of a future of abundance!
-Julia Henley
Editorial Director, Sustainable Driftless Magazine