Welcome to a Sustainable Driftless!
What we cover? Our own health and that of our built, wild, and cultivated communities!
In this digital magazine, SustainableDriftlessMag.com, we intend to highlight what we can through our various media projects, what is happening, who is working on it, what is it, where is it within the region, and why do the work. Look around at previous articles, provide feedback, and click through! If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed of late, remember the earth and its waters are great stabilizers to the psyche. Hopefully, we decide to be part of not just tolerating “change”, but instead to participate in the work of “Good Change”. This is what will help keep us individually, and in society, the work of building resilience—which is the keystone to survival and a sustainable world.
What’s new?
I invite you to join us as we are embarking on a “new chapter” within the organization. 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, SDI is just about ready to announce the world premiere date (yes, we are known internationally) of our second documentary, “Spirit of the Driftless: Protecting the Legacy”.
This new film is a thoughtful documentary essay on the spirit (of all types) that make this region special. Stay tuned for more information via our Facebook page, linked in, and instagram–where I share and salute an incredibly active “sustainability” community of individuals and organizations.
My first publication I edited was in 2014 in print–was “DriftlessNotes: The Ripple Effect” magazine. Times have changed, and how we talk to one another has evolved, but the issues and the goals are the same—we each create a “ripple effect” in life–and we need to stay engaged with one another.
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. I think it goes beyond just voting for representation, it is also about what we as individuals do to make this world better. And, of course we do also decide who to represent us at the school board, in various representative positions–throughout civilized society. I hope you will get involved! Those leaders set the tone, and the rules. However, 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. To make that all happen, it starts with us, educating our kids, learning from the incredible Wisconsin Idea vision and support that comes from the talent of the UW Extension system, non profits, and advocates and volunteers of all kinds.
We will cover here in this digital Magazine, what makes life “sustainable”–I believe it starts with clean water, soil management, wild and cultivated lands, the thoughtful contributions to the evolution of our natural and our built environments and communities.
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 our communities. 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– along with a future of abundance!
-Julia Henley
Editorial Director, Sustainable Driftless Magazine