New Year's Resolutions in Shades of Green
By Jennifer Cordier Plant Rescue Team

Karin Rutishauser teaching about herb gardening.

It is 2008 --- a brand new year. Our mountains and valleys are quiet, the trees are bare and hoarfrost shimmers on high mountain peaks. As nature rests, we too take time to sit by a fireplace, read a good book, reflect on the past and plan for new year.

A new book that I have been reading, Last Child In The Woods, by Richard Louv, has offered much food for thought as I look towards the new year. The book explores the increasing divide between the young and the natural world, and the environmental, social, psychological and spiritual implications for that change. It also describes the accumulating research that reveals the necessity of contact with nature for healthy child - and adult development. As the young spend less and less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically and this reduces the richness of human experience. Louv has coined this phenomenon "naturedeficit disorder" and it is on the rise.

As we enter a new year, global climate change has become a "hot" topic and one that can no longer be ignored. As climates change, we see resources dwindle and basic living expenses escalate. A large section of the southeast, including north Georgia and western North Carolina, is experiencing extreme drought which is forecasted to continue though 2008. Water, our most precious resource, is the life blood of our planet. Our mountain springs, creeks and rivers send water flowing to thousands of people, connecting everyone to the environmental web. It is this inter-connectedness, this understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from the natural world, that will help us adapt to change and create a healthy and sustainable world for our children.

Children can learn alot about all of Nature's Wonders simply by enjoying them with a friend.

At the beginning of each new year, tradition asks us to take stock of our lives. We count our blessings, check our shortcomings and resolve to make positive changes. Individual actions and life-style changes can make a difference as we face the challenges before us. This year, with planet earth as our priority, let us make resolutions in "shades of green".

Cole Cordier in Nana's garden.

2008 New Years Resolution 1. I will conserve water by:

a. Setting up a rain barrel for water collection

b. Using mulch in the garden and landscape to preserve ground moisture

c. Landscaping with drought resistant, native plants.

d. Reducing the size of mowed lawn areas on my property

e. Preserving "natural green space" and native plants on my property

f. Being conscious of my water usage with conservation in mind.

2. I will learn more about my local environment by:

a. Attending classes on native plants, wildlife and ecosystems

* Check out the free seminars offered monthly at the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center in Blairsville, Georgia; www.gmrec.uga.edu

b. Purchasing field guides for native plant and wildlife identification * An excellent field guide is: Wildflowers of Tennessee the Ohio Valley and Southern Appalachians by Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly and Duhl: ISBN 10:1-55105- 428-0

3. I will recycle by:

a. Creating a compost bin in my backyard to recycle food and lawn wastes.

b. Working with local authorities to expand recycling efforts.

4. I will share my knowledge by:

a. Taking my children and grandchildren outside and sharing the natural world with them.

b. Volunteering with children and adults to promote love and appreciation for the environment.

Happy New Year! and how you can volunteer, contact Glen Henderson; abletinker@aol.com, Joyce Hall; joycehall113@hotmail.com or Jennifer Cordier; ivylog@alltel.net (706-745-9317)