Each month, WEN spotlights a WEN member or a nonprofit organization who is helping engage the Bay Area community on environmental issues. Nominate organizations, colleagues or friends for upcoming Spotlights by emailing wenbayarea@gmail.com. This Month's Spotlight: Kate McGinnis  Kate McGinnis leads business development for energy storage at Chevron Technology Ventures. In this capacity, she evaluates new technologies and applications, develops partnerships, and manages demonstration project development. In her previous role as a Carbon Management Advisor, Kate was responsible for identifying and developing emission reduction projects. She successfully coordinated the issuance and commercialization of Chevron’s first ever carbon credits from a geothermal project in Indonesia. Prior to Chevron, Kate worked in environmental advocacy roles and as a consultant to the US DOE. She has a BS in Environmental Science from George Washington University and an MBA from Cornell. What do you like best about being part of WEN? WEN is an amazing network of individuals who share a common interest in improving or preserving the environment we live in. Though we all have that common desire, the diversity of approaches employed by WEN members towards this common cause never fails to amaze and inspire. Tell us more about yourself. I grew up in Pleasantville, a suburb north of New York City. My journey to San Francisco passed first through DC, San Diego, and upstate NY. My earliest environmental memory from childhood is fighting with my father over the merits of recycling. I won, and he still sorts his trash to this day. My career has always centered around the environment, through nonprofit, political, and most recently corporate roles. The tremendous wealth of events, speakers, and creative people in San Francisco keeps me constantly learning. I’ve recently rediscovered twitter - follow me @katemcginnis. What are some of your other activities? I love outdoor sports - skiing, rafting, kayaking. I’ve played soccer all of my life, though an injury is keeping me sidelined for now. I’m also a travel nut - a favorite vacation formula is to plan a trip around a major hike, with a little city or beach time on the side. Even better if I can combine it with business travel! I’m also a local alumni interviewer for my business school. I’m a big fan of the food scene here in San Francisco - I cook at home from my farm box and I love the local content of our restaurants. What environmental issues are of most concern to you? I think that climate change is a problem that we don’t fully understand, and I fear both what the science predicts and what is still unknown. I work in energy because our current infrastructure is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and an area where I truly believe we can change the world within my lifetime. Previous Spotlights: Nikole Reaksecker  This month’s spotlight is on WEN Board member Nikole Reaksecker. Nikole has been a WEN member for two years. As WEN’s Secretary, she reads every email that comes into our account! Nikole specializes in sustainable business, marketing and change management. Her current BIG dream is to create an environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling human presence on the planet. To achieve this goal, she founded a consulting practice called EcoEngage and teaches a transformational process that helps people “face the mess” we are in without going crazy! How long have you been a WEN member? Nikole has been a WEN member for two years. As WEN’s
Secretary, she reads every email that comes into our account! What do you like best
about being part of WEN?
According to Nikole, “WEN is an amazing community of women who are engaged in the world.” She is deeply inspired by people who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place and is committed to creating empowered, engaged communities of support for people on that journey. Tell us more about yourself. Nikole grew up in the Napa Valley, yet knows very little about wine. She studied chemical engineering at U.C. Davis and is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute. She holds an MBA and a M.S. in Natural Resource Policy. She specializes in sustainable business, marketing and change management. Early in her career, Nikole worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she earned a bronze medal for her work on environmental justice. Her work resulted in a $7M settlement and the establishment of a health clinic in Wilmington, California to diagnose and treat respiratory diseases. More recently, Nikole managed The Energy Coalition’s PEAK Student Energy Action Program. Under her leadership, PEAK received the 2010 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award for the best children’s environmental education program in the State of California. Nikole’s current BIG dream is to create an environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling human presence on the planet. To achieve this awe-inspiring goal, she founded a consulting practice called EcoEngage and teaches a transformational process that helps people “face the mess” we are in without going crazy! She also enjoys hiking, yoga and travel. In May, you’ll find her exploring Peru! What environmental issues are of most concern to you? Nikole is most concerned about our connection to the natural world and is passionate about educating the public about how our choices impact the planet.  Alice Liddell is currently a Manager at ICF International -- she has over fourteen years of experience in energy efficiency implementation, energy policy development, carbon cap and trade policy design, and transportation policy. Alice joined the WEN board in 2009. How long have you been a WEN member? I have been a member since 2008 and have held various roles on the board since 2009, including the events side of the newsletter 2009-2011, WEN Board president 2011-2012, and I’m currently an At Large member of the Board 2013.
What do you like best about being part of WEN?
Tell us more about yourself I grew up in New York City and since high school I knew that I wanted to have a career in the environmental field. I attended Bowdoin College in Maine and majored in environmental studies and government; I later earned a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University. I have worked for a variety of consulting and non-profit organizations in MA, NY, CT and CA where I have focused on climate and energy policy and energy efficiency in both the residential and commercial sectors. My husband Jay and I moved to CA in 2008 and currently live in Sonoma. What are some of your other activities? and I am really enjoying learning about wine and hiking in the area. What environmental issues are of most concern to you?
Sapna
Thottathil  Sapna Thottathil is currently
a Senior Program Associate for the nation-wide Healthy Food in Health Care
program of Health Care Without Harm and Physicians for Social
Responsibility, where she is promoting large-scale sustainable food purchasing
in health care institutions, and preparing for an active legislative year on
antibiotics in animal agriculture. She joined the the WEN
Board in December as the East Bay Events coordinator. How long have you been a WEN member? I've been a member since September 2012. What do you like best about being part of WEN? I respect how WEN fosters mentorship and networking opportunities for professional women in the environmental field. WEN works hard to create a support system for women, and also celebrates our valid and important achievements, which I believe is very important, given the many glass ceilings still left to reach. I look forward to WEN events, where women can share success stories, tips, and information about the environmental field and their lives. I hope to plan more events that revolve around sustainable food and agriculture. Tell us more about yourself I just received my PhD from UC-Berkeley in December 2012. I had been conducting ethnographic field work (with the help of a Fulbright fellowship) on organic farming movements in the state of Kerala (in India) for the past 6 years. Prior to that, I researched consumer attitudes around food miles, Fair Trade foods, and local foods, for my Masters degree from Oxford University. I’ve also worked for the EPA in Washington DC, and I am a recipient of the Udall Scholarship for Environmental Excellence. What are some of your
other activities? I’m an avid reader. I have too many books. And, I love maps. What environmental issues are of most concern to you? Past Spotlights: January 2012 Paige Miller  This month’s spotlight is on new WEN Board member Paige Miller. Paige currently holds a communicati ons role with the S an Francisco Department of the Environment and joined the WEN Board in December as the Social Media Manager. She is passionate about urban planning and ways that individuals can develop livable, transit-oriented communities where the people, economy, and environment are all in good health. That's why she loves living in the Bay Area where she can take MUNI to work, bike to the beach, and walk to meet friends for coffee all within a stone's throw from her house.How long have you been a WEN member? I've been a member since September 2012 I love being a part of WEN because it provides the unique opportunity to build relationships with like-minded women in the environmental sector for networking, learning, and friendship. What are some of your other activities? I love riding my bike, making pizza from scratch, and hiking through the Presidio and Golden Gate Park. What do you like most about living in the Bay Area? This city has spirit. From sports, to music festivals, to roller skating dance parties to Thriller in Golden Gate Park, people are always looking for a reason to go outside and have a good time. December 2012 Dilara Su Muftuoglu Our final spotlight for 2012 is on East Bay WEN member Dilara Su Muftuoglu. Like most of our members, she is a busy and focused woman. Dilara's current work involves finding solutions to help the poor overcome poverty. Her organization, Innovations for Poverty Action, “designs and evaluates programs in real contexts with real people, and provide hands-on assistance to bring successful programs to scale.”  Tell us a little about yourself. November 2012 Families for Clean Air  Families for Clean Air was formed by a group of concerned parents in the San Francisco Bay Area who felt that many parents were simply unaware of the consequences of wood smoke pollution. The organization strives to educate people about the health dangers associated with wood burning. On the next Spare the Air Day this fall/winter, keep in mind the efforts undertaken by this group to make the air we breathe a littler bit cleaner and safer. What is the mission of Families for Clean Air? Our mission is to protect the public's health from residential wood smoke pollution through advocacy, education, and community involvement. What is the history of your organization? Families for Clean Air was founded in 2006 to work on the passage of a Bay Area Air Quality Management District regulation to ameliorate residential wood smoke pollution which is the largest source of harmful air pollution in the Bay Area from November through March. What are the current top priorities for Families for Clean Air? Currently we are concerned with educating the public about the public health hazards of wood burning. Wood smoke is 12 times more carcinogenic than the same amount of cigarette smoke, is the second largest source of dioxin in the Bay Area, and is a significant factor in global warming. People don't realize that heating with wood is not a sustainable act. Our website notes that hundreds of studies have now documented the harmful health effects of wood smoke pollution. Yet many people remain unaware of the facts―or refuse to accept them. The current situation is similar to the way we used to treat second-hand tobacco smoke―by the time the public finally accepted just how hazardous second-hand smoke was, there had already been incalculable damage to human life. The fine particle pollutants from wood burning are so small that they infiltrate even the most well-insulated and weather-stripped homes. Scientific studies have shown that particle pollution levels inside homes reach up to 70% of the pollution levels outdoors. What is one unknown/interesting fact about Families for Clean Air? We are helping people with wood smoke problems all over the U.S. and abroad. Our website and printed materials have been used by the EPA, air districts, two counties, and a number of cities. October 2012
Tell us a little about yourself. I was born and raised in sunny San Diego and moved up to the Bay Area for school six years ago. I graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Environmental Economics and Policy and took away with me a growing interest and passion for environmental and energy issues. I spent my summer after graduation in Mozambique where I worked with International Development Enterprises (IDE) focusing on micro-irrigation technologies for smallholder farmers. After a brief stint in the legal world, I am now working as a Regulatory Analyst for former California Public Utilities Commission Commissioner Dian Grueneich at her small, strategic consulting firm. I am responsible for researching and analyzing California and U.S. energy regulatory matters, particularly relating to energy efficiency, demand response, and renewable energy. How long have you been a WEN member? I have been a WEN member for over a year now, and a board member for just as long. What do you like best about WEN? The events! I have had so much fun hiking, crafting, eating, socializing, etc. with such an interesting group of women. What are some of your other activities? On the weekends you can find me either traveling, reading, running, going to the movies, or cooking (or trying at least!). What is your favorite thing about living in the Bay Area? The mix of a bustling city situated in awe-inspiring natural surroundings. What environmental issues are of most concern to you? Climate change and all that is relate September 2012 Los EcoAmigos  What is the
mission of Los EcoAmigos? Los EcoAmigos (LEA) believes that having the Latino
population actively participating in the triple bottom line - people, planet,
and profit - as a daily behavior will immensely aid the
fight against global environmental decay. The organization’s main mission is to build a
strong foundation between the environmental organizations and the Latino
community. LEA enables the Latino Community in the Bay Area to retake their
sustainable living practices via bilingual education and advocates for
healthier and self-sufficient families while reducing costs. Programs includes
topics such as water conservation, edible gardening, nutrition classes, daily
living practices (recycling, compost, etc), air pollution, smart transportation
and energy efficiency. What is the
history of Los EcoAmigos? LEA was founded by Elena Velez, who realized while working in waste reduction recycling programs, that regardless of the magnitude of the Latino population, especially in the Bay Area, the Latino Community had no access to sustainable education. This was mainly because of the language barrier. After almost three years, Elena decided to do something about this and connect the dots - lovely people in need of knowledge, free environmental education in Spanish, and LEA’s caring, multilingual educational skills. She is joined in her work by a group of consultants, professionals, interpreters, translators and educators that support her efforts on promoting bilingual environmental education. A single mother of two fantastic young men (14 and 18 years old), Elena works as a consultant and facilitates the communication process within different fields. She is busy meeting many people all over the Bay Area, looking for existing environmentally-friendly organizations that recognize and support the mission of Los EcoAmigos. What are the current top priorities for Los EcoAmigos? Los EcoAmigos priorities are to: •Obtain financial support to engage the Latino Community and promote its programs •Integrate the Latino Community with global environmental purposes •Create a “Cultura Verde” which aims for self sufficiency - especially with the high unemployment rate affecting the Latino Community •Encourage active participation and integration through bilingual environmentally- friendly workshops •Become The Latino Green Resource Center What is one unknown fact about Los EcoAmigos? An unknown fact is that Los EcoAmigos (LEA) will represent your organization only if you have a meaningful purpose, if you respect and value the Latino Community, and if you agree that this community deserves to be included. If you see yourself there, LEA will smile and deliver your message with a culturally engaging marketing strategy as if it was ours. August 2012 Where do you currently work? I am a writer with the
Institute for Population Studies in Berkeley; aka HowMany.org. Our goal is to raise public awareness of the
fundamental cause of (and solutions to) social and environmental issues, so that
all people are empowered to determine a sustainable population size for their
families, regions and the planet. We explore the links among population growth, women's
rights, access to family planning, education, social justice and
environmental challenges, including urban sprawl, water rights, climate change
and consumption. I'm fortunate that I get to attend some very interesting events for my job. I recently traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development/Rio+20. I went on behalf of both the Institute for Population Studies and also the Sierra Club's Global Population and Environment Program, with whom I volunteer. Rio+20 was exciting, exhausting, informative, and frustrating. There was a final outcome document that governments agreed upon, but most environmentalists and reproductive rights activists and many others were not happy with it. The best things happened at the conference side events, where new collaborations and connections were made amongst diverse sectors for future work and campaigns. And after Rio, I went straight to Colorado for the Aspen Ideas Festival, a gathering of “top thinkers” on a range of pressing issues. This year they addressed population growth in a week of sessions called Our Planet: 7 Billion and Counting. My articles on
the conferences and other issues can be seen at http://populationgrowth.org/
I also have a personal blog focused on India, environment, and human
rights called Taming
the Tiger, located at http://suzanneyork.wordpress.com/.http://suzanneyork.wordpress.com/. What environmental issues are most important to you and how as individuals can we personally support these issues and increase awareness? Most of my writing
reflects the issues that most concern me, namely population growth, women's
empowerment, reproductive rights, over-consumption, alternative economic indicators,
and protecting the environment. My background has been working on the effects of globalization on the environment and human rights/indigenous rights. I've been very excited to transition into writing about population issues and advocating for women's empowerment, since I feel that these are key issues and solutions to many of the problems the world is facing today. When we empower women, it reduces stress on the environment and resources. The latest statistic is that 222 million women in developing countries want to avoid pregnancy, but lack effective contraception. When these women are educated, given choice and access to voluntary reproductive health services, along with improved economic opportunities, their communities and the planet benefit. Study after study shows meeting basic needs helps women and everyone cope with the effects of climate change and protect and manage resources better. It is critical that people become better informed on how empowering women leads to healthy families and a sustainable environment. What type of WEN events do you most enjoy? I really enjoy being a WEN board member and collaborating with very interesting and talented women. We plan many great activities, and the ones I like best are hiking excursions, brunches, and speed networking.
July 2012 Christine Sculati  Tell us a little about yourself. I like to help organizations solve tough community problems by effectively engaging people in their causes to offer volunteer and philanthropic support. Currently, most of my work focuses on helping two of my wonderful clients through development director transitions. I have run my own business since 2001. Before I changed directions in my career to focus on nonprofits and philanthropy, I worked in the private and public sectors as an environmental consultant. I started interning in this field before I graduated from the environmental sciences program at UC Berkeley and continued on for nine years. My work ranged from regulation development and oil spill prevention inspections for the Environmental Protection Agency to helping California businesses and nonprofits to prevent pollution and find and implement green business solutions. I wrote proposals, developed budgets and managed projects. I also took a sabbatical to live, volunteer and travel in South America for six months, which likely spurred my eventual career change. What are some environmental issues that concern you? A number of environmental issues concern me, but right now the California state parks crisis is on the top of my mind with the date of July 1 looming, by which time parks will close and museum artifacts will be packed up and shipped to warehouses in Sacramento. Last year, 70 parks were slated for closure due to budget cuts. At least 30 of those now have a temporary reprieve, but the whole system is under siege due to under-funding for many years. Proposition 21, which would have helped us rebuild and sustain a world-class state park system in California, failed at the ballot box in fall 2010. My concern is that Californians and youth are becoming increasingly disconnected from the outdoors and environmental issues. Youth, our future environmental stewards, need opportunities to experience the benefits of parks and wilderness areas offer. It is hard to believe, but some urban youth in San Francisco have never been to the beach or seen the Golden Gate Bridge. How long have you been a WEN member? I have been an avid reader of the WEN newsletter since 2007. That year I attended my first WEN event and remember being impressed that it was "zero waste" with compostable plant-based utensils, cups, and plates, including vegetarian tamale husks. What do you like best about WEN? I really enjoy the newsletter to get a pulse on what is happening in the community of women working in the environmental fields, especially because several members work with nonprofits. Last year, I participated in a couple of great events with inspiring conversation, including a brunch and hike to Tennessee Valley and a craft night and potluck for the holidays. What are some of your other activities? When I am not working, I like to spend as much time as possible in the outdoors, experiencing nature, wilderness and adventure with my husband and friends. One of my favorite places in the world is Yosemite National Park, where I have spent many weekends camping, rock climbing and backpacking. I also write a blog to highlight ideas, news and resources for nonprofit and community innovation. Since September 2011, I have dedicated that space to follow the current California State Park funding crisis, drawing attention to nonprofit leaders who have stepped up to save our parks and park system. I treasure our state parks and think it is devastating that these beautiful places are endangered. What is your favorite thing about living in the Bay Area? The Bay Area has it all – from arts and culture to some of the best places to experience nature and wilderness within a very short distance from urban areas. I also love how bicycle friendly it is here. June 2012 Andrea Kopecky
 Many Women’s Environmental Network members might
recognize Andrea, a member of our board since last October. An attorney who
works for the non-profit San Francisco Baykeeper, Andrea is working to protect
and improve water quality in the Bay. Lately Andrea has been focused on
enforcing the Clean Water Act (CWA) by bringing citizen suits against
industrial facilities that are in violation of their CWA permits. “It has been
a very rewarding job that incorporates both my science background and my legal knowledge,” Andrea says.
I grew up in Indiana and started becoming interested in environmental issues in sixth grade, due to a very passionate science teacher that taught us about recycling before anyone recycled. I studied biology at Purdue University and went on to the University of Texas (UT) for a Master’s Degree in marine science. After graduating, I worked on a research project studying nutrient cycling in some highly polluted streams. After focusing solely on science, I decided I wanted to shift careers in order to have more of an impact on the environment. I decided to go to law school at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, focusing on environmental law. After graduating from law school in 2010, I moved down to San Francisco to start my current job as an attorney for San Francisco Baykeeper. How long have you been a WEN member? I have been a WEN member since last summer, when I first heard about the organization. I found out about the newsletter and went to one of the happy hour events. I really enjoyed it and decided to get more involved right away, so I joined the WEN board in October. It has been great! What do you like best about WEN? I like meeting and talking with women who are passionate about the environment. I think we can learn a lot from each other. WEN is also important to me because I work for such a small organization that it can be difficult to network and meet others with similar interests. I also recently got involved with one of WEN’s book clubs, which has been really fun. What are some of your other activities? I love being outdoors as much as possible. I enjoy hiking, biking, swimming, and scuba diving. I like going on walks in the woods and bringing along my camera. I also enjoy reading, Scrabble, going to farmer’s markets, playing the piano, and traveling. What is your favorite thing about living in the Bay Area? My favorite thing about the Bay Area is being surrounded by water, whether it’s the Bay itself, the ocean, or the many lakes and streams. It makes me happy to be walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, along the beach, or on one of the many piers in San Francisco. It reaffirms my passion for protecting our beautiful environment. What are some environmental issues that concern you? For my job, I focus on water pollution in the Bay and its tributaries, but I am also concerned about many other issues. A big issue in California, especially in the Central Valley, is contaminated groundwater. This is already a pervasive problem affecting many communities that rely on groundwater as a source of drinking water. I am also very concerned about the impacts of climate change, especially how drought conditions affect food production across the globe. Our biggest environmental problem in the future is too many people and not enough natural resources! TechWomen  Currently, TechWomen is seeking women in the San Francisco Bay
Area to serve as Professional and Cultural Mentors to the 2012 group of
TechWomen Mentees from the Middle East and North Africa. Harnessing the
power of business, technology and innovation, TechWomen brings emerging
women leaders, many working in the sustainability and environmental
fields, together with their U.S. counterparts for a professional
mentorship and exchange program in San Francisco, Silicon Valley and the
greater Bay Area. If you are interested in fostering the next generation of women leaders from the Middle East and North Africa, apply now! Questions? Please contact TechWomen at mentor@techwomen.org or (415) 362-6520 Ext. 207. Read more on the TechWomen website at: http://www.techwomen.org/ Seema Ghosh  Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in the Seattle area and studied electrical engineering at the University of Washington. After working for the power utility in Seattle for two years, I knew I wanted to get into renewable energy. I went to graduate school at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) to study electrical engineering. After graduating I joined Black & Veatch in their Portland, OR office doing substation design. Within a year I found Black & Veatch's renewable energy consulting group in the Bay Area and transferred here. I've been working for Black & Veatch for almost 5 years. How long have you been a WEN member? I've only been a WEN member for a few months. A friend of mine introduced me to Women of Wind Energy (WoWE). I have been working with them for about two years. Through WoWE I found out about WEN. I'm very excited about being part of this great group of people. What do you like best about WEN? I like meeting people in the environmental field in various facets. I've met people who do environmental consulting, help small businesses, work for non-profits, do green marketing, and so on. I'm excited to be part of WEN and look forward to meeting more of its unique and diverse members. What other activities are you involved in? I'm on the Women of Wind Energy leadership team. WoWE puts on events such as tours of wind farms or green winery's, lectures, and joint ventures such as the Women In Renewable Energy (WIRE) career panel events. Aside from these things I love cooking, reading, and spending time with my dog. Favorite thing about living in the Bay Area? The Bay Area is unique in so many ways. The weather is wonderful and there is a great diversity of people and culture here. But what I think is really great about California, and the Bay Area in general, is how progressive things are. I love being on BART and overhearing people talk about green building, renewable energy, or sustainability; these kind of ideas are not unique around here!
Back to Earth Outdoors  One of the Back to Earth Outdoors signature programs is the Intro to Backpacking for Women trip. The purpose of the program is to train women in backpacking skills so that they can organize and lead their own trips, and overcome any intimidation in doing so. The outing also aims to connect and empower women to have a positive relationship and impact with nature. Back to Earth trips can alleviate any fears women may have about spending time in the wilderness, or planning their own outing, says Dashielle Vawter, the organization’s director. She thinks the connection with nature helps remove some of that fear and any obstacles that could be standing in the way. The trips contain a stewardship aspect and are designed to build participant’s kinship relationship with nature. Dashielle believes that part of being a woman is connecting with nature, and that for too many years the earth and women's bodies have been a battleground for those in power. Yet women have a unique relationship with the environment, with a rich experience as traditional nurturers and caregivers, and that relationship should be cultivated. 
And special thanks to WEN member Kathren Murrell Stevenson, who led a Yoga, Arts and Ecology Backpacking Retreat trip last year with Dashielle and BTEO and wanted to share this incredible experience with other women! * * *
Osprey Orielle Lake How did you become interested in environmental work? Early in my life, I was inspired by the northern coast of California where I spent much of my childhood hiking along remote beaches and in the redwoods. This beauty deeply touched me and I knew that I wanted to do all that I could to protect these special places and to bring more awareness to the need to protect the natural world. I understood this early on because I had experiences of seeing the devastating results of magnificent old growth forests that were clear-cut; forests that I loved and knew were irreplaceable. It broke my heart open. The words of Rachel Carson also guided me at that time, especially when she wrote, “I believe that the more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” For many years I have been involved with environmental and societal change organizations, and last year I founded the Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus (WECC), which is a branch of State of the World Forum. As the director of WECC, I have the honor and opportunity to collaborate with extraordinary women here in the US and in other countries. We are developing alliances that can assist, as an example, the most vulnerable communities in Africa that are dealing with the devastating effects of climate change. What environmental issues are most important to you and how as individuals can we personally support these issues and increase awareness? We are focused on women because empowering women benefits entire communities as well as society overall. United Nations’ studies show us that worldwide, when women are empowered, local economies improve, populations stabilize, and children’s health and education improves. In many countries, women get out the vote and vote more often. Where the environment is concerned, women are the main recyclers in the home, and often decide how the family income is spent. Women decide some 80% of family financial decisions in America. Imagine that market power focused on demanding a new clean energy economy! We also need to bring light to, and take action on, the disproportionate burden women face, especially in low-income communities and developing countries, from the impacts of climate change. Right now, in addition to convening WECC sessions, I am on a tour with my new book “Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature”. The book weaves together history, science, the arts, women’s leadership and governance in order to map out an integral approach to working in partnership with nature. When we embrace our connection to the natural world and to each other, and combine that with the lessons of our ecosystems, we have a better capacity to find answers needed to create sustainable living models. In this sense, the mystery, wonder and elegance of the earth have been at the core of my inspiration. We gladly welcome more participation in WECC! Please see http://www.worldforum.org/womans-caucus.htm and welcome to my book launch in Berkeley on October 26, 2010. www.ospreyoriellelake.com
Nonprofit Spotlight:
What is the current top priority for
The Watershed Project?
What is one unknown fact about The
Watershed Project? Member Spotlight:
I work at Turtle Island Restoration Network, a registered nonprofit
based in west Marin County that works to protect marine life and
habitats worldwide. TIRN’s main programs are the Sea Turtle Restoration
Project, which works globally; Salmon Protection and Watershed Network
(SPAWN), which works locally to protect the largest remaining population
of coho salmon in California here in west Marin; and the GotMercury
Campaign, which raises awareness of the dangers of mercury in seafood
and promotes effective policies to prevent high-mercury seafood from
being sold to the public. Email: maeve@tirn.net This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Nonprofit
Spotlight:
Member Spotlight: Where do you currently work? I serve as Deputy Director for Development & Operations at Pacific Environment. Pacific Environment protects the living environment of the Pacific Rim by promoting grassroots activism, strengthening communities and reforming international policies. We work in China, the Russian Far East and Siberia, Alaska and California, dedicating over 1/3 of our budget each year to funding and nurturing grassroots organizations on the frontlines. We confront taxpayer-funded banks that back oil, gas, mining and timber extraction and the companies that profit from these often environmentally devastating projects. We support and encourage sustainable fishing, renewable energy and initiatives that put environmental protection and communities first. It is a long-term and leveraged approach that gets results. Discuss the career and educational path that led to your current employment. I have held positions as executive leader for Bay Area arts organizations Teatro ZinZanni and earlier, the Midsummer Mozart Festival, among others. For six years, I led marketing, sales, and sponsorship at California Shakespeare Theater, and prior at ODC Dance/San Francisco. I spent over ten years as the owner of a music consulting firm to international recording artists. I received my B.S. in Business Administration from John F. Kennedy University, and am pursuing an MBA in Strategic Management. What is your typical day like? They are never the same! I am responsible for development, communications, and operations. I develop and oversee our fundraising and outreach efforts, including grant-writing and foundation relations, individual and major donor outreach, electronic communications, media relations, and event production, and also oversee operations, including human resources, financial accounting, technology, and office management. On any given day I wear many hats: personnel, forecasting revenue, making donor calls, board recruitment, planning a fundraiser or strategic planning – or approving expense reports. What environmental issues are most important to you and how as individuals can we personally support these issues and increase awareness? I believe climate change and excessive energy and resource consumption are the core issues. Our dependence on fossil fuel is accelerating global warming, along with the insatiable desire for consumer goods that requires ever-more aggressive resource extraction in fragile habitats, costly transportation of raw materials and finished goods over longer distances. Short-sighted energy policies are threatening indigenous cultures and their traditional lands at an alarming pace. While my professional focus is to support efforts to combat these problems, there are things we can all do. It’s about mindfulness: embracing that often-quoted, but true “think global, act local.” Choosing a cause to support and dedicating a portion of your income and/or time is incredibly important. So is sharing your concern for issues with your network and those who represent you and your interests. Let companies and merchants know if their practices do not align with conservation values. Vote with your pocketbook. At home we compost and recycle obsessively (yes, I wash foil) and are enthusiastic urban farmers. It’s been fun to learn how to can, pickle and preserve the bounty of our garden. I’m addicted to salvage yards, and nothing tickles me more than the annual clothing swap with my girlfriends to re-purpose our wardrobes. Using public transport, planning auto trips carefully, and even observing the speed limit all help. mstraw@pacificenvironment.org This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Nonprofit Spotlight:Sea Turtle Restoration Project
What is the mission of your organization? The Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP) protects endangered sea turtles in ways that make cultural and economic sense to the communities that share the beaches and waters with these gentle creatures. With offices in California, Texas, and Costa Rica, STRP has been leading the international fight to protect sea turtle populations worldwide by partnering with activists and communities to protect nesting beaches, establish marine conservation areas and reform fishery practices and policies. What is the history of the organization? STRP was founded in 1989 by biologist Todd Steiner, under the guidance of David Brower at Earth Island Institute. Steiner founded the project after learning that sea turtles he worked to protect in Central America were being legally slaughtered after they migrated into Mexican waters. STRP is now the largest program of Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN), a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1997. STRP’s most recent success was threatening legal action which compelled BP and the U.S. Coast Guard to protect sea turtles from incineration by halting their oil burning operations in the Gulf. Other past successes have included creating policy reform that instituted 200,000 square miles of protected foraging habitat for the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle off the U.S. West Coast; preventing the reopening of drift gillnet fishing in the Leatherback Conservation Area off the U.S. West Coast for the 2006 season; compelling Mexico to end its legal harvest of sea turtles and closing a sea turtle slaughterhouse; compelling twenty nations to use turtle-saving gear in their shrimp fishing operations; and catalyzing California to require posting of mercury-in-seafood warning signage in California supermarkets and restaurants. What is the current top priority for your organization?
Our current priority is drawing more attention
to the plight of the rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, which nests
exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico. The Kemp’s has in recent years
returned from the brink of extinction, yet now faces the devastating
consequences of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill on its survival and
habitat. We have been fighting for years to strengthen protections for
this smallest of sea turtles from shrimp trawling, beach development,
pollution and other threats. We are now responding to the oil spill by:
(1) learning rescue protocol and participating in on-the-water sea
turtle rescue; (2) compelling federal wildlife officials to undertake
emergency actions to protect threatened and endangered sea turtles in
the Gulf; (3) develop grassroots support and legal action to compel BP
and the federal government to protect endangered sea turtles as required
through the Endangered Species Act; (4) provide the media with needed
footage on endangered and threatened sea turtles affected by the oil
spill, as well as other marine wildlife and habitat impacts; (5)
intensifying our demands for stronger protections from shrimping
operations in Kemp’s habitat; and (6) extending our sea turtle education
and awareness raising work with schools and the public from Texas to
all states in the Gulf region. STRP takes on campaigns that are difficult to win and we find ourselves facing naysayers in larger environmental organizations. But as the campaigns pick up, we see that our efforts and willingness to take on hard actions catalyzes larger groups to action. We now recognize that acting as a catalyst for the involvement of larger groups is one of our strengths, as are our agility to choose campaigns, and our persistence in seeing them through.
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