Thanks to Matt Cimitile, writer/multimedia man from USGS, you can see how a visual recording unfolds over 2.5 minutes.



This short video was made at the Coastal Zone 2011 Conference in Chicago where we designed a non-traditional plenary session. In a conversational setting, participants spoke from the heart as they gave examples of work around the country that inspired the creation of the first-ever US policy on managing the Coasts, Oceans and Great Lakes. An audience of over 800 people were held attention, laptops closed, cell phones in their pocket.

The chart was posted in the lobby where people could reconnect with the content and continue discussing the ideas over the next three days.

The National Ocean Policy describes how we should manage our coastal resources for future generations to enjoy. It's a milestone for the country but making it real will take doing things differently. We'll need to be creative, inclusive and think, as Jacque Hostler put it, for seven generations out.

The entire session was 90 minutes. With some editing we could speed me up (like the wonderful RSA-style videos) and overlay the spoken content but that is a much bigger editing process.

I have had the honor of working with the Saint Mark's Sustainability Committee in their process of creating a plan. Teaming with Fermata Consulting, I get to listen, write and draw. I am amazed at how engaged people feel in the meetings and how the visual recording keeps us on track. They love having the reminder. Me, I get to see a whole new side of a christian community that is open, accepting and loving of all beings. They get the spiritual connection of sustainability work and it's a gift they give their entire community.

to show the enormity and complexity of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem in the most recent Open Land from the Jackson Hole Land Trust Jackson Hole Land Trust

Walking up to Garfield High School in Seattle last week, I was greeted by at least 10 welcoming students. I was there attending the "Listening Session" for the Great Outdoor Initiative, one of the stops in this countrywide tour by the Department of the Interior.

Talking to folks before the introduction began I was delighted to hear about the youth summit earlier that day. The highlights for me in the introductory remarks were the Native American blessing given by a local tribe (including a very articulate princess!) and the hilarious welcoming speech by an Garfield senior.

It felt a little different than the typical public hearing. And there was a great diversity of people there from old to young, dark to light. Nice to see our natural world has a good looking fan base.

The high school auditorium was filled with a few hundred conservation supporters, government officials of all levels, environmental groups and I don't know who else. We were divided into groups according to numbers on our name tags and that's when I exited stage left. I just wanted to see if this was going to be anything different. I'd love to hear how those break out groups went, I was just glad to see the introduction and hear some great positive news out of the mouths of high school students.

You can participate by sharing your ideas, commenting on other peoples, promoting and demoting causes online at the Idea Jam:

http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/

Yes, there's some trash-talk going on as well. But at least it's refreshing to see real conservation issues being discussed at this level. I see no word how long this site is going to be up but I would imagine until the end of August. The first report by the Initiative is due November 15. 

Comments can be emailed to: ago@ios.doi.gov.

Or go analog and submit by hand: Department of the Interior, America's Great Outdoors, 1849 C Street NW, Mailstop 3156, Washington DC  20240.

Love this one in a series by the Cascade Land Conservancy!

I love the stories that keep coming from the Tompotika region of Sulawesi about these coloring sheets. Marcy's staff at ALTO (http://www.tompotika.org/) are working in the schools with the maleo and sea turtle conservation engaging children (and their family) with color, shape and fun! This picture sums it up. Go ALTO!