JANUARY 21, 2010 ISSUE
Can Our Community Weather the Storm?
Blue Ridge Conference on Resilience January 30
Participants in last year’s community resilience meeting reconvene to discuss their impressions of the event.
Watauga County Commission Chair Jim Deal leads a group in discussing environmentally responsible job creation at last year’s community meeting on resilience. Photos by Kathleen McFadden
In January 2009, against an international backdrop of growing concerns about climate change, economic collapse and issues with significant impact, MountainKeepers hosted a one-day community meeting on the topic of resilience.
The organization asked more than 80 attendees to answer the question “How can we create a more resilient community?” The meeting sparked discussions and ideas about green building, affordable housing, environmentally responsible job creation, locally produced energy, emergency responses, healthy water systems and alternative transportation, among other topics.
This year, the conversations will continue at the Blue Ridge Conference on Resilience on Saturday, January 30, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Watauga High School cafeteria.
“[There is] an opportunity here to expand, deepen and take further conversations that started last year,” said Nancy Reigel of MountainKeepers. MountainKeepers is an alliance of organizations, businesses, groups, government and individuals committed to the sustainability of the special character of the community and region.
“[For] other conversations that got started, but not continued, this is a way to regenerate and move forward,” she said.
Last year’s conversations led to several new projects and initiatives. A discussion about pharmaceutical waste in the local water supply led to Operation Medicine Cabinet, a collaboration between local law enforcement, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The event collected approximately 40,000 pills, 12 gallons of liquid medication and 2,000 sharps, keeping them out of the water supply and out of children’s hands.
In addition, individuals interested in promoting local food met and formed a group. And a recycling committee was created, with representatives from Boone, Watauga County and ASU.
“The whole idea of this is to help people find each other,” said Reigel.
The conference will proceed in the same manner as last year, following a very loose format. If someone comes to the meeting and suggest a topic for the conference, the organizers will find a time and place for the person to lead that conversation, Reigel said. Overall, 21 different conversations took place at the 2009 event.
“Everybody loved the format,” she said.
Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. The event will open with a welcome and overview, and at 9:15 a.m., self-selected small group discussions will commence. Lunch will take place at noon, with breakout groups continuing their conversations. At 1:30 p.m., the entire group will reconvene to determine next steps.
Advanced registration is $10 and includes breakfast and lunch. Registration is $15 on January 30. To qualify for the box lunch, register by this Saturday, January 23. A vegetarian option is available. The conference is a reduced waste event, and attendees are asked to bring their own coffee mugs and beverage containers.
The Conference on Resilience is also the Watauga County kickoff of the Blue Ridge Parkway 75th anniversary celebration.
“When you think about it, the Parkway is kind of one of the first MountainKeepers,” Reigel said. “It brought attention to the fact that mountains are special, pristine and something precious to be taken care of.”
To download a registration form, click to www.MountainKeepers.org. Make checks payable to MountainKeepers and mail forms and payment to MountainKeepers, P.O. Box 21 DTS, Boone, NC 28607. For more information, call 828-268-0637 or email keepers@mountainkeepers.org.
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