Letter from the Editor
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I spent Memorial Day weekend at the Heartwood Forest Council near Portsmouth, Ohio in the Shawnee State Forest. The Shawnee State Forest is Ohio’s largest state forest which consists of 64,000+-acres including 8,000 acres of the state’s only protected Wilderness Area. Heartwood, www.heartwood.org, is a cooperative network of grassroots groups, individuals and businesses working to protect and sustain healthy forests and vital human communities in the nation’s heartland, from the foothills of the Appalachians to the river valleys of the Great Plains and from the Great Lakes to the Deep South. The diversity of land which Heartwood works to protect is symbolic of the diversity of people and issues that were present at this weekends gathering.
The level of commitment, knowledge and activism of the attendees at the conference was the strongest I have seen in my 20 years of environmental work. Everyone present brought something to the table through their experiences and overall belief that we can achieve a peaceful, just and sustainable world.
I was fortunate to meet Cheryl and Barbara who led a hike through the Shawnee State Forest, educating participants on the clearcutting and prescribed burns that are continuing to endanger the health of this forest and the surrounding community. For more information, visit www.voicesfortheforest.org.
The weekend is one I will never forget. The most special part was that my daughter, Sam, came with me and she got to experience a community of people who value the natural world, understand that all things are connected and are determined to provide a healthier planet for future generations. Thanks to Dale, an expert tree climber, Sam got to spend most of her time in a tree. An opportunity she will never forget.