Mood Ring River

Sustainability professionals know the very definition of the word “sustainability” can be interpreted in many ways, and the most often cited reference is the work of the UN Brundtland Commission who defined it as business development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” That being said, we know there is another step beyond sustainability, and that is environmental restoration.

Growing up as a child in New England, I lived in a small town bisected by a river that once powered mills and other factories over a hundred years ago. Sadly, I remember the surface of that river looking like a giant “mood ring” on summer days as the various industrial pollutants shimmered in a rainbow of hues in the bright sunshine; not to mention the assault on my olfactory system! Over time, local citizen in a grassroots movement began to campaign to clean up the river, petitions were written, donations came pouring in, and today the river has been mostly restored to its natural state after years of daily pollution. The lesson for me is that it is possible for people to take responsible stewardship of the natural world, in fact we must! Since then I have seen other example where people and companies have worked together to save our rivers, lakes, wetlands, and ocean shores. A great example here in the San Francisco Bay Area is the restoration of Crissy Field, “once covered with asphalt and debris, and (now) restored as a park, natural area, and historic site with the help of donors and thousands of volunteers.”

So dear reader, what is your favorite restoration story?