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Behind the Scenes at the Forum
act, meet and learnabout the NationalForum on Childrenand Nature. In thisissue:
act:American Community Gardening Association -Project Ecopolis
Gardens are a source of food andflowers - tending them can besoothing and satisfying. This istrue for people with yards and forthose living in cities, whencommunity gardens are nearby.The goal ofProject Ecopolisis to
share the benefits of gardeningwith children who work alongsideadult community gardeners togrow vegetables and herbs fromaround the world.Gardens can also be a place to renew and reintegrate for children, familiesand soldiers returning from combat. This is why Project Ecopolis began workat Fort Drum, NY, the most heavily deployed unit in the US military, to givemembers of the military and their families "common ground." ProjectEcopolis' Defiant Gardens, in partnership with Cornell University, is aprogram to plant gardens on military bases and throughout nearby militarycommunities. Starting in July, the Defiant Gardens 4-H program will alsosend container gardens to U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan."Gardens provide a different opportunity than any other support because it'sin nature, and it's a less obvious way of bringing people together andforming community," says Jeremiah Maxon, Cornell Cooperative Extension'sDefiant Gardens 4-H educator in Jefferson County, NY. "It helps meet needsthat military families might not know they have. A military family might notthink to join a community garden when a parent deploys, but [doing so]brings them back to nature and to the community."The program launches this summer with eight gardens in deployment-
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affected communities in NY, while 12 container gardens will be growing inAfghanistan, tended by the 3-71 Cavalry Unit where many members fromthese communities are deployed.Cornell Professor Marianne Krasny, who led the development of theGardenMosaicsintergenerational urban community gardening program, notes thatcommunity gardening is getting a lot of attention these days. "MicheleObama planted a garden on the White House lawn and Secretary Vilsack hascalled for community gardens outside USDA facilities. Such gardens have thepotential not only to help kids eat healthy food and get exercise, but also tohelp them connect with parents and other adults in their communities. Suchcommunity connections - and connections with nature - are critical for kids'healthy development."Support Project Ecopolis >>
meet:Charles O. Holliday, Jr.,DuPont
On January 1, 2009, after ten years as CEOof DuPont, Charles O. Holliday, Jr. retired,retaining his position as Chairman of theBoard. During his time as CEO of DuPont,Mr. Holliday helped transform the chemicalcompany to become a leader in the nextgeneration of transformative technologies.He forged the way by embracing theconcept of sustainable development,believing that economic growth, socialprogress, and environmental balance arenot mutually exclusive goals.Mr. Holliday's efforts were rewarded in early May when he received the 2009International Palladium Medal from the American Section of the Société deChimie Industrielle, a prestigious award that recognizes his efforts toglobalize the industry and advance science through the integration ofbiology and chemistry.When it comes to the environment, Mr. Holliday has seen evidence ofclimate change and has committed his company to reducing emissions ofgreenhouse gases. He understands that restricting emissions now can helpbusinesses avoid risks in the future, such as the buildup of heat-trappinggases that can eventually cause flooding or droughts.With this in mind, Mr. Holliday led the way to support government action incapping emissions and installing a trading system by which companies thatare able to cost-effectively reduce their emissions can sell emissionallowances to others that can't. He has built on the firm's long tradition oftechnology advances and has shown how a for-profit enterprise can prosperin a world wrestling with economic, social, and environmental change.
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