by David G. Anderson
A visit to
Washington DC is always interesting and inspiring, and my trip this month was
no exception! There were several reasons
to go this time. I gave two
presentations on CNHP’s projects at the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) annual
Meeting. One was on our wildlife escape
ramp study, led by Jeremy Siemers, and funded by CDOT. The other was on our pilot test of the
Integrated Ecological Framework, a project funded by TRB.
 |
| Participants in TRB’s annual meeting at the Washington Hilton. |
This conference
coincided with the Disasters and Environment Conference, held by the National Council for Science and the Environment. CSU is
a sponsoring institution of this conference and our Dean, Joyce Berry, and our
Provost Rick Miranda were there. There were presentations by many inspiring
environmental leaders (the outgoing director of NOAA, Jane Lubchenco, gave a memorable presentation).
coincided with the Disasters and Environment Conference, held by the National Council for Science and the Environment. CSU is
a sponsoring institution of this conference and our Dean, Joyce Berry, and our
Provost Rick Miranda were there. There were presentations by many inspiring
environmental leaders (the outgoing director of NOAA, Jane Lubchenco, gave a memorable presentation).
 |
| The beautiful Ronald Reagan Building, where the Disasters and Environment conference was held. |
And of
course, I also spent a day visiting our friends at NatureServe’s headquarters
in Arlington, Virginia. With Leslie
Honey, Vice President of Conservation Services for NatureServe, I met with Dan
Fenn, a staffer in Senator Mark Udall’s Office.
We showed him the State of Colorado’s Biodiversity 2011 and gave him a
copy of CNHP’s High Park Fire poster, and it was a wonderful
opportunity to highlight some of the ways that we can help identify no-regrets
conservation solutions. Leslie and I
made a great team and I hope we can visit our congressional representatives
again before long! It was fun to visit
our friends at NatureServe- thank you to everyone (Pat, Leslie, Lori, Don,
Rob, Kat, and Bruce) for your hospitality.
course, I also spent a day visiting our friends at NatureServe’s headquarters
in Arlington, Virginia. With Leslie
Honey, Vice President of Conservation Services for NatureServe, I met with Dan
Fenn, a staffer in Senator Mark Udall’s Office.
We showed him the State of Colorado’s Biodiversity 2011 and gave him a
copy of CNHP’s High Park Fire poster, and it was a wonderful
opportunity to highlight some of the ways that we can help identify no-regrets
conservation solutions. Leslie and I
made a great team and I hope we can visit our congressional representatives
again before long! It was fun to visit
our friends at NatureServe- thank you to everyone (Pat, Leslie, Lori, Don,
Rob, Kat, and Bruce) for your hospitality.
Two of our
friends from Oregon, Jimmy Kagan (Director of the Oregon Biodiversity
Information Center (ORBIC), CNHP’s analog in that state) and Lisa Gaines
(Director of the Oregon Institute for Natural Resources), spent the week there
as well and we did a pretty good job of trying some of Washington’s fabulous
culinary offerings together while figuring out how to conserve the world’s biodiversity. Jimmy and I visited the wonderful United
States Botanic Garden between meetings on the last day of my stay. One of my favorite things there, aside from
the beautiful orchid collection, was getting to see the Wollemi pine. I had read about the discovery of this
ancient tree species in the Blue Mountains of Australia 10 years ago, and it
was wonderful to meet this species in person!
friends from Oregon, Jimmy Kagan (Director of the Oregon Biodiversity
Information Center (ORBIC), CNHP’s analog in that state) and Lisa Gaines
(Director of the Oregon Institute for Natural Resources), spent the week there
as well and we did a pretty good job of trying some of Washington’s fabulous
culinary offerings together while figuring out how to conserve the world’s biodiversity. Jimmy and I visited the wonderful United
States Botanic Garden between meetings on the last day of my stay. One of my favorite things there, aside from
the beautiful orchid collection, was getting to see the Wollemi pine. I had read about the discovery of this
ancient tree species in the Blue Mountains of Australia 10 years ago, and it
was wonderful to meet this species in person!
 |
|
Jimmy Kagan,
Director of the ORBIC – a rare species indeed. |
 |
| Wollemi Pines in the Rare and Endangered Species Collection at the US Botanic Garden |
On the last
evening of my stay I walked down Pennsylvania Avenue back to my hotel (after
stopping for a beer near the Whitehouse, where I met the City Manager of the
City of Auburn, WA and a former hedge fund manager for Louis Bacon – both classic
Washington DC experiences), and followed the parade route for Obama’s
Inauguration.
evening of my stay I walked down Pennsylvania Avenue back to my hotel (after
stopping for a beer near the Whitehouse, where I met the City Manager of the
City of Auburn, WA and a former hedge fund manager for Louis Bacon – both classic
Washington DC experiences), and followed the parade route for Obama’s
Inauguration.
 |
|
Pennsylvania
Avenue on January 17th, just before Obama’s Inauguration |
It was
wonderful to showcase CNHP’s success, leadership, and conservation innovations
in Washington DC with our national leaders.
I am so proud to work at a Heritage Program that has so much to offer in
this regard!
wonderful to showcase CNHP’s success, leadership, and conservation innovations
in Washington DC with our national leaders.
I am so proud to work at a Heritage Program that has so much to offer in
this regard!
