HoLLIE – week 4
/The Week 4 of HoLLIE (Howard County Legacy Leadership Institute for the Environment) class day was held at Belmont Manor and Historic Park. There are 8 weeks to this institute so its now half over. Time flies…
I arrived early since it was my class to bring snacks and I wanted to have them unpacked before other students arrived. While I waited a few minutes for the most convenient door to be unlocked, I noticed a small bird on one of the hooks used occasionally for bird feeders. I managed to get out my camera and use the zoom to see what it was. A bluebird! What an excellent way to start out the day.
The theme for the day – which will carry over to week 5 - was “Earth System Science with Humans in the Equation”. The agenda for the day included a morning focused on government approach to environmental policy (international, national and local) followed by an afternoon hearing about volunteering and a group of organizations needing volunteers in our area. As usual – I took copious notes.
The most important aspect of these classes is probably what actions I take afterward. After this one – I’ve volunteered with the school district for programs like what I’ve done with the Howard County Conservancy and wrote off two emails to my representatives in the state legislature about pending legislation. I also followed up looking at websites mentioned in the lectures or in the materials provided by the organizations that spoke. This was a lot more than an academic series of talks!
