We now turn our attention to our Carroll Garden Club to examine how we interpret action on conservation at the local level of a club. It is what we support, what projects we take on, how much attention we give. We lack the Minutes from certain series of years, therefore we mostly have to look at the data as a trend.
We really did not address issues from the Conservation/Environment areas until almost 1970. The emphasis had been on Horticulture and Floral Design.
The 1960’s is when the modern Environmental Movement began. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was published in 1962 and people were concerned about water and air pollution and the broad scope of human activities that were contributors to degradation of our national landscape.
Here were some of the topics discussed in CGC:
1969—Urged members to support the C&O Canal purification and restoration—write your senator!
1970- Mrs. Speicher attended a meeting about pollution and urged members to become informed and act
1971 Recommended Westminster be named a bird sanctuary. Did not get a good public response.
First speaker on Ecology
Recycling and Environmental Hints
An Environmental Conference was to be held in Frostburg
Using compost and organic gardening versus commercial fertilizer
Contribution to Conservation Scholarship Fund
Program on Ecology from Western Maryland College
Recommendation to vote and write congressmen about Assateague bills. Vote against allowing mineral rights on state lands.
Discussed the Alaska Pipeline and sent letters of protest to President Nixon
Support for buying land between Cylburn and Cold Spring as a buffer
1974 Assateague Island to be made wilderness–meeting
Importance of making every garden a bird sanctuary
Speaker on environment and underlying energy situation
1975 Teacher’s Conservation Fund
Planting of pine trees at Timber Ridge (by Boy Scouts)
1976 Committee to Preserve Assateague donation
Watched film “The Naturalist” regarding Marcus Gatesby
1977 Environmental improvement–gets mixed up with Civic Improvement
Contribution to American Land Trust
Preserve Assateague donation
1978 American Land Trust membership
Promoted of membership in Ornithological Society
Promoting attendance at State Conservation Day and Environmental Awareness Retreat
Support for bill to save natural resources of Alaska
Trip to Black Water Wildlife Refuge put forward (lack of interest)
1979 Asked to join Save A Stream by Dept of Natural Resources (no follow up)
Discussion About making Random House Park into a bird sanctuary (no follow up)
Program about Bluebirds
In the 1980’s, the Gaia theory, valuing Earth and our human responsibilities toward the planet was in the forefront and there was a spiritual development to it. Also the concept of environmental justice which brought to the civic consciousness that the poor and minority groups suffered the brunt of impact—having greater risk to their communities than the more well off. Why? Just like liquor stores and pawn shops are in the less well off areas of town, dumps, refuse, brownfield and industry downstream problems are concentrated in these areas. So, we have the birth of Environmental Justice.
1980 Read report from House Bill regarding erosion on Assategue Island, requests support
1981 Hostessing for Hashawha Environmental Appreciation Center.
Met at Hashawha for meeting and program concerned the Outdoor School Program.
Nature Conservancy project to preserve lands on the Eastern Shore
Purchased one acre of land in the Cypress Swamp Conservancy on Assawanda Creek
Drive to form bird sanctuaries in Carroll County beginning in Uniontown (no follow up)
1982 Nature’s Conservancy donation
Film on natural history of Assateague Island by Dept of Natural Resources
Meeting held at Piney Run Park
Jrs. to Cypress Creek Nature Center
Arbor Day plantings
Send letter to County Commissioner to support funding for a naturalist at Piney Run Park
1983-seems to be no conservation committee. Is Roadside only
1984 Swan research suggested for program (no follow up)
Suggestion to consider forestry as an important issue for the following year (no follow up)
1985 nothing conservation related
1986 Investigated building and placement of bluebird houses at Farm Museum but concern over maintenance duties; punt to Jr. Garden Club
Support for Maryland Open Space-letter to MD delegation
Donations to Scholarship Funds (conservation) for Federated
Chesapeake Bay donation
1986 Strewing native Black-Eyed Susans for the roadside (not a success)
1987-nothing reported for conservation
1988 Assist State Conservation Retreat held at Hashawha
Save the Bay Foundation donation
Nature Conservancy donation
1989-suggested chair for environmental improvement (didn’t see anything reported further)
Missing are minutes from much of the 90’s
1990- conservation=birds, or environmental improvement, legislation & roadside
Conservation primarily on birds, bees, butterflies
1992 butterfly garden at Hashawha planned then put on hold due to poor economic climate in Carroll.
2000’s
Request for contributions to an ecological project
Request for contributions to Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Penny Pines contribution
National Disaster Fund contribution
Request to fund Swan Research (no)
Support for Bluebird Trail
Charlotte Fitz Butterfly Garden
Milkweed Seed for our gardens (Monarchs)
Mason bee house
Discussed lawn mowing, composting and recycling
Green Architecture
Lack minutes for 2010 on.
2014-2017
Bats
Native Habitat for Wildlife
Bird Sanctuary
Save the Bees
Monsanto issues with seeds
Neonicontinids harming pollinators
Ways to make footprint smaller with recycling issues
Invasive weeds
