Most people think of cactus, cowboys or the Grand Canyon when they think of Arizona. It's true we still hatch cowboys and cowgirls in the Arizona family, but they are definitely becoming an endangered species who can now be found herding tourists as much as cattle.
Arizona is a state riding the waves of tourism, this year raking in $17 billion in revenues from people like you who come to ride white water down a canyon gorge or walk an old path in Indian country.
Arizona's waters, land and big domed sky are the state's natural capital.
So it is not surprising that Arizonans are coming together to assure we protect our nest egg. And we are not a moment too soon! Like other states we are suffering from rapid growth, habitat degradation and an awesome draw down of aquifers.
The state's professional society for environmental educators-Arizona Association for Environmental Education (AAEE)-supported by a generous grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust-hosted a statewide summit on sustainability:
The Arizona Crossroads Summit: ttp://www.arizonaee.org/events/summit.html
AAEE intends to find common ground among many sectors of Arizona's diverse culture to assure that life remains worth living (and visiting) here in the Copper State. Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust (http://www.ninapulliamtrust.org/html/) is betting on the long shot by investing in the Summit as part of their commitment to protect wildlife and facilitate a high quality of life for all Arizonans.
AAEE brought together over 80 decision-makers in April from government, business,technology, public education and university sectors along with interpreters and educators from parks, museums, nature centers and university science programs. They spent the day at the beautiful Heard Museum in Phoenix
(www.heard.org) considering how they can work together.
AAEE's members are people from all walks of life who value ecosystems and wildlife for its intrinsic value. Learning to speak the language of a broader group of Arizonans who may look at nature's value in terms of human wealth is an acquired skill. Yet both viewpoints can lead to the same end. The Crossroads Summit is AAEE's committment to interpret the value of nature in many "languages" to foster a grassroots movement that will result in more sustainable practices in a variety of sectors in Arizona.
At a Follow-up Meeting of Summit Participants at the Desert Botanical Garden, (www.dbg.org) the group focused on bringing networks of existing programs and services together to make them visible to the public. By doing so they hope to channel citizen action and support through them. In other words, there are hundreds of organizations, businesses and community groups who are already focused on sustainability and maybe all that is needed is to promote their efforts.
As this commences, the leaders believe it will define markets and illuminate what is missing from the picture. This dynamic process will lead to innovation and create a sense of being in this all together.
The Crossroads Summit moved out of the theoretical realm at the Follow-up Meeting and into action. Check the AAEE website for updates and ways to get involved: www.arizonaee.org.
Even as the Arizona Crossroads Summit moves into implementation, no one involved is deluded into thinking this fixes the problem of human impacts on fragile ecosystems in our state. This is only a first step together on a steep path but the path holds potential for Arizonans to reconsider how to live here, how to formulate a creative yet appropriate lifestyle.
For us the issue of water is of paramount importance. With Arizona at the dripping end of the Colorado River Water Pact, we face serious issues in the near future. The Follow-up Team is planning to focus on water exclusively in this early phase to support Governor Janet Napolitano's creation of a tri-university think tank to conserve water resources.
The message of the Arizona Crossroads Summit is clear: It will take all of us to make it into a viable future in Arizona.
Other resources to check out:
http://www.azcommerce.com/communityplanning/council.asp
~Susan
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