Conservation

SO EVERYONE SAYS THEY WANT TO SAVE THE PLANET, BUT NOT EVERYONE IS DOING THE WORK. VTM THIRTEENS CARLA WADE SHOWING US ONE WOMAN WHO IS DOING THE WORK AND ITS REALLY PAYING OFF FOR HER AND THE SCENIC BEAUTY OF OUR CITY AS WVTM 13 PROJECT COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS BARRIER BREAKING WOMEN TO INTRODUCE YOU TO CAHABA RIVER SOCIETY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BETH STEWART. IT ONLY MADE SENSE TO GET OUTDOORS AND TO TAKE YOU TO THE BANKS OF THE CAHABA RIVER SO THAT YOU COULD SEE FOR YOURSELF EXACTLY WHAT INSPIRES HER. THE SERENITY OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS. SO MANY PEOPLE IN ALABAMA DONT REALIZE IS THIS AMAZING TREASURE OF CREATION THAT WE HAVE HERE IS JUST SPECTACULAR FOR FOR BETH STEWART, THIS TRANK ABILITY REPRESENTS WHAT GREAT LEADERSHIP CAN AND SHOULD BE IN MY LEADERSHIP STYLE, IVE REALLY TRIED TO CHANNEL THIS KIND OF PEACE AND JOY AND AND COMFORT THAT WE FIND IN NATURE. IDER STEWART IS THE LONGTIME DIRECTOR OF THE CAHABA RIVER SOCIETY. AND WORKING OUTDOORS COMES NATURALLY. AND MY MOM IN PARTICULAR GOT ME OUT IN THE WOODS, TROMPING AROUND, AND SHE WAS A GARDENER AND SHE TAUGHT ME ALL THE DIFFERENT TREES AND THE WILDFLOWERS. WAS THAT OUTDOORSY UPBRINGING LED TO A CAREER IN CONSERVATION SPANNING DECADES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. STEWART STARTED OUT IN NEW ORLEANS SECURING GRANTS FOR PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS, PONDS, AND IT WAS GREAT FUN. BUT I THOUGHT, I DONT KNOW WHAT IM DOING. I NEED TO GO TO SCHOOL. SO I WENT TO GRAD SCHOOL. I WENT OUT TO UC BERKELEY AND THEYRE PLANNING PROGRAM AND I ENDED UP IN THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING PROGRAM. SHE JOINED THE STAFF OF THE CAHABA RIVER SOCIETY IN 1995, WHERE FOR TWO DECADES SHES WORKED TO HELP PROTECT IT. ALABAMAS LONGEST FREE FLOWING RIVER. AND IT WAS A PERFECT MIX OF MY INTERESTS IN IN WATER PROTECTION IN LAND AND LANDSCAPE PROTECTION AND IN URBAN PLANNING, BECAUSE MOST OF THE CHALLENGES FACING THE CAHABA RIVER ARE BECAUSE OF THE DEVELOPMENT THATS HAPPENING HERE IN THE UPPER WATERSHED. A JOB THATS HAD ITS SHARE OF CHALLENGES IS REQUIRING HER TO WORK WITH CITY ENGINEERS, PLANNERS AND DEVELOPERS, POSING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACING OUR DRINKING WATER IN THE RIVER? HOW DO WE SUSTAIN THE RIVER LONG TERM AND WHAT THAT MEANS ABOUT THE WAY WE DESIGN EVERY SINGLE PROJECT THAT GOES IN THE GROUND IN A BETTER WAY? IN OCTOBER, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY REWARDED ADDED HER DRIVE AND DEDICATION WITH ONLY THE SECOND EVER ALABAMA WOMEN OF CONSERVATION AWARD IN ENVIRONMENTAL WORK. ITS REALLY IT TAKES A LOT OF PERSISTENCE. ITS HARD TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN. AND WHEN YOUVE BEEN IN IT AS LONG AS I HAVE, SOMETIMES YOURE MORE AWARE OF THE THINGS THAT DIDNT WORK OUT AND TO BE REMINDED, THERE ARE A LOT OF SUCCESSES THAT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE AND AN IMPACT ON JUST REALLY CAPS MY CAREER FOR ME. AND TO BE RECOGNIZED LIKE THAT BY MY PEERS AND PARTNERS. SO IT FELT WONDERFUL. STEWART PLANS TO RETIRE SOON, AND SHELL DEVOTE MORE TIME TO HOBBIES LIKE ART AND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY. SHE SAYS THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD SEEMS TO BOTH ATTRACT AND WELCOME WOMEN. I THINK WHAT I VALUE MOST IS WHAT DOING THE DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP STYLES OF THE DIFFERENT WOMEN THAT I ADMIRE. SO MUCH IN THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IS WOMEN WHO BOTH CAN BE STRONG AND INFLUENTIAL AND ALSO JUST QUINTESSENTIALLY SOUTHERN AND WOMEN LIKE BETH STEWART, WHOSE EFFORTS LEAVE A LEGACY AS RICH AND DIVERSE AS THE CAHABA ITSELF. CARLA WADE. WVTM 13. JUST BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LEAVES CHANGING IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS. SO NICE TO SEE THE SHOTS OF NATURE FOR SURE. AND JASON, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DURING THIS STORY JUST HOW LOW THE CAHABA IS RIGHT NOW AND JUST A LACK OF RAIN THAT WEVE HAD. ITS VERY LOW. YOU LOOK AT IT WHERE IT CROSSES UNDERNEATH HIGHWAY 280 AND CALDWELL MILL ROAD JUST IN JEFFERSON AND NORTH SHELBY COUNTIES AND WHERE ITS TRYING TO CASCADE OVER THOSE DAMS. IT CANT THERE ARE JUST LITTLE TRICKLES GOING OVER IT RIGHT NOW. SO THE COP IS NOW JUST A SERIES