Green Tie Gala
Through some kind of mix up in the mail, I received a nomination from Wild South’s Roosevelt-Ashe Society for “Outstanding Journalist in Conservation” and an invitation to their 2011 “Green Tie Gala” held last Friday night (March 25) in Asheville.
I knew there was a mix up when I looked at the nominees in my category – Susan Andrew (Mountain Express), Pat Byington (Bama Environmental News), Bill Finch (The Nature Conservancy), Silas House & Jason Howard (authors of the book Something’s Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal) and John Wathen (Friends of Hurricane Creek in Alabama who uses his time and resources to document the effects of BP’s disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico). “These are the kinds of people I write about,” I thought. But hey, the invitation promised free, “local food and select beer and wine,” besides I actually own a green tie – one with birds on it, believe it or not.
There was one awkward moment at the ceremony, when I took my hand out of my pocket to congratulate John Wathen, the outstanding journalist award winner, and my four-page impromptu acceptance speech fell on the floor. I quickly put my foot on it and casually commented, “Oh, that’s nothing – a little piece I’m working on for National Geographic Adventure about circumnavigating the globe in my sea kayak, the Mad Bella.”
Okay, okay, in the “truth is stranger than fiction” department, I was quite surprised and humbled to find that my colleagues at Smoky Mountain News had nominated me for the Roosevelt-Ashe journalism award. I knew the bottle of Pyrat (office Christmas gift) I dropped off would, one day, pay dividends. I wasn’t kidding about what I thought my chances of winning were based on the list of nominees. I am a writer/columnist, not an activist and the Roosevelt-Ashe nominees are, indeed, the people whose stories I tell. Still it was an honor to be nominated and a pleasure to attend.
Wild South is a regional nonprofit that works to protect the wild things and wild places across the southern landscape. According to Wild South’s website the Roosevelt-Ashe Society is, “a select group of individuals and businesses committed to sustaining the protection of the Southeast’s wild places. They uphold the legacies of President Theodore Roosevelt and Mr. W.W. Ashe by making personally significant contributions to support Wild South programs.”
The gala was held at Handmade in America’s Design Lab Space on Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville and there was an ample supply of promised local food and select adult beverages. There were more than a dozen sponsors for the event, regrettably too many to mention in this short column space but refreshments were wonderful and service was excellent.
Wild South started the award ceremony with two in-house recognitions – Susan Stone of Stone Digital Media and volunteer and Mountain Wildlife Days organizer John Edwards. The rest of the awards, selected by an independent awards committee, were: Alex Varner (Higher Ground Roasters) – Outstanding Business; Jay Leutze (Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy) – Outstanding Volunteer-Advocate; Philip Blumenthal – Outstanding Philanthropist; John Wathen (Friends of Hurricane Creek) – Outstanding Journalist; Hilary Hargrove (Riverdale High School, Tenn.) – Outstanding Educator, Cole Rasenberger (Davidson Elementary) – Outstanding Youth and Brad Wyche (Upstate Forever) – Outstanding Conservationist.
It was a real treat to be there and see old friends like Kevin Fitzpatrick, whom I knew from Highlands. Kevin is an outstanding photographer and videographer now living in Asheville, where he owns All Species Photography and Sound. Dr. Pete Bates, natural resource professor at WCU and a deserving nominee for outstanding educator was also there. And it was great to meet new friends like Wild South’s Alabama Program Director, Mark Kolinski.
People out there in the environmental/conservation trenches (including agency personnel like North Carolina Natural Resources Commission, U.S Forest Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife) spend most of their working time being pigeonholed, dissed and/or vilified. Events like the Green Tie Gala where they can let their hair and shields down and simply enjoy the company of other like-minded individuals provide much needed R&R for these dedicated souls. A place where they can re-energize and prepare to get back “out there” and make more of the kinds of stories I write.
I thank my colleagues at Smoky Mountain News for the nomination and I thank Wild South and the Roosevelt-Ashe Society for the wonderful event and their recognition of their foot soldiers.