March 8th

is International Woman’s Day, a day to reflect and celebrate the accomplishments of women in our world. A progressive world demands equality for women on a global scale.

Many of our Forces of Nature are women who have succeeded in traditionally male occupations, such as Mary Lou Reed, who was in the Idaho state legislature for nearly 40 years. Some have courageously lobbied for important environmental legislation such as Vera Marcus and Patricia Schifferle. Many of these women have forged their own paths, including Sylvia McLaughlin founder of Save the Bay; Isabel Wade founder of Friends of the Urban Forest; Mary T. Crowley, founder of Ocean Voyages; and Joana McIntyre Varawa who founded Save the Whales. Many women are educators or consultants such as Joan Maloof, Nona Dennis, Phyllis Faber, and Susie O’Keeffe, women who generously share their knowledge and information with others. These are but a few examples of the many outstanding women we feature in our collection of videos.

The Earth Day video of Pete McCloskey and the Moving into the Environmental Field video with Greg Thomas, speak about how we need to move closer to global women’s equality for a more secure and healthy world. We have a range of wonderful interviews, and you will honor our Forces of Nature by taking some time to watch and share their ideas.

In the 1960s, Sylvia McLaughlin was a self-described Berkeley housewife distressed at what was happening to her town. Today, more than 50 years later, she is honored with the Jefferson Award for her contribution to saving San Francisco Bay from massive fill and development.

In 1961, when Save The Bay was founded by McLaughlin, Kay Kerr, and Esther Gulick, the city of Berkeley had plans to double its size by filling in the Bay. Other cities around the Bay had their own plans to pave over shorelines. The three women mobilized and stopped the project in Berkeley, marking the birth of a modern environmental movement in the San Francisco Bay Area. The women recruited thousands of supporters to stop other bay fill projects, forced cities to close the burning garbage dumps ringing the

In 1965, the fledgling organization scored a huge win by successfully lobbying for the passage of the McAteer-Petris Act, a moratorium against filling the Bay. Later California established The Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) to regulate shoreline development and ensure public access. BCDC became a permanent agency in 1969 and continues today. It was the first coastal zone management agency and the model for most others in the world.

“It is an honor to receive this award,” said McLaughlin, who recently celebrated her 96^th birthday. “We started Save The Bay because we were inspired both by the vision of what the Bay could be and the reality of what was happening to it. Even today, the Bay is never saved – it is always in the process of being saved. That’s why it so important for the current generation to continue to care for the Bay.”

Thanks, Sylvia!

Welcome to the Forces of Nature Website. Today we add three new videos, Former House Representative, Pete McCloskey (two videos) and water policy expert, Jonas Minton.

In Fighting Dragons, Pete tells us about serving in the Korean War and leading six successful bayonet charges. He lived to talk about it and because he survived he has shown his courage by fighting for the environment. Pete’s second video talks about the creation of the first Earth Day in 1972. Jonas, provides some sage tips on how we can all be better environmental professionals and work together. I hope you take a moment to watch these videos.

There is still time to make a year-end tax deductible donation to the Resource Renewal Institute for The Forces of Nature project. We are a 501(c)(3) organization. Your help in keeping this project alive is very much appreciated!