Estuary conference in Providence, R.I., worth the long ride
Liana Vitali is a Living Resources Subcommittee staffer with the Chesapeake Research Consortium at the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Some
people might say that riding a train for 12 hours from Annapolis,
Maryland, to Providence, Rhode Island,
and back to attend a conference about our nation’s valuable estuaries
demonstrates real environmental dedication. Others might say, “Take the plane!”
I, of course, traveled the route using the former method. Who needs to deal
with extraneous baggage charges and cramped seating when you can pay the same
amount to travel via train through the New England
countryside and view the fantastic fall foliage, while also having ample time
to catch up on that long-forgotten summer read? OK, in retrospect, I wish I
took the plane. But no matter what mode of transportation, hundreds of
participants from around the country gathered in Providence, Rhode Island,
last week for the 4th biannual Restore
America’s Estuaries (RAE) Conference.
The four
days of the conference were jam-packed with over 50 different sessions, workshops
and plenary discussions pertaining to all things estuarine. Most of the
sessions I attended were facilitated by organizations and speakers from outside
the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Working here at
the Bay Program, I often have a front-row view of how our
partners are working to restore and protect our Bay. However, I felt by
attending sessions led by, say, the Puget
Sound Partnership or Save
the Bay - Narragansett Bay, I might gain a different perspective on how to
approach our efforts here in the Chesapeake Bay
region.
This
strategy worked! For example, while attending a session called “Creating Public
and Political Will to Restore Our Coasts and Estuaries,” I learned that the
folks at People for Puget Sound
developed a fun, comprehensive social marketing campaign called MudUp. Almost since its inception, MudUp has
been a huge hit with the local community through convincing poster ads and an
endearing Mud Monster mascot that attends all MudUp events. Hmm, if the Chesapeake
Bay Program had a mascot, what would it be?
As a side
note, Providence
and nearby areas are real delights to visit. A few co-workers and I had some
free time to visit Newport,
which is just a must-see. The mansions and Cliff Walk are truly spectacular.
Oh, and you can’t leave Newport
without a visit to Flo’s Clam Shack; you would regret it if you didn’t go and try
their fish and chips -- so good!
All in
all, my trip to Providence was extremely
insightful (no matter how long the commute!), and I’m looking forward to the
5th biannual RAE Conference in Galveston,
Texas, in 2010!
Liana gets soaked by a wave as she enjoys Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean at sunset in Newport, Rhode Island.