NAARVA Ecology Program                                                                                                                                                              Jean Hampton, NAARVA Ecologist

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Greetings Fellow Texas Sojourners!

I am happy to report the success of our NAARVA Ecology Program (NEP) activities held during the 2022 National rally. We collected and delivered 38 lbs. of plastics (drained and capped plastic bottles) for recycling. Texas Sojourner Ramona Samuel collected the heaviest total (11.7 lbs.), and was the winner of the $50 gas card grand prize. Other winning members were Gwynne Toney and Iris Raines. Texas Sojourner Amelia Wheeler won the NEP Ecology Seminar $25 cash raffle award. Other seminar attendees enjoyed engaging conversation on current ecological challenges described during the presentation. The updated power point NEP presentation can be accessed on various club online forums. Our NAARVA executive board supported the NEP presentation of an informative display table, conveying the value and strengths of our NEP maxim, “Loving our Earth, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Respect”. Included were diagrams on the value of trees, the virtues of and “how 2s” for recycling, and instructive graphics on both climate change and the fundamentals of ecosystems. Also included were illustrations of our Texas Sojourner recycling activities held at the Vineyards of Grapevine RV resort, featuring club President Morrell Greer, Arthur Busby, Chuck Dean and Livingston Hampton, and the Texas Sojourners’ One Tree Planted Certificate for planting 10 trees in British Columbia (Fig. 1). Through NEP, NAARVA President Louise Grogan and cabinet approved the planting of 100 trees in the Amazon Rainforest through the global reforestation organization, One Tree Planted. Not least of all were presented various eco-related world news reports, and an impressive visual and instructive component describing solar power utilization by our very own Patrick Grant. We are particularly grateful to our voluntary NEP team who, through each of their own accord, diligently undertook service to produce a successful NEP showing for this year’s rally (Fig. 2).

TX. Sojourners, please remember to:

· drop your donations of whatever amount in the One Tree Planted jar during our rallies

·recycle during our rallies (when applicable)

· AND TAKE THE KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL “#BERECYCLED PLEDGE” (kab.org).                                                                                                          Send notice of your pledge to jeanhamp@yahoo.com; (our count will be publicized).

Sincerely,

Your NAARVA Ecologist