March
22, 2002
Waste
Not, Want Not: South Hadley's Advocate for Environment Jane Ashbrook
Southworth '63
|
Photo: Fred LeBlanc
Jane
Ashbrook Southworth '63
|
On its last report
card from an environmental coalition called the New England Zero
Mercury Campaign, Massachusetts received a C-minus for its efforts
to clean up mercury, a highly toxic element released from mining,
the burning of fossil fuels, and the production and disposal of
consumer products. Jane Ashbrook Southworth '63 is hard at
work to help the commonwealth make better grades. Named solid
waste coordinator for South Hadley's Department of Public
Works in October, Southworth runs the town's recycling program,
managing everything from the collection of cans, bottles, and
paper, to the disposal of electronics, paint, and mercury-bearing
waste, such as fluorescent bulbs and electrical switches.
"I've always
been cranky when I see useful things going to waste," said
Southworth, recalling her childhood rescues of discarded stuffed
animals and, later in life, her restoration of a dilapidated New
England farmhouse. When recycling hit the public consciousness
in the 1980s, Southworth combined her concerns about wastefulness
and environmental contamination with the critical thinking skills
she credits to studies in history and education at Mount Holyoke,
Columbia University, and Boston College. "I didn't know
anything about landfill liners or wetlands," said Southworth
of her shift from high school history teacher to environmental
advocate, "but I knew how to ask questions and how to use
a library." Southworth has served in writing and research
positions at engineering and environmental firms in New Hampshire,
Vermont, and Massachusetts over the past twenty-four years.
"I thought I'd
end up teaching history or leading educational reform," said
Southworth of the unexpected twist of her professional life. Ironically,
the solid waste coordinator is both educator and reformer as she
teaches residents, school administrators, and business owners
how to conserve, recycle, reduce toxins, eliminate junk mail,
and buy recycled products. "You can't go barging into
a community," said Southworth, "but you can look for
every opening available, make personal contacts, and build on
successful programs like South Hadley's that are already
in existence thanks to really progressive support for recycling."
Although she is not
responsible for Mount Holyoke's solid waste, Southworth hopes
to get involved with the College, which has also been drawn to
numerous environmental initiatives over the years. Since Southworth
was a student, MHC has established the Center for Environmental
Literacy, introduced an award-winning recycling program, and made
a commitment to meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) standards in sustainable technologies and practices,
as established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC),
in the construction and renovation of the new science
center and the Blanchard Campus Center renovation project.
The College counts
among its alumnae more than a few environmental advocates, who
now work for, or with, the town of South Hadley, says Southworth.
She notes Anne M. Hazzard '65, conservation officer for the South
Hadley Conservation Commission, which supports state wetland laws
and maintains protected land; Barbara A. Kwetz '70, who directs
the Planning and Evaluation division of the Department of Environmental
Protection in Boston; and Doris S. Atkinson '80, who covers an
array of environmental projects in South Hadley and throughout
New England in her position as senior project engineer at the
civil engineering firm of Tighe & Bond in Westfield.
Although she earned
bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering at the University
of Massachusetts, Atkinson emphasizes the role of her MHC degree,
saying, "In the environmental field, you're always having
to look at your work from so many different angles—political,
financial . . . all the different classes a liberal arts education
forces you to take. That broad background and my strong writing
skills have helped me tremendously." Atkinson and Southworth
first met in a lunch line at a conference on solid waste in Washington,
D.C. Now they share a focus on remediating and expanding the South
Hadley landfill, a current project of Tighe & Bond.
"There's
never a dull moment in the environmental and recycling field,"
says Southworth, who spends even her free time on environmental
projects. With her dog, Bess, she operates Goose Patrol, a service
to golf courses, corporate facilities, lakes, and parks trying
to manage their populations of Canada geese. "Goose dogs"
like Southworth's Border collie are trained to herd and spook
Canada geese, a breed that is often responsible for creating dirty
lawns and introducing nutrient-rich (ecologically disruptive)
droppings into the water. Although Bess doesn't like to swim,
she and Southworth make an effective team, with Bess running on
land and Southworth kayaking in the water. "One if by land,
two if by sea," jokes Southworth, who has provided goose
management services at Look Park in Northampton, Lake Wyola in
Shutesbury, and an office park near Boston.
counter
is
2,875
|
