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Q: What are you most passionate about impacting in the Reedy River watershed?
A: I joined the board as a Technical Committee member, served as President, and now serve as Immediate Past President. In these roles, I’ve changed my message from sediment as our primary pollutant to VOLUME. We have this narrow, string bean 76-square mile watershed that quickly fills up each storm event, creating hungry waters that eat away at the banks and bottoms of our streams and Reedy, disconnecting the river from its natural floodplain. We need to seek a better balance between how much water the river can hold and how quickly it fills up. Finding every opportunity to slow and store rainwater is a critical effort right now for the health of the Reedy now and for future generations.
So, what can you do? Disconnect your gutter downspout from your driveway and direct it to planted beds; build a rain garden to allow rainwater to soak into the groundwater table and beautify your landscape; advocate for more protected lands and connected forested areas; protect wetlands so that they can store and treat water especially in a changing climate.
Check out the Carolina Rain Garden Initiative.
Q: Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
A: I love being outside. I grew up on a vegetable farm, and we were the largest sweet corn producers in New Jersey for a few years in the 80’s. Now, I just run a pretty sizeable garden - not always well, though! I enjoy gardening and grew 26 different varieties of tomatoes this past summer. I put up what I can and just canned Apple Blackberry Jam. Turns out that when you can with apples, you don’t need to add pectin, since apples have this naturally! This weekend, I might try my first apple chutney, which sounds like an amazing condiment for fall dishes!
Q: What’s the best vacation you have ever been on?
A: In 2018, my husband and I took an extended adventure across the Highlands in Scotland. It was magnificent! The environment is so clean – barely a billboard to spoil the view. The waters off the coast were the clearest sapphire and transparent turquoise. The forests felt magical with their twisty trunks, dense cover, and moss. The hills were bright with heather. We visited castles and old churches, hiked, fell in love with the beautiful Scottish Highland cattle, and ate a Scottish breakfast every morning. I’d go back in a heartbeat!
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