Alumni Panel Liveblog

Stewards of the Land II: Advocacy
Ariane Delafosse, Bill Shadel ('91)

The Department invited Ariane and Bill to talk about the types of advocacy in which they are engaged.

Bill works for the American Littoral Society located at Sandy Hook. The ALS is a non-profit focusing on marine habitat, employing science to affect change along throughout a variety of coastal zones. Advocacy issues include a Horseshoe Crab Moratorium for spawning beaches, Global Warming Solutions for tidal wetlands, and the restoration of "Living Shorelines." He explained how the path from our landscape architecture program to a Bill's work at ALS went through the Meadowlands and grad school. One of the difficulties of the work there is the balance between the ideal and a realistic approach that can achieve something on the ground.

Community Green is an organization that works to connect environmentally interested New Jerseyans. It was founded by RU alum Ariane Delafosse as a hub of conversation and discussion activity for area residents interested in living more sustainability. Focusing on Bernards Township, she found herself quickly integrated into several community activities and acting as a conduit for communicating information and resources about sustainability. For example, the Community Green website might help you discover an ecologically-oriented school, like the Willow School in Gladstone, or a movie that could change your view of environmental issues.