Climate Heroes in Our Community - Transition Town Greater Media

Are you aware of the many climate heroes in Media and surrounding communities? Our climate heroes are blazing a trail to adapt to and mitigate climate change, protect our green spaces, and reduce pollution from industry, plastics and pesticides. They are making personal lifestyle changes to reduce their carbon footprint, increasing biodiversity on their properties, and are helping to educate our community.

**Robin Lasersohn and Terry Rumsey** founded **Keep Media Green** in 2019 “to preserve and protect the 45-acre green belt at the western edge of Media Borough, comprised of Glen Providence Park and the adjacent tract where Broomall’s Lake Country Club (BLCC) operates.” They recently passed the torch to Julie Smith.

**Julie** **Smith** works constantly to protect biodiversity and educate our community about the harm pesticides and mosquito spraying cause to our pollinators, birds, native plants, pets and people. Julie is the Interim Chair of Keep Media Green and heads the highly successful **Green Wagon project**. She leads Media Borough’s Tree Tenders program, is on the Shade Tree Commission, is Biodiversity Group’s Bee City co-chair, and has presented children’s programs at Glen Providence Park to encourage children to learn about and appreciate nature.

**Ben Smith**, Julie’s eleven-year-old son, is truly amazing. He has presented to his middle school class about biodiversity issues and is a role model for his peers. Ben volunteers with Keep Media Green, CRC Watersheds, Bee City, Glen Providence Park, and Tree Tenders. Ben is the recipient of the Spartan Academic Spirit Award. The award is given to recognize students who demonstrate high quality work, consistent classroom effort, positive attitude, and who are sincere, talented and resilient.

**Linda Coulston**, a pesticide free advocate, is co-chair of TTGM Biodiversity Group’s Bee City committee. She led the charge to help Media Borough become a Xerces Society certified Bee City. Linda and her team (Julie Smith, Kate Kelsey) designed and planted a beautiful pollinator garden at the Borough’s Community Center. Many community members helped plant the garden.

**Sari Steuber**, former Transition Town Greater Media (TTGM) president and now Operations Coordinator, has been the creative genius behind the work of Transition Town Greater Media. Her many **accomplishments**, (too numerous to list here), along with many community volunteers, are truly amazing.

**Skip Shuda**, TTGM’s president, recently started the **Cool Blocks** program in the Borough to help residents reduce their carbon footprint.

Sign-pesticide free zone — **TTGM’s Biodiversity Group** works hard to educate our community about the importance of planting natives and protecting biodiversity that is essential for the health of our ecosystems. The Biodiversity Group has collaborated with surrounding townships and boroughs on climate crisis issues. Other initiatives of the group are pesticide and mosquito spray toxicity education, library lectures, presentations to Township and Borough EACs, and working to secure a Rights of Nature law. They table at community events, and publish monthly blogs. Visit their **Facebook page**.

**Priscilla Taylor Williams** clerks for Providence Friends Environmental Crisis Committee. The committee provided the information and concern that resulted in the decision to install solar panels to the Meeting House. Other initiatives of the committee include holding a Plastic Free July event, working to secure a Rights of Nature law, recycling batteries, supporting CRCQL, and helping Meeting members make lifestyle changes.

**Walt Cressler** leads Media Borough’s Environmental Advisory Committee, which has been addressing climate issues since 2004. Guiding principles for steering their work include carbon neutrality, zero waste, total stormwater infiltration, universal access to sustainable transportation, complete integration of land use to both meet human needs and sustain ecosystems, and environmental education and outreach to the entire community. They installed solar panels on Borough buildings, secured a plastic bag ban, installed a rain garden at the Community Center, and created a composting program for residents.

Why am I writing about climate heroes? I am hoping to inspire other community residents to take action. In the words of UN secretary general António Guterres about the 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Crisis report, This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.

That means we all need to double down on our efforts to keep our planet livable and secure a future for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. Our climate work is incomplete without you. We can do this with your help. I invite you to join the ranks of our climate heroes by volunteering with one of our climate initiatives. And please check out what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

If you are a climate hero and would like to be featured in my next blog, please contact me at [email protected]

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