March 04, 2022
Each year, the GCA hosts the National Affairs & Legislation Conference (NAL) in Washington, D.C. This year’s conference marked the thirty-ninth annual NAL, where GCA club members would have traveled to Washington to advocate for a healthy planet. The conference was held virtually in both 2021 and 2022, providing the opportunity for all GCA club members to participate.
The 2022 NAL Conference, held March 1-2, hosted over 1,000 GCA club members from across the country. Sessions throughout the two-day conference featured compelling, factual, nonpartisan presentations from an impressive line-up of administration officials, leading experts from the nonprofit sector, and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. The GCA’s legislative priorities were shared with NAL participants who then advocated for those priorities in virtual meetings with their elected officials.
NAL Conference participants enjoyed content-rich presentations from three featured keynote speakers. Jane Lubchenco, deputy director for Climate and Environment at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, is an environmental scientist with expertise in the ocean, climate change, biodiversity, and interactions between the environment and human well-being. Andrew Bowman is president and CEO of the Land Trust Alliance, a national organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across the U.S. Kit Kennedy, managing director of the Climate and Clean Energy Program at the National Resources Defense Council, shared her expertise in scaling up clean energy, as well as NRDC’s advocacy efforts to accelerate progress on energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation electrification and building decarbonization.
Other speakers for the 2022 conference included Dianna Cohen, Los Angeles-based artist and co-founder and CEO of the Plastic Pollution Coalition; Jad Daley, who leads the strategic direction of American Forests and serves as its “chief engagement officer” in building diverse partnerships that support forest-climate science, policy development and communications; Mark Falzone, president of Scenic America; Tom Kiernan, president and CEO of American Rivers, the nation’s most trusted and influential river conservation organization; and Joyce Maschinski, president and CEO of the Center for Plant Conservation, as well as director of Plant Conservation for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Elected officials who participated in the 2022 NAL Conference include Senators Mike Braun (IN), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Bill Cassidy (LA), Jeff Merkley (OR), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI). Representatives include Earl Blumenauer (OR), Antonio Delgado (NY), Garrett Graves (LA), Jared Huffman (CA), and Mike Simpson (ID).
From the time of its founding, The Garden Club of America has been an active force in the promotion of environmental awareness and the preservation of natural resources. To learn more please visit GCA National Affairs & Legislation.
In Other News...
Protecting the Longest Stretch of Privately Owned Shoreline in the Coast Redwood Range
February 24, 2022
PARKS: Where Nature Meets Community
February 22, 2022
GCA Grant Helps Restore Historical Landmark
February 17, 2022