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 Talking with: Mary Leyser
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Biane Ronken, subject expert and lecturer on vegan ethics and a compassionate lifestyle, spoke with Mary about her personal interest in climate change issues and her inspiration for the EcoRes Forum platform...
Mary Leyser, founder of the EcoRes Forum, brings to the table a long history of environmentally focused activities.
Raised in the American midwest, Mary credits her love of nature to her countryside upbringing and the guidance of her father, who passed along what he learned in training to be a conservation agent and his personal appreciation of the outdoor world.
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| She recalls a childhood centered around nature, from planting trees through drifts of mid-winter snow to keeping the country road litter-free, from gathering wild asparagus for a spring treat to learning to identify the flora and fauna around her rural home. Having had similar experiences, Mary smiles when she shares how Aldo Leopold's account of tracking wildlife through fresh snowdrifts stirs fond memories of exciting jaunts (and an occasional mishap).
One special memory: One summer an especially severe drought had all but dried out Deer Creek, the small stream that runs through the family farm. Mary and her father saw that the once thriving freshwater mussel population along the creek banks was being rapidly "enjoyed" by overly indulgent raccoons (never known for self-restraint) and predatory birds as the few last-stand pools evaporated. The two launched an emergency rescue mission, placing the remaining mussels in a protective holding tank until the drought had ended and they could be reintroduced to the once-more singing waters of the stream.
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Hiking the Grand Canyon, January 2007
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Mary's environmental interests continued as she pursued studies in international NGO development, leading her to join and volunteer with a wide variety of environmental organizations in the US, Germany, and Ireland, where her research focused on global development and the role of the nonprofit sector in the 21st century. Since the early 1990s she has been active with a variety of nonprofit groups dealing with environmental and social issues.
In 2006 Mary decided to take action on a need she had observed since early in her career: the urgent need for all stakeholders to be involved in the discussions and decision-making processes surrounding environmental issues. Why? Far too frequently decisions result that deeply, and often unjustly, impact marginalized segments of society which are under-represented on — if not outright excluded from — these platforms.
With the support and encouragement of like-minded colleagues and friends, that year Mary founded the EcoRes Forum, a virtual platform for a series of e-conferences on the socio-cultural issues surrounding climate change. Interest shown in the series has been intense, Mary laughs: "These are the kinds of challenges I like."
Mary sees the Forum as a cutting edge opportunity for increasing public dialogue and facilitating change. Stressing what she calls its "green factor", she also points out the platform's inclusive nature (the online series is offered free of charge and registration is open to all). As for her role, Mary views herself as a facilitator: "The Forum offers me a channel in which to focus on what I've found I do best: asking lots of questions and bringing together key players to broaden our understanding of these issues, and hopefully bring about positive change."
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