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Professor Ayer’s latest lecture at CSS:

5400 Big East Fork Rd, Franklin TN 37064

The Center for Sustainable Stewardship presented Dr. John Ayers’ lecture, “What is environmental sustainability, and how can we promote it in Middle TN?" at Big East Fork Retreat.

 Dr. Ayers is the Vanderbilt University Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and recently published a book on Sustainablity. He has submitted the Retreat Center and nonprofit organization to become part of various Vanderbilt-sponsored sustainability research studies.  https://my.vanderbilt.edu/johncayers/

 

From Dr. Ayers:

"Sustainability promotes human wellbeing now and in the future. Environmental sustainability protects some of the natural environment so that it can continue to provide critical ecosystem services in the future, thereby ensuring high levels of food, water, and energy security. In the Anthropocene, human population growth and increasing material consumption are causing unsustainable environmental impacts that are changing Earth on a global scale. Climate change and biodiversity loss may reduce the ability of future generations to maintain a high level of wellbeing. In the spirit of the motto 'Think global, act local', I will discuss some of the sustainability challenges we face in Middle TN, and possible solutions."


The CSS logo of three leaves represents the three pillars of our organization:

Stewardship of the Land -

We protect our watershed, pastures, soil, and forests so we may receive their many blessings.

We do unto downstream as we would have upstream do unto us.

We identify and invest in watershed rural lands to place forest and farmland in the hands of the next generation of stewards.


Stewardship of Others -

We provide safety, resources, support, and encouragement to those around us.

We contribute financial reserves, food to our food bank, or work in our community..

We provide and support education to the future stewards of our various overlapping communities.

Stewardship of Self -

We cultivate our own physical, mental, and spiritual health

We communicate with intention, to understand and uplift.

We treasure our creativity and give ourselves time and place in which to play.