Community action is one of the best ways to protect our forests. Across the South, the forest protection movement is growing, and communities are mobilizing to stop dangerous and dirty biomass facilities from locating in their hometowns. Welcome to Dogwood Alliances newest organizers, representing four Southern cities! The biomass industry is threatening our forests with increased logging and conversion to pine plantation, and threatening our communities with harmful health impacts and a poor economic investment. But Southern communities are leading the charge in stopping this dirty industry.
Welcome to Dogwood Alliance’s new organizers!
Shamaka Shumake
Shamaka is applying years of successful campaigns to her work to protect Baton Rouge from dirty biomass. Shamaka has been organizing since her days of being class president in High School. Shamaka tells us about her work:
“I am a local organizer and the Executive Director of an organization dedicated to creating and continuing to provide support for organizing efforts around progressive causes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It wasn’t until recently that I thought of myself as an advocate for the environment, I have worked predominantly in the social justice realm. However the more that I learn about the threats facing us in society and how interconnected it is to the destruction of our planet, I realized it is not possible to be an advocate for social justice and a responsible world citizen without also being an adamant advocate for the planet we inhabit. I am so proud and eager to work with such phenomenal people and activists!”
Check out Shamaka’s work in Baton Rouge at Our Forests Aren’t Fuel Baton Rouge.
Vicki Weeks
Vicki is putting years of organizing experience in the environmental field towards supporting her Savannah community in protecting forests and stopping dirty biomass. Vicki has been a lover of the natural world for years. Vicki tells us:
“Since relocating to Savannah, I have returned to my environmental roots, helping clients successfully build community support for environmental issues ranging from banning offshore drilling, to pressing for stronger EPA regulatory action on greenhouse gasses, to advocating for legislative changes to enable utility scale solar energy production. From my time in the Keys, to my work for the Dogwood Alliance, environmental protection advocacy has been a life-long commitment and I’m looking forward to passing a resolution to ensure that Savannah will never have industrial-scale wood pellet incineration.”
To follow Vicki’s work, check out her Facebook page Our Forests Aren’t Fuel Savannnah, and meet her in April at our Atlanta action!
Morgan Rowden
Morgan is a natural leader, and the Dogwood Alliance Organizers Network is the perfect fit for her to combine her organizing skills and love for forests. Morgan explains:
“I have always had a passion for the natural world, but our natural forests hold a special place in my heart. Here, in Clinton I am working to educate the community about the value of their local forests and emphasize the importance of protecting them from the environmentally damaging Biomass Industry. I am proud to be the voice of this movement in the community and I hope that my work will make the impact needed in order to protect our beautiful Southern forests.”
To follow the movement in South Carolina, join Morgan’s page at Our Forests Aren’t Fuel Laurens County. And if you’re in the area, come out to Charlotte to meet Morgan at the Stand Tall with Forests Rally.
Delia Wallace
Delia Wallace brings a passion for human lives to her work as an organizer in Charlotte, NC. Delia says:
“Aside from organizing, I am also a nursing student as well. I have always had a genuine passion for the well being of people. Being an organizer, I am able to educate and bring awareness to those who may not know about the biomass industry and the detrimental impact it has on our health. The biomass industry does a lot more than just devastate our environment, it is also harmful to us. I want to be able to be the voice for those who want better lives and a better future for us all and the future generations.”