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Visitor center assistant director wins Tongass award JUNEAU, Alaska–Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Assistant Director for Sustainable Operations Laurie Lamm has earned the 2014 Tongass National Forest Sustainable Operations Employee of the Year Award. “This award perfectly fits with our objective of making the visitor center a more sustainable operation,” said Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Director John Neary. “We are delighted to celebrate Laurie’s award as we approach Earth Day where
our theme is electrified vehicles that don’t contribute carbon to our atmosphere.” Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is hosting the community’s Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with the theme “Driving the Rain,” an allusion to converting rainfall into clean energy through hydropower
and electric vehicles. Exhibitors and presenters will discuss sustainability and the film
Revenge of the Electric Car will be shown. “We are very proud of Laurie’s work and guidance in helping us create a more sustainable visitor center,” said Neary. “She has really focused her energy on reducing waste and championing the many things each of us can do to make our program
and facility greener. We can carry these ideas into our homes with the same substantial results.” Laurie Lamm has worked for the Forest Service for more than 15 years and has achieved several key improvements at the visitor center.
During 2013–2014, Lamm collected and composted 218 pounds of food waste from the visitor center staff and their lunchroom, eliminating that much from Juneau’s waste stream and building rich composted soil for gardens.
Laurie applied for and received a sustainability grant to install a water bottle filling station near the visitor center’s outdoor drinking fountain that will prevent thousands of empty plastic bottles from ending up in Juneau’s landfill.
She motivated staff to engage in the Forest Service’s region wide bike/walk to work challenge, winning the event for the visitor center. “Laurie sets an excellent example for our staff and visitors,” added Neary. “She provides positive encouragement as we move toward sustainable operations. That requires a strong leader to help us see new ways to improve. Laurie has been that
person.” Additionally, Laurie Lamm championed a net-zero waste audit of the visitor center’s trash cans. She and director John Neary collected and sorted trash from two different days during summer 2014. Their goal was to assess how and where efforts
could be focused to reduce waste. For example, one of the highest concentrations of trash was partially used paper towels from restrooms. Using powerful new hand dryers cuts such garbage from the center’s trash. By eliminating paper towels in the restrooms,
the center could reduce garbage volume by 30 percent. For more information, contact
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Director John Neary at 907-789-6637 or
jneary@xxxxxxxxx. -end- |
