Dennis Goemaat
Director of the Linn County Conservation Board
The Linn County Conservation Board aims to advocate on behalf of a number of environmental causes—from protecting natural resources and promoting health and wellness, to strengthening safety and security, supporting economic development and ultimately increasing environmental awareness in the community.
What does it mean to you to be an eco trendsetter? I am not sure I am an “eco-trendsetter.” I have always had an interest in conservation and environmental issues and have tried to do what I can to help address conservation issues. I promote wise use of resources and protection of remaining natural areas as keys to a healthy environment. As director of the Linn County Conservation Board, I have an opportunity to interact with many people who have different passions and interests who do appreciate nature and the environment and can take action to help protect them. We are expanding that interaction with groups who may not have had the access or opportunity to enjoy these outdoor experiences. I would say that to be an eco-trendsetter you need to follow your passions to reduce environmental impacts and make a brighter environmental future.
Best advice for how to be more sustainable in our day-to-day lives? Consider the long-term impact of your actions on the environment and try to find ways to reduce that impact. There is not a one size fits all approach. Actions that work for one person may not be practical for the next person, but everyone can do something to reduce the environmental impact. The old 3R adage of reduce, reuse, recycle is appropriate in many situations. Ask yourself questions when considering your environmental impact. Can I eliminate the need for whatever product is being considered? Can I reuse something that I already have to meet the current need? When a product has reached the end of its useful life, can its components be recycled?
Why is it so important to be more eco-minded in our work? It has become obvious that people have an impact on our environment and the earth. Many scientific studies have shown that our actions can have consequences that last a long time. It is easy and often reduces short-term costs to merely release pollution rather than containing it or cleaning it, but it is much harder to remove it once the air or water is polluted. It makes more economic and environmental sense to reduce these impacts than to depend on finding a solution in the future and paying a very host cost to address it then. Water pollution is an excellent example. Trying to clean water after it has been contaminated is much more difficult and expensive than keeping our rivers and streams clean in the first place.
What impact do you most hope to leave on your community and the world? I enjoy connecting people to natural places and helping them learn to appreciate the many opportunities available. Studies have documented the value that natural places have on people’s mental and physical health. Many people in our community and the world do not have the opportunity to experience natural places due to their circumstances. Diversity and inclusion efforts are a significant need in conservation work.