Sept. 3, 2014
Join hostess Beth Bond, Curator of Sustainable News at Southeast Green, as she gets an update on the proposed Shepherd Bend Mine. The mine is mountain top coal strip mining which poses major threats to Birmingham's drinking water. Nelson Brooke, the Black Warrior Riverkeeper, will join us as we discuss the current status of the proposal, threats to Birmingham and ongoing efforts to prevent the destruction of the land owned by the University of Alabama. Nelson Brooke ~ Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke, a Birmingham native, graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with an anthropology degree. Nelson is an Eagle Scout and outdoor enthusiast who has enjoyed fishing and hunting along the banks of the Black Warrior River since he was seven years old. Nelson has been Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s staff Riverkeeper since January of 2004. He also served as Executive Director from August 2007 through December 2009. Nelson was named “2010 Alabama River Hero” by the Alabama Rivers Alliance. As Riverkeeper, Nelson patrols and photographs the Black Warrior River and its tributaries from the land, water, and air, looks for pollution problems, responds to citizen complaints, researches and analyzes polluters’ permits, collects pollution samples for laboratory analysis, educates the public about the beauty of the river and threats to it, works to empower stakeholders throughout the watershed, advocates compliance with environmental laws, works on finding solutions to pollution problems, and is a spokesman for the Black Warrior River watershed. Nelson runs our Riverkeeper Patrol Program and coordinates with our Legal Program when appropriate. Nelson is available to give educational presentations to your school, civic organization, or club.
