What does conservation mean to me?

Conservation Administrator, David Bradway

My name is Dave Bradway. I follow Ginger Davis as the new Conservation Administrator for the SWCD. I went to Ball State University where I graduated with a degree in environmental management. I focused in several areas in college: water resources, energy, chemistry and German language. I have worked in the public sector for one of the country’s oldest wastewater pretreatment organizations supervising sampling of industries, storm water and surface water and in the private sector as the environmental manager for a large paper recycling company. I am also the president of a local mountain bike advocacy organization.

When I think about conservation, I consider both the bigger picture of conservation on a broad scale and a local level. How is what I am doing at home affecting the county, state, region, etc.? I think about the miles I drive to work and wonder what difference it would make if I rode my bicycle to commute once or a few times per week. If I remove invasive species on my property and explain why to my neighbors, will this affect the overall program of invasive removal? Where is the water that is running off my roof, gutters, and property ending up, and how can I conserve this water to help ensure the water quality of ponds and streams around me?

The answer to all these questions lies in the fact that the decisions we make influence the world around us. If I ride my bike, that is less gas I burn and less traffic for someone else on their commute. If I talk to my neighbor, they may remove invasive species and plant native species in their yard because of our conversation. If I collect some or all my runoff in a rain barrel or rain garden, it will sequester any contaminants from entering larger and larger waterbodies.
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Conservation to me means taking approaches to the environment around us that maintain or improve its sustainability; the idea that we should leave the environment the way we found it or better. The reality is not as easy as the idea. Our commutes might be too far to ride or we may not know how to identify invasive species, but the first step towards conservation is the consideration of our effects.

What does conservation mean to you?  Email your response or additional questions to david.bradway@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.

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