Interview with a Donor: Dr James Morrison
SEA: Why did you choose to donate to Seacology?
JM: I believe it is vital for all of us to work toward the preservation of our remaining rain forests. I understand how important the rain forests are to maintaining the oxygenation balance of our world. As a political scientist, I also appreciate how futile it is to rely on governments alone to do the job. Non-governmental organizations and community self-help activities play a very important role as well. I am impressed by the work of the Seacology Foundation because it not only works toward saving rain forests, but also mobilizes native people to assist in the process and, at the same time, helps to ease their way into the modern world in a positive way. The Foundation is also working cooperatively with ethnic people of the rain forests to find new sustainable uses for indigenous plants so that the value of the forests will be more than the $5.00 per acre they bring for the logging that permanently destroys them. Changing the economic equation is the surest way to insure their survival. I like to see an approach that respects local cultures and works to the mutual advantage of these ethnic peoples and the rest of the world. Finally, I am happy to contribute to Seacology because I appreciate the fact that all its operating expenses are covered by supporting businesses so that 100% of all contributions go toward saving rain forests and helping the ethnic groups who live there.
SEA: I understand your donations are somewhat different than those of other people. Please explain this:
JM: I personally don't have much in the way of financial resources to contribute, but I believe people can use their time and energy to mobilize other people to support any good cause, even if they don't have a lot of money themselves. The time you spend working with other people can generate much more than you may be able to donate yourself. I like to use the principal of networking and community education to accomplish my goal. The use of networking allows you to raise more money, to education more people, and generate more enthusiasm than you could by yourself. I have personally set a goal of saving at least 1,000 acres of rain forest within the year through what I contribute and the network of contributors that I will generate. Basically, I give almost everyone I know or meet information about the Seacology project and ask them if they wouldn't feel good if they could personally save at least one acre of rain forest directly and save even more by joining me in telling their friends about the project.
SEA: Specifically, what have you been doing at the University of Florida?
JM: I started by making a brief presentation about the work of Seacology to my classes, made arrangements for everyone who wanted to see the Seacology videos, "Nafanua, Saving the Samoan Rain Forest" and "Green Medicine," and asked who would be interested in making a financial contribution, buying a T-shirt, and/or working with me on this project. I then began to meet regularly with the five or six students who initially showed the most enthusiasm, and we started systematically to make similar presentations in other classes. Our numbers gradually increased, and we were able to expand the scope of what we did. We had several objectives and used several methods to maximize our results.
The first was to contact other campus organizations and get them involved, e.g., the Environmental Action Group, the Ethnobotany Club, and the wildlife society. The Environmental Action Group even asked us to serve as their Rain Forest Committee. The Ethnobotany Club proposed that we work with them to organize a showing of "Nafanua, Saving the Samoan Rain Forest" to help them raise money for Seacology's Haiti project, with which one of their members, Alexandra Paul, coincidentally was already involved. Two of our students are also organizing a systematic program to go to each of the fraternities, sororities, and independent living groups (dorms) to encourage them to contribute as well. We are also participating in various Environmental Action Group activities, such as Earth Week, which gives us another chance to talk with students and community people about rain forests and to sell T-shirts. Second, we began contacting potential community groups that could be supportive, such as the Sierra Club and Earth Week, which gives us another chance to talk with students and community people about rain forests and to sell T shirts.
Second, we began contacting potential community groups that could be supportive, such as the sierra Club, Earth First, the Civic Media Center, and various churches and other civic organizations. Other groups we would like to tell about the project include local cancer and AIDS support groups.
Third, we are developing some educational presentations about rain forest preservation for different educational levels: community groups, colleges, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. This will include as one of the options showing the "Nafanua, Saving the Samoan Rain Forest" and "Green Medicine" videos. We also utilize these presentations as training programs to educate the new students who want to work with us and help prepare them to make presentations on their own. When we have the materials prepared we will work systematically to identify interested teachers in the local schools who might want to make use of our materials and guest speakers in their classrooms. We particularly want to work with existing ecology groups in the high schools and help organize new ones where none exist.
Fourth, we plan to organize a campaign to get local businesses to make contributions.
Fifth, at least half a dozen students who have been involved in the project have arranged to take a special summer "internship" course under my supervision so that they can work more intensively on their Seacology projects.
Sixth, we hope to be able to help interested students and faculty at other universities to develop their own rain forest preservation projects.
Overall, whenever we find a student or someone from the community who is interested in making a contribution of money, purchase a T-shirt, or invest his or her time, we ask them to sign a pledge to tell other people about the project. We especially encourage students to go back to their families and home communities and spread the word. Several students, in fact, have talked with their old high school teachers who are advisors to school ecology clubs and have gotten them involved as well. Other students mobilized their co-workers about the project.
It hasn't always been easy to organize students or generate the kind of support we would like, but it has been an exciting challenge which has been a lot of fun and has left all of us with a good feeling that we are spending our efforts for something really worthwhile. I am really appreciative of all of the support and help we have received from all of the students who have been involved. Alexandra Paul, Fran Haasch, Karen Davies, and Laura Smith deserve special recognition.
