California River Watch 2016 Annual Statement
Normally we post our Annual Statement at the beginning of the year. However, giving how this year started we thought the 4th of July might be a more fitting date.
So we will start with a little humor.
This is how the New Year started. . .
And halfway through 2017. . .
And end on a bit of a serious note.
The great environmentalist, David Brower, once told this story at an environmental conference:
While Thoreau was living the simplest kind of life in a little hut in the woods near Walden Pond, he was visited by a thief. Unfortunately for the thief Thoreau had nothing worth stealing. Thoreau, concerned for the prowler, said, ”you may have come a long way to visit me and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my cloths as a gift.” The thief was bewildered but took the clothes and slunk away. Thoreau sat naked, watching the moon.“Poor fellow” he mused, “I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.”
What is truly sad about the current administration, the movement toward the far Right and those who, for some reason cannot get enough even if it means others suffer, is that most of the really worthwhile things in this world are free.
For us who do this work we have a lot of challenges ahead of us. River Watch plans to do its part and we know most of you will do yours as well.
River Watch
4th of July 2017