Letter to the Editor

As a coastal community, I do not think most of us are naïve to the fact that our well-being is dependent on the natural resources around us. I think most of us appreciate that many of our downtown areas have just as many trees as buildings, and that our marshes are such a pristine expansive ecosystem that both the avid boater/fisherman can appreciate for their resources and the average layperson can simply enjoy for their beauty.

This is by no accident.

The generations that came before us ensured this would be the case. They knew the value of these resources, so they preserved them and planned for them. General Oglethorpe was a pioneer in “urban planning.” Almost 300 years ago, in 1732, he laid out Savannah's plan in a functional grid pattern, centered around what would eventually become the lusciously landscaped green squares with stately live oaks draped in Spanish moss.

The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act of 1970 is another example, which just celebrated 50 years protecting the Georgia coast. It was a revolutionary act for its time, and to this day, still helps in protecting our valuable marshes from mining and development. If you look at our neighboring states to the south and north, their marshes have not fared so well.

Will we do the same for generations to come, 50 years from now, or even 300 years from now? Are we going to be the next Oglethorpe and help to create something so great that tourists will flock from far and wide to witness its beauty 300 years later?

Now that election season is coming to an end, I hope that we can table the blue vs. red arguments and come together for the common goal of GREEN. I challenge our community to consider “going green” more than we ever have before. It has never been so easy, rewarding, and economically beneficial. Companies can seek out sustainable practices. Individuals can take small steps each day, to lessen their carbon footprint, simply by reducing their consumption, or considering reusing something.

Last year was been tough for many, but as we move into 2021 we can see the light over the horizon, rising over a beautiful coastal Georgia salt marsh, and appreciate that 50 years ago somebody cared enough to preserve it for us to enjoy.

It is our time to care that much, and to lay similar groundwork for future generations.

Sincerely, Kristen Deason Savannah

If you have a message to share about our coastal community or about Southern Tides, please email amy@southerntidesmagazine.com for consideration.

• Reusable grocery bags (easier to arrange purchases and to carry) • Recycle plastic, glass and cardboard household consumables • Combine trips and/or share rides for errands and other outings • Use glass storage containers for saving food (healthier than plastic too) • Use a thermos rather than buying bottled water (or filter your own water) • Rinse dishes immediately after eating to avoid wasted water scrubbing off dried-on food • Use hand towels and wash rags to clean up household spills, rather than paper towels • Set washer water levels properly to avoid wasting water • Donate or repurpose household items you no longer want or need rather than throwing away • Keep beach trips litter-free by packing snacks and drinks in reusable containers rather than taking prepackaged food (food wrappers and disposable drink containers make up a large portion of trash found on beach clean-ups) • Dispose of cigarette butts in the trash rather than on the ground or in the water • Dispose of used fishing line at the receptacles at most boat ramps or take it home and throw it away • Don’t place trash in the floorboard of your car or bed of your truck that can fall or blow out and land on the road or marsh • Keep your vehicle tuned up and tires at proper pressure for engine efficiency • Properly dispose of dead batteries (www.georgiarecycles. org/tools-resources/citizen-resource-guides/battery-guide/)