What are your specific environmental interests and/or concerns?
Alabama is remarkable in terms of biodiversity, geography, and beauty. My primary interests include the protection and restoration of Alabama's waterways and I am particularly interested in the protection of the Mobile Tensaw Delta, the second largest delta in the contiguous U.S. Clean water and well-managed land across the state strongly impacts the Mobile Tensaw Delta. Therefore, I'm interested in a statewide water management plan, sediment and pollution control, dam reduction, and preservation of longleaf forests. Biodiversity is intricately connected.
What is it about the Sierra Club that makes you willing to give of your time and energy?
A choice has to be made as to which organization's values align with one's own and which organization has the commitment and resources to stand behind those values. The Sierra Club has a history of successful resolution toward strong conservation efforts. I am hopeful the Alabama Chapter of the Sierra Club continues to recognize, both through leadership and other resources, the value of Alabama's extraordinary biodiversity and the need in this state to protect it.
Above: Vaughn Millner paddleboarding in South Alabama and visiting North Alabama on a hike.
How are you helping Alabama explore, enjoy, and protect the environment?
I hike, kayak, paddleboard, and now I am learning to fly fish. I explore out of way places across the state and look for "wild adventures." By being personally engaged in Alabama's wild, I can connect as a stakeholder to people who also value these places and to those in organizations who challenge the wild's viability.
I wear several hats and I enjoy different roles associated with the support of the environment. As a former professor and researcher, I enjoy being part of Auburn's Water Watch and the Mobile Bay National Estuary (MBNEP) programs through the collection and analysis of water samples. I also serve as a stakeholder for the MBNEP's Delta Water Management Plan
Conservation education and protection efforts include (a) a public opinion media statement published on Al.com about coal ash; and (b) a video I produced about the Mobile-Tensaw Delta posted on social media that incorporated biodiversity education. The overarching goal was to motivate the public to advocate for protection of the world in which they live.
As a yoga instructor, I've incorporated yoga into outdoor hikes for others. These were not Sierra Club hikes as hikes were not approved over this last year. I found, though, that many sought solace through nature during the past months and in the process helped to rediscover themselves.
Finally, as a member of several organizations that protect waterways, I stay aware of water protection advocacy efforts of a variety of groups. Sometimes those efforts run parallel to each other. I believe most people in the state would benefit if these groups would work together to promote water protection and quality through the sharing of resources, purpose, and communication.
What is one of your favorite memories associated with being outside in nature?
The memory that most strongly influences my love for nature is a hike with my father when I was a child. I remember walking through the woods with him as he talked about his love for nature. He told me of hunting trips with his German Shepherd - getting up early on cool mornings in Virginia; and stoking a fire in the big fireplace before the two of them headed out. I felt peaceful and connected both to him and the woods where we walked. I was hooked from that point forward. One of my more recent fond memories occurred this spring in north Alabama. I was hiking with a friend at Capsey Creek Trail in the Bankhead National Forest. The waterfalls and pools were beautiful with that luscious blue-green color, and there was no one else on the trail. I felt free and playful. Finding all kinds of flowers and fungi along the way, I stopped for spontaneous yoga, swimming, and play. There's really nothing like feeling wild and free in the wild.
What is one action you would like to see more of from the Sierra Club Alabama Chapter?
I would like to see action related to protection of Alabama's waterways. This includes the promotion of a state-wide water management plan and a stance against capping coal ash in place. I realize these are two actions, but the protection of waterways almost always involves more than one action.
What's one of your favorite places to explore? What makes it special?
This is the hardest question for me – how to rank one spectacular place among a bevy of them! I'm torn between the Sipsey and Bankhead forests and the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Not to mention some beautiful spots in northeast Alabama, etc. (and I love the beaches!).
Consistent with my theme herein, I'll go with the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. With 30 miles of waterways, it was formed by a combination of the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers and consists of rivers, creeks, bays, wetlands, and bayous. I am just beginning to explore the Tensaw along with adjacent creeks, streams, and wetlands. With over 300 species of birds identified in the Delta and 110 species that nest there, it is almost certain I will spot a few species on any particular trip. I enjoy exploring the middle to upper part of the delta. Outings there are a little like entering a time warp with historic massive cypress and cedar trees, many species of birds, and all types of beautiful flora and fauna. I prefer exploring the creeks and streams leading into the Delta where only kayaks and small vessels can enter.