Jean Ponzi, Gateway Center for Resource Efficiency

Jean Ponzi promotes environmental education for kids, business people, and the general public as program manager for the Gateway Center for Resource Efficiency, a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Creeks and highway skip along together, voluptuously curved. The view goes deep into the hazy green of an oak-hickory understory, where drifted banks of dogwood sparkle in the morning sunshine. I know we're in a flood plain when forested turns suddenly stretch into vistas -- and, sure enough, we cross a river. I love being able to read a landscape, and Missouri in the spring is the Great American Novel.

The trip to Jefferson City feels like a pleasure cruise but it has a serious purpose: educating state legislators and urging them to vote green. Less than a month from the end of their session, a tangle of bills rivals the current federal trend in heedless pollutocracy. (Thanks, Umbra!)

"A Day for Conservation" continues an Earth Day tradition set by the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, a stalwart guardian of the state's natural resources since 1969. The Sierra Club Ozark Chapter, with five active regional groups, is also a major contributor.

Today's citizen lobby has been organized by a newly launched Missouri Coalition project that is already a powerhouse, Missouri Votes Conservation. Even in this anti-environmental climate, MVC is clearly making progress by building relationships among elected and activist partners, and through a consistent, positive presence in the capitol.

MVC's strategy of educating legislators about environmental issues, mobilizing citizen involvement, and holding lawmakers accountable with a well-publicized voting scorecard was implemented at a pivotal time. Voter-initiated term limits kicked in during our last two state office elections, so this General Assembly is a freshmen class and the first Republican majority in 52 years is running Missouri's House and Senate.

Josh Campbell, political coordinator of MVC, is a calm, pleasant, extraordinarily well-spoken young man, at home in the miasma of politics. I've been impressed during radio interviews by his manner, perspective, and fluency with the issues. Seeing Josh in action gives me hope for the future of environmental politics, in Missouri or wherever he works.

The day's agenda makes excellent use of the time and energy of 76 participants from all around the state. We are a mix of concerned individuals and representatives of 26 diverse organizations, from the Missouri Rural Crisis Center to the Ozark Fly Fishers. Most of these people have done citizen lobbying before. A concise orientation gets everybody up to speed on the most pressing issues and effective ways to address them with legislators.

We review several pages of summarized bills with environmental content, most of which MVC opposes. Some are not moving and will likely die, at least for now. "No Stricter Than Federal" is a weed we've been yanking annually, grown to invasion force in this session. Our main focus, though, is an omnibus Senate bill now on the House calendar. In its much-amended travels, this bill has become a convoluted "Christmas tree" packed with degradation potential. An afternoon buzz that it will be debated today sends us out in teams to cover the entire list of representatives. Turns out to be a false alarm, but we spoke in person to more House members than we would have reached without the flurry.

Josh has arranged for a steady rotation of environmental champions from the Senate and House to address our group during lunch. Records of action speak eloquently for these men and women, and their (thankfully limited) rhetoric is pretty entertaining. One representative asks us for guidance with a particularly emotional, values-laden conservation-agency budget issue, and she attends seriously to the responses. Several express how much they are encouraged by our coming today, and how they rely on the work and expertise of activists. I know two of these leaders personally, and I feel the anxiety and courage in their rueful jokes about life in the minority.

A freshman Republican with a 17-month-old daughter says he wants to learn about the environmental impacts of the laws he's juggling. He urges us not to write off members of his party and suggests a list of colleagues to contact. Governor Bob Holden (D) comes in briefly to speak. I'm impressed by the quality of his interaction with Josh Campbell. The governor's staff has met with MVC staff twice weekly throughout this legislative session. Every naturalist knows the value of a niche.

A member of Republicans for Environmental Protection from Kansas City stands in the back to introduce himself, calling on the St. Louis contingent to do the same. A man in front of me raises his hand. "One person?" laments the KC conservative, and the other guy holds up two fingers -- it's himself and his wife. A murmur through the room notes an organizing opportunity.

Interacting with veteran and rookie lawmakers from various parts of the state and both sides of the party aisle, I reflect on this whole civic exchange. Person-to-person is a reality in local and state government. Heck, the professional lobbyists I observe call legislators by their first names. I'm an expert in some environmental topics, well-versed in others, and I have something useful to offer. I'm willing to listen and converse, and I vote. This all takes time, but reciprocity is possible. And the times when lawmakers won't listen are the times when it's most crucial to keep up communication.