"Sustainable Enthusiasm"

Commentary by Michael "Bug" Deakin
SONOMA WEST TIMES & NEWS
December 7-13, 2006

Being in the barn wood and building materials recycling business, my colleagues and I are driven by the art and reward of re-purposing, re-using and recycling as part of a sustainable way of life.

We are also in the business of practicing sustainable enthusiasm. If we are enthusiastic about that which we do, we will never feel like work is work. To love what you are doing is one of the greatest assets in the world. One of the premiere practitioners of sustained enthusiasm is Julia “Butterfly” Hill of redwood tree sitting fame.

Julia, who has embraced our work since our inception, has accompanied me to local conservation events including contributing to the incredible environmental education program at Occidental’s Salmon Creek School.

I have been lucky enough to support Salmon Creek School over the past year in a project we called the Spirit of Windfall, a 370-year-old redwood tree blown over in the storms of 2003. This big redwood was 140 years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed. The students at Salmon Creek School have been picking significant dates amongst the fallen tree’s sometimes-microscopic annual rings and marking them, a sure way to teach youngsters about history and the persistence of nature.

In addition, the erudite and spiritual California Indian basket weaver and storyteller, L. Frank Manriquez, has come to the campus and not only shared time with the students, but also to bless the tree in preparation for what followed.

On a recent Friday, a group of graduating students and I used levers, fulcrums, inclined planes and pulleys to shepherd a one-ton round from “Windfalla” across the schoolyard. Their rejoicing in the achievement was unbridled enthusiasm at it’s finest.

The wood, milled into 1x12’s and slabs, stacked, stickered and air-dried, is now being sold with 85 percent of the proceeds supporting Salmon Creek’s environmental education.
The proceeds may also help defray the costs of replacing $5,000.00 worth of copper wiring recently stolen from the school’s solar array.

I laud Salmon Creek School on its efforts to grow a green and sustainable public school with an eye toward propelling its students into a conservation-minded future.
This time of year we are reminded of peace, good will and giving thanks. These are year round sentiments we need to offer all our fellow beings on the planet, as well as the planet herself by respecting all life forms and living sustainably within the planet’s means.

My firm, Heritage Salvage, is dedicated to diverting building materials from the landfill. We also love to display the inherent beauty in all of these materials by turning them into flooring, siding, paneling, furniture, art, frames, landscaping accents, garden sheds and other structures.

The inhabitants of west county and the countless homeowners, artists, furniture makers, contractors, designers and architects that embrace green building practices in Sonoma County have helped us survive severe growing pains, including a costly relocation forced upon us by some county zoning regulations.
Sonoma County does support green building initiatives, but at times it takes a while to filter through the bureaucracy. But with the aid of County Supervisors Mike Kerns (went to bat for me), Mike Reilly, and others who endorse sustainable green, and with enthusiasm, we continually increase our chances of making a difference.

My Board of Directors includes such Sebastopol luminaries and great customers as Michael Jacob of Talia Developments and Alexis Persinger of Persinger Architects. Graton residents John Garn of Viewcraft and Dr. Tom Nelson of University of the Pacific make up another third of the board. They are all practitioners of sustainable enthusiasm.

Moving to Occidental twenty years ago is one of the best decisions I’ve enjoyed in my life. West County rocks!

Occidental resident Michael “Bug” Deakin is president of Heritage Salvage, 1473 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma 94952, 707 762-6277, or online at www.heritagesalvage.com.