“ON THE EDGE—THE POTOMAC RIVER DYKE MARSH”

“ON THE EDGE—THE POTOMAC RIVER DYKE MARSH”

OPENING REMARKS—GLENN EUGSTER, NPS, NCR

March 21, 2006

GOOD EVENING.  WELCOME TO THE DC ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL AND THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.  TONIGHT IS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF “ON THE EDGE—THE POTOMAC RIVER DYKE MARSH”, A FILM PRODUCED BY VIRGINIA VILLAGE PRODUCTIONS.

TONIGHT IS A SPECIAL NIGHT.  DAVE ECKERT, MICHAEL HAMILTON, KARL KALBAUGH AND TONY MARTUCCI ARE ABOUT TO TAKE YOU INTO DYKE MARSH THROUGH THEIR EYES AND THE EYES OF MANY OTHERS.  IT WILL REINFORCE HOW TRULY UNIQUE AND SIGNIFICANT THIS DYKE MARSH IS.  IT WILL ALSO REVEAL THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE WITHIN THIS 327-ACRE WETLAND ALONG THE POTOMAC RIVER IN VA.   

OUR GATHERING IS TIMELY.  AS WE DISCUSS DYKE MARSH TONIGHT PLEASE REALIZE THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOSE 28-43 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE EACH DAY WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN REGION.

FIRST, THANKS TO MICKEY BERRA AND NANCY DEPASTINO OF THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR MAKING THIS SPACE AVAILABLE.  ONE NEED ONLY LOOK OUT THE BALCONY TO UNDERSTAND THE APPRECIATION THE KENNEDY CENTER HAS FOR THE POTOMAC.

THANKS TO THE FRIENDS OF DYKE MARSH FOR WORKING TO PROTECT DYKE MARSH, SUPPORTING THIS FILM AND THIS AMAZING TEAM OF FILMAKERS.

THANKS TO THE MCK ART OUTREACH PROJECT FOR THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

DALE MEADEARIS, A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE OF MINE, INTRODUCED ME TO THE WORK OF LUCKAS BECKMANN.  IN A PAPER CALLED CREATIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY LUKAS BECKMANN WROTE---“WE NEED NEW SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE SO THAT WORDS DO NOT BECOME MORE AND MORE DEVOID OF MEANING”.  

THANKS TO THE DC ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL FOR USING NEW SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE TO CELEBRATE THE BEAUTY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND PROMOTING ADVOCACY FOR RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP..

WE AT THE NPS APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN AND COMMITMENT TO DYKE MARSH.  WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS ONLY THROUGH OUR COMBINED EFFORTS THAT WE CAN PROTECT AND RESTORE THE LIVING RESOURCES OF THIS UNIQUE FRESHWATER TIDAL MARSH.

THE LATE Alan Gussow, a PAINTER AND AVID ENVIRONMENTALIST WHOSE WORK ON THE HDUSON RIVER HELPED TO ESTABLISH CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SCENIC BEAUTY, has said that “A place is a piece of the whole environment that has been claimed by feelings”.  PLEASE JOIN ME TO WELCOME THE LEADER OF THE COMMUNITY GROUP THAT CLAIMED DYKE MARSH THIRTY YEARS AGO.   ED EDER, PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF DYKE MARSH.

FOLLOWING THE FILM

HATS-OFF TO DAVE, MICHAEL, KARL AND TONY.  THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR 

I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED ON THE EDGE AS MUCH AS I DID.  

BEFORE WE GIVE YOU AND OPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH DAVE, THE OTHER FILM MAKERS, AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE FILM, NPS WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO  RECOGNIZE OUR PARTNER—THE FRIENDS OF DYKE MARSH.  

ONE OF THE ACTORS FROM THE FILM, AND AN ADVOCATE FOR DYKE MARSH, IS Brent Steury.  bRENT IS A SUPERVISORY Biologist AND Natural Resources Program Manager AT THE George Washington Memorial PARKWAY PARK Headquarters.  PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING BRENT WHO WILL MAKE THE PRESENTATION TO THE FRIENDS OF DYKE MARSH.