Footprint Magazine: The Action Issue, Spring 2012

Taking action is in my blood. My great-grandparents taught me that in order to make something happen, you have to do it yourself, so I surround myself with individuals who believe the same thing. I’ve worked on political campaigns and in nonprofit groups. I have friends who work day and night for international conflict and diversity education. They inspire me to keep moving forward.

That’s why I’m incredibly honored to present Footprint Magazine’s Action Issue. These stories show how one person, or one initiative, or one recipe, can change a community for the better. Brice Hanberry gives her time, research and organizational efforts to protect the humble turtle, whose habitat has become fragmented by city development. Tigers for Community Agriculture volunteers grow food for no profit of their own, save for occasional heads of lettuces. And we want to give our readers the skills and knowledge to take action of their own, be it cooking with seasonal ingredients or repurposing their own furniture.

I credit one of my favorite quotes to Terry Tempest Williams: “To bear witness is not a passive act.” When our writers and photographers tell stories, they further environmental efforts in Mid-Missouri, and for that I could not feel more proud.

— Tina Casagrand