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I was delighted to have the opportunity to travel to Washington as the New Canaan Garden Club representative to this year’s National Affairs and Legislative Meeting last month. It was my first time attending a national GCA event and, as I had been advised by others who had preceded me in this role, the experience was both enlightening and invigorating. The accumulated knowledge, savvy and political skills of the women who organize and attend this annual conference – now in existence for more than two decades – was thoroughly impressive. And, it was also clear that representatives of the GCA wield a considerable amount of respect and, it seems, influence, in DC political spheres. The collection of appointed and elected officials who came to brief our group of several hundred was impressive in stature and generally in substance. Despite some evidence to the contrary, it still appears that many governmental officials are deeply engaged in the issues of the environment. The recent legislative gridlock in federal government has, of course, impeded progress in this area but I still think we should be encouraged by the environmental goals of many elected officials, as well as the obvious knowledge and hard policy work that is being attended to by many house and senate staff, some of whom we met during our visit.     Continue Reading →