FORT DRUM – Fort Drum soldiers and families celebrated Army Earth Day yesterday, April 17^th, 2009, at the Remington Pond Recreation Area at Remington Park. At Fort Drum the annual Earth Day celebration is held prior to the national event in order to work around the typical school schedules of local students, says the friendly and accommodating Walker Heap III, the base's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Biologist. Youngsters and adults alike were given the opportunity to learn about wildlife indigenous to the 107,600 acres of Fort Drum and to the North Country, area forests and wetlands, erosion, and even archeology. They also had a chance to meet Smokey the Bear, whose presence was enough to remind us how dangerous forest fires can be, especially in a rural area like our North Country. This years 8^th annual Earth Day event was sponsored by a number of offices on base, including the Public Works Environmental Division, Family and Morale, Plans, Training, Welfare, Mountain Community Homes, and the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park.

Upon entering the Welcome Booth at the event attendees, which ranged from soldiers to families and students, were given reusable grocery bags, which saves, on average, about 2000 plastic bags a year per family. There were also seed packets with flowers designed to attract butterflies, so one might be able to have a garden beautified by both flora and fauna, young trees for planting, and “smencils,” pencils with alluring scents made from 100% recycled newspaper. The event was moved to Remington Park in order to facilitate a wider variety of events and provide a more natural atmosphere and allow the event to grow in scope.

One could learn much about the environment from the displays, but you could also glean that Fort Drum is making a concerted effort to help preserve the natural beauty of the landscape occupied by the base. “Fort Drum is here to support the community and the soldiers and the Environmental Division's mission is to support the missions, train soldiers, and at the same time protect the environment,” says Walker Heap. The Environmental Division and the military keep this standard by doing things such as composting, mandatory recycling, employing a highly specialized Forestry Team and utilizing ITAM (Integrated Training Area Management), which is one of the core programs of the Sustainable Range Program, designed to maintain the land on which Army personnel train on and renew by relying on four components: Training Requirements Integration (TRI), Range and Training Land Assessment (RTLA), Land Rehabilitation and Maintenance (LRAM), and Sustainable Range Awareness (SRA). The combined components allow the Army to understand how its' training requirements impact land management practices, and are responsible for preventing lasting damage to the land, such as soil erosion—which was discussed at the Earth Day Event—or the emergence of alien species of animals that may be invasive or damaging.

Walker Heap was quick to inform, saying that that “we are working on a lot of different projects to make Fort Drum more sustainable, the big thing for the military right now is sustainability...the installation loves the event and everybody is always very supportive.” Walking around it was easy to

These presentations were “slated toward younger people to help ingrain policies and procedures,” says NEPA Biologist Walker Heap III, who helps put on the event. Heap is a native of Watertown, NY. The biologist, who walked the park during the event adding informative and often funny anecdotes in his own down to Earth—no pun intended—and congenial way, has a background as an educator, teaching at the Army Education Center on Fort Drum as well as instructing as an adjunct professor at Jefferson Community College. Mr. Heap has a baccalaureate degree in Biology and Environmental Science from Jefferson Community College and a Master's in Environmental Engineering from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. His background as an educator and his passion for the environment has made Mr. Heap realize that making a difference comes from education, and knowledge gained from that education helps us protect and prevent future hazards, as well as preserve the beauty and ecology of the environment around us.

If you're interested in learning more about Fort Drum or the Public Works Environmental Division contact Julie Cupernall at the Fort Drum Public Affairs office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit http://www.drum.army.mil/garrison/pw/environ.html for more information. Beautiful and spacious Remington Park has 6 pavilions, 3 small gazebos and 2 lodges. Activities include canoeing, kayaking, paddle boats, mountain biking, peddle carts, rafting, basketball, volleyball, horse shoes, football, badminton and frisbee. Park hours are Monday-Saturday 0900-2100 (9am-9pm) and Sunday 1000-2000 (10am-8pm), and you can obtain more info at 315-772-6568. If you'd like more information about Earth and Arbor day events and history, or you're just curious, visit http://www.earthday.net or http://www.arborday.org.