Lois J. de Vries Heads International Sustainability Task Force

Andover Township, NJ, November 15, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Garden lifestyle speaker and coach Lois J. de Vries, was recently appointed to chair the Garden Writers of America's (GWA) Sustainability Task Force. She was selected based on her familiarity with land use law, environmental regulations, and invasive plants, as well as her administrative skills and talent for working with volunteers. She served as chair of her municipal environmental commission for eight years, on its land use board for four years, and on the open space committee for three.

“I’m delighted to have been chosen for this position, which weaves together my hard-won environmental knowledge base with my lifelong love of gardening. With 1,800 members worldwide including book authors, staff editors, syndicated columnists, free-lance writers, television and radio personalities, and extension service agents, GWA is well-positioned to exert a strong influence on consumers, and in the lawn and garden industry as a whole,” de Vries said.

Two of de Vries’ signature initiatives were to survey GWA’s general membership in order to measure their level of interest, involvement, and experience in sustainable gardening, and to establish a scope of work for the coming year. That program includes expanding the professional development series at GWA’s annual symposium and outreach to allied professional associations.

“Our members are out in the trenches communicating with gardeners, editors, researchers, and consumers every day,” de Vries said. “The Sustainability Task Force is here to provide background and educational materials that explore the many facets of sustainability within the context of gardening. Our job is to clearly explain the options that are available, so that our members can provide their audiences with scientifically accurate, easy-to-understand information.

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