Getting inspired to inspire others: How an Oakland Press article led to an internship

Photo by The Oakland Press

It started with an article, which led to a phone call, which led to another article.
Here's the story of how this blog got started:

Calling The Oakland Press about Phragmites
In December, Oakland Press Reporter Dave Phillips interviewed myself and brothers Ian and Evan Ballard. The interview resulted in the article, Invasive plants crowd out wildlife near Clarkston subdivision.

On November 13, 2011, I read an article by Amy Bell, for The Oakland Press, "Conservatonists warn of invasive land species". It read as music to my ears. As President of my subdivision, the board and I had just hired a company to remove the Phragmites from our common area property. So I called and talked to Julie Jacobson-Hines, local news editor, and told Julie how our subdivision had just removed our Phragmites. She said it was a great idea for an article and the follow up call was from Dave Phillips. From the time that Dave Phillips came out to interview us for the above article. I read the article by Glenn Gilbert, "Interships open The Oakland Press' doors to our Community. Sunday, December 18, 2011. I called to see if I would qualify to be a part of this program. They said YES! and Karen Workman, has the challenge to make me tech worthy to be a blogger. That is how this blog has started: An article, a phone call, which led to an article and now a blog. My focus is to inform the public of the devastation of our wetlands because of the non-native plant, Phragmites. What to do, how to identify, and the many sources to help you or your community rid the area of the plants. I also will be concentrating on the use of native plants, shrubs and trees. Insects, birds and many mammals are literally starving to the point of extinction because of the lack of food and places to live and raise their young. One backyard at a time, we can help feed and house these much needed co-habitators of our community.