Sustainability, The Conasauga River & Carpet Industry's Jeff Carrier

Wading In on Sustainability - CRI Sustainability Manager Jeff Carrier Takes Green Carpet Industry Message to the Conasauga River

I took a personal day recently and had an adventure of sorts – I went on a field trip to the Conasauga River with Mrs. Underwood’s and Mrs. Ryerson’s seventh grade classes from North Whitfield Middle School in Whitfield County, Georgia.

One thing that makes me certain that the current widespread interest in sustainability is a long-term sign of things to come is the fact that it’s being taught in schools. It’s amazing to me the extent to which sustainability has been integrated into the science curriculum of this middle school and many others like it. This group of seventh-graders had been learning about life cycle analysis and closed-loop manufacturing. My generation was not presented with this material until much later in our science education- if at all.

The Conasauga River is of particular interest to us here in the Dalton, Georgia area because its watershed is the primary water source for the carpet industry in Northwest Georgia and one of the most diverse in the United States. In fact, it hosts more than 90 species of fish and 25 freshwater mussels – that’s more than the much larger and more famous Colorado River. Mrs. Underwood has been instructing her students on the magnificent Conasauga River ecosystem and how human activities have impacted this treasure.

After a long and winding bus ride up the Forest Service access road, the 48 students were divided into three groups. I was scheduled to help run water quality tests measuring pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphorous, and turbidity. However, since I was willing to get into the water, my talents were called on for another activity -- snorkeling. I was game – I mean, how hard could it be to put 16 kids in the river and swim around in a fast current and 56-degree water looking at fish and mussels?

Wetsuits for all!

Fortunately, the U.S. Forest Service was on-hand with five Rangers and enough wet suits for everyone. Still, it was challenging – and cold. The Rangers worked diligently and passed a tremendous knowledge and appreciation of the watershed to the kids. Another group of students worked in a small tributary and studied the macroinvertebrate life living outside the river itself. One of the Rangers demonstrated electrofishing (don’t worry, completely harmless to the aquatic life) and showed the kids an immense variety of aquatic life.

Wading into the Conasauga River



So much to see: Conasauga crayfish

The carpet industry has long supported efforts to preserve and protect the Conasauga River Watershed. Each year, the industry participates in the Conasauga Watershed Clean-Up. This is the 16th year and I am proud to be a part again this year, contributing my Triple-T (time, talents, and treasure).

I urge those of you in the Northwest Georgia area to help support this worthwhile cause. Look for flyers posted on the Ryerson-Underwood page (Recent Announcements, “Conasauga River”) for more details on events like the one that took place on October 23rd from 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM. You'll find information on Conasauga River event locations and also the youth waivers. Be sure to check out the pictures from our river exploration (Recent Announcements, “Pictures are Posted”). I've included a few of those here in this post.


An incredible bunch of kids

There were a number of take-aways from this experience. Probably none more important than seeing what a couple of motivated, inspired teachers can achieve with a class full of kids. The engagement and interest from this group was far more than what our cynical society has taught us to expect from our educational system.

Second, our Forest Service is filled with dedicated, knowledgeable, and hard working professionals who relish the opportunities to share their love and respect for our wild lands.

I encourage everyone to contact a teacher at a local school- any grade or discipline- and offer your support. You’ll be amazed how much benefit you will receive in return!

~ Jeff