Park ecologist Rich Evans named 'Sustainability Hero'

BUSHKILL — For Richard Evans, "going green" is more than just putting on his National Park Service (NPS) uniform.
Evans, an ecologist for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, was recently named a “Sustainability Hero” when he received an Environmental Achievement Award from the NPS for spearheading an initiative to switch some of the park's 90 different electricity accounts to 100 percent renewable, wind-generated energy.
So far the park has "flipped the switch" on 18 accounts and is working to get all of the electricity it uses from renewable sources, says parks Superintendent John Donahue. This change has reduced the park's greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent, which is equivalent to removing 73 average personal vehicles from the roads for a year, Donahue said.
Evans says it's important to take as many practical steps as possible now to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in order to minimize the effect of climate change on our resources, and on us.
"Switching to renewable sources of electricity is one of those steps," he said.
Evans has been with the NPS at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area for 24 years. Much of his work has been related to climate change and its effect on the park and the region, especially on hemlock forests and brook trout.
For more information visit nps.gov/dewa or follow the park on Facebook at Facebook.com/DelWaterGapNPS.