THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 25, 1994 TAG: 9410250287
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN JOLLY DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NASSAWADOX LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
Behind an old farmhouse on Seaside Road, in a cottage not much bigger than a tool shed, the Virginia Coast Institute has quietly sprouted.
It's a classic case of humble beginnings and great expectations. Researchers at the institute will look for ways to make the Eastern Shore prosper financially while protecting its priceless marshes, creeks and barrier islands.
They hope their work in what's generally called ``sustainable development'' will have global consequences when lessons learned here are exported to struggling communities around the world.
VCI is a joint venture of The Nature Conservancy and Old Dominion University. It has been funded for the first two years by $400,000 in grants from the Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Foundation, the Virginia Environmental Endowment and Crestar Bank.
Right now, VCI's tiny office holds little more than a filing cabinet, some metal chairs, folding tables and an old couch. Warren Flint, newly appointed to head the institute, has his hands full. He does everything from taking the calls of local community leaders to figuring out the fax machine.
``WHY DID I WANT the job? It's a sappy story,'' said Flint, 48, who left a position at Xavier University in New Orleans when he beat out more than 80 applicants for the slot. ``I'm firmly committed to the idea that we can live in harmony with nature as a society.''
Flint said he wanted to be part of something that would make an honest stab at preserving high-quality natural resources for future generations. But in Louisiana, he was fighting a losing battle.
``This was just something I couldn't overlook,'' said Flint about the institute. ``I really wanted to be in a position where I could make a difference. I think deep down that this is that position.''
As the institute's first and only employee, Flint has to organize everything else from scratch - business cards, a letterhead, computers. He also plans to explore and understand the Eastern Shore's complex social system.
``The intention is for this institute to work its way into the center of the community here,'' said Flint. He envisions VCI working with any group in Northampton or Accomack counties interested in sustainable development - balancing economic development with protection of the environment.
``There's a lot of smart people here who really have a good sense of what it means to be sustainable,'' Flint said.
For generations, locals have made their living from the land and water, he said. The Eastern Shore can revitalize its traditionally sustainable culture, Flint insisted. But the drive toward that goal must come from its people; researchers can only help them find ways to reach the goal.
Flint doesn't expect the institute to become a bureaucratic whale with lots of staff and equipment. He wants VCI to be lean and efficient, acting as a ``broker'' to bring experts, funding and residents together to solve economic and ecological problems.
One of the institute's first projects will be to identify indicators of change to see whether things on the Eastern Shore are getting better.
``Five years down the road, how do we know that we've done something good under the umbrella of sustainable development?'' he asked. ``We need to know the impact, rather than guess.''
Flint sees the availability of water and wastewater management as two key issues in developing the Eastern Shore. He wonders how many people the region can realistically support.
``I don't know if anyone knows,'' said Flint.
He hopes to train Eastern Shore children to be ``environmentally literate,'' and provide seminars and short courses on sustainable development for residents of all ages.
In the long run, officials at ODU hope to develop a training program for sustainable development experts. Such a course would draw heavily on lessons learned by the Virginia Coast Institute. For now, Flint in his seaside cottage is cutting the path.
``There's no such thing as a sustainable development animal out there now,'' said Flint. ``Nobody knows what it is yet.''
But he's determined to find out. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
Warren Flint is the Virginia Coast Institute. From his office in
Nassawadox, he hopes to guide the Shore's future - sustainably.
THE VIRGINIA COAST INSTITUTE
Created to foster ``sustainable development'' - economic growth that
doesn't damage the environment.
A joint venture of The Nature Conservancy and Old Dominion
University.
Funded by $400,000 in grants for two years.
Headquarters in Nassawadox.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA COAST INSTITUTE
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
by CNB