[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 92 (Wednesday, July 7, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE THORNE ECOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 7, 2004

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 50th 
anniversary of the Thorne Ecological Institute (TEI), its record of 
providing ecological education and environmental awareness to countless 
numbers of young people, and its development of forward-looking 
environmental policies.
  I believe that many of the problems which face our Nation can be 
solved through better understanding and awareness of our natural 
surroundings. For 50 years, the Thorne Ecological Institute has been 
dedicated to fulfilling this goal by giving hands-on experience to 
children and adults in Colorado.
  In 1954, Dr. Oakleigh Thorne, II, established the Thorne Ecological 
Institute in hopes of bringing environmental education to the community 
of Boulder, Colorado. He taught a variety of courses at the University 
of Colorado at Boulder, working to increase his students' understanding 
of the environment and its complex interrelationships. His goal was to 
``connect people to nature,'' and the last 50 years have seen this goal 
met with great success. To this day, the Thorne Ecological Institute 
maintains its commitment to environmental education, now with a focus 
on children and young people in the Colorado's Front Range. Innovative 
programs like Project BEAR--Building Environmental Awareness and 
Respect--reach inner-city children and establish a connection with the 
wonders of nature, an invaluable accomplishment and contribution to our 
society.
  In addition to their outstanding efforts with children, the Institute 
was a catalyst in establishing environmental organizations in Colorado, 
including the first chapters of the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra 
Club, and the Denver Audubon Society. These organizations have been 
essential to the protection and promotion of Colorado's environment, 
and their impact is a direct result of Dr. Thorne's pioneering work.
  I would also like to recognize the Thorne Ecological Institute for 
its innovation within environmental policy. The City of Boulder has 
been honored nationally for its policy of buying open-space to ensure a 
high quality of life for its residents. We must remember, though, that 
the Institute played a critical role in developing this landmark 
policy. Moreover, long before the Environmental Protection Agency 
required environmental impact studies, the TEI was conducting them in 
Colorado to increase understanding of the consequences of commercial 
development and to lay the foundation for their mitigation.
  Mr. Speaker, environmental understanding and protection of 
environmental quality are things close to my heart--and the Thorne 
Ecological Institute has been at the forefront of the environmental 
movement in the Rockies for 50 years. Under the leadership of Dr. 
Oakleigh Thorne, II, the TEI has fulfilled the dream of connecting 
people to nature. I congratulate the Thorne Ecological Institute for 
its accomplishments and ask my colleagues to join me in appreciation.

                          ____________________