Omaha, Nebraska: Ducks Unlimited, Off-Grid Energy and the Old Market
On Thursday afternoon, we headed West, arriving in Omaha, Nebraska in time to attend the Ducks Unlimited Waterfowl Hunters Party. Ducks Unlimited is the largest wetland protection organization in the world with over 600,000 adult members in the US. Although the atmosphere, as billed in the invite, was “pure hunting,” the members and staff we spoke with were passionately concerned with preserving wetlands, ensuring water for ecosystems and responding to climate change.
Ducks is working in Nebraska to protect the Rainwater Basin, which is a critical stopover for migratory birds, using an innovative approach they’ve dubbed the Revolving Lands Program. This program buys degraded wetlands, restores them and then sells them to agencies or individuals with the stipulation that the land must be kept as a wetland.
Friday we headed north of town to visit Robert Byrnes’ Energy Farm. The farm is an off-grid test bed that uses a combination of wind, solar and biodiesel to generate all of its energy needs. Robert, trained as a chemist, is working on several interesting energy projects including an on-farm biodiesel system and a small-scale anaerobic digester that will capture methane from animal manure.
After a great Saturday brunch in Omaha’s restored Old Market neighborhood, we talked issues with the Sierra Club’s Camelia Watkins and toured the now trendy downtown. Camelia, an Omaha native, showed us the sights and explained how the city is responding to a range of pressing environmental threats.
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