The Rolling Stone

He may not be front and center on the stage, but keyboardist and music director for the Rolling Stones, Chuck Leavell, is definitely center stage in his environmental activism.

Leavell has had a long career in the music industry. In 1972, he was part of the Allman Brothers Band. He moved into jazz fusion with a band of his own creation, Sea Level, playing with George Harrison and Eric Clapton. In the 80s, he played with the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Things changed in the early 80s when he and his wife inherited land from her grandmother. She had left them nearly three thousand acres in Atlanta. Between his gigs with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Leavell and his wife, Rose Lane, seriously discussed what to do with the land. After much study and discussion, they decided on sustainable forestry.

Studying via correspondence course, Leavell learned how to manage the land they’d been left. The Forest Landowners Association and Georgia Extension Service provided the information he needed to make the land into what is now Charlane Planation. Even as he joined the Rolling Stones, he made sure he had the time and energy to maintain the land.

His passion for nature extends to his childhood in Alabama, on a huge plot of land with horses and a garden. He loved the country.

Considering the lack of good information about the environment online, he co-founded the Mother Nature Network with Joel Babbit, a public relations executive. The site is easy to navigate, the information is understandable, and there is no agenda behind any of the stories. It’s a politics-free environment. He has also authored books for both children and adults about the environment and forestry.

Leavell’s latest focus is the stress that growth and development are placing on our natural resources. Fortunately, many colleges also recognize this growing area of concern and are increasing the number of green program offerings. Marine conservation, agriculture, sustainable building, and more majors are popping up in degree lists all over the U.S.

A few examples of green programs include SUNY-ESF in Syracuse, New York’s forest ecosystem science. The undergraduate and graduate students, along with faculty, are working on more than 450 projects on 25,000 acres of land in Central New York and Adirondack Park. Some of these projects are wildlife disease prevention, nanotechnology, and genetic engineering.

Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin requires students to take environmental studies, regardless of their major. The school pushes for sustainability through classes in sustainable business, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy.

Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources offers undergraduate and graduate courses in applied ecology, resource policy and management. This institution was once the country’s oldest forestry college.

Even Yale has a School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Because it’s Yale, they offer all kinds of combinations of programs and degrees. They also boast their newest building, Kroon Hall, is super sustainable with geothermal heating, solar water heaters, natural lighting, and a rainwater system.

Like Chuck Leavell, universities know that our future relies on educating people about caring for our world. What are you doing to help?