rant whine 'splain espouse: Farewell

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Farewell

Last week I sent my last EcoAdvocate email newsletter. After almost three years, it was a little sad to say goodbye to my 2,600� readers. But I received some very nice comments from some of them.

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Dear Readers,

It's been four years since I joined Acterra as communications director, and over the past 12 years I've worn many hats: volunteer, board member, advisor to the High Schools Group, and Headwaters Forest Project leader, to name a few.

But one of the most rewarding roles I've played here is as your humble editor of this little e-newsletter we started a few years ago.

I've been fortunate to meet or communicate with many of you over the years, and I've always been impressed and heartened by your concern for and dedication to the many environmental challenges facing our communities.

Through your feedback and a lot of work we've more than doubled this newsletter's subscriber base and we've brought you news of thousands of events from hundreds of our fellow nonprofits. It's been a fabulous success, and a very, very rewarding run for me personally.

I recently left Acterra, and I'm pursuing my original career plan -- graphic design -- a trajectory which got waylaid when I decided to help save the planet for awhile instead.

This is my last communication with you as your EcoAdvocate editor. There will be (and has been, as you may have noticed) a lull in service until a new person is hired. Meanwhile, I urge you to take advantage of this lull by getting out for a walk, a bikeride, or a hike before summer's gone, enjoy our beautiful Bay Area, and make sure you're registered to vote before the October 12 deadline (I just couldn't say goodbye without slipping in some action, sorry ;)

Remember: Action is the antidote to despair!

best wishes,
- Mark Bult

For anyone who wants to reach me in the future, you can always Google "Mark Bult". Just don't indiscriminately add me to any mailing lists, please :)

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Responses

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Mark Bult--

Let me add my grateful praise for your excellent contributions to Acterra. Thanks so much. You are genuinely appreciated.

Mary Davey

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Mark,

We never met, but I felt your presence every time I got the calendar in the mail or visited the Acterra site. You made a tremendous contribution to my quality of life. Thank you and good luck on�your career.

- Arvind Kumar

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Best wishes in your future endeavors, and thanks for all the hard work at Acterra, Mark!

Ann Blake, Ph.D.
Environmental and Public Health Consulting
Alameda, California

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Thanks Mark, I have always loved the ecoadvocate and it has helped us so much to recruit volunteers. Good luck to you and best wishes!!

Marilyn Latta
Habitat Restoration Manager
Save The Bay
www.saveSFbay.org

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Hi Mark,

I just finished reading the Acterra emailing and saw your goodbye letter. I hope we'll stay in touch and hope we can work together on the Santa Clara Initiative campaign (June 2006 election) when we get the resources. Many of the ideas where spawned in your living room in Mt. View. In the meantime for us it is to organize, organize and organize.

Thank you for your generous spirit and your gentle nature.

With much appreciation of you,

Ernie Goitein

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I want to wish you the best of luck in your continuing graphic design work. Acterra was indeed fortunate to have your talents for such a long time. It will certainly be hard for them to replace you.

I have been meaning for the longest time to get in touch with you and other folks at Acterra. I seldom come down to the Bay Area. I always have excellent intentions to drop by when I am there but somehow the timing hasn't worked out. So your leaving prompts me to get in touch with you, at least!!

I am very involved in environmental activities here along the "Mendonoma" coast. I have attached a copy of the latest brochure I have worked on. (Don't look tooo critically at the graphic design or photographs).

Again, best of luck in your latest venture.

P.S. We are living in a place that has a loft which is great for guests. Let me know if you are passing through this way and would like a place to stay.

Laurie Mueller

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Hey Mark!

Congrats on the new move in life. Man does your design stuff look great. I think you shall do wonderfully.

I'm in Berkeley for another three months and then will be in graduate school in Sao Paulo, Brazil for 2005 and 2006, where you and any other rad sheep you send my way are much welcomed to come visit. And if you find yourself in Berkeley anytime soon, give me a ring!

David E. Harris

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Hey Mark,

I just read your farewell letter in the online EcoAdvocate. It makes me nostalgic. I hope that your new career is getting off to a good start and that the transition isn't too tough. I miss you.

Things here in Spain are getting better. I still can't speak for shit and I am becoming very frustrated. Nearly all the people all the program with me are from Southern Cali, and so most are not particularly people that I want to get to know, but there are a couple gems in there that I think I want to be friends with. It is difficult here, but I am def enjoying myself. I miss you, I'll talk to you soon.

Carmen �big cheeks� Ausserer

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Mark,

Although I no longer live in the Bay Area, I have still be subscribing to the Acterra newsletter. I read about your decision to move on and get back to what you love. I am sure you're going to do work that is compelling, fun and will certainly be worth looking at and talking about.

Thanks for your help with impact online (aka volunteermatch) and for giving my nephew Kevin Hanson an internship all those years ago. I appreciated both enourmously.

Good luck in life and work.

- Steve Glikbarg

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Hi Mark,

Sorry to hear that you are leaving Acterra and that I wasn't able to make it to the farewell party over at David's place. I have been extremely busy with work and school. I want to say thank you for all that you have done for Acterra and the local environmental movement over the years. It's priceless. I'm too busy to even consider your job opening, but whoever takes it on has some HUGE shoes to fill. :-)

Right now I am in my final week of the summer quarter with projects up to my ears! I'm getting an Associate's Degree in Interactive Media Design at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco (yeah, it's a mouthful :-). I'm also working one day a week for EcoIQ.com, a sustainability media start-up based in Cupertino. I am doing photography (slides and digital) and digital video/editing for them.

Let's definitely keep in touch. OK? Perhaps one of these days we can actually get the proper funds to do a calendar or some other cool collaborative project!

Best,
Mike Kahn