Green Note of the Week: Don Henley (November 25, 2012)
Leave a commentNovember 25, 2012 by finetuningblog
Most people who know of Don Henley think of his drumming and songwriting in the Eagles, or his solo career. You’d be right in doing so, as the Eagles alone sold more than 120 million albums worldwide. They have five number one U.S. singles and six Grammys.
But there’s more to Henley than just being a legend in the rock and roll world. When he isn’t rocking out and touring, Henley is a very significant conservation activist.
In fact, Rolling Stone named Henley one of the most ‘Eco-Friendly Rockers.’
In 1990, Henley founded the Walden Wood Project. This project’s purpose is to protect the woods in Massachusetts from commercial development. The woods in that area are the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau’s concept of land conservation. Thanks to the Walden Wood Project, the most important Thoreau-related research library has been preserved and is thriving.
Henley also founded the Caddo Lake Institute in Texas in 1993. The Institute’s mission is to “protect and improve the ecological and cultural integrity of the Caddo Lake ecosystem”. It also protects the 26,000 acres of Texas wetland, which is the state’s only natural lake.
In 2007, Henley was named MusiCares Person of the Year for his activism in conservation efforts. He raised more than $85,000 for the charity by selling hand-written lyrics, and other Eagles collector’s items.
In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Henley said he picked up his interest in the early 1970s from his peers in the rock and roll industry. He continues his efforts to this day, and even wishes he could ‘do more.’
More musicians need to step in and make a difference, because in a New York minute…everything can change.
Fine Tuning 