Alabama legacy moment: Mary Ivy Burks, pioneer environmentalist

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Mary Ivy Burks led the founding of the Alabama Conservancy, now known as the Alabama Environmental Council. [Photo Credit: APT]

Alabama Public Television is producing a series of videos titled “Alabama Legacy Moments” that offer a quick history of the people, places and stories that have defined Alabama. Done in conjunction with the ongoing bicentennial celebration of the state that concludes in 2019, the short pieces should inspire you to learn more about the rich history of Alabama. “Alabama Legacy Moments”  are sponsored by the Alabama Bicentennial Commission and the Alabama Broadcasters Association.

This “Legacy Moment” is Mary Ivy Burks.

According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, “Mary Ivy Burks (1920-2007) was a leading force behind the founding of the Alabama Conservancy (now the Alabama Environmental Council), the state’s first independent environmental organization. She served as its first president, its first executive director, and chair of its wilderness committee, overseeing the group’s successful campaign for the creation of the Sipsey Wilderness Area in the William B. Bankhead National Forest. She helped lead a national effort known as the “eastern wilderness movement” and became a respected expert on land preservation and forestry issues.”

Alabama Legacy Moment: Mary Ivy Burks from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.