Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Donna Murphy and Mark Mesiti-Miller | Season 2 Episode 4 | Sustainability in Small-Town America
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Donna Murphy and Mark Mesiti-Miller | Season 2 Episode 4 | Sustainability in Small-Town America
What happens when California transplants bring their sustainability mindset to a small Oklahoma town? Rather than facing resistance, they discover a community eager to embrace environmental stewardship—just waiting for someone to start the conversation.
In this enlightening episode, Donna Murphy and Mark Mesiti-Miller share the surprising journey of founding the Durant Sustainability Coalition. After organizing what they thought would be a modest environmental meet-and-greet that drew 75 people on a snowy night, they realized they had tapped into something powerful: a shared desire to create a more sustainable future for children and grandchildren.
The conversation explores how sustainability transcends political divides when framed around values everyone shares—clean water, safe streets, beautiful public spaces, and responsible resource management. Through their four core initiatives (mobility, tree canopy enhancement, recycling, and community cleanliness), they've transformed abstract environmental concepts into tangible community benefits.
Their story illuminates the power of grassroots action—from securing a $35,000 grant to plant trees throughout downtown to catalyzing a subscription-based recycling program when city implementation wasn't feasible. Each success demonstrates how awareness leads to action, and action creates meaningful change.
Perhaps most inspiring is their collaborative approach. "There is not a program or a project that we do alone," Donna explains, highlighting how partnerships with local businesses, schools, and government multiply their impact while fostering community ownership of sustainability initiatives.
The episode concludes with a powerful reminder that resonates whether you live in Durant or anywhere else: "You can actually make a difference. You can pick up a piece of trash, and that will make a difference. If you join a friend, you can make a bigger difference." It's these individual actions, multiplied across a community, that create lasting transformation and protect our shared environment for generations to come.
View all episodes
By Derek HinesWhat happens when California transplants bring their sustainability mindset to a small Oklahoma town? Rather than facing resistance, they discover a community eager to embrace environmental stewardship—just waiting for someone to start the conversation.
In this enlightening episode, Donna Murphy and Mark Mesiti-Miller share the surprising journey of founding the Durant Sustainability Coalition. After organizing what they thought would be a modest environmental meet-and-greet that drew 75 people on a snowy night, they realized they had tapped into something powerful: a shared desire to create a more sustainable future for children and grandchildren.
The conversation explores how sustainability transcends political divides when framed around values everyone shares—clean water, safe streets, beautiful public spaces, and responsible resource management. Through their four core initiatives (mobility, tree canopy enhancement, recycling, and community cleanliness), they've transformed abstract environmental concepts into tangible community benefits.
Their story illuminates the power of grassroots action—from securing a $35,000 grant to plant trees throughout downtown to catalyzing a subscription-based recycling program when city implementation wasn't feasible. Each success demonstrates how awareness leads to action, and action creates meaningful change.
Perhaps most inspiring is their collaborative approach. "There is not a program or a project that we do alone," Donna explains, highlighting how partnerships with local businesses, schools, and government multiply their impact while fostering community ownership of sustainability initiatives.
The episode concludes with a powerful reminder that resonates whether you live in Durant or anywhere else: "You can actually make a difference. You can pick up a piece of trash, and that will make a difference. If you join a friend, you can make a bigger difference." It's these individual actions, multiplied across a community, that create lasting transformation and protect our shared environment for generations to come.