Environmental Leadership Program

Narrative Bio       

“Urban Forest (parks, neighborhood and street trees) are the unsung heroes of energy conservation and water conservation in the urban environment” is the message Brendon L. A. Barclay shares.  He educates youth and adults alike with the knowledge that trees conserve energy in the summer by providing shade and in the winter by buffering buildings against harsh cold winds.  They filter our water through a process of transpiration keeping it pure for reuse without needing to go through a sewer filtration plant.  He always felt an affinity for trees even before he understood this truth.  As a husband and father of 3 boys who love the outdoors he thought it would be great to adopt an urban forest/nature preserve in Atlanta—a safe place for children to grow healthy and learn.

At the time he began this mission he was just a Dad with a passion for service and community with no money to pay for salary or any programming.  As more people became aware of his efforts they began to assist in finding the necessary support dollars and in-kind donations to make this mission a reality. 

He learned about global heroine, Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Laureate who taught indigenous women in Kenya to plant trees to stop deforestation, famine, and erosion in their own communities.   Thinking globally and acting locally Brendon founded Sustaining Urban Villages (SUV) raising over $1.2 million of support for urban forest education and conservation.  he has engaged 5,600+ volunteers in over 16,800 hours of volunteer service.   Conservation service learning projects  brought together 1000+ volunteers giving over 3000 hours in the support of energy and water quality conservation just last year alone.  This was done by bringing awareness to the value of the urban forest/trees.

Brendon’s work as an advocate in environmental education and conservation has extended beyond Metro Atlanta to the nation and the globe.  As an AmeriCorps alumni his efforts were highlighted in “Be the Change” AmeriCorps Commercial.  The Oprah Winfrey Network recently taped his program for a segment “ P&G Future Friendly initiatives.”  Disney Parks’ “Give a Day get a Disney Day” and Hands On Network partnered with Sustaining Urban Villages to develop an outdoor classroom early 2010 and spring of 2011 Hands on Atlanta and SUV partnered to join the first Global Youth Service Day!

Selected Achievements

      Professional

• Awarded by AmeriCorps Alums for Service: National Conference on Volunteering & Service
• Featured Champion in Service Learning by the Oprah Winfrey Network
• Founded Sustaining Urban Villages: Urban Environmental Non-Profit raised $1.2M. in support
• Georgia Urban Forestry Five-Year Plan Advisory Committee
• Certified in Environmental Leadership, Pastoral Counseling, and Outdoor Team Building
• Degreed in Psychology with graduate studies in Psychology and Education
• MASKIL/Math and Science, facilitator for Atlanta Public Schools
• Bioneers Southeastern Conference, Panelist Speaker
• Environmental Leadership Program Southeast Regional Advisor and Facilitator/Trainer

Synergistic

• Get Outside GA Steering Committee
• Medical missions trip, Port Au Prince; Haiti
• Ambassador Fellowship Mission trip, Cotonue; Benin,
• UPCAG Missions to, Panama City; Panama
• Foreign Exchange Student, Nice, France (speak conversational French)
• Pastoral Counselor, Christian Research and Development Certification