1991. A quirk of events: I asked why my Aspinwall erosion control materials were being photographed by a Swede. He said they were to be exhibited in Orlando at the Disney World Hilton. I enquired further and learned about—rather, heard of for the first time—the International Erosion Control Association. I had firm appointments on those IECA 1991 Orlando Conference and Expo dates with two cruise ship companies in Port Everglades, FL (immediately following our attending in Germany the wedding of the sister Ellen of Henner Schuerholz who introduced our century-old company to the modern technology and applications of erosion control products and services). The Swede insisted I must change my business appointment and attend the IECA conference at least for a day or two, and that is what I did. More than the products, the services, and the resources and prospects of business, it was the idea of erosion and sediment control that attracted me to become a member and attend every annual conference since then, with the exception of EC05 last year in Dallas (I debated a lot with myself and decided that the 84th birthday of my uncle, the date of which clashed with that of EC05, was more important; in the state of Kerala in southwestern India, the 60th and the 84th are very special).

2006. IECA has grown enormously in shape and size. More and more people outside North America too are learning about IECA and the prospects and possibilities that a truly international body could provide to mitigate, at least to some extent, the destructive effects of both natural and human-made, or "human-accelerated," erosion. However, even today I find it a bit confusing to realize that, despite admirable hard work by IECA's staff and many volunteers—namely members of the board, committees, and other ordinary members—there appears not to have been sufficient thrust by IECA as an organization to "steal the show," so to speak. There are still vast regions of the world that could benefit from IECA.

The other area of concern or even confusion I still have about this great organization, even after my close association with IECA for over a decade as an associate and later an honorary international director, is whether we exist for the stated objective of erosion control or for promoting business opportunities to our members or for both. If we are to become truly international, we must do more than create a few chapters here and there; we must involve ourselves in creating building blocks in every region, which would entail at least some budgetary support not dependent on the vagaries of the net income after an annual conference held in North America. This would also mean a rethinking on the part of our membership toward "What more can I give to the objectives of IECA?" rather than "What can I get from IECA?" This is not an easy thing to do, I know, but it must be done. Otherwise we will always remain stunted and will only have lopsided development of the organization.

From the Vedic times, Indians have revered Mother Earth as a goddess, and children are taught to recite a stanza requesting her to excuse stepping on her before they get up from bed. It says, " Oh Goddess! with Oceans as robes and mountains as breasts, Oh beloved of Lord Vishnu! I bow before you! Please do forgive my stepping on you."  (Samudra Vasane Devi Parvatha Sthana Mandithe Haripriye Namasthubhyam Paada Sparsham Kshamaswame. The words and meanings are Samudra = ocean; Vasana = dress; Devi = goddess; Parvatha = Mountain; Haripriya = beloved of Hari or Vishnu; Namasthubhyam = I bow before you; Paada = foot; Sparsham = touch; Kshamaswa = forgive.)

Of course this is symbolic, but it brings to the child the significance of respecting and not injuring nature. More conscious education focused on these prime values is necessary if in the long term we can all enjoy sustained shelter under the care of Mother. Actually, the tie that binds us as members of IECA should be enlarged to bind together more such organizations and regions of this world, encompassing fauna and flora and the nonliving things too. Organizations such as ours, IECA, and others and the ties that bind these together should act more like strong bandages rather than mere Band-Aids to help cure the wounds inflicted by human beings in our greed.

I hope to see a truly international IECA becoming, while cooperating with other organizations for synergy, the premier organization in the area of soil erosion and sediment control in the not-too-distant future.

EC - March/April 2006