Shepard Krech III, a professor of anthropology and environmental studies at Brown University, will talk about the relationship of birds and indigenous people on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

A national environmental advocacy group has given Rhode Island high marks for its efforts in support of clean energy.

Rhode Island was one of seven states last week to be given Gold Stars by Environment America, a federation of advocacy groups from 27 states formed earlier this year.

In a report called America’s Clean Energy Stars: State Actions Leading America to a New Energy Future, the group praised Rhode Island for adopting “bold policies” and adopting at least four of five cutting-edge policy initiatives examined by the report.

The other Gold Star states were California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington.

States were cited if they adopted renewable-energy standards, clean-cars programs, energy-efficiency programs, appliance-efficiency standards and energy-related building codes.

Matt Auten, the local advocate for the group, said in a statement, “Rhode Island is rising to our nation’s energy challenge by taking action to promote renewable energy, reduce energy consumption and put cleaner cars on the road. But while Rhode Island has been making progress toward a clean energy future, our leaders in Washington have been dragging their feet. We need Congress to change course, and they should start this year by passing a strong energy bill that saves energy, saves oil and matches the clean energy leadership of states like Rhode Island.”

Auten praised Governor Carcieri, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Attorney General Patrick Lynch and the General Assembly for their efforts.

In a related matter, more than 30 leading investors and managers of retirement funds, including state Treasurer Frank T. Caprio, have signed a letter to Congress urging passage of a national energy bill that includes strong measures for expanding clean energy and reducing oil dependence and global warming effects.

Many of the investors are members of Investor Network on Climate Risk, an alliance of U.S. and European investors focused on addressing risks and opportunities posed by climate change.

The letter was signed by many of the nation’s top institutional investors, including state treasurers and comptrollers from California, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, New York City, North Carolina and Oregon.

The letter was coordinated by CERES, a coalition of business and environmental groups working for sustainability, and the Calvert Group Ltd., one of the nation’s largest socially responsible mutual fund firms.

Indigenous people, birds explored

Birds and their relationships with native people in New England will be the topic of a presentation at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Kirk Engineering Building at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.

Shepard Krech III, a professor of anthropology and environmental studies at Brown University, will give the talk, sponsored by the Rhode Island Natural History Survey.

Traditional relationships between indigenous people and birds have been greatly overlooked in basic anthropological reporting compared with the attention given to charismatic megafauna such as white-tailed deer or important plants, such as maize, according to Krech.

He says birds were valuable to indigenous people in many ways — material, cultural and spiritual.

As an ethnologist, environmental historian and birdwatcher, Krech explores the traditional significance of birds to native peoples of the eastern woodlands, and particularly in New England.

The survey’s annual used natural history book sale precedes the presentation, at 6:30 p.m. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted.

The Engineering Building is on Upper College Road.

The survey also has put out a call for abstracts for its annual Ecology of Rhode Island Conference, set for March 20.

For more information, call (401) 874-5800.

You could be a master composter

Another training program will soon get under way for those wanting to be certified as experts in composting and recycling.

The University of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. are sponsoring their sixth master composter and recycler program, starting Nov. 27 and running on five consecutive Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Modeled after URI’s master gardener program, classes will be offered from 6:30 to 8:30 at the URI Outreach Center on East Alumni Avenue on the Kingston campus.

Two Saturday sessions will be scheduled later to visit the state’s Central Landfill in Johnston and the Earth Care Farm, a commercial composting facility in Charlestown.

A course fee of $50 will be charged to cover classroom materials.

For more information, or to register, call Vanessa Venturini at (401) 874-4453 or send e-mail to vventurini@mail.uri.edu.

Flower society honors R.I. man

Garry Plunkett, of Tiverton, was honored recently by the New England Wild Flower Society with its Rhode Island State Award for his 20 years of work conserving land and for “sharing his passion for native plants through teaching, writing and leading tours.”

Plunkett is a volunteer with the society’s plant-conservation program, a life member of the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, a teacher of the Framework Trees of New England course and a member of the board of advisors of the Tiverton Land Trust.

He is a graduate of the University of Tulsa, the Naval War College in Newport and Salve Regina University in Newport. He earned a certificate in native plant studies from the society in 2003.

Plunkett thanked the society for “satisfying my lifelong yearning to learn about native plants and habitats.”

The Environmental Journal is a listing of brief news items about the actions of individuals, organizations and businesses that affect the air we breathe, the water we drink and the landscape that surrounds us. If you have comments or suggestions, please contact environment reporter Peter B. Lord at (401) 277-8036, or by e-mail at plord@projo.com or by writing him, care of The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902.