FORT WORTH, Texas – Longtime social change activist David Marquis will share his passion for conservation in a presentation at Tarrant County College Northeast (828 W. Harwood Road, NFAB Theater) on March 27 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Marquis has consulted with the Texas Conservation Alliance on water issues and is working to develop a public-private partnership to build urban wetlands near downtown Dallas that will feature native plants, flood mitigation, hike and bike trails, water filtration and transit connections.
Twenty-five years ago, he founded the 118-acre Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, which saved virgin urban forest from being bulldozed. The preserve became a national model for sustainability and affordability.
He began chairing the Mayor’s Green Building Task Force in Dallas in 2006, and it rewrote the city’s building and development codes. He led efforts to create the new Tree Ordinance and Park Land Dedication Ordinance, and he played an essential role in developing Dallas’ Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan.
His book, The River Always Wins, a lyric essay, offers a metaphor of hope for troubled times. The follow-up volume, The River of Goodness, is slated for release this year.
The word activist often connotes “in your face, loud and forceful,” said Andrew Stalder, associate professor of arts. “While there is certainly a place for this sort of activism, Mr. Marquis’ book The River Always Wins offers an alternative to this — what I call ‘quiet activism.’ His message is simple: Keep moving forward.”
Tarrant County College is one of the nation’s largest higher education institutions and boasts the second-lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. A comprehensive two-year college with six campuses in Tarrant County and online classes, TCC offers a range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds, including Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees; workforce and economic development programs; technical and skilled trades programs; and customized training for area businesses and corporations.