Diane Gatsis Havinga is the CTV Station Manager/Executive Producer/Director of Channel 6 at Greenspring retirement community in Springfield, Va. Diane bikes to work round trip eight miles every day and has been doing so for over ten years. On Earth Day 2014, the Greenspring Environmentalists, a resident group at the community, named Diane the “Greenspring Environmentalist of the Year”. She lives in Springfield, Virginia.
How long have you been biking to work? And why? – I started riding about two weeks after I started working at Greenspring more than 10 years ago (as of Feb 2014). I ride for a number of reasons including my overall health and wellbeing; as a good way to prepare for the day and regroup after the day; as an opportunity to enjoy the weather and nature regardless of the weather; helping the environment by leaving as small as a footprint as I can; and, saving gas and wear and tear on my car. Plus, I enjoy biking!
Do you bike to work in rain or shine? – My rule is if it’s not raining or only misting on and off in the morning, I’ll bike. If it’s storming I try not to for safety reasons, although I have been caught in a number of storms. I don’t bike in ice or if the temperature falls below 20 degrees (my fingers can’t handle it no matter how much I try to protect them from the cold.)
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What other environmentally-friendly things do you do? – I’m a fanatic recycler both at work and at home. I’ve helped clean up paths and forests and I try to plan my car driving trips together to avoid just driving to one place and then going out again to another. I’ve updated my home appliances and installed various features in order to save on energy and protect the Earth. I also avoid buying water bottles and bring and refill my own BPB water bottles at work. At home, I keep my thermostat set to the best energy saving settings and turn down my furnace and AC at night and when I’m at work to avoid wasting gas and electricity. I use my energy efficient blinds throughout the year to avoid excess heat from penetrating my house, and I carpool with more than one person whenever possible.
Greenspring is situated on a scenic 108-acre campus in Springfield, Virginia. The community is home to nearly 2000 residents, many of which reside in the over 1400 independent living apartment homes. At Greenspring, over 200 resident-run and resident-driven programs promote an engaged, fulfilling lifestyle that is reflected in resident satisfaction levels that exceed the industry average. Additional information about Greenspring can be found at www.ericksonliving.com.
