Earth Task Force Is Unstoppable

The Earth Task Force is a new program the Cottonwood Institute launched last year to give student who have completed our Community Adventure Program an opportunity to continue changing the world. Looking back on their accomplishments the past year, the Earth Task Force is unstoppable.

With the support of Cottonwood Institute Earth Task Force Mentor, Paige Doughty, New Vista High School teacher sponsors, Kate Hartman and Andy Stephens, and the Boulder Valley School District, students and staff meet twice a week to create events to raise awareness of the school’s environmental impact and to offer accessible solutions the school, teachers, staff, and students can take to reduce their environmental impact.

The results they are producing are simply amazing. Here are a few of their accomplishments last year:

• Boulder Valley School District agreed to sponsor the Earth Task Force at New Vista High School to be the first pilot “Green Team” and hopes to sponsor similar sustainability initiatives at other district schools.
• The Earth Task Force helped write a grant to The Earth Day Network and won a $32,000 solar panel system for New Vista High School, which was installed just before Earth Day 2010 by Simple Solar.
• The Earth Task Force received a $2,000 grant from the Alliance for Climate Education to install low flow toilets in their school to help reduce water use at their school and Boulder Valley School District matched this grant with an additional $2,000.
• The Earth Task Force received a $500 grant from the Alliance for Climate Education to host Boulder Valley School District’s first Environmental Summit to bring together BVSD school environmental clubs to share ideas, resources, challenges, and to gain inspiration from one another.
• They successfully organized “Lights out Lunch,” “Local Lunch,” “Bring Your Own Coffee Mug,” “Alternative Transportation” events and 2 all school assemblies to raise awareness about local environmental issues and encourage their school community to take action to reduce their environmental footprint.
• They have received positive media attention for their efforts, including: an article by Vanessa Miller from the Boulder Daily Camera, an interview by Nikki Kayser on the Dot Org show on 88.5FM in Boulder, and an article by Marisa McNatt posted to Earth911.com.
• The Earth Task Force was recognized and acknowledged for all of their hard work and accomplishments. Two Community Adventure Program Alumni and Earth Task Force members, Zander Deetz and Aaron Fox, won the 2010 Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award by the City of Boulder Youth Opportunities Board and each member was recognized by the Boulder Valley School District by receiving Superintendent’s Honor Roll certificate.

This is an excellent example of how the Cottonwood Institute is inspiring a new generation of active community leaders who are environmentally aware, civically engaged, and who are empowered to make a difference in their community. Way to go Earth Task Force!

If you would like to make a donation to help support this program, please Click Here.

New Vista High School Flips the Solar Switch

In an extraordinary effort of achievement, a small group of committed students at New Vista High School witnessed the fruits of their labor as they helped flip the switch to a new solar panel system recently installed at their school.

After completing the Community Adventure Program, the core educational program of the Cottonwood Institute, a group of students came together because they wanted to continue making a difference in their community. They started a student-directed club at New Vista High School called the Earth Task Force and agreed upon a common goal: to help reduce their school’s environmental footprint.

They collaborated with the Boulder Valley School District’s Sustainability Coordinator, Ghita Carroll, who paid for an energy audit of their school. They helped write a grant to the Earth Day Network to install a solar panel system at their school and they won the grant! Simple Solar, a Boulder-based company, installed the solar panel system just before Earth Day 2010. This system will help significantly offset their schools energy bill, reduce CO2 emissions, and help the school save money during tough economic times.

Here are a few impressive stats about the system:

• Simple Solar installed 22 Siliken solar panels, which will produce about 6,765 kilowatt hours per year.
• The clean energy produced by the system will eliminate 12,177 pounds of CO2 per year, the equivalent of reducing the number of vehicle miles driven by 15,154 per year or planting 534 trees.
• Assuming modest increases in electrical rates, the system will save the school about $32,472 to $40,590 over the course of the 40 to 50 year expected life of the system.

According to one Earth Task Force member, “as students in the modern world, we have taken it upon ourselves to act towards our vision of a just and sustainable world. We have dedicated many hours to plan events to raise awareness about environmental issues, and to make our vision a reality.”

This is project is an excellent example of community leaders we are inspiring through the Cottonwood Institute. A special thanks goes out to Boulder Valley School District, New Vista High School, the Earth Task Force, Simple Solar, and the Earth Day Network for making this project possible.

Growing Food Locally

“The act of putting into your mouth what the earth has grown, is perhaps your most direct interaction with the earth.” ~Francis Moore Lappe

After much discussion and deliberation about their Action Project, “Winter” Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at New Vista High School chose to research food miles and the importance of growing food locally. Students decided to prepare and repair the existing garden for the 2010 growing season, which was originally created by spring 2009 CAP students, and they decided to build a tool-shed for garden tools and other supplies.

In order to put their plan into action, students collaborated with several different community members and organizations. They volunteered at Growing Gardens in exchange for fencing, mulch, and seedlings. They connected with Patrick Padden of Sunrise Ranch to learn about permaculture gardening techniques and how to apply them in their garden. To build the tool-shed, students researched building plans, looked at other tool-sheds for ideas, and procured the materials they needed to build the tool shed. By the end of the quarter, everyone learned a great deal about how to grow food locally.

“This class has opened my mind to the possibility that one person can make a difference and that doing small things still has an effect. I also realized that high school students have a strong voice and people will listen to you if you use it. Before this class I thought of myself as educated about the environment and now I have even more knowledge and ability to make a change in my lifestyle.” Liam Dodd.

This Action Project could not have been completed without the time, dedication, and inspiring willingness of parent volunteer Jon Hall, who is a carpenter. Jon volunteered 8 + hours of time to help us create a tool-shed and teach students about building throughout the process. Many thanks to all the incredible community members who are always willing to help students make their Action Projects a success.

Students Take The Lead To Reduce School’s Environmental Footprint

After completing the Community Adventure Program, the Cottonwood Institute’s core program, six extraordinary New Vista High School students realized that they wanted to continue making a difference in the world even though their class had ended.

With their enthusiasm and persistence to change the world, they went above and beyond the call of duty to form a school club called the Earth Task Force. The primary goal of this student-directed club is to inspire students and their school to reduce their environmental footprint through engaging activities and events throughout the year.

The group came together this past August to come up with a game plan reduce their school’s environmental footprint. They teamed up with Ghita Carroll, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) Sustainability Coordinator, and decided to organize a professional Energy Audit paid by BVSD. After analyzing the results, students decided to focus on 3 primary areas:

•    Infrastructure: including energy and water.
•    Waste: including recycling and composting.
•    Transportation: to promote the use of alternative transportation to and from school since New Vista does not use school buses.

Listen to what the Earth Task Force had to say on KGNU 88.5FM on the Dot Org Show with Nikki Kayser by Clicking Here.

According to one Earth Task Force member, “as students in the modern world, we have taken it upon ourselves to act towards our vision of a just and sustainable world. We have dedicated many hours to plan events to raise awareness about environmental issues, and to make our vision a reality.”

Their hard work has paid off and the Earth Task Force is producing tangible results:

•    They launched a website to promote their activities, events, and initiatives: http://www.earthtaskforce.com/
•    They applied for a grant from The Earth Day Network and have since been approved to install a small solar system at New Vista High School.
•    Boulder Valley School District has agreed to sponsor the Earth Task Force at New Vista High School to be the first pilot “Green Team” and hopes to sponsor similar sustainability initiatives at other district schools.

To launch their efforts in 2010, they are planning 5 consecutive days of activities from January 25-29th, 2010 to help the school reduce their environmental footprint:

•    On Monday, January 25th, 2010 they will host show clips from three movies, including: 11th Hour, Climate Change In Colorado, and Human Footprint to help raise awareness of the environmental issues they plan to address this year.
•    On Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 they will host an “Energy Day” where they will announce energy saving tips and encourage students and teachers to take their “Green Pledge.” They will also host a “Lights Out Lunch” where they will encourage the whole school to turn off lights during lunch.
•    On Thursday, January 28th, 2010 they will launch a “bring your own mug coffee day” initiative to help reduce the number of paper and plastic cups that are thrown away every day.
•    On Friday, January 29th, 2010 the are very proud to host an “Eat Local Day” supported by The Kitchen to share the environmental benefits of eating local.

This week of events in January will help launch another series of events for the following three months. In February the Earth Task Force will tackle water and energy consumption, in March they will address waste issues and recycling efforts, and in April they will promote alternative transportation. The students will document how their efforts have helped lower the school’s environmental footprint by comparing the school’s environmental metrics with the corresponding month for the previous year. If they reach the goals they set for themselves the Boulder Valley School District will reward the group monetarily to help fund further sustainability efforts at their school.

Conserving Water Creatively

“When you drink the water, remember the spring” ~Chinese Proverb

• How much water do you use everyday?
• Where does your water come from?
• How long could you survive without water?

The second quarter CAP class chose “water” as their environmental issue. Students got excited about this issue after reading the New York Time article “The Future is Drying Up” by Joe Gertner. The article addresses water rights in the West and the imminent water shortage that Coloradans face if we continue to use water at our current rate of consumption.

After some initial conversations, much research, and feelings of being overwhelmed by such a big issue, students came up with the following problem statement:

In North America, the average American uses 600 liters of water a day, while the average African uses 6. In reality, humans need to use about 50 liters per day. Over consumption of water does not just mean taking long showers, leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth, or watering the lawn. One of our biggest consumers of water is industrial agriculture. To make one cotton T-shirt it takes 9oz of cotton. To make that t-shirt from that cotton it takes 25 bathtubs full of water. In homes, businesses, and industrial agriculture, our water is being polluted and unnecessarily used. As a result of the high demand for water we are putting our scarce supply of fresh water, and ourselves, at risk.

The students did a lot of research to be sure they were well-informed about water issues. The class met with the Keep It Clean Partnership, and took a tour of Boulder’s waste water treatment plant. They also read many articles from water experts. Students researched the sources of their own water and mapped their watersheds.

After much deliberation students decided to address this problem through an educational campaign at their school. The class divided into four groups:

• The art group created educational posters and a collaborative mural using provocative art
• A second group created educational pamphlets
• A third created a movie about water in arid Colorado
• And to tie it all together the class wrote and performed a skit for the whole school.

The students aim to have their mural displayed in the City of Boulder’s water office. They distributed their pamphlets after their presentation to the whole school. The movie, an animated film which shows what the future might look like if we don’t change our habits was a hit, with one teacher exclaiming, “That was one of the best CAP presentations I’ve ever seen.”

The students worked hard to create a fantastic educational campaign and their water posters remain posted around the school on bathroom doors, above water fountains, and over sinks.

Well Done CAP!

CAP Students Take A Closer Look At GMOs

Chances are that the tortilla chips you just ate for lunch contain Genetically Modified Organisms (a.k.a. GMOs). Most of us have heard about GMOs, but what’s the big deal?

To learn more about GMOs, an incredibly complex and controversial issue, Community Adventure Program students at New Vista High School began researching the issue by reading articles from the Boulder Daily Camera and by watching a film entitled, The Future of Food. The students also spoke with community members, Laura Snider, an environmental journalist from the Boulder Daily Camera, and Donald Arrent, a local farmer with Red Wagon Organic Farm. Ms. Snider was able to speak eloquently about all sides of the issue, helping the students understand the opinions of people who oppose and approve of GMOs. Mr. Arrent spoke to students about why he chose not to grow GMO crops on his farm.

Students found that some people support GMO crops because they believe that they require less water, fertilizer, and herbicides. However, one of the biggest concerns they discovered was a GMO crop called “Roundup Ready.” These crops have been genetically modified to resist the herbicide Roundup. When Roundup is applied, it is harmful to other plants, wildlife, important pollinators such as bees, it can contaminate the soil and organic crops, and it can threaten water quality when the herbicide enters the watershed.

Right now, approximately 1,500 acres of genetically modified corn are grown on Boulder County Parks and Open Space and the Boulder County Commissioners are considering whether to allow genetically modified sugar beets this fall. Genetically modified sugar beets dominate the market and it is difficult to grow or find non-genetically modified sugar beets.

In order to raise awareness about GMO’s, CAP students launched a week-long Action Project where they:

• Evaluated the contents of the vending machines located throughout the school and created a display to raise awareness about what products might contain GMOs
• Held a GMO-free bake sale
• Presented an awareness raising PowerPoint presentation for the school
• Hosted a GMO-free lunch for the school to raise awareness
• Created and wore t-shirts exhibiting information about GMO’s
• Placed numerous posters throughout the school detailing GMO’s
• Distributed fliers with information about GMO’s

During their Action Project week, students reached approximately 350 people in their school community. Because of their hard work and dedication, the students educated their peers and teachers about GMO’s, giving them the opportunity to make an informed opinion about what they think about the issue. Although it required great effort, CAP students made a positive impact in their school and in their community.

The more you do to help the world, the more powerful you feel, the less helpless… At the start of the quarter I was skeptical… I was sure I couldn’t learn anything new about the environmental problems of the world. When we began looking at issues I was close-minded and righteous. When we debated issues I had a strong “I am right and you are wrong” opinion. CAP has not only changed that righteousness, but it has ended it. As my mind open and I began to trust other people in the class I became more than willing to learn other people’s opinions. The Action Project renewed my faith in the human race.” Marley K., Community Adventure Program student.

Gardens for Good

Gardening can often be hot and tiring work. The students in the 3rd and 4th quarter Community Adventure Program class at PS1 Charter School in Denver didn’t think about this when they decided to to address urban gardening and local food production for their Action Project this spring. But what they found is that gardening can be many times more rewarding than they imagined.

To get inspired and pumped up for their Action Project, the students at PS1 began by watching a documentary about a group of people in Harlem who turned vacant lots into community gardens, and wrote reflections on their previous gardening experience. Next it was time to form a plan! The students researched and discussed the importance of community gardens, and decided to use a local organization, Atlantis Communities Inc. as a base for their project. Atlantis is an organization that connects people with disabilities in the Denver area to services available to them. They have a garden to grow food for clients who are home bound or cannot afford fresh food.

At this point, it was time to get their hands dirty,and dive into the soil at the Atlantis gardens! Terrence Turner, who manages the gardens, explained how Atlantis works and showed the students how to turn beds, make rows, and plant crops. Terrence is in a wheelchair and works full-time for Atlantis. Everyday for three weeks, the students sweated in the hot sun planting corn, potatoes, squash, onions, tomatoes, and pumpkins. They also created art pieces to be displayed in the gardens and non smoking signs. According to Terrance, “the girls did a great job I just wish they could have stayed longer. They are the best volunteers I have ever had. I would love to have them back asap. They did more work in the sort time than most.”

In the beginning, the students were not so happy about all the hard work involved in planting a garden. They voiced their complaints and even considered switching projects. But after much discussion everyone agreed that they wanted to continue their work for Atlantis. They realized that they were helping some of the most disadvantaged people in Denver get fresh food, and that their gardens would become a refuge for people in the neighborhood. Atlantis helps hundreds of people in the Denver Metro Area. Throughout the quarter the students not only contributed their energy and hard work to these people, but gained a great deal or compassion and understanding. In the end they were able to see everything they planted begin to peak up through the soil.

One student reflects on the experience, “I didn’t like the garden at first.  It was hot out, and I was thirsty and tired all the time.  But then I saw Terrance come out to see us in his wheelchair and he was so happy to have us there, and he was so thankful.  I realized that we were doing something really nice.”

Bees, Building, and Bites

What’s the buzz? The 4th quarter Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at New Vista High School completed their amazing Action Project: a brand new bee garden, soon to be chock-full of sustainable food! The class was at a crossroads, wishing they could work on three different themes: green building, disappearing bees, and local gardens. Together, the students masterminded a project that addressed all of the above. They decided to plant a garden at their school and jumped right into the action.

Led by teacher Paige Doughty, the students started out at ReSource 2000, an outlet for recycled building materials. They volunteered their time and received reclaimed fencing for their garden in return. Next they learned all about green building and living from the Boulder Green Building Guild’s Ryland Gardner.

Beekeeper Christina Allen visited the CAP class to share eye-opening facts about bees: who knew bees pollinate about one-third of our food supply? The students couldn’t wait to plant a garden for these busy pollinators when they found out how vital bees are-and how fast their population is declining.

Thanks to donations and guidance from Growing Gardens, the planting was a huge success. Now New Vista has a local food-producing garden that is healthy for the economy, people, and environment in their community. This class definitely had an eye on the triple bottom line.

Best of all, the students saw what could happen when they didn’t mind their own beeswax. They got involved in their community, identifying important issues and seeing their project through from start to finish. Abby Heath said, “I can honestly say I’ve never been loaded with so much interesting and useful information before in my life. The biggest impact that CAP has made on me though is that I care. I care when people don’t recycle, and I care about our bee populations. I’ve realized during this short quarter that there is so much I can do to change the world, to impact the earth in so many different ways. I took so much out of CAP, and the best thing is that I can give so much back.”

Toss Less Trash

Ever wonder how much of your trash could be kept out of a landfill? A lot, according to the 3rd quarter Community Adventure Program (CAP) class at New Vista High School. Led by teacher Paige Doughty in partnership with the Cottonwood Institute, these students decided to learn about the relationship between overconsumption, wasteful packaging, and the burden of trash on their local and global community.

The students read articles, spoke to the school custodian, looked through their own trash, and visited grocery stores as well as Ellie’s Eco Home Store. They found out Boulder had an excellent recycling program, but it would be more effective if residents understood it better. Their findings-and their creativity-were revealed during a week this March when the students took their Action Project to the community. New Vista was ready to make a difference, and every day brought a new way:

• Day 1: Mini seminars on smart buying to avoid wasteful packaging
• Day 2: Disposal experts stationed at every trash station
• Day 3: Bring your own mug day- score free Folsom Street Coffee!
• Day 4: Dun dun dunnn….. Trash Audit!!!
• Day 5: Clean up the neighborhood- trash pick-up on local streets

A big thank you to Alicia Bouyounan from Eco-Cycle for coordinating the epic trash audit right on the school’s front lawn. The students reduced 8 bags of trash to 2.5! The CAP class also showed a student-made film (check it out below!) and gave a presentation about overconsumption and recycling during the school’s Exhibition Day. This Action Project managed to reach the entire New Vista community between these events, eye-catching 3-D signs, and “trash art.” Yes, you can make art out of trash instead of tossing it!

CAP student Aleyna Porreca found it easy to say goodbye to overconsumption: “My lifestyle now has not become any more difficult but it is much less wasteful.” Classmate Olive Egbert said, “I have been able to discover that we play an essential role in the world as individuals, and we can make a difference… I have also learned that it’s important not to discourage yourself harshly with the big idea of what’s going on environmentally.”

Promote Bike Commuting!

Fully seizing the opportunity to make a difference in their community, middle school students in the Community Adventure Program (CAP) class at PS1 Charter School decided to focus their Action Project on alternative transportation.  Seeing as none of them are able to drive yet, they quickly discovered that they were all pretty good at using public transportation. But after a little bit of brainstormin, the students found it would be more efficient, sustainable and healthier if they could ride bikes to school, friends houses and on errands.

To make this possible the CAP students partnered with a free, volunteer-run bike shop called Derailer Bike Collective. The students creatively found 14 bikes to be donated to their cause and worked with the volunteers at Derailer to get the bikes into working condition.

By the end of the semester the 8 students in the CAP class who did not own bikes had a functioning bike to take home with them! The 14 bikes that were originally unrideable looked almost new! Way to go PS1 students! All of the students spent over ten hours in the shop repairing bicycles and learning bike maintenance and safety, rules of the road and safe routs to school. All of the students made a commitment to ride their bikes as much as possible to school, friends houses and elsewhere. Four of the students who already had bicycles of their own donated their bikes to other kids at the school who didn’t, and two students donated their bikes to a local refugee family who who needed transportation to work. The family and students outside of the class received brochures with the information the CAP students collected and made the same commitments to ride their bikes. As a final touch, the CAP class made a presentation for their school to promote bike commuting.

“I liked being able to have someone show me what to do, then getting a chance to try it myself.”  - Indio

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