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.

Unleash your inner artist and join us at Canvas and Cocktails in Cherry Creek on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 6:30pm. We will enjoy a cocktail, paint Van Gogh’s Starry Night with step-by-step guidance, and raise money to support our Operation Military Kids Essential Survival Skills Project. Canvas and Cocktails was just recognized in 5280 Magazine’s “Top of the Town” issue, so rally a group of friends or make it a date night and come have a blast! The cost is $40 per person and 25% will support the Cottonwood Institute. Space is limited, and no experience is required, so reserve your spot today by Clicking Here.

The folks at Sunrise were great hosts and intrigued us with discussion around the ecological importance of sustainable agriculture.  They really got us thinking about the amount of pollution, water, and fossil fuel that it takes to maintain our current industrialized agricultural paradigm.  Seeing their way of farming provided our group with a hopeful perspective on the complex issue of modern food production.

In return for their hospitality and teaching we spent about 35 total ‘people hours’ planting and harvesting herbs and vegetables in their permaculture garden where we learned experientially about this unique form of agriculture where virtually nothing is wasted!

When we weren’t working side-by-side with the farmers we practiced survival skills such as natural shelter making, various fire-building techniques, and sensory awareness activities near our wooded hillside above the farm. Not only may these skills help save our lives someday, they also are super fun to practice and helped us strengthen our connection to the outdoors we want to help protect and preserve.

At night we cooked delicious dinners together and used our newly acquired fire-building skills to create a fire where we had rich discussions about the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez, including his core values of acceptance of all people, importance of service to others, and the value of hard work, as well as the impact he had as an organizer for the farm-workers of the United States Southwest.

To check out a slide show of the project, Click Here.

A special thanks goes out to our partners for this project, including: Rigo Tostado and Jen Doyle from I Have A Dream Foundation for rallying a group of amazing students to work with, Kristin Maharg and Brandon Jones our Cottonwood Institute Instructors for facilitating a great course, and Patrick Padden at Sunrise Farm for teaching us about organic farming and sustainable agriculture. This project would not be possible without support from our funders, including: Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County Expanding Leadership Initiative, Mile Hi Foods, New Belgium Brewing Company, and Whole Foods Market.

Mark your calendars for next Wednesday, July 14, 2010 and join us at the Whole Foods Westminster Store to shop for fresh groceries for the week while supporting our Cesar Chavez Organic Gardening Projects this summer. The Whole Foods Westminster Store is generously donating 5% of sales that day  from 9am - 9pm. The Westminster Store is located at: 9229 N. Sheridan Boulevard, Westminster, CO 80031. Please spread the good word to friends and family and we look forward to seeing you there!

CITY OF BOULDER OUTSTANDING YOUTH VOLUNTEER AWARD:

Every year, the City of Boulder, through the Youth Opportunities Advisory Board, recognizes 10 outstanding youth who go above and beyond to make a positive contribution to their community. Two Community Adventure Program alumni, Zander Deetz and Aaron Fox, won the 2010 Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award for their involvement with the Earth Task Force at New Vista High School to help reduce their school’s environmental footprint. To learn more about the accomplishments of the Earth Task Force, check out our previous articles: New Vista Flips The Solar Switch and Students Take The Lead To Reduce Their School’s Environmental Footprint.

BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT’S HONOR ROLL:

Finally, the amazing accomplishments of the Earth Task Force were also recognized by Boulder Valley School District through the Superintendent’s Honor Roll. The Superintendent awarded each member a certificate and recognized the Earth Task Force at the beginning of the Boulder Valley School District’s April 21, 2010 Board of Education meeting. According to Superintendent Chris King, the Earth Task Force at New Vista High School was recognized for their “outstanding contributions toward meeting BVSD’s goals as outlined in the BVSD Sustainability Management System or SMS.”

2010 RIPPLE EFFECT AWARD:

Each spring, we take a moment to recognize all of the amazing Action Projects that our students take on each year to help initiate positive change in their schools, in their communities, and for the environment. We hosted our 2010 Ripple Effect Awards at the REI Boulder Store on Friday, May 21, 2010. Attendees evaluated and voted for the 2009 Action Project that had the biggest impact and selected Bees, Buildings, and Bites as the 2010 Ripple Effect Award winner! We also want to thank Old Chicago for donating pizza, Folsom Street Coffee for donating tea, and Bryan Buikema from Cracker 8 Projects for designing and creating this beautiful award, which will be on display at New Vista High School.

After an afternoon of practicing survival skills and camping under the stars, the excitement of their final trip together was yet to come. The next day, students teamed up with City Wild for an experience of a lifetime by rafting down the sometimes gentle, sometimes thrilling current of the South Platte River. Although they floated away with some initial trepidation, students ended the trip with new found courage, respect for the water, and smiles that could not be erased for days.

From water monitoring in the fall, surviving in the wilderness during the fall and spring, planting trees, and racing down rapids, students came away from this experience with a new respect for nature, the skills to explore the outdoors again, and the knowledge to protect it for future generations. Although there wasn’t one particular moment that stood out above the rest, the teamwork and support we saw in all of the students was impressive. The ability they had to overcome their fears as they learned to trust themselves was phenomenal. The positive attitude and sense of pride that emanated from each and every student as they said goodbye and walked back to the van wishing there was more time to do it all again, spoke much louder than words could ever express.

To relive the adventure of the Three Trees and a River Project, check out our latest movie and share it with your family and friends by Clicking Here.

A very special thanks goes out to everyone who made this pilot project possible, including: REI and Mustache 4 Cash for funding the project, Front Range Earth Force and Gilpin Montessori E-8 School for organizing the students to work with, and the Garden Club of Denver, the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, and City Wild for helping us execute the project. If you are interested in helping us scale and replicate this project with other public schools in the future, please contact Ford Church at 303.447.1076.

Related Links:

• To check out a photo gallery of our spring trip, Click Here
• To read about our fall water monitoring project, Click Here
• To read about our success of our fall survival overnight trip, Click Here

COURSES FOR ADULTS:

Essential Survival Skills Overnight For Adults: June 12 - 13, 2010. 5280 Magazine recently recommended this course in a feature article about 52 Amazing Weekend Getaways this summer. This course is limited to 12 people and, at this point, there are only 4 spaces left! For more information, to register, and to check out a new video about this course, Click Here or call 303.447.1076.

Sunrise Century: July 24, 2010. Join Team Cottonwood Institute to volunteer for a 100 mile bike race that is becoming known as the “Boulder Boulder” of cycling. For each volunteer we get to help with the event, the Cottonwood Institute will receive a donation to help support our educational programs. Organize a group of friends and join us for a few hours of volunteer work in Boulder! For more information or to register, call 303.447.1076.

Mt. Evans Volunteer Project:This 2-day weekend project is a free volunteer opportunity hosted by the Cottonwood Institute to walk our talk and give back to the mountains each summer. Date: August 6-8, 2010. This course is limited to 12 people. For more information Click Here or to register call 303.447.1076.

COURSES FOR STUDENTS:

Cesar Chavez Organic Gardening Project: June 9 - 12, 2010. Students camp out at a local organic farm, learn about the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez, practice leadership and team building skills, learn about organic gardening and sustainable agriculture, and complete much needed Action Projects to give back to the farm and to connect with their local food source. For more information, to register, and to check out a new video about this course, Click Here or call 303.447.1076.

Endangered Wolves and Animal Tracking For Teenagers: July 6 - 12, 2010. Get out of the house this summer for an adventure of a lifetime by spending a week camping under the stars, learning about wolves, and completing Action Projects to care for  the wolves and their habitat. This course is limited to 12 students and we have a few spaces left. For more information, to register, and to check out a new video about this course, Click Here or call 303.447.1076.

To vote, click: http://www.commfound.org/nova/2010 and mark Cottonwood Institute as your first choice.

Please spread the good word, email this out to your friends and family, and post the link on Facebook. Please Note: You can vote more than once!

As the school year comes to a close, the Cottonwood Institute is excited for our 2010 Ripple Effect Awards on Friday, May 21, 2010 from 7-8:30pm at the REI Boulder Community Room located at 1789 28th Street in Boulder, CO.

Students, parents, community members, and donors will gather to celebrate the Action Projects our students put together the past year to initiate positive change in their schools, their communities, and in the environment.

Join us for food, beverages, and giveaways, and get ready to be blown away by the amazing projects our students have initiated in the Boulder/Denver area. Best of all, you will get to vote on the Action Project which had the biggest impact, which will receive the coveted Ripple Effect Award sculpture made from repurposed materials by local sculptor Bryan Buikema!

Please RSVP for this event by emailing April Pishna by Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 so we know how many people to expect.

“We never know how the impact of our actions may ripple out. We never know who may be touched. That’s one more reason why, although the fruits of our labors can’t always be seen, they matter immensely.” – Paul Loeb

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.