News From the Field

Maine is having its recycling video competition again this year for middle school, high school, and college students.  The deadline is November 30, 2008. 

The goal of the videos is to promote recycling through humor, facts, fun, and of course, ingenuity.  Mainerecycles.com encourages use of their ads and slog, Recycling Works!  You can see the ads, recycling logo, and last year's finalists at www.mainerecycles.com

Social justice and ecological leader Van Jones has a smart, green plan to jump-start the economy. It would get millions of people working in jobs that respect the Earth. He lays it all out in a new book: The Green Collar Economy.

This book is beautifully written. It has a message that can fix the economy AND restore the environment. It has been endorsed and praised by Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Tavis Smiley, NAACP head Ben Jealous, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Thomas Friedman, to name just a few.

Through his Green For All organization, Van has been working tirelessly to expand and diversify the coalition working for climate solutions. If his book sells well, Van will be the first African-American environmental writer ever to make the best seller list. Ever! You can order The Green Collar Economy online!

Film’s inspiring message of energy conservation reaches national audience

Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life is a popular new book for teenagers who want to live green.  Mother and son co-authors, Tosh and Linda Sivertsen, offer a wealth of helpful information for teenagers.  In the book, they discuss issues affecting our environment.  They also suggest green college majors and environmental careers for rising youngsters.  Best of all, they give tips for how teens can shop, dress, eat, and travel in green-trendy ways.  Generation Green is an inspiration for today’s teenage generation to be the one that turns the tide!

 Deadline March 2, 2009

The Young Naturalist Awards is presented by the American Museum of Natural History and sponsored by Alcoa Foundation.

It invites students (grades 7-12, U.S. and Canada) to investigate a question they have about the natural world and send us their findings in an essay. The essays are judged by environmentalists, secondary school science teachers, Museum docents, scientists and curators.

The winners, two from each grade, win cash awards (from $500-$2,500) and are invited (expenses paid) to the Museum to attend an awards ceremony. They also go behind the scenes to meet scientists and discuss their work. All participants receive a certificate and a letter from the judges that highlights the strong points of the investigation and offers suggestions for improvement.

Learn more by visiting their website.

The Sky Institute is currently working with Florida State University's Center for Advanced Power Systems, the University of Florida's Department of Architecture and Landscape Design, and other universities to create an "ultra-sustainable," Deep Green town that can be a template for national development. Inspired by the market villages of southern Europe, the town design is both beautiful and functional, marrying sophisticated art and architecture with the latest in sustainable design and renewable energy technology. The University of Florida has hosted student design workshops to create didactic gardens and models for the lightest footprint of all the homes, called the eco-dwellers.

The town, designed by Duany Plater-Zyberk and Starr Sanford Design, will feature 624 proposed homes, an eco-inn, wellness spa, restaurants and shops, and many recreational amenities. The goal--townwide-- is to have a net zero carbon impact.

One of the things that is most inspiring aspects of it is that it is a true solutions-oriented, grassroots project that came from the bold vision of two social entrepreneurs-- Julia Starr Sanford, a Georgia Tech/Harvard-trained architect and feature film set designer, and her partner, real estate investor Bruce White.

Construction is set to begin in 2009!

November 9-11 in Raleigh, NC

AASHE's Conference is the largest campus sustainability gathering of its kind in the United States and Canada.  We expect over 1,000 attendees in Raleigh, and more than 300 presentations, with an impressive array of campus and business leaders sharing their experience, knowledge and passion for promoting sustainability on campus and in the community.  Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are the host campuses for the 2008 Conference.

The Institute is a great opportunity to enhance your own understanding of climate change. Dr. James Hansen, renowned NASA climate scientist, will be the keynote speaker to discuss the latest on climate science. Institute participants will receive a resource binder with new climate change curricula, expedition supplements, and action resources. The theme of the Institute is "Changing School Culture" with a focus on reducing a school's carbon footprint, from classroom to community.

From the Will Steger Foundation’s Global Warming 101 initiative, Arctic Community Curriculum focuses on community, solutions, and positive messages of hope and action in response to the challenge of climate change. Based on the idea that we are all members of the community of Planet Earth, the curriculum looks in detail at a specific area, namely the Arctic, to help us appreciate the meaning of community. The Arctic Community Curriculum is free of charge and compliments the other educational resources available through the Web site.

Sierra Club and NAAEE are pleased to announce the creation of a new award for high school students. The Sierra Club and NAAEE Green Youth Leader Award will be presented to a high school student in recognition of a contribution to, or leadership in, environmental education at the local, state/provincial, regional, national, or global level. Nominations are now being accepted. A complete award description, criteria, and nomination form are available online.
 Nominator must be a member in good standing of either NAAEE or Sierra Club.

Energy Action Coalition is a youth-led coalition of more than 40 organizations working together to fight for a clean, just and renewable energy future. 

Register for the August mega training  camp on their website.


Go to PowerVote.org and sign the pledge and commit to becoming a leader this Fall to make sure that young people vote on election day for candidates who  address climate change head on.

Energy company PPL is accepting grant

 proposals for energy and environmental projects at schools

 located near PPL facilities. Deadline: October 15, 2008 The company's Project Earth Environmental Education Grants program directs focus toward renewable energy projects and energy conservation projects to encourage action in schools located near PPL facilities. Through these competitive grants, teachers can receive $500 to $5,000 each in funding for school projects that focus on energy issues like renewable energy demonstrations, energy conservation, and the greening of schools.

Journey to Boston University's Sargent Center in Hancock, New Hampshire, for the 42nd Annual New England Environmental Education Alliance Conference October 3-5, 2008.  This year's conference theme is A Journey Home:  Fostering Ecologically Centered Communities and is hosted by New Hampshire Environmental Educators.  

The Volvo Adventure - in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme - is an educational programme that rewards environmental activities and the decision-makers of the future.

To enter, you form a team of 2 to 5 members aged 13 to 16 years and perform an environmental project in your local community. You submit the project via our online submission tool before January 31st 12pm, 2009 deadline (CET).

Projects are judged during February / March and the best projects are selected for an all expenses paid trip to Göteborg, Sweden where they can win: 1st place = 10,000 USD, 2nd = 6,000 USD and 3rd = 4,000 USD.

See the registration details and guidelines for more information.

This site is a resource-rich for teachers and students at higher grade levels interested in learning more about global warming  and steps to take action.  It also features the Stop Global Warming Virtual March…over one million people demanding that our leadership freeze and reduce carbon dioxide emissions now!

Go To Their Website.