Outdoors Meeting Oct 26

Minutes!

• Compost Pile Work - Wednesday 7, November after school for about an hour
• Labyrinth Layout - Friday 9, November after school for 30 minutes (need to get rocks, cheap paint, tarps) - rocks (Sananda, Cora, Jud), paint (Corrina)
• Labyrinth Rock painting - Thursday 15, November (set up area for painting in the big room - each advisory comes to paint at a certain time) - we lay them after school for 45 minutes or so
• Survey taking for Climate Night - Thursday 15, November (during CAS advisory) - I'll talk to Student Council Reps
• Fundraising - Emailing Harry's Roadhouse about donation. Sananda will talk to her boss at Cafe Fina about weekly burritos. Once we get this set up we will be able to start collecting coffee grounds from parents in the morning
• Trips - Dorothy Stewart hike (near school) Friday, November 16. 11:30am to 3:30pm. Rio en Medio soon...
• Membership - Get list from CAS Fair, encourage participation through letting people go on trips if they participate in activities
• River / Campus Cleanup - Tuesday Oct 30 for 30 minutes to 1 hour (Sananda will announce)

What you should email me:

-If you are able to make the Wednesday 7, Friday 9 or Friday 15 dates

-Your three climate questions by next Friday 2, November

-If you think you'll be able to go on the hiking trip

-If you will be willing to sell once we get the morning sales going again, and if so, what days

-Any other things you think we need to be doing more of

Present:

Corrina

Sananda

Eliza

Darcy

Karen

Jonas

Friday, Sep 28 Minutes

Present:

• Tyler, Danielle, Hailey, Darcy, Karen, Eliza, Amelia, Mr. Alei

To-do list:

• Getting burrito price info from Harry's
• 8th graders (Hailey, Danielle, Amelia) talk to student council about the ability for middle schoolers to 
• Waiting for more information about the Re-Mike event suggested by Eliza as a possible club project
• Make composting bin sign (Amelia and Hailey on Mon)

Projects/Decisions:

• We've decided that every Friday at lunch we will have (besides the gardening work that's going on already) an Outdoors Club meeting more specifically focused on the activism and fundraising parts of the club
• DA Climate Night: "What's Up With The Weather?" (Three speakers, food, drink, info boards and a videography project - CAS hours people! Talk to Eliza, Grace Moon or I for more information...we'll start doing more planning this coming Friday the 5th)
• Outdoors Club has Monday and Fridays for morning sales, however, still figuring out how to organize the sales this year
• On a similar note, compost collection should be starting this week and, to encourage parents to compost as well as buy thing from us, we'll start giving a discount to parents who bring in their coffee grounds (and other compost) on coffee and burritos

First Club Trip:

• We are looking at setting our first Outdoors/Sustainability Club outing for the Flood the Roundhouse Event on October 3.  This is an excellent opportunity for our club to get involved on a local level with an issue that may have a great impact on the future of our community.

We will gather on October 3rd to deliver our petitions demanding clean energy for New Mexico. We will flood the roundhouse. Will you join us?

WHAT: Flood the Roundhouse
WHEN: Wednesday, October 3rd, 4:00 PM
WHERE: The Roundhouse, Santa Fe, NM

Please let Jud and me know if you want to come so we can figure out transportation!

Monday September 17 Lunch Meeting

Hi everyone!

The Outdoors Club will be having a meeting next Monday, September 17 during lunch from 11:40 to 12:10-ish in the front entryway garden bed. This isn't very much time, so please be on time! I'd like to address how the club will function this year and the different projects we'll be working on. I hope to see all of you returning members and I'm excited to get going!

Thanks! Email me if you have any questions,

Cora

cora.cliburn@gmail.com

P.S. If you plan on not being a part of the club this year, please let me know so I can take you off the email list.

Biking Events from Betsy Conover

Here are some biking events that parent volunteer Betsy Conover recommended to our club (being the Outdoors Club!). Tak a look....

Hi Cora-

As the Outdoor Club president, thought you might be interested in this.... or passing on...

The BCNM is interested in valet volunteers for the RE-MIKE event Friday and Sunday, if you know anyone who might be interested...

I'm planning to be there Sunday...

Betsy 

Hello Santa Fe cycling fans!  Hope you all had a good summer, now that Fall is upon us there is a lot going on -
 
1.  Community Cruise, Sat., Sept 15: I am happy to announce that we will be having another "Community Cruise" on Sat., Sept. 15, flyer attached.  This ride will showcase some of our newest trail connections, we will visit some promising easements for future trails, including a fly-by of the upcoming Re-Mike event location (see below), and as always we will ride on some of the bike-friendly road connections in between.  As usual, we will start and finish at Second Street Brewery, which is offering a 10% discount on lunch after the ride.  There may be a bit more road riding than some other cruises but nothing too drastic.  As always trailers, tagalongs, tandems and (adult) tricycles are all welcome and encouraged.  Small children can at least ride the Rail Trail with us for the first part of the ride.  Hope you can make it!
 
2.  Tour of the Rio Grande Valley, Sun., Sept. 16: Seems like September is Century season in NM!  The TORGV is a fundraiser ride for the Bicycle Coalition of New Mexico, your one and only statewide cycling advocacy organization.  There are options ranging from 25 to 100 miles, spanning from Ranchos de Albuquerque to Belen and beyond (the best part!).  It is "fun, flat, and fast."  Please consider joining the TORGV and hopefully I will see you there!  For more information seewww.bikenm.org or TORGV.com.
 
3.  Re-Mike Event, Sept. 21-23.  See remikeable.com  This multi-faceted community event will look at the past present and possible future of the St. Michael's Dr. corridor, with all kinds of art, education, and entertainment along the way.  Local residents are encouraged to use their feet, transit, and/or a bike to get to St. Michael's Village West (the shopping center next to SFUAD).  There will be maps and wayfinding to help folks find good routes to get there, and some guided tours around the area once you are there.  There will be a bike valet service for your convenience and a variety of information on the history of transportation in the area, what transportation alternatives are available today (including bikes of course!), and how various modes of transportation (not just cars) may use the corridor in the future.  Also...
 
4.  Bike Rodeo, Sun., Sept. 23.  Stay tuned for more information on this bike skills training for kids, a part of the Re-Mike event, to take place Sun. morning, probably at 10 am.  We will have some of Santa Fe's certified "League Cyling Instructors" to show kids the ropes of "Smart Cycling."  
 
Also for Re-Mike, I am thinking of holding a GOATHEAD contest, putting out a bounty on the biggest intact goathead plant that can be found.  What do you think about that?
 
Well, that's it for now, see you later in September!

Weeding Party start time changed to 8:30 am but work will continue all day, so come when you can!

Please come!

This Thursday and Friday (Aug 30 and 31), Trudy Moon has volunteered to lead a Weeding and Digging Party at the new school starting at around 8:30 am (if you can make it there earlier, feel free to do so as it will get hot outside pretty fast!). If you have an extra shovel or pitchfork, please bring it. We will be working on the entryway gardens. Lemonade and gloves will be provided!

Weather Gone Wild

Rains that are almost biblical, heat waves that don’t end, tornadoes that strike in savage swarms—there’s been a change in the weather lately. What’s going on?

By Peter Miller

Photograph by Sean R. Heavey, Barcroft Media/Landov

The weekend forecast for Nashville, Tennessee, called for two to four inches of rain. But by the afternoon of Saturday, May 1, 2010, parts of the city had seen more than six inches, and the rain was still coming down in sheets.
Mayor Karl Dean was in the city’s Emergency Communications Center monitoring the first reports of flash flooding when something on a TV screen caught his eye. It was a live shot of cars and trucks on Interstate 24 being swamped by a tributary of the Cumberland River southeast of the city. Floating past them in the slow lane was a 40-foot-long portable building from the Lighthouse Christian School.
“We’ve got a building running into cars,” the TV anchorman was saying.
Read the whole article at:
 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/09/extreme-weather/miller-text

August 27 Garden Meeting Minutes

Thank you to those of you who came to help discuss ideas, volunteer and work yesterday (Mon. Aug 27) at the New School!

1. What's going on

• The Club - Since there is so much work that needs to happen just in terms of cleaning up our campus, the Garden Committee of the Outdoors Club has now become the Garden and Grounds Committee to incorporate all of the grounds work we'll be doing.

• The Garden - As most of you know, the club received a $2500 grant from the Centennial Foundation to build a community garden at Desert. However, there is still quite a bit of construction and moving happening at the new campus, so it isn't possible to finalize a spot or begin working on the large elaborate garden planned out in our grant application. At the same time, we want to be able to keep the Centennial Foundation's support and there are many smaller beds that we can still do a lot with, so we'll be spending most of the fall working on those areas.

• Rainwater catchment systems - Desert is required to have at least 5000 gallons of rainwater catchment available. We hope to have much more than that, but right now, the construction company is still looking into getting and placing rain barrels. For now, we'll just use hose water.

• Collaboration- The more of the student body we can get involved, the better! Leos and NHS would like to help with volunteer projects and probably have many of their own ideas as well. It would also be great to talk to Sheila Miles' art classes to see if they would be interested in contributing to the artistic design of the campus. We already have some great parent volunteers and could use more! For the most part, everyone seemed to agree that it would be best for individuals interested in organizing a project to simply run it by Jud, Mr. Alei, Corrina and/or me and then take it on. There are so many things to work on, so if you have ideas, please share them!

• The funds - We're still waiting to hear responses from Payne's, Home Depot and Lowes, but we are hoping that they will give us a matching funds donation for other plants and building materials that the CF grant doesn't cover.

2. Project Ideas/What we're working on

• Building a labyrinth - Courtenay Mathey (in charge of the construction at Desert) would like to lead this project.

• Senior orchard - (suggested by Zoe Gibson) - Each senior (24) could plant a tree with a 7th grader at the beginning of the year as a part of their Senior mentorship. This could become an annual tradition!

• Glass bottle walkway/path - we're going to want to build many different paths to make our campus more accessible and attractive. One possible path idea was to border the path with glass bottles buried upside-down.

• Decorating fronts of stairs  - (and paths leading to the tents) - People could set in pieces of glass, ceramic, marbles, etc. to give the stairs an artistic look.

• Compost pile - We set aside a spot for our compost pile right next to the main parking lot and have straw bales from the old garden to build it with. We're hoping to get some bins set up around the school for compost collection. We'll need 5 - 10 compost monitors for daily bin emptying.

• Cactus garden - As we walked around the perimeter of the campus, we found many transplantable cacti. We are still considering possible locations for this garden.

• Hoop houses - We currently have one set up and we plan on trying to build or purchase at least 4 more for growing winter veggies.

• Garden Advisory Competition - Each grade could clean up, plant and decorate one of the main parking lot medians as a part of the advisory competition.

• Spreading wildflowers - To make our campus more friendly looking from the outside, we discussed spreading wild sunflower seeds around the fence border.

• Entryway garden beds - Mark Tiarks, who is a landscaper, has offered to lead in planting and designing the entryway garden beds.

3. What we've done

• De-weeded and tilled the soil in one of the garden beds in entryway
• Finished flagstone-gravel paths to the tents
• Brought over all garden materials from old school and set up one hoop house
• Purchased new garden tools the club (our first $400 of grant money well spent!)
• Looked at two possible locations for the larger garden we want to create
• David and Felicia Tapia built us wonderful steps up to the swings and tents behind Admin building

4. Upcoming

• This Thursday and Friday (Aug 30 and 31) Trudy Moon has volunteered to lead a Weeding and Digging Party at the new school starting at around 10 am (if you can make it there earlier, please feel free to do so as it will get hot outside pretty fast!). Lemonade and gloves will be provided!
• In the first few weeks of school, the Outdoors Club is going to organize an all campus walk for anyone who's interested in getting to know our extensive 26-acre campus. We will be setting a date as soon as school starts.

5. Also of importance

• If you haven't accepted your invite to become an author on the Club Blog (daoutdoorsclub.blogspot.com) please do so! If you need to be invited again, or aren't sure how to post/comment/use the blog, please let me know!
• Though there's plenty of gardening and grounds work to be done at the new campus, we'd also like to keep the environmental activism and awareness part of our club alive. The Garden and Grounds Committee will be sistered by the Action Committee, which will work on keeping the school informed of environmental news, petitions and events.

Thank you all. Please email me with any questions or ideas you might have. I believe that we are starting into a great year!

Cora - cora.cliburn@gmail.com

This just came in from 350.org

Garden and New School Projects Meeting!

New campus enthusiasts! Now that the new classroom building is in place, the Garden and Grounds Committee of the Desert Outdoors Club is ready to get moving on our community garden. We will be holding an organizational meeting and work party on Monday, August 27 from 8:00 - 8:45 am at the new school. During the meeting part of the agenda we will be identifying our skills and interests, take a quick tour of the garden site(s), and begin to develop a list of projects that people want to work on - everything from design to collecting and turning compost! Please be prompt as several of us need to be at the teacher inservice which starts at 9:00 am.

We have a preliminary list of projects that are underway so bring your work gloves if you can stay on after the meeting to work. There is lots of weeding to do along with other projects.

Thanks for bringing your ideas and energy to make the Desert campus inspiring, productive, and beautiful,
Cora Cliburn, Outdoor Club President
Jud Osborn, Bob Alei, Kim Kurian - Garden Committee faculty sponsors

P.S. For those of you who aren't quite ready to be early morning wakers, feel free to come a little later!

Upcoming Events for Fall 2012

August

Testify on PNM's alternative plan for San Juan Coal

Join 350.org in testifying at NMED’s statewide public meetings on PNM's alternative plan for San Juan Coal. The next meeting is in Albuquerque on Monday, August 13th, 3:00-6:00 PM, at Alamosa Public Library. Contact Deirdre Smith - 350.org deirdre@350.org if you’d like more details or talking points before the meeting.

Albuquerque Wildlife Federation Valles Caldera Weekend Campout

http://abq.nmwildlife.org/projects.html

August 17-19, 2012

Join us for our second project this summer on Santa Rosa Creek, a major tributary to San Antonio Creek on the Valles Caldera. It is being severely impacted by increased runoff from adjacent slopes burned by the Las Conchas Fire.  AWF and Los Amigos de Valles Caldera will team up again this month to accomplish valuable wetland restoration in Valle Santa Rosa. At the July project, volunteers completed an awesome array of 26 stone structures on Saturday that were severely tested in a flood that evening. We will be based again at the San Antonio Cabin site, and invite you to join us for two days of field work and two nights of camping. Children are invited--they add to the experience and do good work.

Please RSVP by August 15 so we can plan appropriately for food. Once you are on the list, you’ll receive details about entry onto the Preserve.
TO SIGN UP: Contact Glenda Muirhead at g.muirhead@usfamily.net or 505-281-2925.

September
Southwest Women in Conservation
Engage with conservation leaders, establish new relationships, and motivate the next generation.
Saturday, September 29th from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Speakers, followed by a gourmet lunch, at the Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary, Santa Fe
Contact Maryam Miller at mmiller@audubon.org

October
350.org Climate Leadership Workshop

New Mexico's first Climate Leadership Workshop will be October 6th & 7th at the Santa Fe Art Institute. If you'd like to join 350.org for this exciting weekend of (free!) organizing and leadership training, please fill out this application.

Petition: Repower New Mexico With a Clean Transition Plan

A Message from Deirdre Smith of 350.org:
http://act.350.org/sign/NM-transitions
The EPA has granted PNM 90 days to come up with an alternative plan for San Juan Generating Station to meet federal clean air requirements. We have until Oct 15th to make sure they invest in real clean energy, rather than more dirty coal.
We need your voice! 350NM, Sierra Club, OLE, New Energy Economy, San Juan Citizens Alliance, Dine CARE, SWOP, Interfaith Power & Light, and other allies are joining forces to send a powerful message to PNM. Sign this petition to ensure that your voice is heard, and help us grow the alliance for clean energy into a powerful grassroots force.
In September, we'll deliver thousands of petition signatures and hold a rally calling on PNM to meet the demands of ratepayers and stakeholders throughout the state. Let's leave coal behind, and repower New Mexico with a clean transition plan!

New School Work

Hi everyone!
Mr. Alei is looking for volunteers from the Outdoors Club and Leos Club to help Monday mornings the next few weeks at the new school. This upcoming Monday, August 13 at 10 am, he will need help working on repairing the steps leading into the building. Please let me know if you think you'll be able to help!
Thanks, and happy summer!

7 Billion

"7 Billion" reflects not only a message of global unity for environmental and social justice, but also acknowledges the struggle and everyday commitment their very own mothers and mothers around the world make to improve the lives of others.
The "7 Billion" video was made by Green For All for the winners of The Dream Reborn Song Contest, designed to encourage artists to submit original music reflecting Dr. King's commitment to social justice.

Monday, May 7 Minutes

• Corrina and Sananda have joined our club!
• Sananda is interested in taking on the garden as her senior project
• Corrina is interested in working on the blog as well as on the garden
• Reminder: Trip to Ghost Ranch cancelled
• Elections
• Will be happening next year, as we will probably end up with new members next year!

Thank you all for the work you have done this year! I hope to see you all a part of this club next year, and I am quite excited to start work on our new campus and garden!

Watch 350.org's video on Climate Impacts Day Here!

Here are some photographs from Earth Spirit Day! (If you have any other pictures, please post them! :)

A Yale Poll

72 percent of Americans think that global warming should be a very high (12%), high (28%), or medium (32%) priority for the president and Congress. Among registered voters, 84 percent of
Democrats, 68 percent of Independents, and 52 percent of Republicans think global warming should be a priority.

92 percent of Americans think that developing sources of clean energy should be a very high (31%), high (38%), or medium (23%) priority for the president and Congress. Among registered
voters, 96 percent of Democrats and Independents, and 84 percent of Republicans think clean energy should be a priority.

83 percent of Americans think that protecting the environment either improves economic growth and provides new jobs (58%) or has no effect on economic growth or jobs (25%). Only
17 percent think it reduces economic growth and costs jobs. When there is a conflict between the two, however, 62 percent of Americans say it is more important to protect the environment,
even if it reduces economic growth, while 38 percent say economic growth is more important, even if it leads to problems.

-- 
Jim Lazar  Listserve Address
For direct email, use jim@jimlazar.com

New Mexico is ranked Number 3 Overall for making Water Pledges!

Every day is Earth Day.

It's not too late to help SAVE OUR PLANET!

 

Less than 1 week left to make your free pledge to save water, energy and money! Take one minute out of your day and go to mywaterpledge.com. 

 

Tell your friends! Save Water. Win a Prius. The more people who pledge to save water and energy at mywaterpledge.com in your city by April 30, the better your chances of winning. Share the link with your friends, family, co-workers, etc.    Eco-Friendly Prizes include: Grand Prize: Toyota Prius c Hybrid 12 Rain Bird Custom-Designed Sprinkler Systems 12 STERLING Water-Saving Toilets 50 Waterpik Eco-Flow Showerheads 1000 Lowe's Gift Cards

Less than 1 week left! Spread the word! www.mywaterpledge.com

For more eco-friendly tips and tools:

• WaterSense - An EPA Partnership Program
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• U.S. Forest Service
• Find Your Watershed

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

Did you know? Pete McCloskey, co-founder of Earth Day will be speaking in Madrid, New Mexico at 2:45 at their Earth Day event (11 to 5 at the Oscar Huber Memorial Ballpark) ? If you have young siblings, go check out the Earth Day crafts and activities at the Geneveva Chavez Center at any time during the day! The Earth Day Events aren't all today, either. Remember to look at the events on our blog for the ones happening next week too!
ALSO....
I hope that you can all feel proud of the work you did to make our EARTH SPIRIT DAY great! Thanks to everyone who baked, sold, judged, took photos, spoke at assemblies, printed brochures, and tried to spread the awareness (just by wearing green!). I greatly appreciate all of your help, and believe that we were successful in generating consciousness of Earth Day!
The winners of the Earth Spirit Contest were:
         1st Place: Dylan (10th Grade)
         2nd Place: Alyssa (7th Grade)
         3rd Place: Darcy (9th Grade)
AGAIN, Happy Earth Day!

Earth Spirit Day

Hi all,
Just a reminder that Earth Spirit Day is tomorrow! I hope that all of you come to school wearing green or bring in something that says Earth to you. :)
Darcy, Hayley, Chloe, and Jennifer, please remember to bring in your green baked goods! (My cake is in the oven!)
Also, If any of you can help sell the leftover baked goods after school tomorrow, that would be really helpful!
Remember to keep an eye out tomorrow for people that you think have green spirit! (We should meet up during lunch for the first fifteen minutes to discuss who we think has the greenest spirit!)
Lastly, if you could all please make an effort to talk to people in your advisories and classes about the brochures that would be great! Mainly, I want people to know that they are located in a box in the big room, and that they should share the brochures with other people! If they don't want them, please tell them to return them back to the box, so that we don't end up with a lot of them being thrown away! Encourage your friends to have fun with this!

Thanks so much everyone for making this work! I hope that we have a great Earth Spirit Day!

Cora

From 350.org

Which Cities Will Be Completely Underwater In Less Than 100 Years?

This makes the term "rising sea levels" a lot more real. It looks like LA has less than 100 years while San Franscisco and lower Manhattan have less than 150 years. New Orleans and the rest of New York have about four centuries left before they're gone.

Sara CritchfieldMore from Sara »

Click here for a larger image. 

Green Films for Earth Day

What better way to start off Earth Day weekend than with a screening and discussion of the inspiring film Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time plus two short films,Walk in Beauty and Sacred Poison.

Bioneers and Santa Fe Independent Film Festival join forces for this special Earth Day Film Event. Join us for a screening of these three important films. 
Following the screening, a Q & A will feature Dave Steinke from the U.S. Forest Service in Denver and organizations currently working on these issues including Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director of New Energy Economy.

Screening and discussion of Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time, plus the short films Sacred Poison and Walk in Beauty: Clean Energy for a Changeable World.

 

State Land OfficeMorgan Hall    Friday, April 20th at 6:30pm 310 Old Santa Fe Trail $10 General, $8 Students  Cash or check only at the door

  

Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time is about legendary environmentalist Aldo Leopold and traces how he shaped and influenced the modern environmental movement.  Also in the film, ranchers in Arizona and New Mexico discuss cooperative community conservation efforts.  

The multiple-award winning Sacred Poison is a powerful witness to the health and lifestyle devastation Navajo families endure resulting from the lasting impacts of uranium mining in Grants, NM.  

The Bioneers Dreaming New Mexico program and New Energy Economy have jointly produced a short film, Walk in Beauty: Clean Energy for a Changeable World, that highlights the potential of clean energy on Navajo Nation in northwest New Mexico, which has been adversely affected by coal and uranium development over many decades.   

Thank you,

New Energy Economywww.newenergyeconomy.org

Trip to Monte Del Sol tomorrow

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to remind you that we will be taking a trip to Monte del Sol tomorrow from 11:30 to 12:30ish to learn about the work that students and faculty have done on Monte's garden. We will be meeting with John Simmons, who is in charge of the garden year round, as well as Alice Johnston, a senior student who has been working on Monte's garden for several years. Please bring a lunch with you as well as a pencil and notepad in case you learn or see something you want to remember. Hopefully this will give us some ideas for our own garden! Kim Kurian as well as Mr. Alei will be chaperoning this trip.

Please get your permission slips to me before or during advisory tomorrow morning and inform your E-block teacher that you will be leaving their class to go on this trip at 11:25. Everyone should meet out by the casita parking lot at 11:30. You will return before lunch is over. If you didn't receive a permission slip, the form is attached below.

I hope that you can all attend!
Thanks,
Cora

Outdoors Sustainability Club Permission Form

On Friday, April 13, the Outdoors Club will be taking a trip during lunch from 11:30 to 12:30 pm to Monte del Sol Charter School to hear about the work that the students there have done there on their school garden. This will help our club get ideas for our school garden we plan on building next school year. Please have your child bring a sack lunch.

We hope that your child can attend this trip!

Please sign below and turn this permission slip in to Mr. Alei by Thursday, April 12 to confirm that your student can go on this trip.

Student Name_______________________________________________

Parent Name (print ______________________________________________

Parent Signature____________________________________________________Date__________________

Mon, April 9 Minutes

• Watched Spirit Bear video (thanks Jonas!)
• Jobs for Earth Day Spirit Contest and Earth Day Testaments

Here is what you have all agreed to do:
Photography: Karen and Eliza
Video: Tyler and Valet (?)
Photocopying Brochures: Chloe and Jennifer (150 copies)
Muffins: Chloe and Jennifer
Cookies: Darcy, Hayley
Putting up posters: Mack, Josh, Nick, Amelia


If you haven't volunteered to help and would like to bake or can think of something else that needs to be done, please email me! (cora.cliburn@gmail.com)

Thanks you all SO much for volunteering to make this work!

• Permission forms for Monte trip on Friday
• Have those turned in by Thursday this week
• Made Earth Day Spirit Contest Posters
• Aidan and Josh: recycling

Desert Earth Day: Our plans

Hi all. I have been thinking about the presentation that we were planning, and have decided that, considering the amount of time we have (and also the fact that this will be during an assembly in which students don't have very long attention spans) it would be a good idea to make the presentation on Wednesday, April 18 just about Earth Day events to get involved in, to hand out the brochures, and to remind students of the criteria for the annual Outdoors Club's Earth Day Spirit Contest, which will be Friday, April 20 (as Earth Day is April 22).

 

For the contest this year, we have decided that it should be more than just a day where people wear green. We want this to be about students (and teachers!) telling us what the Earth means to them. This can be communicated through clothing, artwork, posters, writing, and photography.

 

If you have been following 350.org, you might know of the 5/5/12 Climate Dots Event. This event aims at creating awareness of the connection between climate change and all of the extreme weather events happening all around the world. As a part of this, I was thinking that we could, on Thursday the 19th, film students' 10 to 30 second personal testaments about what the Earth, Earth Day, and climate change means to them. We could then compile and send these videos to 350.org, as 350 is very interested in receiving media of events and student action. This would bring the school together in thinking about what our planet means to us.

 

 For this to happen, I will need EVERY CLUB MEMBER to create 2 posters (on 8.5 by 11 inches or larger paper) with information about the Outdoors Sustainability Club Earth Day Spirit Contest. Please bring these to school this coming week (preferably Monday or Tuesday). Below is the information you should include. Feel free to include, photos, drawings, and color!

•  Title: Outdoors Club Earth Day Spirit Contest
•  Date: Friday, April 20
• What: Show us what Earth Day means to you through clothing, artwork, posters, writing, and photography, or other medium you can think of!
• Also: One Thursday, April 19, share your one 10 to 30s testament about what the Earth and Earth Day mean to you. Videos will be sent to 350.org
• Prizes: 1st place: Earth Day cake! 2nd: Three green cupcakes, 3rd: Three green cookies.  

 We only have two weeks to get everything going, so I really need all of your participation! Please sign up to do one of the following things: 

1. Printing brochures (one person): Entails going to Kinkos and printing 150 copies of the brochure. We will provide you with the money to pay for that.
2.  Baking (four people) : Entails baking one batch of green muffins or cookies.
3. Putting up posters (three people): Entails taping posters around the school
4.  Judges (three people): 
5. Photographer and video (two people): I'll do some of this but I need two other people: one to be taking pictures and one to film the students' personal messages

 Email me if you think of anything else I've forgotten!

And thanks for your help!
 

Below is our schedule for making this happen:

Monday, April 9:

• Announce Outdoor Club's plans for Earth Day
• Introduce students to contest
• Encourage them to follow the blog 

Wednesday, April 18:

•  Presentation to the school about local Earth Day events to get involved in
• Brief history of Earth Day
• Hand out brochures
• Discuss Green Spirit Contest
• Discuss the Earth Day tributes

Thursday, April 19:
During lunch: Film people holding artwork/in Earth Day wear, etc. saying what Earth Day means to them.
 
Friday, April 20 :

• Have table for artwork, posters, personal testaments, etc.
• During the day: be keeping an eye out for those with "green enthusiasm" (not just wearing green). Also, we will assign certain people to be taking pictures
• Week after: compile videos into clip to send to 350.org

I'd like everyone in the club to be a part of this to encourage the rest of the school. Tell your friends, come up with artwork, and think about what Earth Day means to you!

PRC Forums

All these issues that affect our daily lives and more are regulated by the Public Regulation Commission.  The PRC holds the power to approve or turn down PNM’s incessant rate hikes and ensure that PNM is meeting the Renewable Energy Mandate and has the power to shape their energy investments.  So are you interested in who the candidates are?  There will be a forum in Albuquerque and Santa Fe to meet the candidates of your district and attend a forum to hear where they stand on energy issues that are important to you.

Public Regulation Commission decisions touch the lives of every New Mexican in important ways.  

Albuquerque PRC Candidate Forum, District 1
Moderator: Gene Grant
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 11
UNM Continuing Education Center, 1634 University Blvd NE

Santa Fe PRC Candidate Forum, District 3
Moderator: Bill DePuy - KSFR radio host
6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12th
Santa Fe Woman's Club
1616 Old Pecos Trail

Sponsored by: Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, Conservation Voters of New Mexico, League of Women Voters, New Energy Economy, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, and the Sierra Club.

All 1^st and 3^rd district candidates have been invited to attend.

This event is free and open to the public.  For questions please contact our office at505.989.7262 or email newenergyeconomy@gmail.com.

 

Thank you,

New Energy Economy
www.newenergyeconomy.org

Take Action to Reduce Pollution in New Mexico

Keep New Mexico Healthy - Defend the Carbon Reduction Rule

The people spoke…

A cap on carbon was passed to protect our health, strengthen our economy and ensure a brighter future for New Mexico!

Now it is being challenged by PNM and other polluters who want to put profits over people.

Come tell the Environmental Improvement Board to hold up the law and that reducing carbon emissions is essential to keeping our air clean, our water drinkable and our communities healthy.  
Stop the rollback of environmental safeguards.  Make NM a clean energy leader!

Send an email to Carmella Casados of the Environmental Improvement Board by following this link... (There is a form letter attached, but you can add your own comments if you wish)

http://newenergyeconomy.org/take-action-to-reduce-pollution/ 

Some local solar power!

New Energy Economy is partnering with the City of Santa and the Santa Fe Fire Department to install a community scale solar electric power system for Santa Fe Fire Station #3, on Cerrillos Road.  The project will showcase two solar applications: solar panels that will be mounted on a carport in the station’s parking lot, and a twelve module solar tracker that will follow the sun.

This community scale solar electric power installation will use locally manufactured solar panels, and will employ locally trained installers.  A class at the Santa Fe Community College is also getting involved and will participate in the technical installation.

350 Santa Fe Event! We should think about doing this...

A Message from 350:
The U.S. Climate movement is doing big things.
In Congress, the fight against fossil fuel subsidies is reaching a full boil, even as we defend our victory against Keystone XL. We're connecting the dots between the extreme weather sweeping the country and climate change. And if that wasn't enough, natural gas fracking and other extreme energy projects seem to be popping up in communities everywhere.
I have a lot of faith in our ability to accomplish great things together, but if we want to tackle everything that's on our plate, our movement needs to get bigger, bolder, and more collaborative. This April, we have a chance to expand the skills we need to win as part of a project called the 99% Spring. 350.org has joined this huge effort that is bringing together over 60 organizations from labor unions to environmentalists, to domestic workers, immigrant rights groups, and the peace movement -- all to train 100,000 people in Nonviolent Direct Action tactics and strategy this Spring. 
One of the 700 nonviolent direct action trainings is happening near you, in Santa Fe on April 14th, and led by 350NM organizers.
Can you join us and be a part of this historic effort in Santa Fe? Click here to join the training.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Santa Fe 99% Spring Training
WHEN: April 14th, 12 AM - 7 PM
WHERE: Location TBD, Santa Fe, NM (Sign up, and we'll send you an email once we know more)
If the event is full, or you can't make it on the 14th, click here to find another training near you..
The training will include strategies to address the climate crisis, but it won’t be the only focus - we’ll also have an opportunity to learn from other dynamic movements who are working against all forms of injustice and inequality that are trashing our communities and planet.
I’ve had the privilege of helping coordinate lots of large-scale trainings before, including the two weeks of trainings each night before our Keystone XL White House sit-ins, but this project is on a scale we’ve never attempted. Helping develop the curriculum for 99% Spring has been exciting and challenging and I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone this spring.
One thing you should know about these events: No protest experience is needed! This is the training where you can bring your grandchild or grandparent (and everyone in between).
I hope as many of us as possible can seize this opportunity to make our movement bigger, bolder, and deeper.
With love and perseverance,
--Joshua Kahn Russell
U.S. Actions Coordinator, 350.org

Fracking Explanation

Here is the video about fracking that we watched last club meeting:

The Fracking Song

Here is "The Fracking Song video:

Spoil

Everyone, watch the documentary titled "SPOIL". Do as it says. Save the spirit bear! Stop the enbridge  pipeline project!

Keep Santa Fe Beautiful Events Schedule

April 14 – Electronic Waste Drop Off Day

On this day Santa Fe Residents can drop off old computers, CRT monitors (Old style computer monitors $10.00 charge per monitor) computer peripherals, electronic equipment, cell phones and televisions ($20.00 charge per television).
April 22 – Earth Day at Genoveva Chavez Community Center - This is something we could go to....
Keep Santa Fe Beautiful will be celebrating by giving the first 150 residents free tree seedlings.
April 28 – Great American Cleanup - I'll try to email some of the administrators to find out some more  information about this...
On this day volunteers young and old help clean up our city streets, parks, arroyos and school campuses.  KSFB hosts a picnic to thank our many hard-working volunteers.
June 

June 22 – Keep Santa Fe Beautiful Awards Night 

Volunteers and businesses who have participated and supported  in Keep Santa Fe Beautiful’s projects and events are recognized for their efforts at this special evening.