Started in 1971 by the EPA, this awards program “…recognizes young people across America for projects which demonstrate their commitment to the environment.” Awards are given for one project in each of the EPA’s ten regions. After 38 years, the winning projects have run the gamut — everything from peer environmental education to recycling efforts to wetlands restoration. Recent winners have included

• The Green Books Project in Lewisville, NC: Student Cory Adkins saw textbooks being thrown away at his school, and started his program to sell these books… and use the funds generated to support recycling in his community.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/11/20/presidents-environmental-youth-awards-recognizes-green-student-leaders/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/11/03/the-international-ecotourism-societys-african-safari-auction/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/11/03/the-international-ecotourism-societys-african-safari-auction/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:20:58 +0000 Lucille Chi http://ecoworldly.com/2009/11/03/the-international-ecotourism-societys-african-safari-auction/ The International Ecotourism Society is offering a Surperb Safari Experience as an auction to raise funds for global environmental awareness. The Safari location is at Ol Seki Mara Camp.

Safari Details: Located in the heart of Eastern Koiyaki, Kenya, Ol Seki Mara Camp offers luxury “Nina” tents with 270 degree panoramic views of the famous Maasai Mara.

Magnificent Wildlife: Eastern Koiyaki, provides an opportunity to enjoy wildlife viewing in a pristine oasis nestled amongst Cordia and Acacia trees attracting an abundance of wildlife and birds.

Your Dream Vacation: Elegant candle lit dinners, romantic dining for honeymooners, a resident masseuse – a delight for all senses!

What are Ol Seki Mara Camp’s specific sustainability Practices?

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/11/03/the-international-ecotourism-societys-african-safari-auction/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/18/largest-river-protection-area-in-europe-croatia-and-hungary/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/18/largest-river-protection-area-in-europe-croatia-and-hungary/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:51:08 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/18/largest-river-protection-area-in-europe-croatia-and-hungary/

Croatia and Hungary signed an agreement yesterday to protect a major biodiversity area that crosses borders along three rivers. The agreement is being called a “Trans-Boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve” and has resulted in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) awarding the two countries with a “Leaders for a Living Planet” award.

The reserve will preserve several endangered species, among other environmental jewels. There is also the possibility of the reserve expanding several times over into neighboring countries in the future.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/18/largest-river-protection-area-in-europe-croatia-and-hungary/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/21/30-million-outdoor-learning-center-in-california-environmental-education-for-all/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/21/30-million-outdoor-learning-center-in-california-environmental-education-for-all/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:41:29 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/21/30-million-outdoor-learning-center-in-california-environmental-education-for-all/
In a previous post, I discussed the great importance of educating our children about the environment and environmental ethics. A new facility in Southern California will help many with this process when it opens its doors on July 28th. The Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center is a $30 million outdoor learning center which was funded by local businesses and private donors and has taken twelve years to create. The center is an ideal facility for the type of environmental education that gives hands-on experience with the natural world. The facility looks to combine intellectual knowledge with experience to leave a lasting memory of awe, respect, and understanding for the natural world.

This 21-acre site includes an aquatic center, a nature center, a 2-acre rope COPE course, and three themed camps – an Astronomy camp, Ranching camp and Mining camp.

The Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center, a non-profit organization owned by the Orange County Council Boy Scouts of America, is not only championing environmental education for the rich, though. It is especially geared towards providing an affordable place for schools and youth organizations. Thus, it effectively combines environmental goals with equity goals, a key of sustainability in practice.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/21/30-million-outdoor-learning-center-in-california-environmental-education-for-all/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/18/educating-our-children/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/18/educating-our-children/#comments Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:51:07 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/18/educating-our-children/
We are influenced throughout our life by the company we keep, the groups and issues we engage in, and the people we respect and learn from. But is there anything that compares to what we learn from our parents as children?

We can see the way children imitate their parents, even as adults. Children learn habits (small and large ones), beliefs, likes and dislikes, interests, manners, and even deeply engrained ethics from their parents. It may seem superficial at times, but when you get to know someone closely, and their family, you can get to see how deep what they learned actually goes.

We put a lot into the future of our children. We want them to have a good education, good friends, want them to be polite and respectful. We hope they will learn what’s important in life and what’s not as important, and we do our best to help them learn this.

All of this being said, what do we do to educate them about the environment? We do some things on a superficial level — we might recycle and tell them how to recycle and what recycling is; we might be conservative in the use of lights and water and such resources. We give some passing mention of the importance of the environment. But is this a true environmental ethic and are we doing what we should in this field?

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/18/educating-our-children/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/03/03/environmental-ed-101/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/03/03/environmental-ed-101/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:20:13 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/03/03/environmental-ed-101/ Editor’s note:  The following is a guest post by Tim Magner, an environmental educator and children’s book author. For more resources on Growing Green Minds, visit Green Sugar Press.
What are your best memories from childhood? Catching fireflys?  Building forts? Making mudpies? Climbing trees?

I’ve spent a lot of time with kids and there’s one thing I know makes sense: Letting kids be kids. They’re curious. They need time to imagine and play and explore. They want to be inspired and nature does the trick.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/03/03/environmental-ed-101/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/18/greenest-cleaning-products/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/18/greenest-cleaning-products/#comments Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:41:15 +0000 Sonya http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/18/greenest-cleaning-products/ Are you using the greenest products to clean your home?

“It is often difficult to know which cleaning product is “greenest” but there are a few key words and phrases to look for which will help you identify those products with reduced adverse environmental and health effects, “says Lindsay Luhnau, environmental educator. 

She’s authored the Green Cleaning Guide For Businesses and Individuals, one in the Clean Calgary Association GUIDE Series.

What should you look for in a green cleaning product? Luhnau recommends looking for the following words and phrases on green cleaning products:

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/18/greenest-cleaning-products/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/05/eco-childs-play-donation-treepeople-plants-fruit-trees-at-urban-schools/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/05/eco-childs-play-donation-treepeople-plants-fruit-trees-at-urban-schools/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:34:16 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/05/eco-childs-play-donation-treepeople-plants-fruit-trees-at-urban-schools/ Every so often, I like to make a philanthropic donation to an environmental group on behalf of the writers and readers of Eco Child’s Play.  This month, I have selected TreePeople for our small donation.

TreePeople is a nonprofit organization that has been serving the Los Angeles area for over three decades. Simply put, our work is about helping nature heal our cities. We offer sustainable solutions to urban ecosystem problems, focusing on three areas:

1. Training and supporting communities to plant and care for trees
2. Educating school children and adults about the environment
3. Working with government agencies on critical water issues

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/01/05/eco-childs-play-donation-treepeople-plants-fruit-trees-at-urban-schools/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/10/what-makes-you-green-environmental-mentality/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/10/what-makes-you-green-environmental-mentality/#comments Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:14:47 +0000 Jamie Ervin http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/10/what-makes-you-green-environmental-mentality/ I’ve been attacked by naysayers who claim one cannot be an environmentalist and consume meat. I beg to differ, but that’s my opinion.

For years I was a happy vegetarian. My husband is a devoted carnivore. We have five children and my vegetarianism fell to the wayside. I’m not a short order cook, my husband DEMANDS meat (and luckily fish qualifies as meat in his world) in his dinner and chances are the kids and I are eating the same meal. That’s a little thing called life.

Does this mean we are not green?

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/10/what-makes-you-green-environmental-mentality/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/09/24/%e2%80%9ctoo-cool-for-school%e2%80%9d-enrichment-programs-activate-youth/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/09/24/%e2%80%9ctoo-cool-for-school%e2%80%9d-enrichment-programs-activate-youth/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:33:14 +0000 Amy Jussel http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/09/24/%e2%80%9ctoo-cool-for-school%e2%80%9d-enrichment-programs-activate-youth/ Teachers and parents donning polar bear heads is inherently fun and effective in getting the attention of the K-8 crowd. If you can snag just ONE assembly hour to kick off this grassroots green program for climate change, KIDS can take it from there, bringing home Cool the Earth influences for micro-change into every household.

Social change agents have learned the hard way that adapting kid-friendly programs into ‘core curriculum’ is a time sink, whereas schools embrace participation as ‘enrichment,’ since it’s no hassle for teachers, ‘apolitical,’ and take place in an informal, volunteer environment with programs that are ready to run.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/09/24/%e2%80%9ctoo-cool-for-school%e2%80%9d-enrichment-programs-activate-youth/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/18/chicago-teachers-still-time-to-join-the-conservation-corps/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/18/chicago-teachers-still-time-to-join-the-conservation-corps/#comments Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:18:27 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/18/chicago-teachers-still-time-to-join-the-conservation-corps/ Good news for Chicago middle school and high school teachers who want to teach their students about the environment and earn a bit of extra cash: the city has extended its deadline for applications to its 2008-2009 Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) Student Club.

Teachers now have until Friday, Sept. 19, to apply for the C3 Student Club program.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/18/chicago-teachers-still-time-to-join-the-conservation-corps/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/20/schwarzenegger-vetoes-climate-change-curriculm/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/20/schwarzenegger-vetoes-climate-change-curriculm/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:11:34 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/20/schwarzenegger-vetoes-climate-change-curriculm/ Click here to view the full post.

Move over evolution:  Now you can add climate change to the list of controversial science topics taught in public schools.  That’s right, the governor that sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over greenhouse gas emissions doesn’t want to mandate California’s children are educated on climate change.  Why the apparent contradiction?

SB 908:  Global Warming Education in Schools, sponsored by Senator Simitian (D-Palo Alto), would have revised the existing state framework to include climate change as part of children’s environmental education, but unfortunately it was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. Not only did the bill include climate change in public school science curriculum, but also added to the science framework, and thus science textbooks, seven other topics:

1. Integrated waste management
2. Energy conservation
3. Water conservation and pollution prevention
4. Air resources
5. Integrated pest management
6. Toxic materials
7. Wildlife conservation and forestry

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/08/20/schwarzenegger-vetoes-climate-change-curriculm/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/08/08/siemens-we-can-change-the-world-challenge-first-step-of-k-12-sustainability-education-initiative/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/08/08/siemens-we-can-change-the-world-challenge-first-step-of-k-12-sustainability-education-initiative/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:12:12 +0000 Robin Shreeves http://sustainablog.org/2008/08/08/siemens-we-can-change-the-world-challenge-first-step-of-k-12-sustainability-education-initiative/ Educating kids about how they can make a difference with the environment is important. Letting them actually make a difference with the environment is even more important. Involving kids, hands on, in environmental and sustainability projects will give them a sense of power over the environmental problems they hear about. They need to learn that they can DO something to help at their age. It’s not just a problem for the grown ups to fix.

The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge is a program that is designed to do just that. According to their website

the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge will provide students and teachers with the tools and resources to inspire innovative thinking about sustainability issues, and engage them in developing actionable solutions for a greener world.

The first step of this challenge will begin this September with a national middle school competition where 6-8th graders will identify an environmental problem in their community, create a program to improve that problem, and explain how their program can be used in other communities, too.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/08/08/siemens-we-can-change-the-world-challenge-first-step-of-k-12-sustainability-education-initiative/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/07/20/a-review-of-the-huachipa-zoo-in-lima-peru-and-a-methodology-for-grading-zoos/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/07/20/a-review-of-the-huachipa-zoo-in-lima-peru-and-a-methodology-for-grading-zoos/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:28:10 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2008/07/20/a-review-of-the-huachipa-zoo-in-lima-peru-and-a-methodology-for-grading-zoos/ Several days ago my family visited one of Lima, Peru’s zoos. On the day before our visit, I wrote about some of my general thoughts and feelings about zoos, in an article titled “Why Zoos Stimulate Our Minds.”

Writing out my thoughts was a sort of preparative exercise, mostly to try to articulate the main dilemma I have with zoos: do the potential education benefits of zoos outweigh the cruelty of caging animals in small spaces that I personally believe typically don’t provide them with fulfilling lives? I still am not sure of the answer, but my trip to the Huachipa Zoo did answer another intriguing question for me. When zoos are bad, would I personally prefer that a bad zoo exist rather than have no zoo at all?

Before I reveal the answer to the aforementioned question, I should explain that my wife and I came up with some criteria for rating zoos. For the purpose of reviewing more zoos in the future, I wanted to have some reasonable means to compare them.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/07/20/a-review-of-the-huachipa-zoo-in-lima-peru-and-a-methodology-for-grading-zoos/feed/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/07/18/why-zoos-stimulate-our-minds/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/07/18/why-zoos-stimulate-our-minds/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:24:25 +0000 Levi Novey http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/07/18/why-zoos-stimulate-our-minds/ Tomorrow my family is planning to make a trip to the zoo. I like zoos, but there are some things about them that always get my mind racing through ethical questions about animals and the nature of people.

I find that zoos tend to reliably provoke more thoughts in my mind than other places that can also stimulate me to think, like aquariums, museums, shopping malls, movie theaters, and parks. Before I started writing this article, in my nerdy social scientist way I dug through numerous scientific papers about topics such as whether or not people learn anything when they visit zoos, what attitudes people tend to have about zoos in general, and studies about how animals living in zoos might be negatively affected by us going to see them (especially those of us with more interest in animals). After reading and seeking more knowledge, I was only left with more questions.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/07/18/why-zoos-stimulate-our-minds/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/02/18/playing-save-the-planet-ibm-launches-powerup-video-game/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/02/18/playing-save-the-planet-ibm-launches-powerup-video-game/#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:39:18 +0000 Carol Gulyas http://cleantechnica.com/2008/02/18/playing-save-the-planet-ibm-launches-powerup-video-game/ CSR Wire has announced IBM’s launch of “PowerUp,” a video game in which players simulate the saving of Planet Helios. The game is targeted to teenagers, or the teenager in all of us:

“The game is part of IBM’s TryScience initiative and [was] launched at Engineer’s Week 2008 opening on February 16 in Washington, D.C. The game, which can be played alone or together, features a planet in near ecological ruin where three exciting missions for solar, wind and water power must be solved before sandstorms, floods or SmogGobs thwart the rescue.”

]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/02/18/playing-save-the-planet-ibm-launches-powerup-video-game/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/28/win-a-copy-of-tracking-trash-flotsam-jetsam-and-the-science-of-ocean-motion/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/28/win-a-copy-of-tracking-trash-flotsam-jetsam-and-the-science-of-ocean-motion/#comments Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:18:17 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/28/win-a-copy-of-tracking-trash-flotsam-jetsam-and-the-science-of-ocean-motion/ Earlier this week, Kelli wrote a post called “Teaching Kids About Trash“, in which she asked her high school sustainability class, “When you throw something away, where does it go?” “Away” is the topic of Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Motion by Loree Griffin Burns. Based on the research program of oceanographer Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer, Tracking Trash chronicles the journey of trash in our oceans (Be sure to read to the end of this post in order to learn how to win your own copy of Tracking Trash).

What do ocean currents have to do with preserving our marine environment? Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer became inspired to study this topic when his mother saw an article about hundreds of sneakers washing up on the beaches near Seattle. Dr. Ebbesmeyer wanted to discover the origin of the shoes. He stated,

Tracking toys and sneakers gives us a chance to see what the ocean does with our trash. We can see the movement of trash by the great ocean currents and we can see the disintegration of the trash over time…and we can learn from it.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/28/win-a-copy-of-tracking-trash-flotsam-jetsam-and-the-science-of-ocean-motion/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/26/teaching-kids-about-trash/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/26/teaching-kids-about-trash/#comments Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:12:28 +0000 Kelli Best-Oliver http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/26/teaching-kids-about-trash/ Where is “away”? That’s the question I asked my Environmental Sustainability students today. When you throw something away, where does it go? Here were some of the answers they wrote down:

“Away is throwing your stuff across town to a junkyard.”

“Your trash gets burned.”

“Away is a big hole that is dug in the ground.”

“Out of St Louis, somewhere.”

“Away is the landfill.”

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/26/teaching-kids-about-trash/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/15/three-websites-for-eco-kids/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/15/three-websites-for-eco-kids/#comments Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:39:12 +0000 Kelli Best-Oliver http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/15/three-websites-for-eco-kids/ With the influx of environmental information permeating the web, it’s no surprise that sites targeting kids are popping up all over. Plenty of organizations are creating niche websites that get kids involved with the environment and sustainability, using bright colors, games, links, and activities geared. Here are three of the better ones, that are well worth clicking around (even big kids!)

The EPA’s Environmental Kids Club website is strong on science, and there are plenty of activities for kids if you poke around. There’s a downloadable activity book, an online coloring book and a cool game exploring recycling. Their Climate Change website is a great resource for explaining global warming to kids, although their tips for how kids can fight global warming are kind of unrealistic (what kid has the resources to get solar panels for their home?). There’s also a link to info for teenagers. This site is well worth a look if you need activities for your children.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/15/three-websites-for-eco-kids/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/14/the-green-series-why-isn%e2%80%99t-kid%e2%80%99s-tv-more-eco-friendly/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/14/the-green-series-why-isn%e2%80%99t-kid%e2%80%99s-tv-more-eco-friendly/#comments Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:48:27 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/11/14/the-green-series-why-isn%e2%80%99t-kid%e2%80%99s-tv-more-eco-friendly/ Editor’s note: This is the second of a weekly guest spot by children’s media consultant Ashley. Ashley is a television and online producer and Executive Editor of Children’s Media Consultant.com. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a M.A. concentrating in children’s educational media and preschool ecology from New York University. She resides with her family in downtown New York City. You can visit her blog at childrensmediaconsultant.com.

Depending on who you ask, children’s television may or may not have come a long way.

New entries like “Yo Gabba Gabba” feel retro in a classic “Sesame Street” or “The Electric Company” style, but offer a more modern take on design and music. Kid’s TV beat broadcast to the punch and has already issued user-generated content in a mixed media format. Networks have caught on to the lack of diversity in children’s programming, and have debuted “Go, Diego, Go,” “Handy Manny,” and “Ni Hao Kai-Lan” featuring Hispanic and Asian-American characters and culture. And although shows have focused on literacy before (after all, that’s what “Sesame Street” has taught multiple generations since its debut in 1969), there’s a new found effort with programs like “Super Why”, “Word World”, and “Wordgirl” to teach your kids more than just the alphabet song.

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