Subject: Earth Day Organizer's Guide Introduction Date: 95-03-28 00:50:39 EST From: CDChase@QUALCOMM.Com (Carolyn Chase) To: LadyDM@aol.com "Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead Earth Day Organizer's Guide OR How to use Earth Day as a powerful catalyst to involve people in making a difference toward a clean, healthy, prosperous future. Who Should Read This: This guide is for people who: * Are up to making a difference via non-profit, public education; * Want to enroll and empower people in working for environmental issues; * Want contact with resources and other people doing this on a regular basis. Why Earth Day? Because it works. Annual occasions throughout history and in all cultures provide meaningful opportunities for celebration, education and action. Earth Day observations and celebrations include all social sectors, nationalities and cultural groups. Earth Day is a successful catalyst for ongoing environmental education, action and change. Earth Day activities offer important points of entry to address worldwide environmental concerns as well as the opportunities for individuals and communities to focus on their local environmental problems. Local activities include clean-ups, restoration projects, parades, fairs, conferences, and concerts. Because Earth Day observances broaden the base of support for environmental programs, rekindle public commitment, and enroll participation from every social and business sector, they can be used to implement wide-scale programs that bring people together to act for the common good. Doing What Works This guide has been compiled, written and edited by some of the best local Earth Day organizers who have direct experience in what works and doesn't work. Many organizers have come together to form the Earth Day Network in order to facilitate local Earth Day organizing activities and promote the annual public observance of Earth Day. If you want more information or advice on any topic in this manual call, fax, e-mail or write the Earth Day Network. Earth Day Background The first Earth Day in 1970 rallied over 20 million Americans from around the country and on college campuses to get involved in environmental "teach-ins." Conceptualized by Gaylord Nelson and organized by Denis Hayes, Earth Day events featured the largest grassroots mobilization in US history. Out of these events emerged what has come to be known as the environmental movement and the first environmental legislation - the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. For the 20th anniversary in 1990, Denis Hayes again led the effort and more than 200 million people in 141 countries participated worldwide. Due in large part to the efforts of hundreds of local organizers, Earth Day is now an anticipated annual event in April. HOW TO GET STARTED Earth Day is April 22. If you are new to community organizing, you may be wondering when and where to start. The time to begin is now. What you do depends on where you are! Are you already part of a local group? Are you looking to start your own? What resources do you have? What environmental groups already exist in your area? Do you have a particular issue that is driving your commitment? One key feature of Earth Day is that it is a powerful context for all issues. Whether you are with an issues-based group, or hoping to organize something "just for Earth Day," you should tie-in if possible with any general local or national Earth Day campaign. So first determine if there is already an Earth Day organization, or other groups who organize public events for Earth Day in your area. Call local information and see if there are any listings for Earth Day, or [Area Name] Earth Day (eg. San Diego Earth Day) or Earth Day [Area Name], (eg. Earth Day Tampa Bay. If you find no listings, also ask at a local Sierra Club or Audubon Chapter. And/or contact the Earth Day Network for referral information. Leave messages on your 24-hour voicemail (619)496-3361 or send email to earthday@qualcomm.com. Once you've located any local contacts - begin networking! Discover what's already being done and in the process, find out what's missing that you could provide or help with. If you are going to take on your own project, keep reading for suggestions on how to proceed. THE AREAS ORGANIZERS MANAGE Every project or event has the same basic items to be organized and managed. Whether it's a concert or parade, and clean-up or a fair, the overall manager or management team is responsible for the following: Project/Event Design and Materials =46undraising and Contributions Registration/Administration/Production Publicity and Outreach Volunteers The following sections are meant to give you a basic but generally complete list of the issues in each area. CALLING YOUR FIRST MEETING & ENROLLING A TEAM The key to success in this first area is sending out good invitations which cause people to respond. There are three major types of invitations: person-to-person (at meetings or via phone), visual (via fliers and/or posters in the mail or in stores or offices), and via media (newspapers, electronic mail, radio and TV). Post announcements on the bulletin boards in your area and send a notice to local newspapers that you are going to hold an Earth Day organizing meeting at a certain time and place and everyone is invited. See Media Section for a sample press release for a public meeting. Invite as large a cross-section of your community as possible, including all ages and cultures. Make sure notices get posted in all areas of your community. You can arrange the location through local churches, schools, libraries or concerned business people. You might start by asking your employer if you can use meeting rooms at your office. The first Earth Day meeting I ever attended was a pot luck at a private home from 7 - 9pm. Everyone went around the room and took a minute to introduce themselves and say what brought them there. At this particular meeting, several different committees emerged which worked separately on projects of interest to them. The coordination and connection between efforts was managed by a Communications Group which created a combined Press Kit and Calendar of Events where every activity was listed. Each group submitted their own press release to the Kit and were invited to a Media Kick-Off. This is a good model if you are working in an area with many diverse groups and projects. At your meetings, whether large or small, welcome everyone. Always pass around a sign up sheet and get everyone's name address and phone number and fax. As you go around and do short introductions, ask folks to mention what brought them to a meeting about Earth Day. Present and solicit ideas on what to do for Earth Day. Write them all down on large pieces of paper and tape them to the wall. Next, have the group discuss and rank the ideas and add new ones. Pick the top one, two or three and devise plans to make them happen. If you are just beginning an Earth Day effort it may emerge that you wish to focus on one event or service project. For any idea to become a reality, it must have a team of people who are committed to make it happen. From your idea list, a project or set of committees should evolve. Each committee should establish its purpose and determine its next meeting time and location. This is the first key sign of a functioning team. Encourage everyone who attends to bring friends with them next time. Try to have the place for the second meeting committed ahead of time so you don't have to waste time wondering where you can meet next. NEXT FILE: Earth Day Event Ideas. NOTICE: Important Information About this File****: This file and the information contained in it, was produced by the volunteers and affiliates of the Earth Day Network, Inc. The Earth Day Network is a volunteer-based non-profit group empowering individuals using Earth Day as a vehicle for increasing environmental education, responsiblity and action. If you find the content of value to you, please send contributions to: Earth Day Network, P.O. Box 9827, San Diego, CA 92169-9827; email to earthday@qualcomm.com; 24-hour voicemail information: (619)496-3361. The Earth Day Organizer's Guide was made possible by the kind support of the Church & Dwight Company, makers of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda products. Church & Dwight has a history of environmental stewardship that is more than a century old. C&D became the founding sponsor of Earth Day in 1970 at the same time as it introduced the first phosphate-free laundry detergent. 25 years later they are the first corporate sponsor of the Earth Day Network. This file may be copied and distributed, in whole or in part, free of charge and only with this notice acknowledging the Earth Day Network included. EDOG Version 2.1 =A9 Copyright Earth Day Network 1994,1995. All rights reserved. Carolyn Chase, Earth Day Network,San Diego "Say it, mean it, do it" (619)272-7370 voice (619)272-2933 FAX ----------------------- Headers -------------------------------- From CDChase@QUALCOMM.Com Tue Mar 28 00:50:33 1995 Subject: #1(2) Earth Day Event Ideas Date: 95-03-28 00:51:26 EST From: CDChase@QUALCOMM.Com (Carolyn Chase) To: LadyDM@aol.com Mail Split By Gateway ------- cut here -------- Earth Day Event Ideas Millions have found ways to express their environmental commitments through Earth Day. What can you do for Earth Day? The answer is: anything that is meaningful to you and for the environment! The most popular and successful public events have been fairs and festivals. Parades are often held in conjunction with the fairs. Clean-ups are usually held the week or month before (or after). More than 100 local Earth Day fairs are held around the United States. The fairs are typically held outdoors in a city or county park and invite exhibitors. Each exhibitor presents some sort of demonstration or educational exhibit. It may help you to have a theme for the celebration. Adding food vendors and entertainment to the event will guarantee you a fun, educational and festive day. The only drawback to this type of event is having to worry about the weather and deciding on whether to have a rain date. To get around this worry, you can hold the event inside (if you can find the right venue). Picking A Date Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. Many cities hold their celebrations on the weekend closest to April 22 if the 22nd does not fall on a weekend. A weekend celebration will pull in more people. A week-long celebration or month-long celebration can have the greatest impact, perhaps culminating with some big parade or festival on a chosen day. NOTE: the 25th anniversary of Earth Day in 1995 will use the theme of Teamwork. Be a part of the TEAM for a great future! Idea List for Earth Day All of the following ideas have been used successfully for Earth Day in different communities and cities. Some require having a larger "fair-type" event; others can be done either by themselves or at a larger event. Your team will be the key to what you can do: Clean up and/or restore ... rivers, lakes, streams, beaches, trails, communities, graffiti. Pledges Have people sign an Earth Day pledge. (see sample below). OR Put up a communal "pledge board" where people can write their environmental pledge for the year ("I will turn off the lights when I leave the room", "I will turn off the water while shaving or brushing my teeth", etc.) To display the pledges, you can have people write their promises on cutout "leaves" which are then placed on either a painted tree poster or onto a 3-D treelike structure. Leaves can also be sold as a fund-raiser. See pages 22-23. SAMPLE EARTH DAY PLEDGE... BECAUSE...our future depends on the commitment of individuals as well as nations... I pledge to do my share by letting my concern for the future shape how I: o EDUCATE: I pledge to educate myself and others on environmental issues. o JOIN: I pledge to join or volunteer with an environmental group. o PURCHASE: I pledge to buy and use products that are least harmful to the environment. o WORK: I pledge to bring environmental values into my workplace. o VOTE: I pledge to support and vote for candidates who support the passage of local, state and federal laws and international treaties that protect the environment. o ACT: I pledge to do my utmost to recycle, conserve energy, save water, use efficient transportation, and try to adopt a life-style as if every day were Earth Day. Signed:_________________________________ Date:________________ Please PRINT NAME AND ADDRESS: Proclamations An inexpensive and effective way to get the ball rolling at the "official" level in any city, county or state, is to invite the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, Governor and any School Districts or other official bodies to issue Earth Day proclamations. Send officials a sample and invite them to create one of their own. You can arrange to receive the proclamation at a public meeting which also provides an opportunity to get the word out both to public officials and also to other community members attending the meeting or watching on cable TV. See the sample later on. Petitions/Letters/Politicians At any event, have a letter-writing table with sample letters written on several issues. Sell stamps, postcards or pre-stamped envelopes and collect letters or postcards to be mailed - being sure to mail them at the end of the day. You can also put up petitions in this same area. One city that tried this had people standing in line all day just to sign petitions! Petitions were mounted on poles with a picture illustrating the topic. Pens were tied to the poles and the petitions were on clipboards. A local high school group may be interested in taking responsibility for this "exhibit." (Researching and writing the petitions can be very educational.) Have the League of Women Voters or another related group registering people to vote. Invite elected officials to attend events and be available at specific times to discuss issues with citizens. Grocery Bags on Earth Day! Here's a wonderful activity to involve students and their communities in Earth Day Each student in the school decorates a large paper grocery bag from a local store with a picture of the earth, the words "Earth Day, 1994" (or similar), the name of their school, and possibly some catchy Earth Day slogan (i.e., Re-duce, Re-use, Re-cycle; Treat the Earth Well; Earth Day, Every Day) or your promise this year for Earth Day. When the bags are decorated, they are returned to the store to be distributed to shoppers on Earth Day. That's all there is to it. Arbor Heights Elementary and teacher Mark Ahlness decorated 489 bags for their local Safeway. The third graders went to all the classrooms in little teams to show others how to make the bags. On April 20 they carried all the bags to the store, where they were met by 2 local TV stations! They had a wonderful time the next day watching the videotaped segments of ourselves on the evening news! Plus, the store manager promised the class a pizza party (imagine the glee!). =46rom around the country: The students in grades 4, 5, 6, & 8 in my school decorated Earth Day Grocery bags. They completed 200 bags. The bags were beautiful and the messages very carefully thought out. Anyone can tell be looking at these bags how much the kids care about their planet and its preservation. Along with this project the 8th graders had written Earth Day editorials in computer lab. Some of these were selected to read over the PA each morning to stimulate the students in their decorating efforts. "It takes a whole village to educate a child." African proverb Cathy Kerscher Computer Lab Teacher St. Joseph School, Maumee, Ohio My class was really into it and many did two bags. They came up with some great slogans. It was great to see their commitment. The bag project was wildly popular 500 bags were decorated and will be delivered to Fred Meyers by 12:00 today. Thanks Bill Feather Horizon School, Mukilteo, WA The Safeway was very cooperative. They really loved the project and we have started a new relationship with a local business! I made a poster that said who made the bags and they posted it at the main entrance. They asked their customers if they wanted plastic or an Earth Day bag and many of them were very interested and pleased. It was very worthwhile. Next year I hope to get the whole school involved. Thanks for the great idea. The Safeway manager said they will post your nation- wide results in their newsletter. Krista Canterbury, Olympic Hills, Seattle Public Schools The students at Arbor Heights Elementary want to spread the word to get as many Earth Day Grocery Bags passed out as they can - so they posted a notice on computer networks, and last year they counted about 14,000 bags! They had an incredible time keeping track of who was doing the project, where they live, and how many bags were made - all posted on a large map. Since this year is the 25th anniversary - the changes of collecting bags in all 50 states could be realized. So..... please let us know how many bags you pass out on Earth Day. If you respond, we (and the students) will tabulate the total and publish the total number distributed (and the names of participating schools). Imagine all the thousands of Earth Day Grocery Bags people will be unpacking in their kitchens! Good luck with your bags, and please remember to send us a note saying how many bags you decorated, the name and address of your school, and the store(s) that participated with you. We'll publish the total number of bags reported nationwide. Send computer mail to: EarthDay25@aol.com, and mahlness@quest.arc.nasa.gov or mail a post card with your total to: Earth Day Network P.O. Box 9827, San Diego CA 92169. How to make Earth Day Grocery Bags Here's how its been done ao far: 1. Contact the manager of a local grocery store (more meaningful to all involved if it's a store where families in your school shop). 2. Ask if you can have a "bundle" (that's 500!) of large paper grocery bags to decorate for Earth Day at your school. Explain that you'll return them a day or two before Earth Day (April 22). It might be helpful to bring along an already decorated bag to show. It's also helpful if the bags you get have one blank (or pretty clear) side. 3. Deciding who will make the bags and what they will look like is up to you. We've tried to make ours look somewhat uniform and still leave some room for individual expression. I made a few templates of the earth from different angles showing the continents out of three pound coffee can lids. The kids could then trace the "earth" and color in (actually, markers are more ecologically correct than crayons) the distributed the bags and templates to classrooms, we also sent along a couple of examples of completed bags and some suggestions for slogans, like "Earth Day, Every Day", "Earth Day 25", "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", etc. Some kids wanted to put their names, classroom number, etc. on, and we said fine, just NO LAST NAMES. I have had small groups of students distribute the bags and do a brief demonstration in each classroom. 4. When the bags are collected from classrooms, I had some decisions to make regarding spelling accuracy and how that might reflect on our school, but I would say 99% of the bags went out "as is". 5. Delivering the bags to the store has been really quite fun for the class, and was a good public relations opportunity for our school as well. You might let your school and grocer know that others across the country (so far, from Alaska to Maryland) are also doing the same thing! =46air Scavenger Hunt OR "Mutant Walkabout" Have exhibitors at your fair or festival submit a question(s) for the hunt, the answer to which can be found in their exhibit. (Examples: What percentage of US greenhouse gas emissions is from cars and light trucks? What living organism is responsible for the problems suffered by shade trees? Tropical forests are being destroyed at the rate of 50 to 100 acres per minute; what are three typical uses of tropical woods imported into the USA? ) Print up a list of questions, and include where the answer can be found. This list of questions becomes the hunt. You might get a local radio station exhibit to be the hunt headquarters at the festival. They would be responsible for passing out the forms, collecting and "grading" them (you supply them with the list of answers), and giving out prizes. This activity increases exposure for your exhibitors, increases the education of the participants, and offers a great publicity vehicle for all involved. You can offer bonus points if participants carpooled, took the shuttle bus, rode their bike, etc. It is usually easy to get prizes donated from participating exhibitors, local businesses and individuals. The prizes don't have to be fancy - packages of seeds, wooden pencils, cloth or string bags, baking soda shakers - it is fun to assemble environmentally friendly prizes that also serve to raise awareness. When the event is over, you may even be able to distribute the scavenger hunt list with answers to local teachers for use in their classrooms. (If your group builds an exhibit, be sure to include questions and answers from your exhibits as well.) =46ood Area and Festival Ideas Everyone eats. And the environmental consequences are far-reaching. Food is a fun feature at any event and always draws a bigger crowd than for non-food events. At any all-day or multi-hour festival food is a necessity and where much of the money is made. The ability to offer food varies from venue to venue, so check it out. Invite any area farmers to bring locally-grown, organic produce. Contact the Organic Food Production Assoication of North America P.O. Box 1078 Greenfield MA 01301 (413)774-7511 for contacts in your area. Food festivals with representatives from the natural and organic foods network entice people into learning about the environmental and health impacts of our food choices. You can involve local-food restaurants, nutrition groups and organic food suppliers in offering vegetarian fare, using the opportunity to raise awareness and educate the community about the global and individual effects of food-related personal habits and the industries connected with those choices. In some areas, successful fund-raising events have been planned around food choice issues (see Chefs Collaborative below for one organizing tool). These are "natural fundraisers" becuase everyone is more willing to pay for food than other things. Contact EarthSave P.O. Box 68 Santa Cruz CA 95063 (408)423-4069 for educational info. Chefs Collaborative 2000: Advancing Sustainable Food Choices for the Next Century Gourmet chefs around the world are invited to sign this Charter which consists of the: PREAMBLE We, the undersigned, acknowledging our leadership in the celebration of the pleasures of food and recognizing the impact of food choices on our collective personal health, on the vitality of culture and on the integrity of the global environment, affirm the following principles: Chefs Collaborative 2000 STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES 1. Food is fundamental to life. It nourishes us in body and soul, and the sharing of food immeasurably enriches our sense of community. 2. Good, safe, wholesome food is a basic human right. 3. Society has the obligation to make good, pure food affordable and accessible to all. 4. Good food begins with unpolluted air, land and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry. 5. Sound food choices emphasize locally grown, seasonally fresh and whole or minimally processed ingredients. 6. Cultural and biological diversity is essential for the health of the planet and its inhabitants. Preserving and revitalizing sustainable food and agricultural traditions strengthen that diversity. 7. The healthy, traditional diets of many cultures offer abundant evidence that fruits, vegetables, beans, breads and grains are the foundation of good diets. 8. As part of their education, our children deserve to be taught basic cooking skills and to learn the impact of their food choices on themselves, on their culture and on their environ Contact Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, 45 Milk Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 (617)695-2300 for an current list of signatories and status of the initiative. Signatories and committee members include Wolfgang Puck, Paul Prudhomme, Alice Waters and many other food professionals. Invitations can be sent to chefs in your area including those at hotels, resorts, health spas. Enroll one or more of them in hosting a signing event at their facility and providing food at cost or invite each of the chefs to donate food for an appropriate number. Invite the media and have chefs and other signators sign a large (4' by 6' at least) reproduction of the of the Principles. Voila! photo opportunity. The media loves to come to food events where they can take pictures of something worthwhile. Charge depending on the venue and the locale. This can raise significant funds if you get the right mix going. Community Report Card Earth Day can provide an annual opportunity to review a prior year's progress in a variety of areas. Public officials and citizens can be invited to rate the city on its air, water, transportation, green spaces, handling of hazardous waste and toxins, recycling, etc. You may want to arrange to present reports and comments to your City Council or suggest Earth Day as a chance to make an annual address regarding the environment. Both Presidents Bush and Clinton have made Earth Day addresses. All-Species Parade, Earth Parade, Children's Earth Parade Have a parade! Use alternative vehicles, mask-wearing marchers representing other species, non-motorized floats: for a workbook($10) on how-to make masks and other info: Contact the Heartland All Species Project 5644 Charlotte, Kansas City, MO 64110 (816)361-1230. See sample Parade Entry form later in this Guide. Concerts Use local talent or contact the Earth Day Network (619)272-7370 email: earthday@qualcomm.com for ideas or help. Contests =46or an effective and creative Earth Day, hold a contest: poster, essay, slogans & themes, poetry, photographs, plays, songs, art {eARTh}, public service announcements, etc. You will need a central location and contact person for collecting entries. Poster and essay contests are very straightforward to run by sending notices to all schools and youth groups. =46or a play contest send queries to colleges, high schools, drama clubs, professional theatres and church groups. Your notices should announce, the themes, prizes, contest rules, prizes, eligibility and deadlines. You can have the awards ceremony at a culminating event and invite local businesses or individuals to donate prizes for different age groups. Just remember, if you get several hundred essays, someone has to read and judge them. Construct an environmental maze Put choices at each intersection and dead ends at choices that would lead to unsustainability. Shopping malls with large grassy areas are a great place to erect an Earth Day Maze. You might want to charge admission as a fund raiser. The maze can be constructed with stakes and surveyor's tape (very inexpensive). For instructions on how to assemble an Earth Day Maze with sample script and maze. Friends of the Future RR3 Box 250 Burnswille NC 28714-9312 $12. (704)682-7331 Plant Trees or other Appropriate Vegetation Be sure the species are indigenous to your area. Work with local tree-planting group(s). Remove Exotic Invasive Species Work with local botanists, biologists, and land owners to determine the scope and needs of each ecosystem. Check with local parks and reserves for problem areas. Build a Sculpture from Recyclables Use recycled materials. Have the community save their newspapers, plastic jugs and aluminum cans for two months prior to Earth Day. Then, on a designated day (or days), have everyone drop off their recyclables at a chosen site. Using surveyor stakes, chalk lines and other marking devices, "draw" your picture on the ground. Then fill in the picture with the jugs, papers and glass, using the different colors of the recyclables to help create the picture. On the final day have participants add their bodies to the picture in order to complete the scene and then take a picture of the entire field from a firetruck with a long ladder, rooftop or from an airplane or helicopter. Use the picture in posters, on postcards and in other media to advertise your work, and to raise money. When the event is over, have volunteers form lines to pass the recyclables, brigade-style, to waiting trucks. This is not a small undertaking but is extremely effective, educational and lots of fun. It is definitely an attention grabber. The Heartland All Species Project in Kansas City has been doing this with tremendous success for several years. Send a regular sized SASE to 5644 Charlotte, Kansas City MO 64110 and ask to receive info on how this has been done - or call (816)361-1230 and speak with Marty Kraft.