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Subject: Earth Day Organizer's Guide Introduction
Date: 95-03-28 00:50:39 EST
From: [e-mail] (Carolyn Chase)
To: [e-mail]


"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 [phone] or send email to
[e-mail].

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
[e-mail]; 24-hour voicemail information: [phone].

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"
[phone] voice
[phone] FAX




----------------------- Headers --------------------------------
From [e-mail] Tue Mar 28 00:50:33 1995
Subject: #1(2) Earth Day Event Ideas
Date: 95-03-28 00:51:26 EST
From: [e-mail] (Carolyn Chase)
To: [e-mail]

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: [e-mail], and [e-mail]
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
[phone] 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 [phone] 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 [phone] 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 [phone]. See sample Parade Entry form later in this
Guide.

Concerts
Use local talent or contact the Earth Day Network [phone] email:
[e-mail] 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. [phone]

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 [phone] and speak with Marty
Kraft.