Meet the Moment is a program started by 1% member Clif Bar in the spring of 2011 to encourage the sharing of inspiring and adventurous moments. Whether you took an awesome trip, skied somewhere new, ran your first marathon, or hiked somewhere with a beautiful view, they want to hear about it! For every Moment that an individual uploads (in the form of a picture or story) to the Meet the Moment webpage, Clif Bar will donate $5 to one of five organizations.
One of these organizations is our non-profit recipient the Winter Wildlands Alliance. The Alliance (along with help from the US Forest Service) played a major role in helping organize volunteers for the National Day of Action which happened last October and was sponsored by Meet the Moment. The nationwide preservation effort brought together more than 1,200 people who contributed more than 4,500 volunteer hours to protect and preserve the land that is important to them.
The Winter Wildness Alliance, based in Idaho, organized three different volunteer events near the Idaho-Wyoming border. They included digging holes to set boundary markers in the Winegar Hole and Jedediah Smith Wildernesses, and placing a winter kiosk sign on Glory Peak, which included a fun 2-3 hour hike. We are proud of all the work that our non-profit recipients have been doing and are thankful for the support that is given by our members! Stay tuned for more information about this year’s National Day of Action, or just get out there on your own to protect the places you play!
Since it is a dreary day here in Vermont, we thought it would be good to share a cheery and colorful story about one of our non-profit recipients in Chicago. Lucy Hutcherson, the Director of Conservation and Communication Programs at Chicago Wilderness sent us the following story about an event from last summer that got thousands of kids out of the house and into the woods!
Summer break started with a bang in the Chicago region! More than 15,000 children and adults engaged in free, fun outdoor activities, such as following trails, building forts, playing with mud, and roasting marshmallows! Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn declared June as Leave No Child Inside Month, which resulted in more families reconnecting with their natural heritage through nature play and exploration than in any previous year.
1% member company Cardno JFNew, an ecological consulting and restoration firm headquartered in Walkerton, Indiana, was one of the supporters of Chicago Wilderness, which is an alliance of over 250 organizations that work together to restore local nature and improve the quality of life for all who live in the greater Chicago region. This support allowed for the coordination of outreach, publicity, and community partnerships around the Leave No Child Inside Month campaign. Other supporters of this campaign included the Chicago Wilderness Corporate Council, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
More than seventy conservation agencies and organizations, park districts, corporations, faith organizations, health-and-wellness coalitions, schools, Native American groups, and other organizations planned and delivered twenty-two family events that made children and their caregivers more comfortable with outdoor play and discovery activities. The campaign strengthened relationships between new and non-traditional conservation partners, engaged English- and Spanish-speaking families, and enabled a wide diversity of participants to attend the events and engage in follow-up summer experiences in community gardens, at the lakeshore, and at other outdoor locations. Who knew that summer in the city could be so much fun!
Thank you to Lucy for sharing this wonderful story with the whole 1% network! We are glad to see that the partnership between Chicago Wilderness and Cardno JFNew has been able to accomplish so much together and we are proud of the work these groups have done to bring such a wonderful event to the greater Chicago community!
What else is a business that exists to write incredibly useful software that improves your business doing to help the world? Here’s what!
Upon supporting ClearWater Conservancy this past year, West Arete Computing has helped to protect 152 acres of land, which will be incorporated into Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest.
Permanently conserving this property will protect an unnamed tributary to Galbraith Gap Run, one of only five remaining in the Spring Creek Watershed with a reproducing wild brook trout population. In addition to supporting the native species, protecting the Rothrock State Forest will ensure that hikers, birdwatchers, mountain bikers, hunters and cross country skiers can continue to take advantage of this remarkable place.
Working hand in hand with West Arete Computing through donations and employee volunteer time, this 1% partnership has helped green up Central Pennsylvania, and protected precious land for generations to come!
(Pauline, Tom and James exemplify remarkable teamwork skills as they collaborate to calculate 1% of revenue.)
You may have seen some new authors on the blog lately and that’s because 1% for the Planet has recently welcomed three new data doctors. With the New Year upon us (happy Year of the Dragon, today!), 1% for the Planet is transferring its database from a system we’ve long since outgrown to a much more robust platform that will cater better to our member companies and nonprofit partners! Later this year, we look forward to launching a new database and website that will allow for greater interconnectivity, enhanced member and nonprofit profiles, transparent giving information and better search mechanisms for our website visitors! More to come on the new database in due time, but first let’s kick things off with some introductions to the new crew: James, Pauline and Tom.
James Kinne gradutated from Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, and is our resident pro musician here at 1%. His time outside of the 1% office finds him playing shows and recording with his two groups, Last October and the Phineas Gage Project. His passion for our planet and music merge within the office, supplying a diverse and “interesting” selection of music for all at 1% to hear. Born in New York City, James has always loved Vermont and moved to the Green Mountains in 2005 following his heart. Splitting his time between 1% and music, and sometimes merging the two… it’s safe to say that James dances to his own drummer. Thank goodness he doesn’t currently own a drumset…
Pauline Stevens is a recent graduate of William Smith College is Geneva, NY, where she majored in environmental studies and minored in anthropology. Although she enjoyed living in the Finger Lakes Wine Region for the last four years, she is stoked to be back in Vermont. She has spent the last five summers working on her parent’s organic vegetable farm in Shoreham and while in college, she interned at the New York Wine and Culinary Center and Ventosa Vineyards. Ever since she received a blender for Christmas when she was nine, she has had a strong interest in food and loves every aspect of it- from weekly pizza Tuesdays with friends, to making and selling ice cream to the Shoreham Inn. She’s excited to learn more about how 1% operates and become part of a growing environmental non-profit. Although her new position as a Data Doctor is a major change from having her hands in the dirt every day, she loves spending time with the 1% team and having frequent staring contests with Tom!
Tom Robson is a newly minted alumnus of Dickinson College where he received his B.A. in Environmental Studies. Prior to joining 1% for the Planet he spent his time in Alaska working as an Environmental Scientist for a large engineering company. Life in the for-profit world was interesting, however Tom is excited to help foster new business and non-profit relationships in order to more easily achieve 1%’s mission.
Living in Alaska was nice, but Tom feels more at home working, and recreating in the Green Mountain State, as he’s a New England native. Tom is a competitive cyclist, avid runner, and experienced skier, and the Mad River Valley is the perfect setting for all three passions.
Once the snow melts, Tom is looking forward to cycling up the App Gap!
(Image 1: James, Pauline, Tom | Image 2: Tom, Pauline, James)
Thanks to these guys for their diligent data entry and willingness to flip-flop between monotonous data work and creative writing prompts in a matter of minutes! With the assistance of this jaw-dropping squad, 1% for the Planet is well on its way to providing premium service to the 1% network!!
It’s always nice to hear from a 1% for the Planet approved non-profit that the money donated to them has done some tangible good. That’s why we were very pleased to hear from Christine at Colorado Open Lands. Christine praises both the people she’s been able to work with and help, and the 1% for the Planet businesses that allow Colorado Open Lands to do what they do best: protect land.
Colorado Open Lands helps families achieve their dream of permanently protecting land. Since they were founded 30 years ago they’ve protected over 250,000 acres of ranch and farmlands, wildlife habitat, river corridors, and scenic views in 39 counties around the state of Colorado.
So far Colorado Open Lands has received nearly $15,000 from The Color People, a 1% for the Planet business member. Colorado Open Lands chooses to devote these resources to projects that focus on protecting land with permanent conservation easements.
One such project was the protection of the 3,796-acre Prewitt Ranch in Washington County, Colorado. Located 100 miles east of Denver, the ranch features a combination of sand hill grasslands, irrigated crop land, sub-irrigated meadows, wetlands and ponds, while supporting a thriving cattle operation – Cardinal Charolais – and a wide-array of wildlife.
Pat Gebauer and Luan August, owners of Prewitt Ranch, reflect on their legacy. “Luan and I are proud of the fact that we operate a profitable cattle operation, while providing and improving habitat for game and non-game wildlife. Some people believe that these are mutually exclusive management goals, but we, and many other farmers and ranchers, are proof that this just isn’t the case. Truth is, without farms and ranches, we wouldn’t have a bounty of food or wildlife. Our conservation easement allows us to preserve both.”
The Prewitt Ranch also controls more than two miles of the shoreline of Prewitt Reservoir, which is leased to the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife as Prewitt Reservoir State Wildlife Area. White pelicans drift across the reservoir while the leaves of 70-foot tall cottonwoods whisper overhead on the ranch’s shoreline. The State Wildlife Area provides year-round fishing, hunting and recreational access.
Tom Kroening, Area Wildlife Manager for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, “The permanent protection of the Prewitt Ranch ensures that wildlife will have access to habitat on both private and public land here, which is a long-term benefit to recreational users. The conservation easement also benefits the local economy by maintaining the agricultural land base.”
Although 1% for the Planet is based in a small town in central Vermont, we have made an impact internationally over and over again. We love to hear stories or about specific events that have taken place because of a 1% FTP connection! We recently found out that one of our business members, Frugi, donated £8232 to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Over the last few years, they have given over £20,000 to the Trust!
Frugi is an organic baby and children’s clothing company based in Helston, Cornwall, England. They have always wanted to make a positive difference in the community and in their customer’s lives. They make comfortable, high quality clothing that children love to wear, and have always recognized the importance of supporting local environmental causes. This money has allowed for the Trust to continue supporting environmental initiatives in the Cornwall area. Their mission is to maintain biodiversity in nature and to have everyone in the community enjoy and appreciate its beauty. In honor of this large donation, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust hosted an event, at which seventy people showed up to thank Frugi for their generosity!
Photo taken by Sheila McCann-Downes
We are proud and thankful for the work and support that both groups have given since making their commitment to 1%!
As most of you probably know, Klean Kanteen has created the ideal water bottle for both cold and hot drinks. However, you might not know that since joining 1% for the Planet, they have donated a portion of their sales to Bridging the Gap by Giving, a group based in Chico, CA. Bridging the Gap by Giving has made it a goal of theirs to raise money in support of clean water projects in developing countries. They host an annual event called “Walk4Water”, where people have a chance to make a two or five kilometer trek while carrying a bucket of water, to mimic the work that African women do everyday so their families are able to drink, cook and clean. This past year, in the third year of this event, they raised $19,500, which will allow for 1,114 Africans to have clean water for the rest of their lives. The money raised by donations from groups like Klean Kanteen and events like Walk4Water has been given to groups in Western Africa to fund safe water projects. This video was made after last year’s Walk4Water event. Thank you to both Klean Kanteen and Bridging the Gap by Giving for making it possible for so many people to have access to clean drinking water.
Hiking early season turns at Mad River Glen with the 1% crew
Waitsfield, Vermont, like most ski towns, is filled with people who are generally pretty darn happy. The social life of a Valley resident (or a 1% for the Planet employee) revolves around enthusiastic discussion of the outdoor pursuit du jour, or actually getting out and partaking wholeheartedly in that activity. Grins are standard. But this December has been a different story.
When weather doesn’t cooperate, people take a turn to the dark side… especially in the early winter when memories of the previous season’s bounty tantalize us. This past week I’ve seen people stare up at the sky with looks on their faces usually only employed by seven year olds hoping to reprimand their parents for withholding desert. The feeling of tension in town is palpable, and our office is not immune.
Thankfully, release came today with 2-6 inches of new snow over fast grass at Mad River Glen. The 1% team, sporting grins once more, was there early to welcome winter to the valley by hiking a few early morning runs. All this welcoming has me thinking about another long-overdue welcome–the one we owe our most recent 1% members!
Bamboodha is the first out of the gate this week. They’re based in Australia but will ship their bamboo towels anywhere. And best of all, they’re giving away copies of the 1% for the Planet CD! If you haven’t heard it yet, check it out.
The Aromatropolis The Aromatropolis retails printed materials online which concisely convey the complex properties of essential oils. This is an emerging, woman-owned business developing media in different formats to enhance the experience of the essential oil enthusiast. Currently they offer a limited-edition, 18″x24″ print and carrying card relating the properties of the twenty most common essential oils. Future plans include the development of brick-and-mortar locations to retail their products and create healing environments for patrons. The Aromatropolis and parent company Bright Blue Green LLC seek to raise the bar for environmental and social responsibility in business.
David C Dixon LLC offers LEED and sustainability consulting to Food and Beverage corporations. David, proprietor and avid outdoorsman (who would have fit in well at Mad River this morning), has been involved in some of the largest LEED food manufacturing facilities built in the past 6 years, and has helped name brand companies reduce their environmental impact and pursue “closed-loop” technologies. David says that “1% for the Planet is a great initiative which can offer corporate decision makers a “brand” similar to LEED that they can trust, that earns them recognition, and provides funding for vetted organizations.” Glad to have you David!
Keep your eye on Exout for deals on outdoor gear for every sort of pursuit, summer or winter. You’ll find steals for members as low as 70% off retail–stock up and feel good that 1% is going back to the environment!
Gone Surfing Hawaii specializes in surf lessons and customized surf tours in the Hawaiian Islands. Need a break from winter? Check ‘em out!
The Green Line‘s proprietor Janine on coming to 1%: “Discovering 1% For The Planet was the missing to piece to my puzzle. I always knew I wanted to give back but I didn’t have the proper platform. Since becoming a 1% member, now I have the resources to do what I always wanted to do: Give back to something meaningful to me.” Janine is giving to Oceana, so when you purchase her jewelry you’ll know her 1% is going to a good cause!
Hug on a Rug is based in our very own state of Vermont and offers hand-made rugs. They’re still working on their web presence but check back soon to see what they’re up to.
Integral Dialogue Project is a consulting company committed to the greater purpose of “co-creating a better world by empowering people to lead.” They believe we all possess interpersonal greatness. By facilitating and engaging individuals and organizations in generative dialogue there exist the potential to create this ‘better world’ through a sharing process of innovative perspectives – and transformational change.
KAVAJ has you covered when it comes to protecting your iPad, Xoom or other tablets with great looking cases.
Ever hear that Uncle Cracker song with the line about being “as cool as the flip side of my pillow?” Well… Polar Pillow is an award-winning cooling pillow that uses specialized gel technology to generate coolness. PolarPillow has identified Philippe Cousteau’s EarthEcho International as its first beneficiary, and will be helping to inspire the next generation to care for the earth.
Tulan supplies everything you need for yoga, from mats to clothing and you can feel good about buying from them!
We are honored and humbled by Outside Magazine’s inclusion of 1% for the Planet in their list of the top 30 environmental organizations on the planet. Click here for the article on Outside’s website or see scanned image below of the 1% section.
You’re ready to act on those good intentions, but how do you know the organizations you’re backing deserve your trust? Here are the 30 best—smartly managed groups with transparent financials, efficient spending, and track records of on-the-ground success.
Citizen philanthropy is on the rise—and so are the nonprofits. Here are the 30 organizations and innovators truly making a difference, delivering health care in rural Asia, distributing bikes in Africa, and championing preservation in your backyard. Plus: Carbon-eating superplants, why the solar-powered car is MIA, and more.
