The GOATS bred in Jackson Hole WY are a different type… fiesty and stubborn maybe, lovers of the steep mountain trails and wild winter weather, but also incredibly creative, innovative and accomplished… having the time of their lives on a journey that’s changing the way people think and act about the planet.   When the herd convenes annually in Jackson… magic happens.

1% for the Planet has the privilege of benefiting from that magic.  Led by rad skiers Dirk Collins, Alex Hillinger, Jenny Collins, Penn Newhard, and Circe Wallace, last year’s GOATS helped build the 1% Ambassador Program; a group of not-your-usual-suspects that bring-to-life the story and mission of 1% in a real, human way, with a message that has broad reach and appeals to many.

This year’s GOAT had 35 amazing peeps… non-profit patient capitalists like Acumen, successful business founders like Dom (tweet tweet), corporate big whigs like Teresa, rad mag editors like Gib, and radder boarders like Circe and TR (talking smak about radishes)… GOATS from all walks.  The outcome was FOOD, the discussion was what, how, when, where and with whom can we engage to effectively deliver healthy, organic veggies where they’re needed most.

The answer was simple… it begins locally, in this case, in Jackson, sprouting with a patient capital-backed company called Vertical Harvest.   The company uses a vertical greenhouse in the city center and hydroponics to grow foods where none have been able to grow before.  How the idea will take root and flourish is the story for next year’s GOAT. 

]]> http://onepercentfortheplanet.org/blog/2012/04/goat-2012-radder-radish-root/feed/ 0 http://onepercentfortheplanet.org/blog/2012/04/promotion-and-sustainability/ http://onepercentfortheplanet.org/blog/2012/04/promotion-and-sustainability/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:55:03 +0000 james http://onepercentfortheplanet.org/blog/?p=5166 Hey 1% Members and Nonprofits!  Looking for a way to get your name out there in a creative and sustainable way?

In today’s crowded business market & social media whirlwind, it can be very difficult for a new business to get their name out in a creative & noticeable way. Add to that the desire to do so in an earth-friendly and sustainable manner, the challenge doubles. Eco-minded business owners may feel their options are very limited..

But they are not. 1% is proud to welcome Green Peak Promotions to our family of members. Green Peak Promotions is a woman owned business (soon to be WBENC certified) that focuses on creative and sustainable promotional products. They offer clients a combination of extensive industry knowledge, trusted international manufacturing and supplier relationships, and exceptional branding creativity.

The goal at Green Peak is to have the most comprehensive selection of sustainable promotional items available domestically and to offer low minimum, quick production, custom manufacturing overseas. This allows them to offer sustainable products on a custom basis that aren’t available in the US. Their overseas partners assist to produce products made from a wide selection of recycled materials including PET, ABS plastic, polypropylene, zinc, silicone, polyester and PVC. To offset their carbon footprint on the earth they will also be working with TerraPass to offer 100% carbon balanced shipping.

They offer a wide array of promotional products, ranging from apparel to candy, recycled and biodegradable products, while promoting sustainability from order placement to shipment.

Welcome to Green Peak Promotions!  We are so excited and happy to have you in our ever-expanding 1% network!

Nicey Treat, a new 1% member company, sells cool and flavorful handmade treats for those with a hankering for something sweet yet completely natural. According to Nicey Treat founder, Jeff Patrick, “…each Nicey is made with all natural ingredients some of which include, grass-fed milk, agave syrup, and organic evaporated cane sugar.” Jeff goes on to say, “…having the ability to make something that reminds me of my childhood with ingredients that I can pronounce is really special.” 

Jeff believes that “being nice to our planet is equally as important as being nice to our bodies,” so “becoming a 1% for the Planet member was a no-brainer.” As an avid outdoorsman, Patrick saw that “…giving back to organizations that focus on environmental sustainability makes sense to [him] and [his] brand.” Perhaps you’ll see Nicey Treat spreading good karma to the karma on their “Nicecycle”, which allows the company to be mobile without causing harm to the environment.

Check them out in Indianapolis at Indy’s Kitchen or at events such as Zoobilation, Picnic for the Planet, and Orchard in Bloom. If you’re like me, and watering at the mouth already, just listen to these flavors: Strawberry Mint, Mango Ginger, Not-So-Hot Chocolate, and Avocado. And that’s just a few of the “melt-in-your-mouth” flavors Nicey Treat has to offer patrons this summer.

We are pleased to welcome Eagle Wing Tours to the 1% community – as our first whale watch touring company! Brett Soberg and his business partner, Don Stewart, founded Eagle Wing Tours in 2005 and incorporated a deep respect for the marine environment. They believe that by educating the public about whales and the wonders of the Salish Sea, they are able to inspire people to consider more environmentally-responsible choices in their everyday lives.

Eagle Wing Tours goes to great lengths to minimize the environmental impact of every aspect of its operations. They are Canada’s first and only carbon neutral whale watching company, offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions. Their clean Volvo diesel engines meet the strictest international standards and provide the lowest emission rating of any whale watching company in Victoria. The unique scarab and catamaran design of their three vessels incorporate the latest marine technology to reduce engine noise, minimizing underwater sound, wake and shoreline erosion.

This weekend, to celebrate Earth Day, Eagle Wing will donate $25 from every adult whale watching tour between Friday and Sunday to The Land Conservancy’s campaign to protect Brooks Point Park on South Pender Island. These waters are frequented by the southern resident killer whales and must be protected!

Environmental stewardship is at the heart of everything they do at Eagle Wing and their customers take pride in knowing that their tourism dollars are leaving a positive impact on the whales and the entire marine environment. Eagle Wing will continue working with the Victoria Foundation to administer its 1% for the Planet pledge to support local non-profit groups dedicated to the pursuit of sustainability and the environment. We want to extend a warm welcome to Eagle Wing Tours and wish we could get out to BC this weekend for one of your tours!

No one knows upcycling better than Hipcycle. Hipcycle’s mission is to provide a marketplace for upcycled products, where it’s easier for consumers to shop smarter and where manufacturers are empowered to find a new purpose for materials. They offer all kinds of upcycled products to consumers via its e-commerce site found here. In addtion to being “eco-friendly”, these goods are attractive, stylish, durable, and price-competitive with traditional alternatives, opening the upcycled marketplace up to the broadest potential market.

Hipcycle sees business as the most powerful driver of social and environmental change. Therefore, their involvement with 1% for the Planet was a natural organic extension of their mission, says Chief Hipcycler, Andrew Sell.

So, if you’re looking for something attractive, durable and envy making, look no further. Hipcycle has what you’re looking for!

ioby’s crowdsourcing platform exemplifies the local connection that we encourage all of our community to take part in! ioby.org combines the tools of social media with citizen philanthropy to power environmental action in urban centers. Since their founding, they have seen the successful completion of nearly 150 community-driven, neighbor-funded projects in NYC’s five boroughs. Their web platform is a groundbreaking tool for change and has been written up recently in Fast Company, Outside Magazine, Wall Street Journal and Mother Nature News.

On ioby, anyone with a good idea for change in their neighborhood can post their community gardening, bicycling, park or waterfront project online to collect tax-deductible donations, connect with local volunteers and share ideas in the likeminded community. On average, micro-donors contribute $35 to projects and live within 2 miles of the project site.

ioby is growing. This Earth Day, April 22, ioby is running a dollar-for-dollar match campaign for all donations to projects, in increments up to $22. There are currently 97 (and counting!) live projects on ioby, where organizations are fundraising for all kinds of local environmental projects, from open streets to park festivals to urban farms in vacant lots. This past Valentine’s Day, ioby ran a Neighborhood Love match campaign and raised $42,000 in matched micro-donations in 24 hours, these funds helped fully fund more than a dozen great projects.

ioby is looking for a business partner to help sponsor their Earth Day match, and they hope to work with a company who cares about the same mission, who loves the planet and its people and wants to help catalyze thousands of citizen projects in cities across the country. Ioby is seeking sponsors who can contribute $5,000-$20,000 to this campaign.  Businesses that helped sponsor their Valentine’s Day match received a huge amount of publicity because of the almost 350,000 followers of ioby’s social media networks!

If you’re a business member and still looking for non-profits to give your 1% to, partnering with ioby would be a great way to support a broad range of projects that make a huge difference, and to get some great visibility too! Drop Erin (ED at ioby, erin@ioby.org) a line for more information about being a cosponsor.

We are excited to welcome ioby to the 1% Team and wish them a very happy (early) Earth Day!

Tour companies in the region, like Maple Leaf Adventures, take small groups of guests for multi-day trips by boat among the fjords and islands. Bear viewing and whale watching with expert guides are key features, as is walking the rainforest and learning about the area’s natural and cultural history. This area is so rich with wildlife because of all the work conservation organizations do.  Conservation focused businesses and scientists have a symbiotic relationship, because conserved areas allow ecotourism to bloom.  At the same time, conservation groups benefit when coastal businesses can generate incomes without clear-cut logging, mining or otherwise destroying the Great Bear Rainforest.

One of the most instrumental organizations in this effort is 1% recipient Raincoast Conservation Foundation, which has made some substantial scientific discoveries regarding the Great Bear Rainforest. They have done research on the salmon-eating, ocean-swimming wolves of the area, the abundance of marine mammals in its waters, the discovery of hundreds of salmon spawning streams, and much more. Raincoast scientists are willing to meet Maple Leaf guests in the field and take time to discuss their research. Maple Leaf (and many of their guests) donate money to support the scientific, education, and policy work Raincoast does, along with its advocacy work.

Connections, like the one between Maple Leaf and Raincoast, are very important to this region because they help protect the land from potentially detrimental projects. There is a proposal to run massive oil tankers through the treacherous waters of the Great Bear Rainforest to “more easily” transport tar sands oil from northern Alberta to Asia. It is essential to the region that this does not happen because of the high likelihood of an oil spill that could be much worse than even the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989.

By signing up for a trip with Maple Leaf Adventures, you are helping Raincoast document what is at stake on this beautiful coast, educate the public, and evaluate and intervene in the process for this proposal! For every person who books selected* adventures from now until April 30^th through 1% for the Planet, Maple Leaf will donate an additional $400 to Raincoast**! How can you say no to the possibility of seeing a bear in the Great Bear Rainforest or spectacular whales in Haida Gwaii?

*Trips are:

• - Great Bear Rainforest & Kitlope Supervoyage, Apr 27-May 5
• - Haida GwaiiMay 16-24, May 25-Jun 2, Jun 4-12, Jun 13-21**not valid with any other offer

Enter new 1% member, FROGBOX. Industry innovators Doug Burgoyne and Trevor McCaw founded the company after they saw a niche in the residential and commercial moving. For both types of moves, FROGBOX delivers reusable moving boxes and eco-friendly moving supplies to the customer’s home or office. When the move and unpacking are complete, FROGBOX retrieves their boxes. No more wasted hours, building and taping boxes… phew!

From its inception, FROGBOX has supported frog habitat restoration projects with their 1% donations. As an indicator species and incredibly threatened vertebrate, the choice of the FROGBOX frog mascot was a conscious one. Nearly one-third of the world’s 6,468 amphibian species are in danger and FROGBOX hopes to change that. They believe that we should all encourage change to help protect and restore the livelihood of frogs in our own backyard. 

So, if you’re feeling froggy and need to get out of town, look no further, FROGBOX has got your and the environment’s backs. Hop on down to their website, they’ll set you right.

Cycle The Sierra is an annual cycling event that takes place in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California. This fully supported, five-day journey takes riders on a 300-mile loop through breathtaking country, beneath granite peaks, through evergreen forests and to alpine hot springs. The ride meanders through iconic locations like Lake Tahoe and the area where gold was discovered starting the California Gold Rush, over the 4th highest bridge in the US, and through numerous unique and historical communities along the way.

Each day cyclists will ride around 70 mountain miles for one of our non-profit partners like, 1% for the Planet, the League to Save Lake Tahoe, the American River Conservancy and SYRCL. At night, everyone will camp together under the stars. Camps will feature delicious food, live music, a beer and wine garden, massage therapists, bike mechanics and other cyclists letting loose on vacation from all over the United States. If you like truly beautiful mountain scenery, good food and live music, relaxing with a cold beer after a great ride, spending time with old friends and meeting new, Cycle The Sierra is an event you don’t want to miss! Space is limited, so visit their webpage to register today!