Thank you Pura Vida Bracelets!  Pura Vida’s 1% for the Planet Love Blue bracelets are almost here and we can’t wait!

Pura Vida is producing our special edition, 1% FTP LOVE BLUE bracelet to anchor their ‘Enviro-Causes Line,’ with 50% of all proceeds from the LOVE BLUE bracelet being donated back to the organization. They even made a custom charm for it.

This is just one example of all the amazing work they do with their bracelets.  Almost three years ago, two friends created Pura Vida Bracelets after stumbling across amazing hand-made bracelets in Costa Rica while on a surf trip. Each bracelet sold helps to provide full-time jobs to over 30 local artisans in Costa Rica. The hard work that goes into making each bracelet represents the dedication and respect for the beautiful land that we all live in.

But they wanted to do even more. In response they created the ‘Charity Collection’ to give back. “Our Charity Giving Program has grown enormously over the last year and we have no intention of slowing down. Our goal is to be able to support 100’s of additional organizations and share with the world our cause!”  says Co-Founder Paul Goodman.  To date, Pura Vida Bracelets has been able to raise thousands of dollars for over 150 different charities.

Selecting a ‘Pura Vida’ bracelet isn’t always a quick task; however, with everything from vibrant colors to earth tones, and tons of charities to support, there is a combination for everyone. In addition to partnering more closely with 1% for the Planet, Pura Vida Bracelets has expanded the ‘Enviro-Causes Line’ significantly over the last few months, highlighting their deep commitment to the environment.“ Pura Vida Bracelets generously donates to the following 1% for the Planet partners: The Surfrider Foundation, Surfaid International, Oceanic Preservation Society, American Farmland Trust, Audubon International and the Alaska Wilderness League.

When you buy a Pura Vida bracelet, you are not just buying a product, you are buying a cause and a way of life. Enjoying life slowly, celebrating good fortune and not taking anything for granted embodies the Pura Vida Lifestyle

Visit www.puravidabracelets.com to get your very own Pura Vida Bracelet and learn more about their charity giving program, cause and story.

Pura Vida. Love Blue.

In the words of James Cummings…

When I started Dawn Patrol back in 2010, it began with the idea of offering people a product that was smarter and better than what they were currently being offered. When it comes to marketing, surfers are often included with the ‘extreme sports’ crowd and I’ve always felt that was sort of off-the-mark. I feel we’re a different kind of athlete. Companies that market energy drinks and other energy products seem to do so in a general, all-encompassing, one-size-fits-all manner. They claim their product will make you ‘better’ at everything, whether a person skateboards, snowboards, surfs, rides a motorcycle, drives a race car, base jumps, etc. After hearing one-too-many of their marketing claims, I set out to create a product that actually did what they all claim to do, but backed up by science and results instead of commercials. By choosing scientifically-proven ingredients that specifically address the physical needs of a surfer, Dawn Patrol boosts performance, energy and endurance, without the questionable stimulants, sugars, and other ingredients found in other ‘energy’ products.

The appeal of joining an organization like 1% for the Planet is a natural one for me. Before I ever thought about trying to run a business, I was thinking about how I could help my local community. I learned from an early age that volunteer work, beach clean-ups, fundraisers, and petitions were all tools I could use to affect positive change in my community. It is also a great way to meet awesome people and get involved with great causes. Whether it was hitting the beach at dawn to clean up litter or transforming a beat-up patch of dirt at a local park into a fresh flowerbed, the fulfillment I gained from making a positive physical change to my community gave me such a valuable sense of purpose. It was like nutrition for my soul. Accordingly, when I started my company, my guiding mantra was “Save the Planet, Feed Your Soul”.

Shortly after I joined 1% FTP, I was contacted by the Ocean River Institute. They provide individuals around the world with specific opportunities to make a difference saving wildlife, protecting ecosystems, in environmental education, science, and conservation. They mentioned at the time they were working on legislation in Florida to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in its waterways. More specifically, the Indian River Lagoon. That happens to be where I grew up. I spent a lot of my childhood fishing, boating, and wakeboarding in the Indian and Banana rivers. This group was doing the same work that I used to do locally, but in a bigger, better, more effective way. ORI works with local lawmakers and representatives to positively influence legislation that brings healthy change to these affected areas. They do the same for ecosystems and wildlife all across the country. Supporting ORI with my 1% FTP membership gives me the same sense of purpose and fulfillment I get from helping my community locally. I had their logo added to our label in efforts to raise awareness and support of the organization and I always enjoy a new opportunity to spread the good word about them.

Thank you 1% FTP for giving me the opportunity to discover and support such a great organization. (You’re welcome- thanks for your support!)

As a growing number of schools embrace gardening, honey bees are generating the latest educational buzz.

The humble honey bee plays a huge role in our food supply. Experts estimate that one in every three bites of food you eat depends on pollination, either directly or indirectly.

“You can’t learn about growing fruits and vegetables without learning about bees,” says Jeff Miller, a beekeeper and educator at DC Honeybees in Washington, D.C. “Bees are as important to the process as sun and water.”

This coming year Whole Kids Foundation will award its first round of approximately 50 hive grants for schools as part of the new Honey Bee Grant Program, a natural extension of the Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program.

Hundreds of schools have already expressed interest in hosting hives to enhance their gardens and to use as teaching tools. Despite their stingers, honey bees are actually docile creatures, and with a little education they can coexist in sweet harmony with kids in the garden.

With reports of bee populations declining, education about honey bees is more critical than ever. Tending to hives and observing bee activity provides kids with vital lessons about biology, agriculture, ecology, nutrition and even business. Bees do more than make honey. Pollination is also key to increasing the size of plants, fruits, flowers and overall crop yield.  Supporting this program can accomplish so much.

Please visit the Whole Kids Foundation website to learn more about this amazing new initiative.  You can also get in touch at info@wholekidsfoundation.org.

The Organic Whey decided to give 1% of our revenue to the Agricultural Institute of Marin because their mission is completely aligned with ours. Since most of the founders of The Organic Whey come from a family of farmers, our company was started with two objectives:

1) Supporting small family farms who have dedicated their lives to sustainable farming and being the stewards of the soil which gives us our food and even has the potential of taking care of excess greenhouse gases.

2) Help in creating consumers who are concerned and aware of their food sources and those who are involved in growing it. This would eventually reduce the prices of organic foods and making nutritious food available to everyone.

After doing a lot of research, we found that Agricultural Institute of Marin was the closest regional organization which was bringing consumers closer to nutritious food available at their 8 farmer’s markets. What was crucial in this decision was that they accept food stamps (WIC/EBT) at all of their eight farmer’s markets. We feel that it is very important for people using WIC to have access to the most nutritious food available. Women, infants and children are the future of our society.

BottlesUp is glad to be part of the 1% for the Planet community. We believe that environmental initiatives start right at home, one step at a time. With our 75% recycled glass water bottles that contain no plastic in the product or packaging, we start to help reduce the 38 billion(!) single use plastic water bottles used in the US each year. Our beautiful and sturdy bottles help make the pledge of awareness about how we impact our planet.

Glass designer Laurel Herter knows about the importance of biodiversity. Her own commitment as a steward of our natural world began at a very young age, spending thousands of hours haunting the rivers and streams of New England with an obsessed fly fisherman father.

As a former graphic artist for hydrologists in the Bay Area and The Habitat Restoration Group in Santa Cruz, Laurel knew about Save Our Shores and the great work they do.

Our 1% FTP contribution to Save Our Shores was a natural choice.

Save Our Shores is the Central Coast leader in caring for the marine environment through ocean awareness, advocacy and citizen action. Their core initiatives are Plastic Pollution, Clean Boating, and Ocean Awareness. Over the last 30 years, Save Our Shores helped to establish the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and worked to prevent offshore oil drilling and cruise ship pollution.  Today they focus on educating youth about local watersheds, tackle pollution on our beaches and rivers, and advocate for plastic-free communities.

Save Our Shores is an advocate in the community for local bans on single-use plastic bags and polystyrene containers, and work to protect the most valuable resource on the Central Coast – the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

At czb, our clients are cities trying to become healthier, both fiscally and otherwise.  For strong cities we advise, like Boulder, Park City, and Santa Fe, the work is about becoming more equitable, and in the process of addressing affordable housing needs, reducing congestion and commuting impacts on the environment.  For struggling clients, like Bridgeport, CT, Stockton, CA, and Canton, OH, it’s about becoming more competitive and retaining strong households, which involves adaptive reuse of materials, working within a finite boundary, and growing demand.

It was natural for us to join 1% for the Planet. When we see what 1% FTP members are doing and what beneficiary nonprofits are able to do with 1% proceeds, we could not not join!  The inspirational work of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, River Keeper, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and so many more organizations not only compliment our work, but also reinforce our values at czb and extend our reach and impact.  As planners and strategists, we can accomplish many things for communities.  In planning for and then executing an annual contribution to 1% FTP, we deepen our impact.

2013 is the fourth year that czb has been a proud member of 1% for the Planet.  Small as we are, we think every bit counts, and we are exciting to keep adding a little bit at a time.

Founded by Chef Ann Cooper in 2009, the Food Family Farming Foundation (F3) is dedicated to providing schools across the nation with tools and resources to serve fresh, whole food that supports healthy eating habits and healthy food systems. School districts are major institutional buyers of food.  If they switch from serving ready-to-heat, pre-packaged foods to scratch-cooking models that support local and regional growers, they can have a significant impact on their local food systems.

Meet the Supporters:

F3 is new to the 1% for the Planet community, and they are hoping to connect with those that share their core values. National supporters include Barbara’s Bakery, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Newman’s Own Foundation, Rudi’s Bakery, Whole Foods Market, and 1% for the Planet nonprofit partners the Clif Bar Family Foundation and the Whole Kids Foundation.

Photo: Kirsten Boyer

Successes:

-       To date, F3 has improved school nutrition at over 800 school districts and impacted over 1,290,000 children.

-       The “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools” has donated salad bars to 2,500 schools, helping them nourish over 1,250,000 children.

-       The Lunch Box, F3′s online portal, provides over 19,000 visitors a month with free tools to improve kids’ nutrition.

-       Through the Lunch Box, F3 provides schools with resources regarding:

• Building connections between salad bars and farmer’s markets
• Using more local produce in their salad bar and overall school meal programs
• How to incorporate school garden harvests into salad bars
• Examples of successful farm-to-school programs
• Freezing local harvests for year-round produce
• Guides for regional food hubs.

“The salad bars have been a fantastic addition.  We have intentionally targeted schools in areas considered low-income or food deserts, and the response from students has really been positive.  For example, when we saw a girl walking away with 1 ½ pints of cherry tomatoes, we had to assure her that the salad bar was here to stay.” - Brian Giles, Director of Food Services, Houston Independent School District, TX

Challenges

One of F3’s biggest challenges is outreach and education. Across the nation, school salad bar programs and local procurement practices are growing, but they still have a long way to go. And the big question for many is not “why” but “how.” Many communities are beginning to understand the importance of fresh, sustainably-grown school food, but they don’t know how to change. F3’s goal is to help schools and communities bridge the gap between knowledge and practice.

Photo: Kirsten Boyer

Call to Action: 

You can keep track of F3’s work in school food and other school food news on the Lunch Box blog, on Twitter at #lunchboxproject, and on The Lunch Box Facebook Page. And if you haven’t already, you can sign up for their newsletter or become a member at the F3 website. 1% for the Planet members who would like to fund F3’s work can contact team member Michele Battiste at michele@foodfamilyfarming.org or donate online.

A Healthy Future

Food Family Farming Foundation measures impact school by school, student by student. The goal is that every child in every U.S. school has access to fresh, healthy and sustainably-produced food every day. The current Lunch Box Expansion Project includes the development of free procurement tools and resources that schools will hopefully use to develop relationships with local and regional food producers.

Contact Michele Battiste, Director of Development, michele@foodfamilyfarming.org, 316-204-9446 with any further questions.

Waitsfield, VT – This summer’s Mad Marathon, a 1% for the Planet event, in Vermont’s Mad River Valley is the first marathon in the nation to offer runners the option of defraying the carbon footprint of their travel through the nonprofit Clear Water Carbon Fund.

The race is described as the “the first marathon dedicated to sustainability” and will be held on July 7 in Waitsfield, Vermont.

The Clear Water Carbon Fund plants trees along deforested rivers and streams to reduce atmospheric carbon, protect clean water resources and create wildlife habitat. Mad Marathon runners can neutralize their travel emissions by purchasing trees to be planted and monitored by the Clear Water Carbon Fund.  The Fund, which was launched by the nonprofit Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, has planted nearly 1,800 trees since its inception last year.

“We are very excited to work with a forward-thinking race like the Mad Marathon,” said Ethel Wilkerson, a Manomet Center scientist who coordinates the Fund. “They are focused on sustainability and reducing their environmental footprint. Planting trees in local watersheds is a great way to achieve both of those goals.”

This year, the Fund is planting Central Vermont as well as in the Northeast Kingdom.  In Maine, the Fund is reforesting areas near the Androscoggin River and Sebago Lake.

“We are so proud to have the 1% for the Planet New England nonprofit partner, Clean Water Carbon Fund, to be such an active participant in this event. Not only are they demonstrating what the do best, but they are also using this platform to raise money and awareness of their cause. It’s truly our model in action,” said Barbara Friedsam, Sr. Director of Marketing and New England.

Dori Ingalls, Mad Marathon Race Director explained, “The course highlights the beauty of Vermont’s fields, forests, and streams.  We can think of no better way to achieve our mission of sustainability then by planting trees to keep our air and water healthy and clean.”

For more information about the Clear Water Carbon Fund, contact Laury Saligman at laury@conservationcollaboratives.org, (802) 505-0582.

Students from Stockbridge Central School’s 3, 4, 5, and 6 grade reforest a functioning flood plain on Stony Brook, a tributary of the White River in central Vermont. Stony Brook is an important spawning stream for wild rainbow trout, native brook trout, and Atlantic salmon.

NorthWoods Stewardship Center staff plants a stream buffer along a tributary of the Pherrins River in Morgan, VT.  The Pherrins River flows into the Clyde River, which feeds Lake Memphermagog, an international body of water spanning the US and Canadian border.

Please join us!

Friday July 5

4-7 Race Registration

7:30-9 Free concert by 1% for the Planet Ambassadors “Dwight and Nicole” at the Waitsfield Green

Saturday July 6

9-6 Nonprofit Expo and race registration

6 Presentation by Green Bronx Machine founder and 1% for the Planet Ambassador Stephen Ritz

6:30 Kids Fun Run

6:30-9 1% for the Planet 10th anniversary party! (RSVP required)

Sunday July 7

7 Mad Marathon start

11-2 Finish line celebrations

See you here!

The Crash Pad: An Uncommon Hostel is a small, 3000 sq. ft hostel, tucked away in the bustling Southside neighborhood of Chattanooga, TN. Our 24 Super Bunks and 6 private rooms can only generate so much revenue per night, but we make it a point to contribute to the 1% for the Planet program.

We first heard about 1% for the Planet in Yvon Chouinard’s memoir, Let My People Go Surfing. We were inspired by his story, his philosophy on business, and the ways that businesses should interact with the resources and the community around it.

Since our founding in June 2011, our 1% for the Planet contributions have gone to Wild Trails, a Chattanooga-based non-profit. Their mission is to protect, foster, and educate people about one of the things that make this town so special: our trail systems.

To understand why we give to Wild Trails, one must first understand the history of The Crash Pad. Our first 4 staff members are all transplants from the northeast, and the reason why we all moved down here was for limitless rock climbing and how close it all is to city living. We leave the hostel, and in 10 minutes, we’re at Sunset Rock. 25 minutes, we arrive at Stone Fort (Little Rock City, as it’s locally known), a world-class bouldering destination. 45 minutes, we could find ourselves at Foster Falls and the Fiery Gizzard Trail, home to some of the South’s most classic sport climbing lines and incredible hiking trails.

We participate in 1% for the Planet because we can further engrain ourselves into the Chattanooga community. We do it because it fits right in line with one of our core values: to give back to the communities in which we serve.  We give because we want to make the world a better place. We do it because it’s the right thing to do.

Thanks for sharing your story, John, and providing an awesome place to stay in Chattanooga for everyone who LOVES BLUE!