We’re lucky every so often to get to head north (and west) to beautiful British Columbia. Home to 55 1% members and 88 non-profit partners, BC is the most stunning convergence of mountains, sea, and sky I’ve ever experienced. It was also the site of the first stop in our recently launched Canadian event series, Conversations on Conservation, a national campaign highlighting urgent, local environmental issues and the impact 1% member businesses and non-profit partners are having on them.
In Vancouver, the panel discussion focused on issues facing BC’s coastal waters, ranging from increased tanker traffic and recreational boating impacts, to salmon farming and orca habitat protection. Local, issue-experts Sabine Jessen of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Jeffery Young of the David Suzuki Foundation, Christianne Wilhelmson of the Georgia Strait Alliance, were joined on the panel by Marc St. Onge, CEO of 1% member and leading omega-3 producer Ascenta Health.
From Vancouver, we took a(n exhilarating!) seaplane ride across the Georgia Strait to Victoria, for a chance to meet for the first time with our active and fast-growing network of members and NGOs on Vancouver Island. Thanks in large part to the support of long-time 1% member Horne Coupar and 1% recipient Victoria Foundation, we convened a lively reception, made many new friends, and left with a deepened understanding of the environmental challenges facing Vancouver Island.
During the trip, 1% CEO Terry Kellogg also had a chance to sit down with Vancouver Sun reporter Scott Simpson to talk about 1% and our impact in Canada. Check out the resulting article, which also features comments from members Mountain Equipment Co-op and Clif Bar, and CPAWS, one of our largest 1% non-profit recipients in Canada.
The next event the series takes place in Montreal on November 16, where panelists from the David Suzuki Foundation, Fondation de la Faune du Quebec, and Naya Water will discuss initiatives to protect Quebec’s freshwater resources. Please join us if you’re in the area!
Well, we may be a day late, but we wanted to be sure to give a nod to National Coffee Day. Kelsey, owner and founder of Grounds For Change, passed this video along to us–it’s the perfect accompaniment to your morning cup! Part of 1% since 2003, Grounds For Change is one of the longest standing members in our network.
We were blown away by the response to our Earth Day music giveaway. Over 3,000 people worldwide downloaded the 41 songs of 1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1 in celebration of the 41st Earth Day. With hundreds sharing on facebook, twitter, blogs, newsletters, and plain old email, we were psyched with the buzz around giving green. Thanks in particular to our members and non-profit partners who shared the music with their networks—in addition to dozens of social media posts, we were delighted to see blog posts from 1% members Ecomom, Not Just Pretty, Gary Bandy, Bamboo Bottle Company, Iron Lava, and Endurance Conspiracy.
We also wanted to share a few more Earth Day updates we received from around the network:
(photo courtesy of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign)
-We are happy to announce 1% member Sage Spa Living’s Earth Day event in Bozeman and Billings, MT exceeded expectations (read more about it here)! Close to 200 of the business’s patrons participated last Friday and with the help of the 37 Sage Spa employees who donated their time and services raised $4,200 for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
-A new non-profit partner, Savannah Bicycle Campaign, also hosted an event this weekend, “The 4th Annual Earth Day Wheelie.” Dubbed a party on wheels, the ride enticed citizens of Savannah to join together for four mile roll through the city, eventually gathering to enjoy food and music in celebration of Earth Day and the joys of alternative transportation.
-We were pleased to hear an update from 1% recipient Plant With Purpose, an organization focused on finding environmental solutions to humanitarian problems. Plant with Purpose was one of our featured non-profits working on reforestation and sustainable agriculture in Haiti after last January’s devastating earthquake. For Earth Month, Plant with Purpose aims to plant 10,000 trees–check out their short video below that makes the connection between poverty and the environment, and consider helping them reach their goal by planting 10 trees for just $10.
With a year-long commitment to giving back, it’s safe to bet 1% for the Planet members, NGOs, and fans don’t need a holiday to remember the environment. But as Earth Day turns 41 this Friday, we noticed a coincidence that we couldn’t pass up: there are 41 songs on our compilation album, all donated to raise funds and awareness of environmental causes. We decided that was ample cause for celebration–today only, we’re offering the 1% album as a free download.
Our planet-loving album, 1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1, was released just over a year ago with 41 rare and exclusive tracks from artists like Jack Johnson, Josh Ritter, Jackson Browne, and Grace Potter. The album sold over 15,000 copies, thanks in large part to the support of the 1% network. Now, let’s see how widely we can share 1% on Earth Day.
Here’s what you can do:
* Include the link and code EARTHDAY11 in your tweets and facebook posts today (don’t forget to tag @1PercentFTP)
* Use the image above in your newsletter or blog with a link to http://music.onepercentfortheplanet.org/redeem. Download it here.
* Create buzz for giving green on Earth Day. Encourage friends, family, co-workers, and followers to pay it forward and support an environmental non-profit. 1% members have donated over $70 million to hundreds of organizations working to ensure a sustainable future for our planet–join them!
With the 41st Earth Day mere days away, innovative member and NGO partnerships have been streaming in. Here’s a few more to get you in the spirit…
-For 1% non-profit partner San Diego River Park Foundation, Earth Day is just business as usual. With park and river clean-up brigades canvassing local areas weekly, their volunteers have removed 1.3 million pounds of trash from the San Diego River in the past few years. In executive Director Rob Hutsel’s words “We are at it again on April 23rd as we tackle a new stretch of the river. We anticipate more than 100 volunteers joining us.” To join the April 23 San Diego River clean-up project on April 23, please visit their website for additional details (and get inspired by enthusiastic river clean-up volunteers below!)
-One of our newest members, Ohmlop, is debuting their 1% membership with a $1 donation for every connector cable sold in April to the Basel Action Network (BAN). An industry trailblazer, Ohmlop’s USB, iPhone, and iPad are completely free of PVC and are covered instead by braided cotton. Their partnership with BAN, whose mission is to end environmental degradation and social injustices caused by the electronic waste trade, is particularly well-aligned!
-Get a discount on organic, fair-trade, shade-grown coffee from 1% member Grounds for Change. Use coupon code PLANT-A-TREE-15 to save 15% and they will plant a tree for each order received using that code.
-Patagonia Footwear Advocate Weeks are taking place nationwide this week and throughout the rest of the spring. Inspired by the 1% for the Planet Advocate Moc, the Patagonia Footwear team has partnered with Patagonia stores and independent retailers to help raise awareness and funds for local conservation efforts. During Advocate weeks, Patagonia Footwear will donate $10 to local conservation organizations selected by the retailer. Check out the full listing of events to find an event near you!
From Fast Company to this morning’s edition of the Today Show, 1% member Eco Optics is making waves. Called “the most socially responsible eyewear on the planet,” Eco Optics‘ eyeglasses and sunglasses are made of at least 95% recycled content recycled steel and plastic, and for each frame sold, the company plants one tree through 1% NGO partner Trees for the Future. America’s #1 morning show featured Eco Optics in a special Earth Day segment, and today only you can try the stylish and green shades for $30–77% off retail pricing
For this Friday’s installment of 1% member Earth Day activities, we’re happy to share an event that will make everyone wish they were in Montana on April 22!
In celebration of Earth Day and in keeping with an annual tradition, 1% member Sage Spa Living will be offering salon and spa services for a minimum donation of $25 to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. Both Sage locations in Bozeman, MT and Billings, MT will be hosting events, and 100% of donations collected for services will be donated directly to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition with a goal of raising at least $5,000. Sage employees will be giving back too—about 40 beauty professionals will donate their time on Earth Day. Justin Bigart, Sage Spa Living co-founder says, “We have been doing Earth Day events with similar formats since founding the company in 2003 and have raised a total of over $20,000. The event is so popular with our guests and in the Bozeman/Billings, MT communities that we typically have people calling to book on “Earth Day” as early as January in anticipation of the day.”
If you live near Bozeman or Billings (or want to share with friends who do), additional details on Sage Spa Living’s Earth Day Event are right here!
Though 1% members are more likely to fall into the ‘Make Everyday Earth Day’ category, April is when much of the rest of the world tunes in to environmental issues. We’re fortunate around this time of year to hear from many members about their Earth Day initiatives, and wanted to share some of their great ideas. We’ll start with a few here member initiatives, and will have posts throughout the month about goings on in the 1% network and how you can support member businesses and their NGO partners:
Ecomom, online retailer of products for a healthy family and home, has just kicked off their Healthy Home Makeover contest. They’ve partnered with dozens of companies, including fellow member Q Collection Junior, to create a $75,000 package of ‘ecomom approved’ products for a healthier and environmentally safe home. Would you like a chance to win? To enter, click here, upload a photo of your family and say why you deserve the Healthy Home Makeover. The winner will be chosen by an expert panel of judges at the end of April
VeeV, purveyor of delicious Acai spirits, is partnering with New York Tree Restoration Project to accelerate their goal of planting one million trees in NYC by 2017. Join VeeV fans in planting a tree with the click of a button when you post your “Toast to the Planet” on VeeV Açaí Spirit’s Facebook Page. When 50,000 toasts have been posted VeeV will plant 500 trees in New York City. Plus posting automatically puts you in the running for daily prizes and a grand prize that includes a trip to the Big Apple to attend NYRP’s 500,000 Tree Planted Ceremony.
Are you a member with a fun Earth Day partnership to share? Send it our way!
Our apologies for the recent silence, loyal readers! January was a busy month for 1%. Our team spread across the US in January, first to Nevada City, CA for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. photo copyright: Klean Kanteen, 2011
1%’s Jake Whitcomb joined award-winning filmmakers Ben Knight and Travis Rummel in presenting our film, [one percent] of the story, to 4,500 festival-goers over the weekend. At the final showing, Travis and Jake were joined onstage by 1% co-founder, Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard (pictured above). Our film will join the touring festival as it visits 110 locations across North America and Australia in the coming year–find a screening near you by checking out the 2011 tour calendar here.
Next, a few of us made the annual pilgrimage to Salt Lake City, UT for Outdoor Retailer. With several dozen outdoor industry members involved in the show, OR is a great place for us to connect with the 1% network and to meet new members. Thanks to the support of members Point6 and Venture Snowboards in the form of cozy socks and a speedy snowboard, we hosted a killer happy hour featuring a live performance by Madi Diaz.
Check out our flickr photostream for more photos from OR and past 1% hijinks!
30 years ago, 1% for the Planet co-founder Craig Mathews translated his passion for fly-fishing into a successful business. Blue Ribbon Flies, in West Yellowstone, MT, was founded on a strong commitment to protect, preserve and enhance our natural environment. When Craig and Yvon hatched the concept for 1% on a fishing trip, it also served as inspiration to form a global network of over 1,300 businesses worldwide. Since then, Blue Ribbon Flies has been honored with many environmental and conservation awards, notably The Nature Conservancy’s Business Conservation Award for their efforts protecting wild trout habitat. “You, and I, and everyone who loves wild trout fishing and wild places need to change both peoples’ and businesses perspective of the work that environmentalists do.” Craig said in a recent presentation. Big thanks to Craig for his vision and to Blue Ribbon Flies for leading others to Keep Earth in Business for the last 30 years. Now, let’s go fishing!
