Vermont Land Trust’s campaign to conserve the historic Bragg Farm is set to receive a $10,000 donation from Timbers Restaurant at Sugarbush Resort and the Winthrop H. Smith Family Foundation.

Vermont Land Trust’s Bragg Farm initiative is an effort to protect the agricultural heritage and the vitality of farming in the Mad River Valley. With incomparable views of the Green Mountains, the Bragg Farm showcases the beauty and agricultural productivity of the Valley’s working landscapes.

“This project exemplifies the spirit of the Mad River Valley, both in that it preserves and protects our open spaces but also by keeping this land in agricultural use,” said Win Smith, President of Sugarbush Resort. “It was our intent at the onset of joining 1% for the Planet to support local environmental initiatives and the Bragg Farm project combines so many of our values into one project.”

Through a competitive process Vermont Land Trust has chosen an experienced farmer to purchase the land. Marisa Mauro, owner of Ploughgate Creamery, plans to craft artisanal butter and cheeses from a small milking herd. The conservation and sale of the Bragg Farm advances the goals of the Vermont Land Trust’s Farmland Access Program, which helps experienced farmers gain access to productive, affordable farmland.

“Timbers Restaurant has always supported local agricultural and Vermont’s working landscapes by purchasing and serving the produce, meats and cheeses from our neighbors’ farms.” continued Smith “Perhaps in the future you may see Ploughgate Creamery products on the menu at Timbers.”

Overlooking the Mad River Valley the Bragg Farm is perched on one of the Valley’s finest pieces of real estate. The iconic and over one-hundred year old barn and farm boasts views that overlook Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush and has been seen on the cover of Vermont Life magazine among other publications, including Sugarbush’s marketing material.

For more information contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@sugarbush.com.

Despite the tragic events at the Boston Marathon New Generation Energy will still be hosting the Mint Party on April 20th at Trade. NGE’s mission has always revolved around strengthening our city. Boston is at its strongest when we come together as a community, in times of joy or in times of crisis. The Mint Party is a celebration of Boston and all of the things that Boston does best – it’s a celebration of a city that gets better every day. In light of Monday’s tragedy, New Generation Energy will be donating 50% of every ticket purchased from now until Saturday, April 20th, to the American Red Cross. We want to continue to help Boston and think this is the best way to do it.

Also, if anyone is interested in helping out but does not live in Boston, they should feel free to purchase a ticket in honor of a friend or community member. 50% of the proceeds will still be sent to the American Red Cross, and the ticket can be given to someone in our community who may not be able to purchase a ticket themselves. Buying a ticket allows us to invite members of our community, of the nonprofits we work with, to the event. It is a great way to give back right now.

Beyond monetary donations to the Red Cross, NGE is exploring other ways we can be involved with the healing process of Boston. As we’ve already seen since Monday’s horrible events, the people of Boston are giving back to their fellow citizens in record numbers. Giving blood, offering shelter, providing food, etc. NGE feels it is incredibly important to do our part. We are currently exploring volunteer projects to help the City of Boston. If anyone is looking for a way to help during this time, they should feel free to reach out to our staff at Joffe@newgenerationenergy.org or sign up to receive our e-mails here: http://newgenerationenergy.org/.

NGE’s mission has always been two-fold. First, and most obviously, we are helping build energy efficient, sustainable nonprofits. What is sometimes initially overlooked is that an equally important part of our work is community building. We hold a fundamental belief that strong nonprofits, strong organizations in general, build great communities. Community development and involvement is a core value of ours, and that is what the Marathon represents to us. The Marathon is Boston at its best – a perfect example of our community. It represents strength, togetherness, camaraderie, achieving a seemingly impossible dream. These things are what make the Marathon great; these things are what make Boston great. When we decided to still host the Mint Party on Saturday, we thought about all of these things. We want Saturday to be a place for our community to come together. NGE thinks it is so important to stand strong as a community right now. We don’t want this event to be exclusionary because of a price tag. So, if anyone is interested in coming to the event, but is not sure if they can afford it, they should reach out to us at Joffe@newgenerationenergy.org.

The other 50% of proceeds from this event go directly to Local & Green, NGE’s new program to help nonprofits raise impact by reducing their carbon footprint. Local & Green provides hands-on support for energy efficiency projects in our community. For one year, NGE helps selected regional nonprofits become more sustainable, designing and implementing projects to help nonprofits save money and increase their impact. From project design to 100% funding, Local & Green is our 360° approach to powering sustainable communities.

To learn more, visit http://newgenerationenergy.org/

Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Color by Amber is in the business of making amazing eco-friendly jewelry.  According to the website, Amber is the concept of creating gorgeous materials from the natural world and encapsulating them in stunning eco-resin. Hand-spun silks, exquisite mohair, artisan-crafted fossil leaves: each piece of Amber is a beautiful expression of style, sustainability, and social responsibility.

CEO Talley Goodson was inspired to join 1% for the Planet after a meeting with Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard.  “Some time ago I had the chance to spend a couple of days surfing with with Yvon Chouinard, at his place north of Santa Barbara, California.  Yvon’s house was built from dry-stacked recycled sidewalks and as we talked, I couldn’t help but be impressed by his deep commitment to the environment both personally and as the spiritual leader of Patagonia.  Over the years, I have sought to incorporate similar principles of sustainability into my business ventures.  I love the idea that private enterprise can have a positive impact on the planet. I am proud that Color by Amber is a member of 1% for the planet!”

We’re so happy to have Color by Amber in the network.  In the years to come, hopefully their efforts will help to encourage additional businesses to adopt similar values and practices.

Based in Camarillo, California, Lifetime Legal provides a variety of services to its clients including estate planning, living trust packages, charitable planning, estate administration, wills, and advanced healthcare directives and durable powers of attorney for financial matters.  Owner and attorney Eric Smith pays particular attention to his clients’ values, concerns, needs, and what can be done to protect those you care about.

Through his involvement with the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy, Eric was inspired to have Lifetime Legal join 1% for the Planet.  He learned about 1% for the Planet from a short clip at the Wild and Scenic film festival in Ventura and was impressed that so many business owners had made such a commitment to work for the common good of our planet.  While his new law firm, Lifetime Legal, is still in its growing stages, he decided to make the environmental commitment as well. While estate planning, which is the firm’s focus, has little to do with the environment directly, Eric believes that any business can help do its part and every business should. Eric would love to meet other local business owners and 1% members who share this concern and commitment.

Lifetime Legal is the perfect example of a business that is making its commitment to the environment an integral priority.  Hopefully other 1% members and nonprofits will have a chance to meet Eric at an upcoming California meet up.

We at Hug On A Rug have a deep and abiding interest in the environment and the health of the planet that is home to us all. As folks hug each other they may be reminded that we are all in this together, breathing the same air and fishing in the same seas. This care for the environment led us to 1% For The Planet – a natural partnership!

Tom first wrote his senator asking for support for the first Wilderness Bill in 1960. Tom was 14. He is a founding member of the former High Peaks Audubon in the Adirondacks of NY and participated in three Breeding Bird Atlases. Jean has been a long-time supporter of wildlife through the National Wildlife Federation and Defenders of Wildlife. It was she who designed the rug.

Our connection with Keeping Track began when Tom took Sue Morse’s (founder of Keeping Track) training nearly 10 years ago. He served for two years as a member of its board of directors. Keeping Track trains and educates both citizen scientists and professionals in methods of data collection that can lead to better decisions involving wildlife and land use. Sue’s efforts, along with those who work with her, have helped directly in the preservation of over 30,000 acres of sensitive wildlife habitat. We at Hug On A Rug will continue to support Keeping Track and it’s mission.

Huge thanks to Hug on a Rug‘s Tom Barber for sending us this story and for completing his 2012 certification early with support of Keeping Track. We’re so proud of our Vermont network- thanks for keeping it local Tom!

Why drive from the Adirondacks to northern Maine, when you can take a canoe!  That’s right, because of the hard work of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, you can now take a continuous paddling trail from Old Forge, through Vermont, Quebec, and New Hampshire to Fort Kent, ME.  This 740 mile trail represents a world class model of recreation management for public access to waterways, trail stewardship, economic development, and rural youth outdoor education.

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail’s Northern Forest Explorers Program connects rural youth aged 10-14 to the natural wonders of their own backyards by taking these young people on five-day canoe-camping trips along the trail. The program completes roughly 20 trips a year, with 9-12 youth participating in each trip. These trips immerse kids in natural settings, planting the seeds of desire for future outdoor recreation opportunities and increased environmental awareness.   NFCT makes this possible for as many children as possible by subsidizing the cost of these adventures.

Success:

-       In 2011, named “Best Canoe Trail” by Outside Magazine

-       In 2012, named “Best East Coast Adventure” by Outside Magazine

-       Between 2011 and 2012 the program grew by 66%

-       Through generous donations, NFCT supports 20 trips each year

-       Partnerships with 70 communities along the 740-mile trail, enabling both education for the kids and economic development for the communities.

Challenges: 

-       Subsidizing the cost of participation for over 150 participants in 2013

-       Forming partnerships with additional outdoor education/recreation organizations

NFCT is looking for support to keep the kid’s trip program in action.

To sponsor a child or a full excursion and to learn more about this critical program for rural youth in New England visit:  http://www.northernforestexplorers.org/.  To sponsor a child or a trip contact Kevin@northernforestcanoetrail.org

Sponsorship is easy:  At $600 you  can sponsor a single child from Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont on a trip of a lifetime on their backyard waterways.  Or sponsor a trip of 10 young people for $6,000.              

The success of this program is gauged by the increasing demand from local communities for this program to touch the lives of their young people.  As a result of this experience, the NFCT hopes to provide a growing awareness of the power of landscape and its ability to support healthy communities.  Providing a trip such as this will help to create the environmental stewards of the future.

Contact Kevin Mack, NFCT’s Director of Partnerships & Marketing, Kevin@northernforestcanoetrail.org, 802-535-5855 with any further questions.

My name is Paul DeCrette.  Since 1998, I have run BlueChannel, a small web development and consulting firm.  I enjoy my work, provide livable wages and good benefits to a few employees, and genuinely care about my clients.  But I am not changing the world through programming or email support!

I moved the business to Colorado in 2000 to take advantage of our state’s beautiful and precious outdoor spaces.   I wanted to spend time with my beautiful wife Nicole and raise my children in clean mountain air.  When I took on Mick Jeanne – a long-time employee – as a co-owner a few years ago, we jointly acknowledged that the world is bigger than us and precious to us.  We agreed to put some money where our environmental mouths are.  After all, talk is cheap, but change is expensive!  Good causes need financial support.

1% for the Planet is a good fit.  It connects us with like-minded businesses and demands a simple, honest, and manageable annual giving goal – and one that changes as means change.  “A portion of profits donated to charity,” or “10% of profits donated to this cause” is meaningless; any business owner knows profits can be manipulated by compensation and other accounting tricks.  But when you donate a percentage of your gross sales as reported on your tax return, the number is concrete.  For BlueChannel, this number, albeit small, was hard to swallow at first.  It has since grown year over year, and now it is just built into our business model and lives.  And while we would continue to give even if this was not true, the exposure we receive from our annual contributions has made this commitment financially worthwhile as well.  Doing the right thing can pay.

Colorado Environmental Coalition has recently merged with Colorado Conservation Voters to become Conservation Colorado.  Priorities include protecting public lands and wilderness areas – many of the same areas I have backpacked and skied.  They also work to mitigate climate change and encourage pro-environmental legislation.  Right now, they are active in trying to encourage rural Colorado utilities to increase their clean energy sources.  Help the cause and take action to support SB 252 and related legislation today!

Republican, Democrat, or otherwise, you can’t do business on a dead planet.  I encourage you to support an environmental cause, and if you need ideas, 1% for the Planet and Conservation Colorado are indeed worthy.

Cycling 4,500 miles across the USA, that’s the easy part.  So what’s the hard part?  How about doing it completely off the grid?  For three months, adventurer and 1% for the Planet member Rob Greenfield will be showing and inspiring Americans how to live sustainably and decrease their environmental impact.  He will be:

-using electricity generated by portable alternative energy devices

-creating near zero trash

-using water from natural sources

-eating locally produced organic and unpackaged foods

-composting all food waste

-shopping at businesses that are committed to creating a healthy planet

The adventure begins at the San Francisco Earth Day Celebration on April 20th and will take Rob through 19 states.  Traveling mostly on ‘blue highways’, he will also be spending time in cities including Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York, Providence and Boston.  The journey is scheduled to end on August 1st at the 1% for the Planet Headquarters in Waitsfield, Vermont.  During the three month trip Rob will be raising $10,000 for 1% for the Planet non-profits, including Guitars in the Classroom and Below the Surface, as well as speaking with new businesses about joining the 1% for the Planet movement.

Along the way, Rob will be hosting zero waste events and bicycle rides, visiting environmental causes and businesses that practice corporate social responsibility, promoting sustainable products, working with community gardens and hosting do good giveaways via Facebook. The journey will be documented by professional cameraman, Brent Martin, and can be followed online at www.GreenfieldAdventures.org and www.facebook.com/GreenfieldAdventures.

Key ingredients of the adventure include sponsorships by Goal Zero, Drips Water, Kala Brand Music, PowerPot, neat-os, Dinkum Systems, Volontourism, and Bokashi Earth.

About Greenfield Adventures

Rob Greenfield is an adventurer at Greenfield Adventures, where his mission is to entertain, educate, inspire and give back through adventures and traveling.  He has traveled to 25+ countries on six continents.  He lives a sustainable life in San Diego, where he has started a community bike program and a community CFL bulb exchange and has hosted trash cleanups.  He’s also the founder of The Greenfield Group, an environmentally active marketing company that uses five percent of its revenue for green projects.  Rob is a 26-year-old native of Wisconsin and a graduate of University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in Biology and Aquatic Science.

To learn more about the trip, please contact Rob Greenfield at 715-292-0879, Rob@GreenfieldAdventures.org

Coming aboard at the beginning of the year, Greentag is one of 1% for the Planet’s most exciting new member businesses.  Greentag’s mission is to design great products with minimal environmental impact, promote sustainable living, and inspire others to stand up for Mother Nature.

The company is in the process of launching a t-shirt line that will redefine sustainable clothing. Rather than farming organic cotton or recycling plastics into polyester, they are reusing the whole t-shirt. Their post-consumer t-shirts come from textile recyclers that purchase the excess donations Goodwill can’t stock. Inspired by the methods of graffiti, Greentag prints new designs over pre-existing designs their 100% unique ‘assorted’ t-shirts. The pockets from their pocket tees are cut from recycled handkerchiefs and scarves sewn onto post-consumer blank tees. Greentag also makes salvaged leather wallets with a zero-waste initiative. The leather comes from other Los Angeles-based fashion lines that cut leather to make jackets.

Greentag’s Kickstarter Project

Greentag needs crowd funding to help produce their first run of inventory because textile resellers ask a high minimum. They also want to educate the public about the environmental cost of producing each cotton t-shirt.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/greentag/804728555

Why there is a need for Greentag

Founders Armand and Chris started Greentag hoping to make a difference. They grew tired of seeing recycle symbols printed on crisp new t-shirts pretending to be Eco-friendly. Isn’t the mantra Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? That’s exactly what Greentag does with their t-shirts. It takes more than 700 gallons of irrevocably damaged water to produce one cotton t-shirt. That’s enough water to quench a person’s thirst for 900 days. Greentag is dedicated to salvaging shirts and other materials, turning them into great products without harming the planet. They hope to inspire a change within an industry fostering the wrong type of green. Greentag hopes that its new methods of sustainable clothing production will replace organically farmed cotton or recycled plastics as the spearhead of ‘green’ clothing.

Check them out!

www.facebook.com/greentagllc

http://instagram.com/greentagclothing

Alex and Andrea de Roode have been working hard to get their company off the ground. Once their five tea blends hit the shelves, they plan on supporting a number of local nonprofits who are working to protect Hawaii’s natural environment. These organizations include the Leeward Haleakala Watershed Restoration Partnership, East Maui Watershed Partnership, Hawaiian Islands Land Trust and others! By supporting their campaign, you will not only be sent some of their tasty tea, but you will also be giving back to these nonprofits- so donate today!

Support their Kickstarter campaign at the $35 level (or higher!) in the next thirty days and you will be sent one of these attractive bottles. They are not only BPA-free, but the filters are made from coconut shells- how cool is that?! Spread the word, and let’s get these bottles on the shelf!