Events & views - September 2008
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September 2008 Newsletter |
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Welcome to our new e-newsletter! We look forward to staying in touch with you, sharing updates, and inspiring you with the wonderful good works that result when 190 volunteers deliver over 500 school programs each year to 11,000 students. This newsletter is not the only thing new at the EV.
We hope you appreciate this monthly newsletter. We welcome your feedback – positive or otherwise. Our goal is to inspire you to join us in becoming knowledgeable about the wonders of natural science and ever better stewards of our shared environment. Thanks for being a Friend of the Environmental Volunteers. Allan Berkowitz Executive Director |
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It's Time to Launch the Ship!
About four years ago, the EV was presented with what, in personal sense, could be considered a life changing opportunity. Up until then, the EV had been moving from location to location with the “PCC Family.” Our association with the Peninsula Conservation Center has benefited us in many ways, and for the most part we had all functioned in a productive environment. Our headquarters have always been somewhere “down the hall” in a building that housed many tenants. We never stood out in terms of our physical location; only those who were looking for us found us.
On September 14 at 1:00 PM this will all change. The Environmental Volunteers will go from being, according to some, one of the best kept secrets around to front and center to all who make that left turn at the east end of Embarcadero Road and walk, drive, or cycle down the road. Bird watchers, parents with children heading to the duck pond, friends out for a brisk walk, and people strolling by will notice that the decrepit, sinking, battered and bruised old building that resembles a boat is about to be given a new lease on life. And right in front of that old building will be a sign that says “Environmental Volunteers.”
What does this all mean for the EV? What does it mean for our volunteers? How will this change impact EV staff responsibilities? What will the future of the EV look like? How will we change as an organization? These questions will all be answered in due time, but for now, much of the story on how the new EcoCenter will impact the EV is yet to be written. However, there are some things we do know right now. And they are all related to the “O” word. OPPORTUNITY! We know that the EV secret will be let out of the bag. More people will know about our organization, so we have an opportunity to impact more people. Right now our prime constituents are children. With our move to the EcoCenter, we will have opportunities to impact adults as well. Right now we have a set of high quality programs for children, which we will continue to maintain. Soon we will have opportunities to share those programs with a greater audience, and develop new programs for wider variety of local citizens. We are blessed with bright and creative volunteers and staff. This means that over the next few years, after we have moved into our new home by the Bay, opportunities will abound.
In this critical time for our fragile Earth, NOW is the time to provide the EV with an opportunity to cast a wider net. We have a wonderful opportunity to expand our outreach so that we can convey our important message of stewardship: of believing that what people come to know and understand, they are more likely to appreciate and love, and what they love, they will protect.
EcoCenter News
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Come and Move the Mud!* You are invited to the EcoCenter Groundbreaking Celebration Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008 Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm Place: Behind the Duck Pond at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve Join EVs, donors, teachers, kids, and friends as we celebrate the start of this long-awaited project and rejoice in the opportunities that lie ahead. Limited parking available. Wear sturdy shoes and a hat. We are pleased to have former EV board member Professor Barton H. "Buzz" Thompson, the Director of the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University, as Master of Ceremonies. |
| *In keeping with our eco-sensitive restoration of this historic building, we're only symbolically Moving the Mud! | |
EcoCenter Capital Campaign Passes the $2 Million Mark Thanks to leadership gifts from Jan and Bob Fenwick, Bob and Mary Dodge, Bob McIntyre, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and many other friends of EV, we have so far raised over $2 million toward our campaign goal of $4 million for building restoration and construction, and new community programs. These dedicated friends are responsible for the reinvention of this iconic building that was formerly the Sea Scout House, which will be a lively gathering place for our future. Read more about the capital campaign. |
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Why an EcoCenter?
We believe it is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for your award-winning environmental education organization to move directly into an established nature preserve to advance our mission of inspiring environmental stewardship in our children. Find out more in the Frequently Asked Questions.
Introducing the EV Board Emeritus
What happens to former EV board members? Where do they go? Out to pasture? I think not! Serving on the EV board is a great honor and responsibility, usually prompted by a strong conviction that the work of this nonprofit is essential to the environmental health of our region. That conviction does not disappear just because one has completed one’s term on the board. Enter the EV Board Emeritus, designed to bring added wisdom, leadership, and financial support to the organization; to safeguard institutional memory; and to provide opportunities for former board members to maintain fulfilling and meaningful connections with the EV community. Our very first gathering is at noon on Sunday, September 14 immediately preceding the groundbreaking ceremony for the EcoCenter at the Palo Alto Baylands. If you have served on the board, please join us or contact Margot Rawlins for more information. |
A Successful Camp Season
Another wild and exuberant camp season has ended! Both S.N.A.K.E. Camp and Explore! were successful, due largely to the many EVs who worked overtime, contributing their time, effort, used materials and expertise. Thank you so much for your contributions!
They journeyed to Chabot Science Museum and the Lawrence Hall of Science, in the East Bay, where they explored hands-on exhibits about space and the Earth, and climbed on huge models of a whale and DNA. They spent a day at the Oakland Zoo, where they rode the Sky Ride and found animals as part of a treasure hunt. They hiked at Rancho del Oso and had lunch in the company of some inquisitive gophers. And they wandered all over the Monterey Bay Aquarium, learning about the ocean's animals and touching bat rays and tidepool creatures.
Explore! The inaugural year of Explore!, the EV's middle school summer program (don't call it a camp!), went extremely well. This year's program served 39 Explorers, including 14 teens from our new partner school, Eastside College Prep, who attended on scholarship. The first week, Energy on the Move, led by Brittany Sabol, focused on Energy & Natural Resources through the use of the EV's Energy & Natural Resources kits and lots of clever games and projects Brittany devised. A field trip to the Tech Museum, intended to introduce Explorers to local public transportation options (aka the Palo Alto Shuttle, CalTrain and the San Jose DASH) unfortunately taught them that public transportation does not always work as planned, when we were left standing at the shuttle stop in Palo Alto by the last shuttle of the morning. We drove instead. The week culminated with a presentation of renewable-energy-powered vehicles invented by the Explorers, and a barbecue. To see pictures of this event, please click here. During the second week, Bay, Sea, & Slough, Explorers traveled to a different watery field trip each day, resulting in fun, excitement, knowledge, and self-awareness (many Explorers now know that they DO get seasick). They sailed across San Francisco Bay on a 41-foot sailboat, for a close-up view of Alcatraz and Angel Island. They spent a day at San Gregorio Beach, where they splashed in the waves, built sand castles and driftwood sculptures, buried each other in the sand, and walked on the beach. They walked across the Golden Gate Bridge with a guide, learning about the planning and construction of the bridge, ate lunch in Sausalito, and toured the Bay Model. They went kayaking on Elkhorn Slough, where they saw sea otters, sea lions and cormorants, and experienced the unforgettable olfactory affront of being downwind of the cormorants' nests, which are made of seaweed and bird droppings. Explore! wrapped up with a whale watching trip to Monterey Bay, where we were joined by the EV staff and other friends. We had some fabulous, up-close encounters with humpback whales and three kinds of dolphins and porpoises. We also had some rough (or fun, depending on your stomach) sea conditions, which made the trip less enjoyable for some participants, but they soon recovered. Thanks again to all the EVs who made this year's camps the wonderful experiences they were for the children! |
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Back to School
After a well-deserved summer break, it is exciting to know that we are launching another successful year of EV school programs. We have been fully booked since May! Teachers and students are anxious to have the EVs in their classrooms, sharing all their knowledge gained through the years. Many of our teachers have been receiving our services for more than 10 years. This year, we have committed to serve almost 50 schools and 350 teachers, with more than 500 services! But what makes a successful year of school programs? It is a well-combined mix of elements: volunteers, teachers, students, and office staff (including the volunteer Area Coordinators).
These are the players who make our school programs so successful. Thanks for being part of this in any way. Cheers for a great new school year!!! |
Who's News: Jan Nix
by Jan Whitmer
Jan Nix has had a lifetime love affair with food and cooking. She is especially fascinated by the way food reflects an area’s culture. Growing up in Eureka, California, she went hunting and fishing with her dad, berry picking and clamming with the family, and then spent hours at her mom’s side in the kitchen. As a result, Jan's career has revolved around the world of food. While working for Sunset Magazine and Books, Jan edited cookbooks, developing and testing recipes. She has taught cooking classes for many years, both to Japanese women while she and her husband Ken were living in Kobe, Japan and, most recently, to a group of neighborhood children who learned to make corn tortillas and sushi this summer! Jan also had a catering business for a while and started a falafel shop in Palo Alto with a friend. Her most recent job was freelancing for the San Jose Mercury News, writing a healthy cooking column. All in all, Jan has written 23 cookbooks, for which she did the shopping, developed the recipes, and tested them. She has worked on book projects for 17 years with Martin Yan (of Yan Can Cook), from whom she learned much about Asian cuisine. With another friend, she co-authored The Zinfandel Cookbook about dishes that pair well with zinfandel wine. She also became the sales department for the book, for which she had the enviable task of visiting California wineries who might want the book in their gift shops. Jan sold 20,000 copies! The chance to work with young people drew Jan to the EV. She especially enjoys the Early California Indian Life program, as she grew up with the Native Americans living along the Klamath River and likes to stress that Native Americans are part of our modern culture, but also have a wonderful history. Jan also volunteers as a reading tutor in the JustREAD program at Mountain View High School. In addition, both Jan and Ken are on the staff of the Tech Museum in San Jose, where they explain the exhibits during special events, another chance to meet young people. We are fortunate, indeed, to have Jan “cooking” with us! |
Fall Training
The first training class of the fall will begin on September 4th and run every Thursday from 9:00 to 1:30 through October 16th at the South Bay Office. This will be the Explorations in Ecology module (Baylands Ecology, Marine Ecology, Forest & Foothill Ecology, All About Birds, and Nature in Your Neighborhood). The Living in California module, including the Energy & Natural Resources subject area, will run from the Peninsula office beginning October 22nd and ending December 3rd. Both of these training modules are open to new volunteers as well as current EVs. Prospective volunteers who would like to sign up for a training should contact Nicole for more information. Current EVs who want to add a subject to their repertoire or brush up on one they already know should RSVP to Brittany. Any EV with current dues and paperwork is invited to join us for any session. An Energy & Natural Resources specific training will be scheduled soon. Also, the first subject area covered by the kit renovation project, Foothill Ecology, is nearing completion. We will be scheduling a training to bring everyone up to date on the changes and improvements. Stay tuned! |
Artwork Requests
For Illustrators We have been busy finishing the 9th subject area, Energy & Natural Resources. We are going to need artwork for the cover of the subject guide. Like the other guides, this will be a line drawing that reflects the content of the subject area. Click here for a full description of the subject. Please send your drawings or ideas to Brittany. For Photographers As we work on freshening up all of our 140 kits and their guides, we are going to need a library of great nature photographs that we have the full rights to use. (Copyright laws limit our use of photographs from books, magazines, the internet, etc.) Would you like to contribute to this library? Please send Brittany any digital photographs that you would like at the highest resolution possible. We will accept all nature photos, but right now, this is our specific wish list:
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