Tag Archive for 'EarthWorks'

Carla’s Journal (2/25/10): A Response From EarthWorks!

carla published on February 25, 2010 in celebrity, superforest journal and zeitgeist. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , .

(via flickr user San Diego Shooter)

Dear SuperForest,

Just a few days ago, we sent out an email to the fine folks at San Diego EarthWorks to see if we could work out some sort of arrangement for SuperForest to participate as an exhibitor at this year’s EarthFair. Our request was simple; rather than paying full price for a space that we had no intention on making money off of, we’d provide volunteer services to help clean up after the event. But despite the simplicity of what we were asking, I found myself at a loss. I wasn’t sure what to write and I kept telling myself the chances of them making special considerations for SuperForest were slim (crazy, no?). In the end, my yearning to have SuperForest participate as an exhibitor outweighed all doubt and fear and I sucked it up and just sent the letter.

To our excitement, a few days later, we received a response!

Hi Carla,

Thanks for your interest in the EarthFair in Balboa Park. :) The practicality of us giving you a table in exchange for volunteering depends on how many people you have to both work and table and volunteer. i.e we believe it might be practical for a team of four, but not really for a team of two. i.e. you have to have someone to do your table set-up during set-up and could not then be available to really help with our set-up. So here’s our offer – we’ll give you a table for $50 (our cost) if you can register 4 volunteers to do clean-up from 5-7pm and you all need to attend a volunteer training.

let me know if that interests you.

regards.
–cdc

Translation: SuperForest at EarthFair is a go!

Yay! Our plan thus far is to do two things: tell people about SuperForest and spread the word about our work and about positive environmentalism, and make a bunch of free souvenirs for the patrons. So essentially we’d have a D.I.Y. booth. The details are still in the works, and we look forward to sharing those with you soon, but what I really wanted to emphasize in this post was provide a simple reminder of the obvious yet beautiful power that comes with writing a simple message (and writing it politely).

I can’t count the times my own personal doubt or fear has stopped me or has gotten in the way from open communication. The hesitation that comes before saying or sending something in fear of not getting the response I’m looking for is something pretty common for me, and despite fully understanding how limiting it can be, it’s a really easy feeling to get sucked into. Luckily, time and time again, SuperForest has provided me with countless examples of the limitless potential that surrounds you after taking a plunge. No matter what we’ve asked for on this site, as crazy and as far fetched as it might’ve seemed, we’ve almost always received a response. And I can honestly say that in hindsight any kind of result (even not receiving a response) is usually for the best. All that’s required of you is to suck in that deep breath and dive in. And with that kind of power and trust in both yourself and in life in general, you can accomplish just about anything, amigos…

Like receiving major discounts for exhibiting in public events. (lol!)

If you have any suggestions as to how we can make our spot on EarthFair the best it could possibly be, feel free to comment or contact us! We’d love to hear your input!

Love to all,
C

SuperForest Journal (2/15/10): Dear San Diego EarthWorks, Please Give Us Booth Space

carla published on February 15, 2010 in superforest journal. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

Balboa Park, San Diego

Good evening, SuperForest!

I spent the better part of this last night writing a letter to San Diego EarthWorks, the fine organization that runs the San Diego EarthFair each year at the beautiful Balboa Park (pictured above). It’s a pretty huge event, in fact, it is the largest “free annual environmental fair in the world”! As some of you might recall, SuperForesters Iman, Nika, and I attended last year and created what we called a “booth coalition”. We talked to the fine individuals that were spreading their good word to EarthFair attendees, told them about SuperForest and the Humanifesto, and had them put up a little sign on their booth that described SuperForest.

Here is SuperForester Iman giving us the recap:

So yeah, we had missed the deadline to have an actual booth at the event and decided to “make lemonade” with the lemons we were given by exploring an opportunity to spread the idea that San Diego Earth Fair 2009 would be less about selling material things and more about promoting the positive simplicity of sustainability.

It was a blast, but this year we want to explore the idea of actually having a booth at EarthFair while still holding true to the idea we tried to promote last year. After a bit of research, we learned that the cheapest boothspace for San Diego EarthFair costs somewhere around a minimum of $160. Now, SuperForest fully acknowledges the fact that these wonderful cats need a bit of revenue to support their cause and allow the event to take place. But being that none of us SuperForesters are paid for the work we do, and aren’t looking to make any money off of this event, we decided to send them a nice email offering an alternative suggestion.

Give it a read:

Dear friends at San Diego EarthWorks,

My name is Carla Salehian and I write for SuperForest.org, a blog run by a group of passionate individuals from all over the world dedicated to communicating positivity and environmental consciousness. I am writing to you this evening in hopes of (a) opening a line of communication with EarthWorks and (b) discussing a possible arrangement for SuperForest to participate and have a booth at this year’s San Diego EarthFair event.

I’ve attended this event for several years now and am continually inspired by the dedication toward educating the public about the environment and encouraging a better quality of life for all. I have learned much from this event over the years and now that I’ve been a part of the SuperForest organization for quite some time, feel there is much we can offer to this event. Particularly, I’ve noticed that a lot of the booths at San Diego EarthFair try to sell their product to the consumer. SuperForest would like to offer the EarthFair visitor an alternative. In accordance to the primary goal of San Diego EarthFair, rather than selling anything or searching for a way to make profit, SuperForest would love the opportunity to educate those in attendance of “New Environmentalism”, the concept that in order to “save the environment” one has to start with their immediate surroundings.

At its essence, this is what SuperForest is, and this is the message we communicate to our readers daily. Through a potential booth, this is the message we would like to share with EarthFair attendees, as well. We are hoping for the opportunity to host a booth at your event, share our message, teach individuals simple D.I.Y. projects, and give those made items away. At SuperForest, we work on a completely voluntary basis and are not paid for any of the work we do, therefore, we were hoping that perhaps in exchange for free booth space, members of Team SuperForest could assist in the setup of EarthFair and the cleanup that occurs afterward. Money has never served as an incentive for us, but assisting in the creation of another successful EarthFair and the incredible opportunity of spreading our message of optimism and positivity would be a gift beyond measure.

Please let us know if there is any way we could work something out. We are ready to hear your thoughts. You can visit our website at www.superforest.org, and to gain a better understanding of our message or founding principles, you can read our Humanifesto, here.

Thank you very much in advance,

Carla Salehian
www.superforest.org

There it is..the SuperForest way. Labor for free boothspace. Who knows if they’ll dig the concept, but let’s keep our fingers crossed because if SuperForest is able to get a space at the fair, we have some wonderful and exciting plans for it.

Love to all,
Carla

(UPDATE: To read the wonderful email we received in response, click here!)