“From June 6-12, 2010, I am commited to bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It’s a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. I mean its pretty freaking amazing!
Help me support the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center by giving what you can. We’ll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing of the past. Every little bit helps! I appreciate you!”
-Tricia The Huff
Click here to visit her page, read more, and learn how you can help.
A few weeks back I was lucky enough to attend the Souperdouper Soup Kitchen Special, which was a benefit thrown by Cathy Erway and Noah Berland to raise energy/funds for the Greenpoint soup kitchen. The event was structured as a cook-off, and there was lovely food and sun and smiles for all.
Noah and Cathy are both bloggers here in NYC. Cathy runs the delightfully named Not Eating Out in NY blog, where she chronicles her DIY foodie adventures while trying to avoid eating in restaurants. Noah’s blog, the-411, is a compendium of all things Noah. Both are excellent.
After the feasting, I sat down with Noah and Cathy and they explained what made everything tick:
So wonderful! Few things make me happier than bright, energetic people using their hearts, smarts and the internet to create victories for their environment.
Let’s list all of the wins that Noah and Cathy’s cleverness created!
Firstly, the Greenpoint soup kitchen itself. The Souperdouper Soup Kitchen Special raised over $500 smackers and recruited a dozen new volunteers to a very worthwhile organization. Plus much awareness was raised, as before Souperdouper, I hadn’t ever heard of the Greenpoint soup kitchen.
Then there is the restaurant where Souperdouper took place, which got to serve all the participants lovely cool drinks (it was a scorcher that day.) Cathy said it best: “They provided the space. We provided the customers.” Win.
Everybody who attended the benefit not only got to mingle and eyeball each others smooth selves, but also got to feast on the entries of the contestant, which were delicious. I had a sandwich with bananas in it and it was incredible.
And finally, Noah and Cathy themselves got to work together, (and work hard) in order to benefit their community. Nothing says neo-environmentalism like using the internet to create a giant group win, and that’s just what Noah and Cathy did. They worked hard, and yes, there was stress involved, but at the end of that day, when their heads hit their pillows, I’m sure they slept the sleep that only those who’ve stretched to create something good and done it well can sleep.
Bravo, Noah and Cathy!
People like Noah and Cathy and events like the Souperdouper Soup Kitchen Special are the reason I can go to bed every night and feel like the world is a good place, in good hands, headed in a grand direction.
Thank you very much, Noah and Cathy. For your hard work and clever use of the internet to raise energy and awareness for a worthwhile cause, we salute you.
We have some very good news!
We’ve just received an email from Mr. Rob Yates at the Millennium Seed Bank.
“Dear Jackson,
We appreciate your interest and support. Your email has generated a great deal of enthusiasm here, it’s good to know that like minded people around the world share our concerns for global conservation!
The Millennium Seed Bank Project is funded and managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. We are incorporated in the US as the American Society for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
You can mail a cheque to the following address:
Terri Seei: American Society for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1530 South State St Unit 501 Chicago, IL 60605 USA
The Millennium Seed Bank Project is a global partnership working in more than 50 countries with more than 100 partners worldwide; our aim is to conserve 10% of the world’s wild plant species by 2010. Your support will help us achieve this.
Seed banking is a remarkably simple conservation tool. We collect seeds in the field and take no more than would be necessary for natural regeneration. We dry them to a moisture content that will allow them to survive at -20C. On average, this extends their lifespan for hundreds of years.
Like a Bank, we can withdraw the deposits and put them to good use: to conduct germination tests to make sure they are still viable, or to grow plants to restore habitats, or to put plants back into their native habitats.
In America, we are working directly with one main government partner the Bureau of Land Management and five NGO partners, but many other organisations are associated. Recent trips in the US have yielded some great collections, notably the attractive Trillium grandiflorum, and some valuable native grasses from Texas such as the annual muhly Muhlenbergia minutissima.
We know that wild plants play critical roles in the ecosystem, providing wildlife habitat, contributing to water quality, flood management and soil stability. They also provide people with their daily livelihoods. Our work focuses very much on wild plants that are endangered, endemic and of great economic use primarily to subsistence communities.
We have some great stories about how our work really benefits people; the Mongongo tree from Botswana is one example. The tree produces a highly nutritious fruit and a nut that is a part of the daily diet of subsistence communities. Our partners in Botswana were struggling to germinate seedlings. From 100 seeds, they would produce less than 15 trees. We shared our protocols with our partners and they saw a dramatic rise in the success of seedlings to germinate. From 100 seeds, they were able to produce 87 saplings.
Globally, we estimate 60,000 to 100,000 plant species are threatened with extinction. With climate change and habitat loss, it is vital that we conserve as many plants as possible before they go extinct. For future generations to meet the challenges of an uncertain future, they will need the greatest biological inheritance we can bequeath them. The Millennium Seed Bank delivers this.
On average, it costs £2000 ($3,062) to save a species. We believe it is a small price to pay for all that plants provide. For me the great thing about saving plants is that we do not yet know many of the secrets they possess. For example, does a particular plant hold the cure for cancer?
If you would like any further information, please do email. If you make it to the UK, I would be delighted to give you a tour of the Millennium Seed Bank.
Once again thank your for your support, it will help us make a real difference.
Rob Yates”
Well, that’s very encouraging!
And with that, I’m delighted to give a huge thank you to SuperForesters Mary Ann and
Jon for donating to the Save-A-Seed project.
Sure, they don’t have a fancy website or a huge following, but they have amazing volunteers that help special needs or disabled kids have the opportunity to learn to ride a two wheel bike.
Its easy to forget the little things that make kids feel free, happy, and like they fit in with their peers. Unfortunately many disabled kids need more attention when learning to do things (like ride bikes and play sports) than their parents are able to give them. This organization has volunteers that spend hours with kids teaching them to hop up on two wheels.
One touching quote that my roommate overheard when she was volunteering recently involved a young boy who was “such a gentleman” and had a tough time keeping his body moving at a fast enough pace. She was unsure that he was going to be able to get up on those two wheels but just being able to try that hard and get the chance to made him say to her, “I’m just so proud of myself!” When he proved her wrong and did get up on two wheels by himself, he had the biggest grin on his face. She felt great being a part of that moment, because its those little things that really matter to kids.
So… if these are moments that you value, too, then see if there are organizations in your community that allow you these moments. Kids on 2 Wheels is located primarily in Minnesota and Wisconsin so if you’re curious about how you can help (even if you’re not in the area) then here it is:
“There are a couple of ways that you can help us. One way is to send us a check for an amount of your choice. Any amount will help! One year we anonymously received a $10 bill in the mail — that made our day, and it was put to good use! Additionally, you can donate your used bikes and training bars when your child no longer needs them. We will use them for other children who may not be able to afford to buy their own.”
They never have a shortage of kids in need. In fact, they have a long waiting list. So the more money, bikes, and volunteers they can get, the better!
I hope this inspires you to search for organizations in your area, or to start one yourself!
They’re not even trying to MAKE you fat. Nope. The people at Heifer.org are busy feeding people that really need it. Many of you Superforesters may already know about organizations like this. But for those of you who don’t, here is the gist of it:
They gather people like you to donate gifts of farm animals. Thats right. You can donate not just money, but an animal that can help families become self reliant and sustainable in their own communities. The catalog of animals, like heifers, water buffalo, goats, geese, honeybees, etc. has a wealth of information regarding what kinds of animals benefit different poverty situations.
This method of teaching struggling families how to grow their own food, cultivate it, sell it, and return the profits to the community by passing on the benefits can help create a more independent community. A community that works together to make itself stronger and healthier.
The cornerstones of their organization create the acronym: PASSING on the GIFTS
Passing on the gift
Accountability
Sharing and caring
Sustainability and self reliance
Improved animal management
Nutrition and income
Gender and family focus
on the
Genuine need and justice
Improving the environment
Full participation
Training and education
Spirituality
You wanna know what else is cool? Kids at school can use this program as a fundraiser for their classmates. What better way to teach the next generation about sustainability and caring for our communities than by encouraging them and teaching them to help their fellow man!?
Please, check it out and see if you can gather your own community to chip in and help a community in need!
Aren’t they nice little sheep?
SuperForest is a positivity blog.
SuperForesters are all over planet Earth, all united in exploring how to redefine "environmentalism" and "sustainability" to encompass every aspect of our lives.
Everything you find on this website has been personally created to uplift and inspire you.
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