Events & views - February 2009

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February 2009 Newsletter

• Trying Times
• Spring Training
• EcoCenter Update
• School Services Update... and Thanks!
• Who's News: John Armstrong
• Wild Crush is Back!
• Salty

I don't need to tell anyone that we live in trying economic times. The harsh current realities and the future uncertainties combine to burden all of us. Nonprofit organizations face the very same challenges businesses and individuals are confronting.

How are we faring at the E.V.? On the program side we are doing exceptionally well - possibly better than ever (and we've been pretty good for a long time now). Economically we are facing challenges and working hard to adjust. Let's look at both of these.

Programs - This is an exceptionally exciting period of growth for our programs. Consider:
· This year we are delivering 390 classroom services and 150 fieldtrips. It was our goal to increase capacity by 40 additional classrooms and we are succeeding. As a result, 1000 additional students are receiving environmental education programs.
· We launched an innovative new delivery model that encourages schools to commit to multiple programs over multiple years so that students receive better, deeper science education. We expected to launch this program in 8 schools and 40 classrooms. The enthusiasm among teachers was so great that we actually launched in 18 schools and in 182 classrooms!
· We developed a new summer program for middle school children last summer and plan to expand it this summer.

Non-Profit Economics - In difficult times, we all struggle: businesses, individuals, nonprofits. There is no question that contributed support has declined. Foundations have less funds to offer because their portfolios have declined. Corporate philanthropy often tracks corporate stability. And individuals cut back on personal spending and giving. As an organization, our response must include a constant watchful eye on the bottom line and prudent cutbacks of our own, as needed. We are also working hard to keep you, friends of the E.V., well informed about our work.

Perspective - While times are not easy for so many, it's important to keep some measure of perspective. Our country's new president believes in environmental stewardship. As individuals we have so much to be thankful for that cannot be measured in monetary terms. And within the E.V., our volunteers continue their commitment to the 11,000+ students we serve. With your continued support we can continue to make all of this happen.

Request - I put forth this simple request for your consideration. If your situation allows for it, please keep us in mind as you plan your philanthropic giving. Every gift of support is critical to us -- especially now. Share our good works with your friends and suggest that they learn more about us. It would be selfish to not let them be inspired by the wide-eyed wonderment of children giggling as a banana slug wiggles across their hand.

Thank you for being a friend of the E.V.

Is it baseball season again already? No there is still some time before the boys of summer pull out their gloves again. It is, however, time to start training our next batch of new EVs!

Help us recruit. Tell your friends and family about the wonderful time you have volunteering for the EV. We will happily send more information to anyone you get interested.

We have three training classes for new EVs this semester. These are open

to you as well. Current EVs are welcome to attend one or more days of training as long as your paperwork is up to date. Just RSVP to Brittany.

Living in California is in progress, but we have two more sessions that you may be interested in.

February 4th Earthquake Geology with a presentation from Christopher DiLeonardo from Foothill College;
February 11th Water Science & Conservation with a presentation on Themes and Content by Lori Mann, education consultant.

Classes run from 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
EV South Bay Office in San Jose

Field Trip Training (New!) covers all six of our field trip sites. This module is designed to give trainees more than just an introduction to the individual trails. We will learn about how to work with kids in the field and fun games to play with your groups. We will also spend more time learning how to identify the plants, animals, tracks, and rocks that are encountered.

Schedule:
February 13 Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve
February 23 Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve with Diane West-Bourke
February 27 Los Trancos Open Space Preserve
March 6 Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
March 13 Huddart Park
March 20 Stevens Creek Park

Carpools will depart at 9:00 am and return by 1:30 pm
Prerequisite: New trainees must have taken (or be taking) a classroom module.

Explorations in Ecology covers Baylands Ecology; Forest & Foothills Ecology; Marine Ecology; Nature in Your Neighborhood (Urban Ecology); and All About Birds.

The specific order of subjects is still being determined, but the class will run from:
Thursday, March 5 - Apr 16 from 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
EV Peninsula Office in Palo Alto

Have you been to the baylands lately? It's quite a sight: Our 65-ton 'boat building' is up on blocks. All the siding has been taken down so that the old lead paint can be safely removed. 50' piers have been drilled into the ground and a new cement foundation poured. Check out these construction photos to see how the project...and excitement...is building!
click here.

February is here and we have had a very successful year of school programs so far. We signed up most of the volunteers needed for the January and February services at the Holiday Party in December!

It is great to see new EVs starting to observe and do services with us. Please give them all your support when you see them on a service. Their experience with us will not only be determined by how comfortable they are teaching school children but also how well they are greeted by fellow EVs.

We had great attendance to our Peninsula and South Bay January Area Meetings, a sign that EVs welcome the opportunities to gather and share experiences, to feel part of a family. Please join us at a future area meeting as we always have services to fill, something new to learn from each other and lots of food!

We continue to schedule services in March and April, so check the web schedule if you like to plan ahead and sign up early. At the February Area Meetings I will have Lead Forms ready for May and June.

Soon we will start our 2009-2010 School Services sign up process and we hope we can accommodate all those who request our services. We are so popular and demanded that we do not promote our programs! We just contact our pool of schools and teachers and they are enough to start a wait list.

BIG THANKS to all of you ( Area Coordinators, Lead EVs, EV helpers, training helpers, office project helpers, etc.) as we continue to make this organization as strong as it is.

Here are the statistics for December and January services:

working to bring energy efficiency to low-income homeowners; and, helped start up a solar-related company. He has volunteered at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto for 12 years, as a tutor in the reading program, and has led overnight camping trips for 6th and 8th graders. So, John is no stranger to volunteering!

Raised in the Bay Area, John graduated from West Point and served as an army officer in Germany for 3 years. During his tenure at HP, he and his wife Polly joined the Peace Corps and spent several years in Slovakia, where John was able to use his marketing skills. In keeping with his environmental interests, he has installed a solar system on his house and drives a hybrid when biking is impractical. An interesting side note is that Polly was a Sea Scout in our new building!

John has been a nature lover all his life, as evidenced by his many outdoor activities. He hikes 3 or 4 times a week in the foothills with his black labrador, Bear. He and Polly love backpacking and take several trips a year, as well as go to Yosemite twice a year to hike. They have biked extensively and hope, one day, to pedal across the U.S. John recently scaled Mt. Rainier and Half Dome and has enjoyed scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. The Armstrong's love of travel has allowed them to see much of the world and meet its peoples, from the outback of Australia and the Kenyan savannah to the rainforests of Costa Rica. With such a wonderfully diverse background, John's contributions to the E.V. will be many. We are most happy to welcome you, John, as part of the E.V. family.

The third E.V. Wild Crush will be held April 25, 2009 at the Quadrus Center in Menlo Park. This gala event will feature the newest E.V. subject, Energy and Natural Resources, an update about Educating For Depth, and information about the progress of our EcoCenter. A number of local wineries will pour their best wines, a wonderful dining experience with jazz music will be enjoyed, a lively auction will be conducted, and fun will be had by all! More information about how you can support Wild Crush or how to purchase tickets can be found at the E.V. website www.evols.org.