The green team project

Here is a bit about the project. Stay tuned - there is some pretty exciting stuff coming soon about kids and parents partnering in a project!

There are a lot of messages coming from inside and outside the green movement and many can be confusing. This leads to burnout and inaction at just the time when we need to be developing habits that will help us for the long term.

For many of us a phrase like "Save the Planet" is a little daunting and even a little off-putting. It makes us wonder how we can do anything. When you think of planet, you think about the six and a half billion other people and wonder how you can make a difference. Sure, the planet is a wonderful thing, but you probably think of your family, friends, pets, neighborhood and town first. And when some people hear the word "save", they think about having to sacrifice.

My view involves bettering people's lives through healthy, money saving actions that will spread green love. Kids and adults alike want to be happy and my goal is to spread green wellness in fun ways. If we can figure out how to do this we have created a foundation that can last for a lifetime and beyond especially when involving kids.

So the goal here is to find things that capture their imaginations. They shouldn't worry that one action is a bit better than another or that they need to be perfect. They need to have fun. A little girl needs to have the thrill of throwing an over-ripe tomato that she has grown in her garden at her brother when he isn't looking. She needs to have the freedom of being able to bike to where she needs to go without bothering her parents and causing them to burn oil. Growing their own produce, living healthily, helping their families save money - these are things a kid can do and things that are more positive and lasting than having them buy a green-washed product.

This is where you can help me. There is a lot of experimentation to do. As an athlete I can get the attention of kids and talk to them. I listen to them. There are different approaches to try and see what works best. This is an ever changing and growing process and I am growing through it as are the kids who join my team. Adults can join too. There are a lot of good ideas out there and you might have some. The goal is to find the good approaches and figure out how to grow a positive approach so kids everywhere can get excited. I ask for your suggestions and also your partnership. This is expensive for me and if you have a bit to invest, please consider the donation link.

And thank you!

Colleen

Comments

[les neumann]

Collen:
i am a friend of Steve Crandall, a man whom i admire very much. i would do just about anything to help him as he has been a huge help and inspiration in my life. For some time he has been telling me about you and your quest. Personally, i think your ideas are noble and worthwhile but I also think you have a huge task in front of you.

Yes, the world is finally thinking about going green and it seems that every chamber of commerce, not for profit, company etc., has decided to get on the band wagon of going green. Obvious to me is that going green is not something that costs money to do. Saving a plastic bag, driving less is more attitude than the traditional spending on a cuase. Jerry Lewis comes on each labor day to find a cure for MS. Also noble, but that aparently takes money where going green is as much about concience as opposed to money.

i would suggest you start thinking about forming or joining a not for profit agency who is touting green. become involved and even latch on as an employee. many chambers of commerce all over the county are using green for samll business, green in energy, green products and so on. become the expert. become the visible personality. to raise money for a cuase that's free is difficult.

[Bob]

I think you're doing a great thing and really like the idea of kids and parents partnering on green projects and activities...it could be in so many directions (cycling, gardening, recycling, education, etc). There's quite a lot of attention being payed to environmental issues in schools these days (at least in my kids schools here in Montclair NJ) so I think there are probably many possibilities for leveraging your efforts by partnering with schools.

Thanks to Steve Crandall for pointing me to your site!

[nancy]

this sounds like a great idea. you might look into forming partnerships with nearby community gardens. your rapport with kids would draw new young faces to the gardens, and my hunch is that gardening together would be a great deal of fun for the kids -- probably more immediately engaging that trying to start a garden solo.

[Peter and Trudy Johnson-Lenz]

Hi again, Colleen. Great to see the (too short) Sierra article and your photo. When will we see one with your wave tattoo? And is at the knee or your bikini line?

Yesterday we discovered Dell Computer's REgeneration website at http://www.regeneration.org.

"RE: The ReGeneration is a global movement -- a group of people committed to sustaining the world's natural environment."

They have a Digital Backpack you can download. It's a 21.7 MB zip file. "Your Backpack is full of tips, tricks, and tools for your ReGeneration journey. We've already packed it up for you. All you have to do is download it and start putting its contents to use."

It includes an 8-page GreenGuide (PDF) with green tips, organizations, etc. Also a screensaver from their wall with people's ideas of what it means to be green. And finally a 3:14 min. video introducing the ReGeneration.

The GreenGuide might be useful for your Green Team bag.

Also, we wonder if Dell would be interested in sponsoring your Green Team activities.

[dave]

colleen. i love what you are doing. thank you for doing it -- i want to learn more. after this, i'm heading over to make a donation but i wanted to offer some words of encouragement here first! this issue is so important -- and i think the best odds of creating real change is from within -- from people like you leading the fight. so, thank you.

[steve]

I really like the candlelight tip o' the week and will do it soon. Not only does it keep a bit of electricity from being used, but it lets you think about how alternatives can be more fun.

[Margo]

Colleen, I think it's great that you are working to combine volleyball with your efforts to promote good health and an improved environment. In thinking about how to raise money for your project, here's an idea. Cancer and other groups organize bike rides, walks, etc to raise funds. I wonder if you could organize a healthy activity (volleyball or other) where participants would line up sponsors to donate money to your cause.

Another idea might be to offer a volleyball clinic or fitness class for $x a head. [Could this be done through YMCAs?]

Good luck on your endeavor!

[Urs]

Colleen, this sounds like a really great idea. Thank you so much for being active in this field I deeply care about and which has far too little awareness. I wish you good luck and I'm looking forward to reading the updates on your blog!