A YEAR IN REVIEW Your Support in Action Breaking down the walls... Something remarkable happens when education moves outdoors. When you take away the walls, perceptions of roles fall away, leaving everyone open to new ways of relating to nature, each other, and ourselves. This shift occurs when we step aside and let nature take the lead. We could lecture about animal adaptations, but we prefer the magic when a student finds a dead bird, and the questions begin to fly. Nature inspires, curiosity reigns, and students own the experience. In these changing roles, we are no longer the experts, with students merely recipients of facts and opinions. When we explore together, children discover that we all have unanswered questions, and that learning takes place over a lifetime. Walls between adults and children are removed, relationships with peers are honored, and the ideas of the individual are encouraged. The results are trust, friendship, critical thinking, and confidence. When you support the ERC, you support a child spending 20 minutes sketching sagebrush to learn its traits, rather than reading about it indoors. You support students engaged in lively debate about the importance of geology to humans, rather than having it explained to them. You support asking questions about nature, and providing tools to find the answers, rather than the answers themselves. You support the creation of a connected and engaged group of young people who will find the passion and possess the skills to ultimately make sound decisions on the sustainability of our valley.
Your donation today will help us continue breaking down walls.
2009
erc info Promoting a more sustainable environment through community education, awareness and participation. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Kingsley Murphy Treasurer Michael Schlatter Members Erik Boe, Karim Merchant, Beverley Robertson, Jeff Tumolo, Werner Morawitz
STAFF Executive Director Craig Barry Education Coordinator Lisa Huttinger Youth Outreach Associate Molly Fox Office Director Lisa Horton Accountant Christy McPherson
Help support these great programs and more! SCHOOL PROGRAMS
1048 elementary school students attended from Jan-May. More class time is in place for the current session, and the BCSD curriculum is greener overall due to our efforts.
SUMMER ECOLOGY CAMPS
83 participants attended our week-long EcoCamp and the Shooting Star Sleepout.
WILD CONNECTIONS
More than 360 children and community members attended our nature programs.
CLIMATE PROTECTION
“We are very fortunate at Hemingway to have the ERC do such great lessons for our students.”
Worked with local governments and the — Hemingway Teacher school district to help assess their carbon emissions and green up their operations. Our valley reduced single-use plastic bags by over 51,000 bags!
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Newly improved website, print and electronic newsletters, and Twitter and Facebook presences share information and provide for community collaboration. Program pictures and more can be see at www.ercsv.org
RECYCLING
16,634 pounds of recyclables were diverted from the
waste stream at public events. We answered over 600 calls from the community about recycling. We installed 3 sets of recycling kiosks along Ketchum’s 4th St corridor.
SUSTAINABILITY
CleanSweep volunteers picked up over 2,000 lbs of trash from neighborhood streets. Canine CleanSweep has made trailheads the cleanest they’ve been in years and funds are accumulating to support and improve these efforts. Carbon footprints were completed for Blaine County, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley and we’re working with local governments on their action plans. We helped pass an Idle No More Ordinance this fall to protect our air quality and health.
email: reduce@ercsv.org www.ercsv.org 471 Washington Avenue North PO Box 819 Ketchum, Idaho 83340 208.726.4333 fax 208.726.1531
“You were the best teachers ever. I love the wilderness so much! and it is
Printed on recycled paper, naturally
awesome to learn about it…. Thank you so much for taking us to the river. It was a wonderful experience and I learned so much!”
— Montessori Students after an overnight Ecology Trip
A Word from our Executive Director Your support has never been more critical. You won’t see the Environmental Resource Center hosting big fundraising galas. Instead, we focus directly on the hearts and minds of the community and let our good work in the valley and with our children speak for itself. Now is that time of the year when we take a look both backward and forward. We are proud of the many accomplishments in 2009. Our education programs reached over 1500 children, providing rich, hands-on educational experiences that inspire and inform. Our recycling outreach efforts boosted recycling amounts 19% — the highest increase in Blaine County’s history. We have been working in close partnership with the valley’s local governments to assess carbon emissions, set goals, uncover practical ways to reduce these emissions, and secure funding to ensure a more sustainable future for all. We’ve spearheaded efforts and partnered with other organizations to address community-wide concerns like safeguarding our air quality with no idling zones, protecting our streams by cleaning up dog waste, bagging tons of trash that litter our neighbors, and providing easy-to-use recycling at many of the valley’s most popular summer events. The ERC is focused on what matters — our children and our sustainable future. If we are to continue with these efforts, we need your support. This past year was a challenging one for most. The ERC was no exception. We have "trimmed back" and "buckled down" to ensure that every dollar given is stretched to the max. Yet as we look ahead, the ERC's Board of Directors and I have determined that we need to raise $40,000 by year end to ensure that we can continue with these environmental education and sustainability initiatives. We need each person like you — someone who cares about our valley's sustainable future and the children who will inherit this future — to give whatever you can, no matter how large or small. This year especially, your donation counts. So please take a moment and send in your donation today. Thank you so much for your support,
Yes! I would like to make a special year-end donation to connect people with nature! Donation Amount $_____________ Budget friendly option: monthly donation of $_______ on my credit card Enclosed is my check payable to ERC, or bill my
Mastercard
Card #_________________________________ CVC code (on back) ________ Billing zip code _________
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Signature ____________________________
Name(s) by which we may acknowledge you:________________________________________ “Please send in your donation today!"
PO Box 819 Ketchum, ID
83340
A quick note from the ERC: Visit www.ercsv.org for a narrated slideshow about our programs!