Service Agencies Mount Strategy as Georgia Takes on Katrina Evacuees
On Tuesday, September 6, The United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta hosted a conference to mobilize a response to the thousands of Katrina evacuees arriving in Atlanta. The aim of the conference was to evaluate the community's capacity and devise a strategy for accommodating the needs of Atlanta's newest residents. Aside from the immediate necessities of providing food and shelter, a massive effort is being launched out of this conference to address long-term needs such as employment, housing, education and childcare. Earth Share of Georgia, though not directly a human services agency, attended the conference to find out where it could best help out. As part of a network of more than 60 private and public, employer-sponsored charitable campaigns, Earth Share will be asking its partners in the region to join in the effort b y publicizing job opportunities to evacuees through a network being established out of the conference. We will keep you updated on developments. In the meantime, local service agencies will need your individual support more than ever. Please support these Georgia charities in your upcoming workplace giving campaign:

>>Community Health Charities of Georgia
>>Georgia Black United Fund
>>Georgia Shares
>>Global Impact
>>Earth Share of Georgia
>>United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta

[back to top]

Hurricane Katrina: The Environmental Angle of This Natural Disaster
The sheer scale of destruction left by Hurricane Katrina is still unfathomable to most Americans. As the scope of the human and economic damage begins to be assessed, questions are also arising about the ecological causes and impacts. Below is a sample of articles and links discussing the environmental angle of Hurricane Katrina.
These articles can also be found on our website at www.earthsharega.org/headlines.

>>www.georgia.sierraclub.org
>>Katrina Takes Environmental Toll (Washington Post)
>>Is Global Warming Fueling Katrina? (TIME)
>>www.grist.org
>>Man-Made Mistakes Increase Devastation Of 'Natural' Disasters (The Wall Street Journal)
>>Let Katrina Be a Warning (Business Week)

[back to top]< /p>

Just Announced: Matching Grant for Earth Share Holders
Earth Share Holders are making an investment in Georgia's environment by donating $1,000 or more annually to Earth Share of Georgia. At this time, Earth Share is pleased to announce that donors who contribute at the $1,000 level or above will have their gift matched 50 cents to the dollar--adding even more value to this significant investment.
At roughly 40 dollars per pay period, it's the kind of investment that pays off for generations to come. For example, $1,000 can fund two major river cleanups on the Chattahoochee River. It could fund two Community MicroGrants through Park Pride for neighborhood groups working to improve their parks. It can also buy the simple upgrades necessary to convert three Habitat Atlanta Houses into EarthCraft Houses. Ask your employer today about making your payroll deduction pledge to Earth Share to take advantage of our new matching gift program. Visit www.earthsharega.org/shareholder for more information and to view shareholder benefits.

[back to top]

Georgia Announces Sales Tax Holiday on ENERGY STAR Products
From October 6th through 9th, 2005, Georgia will enjoy a state sales tax holiday on the following ENERGY STAR-certified products: dishwashers, clothes washers, room air conditioners, ceiling fans, incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, programmable thermostats, and refrigerators. Visit www.eere.energy.gov to learn more.

[back to top]

Nature's Therapy
Last year, three-year-old Jacob was diagnosed with borderline autism and began visiting Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center in Columbus, Georgia. As part of his therapy he spends time with the snakes, skinks, frogs and other assorted critters that inhabit the 1,600 acres of hardwood wetlands. When he first started visiting, the staff remembers that he hardly ever spoke and when it was time to leave he would become very agitated. But over time Jacob has become increasingly more verbal and approachable, and is coping better in general and when it's time to leave this favored spot. By studying nature, Jacob appears to be making sense of the world around him despite the murky veil of autism.

Jacob is an extraordinary example of how nature centers like Oxbow are making a difference in people's lives. This place is in fact so special to their family that Jacob and his dad, who is based at Ft. Benning and currently serving in Afghanistan, came out to Oxbow with a video camera to film their time together as a way to stay connected after he was deployed. Chances are there is a nature center like Oxbow situated quietly in your community. Though none would claim to offer the kind of specialized services that Jacob and his family are using this facility for, they are, nonetheless, a rich and irreplaceable asset to our communities--providing environmental education, habitat protection and, yes, a therapeutic retreat from our sometimes stressful and chaotic lives.

[back to top]

Yards Gone Wild: NWF to Certify 70,000 Backyard Wildlife Habitats
Help National Wildlife Federation certify 70,000 Backyard Wildlife Habitats to celebrate their 70th anniversary in 2006. It doesn't matter where you live or even how much yard or garden space you have. There are no size restrictions to your wildlife habitat. Everything from 100-acre ranches to city balconies is eligible for certification. All that's required is that you provide four essential elements to make your backyard suitable for neighborhood wildlife: food, water, shelter and places to raise their young. Property owners also employ sustainable gardening practices that conserve natural resources. Visit National Wildlife Federation today to register and to learn more about how to qualify.

[back to top]

Earth Share of Georgia Awarded 4-Star Rating by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, recently awarded Earth Share of Georgia four out of a possible four stars. In earning Charity Navigator's highest rating, Earth Share of Georgia has demonstrated exceptional financial health, outperforming most of its peers in its efforts to manage and grow its finances in the most fiscally responsible way possible. Visit www.charitynavigator.org to review our 4-star rating.

[back to top]

Idea House Volunteers Still Needed
The Southern Living Idea House at Glenwood Park is open through October 4th. As the managing charity of the Earth Share of Georgia is seeking volunteers to assist with day-to-day operations. Earth Share is particularly enthusiastic about the environmental aspects of the Idea House which include photovoltaic panels, efficient lighting systems, water conservation and a low-energy HVAC system. Other environmental features--too numerous to mention here--are on display for visitors and volunteers. Sign up now by filling out our online volunteer form . Or contact Myke Harris-Long, 404-622-4022, email myke@earthsharega.org.

River's Alive Annual Cleanup
Rivers Alive is Georgia's annual volunteer waterway cleanup event that targets all waterways in the state including streams, rivers, lakes, beaches, and wetlands. The mission of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia's water resources. Rivers Alive is held annually each October and is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Program and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Keep Georgia Beautiful Program, in cooperation with Help the Hooch. Visit www.riversalive.org to find a clean-up near you.

Bird Collision Study Needs Survey Volunteers
Local researchers are looking for volunteers to help determine the extent of bird strikes on buildings during the fall migration. Bird/building collisions are a growing problem and were even the theme of this years' International Migratory Bird Day. Some estimates suggest that over 100 millions birds are killed annually in the US from building strikes. Despite this, we have very little idea of how big a problem this is in Atlanta. Researchers are asking volunteers who work in Atlanta to survey their buildings in the morning before work (during fall migration) and document any birds they find that hit the buildings during the night. Interested people should contact, Timothy Keyes at tim_keyes@dnr.state.ga.us.

Ongoing Opportunities
Follow these links for Volunteer Opportunities with our member groups:

>>State Botanical Gardens of Georgia
>>Sierra Club 101
>>www.chattnaturecenter.com/volunteer
>>www.treesatlanta.org/calendar
>>www.parkpride.org/volunteer_services
>>www.gwf.org/volunteers
>>www.elachee.org/volunteers
>>nature.org

[back to top]

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. --Albert Einstein

5 Simple Things You Can Do to Help the Environment:

Move the thermostat 3° F: Save money and prevent the emission of nearly 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or shaving: Save money and conserve nearly 8,000 gallons of water per year.

Replace four standard light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs): reduce your electricity bills by more than $100 over the lives of those bulbs!


Declare your independence from junk mail! Here's a good place to start: Send a postcard with your name and address to: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. You can also stop unwanted credit card solicitations by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (or 1-888-567-8688).

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It's not just a catchy phrase, it's a way of life. Consider this:
•One out of every 10 dollars we spend at the grocery store is for packaging that makes up 1/3 of our waste. Avoid excessive packaging!
•Recycling one glass container saves enough energy to light a 100 watt light bulb for 4-hours, and glass can be recycled an infinite number of times.
•It takes 75,000 trees to print a Sunday Edition of the New York Times.

Ways to Give
By now you know that payroll deduction is the simplest and most budget-conscious way to give to your favorite charities, but did you know how many other simple ways there are to support Earth Share?

1.Cellphone Recycling—Prevent hazardous chemicals and heavy metals from entering the waste stream and polluting our ground water! Start a workplace drive of your own or drop off your old cellphone, PDA or pager to one of several convenient metro Atlanta locations. >>Click here for locations. Visit www.collectivegood.com to learn more about how cellphone recycling benefits our environment.
2.Charity Auto Donations—donate your used vehicle before December 31 and receive a tax break for this year. Go online to www.charityautodonations.com to schedule a pick-up.
3.Benevolink—Join the Benevolink giving community and start earning funds for Earth Share of Georgia just for shopping online with any of the 200 famous retailers in their Marketpla ce! It's free. It's secure. No hassle. Same prices. Favorite retailers. Visit www.benevolink.com.
4.Give Online— You can now use your major credit card to make a recurring pledge or one-time gift to Earth Share through our secure website. Visit www.earthsharega.org/giving.

[back to top]

Tug on anything at all and you'll find it connected to everything else in the universe.. - John Muir, Founder of the Sierra Club

Come October, fall planting season will be in full swing. Mark your calendars for these upcoming plant sales:

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 6, 7, 8-- Fall Native Plant Sale at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. 9am-5pm

Saturday, October 8 - Trees Atlanta's annual Tree Sale at Piedmont Park (next to the tennis courts). 8am-1pm

[back to top]

UNLESS someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.- From Dr. Seuss' The Lorax