Earth Share of Georgia Member Group Spotlight:
Chattahochee Nature Center

Twenty Star House Kids Receive Camp Scholarships by Roswell resident Jose Creamer

Summer was an exciting time for the 1500 kids who attended Camp Kingfisher at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Suburban kids, especially those with working parents, always enjoy day camps as an alternative to overnight camps. This year, thanks to the generosity of Roswell resident Jose' Creamer, the kids from Star House in Roswell were given a generous scholarship to attend this outstanding camp too. Twenty kids from the Frazier Street apartments would never have been able to attend camp without Mr. Creamer underwriting the expenses. As the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Center, he is keenly aware of the benefits of camp, but he really has a special place in his heart for this community that is predominantly Latino. He said, "I think that in that group they do not have the opportunity to see the natural world in a safe setting. This scholarship gave them exposure to environmental education as well." The kids were here for a two week period at the end of summer and they had the opportunity to receive a deep insight into what preserving the environment is all about. That small taste of learning about the natural world can set them on a path that will help them have a deeper commitment to preserving their own world."

The Star House kids, who now live at the Frazier Street Apartments in Roswell, will have to move soon when that property is redeveloped. Amy Bram, Camp Director, said, "Each of the Star House kids had smiles on their faces every day, you could see them experiencing the `fun' of camp. I'm so happy that Mr. Creamer was able to make this scholarship possible for these deserving youngsters."

For more information or to receive a camp brochure, please call (770) 992-2055, x232. Visit www.chattnaturecenter.com for program details.

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Save the Hooch!
Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Trout Unlimited partner with SweetWater Brewery

Atlanta's own SweetWater Brewery is taking action this fall to help Atlanta's most important natural resource: the Chattahoochee River. We have all used its waters for fun, beauty, fishing, relaxation, beer, and survival and we must act to ensure we can continue to do so. August and September of 2006 will be our months to make a difference, raise funds, and awareness as we clean the river and stock the stream.

SweetWater will donate a portion of their proceeds from the sale of every case in August and September to stock the Chattahoochee with trout through Trout Unlimited, and preserve its waters with the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, two Earth Share of Georgia member groups. SweetWater will also be selling the $1 "Fish" with proceeds going to the program and drive consumer awareness about the issues facing the Chattahoochee.

SweetWater is a 30,000-barrel per year microbrewery located in Atlanta, GA that specializes in producing aggressive West Coast style beers. In 2002, SweetWater became the first, and is still the only brewery east of the Mississippi to win "Small Brewery of the Year" at the Great American Beer Festival!

For more information visit www.ucriverkeeper.org.

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Earth Share of Georgia introduces Share Blend Coffee

Share Blend is Fair Trade Certified, 100% Organic and Shade Grown coffee. Earth Share of Georgia's Share Blend is available in 12 oz. packages, in regular or decaf. Support Earth Share of Georgia and enjoy great coffee at the same time. Order Share Blend Securely online at www.earthsharega.org today!

This excellent quality coffee has been Fair Trade Certified by Transfair USA, an independent non-profit organization which monitors and certifies Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade raises incomes and living standards for small coffee farmers overseas while helping to protect the environment. Fair Trade doesn't provide aid or charity, but instead promotes self-reliance and equality for farmers who are disadvantaged under present trading conditions.

Shade grown coffee has many benefits, including preservation of natural biodiversity, preservation of migratory birds, natural soil protection, decreased water contamination, decreased irrigation needs, preservation of atmospheric balance and great tasting coffee.

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A New Way to Give: Share the Earth Program of Earth Share of Georgia
Earth Share of Georgia announces a new way to benefit our network of outstanding environmental groups.

Earth Share of Georgia's Share the Earth program enables individuals and corporations to donate land to the Conservation Fund, an Earth Share of Georgia member group. All types of real estate are eligible: factories, residences, and timber land. The Conservation Fund will research the property determine its environmental and monetary value, and recommend the best way for the property to benefit Earth Share of Georgia and its member groups, and handle the transaction. When the property is sold, a small percentage will be retained to cover the Conservation Fund's costs. The balance will go to support Earth Share of Georgia and its member groups. For more information please call Earth Share of Georgia at (404) 873-3173.

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New staff at Earth Share of Georgia:
Welcome Andrea Hansberry, Earth Share of Georgia's new Campaign Manager

Born and raised in London, England, Andrea has always had a passion for speaking and story-telling. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in Communications/Public Relations in 2003, she moved to Georgia where she worked in the film industry, putting her passions to good use. Ms. Hansberry spent the next 2 years working as an Art Director in films, videos, television and special event productions. Most recently, Ms. Hansberry worked at Life University as an Admissions Advisor, a chiropractic college in Georgia.

In her spare time, Andrea enjoys traveling, shopping, and hanging out with her husband, three daughters, and cats Jane and Wila Ying.

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Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities, Dates are Flexible:

Earth Share of Georgia-Location: 1447 Peachtree Street, Suite 214, Atlanta, GA. Cellphone Collection Coordinator. Volunteers needed to contact businesses and office buildings in the metro Atlanta area regarding collecting used cellphones to benefit Earth Share of Georgia. Dates and hours flexible. Contact person: Elizabeth Patrick 404-873-3173 or elizabeth@earthsharega.org. No cost to volunteer. Volunteer work can be done from remote location.

Volunteers are also needed to serve on the planning committee for Earth Day 2007! Earth Share of Georgia annually presents a Leadership Breakfast, Party in the Park and Green (Volunteer) Day. For more information and to volunteer, contact Madeline Reamy, Executive Director at madeline@earthsharega.org.


Trees Atlanta- Join us each and every Saturday morning from 9:00 AM - Noon for hands-on tree planting, maintenance and greenspace projects. It\'s fun! It\'s free! It\'s a great way to meet new friends and get to know Atlanta! For more information visit, http://www.treesatlanta.org/volunteer.html.


Captain Planet Foundation-Location: 133 Luckie Street, Atlanta. General office help and prep work for annual fundraiser (the X-MAS Party). Event is the beginning of December; need volunteers to help with mailings, some light production work, running errands (picking up auction items around town), data entry, helping staff organize event. Volunteers are needed anytime Monday - Friday until day of event. Contact person: Beth Ament 404-522-4159 or email Beth at beth@captainplanetfdn.org. No cost to volunteer. Any help would be appreciated!

Georgia Organics-Highland Avenue, Atlanta. Need help distributing newsletters and Atlanta Local Food Guide around the state of Georgia. Also needs help with annual conference planning. Dates and hours are flexible. Contact person: Alice Rolls, alice@georgiaorganics.org, or 678-702-0400. No cost to volunteer.

Georgia Wildlife Federation- Mill Creek Nature Center, 2205 Mall of Georgia Boulevard, Buford, GA. Adopt-A-Stream Monitoring, dates and hours are flexible. Adopt-A-Stream is a unique effort to involve the public and local communities in water quality protection. Volunteers, such as the Georgia Wildlife Federation, adopt a section of stream, river or lake for one year. Adopt-A-Stream groups conduct visual surveys and clean-ups, improve stream habitat and/or monitor water quality. To volunteer, please contact Robert Phillips at 770-787-7887 or rphillips@gwf.org, OR Christina Marr at cmarr@gwf.org.

Gardeners needed (year-round) for Georgia Wildlife Federation. Volunteers are needed to assist with the seasonal maintenance of the gardens and trails at our headquarters in Covington. This includes: Regular walk & inspection of trails for any safety hazzards such as down limbs or trees, holes and overgrown vegetation. Removal of Japanese honeysuckle in several woodland areas. General weeding - around main building and WingSong gardens near Log Cabin. Keeping bird feeders cleaned and filled in the garden areas. Garden pond and stream maintenance. Please contact 770-787-7887 for more information. If you are a new volunteer, please complete the online application.

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From Earth Share National:

Lose Ten Thousand Pounds!
Every year the average American pumps out 20 tons of CO2, the leading global warming gas. You can calculate your own impact at www.carbonfund.org or www.americanforests.org. Then take a look at some of the ways you can reduce your contribution:

Temperature Control. Two degrees on your thermostat - turning the AC 2º higher in the summer and the furnace 2º lower in the winter - can save 350 pounds of CO2 a year. Add additional savings by turning down the temperature of your water heater to 120º or lower. Program your Thermostat. Being able to turn down the heat or AC for large chunks of time, such as at night or while at work, can make a difference in your overall energy consumption. You can get a programmable thermostat for most systems. Also consider turning off the heat to rooms that are not heavily used.

Lose Two Tons! Transportation is the largest source of individual CO2 pollution. Replacing a car that gets 20 miles per gallon with one that gets 30 miles per gallon might not seem that significant, but it amounts to two tons difference in carbon dioxide pollution each year. Visit www.GreenerCars.com for information on automobile fuel efficiency.

Travel Smart. If you aren\'t up for a new car you can still reduce pollution. Organize carpools to get to work or events. Every passenger in your carpool means one fewer car on the road. Plan your driving to reduce the total number of trips, and walk to local stores if you can.

Shop Locally and Reuse. Buying locally means less energy is required to drive your products to the market. Look for local fruits and vegetables. Reusing products means not using energy to make a new product from scratch, and cuts waste at the landfill! Check out estate sales, antiques stores and thrift shops.

Those Last Few Pounds. There are several innovative ways for you to offset your carbon "footprint." You can invest in renewable energy like wind power, forest restoration, or other carbon offsets through different groups. Visit www.carbonfund.org or the www.conservationfund.org to find out more.

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The Fall Campaign season is well underway. Campaign partners are invited to contact Andrea Hansberry, Campaign Manager, andrea@earthsharega.org
for information on Lunch and Learn program opportunities for employees. Member group representatives are encouraged to participate in Earth Share of Georgia campaign meetings.

Trees Atlanta
Come October, fall tree planting season will be in full swing. Mark your calendars:

October 14, 8:00 am-1:00 pm. Join Trees Atlanta for our 7th Annual Tree Sale in Piedmont Park. Choose from over 1,000 unusual and hard-to-find trees, shrubs and tree-friendly vines. Prices range from $25-200 and all proceeds benefit "NeighborWoods," Trees Atlanta's volunteer tree planting program Piedmont Park , between tennis courts and Magnolia Hall. www.treesatlanta.org.

October 24 and 25, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Georgia Wind Energy Conference details and registration materials are available at www.gawwg.org. For additional information please email wind@gawwg.org or call 404-659-5675.

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