"Go Planet!" Captain Planet Makes Exclusive Appearance to Help Earth Share of Georgia Kick Off 2003 Workplace Giving Campaign
Captain Planet is usually pre-occupied with fighting eco-villains the likes of Hoggish Greedly and Duke Nukem. But last week he took time out to make an exclusive appearance in Clayton County, helping Earth Share launch its 2003 workplace giving campaign. Clayton County employees are among the first in Georgia to pledge their green to support Earth Share's environmental member groups. When asked by employee giving coordinator, Stephanie Bailey, (see photo on right) what advice he could offer her to motivate her fellow employees to give green at work, Captain Planet, a man of few words, responded in a somewhat cryptic manner, "The Power is Yours!"

Captain Planet Foundation, which provides funds and support to youth-oriented environmental projects, is one of three new groups to join the Earth Share roster this year. Also new is Chattahoochee Nature Center an environmental education center in Roswell, and Georgia Center for the Law in the Public Interest which provides legal support to environmental groups wishing to take on eco-villains of their own. To find out how easy it is to include Earth Share in your workplace campaign, call us today, 404-873-3173. Remember, "The Power is Yours!"

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Earth Share and Fernbank to Host David Suzuki
On September 10 at 8pm, join Earth Share of Georgia and Fernbank Science Center, Public Broadcasting Atlanta and Leadership Dekalb as we welcome David Suzuki, world-famous scientist, environmentalist, author and broadcaster. In this free lecture celebrating the upcoming PBS television series The Sacred Balance, Mr. Suzuki blends science and spirituality to describe his vision of humanity's place in nature. Don't miss the first installment of his fascinating journey Wednesday, September 3 on PBS (check local listings for show times). For more information on David Suzuki and the series visit www.sacredbalance.com and www.davidsuzuki.org. Reservations required, call Fernbank 678-874-7102.

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Callaway Takes the LEED
On August 16, the Southern Pine at Callaway became the first business conference center in the nation to earn the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Medal of Certification, a program implemented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is one of only one of only 63 projects in North America that have earned LEED certification to date. USGBC's chairman Jim Hartzfeld who presented the award said, "We applaud Callaway for the role you are playing to raise the bar everywhere for what we should expect from our built environment." For additional information visit www.usgbc.org or Callaway's newsroom.

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Member Group Profile: Georgia Wildlife Federation
Georgia Wildlife Federation might be Georgia's oldest environmental organization, but it has neither slowed down nor lost its touch. When they're not busy protecting wildlife and advocating for sportsmen's issues, you can find them just outside the classroom showing students and teachers how to build their own wildlife habitats. This innovative program called "Schoolyard Wildlife Habitat" provides a relaxed setting for hands-on teaching of natural science classes. To date GWF has helped more than 400 schools in Georgia and nearly 120 schools in and around Atlanta build their own habitats. Participating schools are provided with a guide on the flora and fauna in the habitat and how to care for them.

Keep an eye out for more information on another of GWF's pioneering environmental education programs, which will serve children as well as adults. A sneak preview: in early 2004 GWF will open the Mill Creek Nature Center, which will sit next to wetlands donated by the Mall of Georgia Partners. The aim will be to attract mall visitors to trails and guides that use the wetlands as a classroom. Visit www.gwf.org for more information about their programs.

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Epilogue to an Environmental Victory
In an unprecedented act, The Dupont Co. has donated the largest land conservation gift in Georgia's history, forever giving up the mineral rights in the 16,000-acre tract of land adjacent to the Okefenokee Swamp. The original plan, which caused so much controversy in recent years, was to mine the land for titanium dioxide, the mineral used to make glossy paper. But opposition from environmentalists and government leaders convinced DuPont to sign a no-mining agreement. In an inspiring epilogue to a celebrated environmental victory, the land in question will be turned over to Earth Share member, Conservation Fund, which over the next few years will transfer ownership to federal and state agencies or to local community groups. Those groups in turn will be legally bound to manage the land as a protected area. Click here to read the full story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Generation Green Lecture Series
FACT: Georgia ranks 3rd, behind Texas and Florida, in the amount of farmland and open space converted to development. (source: www.gaconservancy.com) The Georgia Conservancy will address this issue and more during the upcoming Generation Green Lecture Series, September 24 at the Macquarium Builiding in Atlanta. Come hear Atlanta City Council President, Cathy Woolard discuss sprawl, transportation, and the newly proposed "Belt Line." The event is free and open to all. Social with refreshments starts at 7 PM, the program will begin at 7:45. For more details and directions visit www.gaconservancy.org.

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Rivers Alive
The search is on for volunteers to take part in this year's Rivers Alive cleanup project. Each October, Rivers Alive coordinates river, lake, beach and wetland cleanups statewide to raise awareness and provide opportunities for Georgia citizens to give back to the waters that supply vital drinking water, recreation and wildlife habitat. This year's goal is to organize 20,000 volunteers at 125 cleanup sites. Check out www.riversalive.org to find a river cleanup near you.

Work Parties
Join The Nature Conservancy September 27, at Camp Meeting Rock in Heard County. Volunteers will assist staff with invasive species (Japanese honeysuckle and privet) control and slash pine removal. To volunteer, contact Erick Brown at 404/253-7219 erick_brown@tnc.org

Garden Maintenance at GWF
Georgia Wildlife Federation is in need of volunteers to give garden tours, help with maintenance and coordinate the future expansions of the Wingsong demonstration gardens at GWF headquarters in Covington. Contact Cilla Cartwright, ccartwright@gwf.org, (770-787-7887) for more information.

Elachee Volunteer Discovery Day
Tuesday, September 9th, 9 am - 12 Noon. Come learn more about the volunteer opportunities at this 1,300-acre nature preserve in Gainesville. Call Elachee Nature Science Center at 770/535-1976.

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Without a conserver society, we could find ourselves with a resource-based economy and no resources.-- Lawrence Solomon

Giving 'Green at Work'
To many Georgia employees, investing in our future is as simple as giving "green at work" by participating in their company's Earth Share payroll deduction campaign. Last year, Georgia employees pledged more than $370,000 to Earth Share of Georgia's member groups. In their first year as an Earth Share campaign partner, Kaiser Permanente raised $24,000 for Georgia's environment, an achievement that landed them the honor of being Earth Share of Georgia's 2002 Campaign Partner of the Year.

This fall, with the addition of five workplace-giving partners, including Interface, TVS & Associates, Jackson Spalding, Jordan, Jones & Goulding and CH2M Hill, we have increased our goal to $440,000. You can help us achieve this goal by increasing your pledge by just $2 per paycheck. Every dollar you pledge makes a big impact:

October 10-12, Colonial Coast Birding and Nature Festival
Join Earth Share member groups The Nature Conservancy and Georgia Ornithological Society , among others, on Jekyll Island for Georgia's first birding festival. For more information and to register visit www.shrike.net/ccbf.

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We cannot solve the problems we have created with the same thinking that created them.--Albert Einstein