Congratulations to our Grant Winners! 

 

Global Service Corps Environmental training in Cambodia: $300

Becky Bones has given a grant to Global Service Corps for their Environmental training and Food Security program going on in Cambodia for the next 6 months. Their volunteer, Brian Reyes, is there now and we’re going to be updating you on his adventures throughout his stay on our Facebook feed!  Here is a snippet from his blog about his experiences forming a compost program in the village he is living in:

Brian says: "Compost? Compost?  Compost!  Sorry I keep talking about it, but it is the basis of  of optimizing this clayey soil's nutrition for the crops we will grow.  The compost pile is being built on a Clayey soil.  To reduce pooling of water and improving drainage we loosened the soil about 25 cm deep and mixed with sand and some gravel material.  The rains are coming down heavier and is expected to peak soon until about November!"

 

With help from Becky Bones, Westridge has constructed a new LEED-certified Upper School science facility that accommodates students’ growing demand for science curriculum and supports a green approach to solving the problems of tomorrow.

The new, two-level, 14,000-square-foot science center was completed in fall 2010 and classes are currently underway! The new building more effectively supports a science curriculum that is predicated on girls having the opportunity to do science, not just study it. It is a learning environment that provokes involvement, imagination, and inventiveness – an environment that invites girls to see themselves as scientists.

Whether entering a field of science or not, Westridge aims to engage and prepare students for a world that will undoubtedly remain driven by technology and innovation. Thank you Becky Bones for your support of the school’s continued commitment to provide students with the tools to be active contributors to a sustainable world!

   

 

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For the past several years, SEACAMP San Diego has partnered with Garfield High School, an alternative high school aimed at providing students with the learning, support and tools needed to graduate.

Throughout the year, we teach about the marine biology and ecology of the rocky coast and kelp forest ecosystems. Intertwined into each lesson, we incorporate a hands-on component into their learning experience. We visit the tide pools, kayak in Mission Bay, and tour around our aquarium facilities. This year, Becky Bones helped us take the students snorkeling so that they could experience the habitat that they had been studying for so many months.

Many of the students had never been in the ocean before this snorkeling experience. A few of them did not even know how to swim. However, with a lot of courage and an inspiring sense of humor, these students wrestled into their 7mm wetsuits, waddled down to the water’s edge and entered the water prepared to see the ocean’s bounty. With loud screams as they entered the “refreshing” ocean water, we explored the sandy bottom, the eel grass beds, and the rocky coastline in Mission Bay.

Throughout the entire experience, the students were astounded by the diversity, beauty, and complexity of our oceans. They saw giant black sea hares, stingrays, kelp bass, garibaldi, sea stars, nudibranchs, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and a variety of other fish and invertebrates. The students saw the complexity and diversity of this amazing environment. They did something that many of them were very afraid to do.

They pushed themselves in ways that they were not positive they could. They all spoke about the tremendous impact that this experience had for them. Many of them exclaimed that they did not know the ocean was going to feel, look, taste like it did. This experience helped foster a deeper love and admiration for the ocean and its habitants. It is through opportunities such as these that we hope to honor our mission to instill a deeper and intrinsic need to protect our ocean environment.

THANK YOU BECKY BONES for making this possible!  

 

 

 

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National Wildlife Federation:  $200

 

We held a poll and you voted...so now Becky Bones is giving a $200 grant to the National Wildlife Federation's Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund!  Thank you for voting!

 

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New Village Leadership Academy 1st Grade Class, Los Angeles:  $250

 

We wanted to sponsor the NVLA 1st Grade Class's “Run for Water” fundraiser and match funds they were planning on raising.  They ended up raising even more than the $250 we put up!  They raised $300 to buy water wells for students in Africa who don’t have access to clean drinking water. 

Watch their video below or see more details at the NVLA website. The $550 is being donated to the Water Project Organization to help bring clean water to students in Africa.

 

 

Becky Bones Earth Fair 2010 Grant Winners

Waldorf School of San Diego:  $300

FOR:  Biodynamic gardening – students will grow their own food and create an event featuring food from their garden.

   Barnard Elementary, San Diego:  $300
   FOR:  Plants for a Zen garden.

   Integral Elementary School, San Diego:  $300
   FOR:  An organic garden.

Seacamp San Diego:  $300
FOR:  Snorkeling trip for Garfield High School class, to learn about the local marine environment.

New Village Leadership Academy 1st Grade Class, Los Angeles:  $250
FOR:  Matching funds from their “Run for Water” fundraiser, which will raise money to buy water wells for students in Africa who don’t have access to clean drinking water.

Innovations Academy, San Diego:  $300
FOR:  Recycling bins for classrooms.

 Botany for Kids:  $200
FOR:  Planting ten plants at the Point Loma Native Plant Garden with children, as well as gas money for the teacher to give free nature walks/talks to children at the preserve. 

 

Victory Gardens MAAC YouthBuild Program, San Diego:  $300
FOR:  Purchasing soil, irrigation supplies and plants for an inner-city, youth-planted garden.

 

 

Dr. Phillips High School (Florida)

The Dr. Phillips HS Eco-Action team originally found funding to launch their recycling program and other initiatives through Universal Studios earlier this school year.  They needed further support to sustain the recycling program through summer and the following school year. 

Dawn Bolton, the staff advisor to the Eco-Action club had this to say about the grant, “The students and I really appreciate the grant.  The students have worked so hard to get this recycling program started, and support from companies like Becky Bones will allow us to continue doing our part to reduce trash in our landfills.” 

 

Lucie & the Washington Elementary School (New Jersey)

Deb's Elementary school had big Recycle Bins out in back, but they didn't have Recycle cans in their 18 classrooms so no recycling was getting done.  Their grant helped them buy the recycle cans they needed! 

The teachers also talked to all the kids about the importance of recycling when they brought the bins into the classrooms.  Then, the kids went home and told their parents they needed to recycle more at home (if they weren't doing it already)!

 

 

 

Hanna White & the Consolidated Environmental Club (Texas)

Tuesday, April 15th. Six members of the club came out to plant a live oak tree. Following the planting the school purchased three more oaks which were planted on the other side of the school.

Hey Becky Bones and Readers,

The Consolidated Environmental Club from College Station, Texas owes a lot of thanks to Becky Bones for all their help. As environmental issues are becoming more important, spreading the word has as well. The mission of the club is and was to educate students most importantly and others in the community.

Leader Hanna White began her freshman year hoping to begin an environmental club. In late February the constitution was submitted to the principal. Within weeks the word was spreading around the school and the first meeting contained over fifty excited members. The club’s first priority was to get recycling going in the school. The city supplied the bins, but the club had to scratch together some funds for lids. Together the club helped sand, paint the lids, and ensemble the containers. The first Monday after spring break was the opening day for the bins. Since that Monday 86,000 bottles were collected, which would have been just thrown away.

White was surfing online, when she found Becky Bones. In order to run another project before the end of the year, the club was interested in applying for a grant. After being selected the club used the money to host Earth Week.

Earth Week was four days of environmental awareness to honor of Earth Day (April 22). Starting Tuesday, April 15, 2008 the club planted a live oak tree in the very front. Wednesday was a day full of quick easy environment activities, including recycling, serving food on recycled paper trays, and turning the thermostat up. The week continued, until finally on Saturday when the club joined the community at Planet Earth Celebration. The week was also a chance to have an environment inspired fundraiser.

Therefore, the Becky Bones grant helped the club pay for student incentives, like candy. It also paid for the live oak tree and mulch. Lastly, the funds paid for the down payment on the fundraiser and plastic bags and gloves for recycling.

Next year, the club is planning to help a community organization sell and plant trees to the community and also host a 5k Walk/Run with the Texas A&M Environmental Club with a possible guest speaker.

Everyone from Consol would like to give big thanks to Becky Bones; we couldn’t have had a better year.

Thanks,

Hanna White
Consolidated Environmental Club
1801 Harvey Mitchell Pkwy S
College Station, Texas 77840

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