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"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

- definition of Sustainable Development by the UN Brundtland Commission (1987)

Top 10 Tips
on being a sustainable Earthwatch Volunteer
(under construction)

1. Choose a project close to home - why?

2. Find an alternative way to get to your project rendezvous - why?

3. Fill out your pre-fielding forms electronically

4. Borrow the clothing and equipment you need from friends instead of buying new.

5. Bring your own reusable water bottle.

6. Pass along your photos online instead of printing them.

7. If available, recycle everything possible while on the project

8. Share taxis from the airport to the rendezvous (if applicable) with fellow volunteers.

9. Bring bulk snacks instead of individually wrapped ones and share!

10. After the project, recycle leftover Earthwatch materials that you no longer need.

 

Earthwatch Employees Support Siena Farms CSA

Every Wednesday Earthwatch Institute HQ employees clean their fridges in anticipation of receiving their basket of fresh-from-the-farm produce through an new collaboration with Siena Farms in Lincoln, MA.

A "box-share" program is similar to the typical "farm-share" programs commonly associated with "Community Supported Agriculture" (CSA), except that instead of having many people (and their vehicles) travel to the farm to pick up their "share" of the week's produce, one vehicle (the farmer's truck) drops off the shares at a central distribution point - in our case in Earthwatch's common meeting room.Copyright Siena Farms
Each week employees pick up their share while at work and carry it home with them to enjoy throughout the rest of the week.

Supporting Local Farms

Local farms provide many benefits to the community; from preserving open space, maintaining competition in the marketplace, providing local employment and usually allowing residents to access fresh, sustainably grown produce easily. Since about 98% of the energy used to grow and transport our food from large commercial farms comes from oil and natural gas, supporting a local farm often means lower energy imputs and less reliance on the cost of fossil fuels.

Want to try it? Find a farmer's market or CSA near you:

www.localharvest.org
www.ams.usda.gov/FARMERSMARKETS/

What to do about the high cost of gas?

Earthwatch employees are taking note of not only the increasing cost of gasoline, but also the emissions generated by their cummulative commuting to Earthwatch Institute's Headquarters in Maynard MA.

During "Alternate Commute Week" (May 12 - 16th), staffers experimented with different ways to get to work, from biking to the commuter rail station and taking the train to Maynard to carpooling and walking.

At the end of the week several staff members pledged to adjust their commute to help decrease their carbon footprint. And Earthwatch has pledged to decrease its commuting footprint 9% by next summer.

Want to try?

Commuting Resources

Buying a Car?

Just trying to get around?

  • PlanetTran - Hybrid Taxis
  • ZipCar - rent a car by the hour
  • Amtrak - it's a beautiful ride to NYC on the train...

Did you go to the Earthwatch event for Boston Public School Teachers on Oct. 4th, 2007?

 Look for the BPS symbol on this website to find the links recommended by the Museum of Science.
For information on what Earthwatch is doing now to tackle the effects of our business practices on the environment, check out the Social and Environmental Responsibility section of our website.
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