Outdoor experiences central to Sycamore, IU partnership
A partnership between Sycamore Land Trust, the IU School of Education and several Monroe County elementary schools aims to get kids out of their science classrooms and into the environment.
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A partnership between Sycamore Land Trust, the IU School of Education and several Monroe County elementary schools aims to get kids out of their science classrooms and into the environment.
From famous American photographer Ansel Adams to artifacts from World War I to a small collection of traditional African hats, the IU Art Museum has an eclectic group of exhibits this semester.
Bluegrass music and beer come together to create one massive festival in preparation for autumn this week at the Upland Brewery.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Serve IT worked with four Bloomington nonprofits to improve their service to the community by helping with technology hurdles. The new IT clinic, out of IU’s School of Informatics and Computing, worked with Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington, Sycamore Land Trust, Middle Way House and Christole Inc. to revamp their websites and update their databases. Each nonprofit was paired with a team of four to five student volunteers through the semester-long program. “Serve IT provides access to and understanding technology and how nonprofit organizations can successfully use it to further their missions,” Bert Clemons from Christole Inc. said. “The program also makes assistance available through volunteers, which is cost effective for organizations that face funding challenges every day.”One of the most important aspects of Serve IT’s service is the price tag. “The team brought technology expertise to Christole that we wouldn’t have been able to afford to purchase,” Clemons added. “They worked hard to understand how Christole works with children and adults with autism as well as our relationship with our local and professional community.”Serve IT worked with Sycamore Land Trust in redesigning their website and donor and volunteer database, with technical support questions and provided them with a used desktop when one of theirs had crashed. “As a nonprofit with a small staff, having access to free, high-quality information technology assistance is extremely valuable to us and helps us concentrate on our mission of preserving land in southern Indiana,” said John Lawrence, assistant director of Sycamore Land Trust. “Nonprofits often simply don’t have the extra resources to spend on IT, yet using IT well, especially new tools such as social media, is increasingly important to being an effective organization.”As with the other nonprofits, Serve IT’s team at the Boys and Girls Club sets up 17 work stations in the club’s computer lab, and once a week offers class to 9 to 12-year-olds to help them with the technology. The clinic has been funded for its first two years by the School of Informatics and Computing and is currently moving in the direction of making the program a for-credit course that will help costs by providing tuition income. Serve IT is in the process of applying for grants and has already received $8,000 from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and another $20,000 from the Smithville Charitable Foundation.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Five speakers from IU and the City of Bloomington will present “Community Actions Against Climate Change,” a forum that will bring the heated global talks addressing climate change to a local level.The seminar will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday in Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union and will address how the Bloomington community should react to this global initiative.Sponsored by Sycamore Land Trust, a non-profit organization based in southern Indiana that works on conserving natural resources and sustainability, the three-hour seminar will invite speakers from various institutions to share their views on how to maintain a healthy planet.The guests will include Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom, Sustainability Coordinator for Bloomington Jacqui Bauer, Monroe County Commissioner Iris Kiesling, IU Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson and SLT Executive Director Christian Freitag.Erin Hollinden, outreach coordinator at SLT, said the seminar will provide a timely chance for people in the community to get together and seek solutions to make Bloomington more sustainable.“This forum will share what people are doing right here, right now, to try to avert ecological disaster,” Hollinden said. “The presenters will give ideas for how each of us can join city efforts, county efforts, campus efforts and land trust efforts here where we live, today and next week and next year.”Hollinden said Ostrom, who has been supporting the land trust since 2001, contacted the organization about hosting a seminar regarding climate change, and as the keynote speaker, Ostrom will talk about the active efforts the communities are making to sustain the resources and the challenges they are facing.Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan will address the opening of the seminar. He said the seminar is an impressive effort that will bring many diverse people and perspectives to the table, discussing “where we are, where we’re headed, and how we get there.”— Kevin Wang
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Five speakers from IU and the City of Bloomington will present “Community Actions Against Climate Change,” a forum that will bring the heated global talks addressing climate change to a local level.The seminar will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday in Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union and will address how the Bloomington community should react to this global initiative.Sponsored by Sycamore Land Trust, a non-profit organization based in southern Indiana that works on conserving natural resources and sustainability, the three-hour seminar will invite speakers from various institutions to share their views on how to maintain a healthy planet.The guests will include Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom, Sustainability Coordinator for Bloomington Jacqui Bauer, Monroe County Commissioner Iris Kiesling, IU Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson and SLT Executive Director Christian Freitag.Erin Hollinden, outreach coordinator at SLT, said the seminar will provide a timely chance for people in the community to get together and seek solutions to make Bloomington more sustainable.“This forum will share what people are doing right here, right now, to try to avert ecological disaster,” Hollinden said. “The presenters will give ideas for how each of us can join city efforts, county efforts, campus efforts and land trust efforts here where we live, today and next week and next year.”Hollinden said Ostrom, who has been supporting the land trust since 2001, contacted the organization about hosting a seminar regarding climate change, and as the keynote speaker, Ostrom will talk about the active efforts the communities are making to sustain the resources and the challenges they are facing.Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan will address the opening of the seminar. He said the seminar is an impressive effort that will bring many diverse people and perspectives to the table, discussing “where we are, where we’re headed, and how we get there.”— Kevin Wang
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ah, summer. A time when school is out — or at the very least, cut back. A time of sunshine and friends, days at the lake and hours upon hours of doing absolutely nothing. This can get old for some.However, Bloomington offers many opportunities to get outside and play while helping others.Aside from doing something positive for the community, volunteering can boost one’s resume. Students constantly hear about the awful economy and dismal job prospects awaiting them after graduation. Volunteering for something related to a student’s major is a great way to get job experience and training.Elise Hoover, a junior in the School of Education, volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club to fill her required house volunteer hours.“It’s really fun,” she said. “I’m working with kids every day, and that’s what I want to do in life. And it looks great on a resume.”Whatever the motivation, there are plenty of reasons and ways to get involved in Bloomington. Listed below are just a few organizations looking for summer volunteers. If nothing is of interest, visit the City of Bloomington’s volunteer website at http://bloomington.in.gov/volunteer for more opportunities.Girls Inc.Girls Inc. exists to “inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold,” according to its mission statement. Created in 1864, the organization serves girls and young women across the country, encouraging them to be active, creative thinkers. The Girls Inc. of Monroe County is currently seeking volunteer counselors for their Summer Sunshine Camp to help run programs, watch the kids and clean up. Counselors need to be able to guarantee four hours per week on the same day.“It’s really great,” said Michelle Watt, a volunteer at Girls Inc. and a junior in the School of Informatics and Computing. “This week we planted plants, went swimming, went to the park and learned about photosynthesis.” Requirements for filling the position are simple.“We need people who are ready to get down and dirty and play and have some fun,” said Lucy Berger, the director of Operations for Girls Inc. “We are looking for people who are active, fun, outgoing and easy to get along with.”Berger emphasized that even though Girls Inc. caters to girls, women are not the only welcome volunteers.“Men are just as able to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold,” Berger said. “In fact, our male volunteers are often the most popular since they don’t come in as often.”To get involved, contact Erin Policinski at epolicinski@monroe.girls-inc.org or call 336-7313.Hoosier Environmental CouncilThe Hoosier Environmental Council is a statewide environmental advocacy group that works with a wide range of environmental issues, including water and air quality, public transit, global warming and confined animal feeding, just to name a few.“We approach it from a legislative position,” HEC marketing manager Megan Bennett said. “We like to influence lawmakers to make the right choices, whether it’s stricter legislation for coal or more money for public transportation.”That doesn’t mean one needs to be a law student to volunteer.“We work on small issues, too, like afternoon water cleanups,” Bennett said.Volunteers are matched with their interests and abilities. Some are brought in to talk to schools about the environment; others are asked to write letters to the editors of local papers on the Council’s behalf. Still others can get involved with hands-on activities.The ideal volunteer, Bennet said, would be anyone with a passion for the environment — though good writers and public speakers are a plus.To get involved, contact Mary Brock at mbrock@hecweb.org or visit www.hecweb.org.City of Bloomington Parks & Recreation and Monroe County: Identifying & Removing Invasive Species Bloomington often depends on volunteers to keep its green spaces blooming and beautiful. Activities within the community range from park beautification and maintenance days to teaching classes or helping out with citywide events like Bloomington in Bloom.Bloomington Parks and Recreation recently joined with the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, The Nature Conservancy, Eco Logic and the Sycamore Land Trust, among other groups and individuals, to create Monroe County-Identifying & Removing Invasive Species. This group was formed just over a year ago from an invasive species seminar. It holds work days in Bloomington parks on the first Wednesday of each month to aid in the removal of plants that are harmful to the native ecosystem.“We try to find opportunities for the entire family,” MC-IRIS volunteer Bob Flynn said. “The kids also help in the Community Kitchen. Bloomington gives so much to us that giving a little back is the least we can do. It’s a community worth contributing to.”To get involved with Parks and Recreation or MC-IRIS, contact Kim Ecenbarger at ecenbark@bloomington.in.gov.Monroe County Humane Association and Bloomington Animal ShelterThe Monroe County Humane Association and the Bloomington Animal Shelter are located in the same building, but they are two different entities. Though they both work for the benefit of animals, the MCHA works toward fundraising efforts for the shelter as well as education and even animal therapy.“The MCHA always looks for additional VIPaws teams to become certified Delta Society Pet Partner teams providing pet therapy to those that need it most in the community,” said Sarah Hayes, the CEO of the Humane Association, in an e-mail. “We also need summer volunteers to man the table at the Farmer’s Market each week.”For those looking to get hands-on with the animals, the Animal Shelter is the best bet.“We really need more volunteers,” said Megan Ginley, a volunteer coordinator at the shelter. “We always start people doing dog-walking and cat care, and then after a month they can move up to being adoption counselors.” The Bloomington Animal Shelter requires a commitment of two hours once a week for six months in order to volunteer, as well as beginning orientation training. After a month and some additional training, volunteers can become adoption counselors. To get involved with the Humane Association, fill out an application at www.monroehumane.org. To get involved with the Animal Shelter, call 349-3492.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The natural world provides us with our character, food and home. Next week, a group tasked with preserving Indiana’s land will be honored for its environmental contributions.On Feb. 10, Gov. Mitch Daniels proclaimed the week of Feb. 22 to 28 Sycamore Land Trust Week in honor of the group’s 20th anniversary and because the SLT “sustains Indiana’s natural heritage of biological and geological wealth, honoring Indiana’s culture and the values of its citizens,” according to the proclamation.The Sycamore Land Trust has grown from a volunteer-run preservation of 500 acres in Monroe County in 1990 to a nationally recognized organization that protects 5,500 acres of southern Indiana land.“If we can protect 20,000 by 2020 we can literally change the natural history of the state,” said Executive Director Christian Freitag, noting that would be funded by area residents.That philosophy keeps the SLT going: the people who live here should protect the land themselves.“If the people care about the place they live, then people have to stand up and work to protect it,” Freitag said. “Land Trusts here and around the country are evidence that people care about their homes.”Members of the SLT contribute either land or financial support to the trust, and in addition to taking ownership of the land, the SLT helps landowners protect their own land from unnecessary community development.Carolyn Waldron, director of the Environmental Law Program at the Maurer School of Law, said concern for the global environment should not overshadow the need for protection at a local level.“I would encourage all of those who are thinking about global problems and participating in a global sense to recommit themselves to work locally,” Waldron said.Members have expressed the need for the support to be private. Freitag characterizes the SLT as apolitical and business-minded.“We can’t expect government to protect all the land that needs to be protected,” said IU English professor and SLT member Scott Russell Sanders. “I think it’s vital that there be a local land trust like the SLT that is supported by people who live in the region who care about nature and other species and who are advocates for natural lands.”Sanders discussed individual benefits to protecting our natural landscapes.“We also need to provide natural lands for our own physical and psychological and spiritual health because we are creatures of the earth,” Sanders said. “We need to be able to sustain our connections to the earth.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Environmental Management Association of IU will take part in two tree giveaway events this week in celebration of Earth Week.The first event, organized by the city of Bloomington, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at People’s Park on Kirkwood Avenue. The other event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. At the tree giveaway events, any attendee from IU and the Bloomington community can pick up a tree seedling with instructions on where to plant it and how to take care of it, said Julie Ramey, community relations manager for the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department.“The seedlings are about 12 to 14 inches tall and come in a plastic baggie so you can take them home and plant them,” she said. “I’m thinking there will be plenty to go around.”Ramey said trees are the only renewable resource.“The important thing is to have the right tree in the right place,” she said. “You have to be careful not to plant tall trees under power lines. Usually in a power line war, the power lines win.”Three native species of trees will be offered at the events: white oak, black gum and flowering dogwood, said Frances Gary, chair of the Environmental Management Association.The city of Bloomington, Michael Herbert, an alumnus member of the association and his father donated the trees, said Jenna Morrison, head of the special initiatives committee for the association.The group decided to participate in two tree giveaway events in order to reach out to multiple groups in the Bloomington community, Morrison said.“EMA is involved with numerous community outreach projects,” she said. “So it was important to the organization that we could give out trees to the Bloomington community at the People’s Park event on Tuesday as well as to the IU community at SPEA on Wednesday.”At the Earth Day Celebration on Tuesday, companies such as General Motors, Sycamore Land Trust and Pizza X will set up booths to share information about eco-conscious ways of doing business, Ramey said. Information about carbon footprint reduction will also be available, she said. “The focus of the celebration is to demonstrate the viability of green businesses and how easy and important it is for people to reduce their carbon footprint,” Ramey said.A carbon footprint is a gauge of how much carbon one person, company or city uses in a given amount of time, said Michael Hamburger, associate dean of facilities and co-chair of the IU sustainability task force.“There is very strong scientific evidence that the release of carbon dioxide may be a drastic cause of global warming,” he said. “Information at the event will provide new approaches to lower a person’s environmental impact.”
After the week of warm weather and blinding sunshine, many students are thanking Mother Nature for their sun-kissed skin and the chance to walk to class in shorts and tank tops. \nRain or shine, today everyone can pay their thanks during the Earth Day Celebration in Dunn Meadow, from 1 to 9 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Indiana Public Interest Research Group.\nSenior Lauren Fischer, organizer of the event, said INPIRG decided to plan the festivities because nobody was celebrating Earth Day, and the group wanted to "bring knowledge about conserving and preserving our Earth" to campus.\n"We also thought it'd be a great way to kick off Little Five weekend," she said.\nAlthough the events in Dunn Meadow don't start until 1 p.m., the Earth Day celebration opens with a parade sponsored by the Bloomington Circus Collective at 11:30 a.m. The parade will begin at the Monroe County Courthouse and end at Dunn Meadow.\nAfter processing down Kirkwood Avenue, the collective will give a circus workshop, which involves activities like juggling and stilts, said sophomore Vanessa Caruso, an INPIRG volunteer who is also an employee of the Indiana Daily Student.\nPeople won't clown around all day, though. Throughout the event, music will linger in the air.\nFrom 3 to 4 p.m., Caruso said the group invites all musicians or people with drums to join the poet and drum free jam.\nIf active musical participation doesn't strike a chord with attendees, they can enjoy the evening concerts featuring live bands from 5 to 9 p.m. The bands scheduled to perform are Undefeatable Beats, Perceival Potts, Members of the Ark Band and The Swell.\nThe bands will play even in the event of rain because INPIRG has a covering over the stage, Fischer said.\nAside from music, theatrical groups will perform during the afternoon as well. Groups from Collins and Harmony School will be in attendance, as well as a group from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. The SPEA environmental management group's performance will focus on the importance of conservation.\nNot only can attendees enjoy the free performances, but they can also learn how to care for the earth.\n"There are a lot of opportunities to learn a lot of easy ways to change their behavior for the earth and to take action," Caruso said. "They can learn ways to do things they believe in instead of talking about it."\nSuch an activity is the 2 p.m. tree planting outing at Sycamore Land Trust, 10 miles outside of campus. A carpool will be available for those interested, Caruso said.\nShe added INPIRG's Hunger and Homelessness program is distributing yogurt cups filled with soil and seeds for people interested in growing plants.\nCaruso said the celebration includes an organic bake sale, and the proceeds benefit a group trying to create an organic garden at the Collins center.\nIn addition to supporting foliage growth, attendees can watch a solar oven demonstration and visit the compost exhibit, Caruso said.\nAttendees who own a hybrid car can display their contribution toward conserving the environment by driving it to Dunn Meadow and parking it in a designated place.\nFischer said between the organic bake sale and the information tables set up by educational, political and campus groups, there will be an exhibit about reducing consumerism.\nAttendees can also donate extra clothes or unwanted items to the Goodwill collection site on Dunn Meadow.\nOr, if students want to spread a specific message, they can bring old T-shirts and participate in a shirt-painting event.\nAlthough students may overlook Earth Day on the calendar, Fischer encourages them to take part in the celebration.\n"I'd really like for students to come," Fischer said. "It's a great way for the diverse (student body) to come together because we have one thing in common, and that's living on this earth."\n-- Contact staff writer Ashley Rhodebeck at arhodebe@indiana.edu.
The sounds of children running, banjos playing and people laughing could be heard at Karst Farm Park, Saturday during. The Bloomington and Monroe County Parks and Recreation department sponsored the annual event in order to raise awareness about local environmental issues and provide fun nature-based activities. \nThis year's theme was "Art of Nature," and could be seen in the many nature-themed activities throughout the day. These included flower-pressing, pottery design, painting and wood crafting. Kids also gathered around a small stage to watch skit performances such as Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax."\n"We want to increase appreciation for nature," said Marcia Veldman, a Bloomington Parks and Recreation employee, who helped organize the event. \nVeldman felt this year's turn-out was good, despite the unseasonably chilly weather. \nMost people didn't seem to mind having to wear their sweatshirts. One 10-year old girl was thrilled that she got to create a wooden spinning top with the help of local wood-turner David Beery. The wood crafting and flower-pressing seemed to be the most popular with the kids. \nIt may have been the only non-art activity, however, that attracted the most attention. A large climbing wall allowed people to test attendees agility and strength. \nThe event also included about 10 tables stationed by local environmental groups including: Wild Care Inc., Indiana Forest Alliance, Indiana Audubon Society, Indiana Karst Conservancy and Sycamore Land Trust. People stationed at the booths were distributing information and talking with passers-by. \nVal Frazee of the Lost River Conservation Association, a sub-group of the Karst Conservancy, was trying to get an important message out about the water quality in the Bloomington area. His group and others urge citizens not to eat locally-caught fish or ingest ground water because of water contamination. \n"The city government is doing as much as they can to solve the problem," Frazee said, adding that more time and money is needed to make a real difference. \nIndiana Forest Alliance member, Todd McDonald, was aiming to recruit members for his group. The local activist forest protection group meets weekly to organize events and campaigns. \n"We're really looking for dedicated activists right now," McDonald said. \nAnother highlight of the day was a silent auction to benefit the Indiana Audubon Society. The items included a homemade chili dinner for eight, T-shirts and artwork. \nIn addition to all of the art and information, Earth Fest also offered a tour of Leonard Springs Nature Park, located just a short bus ride away from Karst Farm Park. The tour involved hiking and art activities as well. \nYou would have to spend all day at Karst Farm Park to experience every part of Earth Fest 2002. At the end of the day, kids left with tokens to remind them of nature. The volunteer sign-up sheets on most of the tables ended up full of new names. \n"We want people to be more aware of environmental issues," Veldman said.