On Saturday Quinn and I traveled to the Queens Botanical Gardens to have tour and to learn more about sustainable architecture.  When we arrived Quinn, two others, and myself were taken on a tour.  I was surprised of how much the Garden focuses on being sustainable before looking pretty.  For example when the wether gets warmer there is an area that is put aside to be swampy which will clean the water.  Another thing that stuck out to me was the bathroom. First they had a shower in the bathroom, which is there for people who work there who want to ride their bike to work.  Also the toilet stuck out to me.  The toilets water was not completely clean.  It wasn’t drinking water but it was recycled water.  What I was most impressed with was that everything at the garden was based around sustainability from all the plants, to the green roof, to a structure that saved rain water into what could be toilet water instead of overflowing into the sewer, or lastly to the structure of the buildings side.  The buildings side had wooden shades on the outside,which would bring the heat into the building during the winter, and be able to shade it in the hot seasons based on the suns angle.  The tour guide was very helpful to us and gave us a packet full of information about the garden. I think that this is a great place from both gardeners and architectures to go.  Lastly while we were there, there was another group that our tour guide said was of teachers because the garden wants to help teachers learn how to teach sustainability.   

-Cole 

Quinn and I went to the Queens Botanical Gardens to have a 1 hour tour of the garden and the Administration Center.

-Cole 

 

1 hour tour of Queens Botanical Garden Visitor and Administration Center.

-Quinn

Cole and I found this architecture firm and made a date to meet with them on Tueday March 4th.

– Quinn

We have been contacting the people from City Park. We already emailed and called Anna Frederick, Mike Mcqueen and Sarah Erinsin several times, ad we were about to meet with them today on 42nd street at 2:45pm but we both agreed that it wouldn’t be easy for us to travel there every week. As a group we decided that we should try to get in contact with Jefferson Market Library. This weekend we will try to find and email and a phone number we can call them and make arrangements.

Ava and I contacted the organization to confirm what we were doing.  Ava, Cellie, Ama and I are helping with research on monday at 4:00 and the next week we are going to be toured around the green market.  Also, on the 27th we are going to help with an event(a screening as I am told).-Sophia 

On Wednesday, I made posters for Against Malaria. I took different facts that I learned from John Matthers about the issue and put them on the poster, as well as certain pictures that could easily catch someone’s eye. I put the sites that people could go to on the poster as well. Something that people responded to was the fact that you could get pictures of the mosquito net they donated being delivered with pictures of the person that was recieving it. I put the posters in very strategic locations. I put each poster in a place that would be noticed. Thursday, I went to those places that I put up posters. I saw at least one person at each one. I even saw someone copying down the email address on their hand. This project went really well.

6:00-8:00pm

Jack G, Jimmy, and I contacted Applewood, a restaurant that serves organic food. we have set up a meeting at 2:00 pm on saturday

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    I am still trying to think of how I can help the organization in a significant way. I believe that I need to organize something large to raise money, such as a bake sale with goods made by our entire sustainability group. I am also thinking about creating fliers for Madness Against Malaria, which I could hand out around the school and on the street. I was also thinking of helping with any local organization related to Against Malaria in any way. In my e-mail to Rob, I ran all of these ideas by him. I also asked if he had any more.

I browsed the website for a bit, looking at what was on it. I saw some television advertisements on it, and perhaps I could send people I know links to those videos. Starting a chain – email could really spread the message, and get people donate only five dollars to the cause.

I sent an e-mail to Rob Mather; he hasn’t responded yet. (Note: I don’t know if I should call him because it is a long distance call) I also spent some time browsing the site, watching the commercials there, and thinking of ideas of how to help.

We have called and emailed our contact

Our contact never called back, so we e-mailed him. He is on vacation far away, but we were able to set up some meetings in March.

On Saturday morning Lili and I got an unexpected call from Davy, saying he was the only one at the managers booth that day and would we please come help. We were happy to oblige, and arrived shortly at 12:00. There, we met with Davy and were given a list of farmers who were not there that day, and a walkie talkie. After grabbing a cheap but delicious breakfast of organic pumpkin, apple, carrot, and banana bread, we settled in. Customers came by to pick out free magazines, free recipes, and lists of market times, but mostly to ask questions. We answered questions about volunteering, which farmers were at the market, when and what time the market was open, and to take many complaints. It was really fun, because it made me feel responsible and happy because I was spending hours at a place that I have always loved. Although my feet were falling of from the cold, and we met a few strange people, helping out was really important and totally worth it. I learned more about how the market runs and works than I already did. At the end of our shift, we went to talk to one of the farmers, Karen, who has a sheep farm about when we would come. I can’t wait to work at the actual stalls, and I’m really excited to see so many parts of the farmers market.

Lili and I went to work at the manager’s booth at Union Square from 12:00 pm- 3:00 pm.

During activity period on the 15, Sarah took Gaia and I to her salon, John Masters Organics. It is a salon that uses natural products instead of chemicals like most companies. John Masters sells his products in many places. The salon is a very cosy, Greenwich Village-y place, with warm colors and flowers everywhere. There are also many mismatched gold mirrors all over. There is even an outdoor area where customers can get their hair cut in the summer. And unlike most salons, which smell good, albeit kind of fake, this one smelled completely natural, as do all the products. While Sarah chatted with the staff, and John was on the phone, Gaia and I tryed out many of the products. They use interesting ingredients such as lavender and seasalt, blood orange, hibiscus, and pomegranate. There are also a wide variety of products, such as face oil and something to make your hair look like you’ve been at the beach. It all felt good and smelled AMAZING.

Eventually, John came and talked to us. He liked our project and readily agreed to talk to us more in-depth sometime. He told us how he was disgusted by the idea of putting chemicals in his hair, so he began mixing his own soaps and lotions in the basement. He told us that many, more widely-produced products have unhealthy ingredients. For example, Chanel lipstick has lead in it. Also, he gave us several organizations that fight against unnatural ingredients in cosmetics.

– Talia

We arrived at the Greenmarket at ten thirty. We stepped out of our cab then entered a large building and went down a series of steps. As soon as we turned the next corner there were a number of nametags with our name on it. I immediately felt like I was a part of the business community. We sat and listened to several speeches of candidates who thought they should be head of a smaller Greenmarket organization. Each had many brilliant points and I realized how important the Greenmarket really is. We took a small break then divided into groups. I was involved in the cloned animal group. I learned many things and was able to involve myself in a well-educated discussion.

I Consistantly tried to contact our new host Tucker Robbins, he makes lighand lightings out of sustainable materials. well the only person who he answered to (that i know of) was Maya, so she told me that they would be happy to meet with us, but right now he was away on a bussness trip.

· Arrived at Greenmarket at 10:30

· Spent an hour listening to a number of speakers talk about the Greenmarket, and what they stand for

· Spent 15 minutes on a break

· Spent the last hour listening to a discussion on cloned meats

On February 15, Sarah took Gaia and I to the John Masters Organic Salon during activity period. We tried out several products,  spoke to John Masters about his salon, and his mission. We also took a tour of the salon.

On February 21, we emailed him to ask when we could talk to him about how he helps the environment. He hasn’t gotten back yet.

Firs my group (Lilly Day and Hannah Rifkin) tried getting in contact with Coco Vino and Back Forty. We called and E-mailed and received no return calls for about a week or so. Finally on February 24, 2008 Hannah got response from Coco Vino. Since we have lost a week we must fit two visits in this week. I am also gaining more interest in the green subject. I even started watch some documentaries suck has, The corporation and Il lultimo lago del mondo (The world last lake). I have also started to notices, not just subtle differences, large differences in Europe vs. America in sustainability. Such as in Italy the government pays you to own a solar panel or eco-friendly car. 

On February 9th, Manny, Ella, Maya, Henry, Calen, Niles, and I all met up at the AIANY Architecture Center. We worked with 3rd and 4th grade students on building small models of their own dream “green” buildings. They could place as many bike racks, sun roofs, and subway stops, etc. near their designs as possible. Each of the designs were made up of recycled materials and portrayed what our community will soon become. We helped the students by giving them any of the materials they might need, helping them to come up with any other new ideas, and gluing certain pieces on for them. 

I took the F train from West 4th street station to York Street in Brooklyn (5 stops).  Then found, the certainly large, Recycle-A-Bicycle building.  Then in the building, I found the intern’s manager working with some kids my age on a bicycle.  The intern certainly took much less time than I expected (10 minutes) we discussed school, my bicycle background, the sustainability project and the reason I am going to Recycle-A-Bicycle.  She then explained what days worked for her in her schedule and then we formed our own schedule.  This definitely seems like a very interesting project and Recycle-A-Bicycle sounds inspiring and I’m almost certain that I will meet again with Recycle-A-Bicycle by the beginning of next week.

Deion, Jimmy, and i have made contact with the AppleWood Resturant in Brooklyn, which should be a lot easier to get access to in our project than the headquarters of Hardwick Beef in Massachusetts. The owners said that we would be of most use at midmorning and we replied back asking if weekends were okay. They have yet to respond to us, however, we hope to head up there this weekend, if not next.

I have met with the intern’s manager at Recycle-A-Bicycle and we made a weekly schedule.  She interviewed me briefly about school and my past bicycle experience. (Journal has much more details) It seems to me that I will be going to Dumbo, Brooklyn every Tuesday from 3:30 to around 5:00.

For many days now my group has not been able to get in touch with cocoavino, and has had some difficulties reaching Peter Hoffman (owner of Back Forty), today however i spoke on the phone with Alisha (manager of cocoavino) and she said she would love to meet with us, and answer any questions we have, but she is not sure how we could work for them yet. Times for meetings have not yet been made, but will be made soon.I have also spoken with Peter Hoffman, and he said that he would also like to help us in any way he can, but we have not yet been able to set up times to talk more with him, and visit the restaurant.~lilly

Today I have created a page on www.againstmalaria.com to allow people to sponsor me for my run. The link is www.againstmalaria.com/aaronnaves. You can help me raise money at this site by clicking on the sponsor button and giving whatever you can to help buy Malaria nets. I will be running for this cause with a few of my group members after spring break, and if you would like to run with us, you can contact me.
-Aaron

Today, for about 5 minutes me and a worker at Solar 1 named Chris Neidl had a conversation about what I should do for their organization. When we talked Chris made me feel comfortable with each other. He mentioned a job of booking presentations for him to talk about Solar 1. Also, he said I can do some tableing at Washington Square Park, and try to get people on Solar 1’s mailing list. I took both of these into consideration, and said that I wouldn’t mind working for 2-3 hours a couple of days a week. He said he had a lot of work this week so the time I can start working on this project is around March 3rd. I told him I’m going to Spain from March 13th to March 20th so we have to work around it. He said after Spain is a perfect time too. Overall our conversation was great and all of our plans are settled. Next I’m going to meet him in person Tuesday.

-David

We have been in contact with our organization and discussed with the volunteer coordinators positions we would be eligible and interested in. They told us they would talk about it and get back to us with jobs and a set date that we could visit them starting either this week or next.

Today, Sophie and I went to the Farmers Market at Union Square. We met with Davy and Matt who are the Market Managers. We spent three hours at that booth answering tons of questions and learned about how the Green Market worked, as well. Some questions included, where different booths were, who was here, dates, and volunteering. These probably college students interviewed us for a project. They recorded and asked us why we thought the market was important. I shared my ideas based on the Fast Food Nation reading and movie. At the end we scheduled with farmers to come every Saturday and Wednesday with the goat cheese, honey, and wool farmers.
I started to understand how the market worked and learned how it was run. It was very thrilling to stand there and have people ask you questions because you would feel so powerful.

This week my group talked to Rob Mather the head of Madness for Malaria. He told us how he had gotten the idea to start the fund from watching a show on a poor crippled girl from Africa. He started by raising money for the girls with a few friends of his. He and his friends raised enough money to support the girl and her opperations for the rest of her life.Someone then asked him what he was going to fight for next, he then replied that it had to be a big global cause, preferably nothing to do with politics and something to do with medicine and disease. Madness for Malaria is a program that distributes malaria nets. These nets protect the people under them from catching malaria from the infected insects. At www.againstmalaria.com you can sponsr people to take part in certain events like fasting, running, and swimming. All the money you collect will go straight to the children in Africa. You can sponser me at www.againstmalaria.com by typing in my name in the box intitled particapants. My name will show up and you can click on it and choose the amount you want to spend.
-Aaron

we havent been able to go yet.

we’va made calls but they said we were too young to do it, so john wilson said he would contact sistar orgonizations to see if they are interested in letting us work with them a bit.

1 hour long interview at the Center for Architecture in Greenwich Village.

The Rainforest Alliance emailed me several sites full of information, but they didn’t give our group very clear information on what actions to take. After reading through it, I asked several grocery stores if they had RA certified bananas. It was kind of frustrating cause most of the people there didn’t know what the Rainforest Alliance was. Unsure of where to go from there, I sent Maria Ghiso (who will be our main correspondent) the email seen in Ama’s journal entry. She hasn’t responded yet, but I’m sure she will soon. I now plan on writing a business letter to the grocery stores who didn’t have bananas with the RA seal encouraging them to use RA certified produce.

-The Rob

My group and I called back the company and they told us they were still looking for suitable jobs we could do. They’re going to call us back within the next couple of days to give us a list options.Ava 

After contacting the Community Board 4, I was invited to observe a meeting. It turns out that this was the first meeting between a small group (about eight local people, one of whom turned out to be my lower school friend’s dad) who were on the community board. When I got to the meeting, Renee Schoonbeek (who I had emailed) introduced me to everyone and then I went to sit next to a woman who was writing an article about the group for the Chelsea Newspaper.  Every once and a while she would say something to me, but I couldn’t really understand what she was saying. The community board members called themselves a “task force”. In the meeting they discussed how they wanted to find out more about what the other Community Boards were doing and see if they could unite on a cause or project. They also wanted to set up policies for applicants and developers. Part of their plan for doing this was to simply ask questions that imply necessary actions. The meeting lasted about an hour and a half, and although I didn’t fully understand a lot of what they were talking about, I enjoyed being there.

Spent five hours helping Sasha make things for a bake sale.

Ama’s log:  I spent an hour searching on websites for a banana product for saving bananas in  Honduras.  Robbie and I also contacted Tensie as well as Maria.  They are people who work for the organization, Rainforest Alliance.

-Ama

I spent about an hour working on the FreshDirect website and the other large websites that send produce home. I did a project that involved finding the inventory of certain bananas and their types. I did the project based on an outline in an email from the leader of the Rainforest Alliance. The project was easy and enjoyable. I have been in and stayed in contact with the leader of the group, Rainforest Alliance, as well as a person that can help us and give us more work. Her name is Maria, and she works for the leader of the group, Tensie. She has information from the head of the alliance and she is helping us organize a letter campaign to help save the rainforest. Here is an email that Robbie and I sent to Maria to clarify the things that we could do to help.

Hi Maria,
We’re unsure of what sorts of work you’d like us to do. We’d love to develop a plan for fundraising or other activities, but we’re a little confused as to what those activities are. Tensie gave us a lot of information but we’re hoping you could bridge the gap between that information and what we can do.

-Ama

Cole and I contacted both the Queens Botanical Garden and NRDC.  We made dates that we could visit their buildings, which are both green.  We are going to see the Queens Botanical Garden on March 1st and the NRDC building on March 3rd.

-Quinn

Talia and I went to the John Masters Organic Salon on the fifteenth of February. Sarah took us during activity period on Friday.

We walked in to the salon and were immediately relieved as a blanket of warm air slid over us. I was slightly surprised by how different the salon smelled and looked. While other bigger salons use products with harsh chemicals in them that create a strong shampooey, fake smell, the John Masters Salon did just the opposite. The Salon uses natural and even organic ingredients in their products, creating a calm scent that smells slightly like flowers and cut grass. The salon was lit with a warm yellow light giving off a cozy feel. It is also filled with mirrors pointing every which way that produce an interesting and complex scene.

While John was on the phone with a business partner, Talia and I waited and busied our selves by going around the room smelling and trying on all different sorts of creams and lotions. There was a Pomegranate facial oil, sea water with Lavender mist, Honey and Hibiscus hair reconstructor, and many other relaxing combination lotions. John Masters take some of natures finest plants and turns them in to wonderful smelling lotions and sprays.

When John got off the phone he greeted Sarah, Talia and I warmly . We spoke to him about our sustainability project and how we would like to ask him some questions about his Salon sometime. He was very enthusiastic about the project and readily agreed. We then spoke for several minutes about the difference of natural and unnatural salon products. He told us what had driven him to found an all natural salon. He said he was really disturbed by putting chemicals on his own body and in his hair. He was so freaked out that he started making his own lotions in his basement. He also told us something very disturbing; Chanel lipstick has lead in it! Here is a successful make-up company, and one of their top products has lead in it. To make the matters even worse, this lipstick goes on you lips so it can get in to your body more easily.

Sarah, Talia and I departed the Salon, and headed back to School. We had learned a lot of new information and got a little peek at the Salon’s inner workings. I was a little nervous before meeting John, but as soon as I really got to know what he was like, my emotions changed completely. I left the Salon that day feeling confident about our project, much cheerier, and smelling floralful.

-Gaia

Quinn and I were unable to find any times a green building could give us a tour.  We have scheduled two vistits to two different sustainability locations.  We realized that the information for the NRDC building would only give us one visit.  Therefore we have launched a search as I said ealier for other possible locations.  Our first visit to the NRDC building is scheduled for a week from this monday.Cole 

From 10 to 12:30 I worked at the AIANY Center for Architecture. At 10 my group and I were given a tour of some of the things on the first floor and we discussed how we could make buildings green. Some of the ideas that we came up with were using the rain water as the toilet water, using an old structure to make the new building, making the building out of glass, etc. We were taken downstairs while our guide went back upstairs to brief in the students and parents from P.S 171. Once these students and parets were finished with their tour they joined us downstairs. They were given the assignment to make their own green building. We walked around helping people and asking what their ideas were. Then we were given the choice to make our own. We didn’t make much progress on it because we had to alternate between walking around and constructing our building. I think that if we all sat down together than we could have gotten farther. As time was winding down we helped clean up the materials and then the buildings were presented. Each person had their own individual idea. One team, a child and his mother, made their green building out of a recycled parking lot.

On 2/9 I spent two and a half hours working at AIANY Center for Architecture. -Niles

Our group listened to Rob Matler describe his experiences in the creation of Madness Against Malaria over the phone (He is English). He said that it all started out when he was watching a documentary about a little girl in England named Terri, who had burns over ninety percent of her body. Rob really felt horrible about how bad her condition was, and decided to raise money for her. He decided to do this by organizing a swim, and in 3 weeks got a total of $400,000 for the girl. All of her future operations were paid for. Now Rob needed a new cause to raise money for, and he found it in the fight against malaria. He set a goal of getting 1 million people to swim for malaria, but only got a quarter of that. He described malaria as being completely preventable, and that a five dollar bed-screen could protect people while they’re sleeping. He said that 20 bed-screens ($100 worth) would save the life of a child.

The way Rob spoke showed a confident character, one who would be determined to fight the easily-prevented malaria. I think I will enjoy working for this cause, and speaking with him more.

Cellie, Ava and I called the restaurant and they said they would call us back with information about what we could be suited for (where we could work).-Sophia 

I have been unable to get into contact with anyone at Mooshoes. I have called a total of three times and I have never even gotten an individual on the phone. I gave them all of my contact information and still have heard no reply for almost a week now. After speaking to Leila, we decided that instead of this particular organization I would research other sustainable clothing manufacturers. I decided that Patagonia was both convenient and perfect for the project.

Talia and I e-mailed John Masters.

-Gaia

             I worked with Maya, Niles, Calen, Jack G, Henry, and Manny. We were helping out at a family day in which second graders from a public school came with their parents to learn about sustainable architecture, and got to make a model of a building that would benefit the environment.

            The work site is very convenient because it is only a couple of blocks away from LREI. Most of us arrived on time, although there was some confusion as to whether we were supposed to be there at 9:30 or 10:00. I had absolutely no idea what was in store for us. When we arrived, Grace Hwang, who is super kind and helpful, gave us a little introduction to green architecture. I learned a lot of different ways that buildings can be sustainable. Aside from the predictable solar panels, windmills, etc. (which are still very helpful), buildings can do things such as act as an air purifier by letting the air pass through vents in the building that clean the air and make it 90% purer. Holes can also be dug deep into the earth and used as a heating system throughout the building. Rainwater can also be collected and used for toilets and temperature control. Those were all ideas I had never thought of before. It showed me that there are sustainable ways to do everything if you just give it some thought.

            Our first task was to help set up the materials that would be used for the models of the buildings that the 2^nd graders and their parents would make. This was not very difficult. There was paper that needed cutting, and sorting that needed to be done, but our group was very efficient at that. When the 2^nd graders came in, our task was to give them suggestions for their building and to help out. We also got to build a model of our own. We developed a system where half of us would walk around and talk to people while the other half built our model. After a certain amount of time, we would switch off. Calen took photos the entire time. I thought we were very organized and it worked out very well. All of us were also very comfortable with jumping in and giving suggestions and compliments. Grace Hwang suggested future projects for our group, such as writing a review of the museum and designing flyers for family days, which sounds very exciting.

            I had a really great time at the Center for Architecture. I felt very comfortable there with Grace Hwang and the 2^nd graders and their parents. The making of the model of our building was a lot of fun, even though ours was definitely not the best. I am also very interested in the different sustainable architectural ideas, so I think I am going to have a great time working with this organization. -Ella Park-Chan