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Final Report - KCC Earth Day 2010

FROM: Carol Bain bain@hawai.edu

TO: ASUH – KCC student government

and SC Committee , Bob Conti chair

Participation & Attendance: This is a report on the recent event 4/22/10 Earth Day. Overall, the event under the tent went well, had 24 booths, and in general had more attendance than last year. (conservative estimate: 500-600 during event.)

The DVD showing at 11:30 a.m. of “Tapped” had 50 people according to Gordon LaBedz who hosted that segment. He said every seat in room was filled. The afternoon panel discussions included 31 people at my my 3:30 pm headcount. The panel participants signed the release form to allow video recording. Not sure why it was not videotaped. Having the food and live music attracted people.

There was good student participation and the sponsorship from ASUHKCC was significant. The program with maps and mahalos was excellent. There was better volunteer support than last year, (thanks to Joshua, Colleen and Noah for help w/set up) and the clean-up responsibilities were shared. I made a photo CD if anyone would like to see the photos. The Garden Island provided good publicity for the event the next day.

CONCLUSIONS: The addition of showing educational DVD's and having panel discussions is good, as it furthers the defined goals. Working with ASUH-KCC, cooperative planning should begin in early January. A review of the budget is in order. If mutual goals are agreed to, then the efforts should be mutual. If it is decided to hold a 2011 Earth Day celebration on campus, a paid coordinator, whether student or staff, should be considered. As we know student activity fees cannot be used for staff, then the coordinator fees could be from Sustainability Committee budget. If it is determined that a student coordinator will be paid for the next Earth Day, I would be willing to mentor at no fee for 2011. If anyone wants my draft documents or data just ask.

Below are the results of feedback and input taken during the event. Over 100 attendance forms were handed out with 38 returned. Twenty-four table/ vendor feedback forms were handed out with seven returned (I think people at tables were just too busy, so I recommend getting feedback via survey next time).

Vendor and participant feedback is below.

 

• Goal: to hold a student-centered, community-involved event on campus focused on sustainability for our island or campus

• Sub-Goal: network organizations/groups/individuals that are “doing” and working to create sustainability on Kaua’i

Effectiveness of the event to meet the goals: 1=not effective to 5 Most Effective

1 . 1

2 .

3 . 11111=5

4 . 11111 11111 111 = 13

5. 11111 11111 11111 11111 1 =21

 CONCLUSION: majority of participants state event is effective method to meet stated goals

Usefulness of the Information I received today:1=Not at all to 5=Extremely useful

1. 1

2.

3. 11111=5

4. 11111 11111 11111 =15

5. 11111 11111 11111 11111 1=21

 CONCLUSION: Participants state information received is useful

 

Of all the tables and displays, which best communicated the above goals, in your opinion: table name or organization KISC = 8
tie for 2^nd place between Hawaii Farmers Union & Regenerations Seed Exchange

 

 

1. Things I liked about this event:  

 

• The open air tent

• the music

• seeing all the groups coming together

• the enthusiasm

• the great exhibits & materials

• variety of booths

• food was really good

• giveaways to encourage people to come/stay

• excellent organizing

• many people were friendly & informed

• lots of booths

 

2. Changes to improve the event:

 

• need more tent space

• end earlier

• Better weather

• get commitments from people who sight up for the tables to show up

• keep the side of the tent near music open so stage / music is not blocked

• have the LED light bulbs / the CFLs have mercury

• music too loud to talk to people at my booth

 

3. as a result of this event I plan to:

 

• support local growers

• step up the efforts to reduce my carbon footprint

• have booth at seed exchange

• switch my light bulbs

 

FEEDBACK  responses to ...

 

** Something I learned today:

 

• farmers are getting organized!

• more about the Kauai path

• a lot of organizations really care about our island

• zero waste

• recycle guide

• how to raise worms

• everything

• solar panels covering KCC parking lots

• the truth about bottled water

• life is godspeed

• beekeepers

• that things sustainability are being embraced by a broad range of groups

• importance of not using drinking bottled water

• Koki frog and sound

• about the bee mite

• people are trying to build paths

• there's a $100 reward if you find a mongoose on Kauai

• what a Koki frog sounds like

• every voice counts; every person that wants change should do something about it

• HTW important sustainability

• several kinds of beneficial earth worms

• what koki frogs look like and sound like

• surprises lurk around every corner

• that the information given free is overwhelming

• how to make worm castings

• you can recycle motor oil

• society should be more concerned about bottled water

• purity of H20

• bees have mites

• learned a lot from Tapped video

• no need mongoose

Finally, I wish to thank Ed Coll for his assistance with this website. I believe the wiki website is underutilized by the committee,
but if more used it the KCC Earth Day event planning would be more effective.

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Welcome to KCC Earth Day – April 22, Thursday

Electronics/Technology Building Room 114
SIGN IN PLEASE. From 2 pm, discussion will be videotaped. Participants are asked to sign the video release form.

1. 11:30 am:  Surfrider’s Gordon and Diana LaBedz will present the movie Tapped , a 74-minute film highlighting the impacts of plastics and the bottled water industry on our environment. A short Q&A session will follow the screening.

2. 1:00 pm:  Brad Parson from Sierra Club member and Kauaians for a Bright Energy Future will present the 26-minute film PowerShift a film about energy consumption and alternatives to petroleum based energy. A short Q&A session will follow the screening.

3. 2:00 pm: Food for Thought- Can our Island Feed Us?  Growing your own food for a sustainable future will feature presentations from Keone Kealoha from Malama Kaua'i, Arius Hopman from Kahili Agroecology Research Center and Felicia Cowden from Akamai Backyard. Presenters will discuss their involvement with community gardens, permaculture design and growing capacities on Kaua’i

4. 3:00 pm: A panel discussion on creating a sustainable future for Kaua’i, facilitated by Ken Stokes, will follow short presentations from Andrea Brower from Malama Kaua’i, George Costa from the County of Kaua’i and Paul Massey from Regenerations Botanical Gardens. Panelists will share information on their programs and how community resiliency can be developed through partnership and collaboration. Interactive participation from audience members will help define and set goals for a sustainable Kaua’i.

•  Program from 2 pm will be videotaped. Watch this site for posting location and date.
  

11:30 am – “Tapped” Documentary presented by Surfrider Foundation - Q&A to follow with Diana & Gordon Labetz

1:00 pm – “Power Shift” DVD presented by Sierra Club, Q&A to follow with Brad Parsons

2:00 pm – “Hawai'i's Shifting Building Codes”- speaker cancelled.

Instead -

2pm - Open Panel #1: "Food for Thought - Can Kaua'i Feed its Population?" discussion guided by Jimmy Trujillo

3:00 pm – Open Panel: #2

“Defining Sustainable Living for Our Island”

Join us for this discussion guided by Ken Stokes and others from our local "sustainable" community.

( 4 pm Pau )

Kaua'i Community College
3-1901 Kaumualii Hwy, Lihue, HI 96766
KCC Sustainability Committee, Chair: Robert Conti 635-6585

Media Contact: Carol Bain, 246-2111, Email: bain@hawaii.edu
Event Contact: Bob Conti 635-6585 rconti@hawaii.edu
Student Contact: Crystal Cruz 651-3705 cruzcrys@hawaii.edu

Kaua'i Community College Celebrates Earth Day Thursday 4/22/10
Celebration continues Friday with Tokyo Jazz Concert

PUHI – Celebrated around the world as a collective expression of public will to create a sustainable society, Kaua'i Community College hosts Earth Day 2010 and invites all to attend Thursday, April 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Two students who serve on the student government of the college, the Associated Students of the University of Hawai`i at Kaua`i Community College (ASUH-KCC), Crystal Cruz and Nelson Batalion, are working hard to make this event a success. “The goal is to hold a student centered, community involved event on campus to promote sustainable action,” said event co-chair, Crystal Cruz.

Over twenty organizations actively working toward sustainability for our island have been invited to exhibit or demonstrate under a large tent on the Campus Center lawn. Coordinated by the KCC Sustainability Committee and ASUHKCC student government Earth Day Planning Committee, The event activities include:

• Light bulb exchange: bring in 1 old incandescent bulb & exchange for 1 new CFL bulb (5 limit)

• View Demonstrations of renewable energy by Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

• See documentary video and hear speakers on sustainability topics like “How to eliminate plastic water bottles from your life”

• Learn how to reduce your waste for home and office
  

• Engage in an open panel discussion “Moving Toward Sustainability: Goals for our Island”

There are organizations promoting the growing of food on our island, including County Farm Bureau, Malama Kaua'i, and others that have been invited. It is time to network with others to reduce the use of fossil fuels and encourage sustainable practices in the areas of building, planning, design, and water use.

The mission of the KCC Sustainability Committee is to explore, model, and facilitate sustainable practices through vision, design, and education. There is still time to register for a table by visiting: http://creator.zoho.com/edcoll/kccearthday . Contact event co-chairs Carol Bain 246-2111 or Bob Conti 635-6585 or Crystal Cruz 651-3705. Email: bain@hawaii.edu. A campus map with parking and location information can be found at https://kccsustain.wiki.zoho.com/KCC-Map.html

WHO: KCC

NOTE: The above image was from last year's 2009 Earth Day. This years is 4/22 again but on Thursday from 11 am to 4pm.

Sustainable Committee
WHAT: Earth Day at Kaua'i Community College
WHEN: Thursday, April 22, 2010 11 am  to 4 pm
WHERE: Lawn area of the Kaua'i Community College Performing Arts Center
WHY: To hold a student centered, community involved event at KCC focused on sustainability
THEME: Creating a sustainable Kaua'i

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• a. how to hold a "Zero Waste" event - including reducing plastic bottles on campus
  

  b. music was a bit too loud to be "in the tent"

  c. the food was great! offer more!
  

  d. start to plan early for 2010