Skip to main navigation

Catalogue Blog

Tag Archives: Environment

Around Town: April 6-7

Posted on by

With the nicer weather (and cherry blossoms!), Catalogue nonprofits are getting busy! Check out all of the great things that are going on Around Town this weekend!

Saturday, April 06, cheap essay writing services 2013

Red Shoe 5K Run & Walk

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington D.C.’s Red Shoe 5K Run & Walk helps children heal faster and better. April 6th. Race starts 9:00am Kids Fun Run at 8:45am. Registration 7:00am. Family friendly Red Shoe 5K is for racers, leisure walkers and runners. Prizes, awards & surprises. Kids can get community service hours. Team & Family discounts. Kids in strollers free. Sign up on-line now at www.redshoe5K.org or call 703.698.7080.
When: Saturday April 6, 2013 (09:00 AM)
Where: Dulles Station, 2303 Dulles Station Boulevard, Herndon, VA 20171
Fee: Yes, Adults $35 until March 6; Kids $25; Adults $40 until March 31; $45 after March 31.
Volunteer Info:Volunteers needed?for our Red Shoe 5K April 6th. 2 shifts 6:30AM – 8:30AM & 8AM -11AM. Water and food stations; Set up, registration, Greeters/Parking Directors, Floaters, making sure our guests have fun. Volunteers get the much-coveted dri-fit 5k shirt for free and snacks and beverages are provided throughout the day. Contact Rachel: rachel@rmhcdc.org or at 703.698.7080.
Contact: Rachel, (703) 698-7080 ext 220

Help Clean Up Rock Creek Volunteer on April 6

Rock Creek Conservancy (formerly Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment)
It’s time to give Rock Creek and its beautiful parks a spring cleaning. Sign up for the Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup this Saturday! Rock Creek Conservancy is mobilizing volunteers at over 60 Rock Creek locations. Visit rockcreekconservancy.org to find a spot near you. Most of the cleanups will take place on Saturday, April 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Check the site you are interested in for details. Register today! Some of the sites are highly popular and filling up quickly with volunteers. This is a fun, worthwhile opportunity for people of all ages to work together to make a real difference for our parks. Student Service Learning credit is available. The fifth annual Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup is part of the larger Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. Rock Creek Conservancy works in partnership with Montgomery County Parks, the National Park Service, and the Alice Ferguson Foundation to field volunteers for the event. Bring your friends and families and join your neighbors in working for a clean Rock Creek! And please help spread the word to others who might be interested.
When: Saturday April 6, 2013 (09:00 AM – 12:00 NOON)
Where: Rock Creek Watershed, 4825 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814
Fee: No
Volunteer Info: We will be cleaning up the entire Rock Creek Watershed from the headwaters in Laytonsville, MD to the Mouth of Rock Creek in Georgetown.
Contact: Karen Zeiter, (301) 775-2960

Outreach Visits to Low-income Seniors

We Are Family Senior Outreach Network
We Are Family will be coordinating outreach visits to isolated, low-income seniors in their homes.
When: Saturday April 6, 2013 (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
Where: Metropolitan Community Church, 474 Ridge St. NW, Washington, DC 20001
Fee: No
Volunteer Info: Volunteers will receive a brief orientation and then go out in pairs or groups to visit with seniors in their homes.
Contact: Mark Andersen, (202) 487-8698

I, Jack, am the Knave of Hearts

District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC)
I, Jack, am the Knave of Hearts takes the audience on a journey of discovery and reckoning as Don Juan bursts through the fissure that separates mortality from eternal damnation and tries desperately to remember who he was, discover what he is doing here now and uncover why he has been allowed to escape. “You want to know what Hell is like? Hell is to be aware when there is nothing to be aware of and nothing to be aware with but your own desire? Hell is the end of hope.” John Carter, a local poet who has turned his hand to playwriting over the past fifteen years, deftly merges lyrical language with narrative as he delves layer by layer into the complex nature of Don Juan’s reflections on a life he would have lived in no other way; even with the full knowledge of the resulting punishment. His last play, Lou, based on the life of Lou Salome received critical acclaim in the New York Fringe Festival last year.
When: Saturday April 6, 2013 (7:30 PM)
Where: DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St Washington, DC 20009
Fee: Yes, $25.00
Contact: B. Stanley, (202 ) 462-7833

Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion

Dance Place
Inspired by the 1991 film, Boyz N The Hood, and the early writings of W.E.B Dubois, New York based Kyle Abraham investigates the rich history of urban culture and the rise and fall of community. Set to a mix of operatic scores with the sounds of an urban city, the work blends bold imagery with subtlety into a tapestry of visual and emotional depth. Co-presented with Reston Centerstage. Funded in part by the NEA, MAAF ArtsCONNECT and NEFA.
When: Saturday April 6, 2013 (8:00 PM)
Fee: Yes, $22 General Admission; $17 Members, Seniors, Teachers and Artists; $10 College Students; $8 Children (17 and under)
Contact: Carolyn Kamrath, (202) 269-1608

ETC/ArtStream OnStage present The Final Showdown and Lights, Camera, Chaos.

Educational Theatre Company
Inclusive Theatre Companies are directed by trained theatre professionals and feature actors with intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities and on the Autism Spectrum. An original script is developed during the rehearsal process through improvisation techniques. A play is scripted and then blocked, memorized by the actors and performed for the public. The final production is designed to showcase each actor?s unique talents.
When: Saturday April 6, 2013 (8:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
Where:Gunston Theatre One, 2700 South Lang Street, Arlington, VA 22206
Fee: no
Volunteer Info: ArtStream,Inc is producing two original musical comedies featuring actors with and without cognitive disabilities and WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! We need 3-4 people to help run simple sound cues or help our actors backstage.
Contact: Jennie Lutz, (301) 565-4567

Sunday, April 07, 2013

Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion

Dance Place
Inspired by the 1991 film, Boyz N The Hood, and the early writings of W.E.B Dubois, New York based Kyle Abraham investigates the rich history of urban culture and the rise and fall of community. Set to a mix of operatic scores with the sounds of an urban city, the work blends bold imagery with subtlety?into a tapestry of visual and emotional depth. Co-presented with Reston Centerstage. Funded in part by the NEA, MAAF ArtsCONNECT and NEFA.
When: Sunday April 7, 2013 (7:00 PM)
Where: Dance Place, 3225 8th Street NE, Washington, DC 20017
Fee: yes, $22 General Admission; $17 Members, Seniors, Teachers and Artists; $10 College Students; $8 Children (17 and under)
Contact: Carolyn Kamrath, (202) 269-1608

The Time is Now

Posted on by

In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other.

That time is now.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has challenged the world to broaden the understanding of peace: there can be no peace without equitable development; and there can be no development without sustainable management of the environment in a democratic and peaceful space. This shift is an idea whose time has come.

– Human rights advocate and environmental conservationist, Wangari Maathai, born today in 1940. In 2004, Maathai was awarded the Noble Peace Prize “for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”

From the Field: Clean Water Rally

Posted on by
Reply

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Swim, Drink, Fish — Clean Water!

This was the rallying cry at the Rally for Clean Water, held last Saturday, September 15, at the Georgetown Waterfront. The Rally celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, a piece of landmark legislation passed in 1972 that protects and regulates standards for America’s waterways. The event was co-sponsored by Catalogue’s Potomac Riverkeeper, as well as Waterkeeper Alliance, Blue Legacy, Waterkeepers Chesapeake and Earthjustice. Hundreds of community members joined the celebration for the morning paddle, speaker series, and river clean up. We (Marie and Sherika) spent the morning at the Rally, both enjoying the beauty of the Potomac River during the paddle and volunteering during the speaking portion of the rally.

Continue reading →

What the Coffee Means

Posted on by
Reply

By Matt Bright, Earth Sangha’s Tree Bank Coordinator

Earth Sangha Tree Bank / Hispaniola is a partnership with a group of small-holder farmers who live along a section of the Dominican Republic-Haiti border. Our goal is to create a system in which tropical small-holder farming is more compatible with native forest. Such a system, we hope, could one day benefit small-holders in the many parts of the rural tropics. This guest post is an excerpt from First Hand, a series of essays and videos intended to show you what it’s like to do small-scale “green development” in a rural, developing-country context.

Our Rising Forests Coffee is, to our friends in the DC area, the most visible and tangible achievement from our work in the Dominican Republic. Drinking our coffee is not just a delicious way to start your morning (now available in dark roast: order here!); it’s also an important way to support our conservation efforts. Our coffee supports our Tree Bank, provides much-needed income to our farmers, and encourages conservation.

Continue reading →

In The Community Minutes …

Posted on by
Reply

By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Each month, WAMU features one or more local nonprofits in a segment called “Community Minute.” This month, two Catalogue for Philanthropy charities are featured on the radio and online: City Kids Wilderness Project and Man Can Stop Rape. While we always enjoy reading about our nonprofits in the Catalogue, hearing directly from staff members on the radio brings their stories to life in a new way.

City Kids Wilderness Project offers experiential learning programs for inner-city youth, utilizing the outdoors and a natural environment as a classroom for academic, recreational and life skills. Development Associate Mike Macrina shares the story of a City Kids alumnus who is now a freshman at West Virginia University, and will be working in Alaska with the National Outdoor Leadership School this summer — and attempting the first all-African American summit of the highest peak in North America.

Continue reading →

In The Water

Posted on by
Reply

Did you catch this story of The Kojo Nnamdi Show yesterday morning?

“College campuses across the country are restricting or banning the sale of bottled water. Instead they’re promoting “hydration stations,” where students can fill up their own reusable bottles with filtered tap water. The groups behind “ban the bottle” campaigns cite environmental concerns over plastic bottle manufacture and waste as their motivation. But critics say students have a right to choose what they drink […]”

The NPR food blog, The Salt, also reports that “the bottled water war is spreading beyond campuses, though. Several cities have stopped using public funds to purchase bottled water, and Grand Canyon National Park announced Monday it will stop selling water in containers smaller than one gallon.”

And after delving into the bottle battles, you can learn plenty about the water in our own rivers right here:

– Anacostia Watershed Society: protects and restores the Anacostia River and its watershed, working hand-in-hand with local volunteers
– Rock Creek Conservancy: mobilizes over 2,000 volunteers to clean local streams and advocates for the park’s natural resources.
– Potomac Riverkeeper: increases public awareness and promotes community action to protect a great resource; volunteer citizen monitors act as its “eyes and ears”

Thanksgiving Week

Posted on by
Reply

Friendships begin with liking or gratitude — roots that can be pulled up.

— English novelist George Eliot

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

— 35th US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy

This Thanksgiving week, we’re giving thanks for the incredible nonprofit community of Greater Washington — for cleaner rivers and parklands, innovative schools and enrichment programs, diverse theater and dance performances, and aid for our region’s neediest residents.

Are you a Catalogue nonprofit with particular volunteer or support needs this week? Let us know so that we can feature you right here!

Feature of the Month: E-Links

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome to mid-November! Just one week ago today, we introduced you to our new class of Catalogue nonprofits. So now, we’d like to show how you can learn even more about them online.

First, head to the “Our Nonprofits” section of the Catalogue homepage and click on any of the five categories. Let’s go with “Nature.” From there, let’s get to know one of our new organizations: Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment. And if you scroll down on ACE’s page, you will see this menu:

 

 

 

 

 

Continue reading →

In The News …

Posted on by
Reply

Obama’s Jobs Bill: Ready to Take a Chance Again? (Nonprofit Quarterly): Wondering “which parts of the president’s plan are most relevant to nonprofits, and what effect are they likely to have on the sector?” NPQ’s intricate piece walks through both the President’s “track record on nonprofits” and six points of interest to nonprofits in the jobs bill (#4: “Are there any parts of the American Jobs Act that appear to take advantage of the unique skill sets and missions of nonprofits?”), and concludes that “the American Jobs Act must do a better job than ARRA did in involving and including nonprofits of all stripes in its implementation.”

How do we make cities greener? Start by growing smarter?(Greater Greater Washington): Continuing on the green cities theme of yesterday’s article, check out this post on GGW: “a fixed set of people is more sustainable the fewer acres they collectively use. At one point, some viewed the ideal sustainable lifestyle as one where a small bubble of trees and grass surrounds each household. But instead, that just means a lot of heating and cooling energy is wasted to that bubble, and we spend far more energy moving among them […] The way we grow in the future is likely to be the most significant factor in how sustainable a region we have for generations to come.”

Washington economy grows 3.6% (Washington Business Journal): “Washington’s gross domestic product grew 3.6 percent in 2010, reaching $425.2 billion, the fourth-largest metropolitan economy in the nation. Washington also ranks as the third-fastest growing metropolitan economy” behind Boston and New York. For some additional positive news, metropolitan economies across the country grew in size by 2.5% in the past year, whereas they declined by that same percentage in the previous year.

Greener Cities?

Posted on by
2

From yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, “How To Build A Greener City” by Michael Totty:

Urban populations around the world are expected to soar in the next 20 years, to five billion from more than three billion today. If the current rate of urbanization holds steady, cities will account for nearly three-quarters of the world’s energy demand by 2030 […] So, cities aren’t going to have be made a little greener; they’re going to have to be rethought.

Continue reading →