Mannkind Charity

December 10, 2009

Can it be done?! 1,000,000 trees planted in only one-hour?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:30 am

Hi All,

Wow!  It’s amazing to think about the logistics of putting 1,000,000 trees into the ground in only one-hour but that’s not hampering an eco-happy bunch of community groups in the UK from giving it their best shot!

The current record is held by the Philippines with 653,000 trees planted in an hour.  This new mark of one million will hopefully encourage other nations to accept the challenge of going GREEN in a hurry!

But for these UK eco-enthusiasts it’s about more than a record, it’s about instilling an appreciation for the natural world.  Headteacher Mike Poppit puts it best,

“As educators, it’s vital to emphasise to future generations the importance of taking care of our environment and to replenish natural resources where we can.  What better way is there than planting trees with today’s children, who can watch the trees grow over time, and to come back to as adults with their children?”

In a word - AWESOME!!!

15th-middlesbrough-brownies-charlotte-moran-and-anya-lauren-lilley-with-brown-owl-ann-smith-685067022

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2009/12/09/teesside-groups-take-part-in-tree-planting-world-record-attempt-84229-25349649/

Andrew G

November 24, 2009

Treeplanting program in Vancouver may get the AXE!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 8:27 pm

Hi Friends,

It’s sad but true:  there will have to be fewer trees if there is to be more money.

What started all this hoopla about money & trees you ask?

Well, according to a recent article in the Vancouver Sun, the City of Vancouver is currently dealing with a $61 million dollar “operating budget shortfall” and so in an effort to keep property taxes from increasing by more than the targeted 2% they are asking public departments, city-wide to make deep, potentially lamentable program cuts.

For the Parks board, those cuts have to dance to the tune of $2.8 million, which ultimately means significant funding reductions for community services and the beloved tree-planting program.

This article also touches on two additional points worth addressing here that highlight the confounding & disappointing nature of the situation: the first is a simple quantitative consideration that I think a lot of homeowners really need to ponder-a-bit before jumping on the “I DON’T WANT MY TAXES TO INCREASE” bandwagon, and that is, for an average-priced Vancouver home the difference between a 2% tax increase and a 5% tax increase “is minimal and works out to about $62 a year…”.

Which begs the question, what would you be willing to pay for better air, water, soil, & scenery per year?

And the second point speaks to how the decision to cut tree-planting programs directly conflicts with the Mayor’s recent announcement & accompanying action plan to make Vancouver the GREENest city in the world by 2020.

I smell a PR mess brewing!

Have a read (link below) & share your thoughts–if you could write a letter to the mayor, the parks board or to the Vancouver Sun, what would you say?

Will Vancouver treeplanting program get the axe??!!

Will Vancouver treeplanting program get the axe??!!

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/City+tree+planting+program+facing/2258120/story.html

Andrew G

November 13, 2009

Man in India plants nearly 1,000,000,000 trees in one day!!??

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 12:20 am

Hi Friends,

Here’s something I ran across on the world wide web of random eco-things– thank-you BBC!

And along with this amazing feat is a plan that’s radically changing the natural, social & economic landscape for millions of rural and working-poor families in the most lawless state in India.

“…Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action– Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”     —Tagore

mr_raju_enlarged

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8257563.stm

Andrew G

September 7, 2009

Blogg’in and Volunteering for Mannkind…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:14 pm

Hi Friends,

It’s great having an opportunity to share time with you and explore issues related to the work of our organization. I am grateful to Dave & James for encouraging me to participate in this blog and I look forward to engaging with you through your comments & questions!

For me, the great thing about volunteering with Mannkind is that I receive a chance to really get involved in the planning & exercise of social and environmental initiatives—for example, two of our programs involve cooking for the homeless in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver (DTES) and planting trees throughout local communities.  From my first day forward, the experience has always been more than simply handing out food and digging holes for shrubs, with Mannkind, I work hand-in-hand with awesome volunteers that consistently encourage & inspire me to be more creative with each event and program advance.

Whether I’m making sandwiches, planting shrubs, painting faces, planning events or blogging—I can do it my way! The effort and enthusiasm I bring is always welcome and reflects in a positive direction.

I believe this charity’s platform provides its human capital (you & me) a meaningful opportunity to work hard and make a difference in the lives of real people here at home and around the world—the timeless, give a man a fish or teach a man to fish, adage roots well here and has potential to flourish with Mannkind.

In order to foster long-term & holistic solutions we need to reach out to the public to involve their insight & capital. Through our voice, the public can begin to experience our vision and hopefully, become interested and involved in sustaining the work we do.

But for now, we can’t wait for others to take notice.  Change takes time.  So in the early stages, the work all begets from you & me.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

M.Gandhi

Andrew G

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