Giving Back to Nature/Environmental Causes

I am a big time granola. I support an organization that rehabilitates rescued wildlife. I am curious as to what type of volunteering you do or organizations that you support to improve our world?

Member of Bat Conservation International http://www.batcon.org/

Thanks for sharing, Tyler. Have you ever built a bat house? That is one of my goals when I get a more permanent place.

For years I have been growing, cutting, and donating my hair to victims of cancer. When in public like at a beach, or camping, or anywhere, I pick up garbage, broken glass, etc. People will look at you like you are insane for this, so be prepared if you want to clean up public places. Lately we have also added a challenge to ourselves with food. If it isn't non-gmo verified, organic and local, or grown on our own place we can't have it. We also follow a big re-duce re-use policy in our house. Recycle is LAST on the list unless it is being used to describe us repurposing it ourselves. We buy nothing that serves only one or two uses, multiple or no go. "You make a statement every time you make a purchase" is really good advice imo, you don't have to chain yourself to a logging truck to be doing environmental things.

Every little thing counts. Though I would love to chain myself to a tree. It is on my bucket list.

I've not yet built a bat house. I'm kind of in "Bat Central" here in this part of Texas, not too far from a famous old bat structure and an old railroad tunnel bat colony.

Yeah, I used to live in Port A. I remember seeing the bridge bats in Austin.

For years I have told canvassers flatly that I have already done my lifetime share. I never ever give money.

But I do several things to pull my weight in the community. About half a mile of beach view is kept free of english ivy by my efforts and I build several temporary beach access steps every year. Winter storms wipe them out every year. A small forest of Gary oak was engulfed in ivy and dying off before I began clearing and maintaining it 10 years ago.

My greatest contribution has been in my choice of business. In 17 years of building recycling, I have recycled aprox 250 buildings which represent about 15,ooo tons reused and kept out of the landfill. I have turned several homes slated for demolition into movers and saved them intact. My family lived in one for 14 years.

My latest plan involves rewarding others who do a lot by giving them a free vacation on my bus. There's a guy who cleans trash from the beaches every day. A volunteer group teaches people about composting, energy conservation and other worthwhile endevors. The newspaper often has stories about those who have given to their community. I expect to include 10 or more volunteers per week on mini vacations. I'm asking the heads of many organizations to nominate their best volunteers to recieve this gift. This will allow me to help these organizations with very little out of pocket expense.