By Donna Abbruzzese

Our science classroom at Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland, NY investigated the greenhouse effect and its impact on global climate change. After a series of inquiry labs, both hands on and computer simulations, with additional follow-up investigation using the NOAA website I was ready to move on - however, the students were determined to find ways to limit the accumulation of greenhouse gases and their impact on the planet. My job at that point became one of facilitator rather than teacher!

The results were that the students investigated and identified simple steps that individuals could take to limit the production of carbon dioxide. After viewing many examples of effective public service announcements, they produced their own PSAs. Taking it another step further they committed to spreading the word through a science expo. In preparation they created informational displays and designed hands’ on activities to illustrate and motivate people to commit to action.

While at an NSTA conference in Cincinnati I happened upon the We Add Up display and brought information back to my students. They loved the idea of the unique-ness of the shirts and were eager to purchase them. The students agreed unanimously to donate any money raised by selling t-shirts to an ongoing project our school has undertaken to provide a water pump for an African village. In that way this project turned out to have many benefits - the environment and our fellow humans!

After all was said and done the Science Expo was a great hit, with well over 200 people from the community attending! The t-shirt sale and a bake sale that the students organized for the Expo resulted in the donation of $600 to the water pump project! Perhaps the most important benefit was the experience and sense of pride that the students are taking away from this multi-faceted project, in addition, they are now truly committed to continuing their work to improve the environment and take action to promote environmental awareness.

I couldn’t be prouder of my students!

Donna Abbruzzese
Farnsworth Middle School
Guilderland, NY

We Add Up now has a fan page on Facebook!  Please become a fan here:  http://www.facebook.com/weaddup.  We’re going to be doing major giveaways all throughout the year of We Add Up products and other green products we love.  Word around the office is there is going to be a MAJOR prize announced in the next week or two…   It’s also a place for you to post pictures of you and your friends and family in your We Add Up gear!  And, most of all, our fan page is a place to really interact with us and each other, share links, share tips, and generate new thoughts.  We always say that we have the best customers in the world, we truly enjoy you and appreciate you.  We look forward to getting to know you better on Facebook!  Become a fan today!

What does “We Add Up” really mean? It’s something I think about often. Recently, I’ve discovered that volunteering and helping further the cause of a more connected, empowered, and sustainable society can be really really fun!! Here is a sneak peak into my adventures Sunday, July 12th. I started off the morning boarding the 7 train in NYC out to Flushing, NY, the starting point of the Tour de Queens. About 1200 bicyclists showed up for the 2nd annual 19 mile bike ride around Queens. Why? To celebrate alternative transportation and to highlight our right as bicyclists to ride the roads, along with cars. What did I also learn? That I need to invest in a new seat. The manufacturer’s seat circa 1992 felt like it was carved out of stone! It was a great time, great exercise, and it felt wonderful to be involved.

After the tour ended, I headed off to a small (think pocket-sized) beach in Astoria to volunteer with the Long Island City Community Boathouse. You’ll hear me talk about them a lot because I volunteer often with them. The LICCB mission is to help people who live in the “City of Water” enjoy this natural resource we often take for granted. When you think New York City, do you think horse shoe crabs and free kayaking in the East River? I didn’t think so. Next time you’re in NYC, look us up and come on a paddle. That Sunday, we got about 130 people out in boats, many for the first time. We welcome people of all ages and income levels, as it’s free and we’re all volunteer run.

What natural resources do you have in YOUR community? Is there a way you can support people having greater access and awareness of them? Enjoyment of a resource is the first step toward protecting it. And did I mention? Volunteering and being involved in a cause does NOT need to be depressing or hard. Think of all the neat people you’ll meet of like mind, the fresh air and sun you’ll enjoy, and the satisfaction you’ll feel as you help create a more thrivable community.

I planted a vegetable garden for the first time in 15 years. In February when the weather was dreary, I watched the PBS “This Old House” guys build a raised bed vegetable garden. It was the construction and creating part that intrigued me and I thought, “I want to make one”.

The first thing I did, while I was excited about the project, was buy some organic seeds and starter mix. I was very ambitious and started tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, broccoli, watermelon, cantalope, cucumber, zucchini, and some lavender inside. This made me follow through with the hard labor of clearing space and building this garden when the weather broke.

I thought the raised bed could be a first step toward solving the deer problem I have, too. The challenge was fun. I bought 6 ten foot 2 x 10 treated lumber and a bunch of 2 x 4’s and built a 10′ x 20′ box with the 2 x 4’s extending the full length vertically. The guys in the show cut these corner braces flush but I figured if I used a whole piece and left it, I could use that to attach deer netting. It was really fun and rewarding to resolve the challenges that came along. I enlisted the help of my very patient boyfriend in digging out all that grass, screwing the wood together and then filling the box with 5 yards of organic garden soil. There isn’t certification for organic landscape material, but this was a mix of top soil and peat, taken from clean land that had not been farmed or leached upon, and manure.

Then came the planting. It filled up fast with all the seedlings I had grown, along with the seeds I wanted to plant directly in the bed: carrots, lettuce, beets, beans, peas, and spinach! I bought a few heirloom tomato plants and put those in too. I planted marigolds along the border to deter the rabbits and the deer too, and I looked up what plants like to grow next to each other. This helps in their optimal growth, nutrition and resisting pests. The watermelon and cantalope didn’t make it in and are taking their chances along side my driveway, but I have some of all the rest and we’ll see what does well this year and then make adjustments for next year!

Its so satisfying and calming to have a garden, and especially an organic garden. Learning about the plants and how to grow them without spraying them down with chemicals is very connecting to the life force. It feels so clean and pure. My yard and home have come alive again. I love just looking at it. And the deer netting is working! A fawn, with its mother a few feet away, was right next to the garden the other day and just ate the grass outside it! This project has led to more plants growing in pots on my deck too! I rooted the larger suckers I break off my tomatoes and started some herbs…basil, dill, parsley, sage, stevia, lavender. I’m looking forward to lots of fresh tomatoes this year! Oh my. There will be a lot share with family and friends, which is another great benefit to growing your own garden. It feels great!

- Judy (Mother and Co-Founder)