A Whole Bag of Trash

The whole family including our dog Ember and a member of my daughter's "Dancing Turtles" tribe friend went for a long walk today along a paved trail along Swift Creek between Kildaire Farm Road and Regency Drive. We also took a trash bag with us on the chance that we'd run into some litter. We scoured the woods and dried creek bed for litter. Unfortunately we found a ton of litter. Drink cans, lots of plastic bottles, juice boxes and pouches, Styrofoam cups and plastic bags. We had to actually stop when our bag started tearing. When we got home, the girls pulled out all the recyclables (70% of the trash!)

Ashlyn "Fuzzy Kitty" and Heidi "Jumping Jaguar" with their bag of trash.

Next time it's nice outside, take the family out for some fresh air and exercise and pick up trash in your local park, greenway or neighborhood. This will count as one of your 10 activities that you need to receive your Chief's Challenge patch.

2008 Chief's Challenge / Spring Outing

I just want to make sure everyone is aware of and is working on this year's Chief's Challenge. This is my challenge to all Big Braves, Guides & Princesses, Trailblazers and Trailmates to help protect and improve our environment. To me, there are few issues as important as preserving the Earth for generations to come. My Challenge is based on our 6th Aim:

To seek and preserve the beauty of the Great Spirit's work in
forest, field and stream.

If you and your child complete 10 environmental activities found in the Chief's Challenge Flyer, you will conserve energy and water and likely save some money in the process. You'll also receive a Chief's Challenge patch at Spring Outing!

Several dads have come up to me and asked if they can do some environmental activities that aren't listed on the flyer. Sure! Just keep a list of what you're doing. Make sure to bring your flyer and list of accomplishments to Spring Outing

I'd like to encourage tribes to have the environment be a focus of an upcoming tribe meeting. What is energy? How can we conserve energy? What's a drought? How can we conserve water? Find out how many little braves & princesses are brushing their teeth with the water off. How many tribe members are taking showers in 5 minutes or less?

All of these are important issues that you can discuss with your tribe. Throw in a cool environmental craft and you'll have a great meeting! This meeting will count toward your Chief's Challenge. Having each child make an environmental poster to decorate the cabin at Spring Outing will be fun and also count.

Speaking of Spring Outing. It's just around the corner! As your tribe prepares for Spring Outing, I'd like to make several suggestions:

1. CARPOOL! - Have your tribe carpool to Spring Outing! Not only will it save on the pollution, but you'll likely have a lot more fun with more people in the car. You'll also save on gas, since you're splitting the gas bill with another dad in the car.
   
   
2. RECYCLE! - Make sure to recycle all your plastic water and soda bottles and aluminum cans that you bring to Spring Outing. Unfortunately camp doesn't have a recycling program, so plan on bagging your bottles and cans and bringing them back home to recycle. Just bring a recycle bin from home for the tribe to use. Put the kids in charge of making sure all bottles and cans end up in your recycle bin and not in the cabin trash can.
   

The tribes of the Mighty Arapahoe Nation will also be helping Camp Sea Gull & Seafarer switch over to the new compact fluorescent bulbs.

I'm asking every tribe to bring:

• 1 (one) white, 26 or 27-watt CFL bulb (standard household size or base), and
  
• 1 (one) yellow, 13-watt CFL bulb (bug light) (standard household size or base)

This valuable donation to the camps will reduce their energy bills and dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

We don't want the tribes replacing the bulbs themselves, so we're asking all tribes to bring their bulbs to the ice cream social on Friday night.

Don't forget that Spring Outing registration opens on Tuesday, January 22 at 7:00 am at the Program Center. If you haven't heard about Spring Outing registration from your Chief, give him a call to make he knows about registration.

Our great program staff, Nation's Officers and Longbow Council are all working hard to make this year's Spring Outing is the best yet. I look forward in seeing you and your tribe at Spring Outing this year!

How-How!