News and Accomplishments
Earth Share of Texas News
H-E-B and its
Central Texas customers contributed $25,000 to Earth Share of Texas to
support program work of 28 Central Texas environmental and
conservation organizations.
Earth Share of
Texas was the first environmental organization to be the beneficiary of
H-E-B’s check-out stand tear pad program. Customers made $1, $3 or $5
contributions as they paid for their groceries during April, in
celebration of Earth Day.
Earth Share of
Texas supports the work of 70 environmental and conservation
organizations, primarily through payroll contribution programs at
workplaces throughout Texas.
Edie
Muehlberger, Director of Earth Share of Texas, said that among
the many environmental projects to be
supported by the H-E-B program are Bat Conservation International’s
construction of human-made roosts for beneficial bats, Austin Parks
Foundation’s Shoal Creek Greenbelt improvement project, and several
organizations’ purchases of conservation easements.
Other Earth
Share of Texas organizations to benefit include The Nature Conservancy
of Texas, the Hill Country Conservancy, TreeFolks, the Texas Solar
Energy Society, the Children’s Environmental Health Institute, the San
Marcos River Foundation and the Texas Bicycle Coalition Education Fund.
This story was
featured in the
Austin American-Statesman on August 3, 2007.
Partner Organization News
More Than Shade: A Profile of Tree Folks
Solar Power Helps Air and Day Care
More Than Shade
by Sarah Burden
TreeFolks, Austin’s premier tree-planting non-profit group, has significantly enhanced Austin residents’ quality of life for 11 years, beautifying Austin communities, fighting soil erosion, and improving air quality.
 Since its inception in 1989, TreeFolks has galvanized thousands of volunteers to plant more than 10,000 trees in local neighborhoods, schools, and businesses. TreeFolks educates the public about the importance of trees for the aesthetic enhancement of urban areas, environmental quality, and human health. TreeFolks also promotes community partnerships in the renewal, restoration and care of urban forests through public tree plantings and education.
One of their most notable programs, the award-winning Urban Orchard Project, provides a maintainable, organic food source for residents of low-income, inner-city neighborhoods. TreeFolks and the Texas Organic Growers Association teach community participants how to garden without toxic pesticides, plant and care for a variety of fruit and nut trees, and harvest the produce. By providing a food source that participants can consume, share, sell, or transform into marketable products, the Urban Orchard Project provides community participants with valuable skills, a sense of ownership, and empowerment.
TreeFolks maintains an award-winning website, publishes guides, and offers classes on planting, pruning, organic farming methods, and general tree care.
Solar Power Helps Air and Day Care
By Sarah Burden
 Thanks to the Texas Solar Energy Society, Ebenezer Baptist Church now saves money while running its daycare center with a cleaner energy system. The predominantly African-American church, located in a low-income neighborhood in East Austin, offers low-cost daycare to its members. The daycare center needed renovations to its heating, ventilation, and cooling system that would have cost thousands of dollars.
Local utility company Austin Energy donated equipment to the church, and Kathryn Houser, executive director of the Texas Solar Energy Society, volunteered TXSES’ membership for the installation.
TXSES coordinated a diverse group of people to install solar energy panels on the roof of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. The volunteers worked weekends for an entire summer to construct the new system. As a result of the project, the daycare center will save more than $900 per year on its utility bills, and Texas air will be freed from about 13,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.
This project, which lasted three months and required hundreds of volunteer hours, is the largest undertaking TXSES has ever attempted. TXSES is involved with numerous community outreach projects throughout Texas to promote clean-air renewable energy. Other projects include teaching children to build and use solar ovens to cook s’mores and nachos; teaching children to build solar-powered model cars and a life-size, fully functional solar-powered go-cart; sponsoring a tour of innovative and energy-efficient homes; and hosting a festival dedicated to clean energy education.
Several of Texas’ largest metropolitan areas currently do not meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s required standards for air quality. According to Houser, fossil fuel generation of electricity is a huge contributor to Texas’ air pollution. Fortunately, we can derive enough power from the wind and sun to reverse that trend. TXSES is leading the way in educating consumers about available clean energy choices and the benefits these choices have on human health and the environment.
If you are interested in supporting programs of TreeFolks, The Texas Solar Energy Society or other environmental organizations, please go to the How you can help page.
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