Each year cities across the country and even overseas gear up to cerebrate Earth-Day.  Here in the greater Atlanta area, we are no different.  Each year Earth-Day is stretched out to what becomes Earth-Week and even Earth-Month as organizations attempt to engage their local community to get involved and use this opportunity to educate everyone on the many environmental issue our planet is facing everyday.

Ever since we were down in the Gulf during the BP oil spill where we first learned about Plastic Pollution, OMG founders Olivia and Carter have been doing everything they can to share their knowledge on the issue while trying to encourage others to get involved.  The first thing they did was to form a coalition of like-minded organizations who are equally as passionate about seeking a solution.  Our Plastic Awareness Coalition currently boasts over 60 local, national and even international members and the list keeps growing.

The next thing the kids did was to seek-out educators who could help them create a curriculum program which could be brought into elementary schools across the country.  We successfully launched our Plastic Awareness Week program last year and as the word gets out, we continually get schools from across the country who are interested in implementing the program for their students.

Our Plastic Awareness Week program has been so successful that we now have such impressive organizations as the United Methodist Church and the Girls Scouts of Great Atlanta looking at possibly implementing our program in their system as well.  We are also in the process of seeking grant funding which would allow us to bring our weeklong event to elementary schools nationwide.

While all of this is happening, we are also still actively working with local and national organizations on ways we can get our educational outreach programs into any and all community events across the country.  With Earth-Day being on everyones minds during the month of April, we seize every opportunity to participate in as many Earth-Day events as possible so we can try to reach every family and community to help them all realize that they too can “Be the solution to the issue of plastic pollution.”

During this years Earth-Day festivities, OMG founders were invited to conduct their Environmental Education programs for visitors at nine separate events in the greater metro Atlanta area to include:

OMG Bag Monster Invades GSU Earth Day Event where students across the GSU campus came out in force to show their support for the many initiatives in the community which were helping to make a difference.

10th Annual Captain Planet Kids Fest which was held at the beautiful Upper Chattahoochee Nature Center where hundreds of families showed up to learn about how they to could make simple changes at home that would have an immediate impact on our community.

2012 GA Tech Earth Day Celebration which always brings out the best in all the students as they gather and share ideas and ways we can all adopt to help our environment.

Plastic Awareness Outreach Program which was held at the GA Aquarium and gave Olivia and Carter the opportunity to speak about the issue of Plastic Pollution and how it is choking our oceans and killing so many species each year.

Party for the Planet event at Zoo Atlanta was yet another great opportunity for OMG to reach out to our community and helpthem understand the issue of Plastic Pollution and share ideas on how each family could adopt simple changes which make a tremendous difference.

EPA 2012 Earth Day Downtown Atlanta Cleanup Challenge Celebration where the OMG Bag Monster had an opportunity to get outside along with Mayor Reed and help raise awareness to the issue of Plastic Pollution.

Crossroads Second Chance School 2012 M.O.V.E. Health Fair which was designed to stimulate the minds of the students and get them involved with being the solution makers to many of the issues our community faces.

Greater Outdoors -Environmental Awareness Expo conducted by the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.  Here we had the opportunity to speak with over 600 local Girl Scouts and their team leaders about ways they could all get involved.

Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeepers 2012 River Revival which allowed us to mingle with some of Atlanta’s elite and more influential decision makers as they enjoyed music and friends at the Park Tavern in Atlanta.

As you can see, we stay busy this time of year.  The only unfortunate thing is that many of the events are so heavily concentratedin just a few weeks of the year.  Issues like Plastic Pollution are negatively impacting our world everyday of the year and unless we can get out and touch everyone in our community, we will never get a handle on the situation.

Our goal is to bring our educational programs to every member of the community and to help everyone understand the issue and show them that “Anybody Can Make A Difference, If We Can… You Can Too.

If you are interested in having our two young founders come out to your next event, please give us a call or send us an email.  Our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum is now available for schools nationwide and our Plastic Awareness Coalition is still looking for more organizations to join our efforts of helping America ‘Be the solution to the issue of plastic pollution‘.

Thanks again for caring from all of us at OMG

OMG was invited to participate in this years Captain Planet Earth Day Kids Fest which is hosted by the Chattahoochee Nature Center in lovely Roswell GA.  The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to give the next generation of environmental stewards an active understanding and love for the natural world in which they live. Their unique program of funding andsupporting hands-on environmental projects is designed to encourage innovative initiatives that inspire and empower children and youth around the world as they work individually and collectively creating environmental solutions in their homes, schools and communities.

The Mission of the Chattahoochee Nature Center is to provide unique learning experiences focused on the Chattahoochee River that connect people to the natural world and empower them to positively impact their local environments.  And as you all know by now, the mission of One More Generation is to preserve endangered species and our environment. Our goal is to ensure all endangered species survive at least One More Generation… and beyond and we aim to make that a reality by educating kids across the country about the need to care for our environment for us, and for all God’s creatures. To ensure our success and maximize our reach among students, we are constantly aligning ourselves with like-minded organizations such as Captain Planet and the Chattahoochee Nature Center.

The 10th Annual Earth Day Kids Fest is held at the Chattahoochee Nature Center each year and the event included the ever popular music group Laughing Pizza. Back by popular demand – attendees were able to sing and dance with the award-winning family band, Laughing Pizza. Laughing Pizza is a real family band who write and perform all original pop-music for families. Their music videos can be seen every day in over 18 million homes on PBS stations and TV On-Demand around the country. Olivia loved meeting this great family and we are hopeful that we will have the opportunity to work with them on a future project which will help raise awareness to the issues of plastic pollution to kids across the country.

Also at this years event there were plenty of Eco-Heros where attendees were able get an autograph and their photo taken with theGreenest football player in the NFL—Ovie Mughelli. They also had the opportunity to meet the ultimate eco-superhero—Captain Planet and his arch enemy the OMG Bag Monster.

The nature center also had Eco-Exploring opportunities where families could paddle a canoe on Beaver Pond, hike their woodland trails, and visit with non-releasable wildlife. The perfect opportunity to be a part of nature! Visitors were able to get moving by joining Paul Tukey, Co-Author of Tag, Toss & Run, and play games from all over the world!  Visitors were also greeted by local organizations (such as OMG that are helping the planet and could find out how they too could get involved! Visitors were treated to fun and exciting hands-on activities especially for kids! Plus found eco-friendly products for the whole family!

Visitors were also able to discover their own “Act of Green” by making their own pledge for the planet!  Families brought corks, cell phones, ink cartridges and alike to be recycled on the grounds. They also had the opportunity to meet the OMG Bag Monster and learn how to avoid becoming one themselves.

OMG had several volunteers on hand to help spread the word about our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program and we were sincerely overwhelmed by the amount of interest from families, students and even teachers and church groups.  Our program has been designed by teachers and students to ensure we are providing a fun and fact-filled curriculum that will excite and empower the next generation of eco-warriors.

Here is a video shot at the event by our friend Seth Pajak who owns S. Pajak Productions Inc which helps explain a little more about our program:

Visitors were greeted to an excellent day of family fun.  The weather was perfect and the organizations who participated in theevent were all too pleased to want to help families find ways to make a difference in their homes, schools and communities.  There was even a full grown buffalo on hand named “Thunder” who was brought by the founder of Rolling Thunder Enterprises Chipa Wolfe. Chipa has been producing cultural showcases and entertainment programs for over two decades with rave reviews from the educational institutions, corporations, law enforcement and government leaders and the film industry. Chipa is of both French and Indian decent and his desire to highlight Native culture is amplified by a deeper desire to promote a union between man and earth and his presence helped visitors realize the need for each of us to get involved with what happens to all animals.

Here is a complete list of all the great organizations who attended this year: 2012 Eco-Village Participants with links to their respective websites.  We encourage everyone to reach out to them all and let them know how you liked this years event.

We have also added all the photo’s we took during the event to our FaceBook page and invite everyone to view them here: CNC Earth Day Kids Fest Photo Album If you had your picture taken with the OMG Bag Monster, please browse through all our pictures and feel free to download as many photo’s as you like.  We wish to thank Taylor Long who was one of the energetic volunteers at the Chattahoochee Nature Center for taking the majority of the pictures for OMG during the event.  Her photography skills are apparent in every photo as she truly captured the excitement of the visitors throughout the day.

Many of you have asked, “What would happen if Eco Super Heroes such as Captain Planet and the Greenest football player in the NFL—Ovie Mughelli were ever to meet face to face with the dreaded OMG Bag Monster?“.  Well wonder no more:

We also wish to thank the entire staff and volunteers at the Chattahoochee Nature Center and from the Captain Planet Foundation for hosting such a successful event.  All of us at OMG sincerely enjoyed being part of the event and we look forward to doing so again in the future.

If you would like to learn more about our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program, or about any of the other great initiatives our two young founders are working on, please drop us a line at info@onemoregeneration.org and we will gladly get back in touch with you.  You can also contact us about possibly booking us for speaking engagements at your school, business, church or community.  If you know of a school which might be interested in learning more about our environmental education programs, please let us know and we will gladly work out the details with them.

Thanks again from all of us for your participation in the event and for also caring so much for the environment.  Best regards from the entire OMG Team

Carter and Olivia were recently invited to present their Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program at 2012 Environmental Education Alliance (EEA) of Georgia Annual Conference.  The EEA of Georgia has been serving environmental educators throughout Georgia since 1992. EEA supports environmental educators throughout Georgia to achieve the vision of a statewide culture of environmental literacy and stewardship. EEA believes environmental education encourages inquiry, investigation, and the development of skills that enable responsible decisions and actions that impact the environment.

This year’s theme was “The Art and Science of Environmental Education“.  There are two kinds of ways to knowsomething – intellectually, with the knowledge acquired through reading, lecture, etc., and intimately, having deeply experienced it and involving your emotions.

The idea behind the 2012 conference theme is that direct, intimate experience with nature is a crucial element to connect ourselves with our natural world. One of the best ways to form that bond between soul and Earth is through the power of the creative act of making art. Art and the creation of art engages our emotions, which in turn, when combined with scientific knowledge of the subject, engages our whole selves making learning more readily retained.

Our Plastic Awareness Week program infuses both kinds of learning experiences in a fun-filled weeklong curriculum which engages students and empowers them to realize their ability to ‘be the solution to the issue of plastic pollution‘.  This year’s

Keynote Speaker was famed artist and educator Pam Longobardi, Professor of Art, Georgia State University.  Pam discussed her point of view on the synergistic intersection of art, science and activism to address global environmental problems with the specific example of the Drifters Project Initiative. She spoke about the environmental crisis of plastic pollution, her firsthand experiences, and the artwork she makes with the recovered plastic. Pam also shared details of her participation in GYREx, a major project between the Alaska Sea LIfe Center and the Anchorage Museum and the Smithsonian that will involve an art/science expedition along the Aleutian Island chain in 2012.

One More Generation has worked closely with Pam on other events and her presentation substantiated the need to ensure today’s students are afforded the opportunity to learn about the problem of plastic pollution, and offer solutions they can immediately incorporate in their homes, schools and communities. Our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum was designed to do just that.

BTW, if your interested in getting your hands on Pam’s latest book ”Drifters“, you can order your copy by clicking on the book title. See what others are saying about her work: “Longobardi’s work is no mere attempt at creating pretty decoration from found objects. Her work is witness, and in it we share. She gives us a wake-up call, a call to action, a call for change. Her work is art. And the work that art must do is to steer our attention into the path of the oncoming truth.” - Carl Safina, 2009

The EEA has long been associated with progressive environmental education and this years conference demonstrated the sincere willingness of local educators to ensure our students are given every opportunity to experience and appreciate the need to infuse the two.

What is a conference without recognizing those who work so hard to educate our students? The statewide EEA awards are presented each year at the annual conference. Awards were be given by EEA in the following four categories: Dr. Eugene Odum Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Service to Environmental Education by an Individual, Outstanding Service to Environmental Education by an Organization, and PreK-16 Formal Educator of the Year. Other awards were also be presented by Monarchs Across Georgia, Project WET, and DNR.

This year’s conference also had ample workshops which included Backyard and Recycling Crafts by Presenter: Vicky Beckham Smith which was a Hands-on Program. Description: In this make and take session attendees constructed interesting crafts using natural items from your backyard and items from the home that would normally be tossed away. They made palm tree bark reindeer, tin can critters, baggie butterflies, stick bugs, and much more. Everyone had a blast.

There were also many exhibitors on hand who helped connect nature and education.   One of the exhibitors on hand was Linda Fraser who helped connect Art of EE (Environmental Education). Linda’s exhibit of ninety paintings of Southeastern native plants were hung chronologically, and has been featured at many major botanical gardens. Visitors learned about the educational value of the exhibit and heard amusing stories about the critters found with their plants.  Carter and Olivia loved her work.

Environmental education is essential in today’s school system.  Our curriculum program was designed to engage and enlighten students to the possibilities available to them for effecting change.  If you would like to learn more about our Plastic Awareness Week program or to book our young founders as speakers at your next event, just send us an email and we will promptly respond.

Best regards from the entire OMG Team

Olivia and Carter were sincerely honored to be guest speakers again this year at the 2012 Caring for Creation Conference.  The conference is held at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center which is operated by the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. The mission of Lake Junaluska is to be a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through renewal of soul, mind, and body.

This year’s event was designed to offer an experience for laity and clergy addressing how the faith community can promote justice for Earth and all living things.   The event offered participants the opportunity to discover their residential and faith communities’ role in environmental care.  The event offered over 20 workshops on topics such as “A Biblical Theological Foundation for Creation Care” to “Faith Principles of Creation Care” and, of course, our specialty “Environmental Stewardship”.

The goal for having OMG present at the conference was to share our environmental education work with the various church representatives and afford them the opportunity to see how our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program could possibly be introduced into their congregations.  Our intent is to help explore ways individuals and churches can become more environmentally conscious and good stewards of God’s Earth. In todays climate, it is essential that churches get involved in environmental justice. Our program is a step in that direction and one that affords children the opportunity to get involved and feel empowered to be the solution to the issue of plastic pollution.

Olivia and Carter have devoted much of their free time to helping bring their message to students across the country.  They love speaking with kids and showing them how easy it is to get involved with making a difference.  The Plastic Awareness Week curriculum has been broken into five distinct learning segments, all of which are designed to educate students on the real effects of Plastic Pollution.

We have incorporated simple changes that each child can introduce at home, in their schools and even in their community that will have an immediate and lasting impact.

Here are a few links to various schools and church groups who have already conducted our Plastic Awareness Week program:

• OMG Hosts Educational Program at the First United Methodist Church VBS Summer Camp
• Plastic Awareness Week Program at Riverside Retreat
• Sophia Academy Features OMG “Plastic Awareness Week” Program
• SKA Academy of Art and Design’s Plastic Awareness Program
• Huddleston Elementary ‘After School Program’ Talks Trash
• Day 5 – Final day of our Plastic Awareness Week

We have conducted our Plastic Awareness Week program in schools and churches across the country and our program is now available to schools, churches and other organizations nationwide. This is just another way OMG is reaching out to communities to affect change.

If you are interested in exploring OMG hosting one of our environmental outreach programs or our Plastic Awareness Week program in your church, school or community, please send us an email and we will gladly work with you on making that happen.

Among the many participants who spoke-up in support of our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program were Mrs. Delia Halverson, who is a Christian educator and author of numerous books about teaching children and more.   Mrs Halverson and many others voiced their interest in seeing our program possibly being introduced throughout the United Methodist Church VBS program.

Also in attendance this year was Martha E. Pierce who is the Director of the Riverside Retreat in LaBelle, FL which is where Olivia and Carter taught their Plastic Awareness Week program last year to the attendees at the VBS camp.  Martha was able to express first hand the immense impact our hands-on program had on her students and she even said that many are still actively involved with trying to care for the environment.

Carter and Olivia thoroughly enjoyed this years Caring For Creation event and we hope we were able to inspire others to also get involved with helping their church communities seek solutions which will help them protect all of God’s creations.

After the presentation was over, Olivia and Carterinsisted on walking the grounds of the beautiful Lake Junaluska facility and to take time to reflect on all the great comments they received about all their hard work.

We wish to thank Loy Lilly, Dr. Michael Black and the entire staff at the conference for their hospitality and for inviting us again this year.  We hope to have the opportunity to come again next year.

Best regards from the entire OMG Team

Olivia and Carter were invited to speak at the Green Schools National Conference recently in Denver Colorado.  The conference is the only national gathering of K-12 leaders and educators coming together to make their schools and districts green & healthy centers of academic excellence.

Day-1

OMG was invited to present our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program and to take part in a unique forum opportunity labeled Solutions Summits. In addition to traditional breakout session programming, the Green Schools National Conference took advantage of the experts and key stakeholders who were invited to attend the conference to initiate meaningful conversations to address real issues.

The Solutions Summits brought key players to the table – literally around a table - for 3 or 4 hours in a facilitated discussion format to define and set goals for future action. The Solutions Summits were a major departure from the typical one-way information sharing that occurs at most conferences. The Solutions Summits consisted of a cross-section of K-12, non-profit, for-profit and public sector stakeholders, all of whom are considered experts or pioneers in their respective field.

When planning such a extraordinary session for this years event, conference organizers had to invite someone special who had the ability to lead the experts and to ensure everyone understood the uniqueness of this opportunity, so they brought in Cathryn Berger Kaye, (M.A.) to design and facilitate this session. Cathryn’s work is in education and organizational development and she is well talented at framing opportunities for conversations that move us forward toward a more sustainable future.  Cathryn is a Conference Keynote, Workshop Presenter, and specializes in Program Development.

Expert Panelists included:

• Jim Barrett, Chief Operating Officer EarthTec
• Joe Cattaneo Retired President, Glass Packaging Institute
• Principal, Packaging & Recycling Communications Consulting
• Kelley Dennings, Director of Recycling Keep America Beautiful
• Cyndra Dietz, Boulder Coordinator County School Recycling and Environmental Education Program Eco-Cycle
• Mitch Hedlund, Executive Director Recycle Across America
• Lisa Johnson, Sustainability Director School Districts 197 (MN)
• Rebecca Kulas, Board Member Eco-Profiles
• Bjoern Kulmann, Director of Sustainability Ball Corporation
• Chaz Miller, Director, State Programs National Solid Wastes Management Association
• Johnnie Perkins, West Region Director of Municipal Services Republic Services, Inc.
• Dennis Randall, CEO EarthTec
• Carter Ries, 5th grade Student and Founder One More Generation
• Olivia Ries, 4th grade Student and Founder One More Generation
• Yalmaz Siddiqui, Director of Environmental Strategy Office Depot
• Ed Skernolis, Senior VP of Recycling Keep America Beautiful
• Michele Whyle, Head of Sustainability and Quality – Consumer & Office Business 3M

The Solutions Summit was extremely beneficial and many of the attendees came up to us after it was over and thanked the kids for all that they are doing to try and make a difference.

Cathryn invited Olivia and Carter to participate in the Solutions Summit because of all their hard work with trying to educate students about plastic pollution and because of everything they do to try and clean up our oceans.  Cathryn even took time out to introduce them to someone they both admire a lot… Philippe Cousteau.  Philippe is also the coauthor, with Cathryn, of Going Blue, A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands (Free Spirit Publishing), which was released in the summer of 2010 and has been awarded Learning Magazine’s 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family, a Gold NautilusAward and a 2010 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Gold Award, amongst others.

Philippe recently returned from a trip through Indonesia and once he learned how much the kids like animals and how hard they work to try and save endangered species, he quickly pulled out his phone and started showing the kids pictures he took of some of the orphaned endangered species that he had the opportunity to work with.  They could have spent hours talking to him.  We obviously bought Philippe and Cathryn’s book and they were kind enough to sign it for them.  Olivia and Carter had brought along an OMG stainless steel water bottle and a cloth reusable shopping bag.  Philippe and Cathryn loved the items and asked both of them to autograph the bags.  The kids were so excited because this was the first time they have ever been asked to give their autograph to someone so well known.  Philippe even gave Carter a few tips on the proper way to sign autographs, telling him that they need to get used to having to do that.  What a great way to start the conference

Day 2.

Our second day at the conference started out with an extraordinary breakfast meeting with Laura Turner Seydel from the Captain Planet Foundation.  Laura was interested in learning more about all the initiatives Carter and Olivia have been involved in since starting their organization back in late 2009.  She was so supportive of our efforts and she even gave us a ton of key contacts that we should reach-out to in order to ensure we can be successful with our efforts.

Laura also invited Olivia and Carter to be part of their 10th Annual Earth Day Kids’ Fest with the Captain Planet Foundation and the Chattahoochee Nature Center.  We are so excited to be part of this years event and we sincerely look forward to working with all the other great organizations who will be attending.

We went over our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program with Laura and she liked how in-depth the curriculum was.  She even encouraged us to apply for a Captain Planet Grant where we could then bring our weeklong program to a local school free of charge to the school.  We also presented our Plastic Awareness Coalition to Laura and she loved what the kids were trying to do with the coalition.  She even committed to joining the coalition as well. Laura was so supportive of the kids work and her enthusiasm was genuine and inspiring.  Carter and Olivia enjoyed meeting her and we all look forward to a very productive partnership.

Later that day, Carter and Olivia were also asked to present at a Breakout Session titled: Inspiring Gen Z in Trashology and OMG

Core Practice: Core Practice 1: Curriculum that Advances Environmental Literacy and Sustainability: Content areas are integrated by using environmental and sustainability topics and integrating them.

Description: Trashology 101 is an integrated curriculum that engages students in hands-on, student-driven waste reduction activities which change behaviors at school and home. One More Generation (OMG) is a non-profit that educates students about plastic pollution and introduces alternatives to eliminate our plastic dependency.

Presenter(s): Jill Grotzinger (Experience Design Innovation Group LLC), Carter and Olivia Ries (One More Generation)

The presentation was designed to provide teachers from across the country to see and hear different and unique ways of introducing environmental education into the classrooms.  Jill did a fantastic job covering her Trashology 101 Waste Reduction Program for grades 3-5.  The new curriculum is targeted to students in grades 3-5 (ages 8-11) and their teachers, families, youth-serving organizations such as scout groups, recreational clubs, and faith-based organizations. Through Trashology 101, young people will learn how they are connected to the environment, how solid waste management impacts the environment, and how they can personally make a positive impact in their school, home and community.

Olivia and Carter also took their turn presenting their Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program to the teachers which prompted numerous questions from the audience.  Obviously their program is sparking a lot of interest.  The goal of our Plastic Awareness Week program is to bring an in-depth curriculum to schools across the country which will engage and educate students on the issue of Plastic Pollution and bolster community wide recycling efforts.  If you would like to learn more about our Plastic Awareness Week program, or about our Plastic Awareness Coalition, please send us an email and we will gladly help you out.

We wish to thank Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., Philippe Cousteau, Laura Turner Seydel, Bretta Beveridge who was the Producer of the 2nd annual Green Schools National Conference and Katie Howell who was the Programming Director/GSNC for all their hard work and support. And also for allowing Olivia and Carter to come and present their program to the many teachers attending the conference.  We learned a lot and hopefully we were also able to inspire others to want to be the solution to the issue of plastic pollution.

To see all the photos from the event please visit our FaceBook Photo Album and please be sure to hit the “Like” button.

Best regards from the entire OMG Team

Recently Olivia and Carter were invited to participate along with Georgia’s Environmental Protection Agency for a day of fun and indoor/outdoor activities and badge work at the 2012 Girls Scouts of Greater Atlanta EPA Day.  Participants got to choose from an abundance of fun and interesting topics around environmental awareness! Stations’ topics included: water, waste, plastic pollution, pollution prevention, air pollution from vehicles, asthma, lead, women environmental champions and energy! Brownies – Cadettes had the opportunity to earn skill builder badges from their new Girl Scout program portfolio.

OMG contacted the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta several months ago because we know that they strive to provide an abundance of unique program and event opportunities and adventures for girls of all ages to fulfill their Girl Scout Mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place, just like Olivia and Carter are trying to do. Through activities that are girl-focused, and by working in partnership with adults, girls have the opportunity to learn the importance of responsibility, goal setting, teamwork, and the adventure of making a difference.

Program & Event opportunities offered to Girl Scouts fall under their national Three Keys to Leadership, and four council initiatives:

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
• Financial Literacy
• Environmental Awareness
• Healthy Living

Olivia and Carter created their Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program in an effort to empower kids nationwide with a lot of the same principles.  Our program is designed to educate and empower kids to be the solution to the issue of plastic pollution.

At this years EPA event, we set out to educate the girls about the need to recycle and to help them better understand what can and cannot be easily recycled in most curbside recycling programs.  We taught the girls (and their moms) how to identify the 7 types of plastic and gave them suggestions on how to find alternatives to some of the packaging types like styrofoam we encounter every day when we go shopping.

The EPA Day was filled with many exciting and educational stations for the girls to participate and learn from.  Olivia and Carter enjoyed participating in several of the stations between the various presentations they conducted and all the girls really made them both feel welcome and like they were part of the team.

The OMG Bag Monster made his usual disruptive entrance during the event but was hard pressed to find any supporters.  The girl scouts of greater Atlanta obviously have done a great job educating the girls about the need to use less plastic bags and the Bag Monster was soon sent along his way to find support elsewhere.

Here is more on the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta:

Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Inc. serves approximately 41,500 girls and over 18,000 adult members in 34 counties in the greater metropolitan Atlanta area, northwest Georgia and Polk County, TN. Their administrative headquarters and a volunteer service center are located at 5601 North Allen Road in Mableton, Georgia and their service centers are located in Cumming, Dalton and Griffin GA.

The Girl Scouts mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. They are the largest organization dedicated solely to girls—all girls—where, in a diverse, inclusive, accepting and nurturing environment, girls build skills for success in the real world. In partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, like leadership, strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth, much like that of what Olivia and Carter are trying to do.

If you would like to learn more about being part of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, visit their website at (GSGA Website).

If you would like to learn more about OMG’s environmental education program, our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program, or about our Plastic Awareness Coalition, please send us an email of give us a call. OMG founders Olivia and Carter are also available for speaking engagements etc. Just let us know what you had in mind and we can customize a presentation that will help you deliver the message you are looking for in a fun and entertaining way.

You can view all the photos taken at the event by visiting our FaceBook page and please remember to hit the “Like “ button if you see something you like:

As always, we wish to thank everyone for participating in this years event and we encourage you to strive to be the solution to the issue of Plastic Pollution.  Remember, “Anybody can make a difference… if we can you can too”.

BTW, here is a nice testimonial the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta sent us after the event showing their appreciation for Olivia and Carter’s hard work and dedication:

Victoria Cooper – Girl Scout Leadership Specialist OMG Testimonial:

One More Generation is an amazing organization with a dedicated heart! I am amazed by the drive and maturity of Olivia and Carter. The presentation given to Girl Scouts on March 3rd, 2012 at our annual Girl Scout EPA Day was interactive and easily relatable to girls of all ages! I believe that Girl Scouts seeing their peers take action to make a better future for themselves and the next generation is inspirational. As an organization it is our mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character, and I think Olivia and Carter definitely helped us broaden the horizons of girls on the amount of impact they can have on the world.

Best regards from the entire OMG Team

Olivia and Carter were recently invited to conduct a workshop about their Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program for the attendees at the 2012 Georgia Science Teachers Association Conference held at the Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta GA.

GSTA is a non-profit organization that seeks to help expand the levels of student achievement. They are the premier organization for sharing best practices in science education in the state of Georgia. Their primary means of networking and collaboration occurs each year at the annual conference.

The Georgia Science Teachers Association supports quality teaching and learning which result in high levels of student achievement. An assessment phase is an essential part of any teaching and learning cycle, and student achievement in science should be evidenced by fair and multiple student assessments. The design and selection of these assessments must reflect best teaching practices which ensure that students:

• Understand essential science content.
• Use science processes and skills.
• Think critically and solve problems.
• Design scientific investigations, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions.
• Articulate relationships between classroom science and real world problems and issues.

The Plastic Awareness Week curriculum was designed by teachers (with Carter and Olivia’s guidance) to address each of these teaching practices while affording the student the opportunity to learn about the issues of Plastic Pollution.

Here is more on the program:

Purpose: The purpose is to provide factual information about the all types of plastic pollution we create here in America and to suggest simple changes each one of us can incorporate into our daily lives which will have an immediate impact on our environment.

Program Objectives:

• To provide environmental education which is interdisciplinary; reading, writing, science and social studies
• To present information in a balanced and unbiased manner
• To provide data that is relevant to the students which has a direct impact on their lives
• To relate learning about environmental topics to real-world issues
• To make use of the outdoors as a learning environment
• To inspire critical thinking and decision making
• To motivate students and their parents to take responsible action
• To aid the school in developing students to become lifelong learners

Outcomes:

• Raising awareness and sensitivity to the environment and environmental challenges
• Changing attitudes towards the environment and motivating students to seek improvement opportunities that will affect environmental quality
• Fostering the skill-set which will help students identify and resolve environmental challenges
• Encouraging participation in activities that lead to the resolution of local and global environmental challenges
• Fostering environmental literacy

We have conducted our Plastic Awareness Week program in schools across the country and are in the process launching our program to schools nationwide. This is just another part of reaching out to the communities to affect change.  You can our program in action by visiting the following links:

Sophia Academy Features OMG “Plastic Awareness Week” Program

SKA Academy of Art and Design’s Plastic Awareness Program

EEA Outdoor Learning Symposium

Huddleston Elementary ‘After School Program’ Talks Trash

If you would like to learn more about our program, please send us an email or give us a call and we will gladly help answer all your questions.

We wish to thank all the attendees at the GSTA Conference for attending our workshop.  Olivia and Carter look forward to working with your schools.

Best regards from the entire OMG Team

Olivia and Carter were invited to speak at the St. Paul United Methodist Church in Florence South Carolina.  The Director of Children’s Ministry Shawn Howell felt our program would help their congregation find solutions to helping the environment.  OMG’s message to the congregation is one of hope.  We outline why each church community should reevaluate their current program offerings to ensure we are all focusing on the fact that as stewards of God’s creations it is up to use to protect the earth and all He has given to us. Olivia and Carter have helped create a full presentation which outlines how they got started in caring for endangered species and how and why they felt compelled to add in the environmental component we currently offer.  In their presentation they attempt to make the connection from our responsibility given to us by God, to that what is actually happening today with regards to our environment and to the many endangered species. They draw on their experience as two young individuals fighting to make a difference and seek to encourage others to want to do the same.  Their message of “Anybody Can Make A Difference… If We Can So Can You” seems to resonate with both young and old alike.  As people see all that these two have accomplished since founding OMG in late 2009, it is easy to want to stand up and say “If these guys can make that much of an impact on our world, then I surely can get involved as well”. One More Generation is still about endangered species. But we have learned along the way that if we want to save endangered species, we have to talk about everything that affects them. Things like their environment. Things like plastic pollution. Things like education and educating people. Things like how we can all make a difference if we really want too. We are really about making a difference and we want to show families, churches and communities that they too have the power and responsibility to get involved and start being the solution. A Pastor once came up to is and asked us when the last time was that we heard a church discussing the fate of an endangered species.  Or when was the last time that we heard a congregation having a hearty discussion about the need to clean up our environment.  After dwelling on the questions for awhile, we knew he was right and we decided that it was our responsibility to reach out to church families everywhere and help them remember what God had done for us all and what He has given us. Our presentation sites several passages from the bible which hopefully speaks to our entire audience and reminds them of the blessings we have been given: Fact 1 – God Created the Different Species of Plants and Animals Genesis 1:11-12. God created plants. Then God said, “let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. Genesis 1:20 – 21. God created fish and birds. And God said, “let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:24 – 25. God created animals. And god said, “let the land produce living creatures according to their kind: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. Fact #2 God made an Eternal Covenant with the Different Species of Plants and Animals Genesis 9:8-9. Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you-the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you-every living Creature on the earth. Genesis 9: 12-13. And God said, “this is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. We do this because we want congregations to remember our roles in the big picture and to help them find ways they can start being the solution.  We show them that everybody can make simple changes in their homes, church families and their communities that will ultimately help save God’s creatures and preserve this wonderful gift He gave us called earth. One of the first things we at OMG did was to start our Plastic Awareness Coalition in an effort to amass a solid group of like-minded organizations to show communities and community leaders that the issue is serious and that we had the support needed for them to take us serious.  Our coalition now boasts over 50 local and national organizations including many church groups.  This has allowed us to meet with Mayors and community leaders so we can start discussing solutions to the issue of plastic pollution. We then launched our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program which we now feature in elementary schools across the country.  The program is a weeklong educational event which teaches students, their families and even teachers about the issue of plastic pollution and how it affects so many of God’s creatures.  The program has been hugely successful and the results are phenomenal. We also use every aid we can to help us drive the issue of plastic pollution home to church groups and communities by including the famous OMG Bag Monster.  The Bag Monster is covered with 500 single use shopping bags and helps adults realize that each one of use typically contributes that many bags to our environment each year.  We show folks that simple changes like only using a cloth reusable bag will make a tremendous difference to us all. As always, we close out our presentation by asking the congregations to tell us what they can do to make a difference.  I always love this part because we get to hear all the amazing ideas they have which they are prepared to immediately implement.  Most of these changes bring about an immediate reduction in the amount of plastic trash they generate and always serves as a starting point for the entire church to start being the solution. We wish to thank everyone at the St. Paul United Methodist Church in Florence SC for inviting us to meet their extended church family and for the opportunity to speak with all the amazing folks we met.  We hope Olivia and Carter’s message was one that will inspire change and that everyone realizes that they all can make a difference.

Testimonial:

Dear OMG Team, thanks again for coming to St Paul UMC! A couple of my parents have already told me that their children are reminding them to take cloth bags to the grocery store rather than use the plastic. I know that we will continue to see and hear stories of how your visit has impacted our church family. We do plan to do our first Green Vacation Bible School this year. Thanks to your program

Peace,

.

If you would like to learn more about our program or if you would like us to come and speak to your church, just send us an email or give us a call and we will gladly help with all the arrangements.  We are a nonprofit organization which relies 100% on donations from caring individuals and communities groups who are encouraged by our efforts.  If you would like to make a donation to help us further our cause, we invite you to visit our donation page here: I Wish To Support OMG We thank you for caring and we hope to hear from you soon. Best regards from the entire OMG Team

Recently, Olivia and Carter were invited to the teach their Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program to the students at the Sophia Academy in Atlanta GA.  The Sophia Academy sees each child as an individual with unlimited potential if given the opportunities and tailored instruction. With a highly motivated staff and a commitment to each child’s learning style, they provide a premier college prep PreK-9th grade environment.

Small class sizes, individual goals, and innovative multi-sensory instruction as guided by the Georgia Performance Standards produce results for all children. Their comprehensive curriculum which includes music, art, theater, athletics, and Christian education broadens their students’ interests, promotes leadership, develops talents and shapes character which makes the Sophia Academy the perfect fit for sharing our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum.

DAY-1

On the first day our two young founders attended the opening ceremonies and even gave a full presentation to the entire student body along with faculty and staff.  The main message they have for the students is to show everyone that “Anybody Can Make A Difference“.  The students always seem to connect with them at these events and they are always motivated to want to get involved with the issue.  We always show our OMG Video which allows the students to see what motivated us to start the organization and to also raise the students awareness to the issue of endangered species.

Next, we start out by gauging the students understanding to the issue of plastic pollution and asking them to explain what it means and how plastic pollution has had an impact on their lives.  This usually gives us a starting point to introduce the issue and allows us to tailor the program to meet their level of comprehension on the subject.  Carter and Olivia share various facts about plastic pollution and also offer a few simple suggestions which each child can immediately implement at home.  We give the audience an opportunity to ask questions which is always a lot of fun.

Next, the teachers return to their classrooms with their students to begin the first day’s curriculum.  Each teacher is provided with an age appropriate environmental ‘read-a-long’ book which they use to help the students understand how plastic bottles are made and the importance of always properly recycling any plastic item they use.

The book that most teachers tend to choose for their students on day-1 is “The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle”.  The story appeals to students of all age groups in elementary schools and offers them a fun understanding of how a bottle is made and what happens to the bottle when properly recycled.

During the reading sessions, you can really see how engaged the students are.  I always love to see their expressions as they learn that plastic is made of petroleum and that there are so many ways to recycle most bottles.  After the reading, we help the students understand how many plastic bottles each person uses per year and allow them to apply their math skills by having them calculate how many bottles their classroom probably generates each year and how many their school contributes as well.  Then we discuss the average percentage of bottles which are successfully recycled and have them come up with the estimated number of bottles that may end up in our landfills.  The results are usually staggering and always contribute to a healthy discussion about what can be done to improve on the recycle process and or the reduction of bottles being used each day.

Next, we then distribute a stainless steel water bottle to each child and teacher in the school which is logoed with their schools logo so they can be used on a regular basis.  The students love when we do this because they now have a firm understanding of why it is so important to use these as opposed to plastic bottles, or even reusing plastic bottles.  The kids also love the fact that they are getting these bottles from Olivia and Carter who are the same age as most of the students, it really helps the students connect with the issue and feel like they can be part of the solution.

We then remind the students to bring in all their plastic trash from home each day and to place the trash in the plastic trash collection station we helped the school set up.  The collection station is usually set up in the front of the school.  We do this so the students, their parents and even the rest of the community can see how quickly the collection station fills up and how much plastic trash we all generate in such a short period of time.   The collected trash will be used on the final day of our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum when the students get to create an art sculpture made entirely from their plastic trash. To see all the pictures from the first day click here: Day-1 Album

DAY-2

On the second day we share with the students more in-depth details about the effects of plastic pollution and what it does to many of the animals in our environment.  Each teacher gets a series of laminated photographs depicting various animals which

either had ingested plastic or became entangled in plastic trash in our waterways and landfills.  The images are gripping and you can literally see the wide range of emotions each student experiences as we go through each one of the examples.

We then ask the students to tell us what could be done differently to ensure that these same problems don’t continue and to explain to us what they can do in their homes to help reduce the amount of plastic pollution.  This usually leads to some great discussions which always produces suggestions that are unique and motivating.

Next, the teachers take another one of the age-appropriate environmental ‘read-a-long’ books they received as part of our program and proceed to engage each child in a discussion on how single use plastic bags are an item which we can all easily avoid using.  The students learn that although these bags are useful and are generally a great item to recycle, our over-use of these items is causing a major problem to our environment and to many animals all over the world.  We then incorporate facts that aid the students geography knowledge by explaining how the oceans are connected and demonstrating how plastic trash discarded here in their hometown, can end up half-way around the world in a whales belly or washed up on shore in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

We then hand out a cloth reusable shopping bag to each student and teacher and allow the students to decorate them as they see fit.  The students always take great pride in decorating their bags and their messages usually depict situations from what they just learned.  The students are always so proud of their decorated bags and we know that these bags will be taken home and that the parents will now be compelled to use them every time they go shopping.  To see all the pictures from the second day click here: Day-2 Album

DAY-3

We utilize this third day of teaching to help the students identify the various types of plastics and help them to find the recycle symbol on all types of plastics.  We also help them to better understand what can easily be recycled, and which plastics numbers are harder to recycle.  This is one of the areas where we find even the teachers learn from our program.  We provide each of the students with a detailed fact sheet entitled “What Do Those Recycled Numbers Mean Anyway” which they get to take home and share with their families.  We often get comments back from the parents thanking us for helping them finally understand what it all means.

The best way to get kids to learn about the types of plastic is by having actual samples for them to see and touch.  We bring in various items of plastic trash from all the seven different plastic numbers.  This allows the students to start to easily identify the type of plastics on some of the more frequently used items they typically will be exposed to.

We then help the kids to find a way to memorize a poem or rhyme about the seven recycle numbers which will allow them to aid their parents as they go grocery shopping next time so they can better avoid those plastic types which are harder to recycle.  It is always so much fun to watch the facial expressions for the students as they reach into our goodie-bag filled with trash and pull out everyday household items.  You know they are always hoping that there will be something fun in the bag instead of trash.  To see all the pictures from the third day click here: Day-3 Album

DAY-4

Day four is used to allow the students to see first hand how plastic trash affects even them in their school.  The students are usually given the opportunity to survey the school grounds so they can see first hand how much trash is actually laying around that they most likely never even noticed.  They can also visit different departments within the school to look for areas where plastic is being used on a regular basis such as in the cafeteria and even in their classrooms.

The students are then encouraged to collectively discuss alternatives and to think outside their normal comfort zone as they seek solutions to the over-use of plastic in their schools.  We encourage the students to even write pledges that they can share with their fellow students about what they pledge to do that will make a difference and we even have them write letters to their Mayor and local businesses requesting they help the students find ways to help reduce our plastic output.

The students are also ready to start discussing what they will make with all the plastic trash they collected and how they can send a message to the community about what all our plastic trash is doing to our environment.  Each school we teach our Plastic Awareness Week curriculum to has a different idea about what to do with all the collected trash but they are all extremely ingenious.  Here is a short YouTube Video that the students in one of the classes at this school produced about plastic pollution and Mother Earth.  I love their enthusiasm!!!

To see all the pictures from the fourth day click here: Day-4 Album

DAY-5

This is probably Olivia and Carter’s favorite day of the event because all the students from the entire school get to gather together along with parents, teachers and the rest of the faculty to create a giant art sculpture made entirely from all the plastic trash they collected.

The teaching is done and now is the time to stand back and watch how creative the students can be with all the plastic trash they collected.  We first gather everyone out around the plastic trash collection station so they can take in how much trash they generated in such a short period.  We often ask the students to tell us a few simple changes that have already made in their families now that they are educated on the subject.  I love this part because virtually everyone has already implemented several changes in their homes and helped their parents and friends understand why we all need to be involved in the issue.

The students are always anxious for the opportunity to play in all the plastic trash and it always amazes me how much fun they actually have filling their art sculpture with trash.  The amount of plastic trash collected by the students at the Sophia Academy was immense but it still only took a few minutes for them to empty the entire trailer full of trash and fill their art sculpture.

Then, just as they were finishing up their art project, they received a surprise visit from the OMG Bag Monster who is always hanging around wherever plastic trash can be found.  The students were all so excited to see the Bag Monster and everyonewanted to come and say ‘hi’ to him.  Carter and Olivia made sure everyone knew that the Bag Monster is something that each one of us probably has at home but they also assured the students that he can be defeated and even converted to help communities everywhere find a solution to plastic pollution.

After working so hard all week, the students were eager to share their art sculpture with everyone.  They collectively decided to make a sculpture of a penguin.  They said that after learning all about plastic pollution, they all remembered the movie ‘Happy Feet’ which depicted a penguin who had a plastic ring stuck around his throat.

The students all took turns gathering around Olivia and Carter to have their pictures taken along with the Bag Monster.  Each one had kind words to share with us and expressed their gratitude for everything our program had taught them.

The best part of the entire week is always the kind comments we get from the students, the teachers and even the parents who all tell us they learned so much and were amazed how easy it is to make small changes in their lives which will have such tremendous outcomes on our environment, and on future generations to come.

Here is what the final art sculpture looked like when everything was done.  We wish to thank each and every student from the Sophia Academy along with each of the teachers and faculty members for allowing us to come and teach our Plastic Awareness Week program.  We are proud to report that the students collected 280-pounds of plastic trash for the week which is by far the most collected by any school so far for our program.

We will be having a follow-up meeting with the staff of the Sophia Academy in the coming weeks to see what effects our program has had on the students and to see what changes the school will be enacting now that they know how plastic pollution harms our environment.  We feel confident the results will be astounding and we look forward to the next school we can partner with on our quest to help raise awareness about plastic pollution.

To see all the pictures from the fifth day click here: Day-5 Album

If you are interested in having us host our Plastic Awareness Week at your school or to order our curriculum for your school, send us an email for all the details. We are a nonprofit organization which relies 100% on donations from caring individuals and communities groups who are encouraged by our efforts.  If you would like to make a donation to help us further our cause, we invite you to visit our donation page here: I Wish To Support OMG

Best regards from the entire OMG Team

Snakes… most people either love ‘em or hate ‘em, but no matter how you feel, they are a vital part of our ecosystems. Since starting OMG, our two young founders Olivia and Carter have been working very hard to help effect change in the world of Rattlesnake Roundups.

Well, it finally happened… after almost two years of  lobbying to try to save animals from being killed each year at local rattlesnake roundups,  the folks in Claxton GA have agreed to change their event from one that collected and killed snakes to an event, which now celebrates the species

The Claxton Chamber of Commerce and all their Board Members need to be commended for their recent decision to change their Rattlesnake Roundup to the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival. Committee President Bruce Purcell played a pivotal role in the committee’s decision to move forward with the change, which will inevitably save hundreds and even thousands of snakes from being caught and killed.

“One of our first bylaws stated that our organization was created in an effort to help preserve wildlife. As we looked into our past, we realized that the practice of the Roundups was actually contradicting our purpose” said committee President Bruce Purcell. “The biggest hurdle we faced was the fact that the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundups have been an important part of our history dating over 40-years; and the events are a major revenue source for the community which has helped our community thrive.”

One More Generation first began trying to effect change at these roundups back in 2010 when we first heard about the events from the folks at the Center for Biological Diversity. They introduced us to one of the world’s foremost experts on the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Dr. Bruce Means who heads up the Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy. He is also part of a local organization called P.A.L.S. (Protect All Living Species), which lobbies on behalf of all living species.

Since we just began our organization in Jan 2010, tackling the Rattlesnake Roundups was actually our first initiative. Carter and Olivia set out by seeking support from locals at every event we hosted or attended. We wanted to show the two communities who were still hosting the events in Georgia, Claxton and Whigham, that we were not alone in our desire to encourage them to change them to educational events where no animal/snake would be harmed.

The process was very slow and often very controversial. We found ourselves faced with many folks who actually disliked snakesand really did not care if they were saved or not. So we educated ourselves on the issue and learned from the folks at the Center of Biological Diversity and other specialists such as Dr. Means. They helped us understand why the roundups were bad not only for the snakes, but also for hundreds of other species who share the shelter of Gopher tortoise burrows. We learned that a common practice for snake hunters was to pour or spray gasoline into the burrows to drive out the snakes, thus risking countless other species including the tortoises, not to mention the harm this does to the environment.

Fortunately, Olivia and Carter had listened closely to the facts, so they were usually able to educate those who originally did not care. This resulted in support for their petition to help convert the roundups to festivals. Before we knew it, the kids had collected over 1,200 signatures! Armed with this success, Olivia and Carter set up several meetings with our local State Representative Matt Ramsey asking him to share our efforts with our Governor.

The next step was to further partner with like-minded organizations such as P.A.L.S the CBD and with members of Zoo Atlanta in an effort to request meetings with the organizers of the roundups in both Claxton GA and Whigham, along with key members at the GA DNR (Department of Natural Resources). At first, we got no response, but after months of persistence on everyone’s part, we started to have constructive dialogue with the DNR. This ultimately led to a meeting at the DNR HQ where we were given the opportunity to express our concerns.

Next we attempted to contact organizers of the roundups to see if they would agree to meet with us. Unfortunately those requests went unanswered. We decided to drive down to Whigham, GA and attend the Rattlesnake Roundup, so that if we someday had a chance to meet with the organizers, we could speak from firsthand experience.  You can read about our visit here.  OMG Visits Roundup.

After attending the event, we were all even more convinced that we needed to try and effect change at these events. After all, the folks at Fitzgerald, GA, voluntarily made the switch from a roundup to a festival years earlier, and they were now even more successful than before. We continued to contact both communities, but to no avail. Months passed, and still no response. Then back in late 2010, I got my first returned phone call from the current President of the Evans County Wildlife Club – Bruce Purcell. Bruce was a little standoffish at first, as I am sure he expected to be confronted by a group of close-minded individuals bent on imposing their way of thinking. As he learned that we were reasonable and that we had our two young founders involved, he relaxed and allowed us to start constructive dialogue.

Bruce expressed his concerns. He advised us that the Evans County Wildlife Club is a non-profit, volunteer driven organization. The Club boasts 75 members led by a board of directors and slate of officers. Since it’s inception, the Wildlife Club has actively given to the Claxton-Evans County community through annual donations to local charities, schools, and other non-profit organizations. Each year the Club awards college scholarships to graduating high school seniors. An annual essay contest is sponsored through the school system. During Roundup Week, Club members give wildlife education presentations. Then each spring, the Club sponsors a fishing rodeo and Georgia Hunter Education programs.

Bruce reminded us that the roundups were a long-standing tradition in the community, which provide vital financial support to

Photo credits - Linda Blalock Photography

the community. Any suggestion to change the venue of the events would have to continue the revenue and interest from potential visitors far and wide. Bruce listened to our concerns and assured us that he would look into the matter and discuss it with the Claxton Chamber of Commerce and the Evens County Wildlife Club. This was the first time since we embarked on this venture that we seemed to have someone within these communities who was being open-minded about our concerns.

From then on, we continued to have open and productive conversations with Bruce on a weekly basis. Bruce told us his concerns and those of his club, and we all listened intently and attempted to address each one as we could. Bruce took our suggestions back to the club, and they too remained open-minded and looked for ways to help find common ground. Little by little the Wildlife Club started to offer potential changes to their roundups which would ultimately show their sincere desire to effect change for the good of the wildlife.

Then in early Dec, Bruce announced that the Wildlife Club had agreed to change the name of the event from the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundup, to the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival. He was still facing some opposition within the Club, but the majority of the members were starting to come around. He was working with several folks at the GA DNR who might be able to help him. He would let us know what they ultimately decided.

As we started off the New Year ready to get back in the swing of things, Bruce called to advise us that the Evans County Wildlife Club agreed to replace its rattlesnake roundup with a wildlife festival that does not involve the killing of snakes. The wildlife festival will continue to generate revenue for the local community without harming the imperiled eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.

This means gopher tortoise burrows will not be gassed and prodded, disturbing the many species that find shelter there. The declining rattlesnakes will not be captured and killed. The Claxton leaders are accepting support from many concerned citizens, and groups in transforming their festival to one that is life affirming and which celebrates the species. They will have many snakes on loan from licensed conservationists as well as many more varied educational exhibits.

Here is the official Press Release:

Rattlesnake Roundup in Georgia Switches to Humane Wildlife Festival

We all need to support Claxton with their upcoming event to ensure it is a huge success and also to serve as an example for Whigham. I would like to echo the Georgia DNR Chief, Non-game Conservation Section Wildlife Resources Division Georgia DNR, who writes:

I encourage you to contact Bruce Purcell and offer support for his work to change the event to the “Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival”.

Bruce Purcell 912-282-4052 – qkutdist@bellsouth.net
Evans County Wildlife Club
P.O. Box 292
Claxton, Georgia 30417

We also ask that you send emails to the Claxton Chamber of Commerce expressing your support and gratitude for their decision to do the right thing: info@claxtonevanschamber.com

The Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival, sponsored by the Evans County Wildlife Club is held annually on the second weekend of March. The Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival is a two-day festival, attracting 15,000 visitors. The event features snake educational programs, wildlife exhibits, turkey calling contest, over 100 arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, a grand parade, beauty queens, essay contest, 1 mile fun run, 5-K run, live entertainment, children’s games and activities and fun for all ages! Festival hours are 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to the festival is $5, free to age 5 and under.

Please also send out as many invitations to participate in the event so they can show other communities that making such a decision is the right thing to do.  And as our friends from the CBD recently wrote: We all urge the sponsors of the annual rattlesnake roundup in Whigham to stop incentivizing the capture and killing of imperiled snakes. Rattlesnake roundups are depleting populations of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes: Analysis of data from four roundups in the southeastern United States shows a steady decline in the weights of prize-winning eastern diamondbacks and the number collected. This once-common species is being pushed toward extinction not only by hunting pressure but also by habitat loss and road mortality. Scientific studies over the past decade have documented range-wide population declines and significant range contractions, which is why we filed a petition to protect the eastern diamondback rattlesnake under the Endangered Species Act.

We again wish to thank Bruce Purcell and the entire Evans County Wildlife Club for making the change to their longstanding event. We know it was a difficult decision but it just proves that with the right amount of education, and ample support from like-minded individuals and organizations, “Anything Is Possible“.

On behalf of everyone at OMG (especially Olivia and Carter), and all the other great folks we had the opportunity to work with who helped make this happen, we say THANKS!!!

Here is an article that ran in their local paper about the change of venue: Roundup ends in Claxton – Focus of festival now on wildlife

and here is a local TV segment: