Our Volunteers...
... the Beginning of our Green Efforts
We are thrilled with the new “Going Green” trend. Everywhere you look, there are noble attempts at saving and sustaining the world around us. Going green isn’t new to us, however; we have always sought ways to lessen our impact and give back to the earth and will only continue to improve upon our efforts in the future. In 2003, AustraLearn created our conservation-based volunteer weekends in order to provide students with the opportunity to give back to the environments in which they spend their time abroad. Students who participate in a semester or year abroad have the chance to sign up for a 3-day conservation volunteer project at a site near their host university. There is no fee involved in the program, and any student who wishes to attend has an opportunity to participate.
Over the past 5 years, we have provided sizable impacts for the betterment of the Australian and New Zealand environments. Since 2003, more than 1,600 AustraLearn students from the United States and Canada have provided 6,276 volunteer days and more than $1 million (AUD) in volunteer labor on behalf of the 25-year old conservation program Conservation Volunteers Australia. In 2007 alone, AustraLearn students planted more than 1,500 tress, shrubs, and grass and removed nearly 50,000 square meters of weeds. They were also responsible for more than 700 km (435 miles) of walking track repairs and construction. We applaud our student volunteers for the dedication and commitment to giving back to their host countries
in this way. These efforts serve to offset some of our students travel and consumption impacts while abroad, which means that our volunteers are making strides towards sustainable travel.
And we aren’t done yet – we’re making 2008 the year for taking the significant steps towards reducing our environmental footprint as an organization. We’re also encouraging our students to do the same.
Going Green with our Students
MyLearn Paperless Enrollment Process and Resources 
The AustraLearn website features the option to create a MyLearn account which allows students to manage every step of the study abroad processes online, without compromising our renowned student services. We encourage you to set up a MyLearn account on our website to access information, instead of requesting printed materials through the mail. By doing so, you can save items to the filing cabinet in your account and sign up for our monthly newsletters, which conserves a large amount of paper and reduces the amount of fuel utilized in the transport of mail.
For our participants, our new online enrollment system includes a paperless, online application and enrollment process, electronic participant guide and resources, and online statements and bill pay. We have already saved 1,720 pounds of paper by not sending paper participant guides February and May 2008. That’s a savings of 20.64 trees in just 4 months!
Green Passport – www.abroadview.org
As a part of our pre-departure process, we encourage students to sign up for the “Green Passport” program on Abroad View’s website. Here, students who are committed to sustainable study abroad can sign up for the program and are then asked to follow suggested guidelines in which they “respect the interconnectedness of the world’s people and environment and take actions to reduce their ecological and socio-cultural footprint when they study and travel abroad.”
“Travel Light” Departure Package
Prior to departure, students are provided with a departure package as well as an online departure webinar. In addition to the Lonely Planet guides and travel wallets we have provided our affiliated students in the past, our departure packages now include a reusable, recyclable shopping bag made from recycled plastic. Although these bags are just now picking up in popularity in the U.S. and Canada, they have been very popular and even necessary for grocery shopping in many other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. We want our students to be prepared for cultural differences and to be environmentally conscious at the same time. We also provide participants with “tips for traveling light” which includes detailed information about drought conditions in Australia and the need to conserve water.
Encourage Off-Setting Airline Travel
Students are encouraged to purchase carbon credits to offset the greenhouse gases emitted by their airline travel.
For more information about carbon credits to offset airline travel, check out the links below:
www.sustainabletravelinternational.org
www.carbonfund.org
Going Green within our Organization
Reduce – Reuse – Recycle in all offices
Our Colorado office, as well as our overseas and regionally based staff, are taking steps to create as little waste as possible in our daily tasks. We have already established practices to:
- Eliminate paper “Participant Guides” for all programs
- Encourage employees to not print at all or to print double-sided
- Designate one printer tray to be 100% reused paper
- Designate recycling bins throughout our office for paper, glass, and plastics
- Recycle and refill ink and toner cartridges
Monthly Green Challenge
Each month, we focus on one theme to provide employees with advice, resources, and even “challenges” to make going green easy. Month-long activities such as the “Stair Challenge” remind staff members that small steps in the right direction (like avoiding the elevator) can save energy, reduce carbon emissions, and ultimately reduce the impact we have on the earth. Challenges we have already undertaken and those scheduled for the next few months include:
- Stair Challenge – climb instead of ride the elevator – 20 people participated and 1,720 stairs were climbed – making us all healthier and reduced emissions from the elevator transport
- BYOC – Bring Your Own Container – with special focus on reducing use of plastic water bottles, disposable coffee cups, plastic grocery bags, and take out containers
- Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – we already do so much of this, we took it to the next step by encouraging staff to recycle odd things such as tennis shoes, batteries, and old cell phones
- Save Energy – with special tips on how to change computer settings to reduce electrical waste
- Alternative forms of transportation – with a specific goal of cutting our greenhouse emissions related to our combined daily commutes in half for one month
- Buying Local – including information on how much impact the transport of food has on our environment
- Conserve Water – a special “shave 2 minutes off your shower” challenge
Contribute to the Local Environment
We are sponsoring a volunteer day for staff to participate in a conservation-based volunteer day in our local open space in July 2008. We hope to make this an annual day of community and environmental service.
Attendance at Local “Green” Events
In order to continue to learn and expand our ideas of how to improve our sustainable business practices, we attend local events such as the Northern Colorado Green Summit.
Green Machine
We even have our very own GREEN form of transportation. This donated mountain bike is a great way to make a quick run to the local store or coffee shop from our office without starting the car engine.
Our Staff’s Travels
As a team, we have committed to hold more “virtual” meetings via teleconferences and webinars with advisors at campuses throughout the U.S. and Canada instead of traveling to visit them at their location. Not only will this reduce the amount of CO2 released into the air through airline and car travel, it will allow us to “visit” more individuals more regularly.
Resources for Going Green while Abroad in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji World News Australia: Going Green: The Directory
http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/going_green_the_directory_44
Australian Conservation Foundation
http://www.acfonline.org.au/Default.asp?c=83518
Consumption Atlas
http://www.acfonline.org.au/consumptionatlas/
Save Water
http://www.savewater.com.au/
Clean Up Australia Day – there’s even a commercial and a TV report
http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/
Say NO to bags
http://cleanup.org.au/au/Campaigns/say-no-to-plastic-bags.html
Clean up mobile phones
http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Campaigns/what-can-i-do.html
National Tree Day
http://treeday.planetark.com/
Australia leads the world in newspaper recycling
http://www.pneb.com.au/pdf/australian_recycling_record.pdf
Some facts and figures (older stats)
http://www.wasteservice.nsw.gov.au/dir138/publish.nsf/Content/educations_kids_facts_figures
Recycle More, Recycle Better: Recycling Stats – AWESOME for stats!
http://www.planetark.com/nrw/media/07nrwfactsheetgeneral.pdf
National Recycling Week TV ad:
http://www.planetark.com/campaignspage.cfm/newsid/200/newsDate/9/story.htm
Water Saving Tips
http://www.planetark.com/campaignspage.cfm/newsid/205/newsDate/9/story.htm
NEW ZEALAND
Volunteer programs by region
http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/summary.aspx?id=38741
Network of Green Communities around NZ
http://www.4million.org.nz/index.html
Links of Green companies
http://www.greenpages.org.nz/
Fun site with good stats, some new ideas and regional links
http://www.reducerubbish.govt.nz/
Government site - NZ is trying to become the first sustainable country in the world
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/sustainability/
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