Earthshine Nature Programs Update 2019
It has been a very busy 2019 at Earthshine Nature Programs! In the pages of this posting, I offer an update to catch you up on the happenings over the first half of 2019 at ENP!
Adventure News
Early in the year, I journeyed to that outstanding nexus of all geekdom the wonderful nerd incubator that is Kennedy Space Center in Florida!
I was on a pilgrimage of adventure, awe, wonder and it was an information gathering mission for the science classes I teach to the brilliant youth of today (and I was on a mission to check this off my bucket list since I was a 4-year-old kid watching the last of the Apollo moon landings on a black and white cathode ray tube console TV way back in the early 1970’s!)
While at KSC I was in my element and felt the need to share a small part of my experience with my students and with you so I made an educational “teaser” video for anyone interested in learning about NASA’s out of this world space exploration history – check it out below- then get yourself to Kennedy Space Center!
While on this spaced-out star trek I also completed another amazing life milestone even bigger than my nerdy space quest – I connected with my biological father! Yes, you read that right – through the marvels methods and tools of science I was able to have my DNA sequenced, then a few weeks later I was touring Kennedy Space Center with one of the people who brought me into existence – my biological father!
WOW!
What an amazing journey it has been – to the historic past of US space exploration and into my own history! Here’s a photo of my absolutely awesome father and I visiting in Florida. Isn’t science, life, the universe, and everything – just amazing!
_____________________________________________________
Public Service News
Early in the year, I produced a new video documenting Asheville NC’s adoption of Proterra all-electric city busses! Check it out below!
Then, while visiting an NC beach in May, I became very frustrated (again) with the way we human animals are mistreating the planet so, like I always do, I picked up others people’s carelessly cast-off litter and produced a short Public Service Announcement about littering – view it below.
PLEASE DO NOT LITTER!
and
please work to keep our home planet clean by picking up the litter/pollution carelessly cast aside by others onto our shared earth, air, and waters.
Remember to always Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose, Rethink, Refuse, Resist
____________________________________________________________
Outreach News
The amazing ENP volunteers and I have presented several reptile and wildlife outreach programs to many local schools and organizations and events.
Reptiles, wildife, nature, local ale, One Wheels, electric vehicles and renewable energy – yes, it is a thing because we at ENP make it a thing and you should too 🙂
Abby and crew at the Upper French Broad Riverfest on June 22nd!
________________________________________________________
Wildlife News
It is summer and the reptiles are on the move.
A few weeks ago I was on my way to the office when I encountered this cute little Rat snake crossing the road.
I tried to lend him a hand and he was not very cooperative but eventually, with some gentle coaxing, I was able to encourage him to move along into the forest where he would be out of danger from humans and our machines.
Then a few days later Abby and I were on the way to the classroom to work on the solar array and we discovered a young Timber rattlesnake making her way across the road – so we gave her a bit of a “hand” in getting to the other side.
I carefully used my tongs to gently lift her and move her off the road to the safety of the forest – she quickly moved off rattling all the way – such an amazing encounter!!
Upon arriving at the office Abby spotted a young Rat snake moving across the chicken yard in the direction of the chicken coop car where a mother hen had just hatched out three new chicks!
I decided to move this cute little chicken thief to the other side of the building in the hopes that he would move off and not come back for a chicken dinner!
While working on the classroom solar array we discovered this cute little Jumping spider out for a stroll – isn’t she just soooo cute!!
Here’s a close-up:-)
Wildlife Rehabilitation News
We have successfully rehabilitated one once very sick Rat snake (black snake) who lived with us since the fall of 2018 and have released him back into his home habitat.
What a grand success story – check out his release video below!
————————————————————————————————–
Charlie, one of our Red-footed tortoises, has laid eggs!!
We are incubating them now and hope to hatch them by late summer –
more on this later as things develop 🙂
———————————————————————————————
We have fostered 9 orphaned young Opossums, who lost their mother in an incident with a motor vehicle – and released them into the forest near our classroom. (In the pic you only see five but the others are underneath…)
Opossums help us so much yet they are so mistrusted and misunderstood. Watch this amazing video on the Opossum and learn how awesome they truly are!
________________________________________________________________
In April, May, and June several of our hens hatched 10 new chicks!!
Everyone loves spending time with the chicks!
_________________________________________________________________
Clean Air Carolina Air Keeper Project News
With all of our other projects taking up most of our time we have not had much time as we would like to devote to getting more air monitors installed in the WNC area. However, we were able to successfully install one monitoring station in Murphy, NC thereby filling in the big gap in coverage in the far western part of NC.
Are you air aware? How is the air quality in your area? Take a look at the map and find out. In the coming weeks, I hope to install two more air monitors in the WNC area and close in the remaining gaps in the far western part of the state as well as in the area north of Asheville. If you are interested in hosting an Air monitor in NC (or anywhere) feel free to contact me for more details on how you can become an Air Keeper or if you are in NC please check out Clean Air Carolina and find out how you can become an NC Air Keeper and be part of the solution.
_______________________________________________________________________
ENP Crew News
We have an awesome new ENP intern! Let’s welcome Abby M. to the crew!
Abby loves animals and nature, is very capable in everything she sets her mind to, is focused and passionate about science and environmental conservation, she has studied abroad in the rainforests of Peru, and is great with animals, people, and power tools which is always a big plus.
___________________________________________________
The ENP/Trails Science organic garden is doing great!!
This year the students and I planted the entire garden in straw bales and if the amazing growth is any indication we will have a wonderful harvest!
___________________________________________________________
Solar Project News
We have been working very hard on bringing the western portion of Phase Two of our classroom solar array online and as of 5/24/19 we made it so!
On May 24th we threw the switch on an additional 7.2 kW of solar that, with your support, we have added to the existing 4.8 kW Phase One array (the blue one).
That is solar hero Bob Harris of Black Bear Solar Institute and I throwing the switch on the new western array!
This new increase in solar capacity means our science and nature center classroom and the ENP all-electric outreach vehicle are now fully powered/fueled* by the sun!!
*When the ENP EV is charged on-site. My recent energy audit study on the ENP EV revealed that, as of the date of the study, the ENP outreach EV was 48% solar charged – however, that number has undoubtedly increased with our addition of more solar generation capability as well as the continued “greening” of the energy mix in the area in which I live. I will complete another energy audit after the completion of the eastern segment of Phase Two and report the results here and on my EV blog.
Next, I offer a series of mostly chronologically arranged photos of the construction of the western segment of the Phase Two classroom solar array starting about 3 months ago.
ENP long-time intern Pierce and his girlfriend Erin gave us a hand one day on the solar array support structure and much more – THANK YOU PIERCE AND ERIN!
Solar Hero Jim Hardy installing a support beam.
The support structure taking shape, as well as our straw bale garden experiment!
Jim and Abby cutting steel support beams for the Eastern array.
The students all worked very hard to help make this amazing project happen for their classroom!
THANK YOU ALL FOR WORKING SO HARD ON YOUR SOLAR ARRAY!!!!
The completed Zilla Rac solar support framework ready to receive solar modules!
The students and I moving the new SolarWorld solar modules into place!
Bolting it all together!
Putting the final solar modules in place!
Bob wiring the modules into the system.
Connecting the SMA SunnyBoy inverter*!
*A wonderful benefit of using SMA Inverters is if/when grid power goes out the Secure Power Circuits from the solar inverters will – when the sun is shining – provide us with up to 6 kW of emergency power to run key habitat, lighting, education support systems, and the entire campus internet system – very cool indeed!
Bob Harris and Jim Hardy – heroes for renewable energy, the environment, education, our students, and our little log cabin classroom!
THANK YOU JIM AND BOB
WE COULD NEVER HAVE DONE ANY OF THIS WITHOUT YOU!!!
After we powered up the western array, Bob worked his magic and networked the new inverter with the original unit so we could visualize the energy output from anywhere in the world – check it out HERE!
As you can see from the first partial day of operation both solar arrays together were putting out over 9.8 kW!
On the first full day of operation, we put out over 1.6 times as much power as the original Phase One array alone – circled in red!
We produced a total of 58.16 kWh of electricity for the first full day of operation – that is 33.16 kWh above our average daily usage of around 25 kWh per day. On the second full day of operation, we produced a total of 56.49 kWh and at midday hit a peak of 10,044 watts of clean solar produced electricity!! Our best production to date on the Western Segment of Phase Two has been on a cloudless cool spring day when we generated a bit over 63 kWh of clean solar electricity – that is well over twice our average daily use! Then, about two weeks later, on a very overcast, rainy, and gray day, the array produced 25.50 kWh of solar-generated electricity!! So what this means is that our array produced enough electricity to cover all of our needs even on a cloudy day – without even seeing the sun itself !!!WOW!!! If this trend keeps up we will not be paying for and using fossil fuel generated power for much longer – especially after the eastern segment of the Phase Two array comes online very soon.
For those of you interested in how much money we are saving by going solar – the answer, for now, is – all of it. Our power bill for May 2019 was only $3 above the standard grid connection fee charged by Duke Energy! Before going solar, our monthly energy cost to operate our classroom/ENP office averaged over $200. Add in the all-electric outreach vehicle and that would be another $15. But now, with our amazing student-built classroom solar array we have almost dropped our facilities and transportation energy use costs to zero! Once the eastern segment of Phase Two goes online – it will be well below zero and far into the positive.
The Eastern Segment
After we completed the Western segment of the Phase Two array we started work on the Eastern Segment. Below I offer photos of that project.
I took the following photo a few weeks ago of Jim, Abby, and her boyfriend Mitch from high on the roof while we were working on the eastern array.
Bob and Jim working with me to put one of the eastern array’s frame pieces in place.
Moving more solar modules
Bob, Abby, and I showing off one of the solar modules that will soon be producing fuel for the ENP/Trails classroom and the ENP all-electric outreach vehicle – a 2012 Nissan LEAF. I find it simply amazing that several very thin pieces of modified and purified silicon (sand) and a few other unique compounds fused together and sealed under another flat piece of glass (more sand) with a few wires connecting everything together and then pointed at the sun – produces clean fuel for our outreach vehicle and electricity to run the entire classroom/office building for zero operational costs, without any moving parts – and from my own “backyard!”
Why aren’t more people doing this?!?!?
The Eastern array starting to take shape while my little pup Tange looks on.
Abby and I moving a solar module up onto the frame.
Careful…
Success!!!
Building a solar array means tapping into your inner monkey!
Peace – through teamwork, cooperation, perseverance, some monkeying around – and lots of SCIENCE and ENGINEERING!
The very last primary solar module goes into place!
WOO HOO!!! It is DONE!!
Tightening a hold down bracket
Bob tightening another hold down
Bob running more electrical conduit
SUCCESS!!
As of June 06, 2019 the primary construction on the Earthshine Nature Programs/Trails Science student-built classroom solar array is officially complete!!
Throughout the entire project, the students have left their mark on the project and left their signatures on the support structure 🙂
Over the next 10 days, we worked on wiring up the Eastern Array, installing the safety fencing, and completing the classroom building’s new power grid wiring project that we started in the fall of 2018.
The photo below shows two of the new electrical boxes in the process of being installed.
Bob Harris installing the new main breaker box.
Now, compare those top of the line, incredibly safe electrical box units to what we had before pictured below and you can see why this electrical evolution upgrade project was so important for the safety of our students, our classroom, and our education animals.
Before this electrical system upgrade, many of the building’s power outlets had failed and a few of the circuit breakers would get uncomfortably warm to the touch thereby requiring us to resort to using many extension cords to keep systems in operation. After we powered on the majority of the new system I removed most of the extension cords and took this photo as a reference of what once was – yikes!
This new power grid is not only higher quality, a magnitude safer, and more energy efficient than what we previously used, it has also allowed us to interconnect the easternmost segment of the Phase Two solar array into the new power grid.
As the sun was setting on June 15, 2019, Bob Harris made the final connections and threw the switch on the Eastern segment of the array bringing the entire Classroom Solar Array online and ready to produce power.
As I write these words on June 16th, 2019 the first rays of the morning sun has just started hitting all 60 modules of the array and by midday, we will see what this amazing student, volunteer, and community constructed and donation supported solar powered renewable energy generation facility is capable of!
Below is a photo of “first light” hitting the newly completed ENP/Trails Science Classroom Solar Array on June 16th – Father’s Day! I took this photo using the ENP/Trails Science BloomSky weather camera – follow the link and view our completed classroom solar array in real-time anytime you like 🙂
At the end of the day the newly completed Classroom Solar Array had produced over 67 kWh of clean, “locally grown” renewable energy – and it was even partly cloudy/hazy mid-day as evidenced by the solar production curve from the newly networked SunnyBoy inverters.
Even with the clouds and haze our array produced more than enough electricity to power all our classroom/office systems, fill our Duke Energy net metering “credit bucket” to overflowing, and it also become a small scale local energy generating station providing cleanly generated electricity not only for our classroom and outreach vehicle’s needs – but also for the campus energy grid thereby “greening” the other buildings on the campus of Trails Momentum!
Now that the Eastern segment (on the right) of the Phase Two Array is complete, online, and producing electricity alongside the Western segment (on the left) of the Phase Two Array and the original Phase One Array (the middle one) – it will bring the total system capacity up to 19.2 kW of solar produced electricity!! Due to environmental factors and system losses, our maximum output on perfect days could reach upwards of 18 kW and possibly hit production targets of over 80 kWh – only time will tell!
UPDATE: On the first day of Summer 2019 the array produced an astonishing total of 83.34 kWh of electricity!!! That is over 3 times our energy needs – truly amazing!!!
Take a look at the beautifully perfect power curve from that day…
A few more amazing stats…
Now the same curve showing the inverter output.
The below graph shows our to-date monthly production numbers for 2019 – outstanding!
Now let’s compare the solar output for
June of 2017…
…and June of 2018…
And now, June of 2019
WOW
Now take a look at our annual solar electricity production since day one of almost exactly three years ago. Our 2019 levels will soon surpass all of 2018 and 2017 combined – and as I write it is only now the fourth of July – now that is some amazing homegrown energy independence and freedom! In fact, to mark this special day, from now forward I will forever refer to July 4th as the ENP/Trails Science classrooms
Energy Independence Day!
And now our energy production numbers to date.
The key numbers to notice here are the following:
Total energy produced since going online in late June of 2017:
11.184-megawatt hours!!!
That is enough solar-generated electricity to offset the energy needs of
1.55 average American homes for one year!!
This may not seem like much but until a month ago we were using almost all of the energy produced by the 4.8 kW Phase One array – and we still managed to generate a small surplus. Now that we have all of Phase 2 complete and online we will generate much, much more!
How did I come up with those numbers you may ask:
According to the UCS the average American home uses 7,200kWh/year.
1 (MWh) / 7.2 (MWh) = 0.13889 Homes per MWh
0.13889 (Homes per MWh) x 11.184 (MWh) = 1.553 homes
Data Sources:
http://blackbearsolarinstitute.org/
https://www.seia.org/initiatives/whats-megawatt
https://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/how-is-electricity-measured.html
Now that we have completed Phase 2 and the entire array is now complete, online, and producing loads of electricity, it will be very interesting to see how long it takes us to blow the top off of those numbers.
Science and evidence tell us that burning things (fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, etc.) for energy/fuel releases toxic air pollution and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into our shared atmosphere. These compounds, directly and indirectly, harm our health, our planetary life support system, and all our futures. By going solar we at ENP and Trails Science are no longer using toxic fossil fuels to power our classroom and outreach vehicle. We have avoided releasing 8.6 tonnes of CO2 into our shared atmosphere as well as all of the associated pollution – and that is a very good thing!
The average American is responsible for releasing 19.8 tonnes of CO2 annually. By installing our classroom solar array we have reduced our classroom’s carbon footprint from 19.8 to 11.2 tonnes. Adding in the 6 tonnes of CO2 removed by driving an all-electric solar-charged EV outreach vehicle and we reduce our CO2 output down to 5.2 tonnes! We are well on our way to net zero!
That is most impressive!
Calculate your own carbon footprint using the following websites and work to reduce your impact on our shared earth.
https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
https://www.conservation.org/act/carboncalculator/calculate-your-carbon-footprint.aspx#/
https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/consider-your-impact/carbon-calculator/
https://www.c2es.org/content/calculate-your-carbon-footprint/
https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/
Our amazing new solar capacity will produce loads of surplus power, far above and beyond what we use. This surplus power will, at first, go toward filling the overflowing net-metering “credit bucket” for our classroom that we will then pull from at night and during periods of low light/rainy/wintery weather. This large output of power and overflowing electron filled credit bucket will effectively remove our Duke Energy power bill for the classroom building and most of the electric fuel bill for the ENP all-electric Nissan LEAF outreach vehicle – WOO HOO!!
Eventually, when we bring online the third and final Phase of our classroom solar energy project – the “plug and play” battery storage bank* – we will then channel a portion of any excess power produced during the day into those batteries for later use at night and during periods of dark weather. At that time, our connection to the Duke Energy power grid will remain as a backup – just in case – and it will act as an emergency “generator” in the event of a major power outage coinciding with a long period of dark/rainy/wintery weather (if we ever see wintery weather again…)
However, if over time, we discover that we are able to make enough power for all of our needs and if the system operates without issue in all weather through all seasons – we hope to eventually unplug from the grid entirely thereby making our science classroom and ENP office 100% off-grid, self-sufficient, energy secure, and net zero.
Now that is what I call true freedom!!
Freedom from all the problems of burning toxic fossil fuels – freedom from the insanely high human and environmental health costs, the endless war, and dirty politics connected to and feeding upon the acquisition, transport, and use of fossil fuels.
*We are now raising funds to support the Phase Three battery bank and associated battery inverter system. If you are interested in supporting the third and final phase of this awesome classroom renewable energy project, please follow the links at the end of this blog post for more information on how you can support us.
THANK YOU!
All donations to ENP are tax deductible.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN!!!!!
YOU ARE ALL HEROES OF THE HIGHEST ORDER!!!!!
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Above all of the obvious awesomeness of producing clean, “locally grown,” energy-secure, renewable energy from the sun to power our classroom building and outreach vehicle – our primary reason for all the time, effort, classroom, and community teamwork, fundraising, and focus on this multi-year-long project is the continuing STEM education of our students, visitors, and outreach program participants and you reading this blog post. To put it simply – our students, visitors, and outreach program participants and you are the future of science-supported nature, wildlife, and environmental conservation of their futures and of our planetary life support system. By introducing all of you to the most up to date, scientifically accurate, and unbiased, nature, wildlife, environmental, energy, climate, and renewable energy-focused peer-reviewed science, as well as to these functional projects that they work together to create in class that directly benefit their classroom and learning environment and education – we are hopefully planting great seeds of curiosity in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), nature, ecology, clean energy, and clean transportation systems as well as forward-thinking progress that works to benefit all of us, our shared environment, and of everything moving forward.
————————————————————————————-
BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD
AND THE WORLD WILL CHANGE
—————————————————————————————–
Speaking of change, today* was monumental for us in more ways than one.
*much of this post was written on 5/24/19.
While we were powering on the Western segment of our new solar array in support of using clean, “locally grown” renewable energy (instead of – toxic and expensive – in more ways than your bank account – fossil fuels) to power our classroom, outreach vehicle, and our future – over a 1.5 million school-age students, many of their teachers, supporting parents and other adults, and scientists from all disciplines from all around the planet, in thousands of cities and hundreds of countries – were walking out of their classrooms, offices and laboratories to protest their government’s inaction on fighting the most challenging environmental and social issue of our time:
Anthropogenic climate change.
I stand in support and solidarity with the students, scientists and others who are attacking this most urgent issue head-on with peer-reviewed evidence, science supported solutions, and peaceful action such as but not limited to; the adoption of energy-secure “homegrown” renewable energy sources, zero-emission electric transportation, and the election of policymakers who understand and support the findings of science and will choose to deny the status quo and work very hard to make the needed changes in the system that will be most beneficial for everything and everyone moving forward.
In support of these goals I attended the March 15th, 2019 Fridays For Future event and plan to attend the September 20th Global Climate Strike event as well. I encourage all of you reading this to join me from wherever you are and to attend, organize, band together with your classmates, teachers, professors, and co-workers, and peacefully walk out of your school, laboratory, office, home, church, place of business or other institution to show your support for ending our toxic addiction to fossil fuels and adopting clean, energy-secure, “locally grown,” renewable energy systems and electric vehicles to power, transport, and and empower a better, more prosperous future for us all.
Learn more about this planetwide movement for positive change at: https://www.fridaysforfuture.org/
______________________________________________________
Earthshine Nature Programs* (ENP) is a volunteer operated wildlife and environmental education and conservation and renewable energy outreach education nonprofit (501c3) based out of Pisgah Forest, NC. It is operated by its founder and Executive Director Steve O’Neil. Steve is on a mission to connect people with nature and wildlife and in doing so he works to foster a renewed curiosity in the natural world that supports us all.
Through his hands-on wildlife, nature, indigenous music, renewable energy and science outreach programming at camps, schools, birthday parties and special events in local area and in the WNC region, to his unique experiential citizen science-based projects and experiences in his Trails Science classes, Steve strives to educate and inspire his students and people of all ages to get excited about nature, wildlife, the sciences, and above all else – caring for, and becoming better stewards of the fragile natural environment that supports us all.
Steve is also a full-time naturalist and environmental science educator at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum near Brevard, NC where he and his students and interns care for a menagerie of animal ambassadors, most of which are ex-pets and non-releasable wildlife. Some of these animals were once wild but after surviving run-ins with cars, dogs and habitat loss, were rehabilitated by Steve (an NC licensed wildlife rehabilitator), his students, and volunteer staff.
Gollum the Eastern Hellbender – one of Steve’s animal ambassadors.
These animals are housed in the rustic log cabin Science and Nature Education Center classroom that is also the office of Steve’s nonprofit
Earthshine Nature Programs
High above the ENP/Trails Science Classroom cabin (Note: This photo was taken in 2017 – before Phase Two of the classroom solar array had been started).
Steve is an avid supporter of renewable energy – especially solar – and he supports the great need for trusting the findings of science to facilitate the final goal of transitioning our society away from polluting fossil fuels to renewable energy sources and renewably powered electric vehicles for the sake of our health, the health of our shared environment, and future generations of life on Planet Earth.
Questions? Contact Steve at earthshine.nature@gmail.com
The ENP website: www.earthshinenature.com
The ENP Blog: www.earthshinenature.wordpress.com
The ENP Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/snakesteve68
Facebook: Earthshine Nature Programs and The Blue Ridge EV Club
Steve and a Snapping turtle friend he rehabilitated and released into its native habitat.
A history lesson: Steve O’Neil founded Earthshine Nature Programs (ENP) when he was working as an outdoor guide and naturalist at Earthshine Lodge in Lake Toxaway in 2010. In 2013 ENP incorporated as a 501c3 and became a separate business entity from Earthshine Lodge yet ENP kept the name Earthshine as a reminder of its humble beginnings at the wonderful Earthshine Lodge. The name Earthshine is foremost in our mission because we believe that stewardship of the EARTH, and all the life contained within this fragile oasis of life in space, should SHINE brightly above all other issues because without clean air, water, and environmental balance – we have nothing.
There are several ways you can support us.
1. Monthly Patreon support via our Patreon page.
2. Direct donation of materials/funding via one of the following links.
If you would like to donate anonymously, please visit our donate page at www.earthshinenature.com/donate or donate to our GoFundMe campaign or support us on our new Patreon Page. Yet another option for supporting us is our new Solar Sponsorship program – read more about it below.
or
Snail mail your donation to
Earthshine Nature Programs
134 E. Dogwood Ln.
Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
3. Sponsorship of a solar module (aka solar panel).
How the solar sponsorship program works.
You may choose to sponsor (donate) one or more solar modules at the donation level of $500 each.*
*Your sponsorship covers the cost of the solar module, its support structure, and the electronic components needed to tie Phase 2 into the existing & operational classroom solar array.
After your donation is complete – your name/company name (or the name of your choosing) will be permanently affixed to the frame of your sponsored solar module(s) and/or inscribed on a nearby commemorative plaque listing all classroom solar project supporters. (you may opt out of any of these perks)
Sponsors will also receive a certificate of sponsorship, a donation receipt, and the following private web links that will allow you to check in anytime & see your donation in action supporting our classroom, our students, our education animals, and the future!
– A unique web address and private login/password that will allow you to directly access our classroom solar array’s real-time energy production status.
– A unique web address to a private live web camera providing a birds-eye view of our classroom solar array in action! (and organic garden during the growing season)*
– A web address to our weather camera that provides yet another unique view of our classroom solar array in action and a daily time-lapse video of the weather at our site.*
*No students/staff will be identifiable to protect their privacy.
And if you choose: A set of one of a kind “solar earrings” or a “solar pendant.” Handmade of remnants of solar cells by Naturalist Steve O’Neil and his interns. These unique items do not generate any power but they are all one of a kind, unique, and beautiful.
To sponsor one or more solar modules please contact Steve at earthshine.nature@gmail.com
4. Support us by shopping on Amazon with Amazon Smile by following this link: smile.amazon.com and under the Supporting Link choose Earthshine Nature Programs and Amazon will donate funds to ENP each time you make a purchase – at no cost to you!
THANK YOU!!
Without your continued support, Earthshine Nature Programs and the Trails Science program would not function. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to ENP now and in the future. Earthshine Nature Programs is a 501c3, donation funded, volunteer owned and operated, wildlife conservation and rehabilitation, environmental stewardship, and science education charity organization.
__________________________________________________
ENP has a wonderful partnership with Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum to provide nature and science education and inspiration to their populations of outstanding youth. Learn more at:
and
_____________________________________________________
A note from naturalist
Steve O’Neil
I am passionate about sharing my love, respect, and curiosity for nature, wildlife and wild places, environmental stewardship, science, and reason with everyone I meet, especially my classroom and outreach programming students. It is the students of today who will make the big nature and wildlife conservation, science, and energy decisions of the future, and it is my goal to give my students the best possible unbiased exposure to the most up to date, peer-reviewed evidence, ethics, practices, and technologies so they will be better informed and ready to take on the world and be the change that will guide us all forward. I feel that by demonstrating working models of what is possible, respectfully coexisting with each other, and by working together toward the common goal of creating and maintaining a better world for all living things today and into the future, we will make all of our dreams come true.
Earthshine Nature Programs (501c3) is supported primarily through monetary, resource, and time donations from caring, concerned individuals just like you. I work hard to fundraise and acquire grants and donations from any and all sources that would like to support us. With your help with hands-on volunteering, a one-time donation of equipment or funds, a year-end gift, or a continuing patronage – together we will create something wonderful that will serve to educate and inspire thousands of students with a new curiosity, greater respect, passionate understanding, and conservation ethic for caring for wildlife, and nature, and the adoption of responsible, secure, clean energy and transportation resources that we can all work to bring to our homes, businesses, and on the roads, thereby lowering our impacts on our shared environment and in the process become better stewards of nature and empower our shared futures through the findings, methods, and tools of science.
THANK YOU ALL
Sincerely,
Steve O’Neil
Executive Director of Earthshine Nature Programs(501c3)
Steve and Ashley – By Evan Kafka
Learn more about us: www.earthshinenature.com
Follow our Nature Blog: www.earthshinenature.wordpress.com
Find us on Facebook at:
“Earthshine Nature Programs”
Watch our nature video series on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/user/snakesteve68
Follow our Electric Vehicle Blog: bluewaterleaf.wordpress.com
Earthshine Nature Programs
Earthshine Nature 