Score!

Today I contacted the nearest reputable e-waste vendor, which, according to the e-Stewards website, is located in Columbia, SC.  Our city-county collection service does not provide pick up for e-waste, but does allow drop off (limited to computers and monitors).  However, there is no assurance that these items are managed responsibly.  Since I am from Columbia and visit my family there regularly, it would be easy for me to transport items for recycling during one of my trips.  In fact, the facility is very convenient to my mother's house.  However, the vendor charges for its service.  Undeterred, I sent an e-mail to the company asking if they would partner with me for my school project, and within seven minutes the president of the company e-mailed from Missouri to commit to helping!!!  He said that Dave from the Columbia office wold be in touch, and forwarded me Dave's contact information as well.   Hooray!

In planning my project, I am considering all possible resources within my current contacts.  Therefore, I e-mailed my employer to ask for support with give-aways, such as reusable shopping bags or bottles, and a kids education component.  REI typically does PEAK classes to teach kids leave no trace ethics, so I asked for an abbreviated class or materials that I could use to engage kids at the event.  I also made a pitch for a gift card to use as an incentive for the completion of surveys.  My idea is that everyone who completes a survey about ecological attitudes and concerns will be entered in a drawing to win a gift card.  My fingers are crossed that my employer will come through with at least a portion of my wish list, and perhaps even contribute a new idea.

Since the event is partially an Easter egg hunt, I still hold out hope of having chickens present.  I think it is important for kids to know where their food comes from (up close and personal).  This is also a self-serving way of winning my fellow residents over to the notion of backyard chickens.  Even though I know Henry is unavailable, I have sent him an e-mail to ask if he knows of anyone with chickens who might be willing to come out.  (Henry has already offered to provide a tour of his backyard for those interested, but he lives on the other side of Charlotte.)

Next I will be reaching out to my beekeeping friends to ask for local honey samples and to the man I met at the farmers market who makes goats milk soap.  Wish me luck!