National Outdoor Leadership School’s Teton Valley Campus Awarded Grants for Going Green

The Teton Valley Campus of Lander, Wyoming-based National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) has received $18,151 in grants from Protect Our Winters (POW) and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to install solar panels on its facility and integrate a related sustainability component into the campus’ educational curriculum.

These funds, coupled with an approximately $30,000 allocation from NOLS, will help this NOLS campus reach school-wide sustainability targets. The photovoltaic system, which will be installed by Lander, Wyoming based Creative Energies, could generate up to 30% of the power used on the campus, which includes a disused church building that has been retrofitted with a shower facility, a briefing room, student bunkrooms and a gear barn.

The educational component of this project will be achieved through the erection of an educational kiosk on the campus and the integration of education on solar-electric generation and sustainable practices into the curriculum of the approximately 300 students who pass through the campus each year as they prepare for expeditions in the Tetons, Lemhis, and Palisades, and the Salmon and Owyhee Rivers.

The POW Foundation grant came in part from the Grand Targhee Resort, its employees, and guests of the resort who made donations to POW when purchasing lift tickets. The BEF grant was awarded through its Solar 4R Schools renewable energy education program, funded by the public’s purchase of BEF Carbon Offsets.

Representatives from the POW Foundation, BEF, and local electric provider Fall River Rural Electric (a contributor to the Bonneville Environmental Fund) will formally hand the grant funds to NOLS in a ceremony at NOLS Teton Valley on May 28, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. The event is open to the general public.

ABOUT BEF:

Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is an entrepreneurial nonprofit that is creating a more sustainable future by investing now in clean energy and fresh water. When customers purchase BEF’s independently certified carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates, they support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the development of new renewable energy facilities. Additionally, their purchase supports long-term watershed restoration and renewable energy education for students and communities nationwide because BEF reinvests its net revenue to fund its Model Watershed and Solar 4R Schools programs. Since its inception in Portland, Ore. in 1998, BEF has been a pioneer in helping people and companies become better stewards of the environment. For more information, see: www.b-e-f.org.

ABOUT POW:

Protect Our Winters (POW) is a tax exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to reversing the global warming crisis by uniting the winter sports community and focusing our collective efforts towards a common goal. POW is focused on progressive environmental education and support. Since 2008, POW has issued over $125,000 in grants to over 20 grassroots environmental groups leading the charge against climate change. For more information, visit http://protectourwinters.org/.