Members of our SCA NH crew recently discovered a new way to make the most of a weekend – by volunteering at ski resorts around New England to spread the word about conservation and sustainability. At three IZSTYLE Winter Concert Series events, corps members have educated skiers, snowboarders, and music fans about the services provided by SCA crews around the country, while also getting the chance to take advantage of live music and snowy slopes at some of the region’s premier mountains.
The events, featuring an interactive Eco-Village put together by the non-profit group Reverb, have brought together a variety of outdoor gear companies, natural and organic foods producers, and bands – including names such as Guster and the Barenaked Ladies – to encourage winter athletes to take action for sustainability. Volunteers, including our SCA crew, provided visitors with information on event sponsors and the services they provide.
When we were first asked to volunteer at the Cranmore Mountain Resort on February 11, many in our jumped at the opportunity. As corps member Tyler Lau puts it, “It was a great way to get information about conservation and sustainability out to the public.” We set up an informational booth, outreaching for our program and the many other services provided by the SCA, and even helped out at booths sponsored by other vendors.
Chris Olsen, one of four SCA NH members who coordinate the Manchester Conservation Leadership Corps, was happy to have the chance to talk about the ways that the program engages high school students in conservation work. “A lot of people were interested in learning how they could get involved with the SCA,” he notes. “It was great to get to help them out.”
But it didn’t stop there. After having a great time during that first weekend, our group was invited back to subsequent events at Okemo Mountain Resort and the Stratton Mountain Ski Resort, both located in Vermont. Even more crewmembers headed out to these events, continuing to work hard and inform the public about the importance of conservation.
Lau, who has so far spent five days volunteering at the IZSTYLE events, plans to help out on at least one more occasion, this time at the Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire. As he puts it, “Reverb is putting on some really great events. We’re getting a lot of traffic at our SCA booths, and we’re providing useful information about groups who are doing good things for the planet. The attractions draw people in, but then they learn about all these ways that they can do their part.”
