The Climate Chronicles — Earth Charter Indiana

A How-to Guide: Oaklandon's ambitious no-idling program

It all starts with education. The E-STEM club at Oaklandon, led by teacher Laura Getz, spent time studying the impact of air particulate and greenhouse gas pollution that is emitted by an idling car.

Andy FryMay 2, 2017

A Service Learning Day at Spades Park

The rewards of spending a day outside, getting your hands dirty, are immeasurable, and worth any effort in implementing

Jim PoyserApril 8, 2017

Love Letters: An Intergenerational Event

We just completed our inaugural Love Letters to Planet Earth event as part of the Spirit & Place Festival in Indianapolis.

Jim PoyserNovember 14, 2016Crooked Creek Elementary, Love Letters, Orchard School, St. Thomas Aquinas School, The Children's House, climate change

#Strawbale: a How-to Guide for Plastic Waste Reduction

And so it was in a flash I thought of collecting these reprehensible straws and assembling them into a straw bale. Call it a labor not of love, but of hate.

Jim PoyserNovember 8, 2016Broad Ripple Village Association, Broad Ripple Village Montessori, Pizzology, art, climate change, daVinci Pursuit, straw waste, straws

The Strange Saga of the Shoes: Climate Camp 2016

It is a strange mystery, these two shoes, the kind of thing that makes you smile and think, well, think that anything is possible, just in case you, like me, sometimes get the feeling that our problems are too complicated to solve.

Jim PoyserAugust 1, 2016Bee Public, Climate Recovery, Freewheelin' Bikes, Indy Urban Acres, The Nature Conservancy, Three Carrots, carbon emissions, climate camp, climate change, peace learning center

Climate Recovery research; a how-to guide for schools

Recently, I took our youth-led Climate Recovery project idea directly to Shane O'Day, the remarkable principal of Shortridge High School.

Jim PoyserMay 18, 2016Climate Recovery, Molly Denning, Our Children's Trust, Shortridge High School, iMatter

A Mayoral Proclamation for the bees

On Friday, April 22, 2016, Mayor Joe Hogsett delivered his official proclamation that Indianapolis is "A Bee-Friendly City."

Jim PoyserApril 25, 2016Arts Council of Indianapolis, Artsgarden, Butler Lab School, Earth Charter Indiana, Earth Day, Joe Hogsett, Kate Franzman, Save the Bees, Sidener Academy

Planting trees with Salesforce and other partners

Every year you see people coming away from Earth Day oriented festivals, with saplings in hand. How hard can it be to plant trees?

Jim PoyserMarch 31, 2016Earthforce, Jockamo, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Mud Creek Conservancy, Salesforce

Earth Charter Indiana Night at the Indiana Pacers

We enjoyed a wonderful opportunity on March 29 to showcase our work with youth, thanks to Steve Miknis from the Indiana Pacers.

Jim PoyserMarch 31, 2016Climate Recovery, Earth Charter Indiana, Groundwork Indy, Indiana Pacers, JustTrayNo, Parkerhouse, Wintercreeper, climate change

First ever Youth Environmental Civics Summit

Around 120 people participated, showcasing projects that combine environmental stewardship with civic action.

Jim PoyserFebruary 29, 2016Climate Recovery, Decatur Township School of Excellence, Harshman Middle School, JustTrayNo, Orchard School, Sidener Academy, Wintercreeper

An entire day downtown Indy, studying eco science

Fourth and fifth grade students at School For Community Learning contacted me the other day; they wanted some ideas to consider as they plan for the upcoming Eco Science Fair at the Indiana State Museum.

Jim PoyserJanuary 13, 2016Bill Taft, Jake Plummer, Jamison Hutchins, LEED, Michael Greven, Project Libertas, School for Community Learning, The Nature Conservancy, The Platform, Whitney Fields, green building, green roof, sustainability

On the Eskenazi Sky Farm with 3 and 4 year olds

I was recently invited to the School for Young Children on the campus of IUPUI, because they are starting a STEM pilot program for pre-schoolers. When they asked me for ideas, I immediately suggested the Eskenazi Sky Farm,

Jim PoyserOctober 21, 2015Bee Public, Eskenazi, Kate Franzman, Rachel White, STEM, School for Young Children, Skyfarm, bees

Gone fishin' ... via bike and bus and walking

On this adventure, our youngest member at 8 years old, caught two fish. Or, perhaps it was the same fish twice, for all I know.

Jim PoyserOctober 17, 2015Clint Kowalik, DNR, Go FishIN in the City, Groundwork Indy, Phyllis Boyd, climate change

Happy birthday to Heaven ... and other IndyGo adventures

This time, I took students from School 48 to Indy Urban Acres on IndyGo, a win win for Mother Earth.

Jim PoyserSeptember 18, 2015Freewheelin' Bikes, Indy Urban Acres, School 48, Tyler Gough, carbon emissions, climate camp, climate change, indygo, sustainability

A Climate Camp on bicycles

Freewheelin' is a natural partner for our work and shared interest in empowering youth and building self resiliency. And so it was a perfect fit for our most recent Climate Camp day camp.

Jim PoyserSeptember 6, 2015Eskenazi, Freewheelin' Bikes, White Pine Wilderness Academy, carbon emissions, climate camp, climate change

Climate Camp: For the love of trees and goats

This camp was held at Paramount School of Excellence, and I hope to hold more day camps at schools and community centers around the city — and beyond.

Jim PoyserAugust 16, 2015Mother Tree, Paramount, carbon emissions, climate camp, climate change, jerome delbridge, julia levine, mat davis

Our biggest Climate Camp yet!

In terms of sheer numbers, this is our biggest Climate Camp yet. In fact, we doubled the number of Campers from last year's initial Climate Camp, so this movement of combining climate science with civics and the arts is growing.

Jim PoyserJuly 25, 2015Chris Cruzan, Climate Recovery, Freewheelin' Bikes, Indy Urban Acres, White Pine Wilderness Academy, bees, climate camp, climate change, indygo, peace learning center

Our biggest Climate Camp yet, part two!

This Climate Camp was so vast, with so many adventures and photos, I had to break this blog into two sections. Hope you followed us here from there.

Jim PoyserJuly 25, 2015Climate Recovery, Our Children's Trust, Paramount, Second Helpings, carbon emissions, climate camp, climate change, fruit loop acres, peace learning center, story of change, story of stuff

A Climate Camp overnight in South Bend

My friend Charlotte Wolfe, a farmer who runs Prairie Winds Nature Farm, thought it would be a good idea to hold a climate camp on her farm just south of South Bend in Lakeville.

Jim PoyserJuly 17, 2015Charlotte Wolfe, Climate Reality Project, Climate Recovery, Our Children's Trust, Prairie Winds Nature Farm, arctic melt, bees, carbon emissions, climate camp, climate change, youth power indiana

An IndyGo bus adventure to Fruit Loop Acres

Jim PoyserJuly 9, 2015Southeast Community Services, TIffany Boyd, fruit loop acres, indygo, summer camp, sustainability

- Celebrating Solutions -