Leep

Welcome to our Blog. If you havn't already, please read our About Us page. We have a wealth of good information here, so enjoy!

June 9 Update

Hi everyone, we are hoping that you all are doing great and getting ready for your summer! We have had a very busy month. To start Mellow Mushroom held two fund raisers for LEEP. Both turned out really great. Then Fuel (a new restaurant located at 211 Rutledge) held a fund raiser for us as well. This was a huge success for both Fuel and for LEEP. We would like to thank both restaurants and their managers for thinking about LEEP.
We have also been able to use the LEEP bio-bus more and more towards the end of the school year. Please keep in mind that even though there is no school our bus is available for special occasions or events for groups and camps. Just call 800.732.9625 and ask for the LEEP bio-bus.
Right now we are gearing up for our summer camps and classes. Ian will be teaching at College of Charlestons Upward Bound program for the next four weeks. This is a new program for LEEP and we are pleased to be able to assist CofC.
We are also gearing up for the WOW DVD Promotions coming this fall. Ian and the team are setting dates for this exciting promotional tour. We would like to again thank Organic Process Productions, ETV, and the SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and the US Department of Interior for all of their support with Project WOW. Stay tuned for more info as time goes on.
LEEP is continually seeking volunteers to assist with various jobs such as grant writing, editing, data input, naturalist and more. We also have a new program we are working on "Leave No Child Inside". If you would like more info on either volunteering or our new project please contact us at 800.732.9625
We hope you have a great time during this summer...please keep coming back to check on what is going on with LEEP.

Chris from Magnolia Gardens teaching Pepperhill studnets

Chicora Elementary at Folly Beach (4.30.08)

Catching up with LEEP

Hi all

   It is time to catch up with whats been going on with LEEP. I am sure you all know that we have completed our WOW expedition. Ian and the crew finished up on April 1st. This year we teamed up with OPP and SCETV. We were awarded a grant from the Heritage Corridor and the SC Department of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and the US Department of Interior to complete this WOW trip. This year we completed a video of the entire trip complete with schools, beautiful pictures of nature and interviews with many specialists. We are now putting together the first WOW DVD! You can see the webisodes at www.scleep.org or at www.riverventure.org.
   We are now getting ready for something new with LEEP. We are having summer camps with various organizations and school programs throughout the summer. We are looking for people to assist with these classes, so if you are interested please give Diana a call at 800.732.9625.
   The LEEP bus is getting around more these days. We are booking various trips with organizations as well as school trips all over Charleston. So be on the look out for that huge blue LEEP Bio-diesel bus around town.
   LEEP has also ventured into another program. We have been the first to launch Leave No Child Inside in the state of SC  We are very excited and ready to get this rolling. We help our first community event at Park Circle on Earthday. We were also at Earthfare that following week. If you are interested in finding out more please go to www.scnaturekids.com.
   We have had a few fundraisers by businesses in the community. In March we had "Move for a Change" host an event at The Village Tavern in Mt.Pleasant. That was a great crowd. We also had the Mellow Mushroom host and art show for LEEP. Tomorrow is another event held by Mellow Mushroom for LEEP which is a boat cruise. Proceeds from these events went to LEEP.
   Ian continues to teach classes along with our wonderful Naturalists. I will be posting pictures of some of these classes soon.
   We continue to seek volunteers to assist with grant writing, editing, entering data base info and event help. If you are looking for something to do this summer just call us at 800.732.9625 and I am sure we can help you!
  Until next time please have a safe spring!!
   

December 2007

LEEP would like to share some wonderful news.  We have just recieved a matching grant from the Heritage Corridor!!  This grant will help LEEP by generating funds in order to start our WOW Project of 2008. We will be starting our search for supporters and donors to cover the matching funds this month. We are excited about the WOW Project as we have some great people on board with us such as Organic Process, Jonathan Cummings, Gretchen Barbatis and more!! Thank you Heritage Corridor for your support!
We have also started to partner with Barry Patterson of Green Maps. We will be putting Green Maps into our curriculum this coming year.
  LEEP is seeking to locate people that have a CDL License. We are in need to drivers for our LEEP bus. LEEP is fortunate enough at this time to be able to pay our drivers. If you are interested or know of someone who would like to drive during school hours and has a good driving record please call us at  800.732.9625 for more info.

Update - November 30, 2007

Hey everyone!

We're beginning to wrap up the year here at LEEP, and we're as busy as ever this holiday season!

Classes at James Island Middle, St. Stephens, James Simons, Pepperhill, East Cooper Montessori, and Fennel Elementary continue to be very successful. 

Planning for the WOW project is well underway, and we're getting ready to start in February and March.  Ian has been talking with SCETV about a possible partnership on this.  To read more about the Web of Water project, click HERE!

We have just received two new grants, one from the ALCOA Foundation, and one from the Open Grant Foundation.  LEEP would like that thank both of these foundations for their amazing support and generosity.

Interested in becoming a part of our Naturalist certification program?  We have meetings on December 6th and December 13th.  Call us at 800.732.9625 for more information. 

Hope you all have a great weekend! 

Eco-friendly tips for the Holidays!

Thanksgiving is over, and it is officially Holiday Season!  Here are a few environmentally-conscious tidbits and ideas to help make this month merry and GREEN!

* Be creative with wrapping...use newspaper, reusable bags, or anything else creative that won't entail a Christmas morning with a floor full of wrapping paper to throw out.  If you do use wrapping paper, find some made of recycled materials, and be sure to recycle it after your rip it off the presents!

* When out doing your holiday shopping, don't forget to bring your reusable shopping bag (You don't already have one for your grocery shopping!?!? You can buy them everywhere from Earthfare to chic boutiques like Worthwhile on King Street!).

* If you have holiday lights, be sure to turn them off during the day to save energy (and your $$), or decorate your home with other festive ornaments, and illuminate your front door with a single spotlight.

...we've all been told how wasteful it is to cut down a tree only to have it on the tree lawn a few weeks later.  Here's what some people have been doing to recycle their trees!  (from December 2007 issue of National Geographic)

-In Louisiana, used and unsold trees are mashed up and converted into wooden cribs, which are placed    in the coastal marshes.  As the tides come in, sediment builds up behind the cribs, eventually creating new land that helps rebuild the eroding shoreline.

-A packaging corporation in Wisconsin burns the used trees, and the steam is used to power the paper mill.

-Each year on Baker Lake Island in Illinois, where vegetation is becoming sparse, volunteers cart over 100 used trees across the lake by boat (or sled, if it's frozen over), and secure the trees on posts.  These "refurbished" trees serve as habitats for herons and egrets who are looking for a place to nest.

-All across the country, trees are fed into chippers, and used for mulch.

Find something productive to do with your holiday "leftovers"!!

Everyone here at LEEP wishes you a beautiful holiday season.   

November!

Hey everybody,

We hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween.  LEEP's  Costumes for a Cause Halloween party was this past Saturday night at the Navy Yard in Noisette.  The party was held at 10 Storehouse Row, an awesome location with a lot of great businesses that we were able to promote during the party.  The building was decorated with plenty of haystacks, pumpkins, and amazing artwork by College of Charleston students.  We had an impressive silent auction, a ton of food generously donated by local restaurants, and a bar outside under the stars.  The band was great, the costumes were fantastic, and LEEP received some much-appreciated donations. Thanks to everyone who helped in any way to put this amazing event together.  It would not have been possible without you!

In terms of classes, we have a lot going on.  We have begun classes at Pepperhill Elementary with the 3rd graders; the James Island MGAP program continues to be very successful, and we have been doing afterschool programs with the Charleston Developmental Academy.  The  afterschool programs at St. Stephen's Elementary have also been going very well.  It's always encouraging when 2nd graders who have been at school all day can get excited about the water cycle or the rock cycle at 5pm! 

Ian and the rest of the LEEP administrators are very busy with project WOW (Web of Water; read about it HERE).  If anyone is interested in contributing to this project, please feel free to call us at      800.732.9265

Hope you all have a great weekend!  Happy November!

Costumes with a Cause DISCOUNTED TICKET PRICES!!

Hey guys, we have some exciting news!

Due to the overwhelming enthusiasm about next Saturday's event, Costumes with a Cause, LEEP is lowering ticket prices!

Single tickets will be $35
Couples tickets will be $60

The night will also include a silent auction, door prizes, and of course, a costume contest!!!

We look forward to seeing you there!

This Week at LEEP...

Hello, everyone.  Hope you're all having a great week.  This is what LEEP has been up to lately:

On Tuesday, October 16, LEEP's Bio Bus took the James Island Middle School MGAP students to Folly Beach for a little hands-on experience in the field.  As usual, the MGAP kids continue to impress us, and they did very well in the lesson.  They learned about the coastal ecosystem through experiential observation and even found time to play some games on the beach. 

LEEP has just received a grant from the Alcoa Foundation for Board Development.  This grant allow LEEP to send board members to various training sessions.  Additionally, LEEP's board meetings will include mini developmental seminars.  This grant will be significant in the development of administrative and organizational initiatives for LEEP.

COSTUMES FOR A CAUSE is COMING!!!!
LEEP will host its first “Costumes for a Cause” Halloween Ball on Saturday October 27, 2007 at 10 Storehouse Row in the Navy Yard at Noisette. The event will be held from 7:00 PM-Midnight and admission is $65/person, $110/couple for advanced tickets $70/person, $120/couple the day of the event. Admission includes all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, heavy hors’derves, and desserts.  Visit the LEEP website for more details and to buy tickets!  It should be a great time for a great cause.  We hope to see you all there!

It's hard to believe that it's almost November, and we are well into our classes.  As mentioned above, James Island Middle School has classes regularly.  They welcome LEEP every Monday, and every other week their class is held out in the field, whether at the beach, marsh, or wildlife reserve.  The Charter Montessori School will begin a week-long program in November. 

Classes are held every other week at St. Stephen Elementary School in the after-school program.  Each week we have a different grade level, and for kids who have been at school all day, the fact that they are so enthusiastic and focused from 4-5pm is quite impressive!  So far we have been working on the water cycle and properties of water, and basic geology.  We've been in the classroom doing experiments with water tension, and outside pretending to be runoff water molecules (learning AND cleaning up the schoolyard!) and seismic waves!  The kids are doing so well, and LEEP is very excited to be working with such a great staff and student body at St. Stephen's. 

Naturalist classes have been ongoing in the past months.  Our most recent class was held at Micheaux Center.  We were able to tour the grounds, get some wonderful teaching materials, and learn some great interactive lesson plans.  This weekend, the class will be held at Dewees Island, and will include a ferry ride.  If you are interested in the Naturalist Certification Program, please contact LEEP.

That's all for now.  Feel free to call us here at LEEP, or send us an email, or post on the blog.  It's here for you to use it! 

Have a great week, all!

October 6th, 2007 - UPDATE

Hey guys...

As usual, there's a lot going on here at LEEP.  Here are some of the things we've been up to:

Academic Magnet and Military Magnet students have been out and about on the LEEP Bio Bus a lot lately.  Dr. Lauren Sautter and Lauren Fuqua took the students out on the Barrier Island Eco Tour.  Everyone had a great time on the tours, which culminated in a cookout on the beach! 

Micheaux Conservancy and LEEP are collaborating as well.  Micheaux will be helping LEEP locate funds for the Title One Schools we work with.  This partnership will be a great help for the classes.  LEEP and the Conservancy are committed to working together to create new opportunities for our Title One Schools. 

On Friday, Ian visited the MGAP students at James Island Middle School.  He was amazed and impressed with everything these students have been doing.   The students have been continuing to work with the programs we have taught them, and they even wrote and sang a rap song, entitled "The Earthquake."  James Island Middle School has shown tremendous progress, and LEEP is proud to work with such amazing students and faculty. 

LEEP is gearing up for our next event, "Costumes for a Cause."  On October 27th, LEEP will host its first “Costumes for a Cause” Halloween Ball at 10 Storehouse Row in the Navy Yard at Noisette. The event will be held from 7:00 PM-Midnight and admission is $65/person, $110/couple for advanced tickets $70/person, $120/couple the day of the event. Admission includes all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, heavy hors’derves, and dessert.  Tickets can be purchased  by going to our website.

LEEP's next Naturalist class will be held on Tuesday, October 9th at the Micheaux Conservancy.  If you are interested in attending these classes please call 800.732.9625

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

This week at LEEP!

Hey guys,

As usual, there's a lot of stuff going on...here are some updates for you!

Last week, Ian met with Ms. Rogers from CDA to discuss the school's class schedule with LEEP.  The CDA students had very positive PACT test scores last year, which is great.  Keep up the good work!

MGAP classes at James Island Middle School are also off and running.  We look forward to continuing to foster a relationship with this school.  They have demonstrated such great progress, and we can't wait to see what we can do together this year!

We have also begun classes at St. Stephen's Elementary and Middle Schools.  There has been one class so far with the elementary students.  It is an after school class, every other week.  At the end of a very long school day, the 2nd and 3rd grade students at the school were absolutely enthusiastic as we learned about the water cycle. The class had a blast venturing outside, learning about runoff and pretending to be water molecules!  The first class with the Middle School will be this Thursday.  LEEP hopes to develop a strong relationship with these schools this semester, and it looks like we're off to a great start already.

The Board members of LEEP met last Monday evening to discuss upcoming fundraisers, as well as board reconstruction.  LEEP is in the process of educating board members of fundraising strategy and how-to, and exploring new approaches for operating a nonprofit organization.  Ian attended a fundraising seminar offered by SCANPO on Thursday.  Be on the lookout for a lot of new, innovative fundraisers for LEEP in the coming months.

The LEEP BioBus took a trip to beautiful Magnolia Gardens this weekend.  The bus carried a group of kids from the Boys and Girls club to the site.

This Sunday was LEEP's 8th and final Bowenstock!  It was a great success.  The weather was beautiful, and food was great, and the music was absolutely fantastic.  This 100% sustainable event could not have been possible without all the volunteers, the Bowen's Island staff, Henry's Attic, and Live Oak.  Thank ALL of you!

Ian is getting ready to travel to Columbia this week to discuss No Child Left Inside at the governor's office! 

On a similar note, this week is Take A Child Outdoors Week...Definitely something to celebrate!

Have a great week, everybody!

We even have the little one working, thank you Isabella!!

Cori and Caitlin Making Signs

Katie painting Bowenstock Sign

September 11, 2007 Update

Hello everybody,    

LEEP has shared a special relationship with Bowen's Island and Bowen's Restaurant.  It has been the site of our huge fundraisers, Bowenstock and the Oyster Roast, for years now.  On the 6th of this month, Ian met with     Robert Barber of Bowen's Restaurant, and Brian Cordell of the Sustainability Institute to discuss the rebuilding of the restaurant and how to make it green!  The three are keeping in touch and working to get this project started.    

On another note, LEEP received some interesting news this week.  As you probably know, Ian and the rest of the LEEP crew have been working diligently on Project WOW (read about it HERE) for over two years. We have just found out that ETV has just launched a similar program.  This news should not be seen as a setback, but as encouragement, and Project WOW will continue to move forward full-force regardless.  We hope their project will be successful in raising public awareness about our local ecology and river systems.  After all, we're all working with the same goal in mind.   WOW is still on a roll, and LEEP is looking forward to its fulfilling a need in the community and in environmental education in South Carolina.    

On a totally high note, LEEP's classes for this Fall are really starting to come together!  We are getting more calls all the time from schools interested in classes.  We are working with James Simons, Pepperhill Elementary, James Island Middle School, and  a few more!  Have a great week, everyone!

WineDineWine Event at Avondale Wine and Cheese

LEEP BioBus getting fuel.

Lately at LEEP...

Hello all,

Yesterday, September 4th, was the first day of class for LEEP at James Island Middle School MGAP.  Shawn and Ian were there teaching Renee Byrd's class.  Renee's students were waiting and ready for LEEP to arrive.  The class was a great success, and we are presently setting up more classes with James Island Middle School MGAP.  An article on charleston.net on the 4th featured James Island Middle School, and its efforts and huge successes in accelerated education programs.  James Island Middle School MGAP program is referred to as "the Mercedes of MGAP programs."  Ms. Byrd's former class (the first class to ride the LEEP BioBus!) is also featured in the article.  To read this article, go here.

That night, Ian went to see Mayor Riley at Mayor's Night In.  Ian and the Mayor discussed the exciting upcoming Web of Water project.  The Mayor was updated with the newly reconstructed WOW project.  Ian explained that LEEP was awarded a matching grant from the Heritage Corridor and that we need to locate matching funds in order to receive the grant.  Ian and Mayor Riley also discussed how the new life of WOW is having a much greater impact with the community this year.  The Mayor is fully supportive of this exciting project.  To read more about WOW, go here.

Speaking of grants, LEEP has been spending a lot of time writing them.  Diana and Dr. A have been especially busy over the past two months getting our grants out to many hopeful foundations. 

Have you marked your calendar for BOWENSTOCK??  The music, food, and fun are all scheduled for SEPTEMBER 23, from 1-7PM.  This year Bowenstock will be especially meaningful in that it will be our first 100% sustainable ZERO-WASTE Bowenstock.  You don't want to miss it!