Environmental Change
The idea that we live in something called “the environment,” for instance, is utterly preposterous. This word came into use because of the pretentiousness of learned experts who were embarrassed by the religious associations of “Creation” and who thought “world” too mundane. But “environment” means that which surrounds or encircles us; it means a world separate from ourselves, outside us. The real state of things, of course, is far more complex and intimate and interesting than that. The world that environs us, that is around us, is also within us. We are made of it; we eat, drink, and breathe it; it is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. It is also a Creation, a holy mystery… This world, this Creation, belongs in a limited sense to us, for we may rightfully require certain things of it—the things necessary to keep us fully alive as the kind of creature we are—but we also belong to it, and it makes certain rightful claims on us: that we care properly for it, that we leave it undiminished not just to our children but to all the creatures who will live in it after us. None of this intimacy and responsibility is conveyed by the word environment.
Detoxify Your Personal Exposome
Wolfram Alderson, MS: a social impact innovator and expert, and self-proclaimed “Exposome Guy” presents “Detoxify Your Personal Exposome” at the UCSF 12th Annual SSEW Symposium: The Exposome & Metabolic Health – how individuals can remove toxins from their personal ecosystems and respective communities.
Engaging Communities in the
Transformation of Environments to
Improve Human & Environmental Health
Farmers’ Markets, Urban Farms, Horticultural Therapy,
School & Community Gardens, Urban & Pocket Parks
Wolfram Alderson is an inspiring individual with vision and perspective gained from his 30+ years in the nonprofit environmental and food systems change fields. His ability to connect ideas, individuals and organizations is exceptional. His willingness to put himself out in front of life-improving movements affirms his conviction that, together, we can, and will, make a difference. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Wolfram in his role as executive director and as fellow board member of Sustainable Community Gardens.
Giant Living Tipi – Full Circle Farm
Photo – William Moeller
This is the 5th Giant Living Tipi Designed by Wolfram Alderson
NVIDIA’s most successful Project Inspire, with more than 1,500 employees and their families coming together at Full Circle Farm in Sunnyvale, Calif. Instead of enjoying a holiday party, they worked hard together and helped transform this community farm into a viable, thriving business that can help three-times as many people as it ever did before. Focused on transforming Full Circle Farm’s operations, NVIDIA’s support was provided so Full Circle Farm could become financially self-sustaining and to expand its ability to host and provide educational programs for students and families in Silicon Valley. The total value of materials, services and employee volunteer hours behind the project was $380,000. My role, as Executive Director, was to make the application for support, manage the entire process from beginning to end, design projects and structures, get approvals from the city and school district, and follow up with additions to the new facilities that were built. Full Circle Farm was a unique social enterprise that reinvested earnings from produce sales back into the community through programs that taught kids and families about the importance of living healthy and sustainably by eating local produce. Specific projects included:
- Building a Demonstration Teaching Area: Creating an outdoor teaching and demonstration facility where students could learn about the science of food and how to prepare healthy meals that incorporate local produce.
- Improving Storage and Packing Facilities: Erected and furnished a facility that enabled Full Circle Farm to better store and prepare the produce that it sells to restaurants, schools and individuals.
- Upgrading Retail Location: Built a structure that welcomed visitors and enabled the Farm to sell its own produce.
- Expanding Farm Production Capacity: Added irrigation to the farm’s orchard, increase the quality of the soil and improving the ability of the farm to plant and grow more produce.
I have been responsible for implementing many large scale environmental projects involving dozens to hundreds of volunteers. This is a video of one such project at Full Circle Farm.
North Fair Oaks – Friendship Park
Success Story
Read Friendship Park Project Report from the California Convergence for Healthier Communities here.
As Founding Executive Director, I was responsible for establishing the first urban forestry organization in Benicia, creating the organization infrastructure, engagement strategies, programs, and fundraising. I developed the logo, website, established a Salesforce database and other web-based technology solutions. I led the implemention of two major urban forestry projects in my first year and also led strategic efforts to build partnerships, develop environmental education programs for youth, and align the mission and goals of the Benicia Tree Foundation into the City of Benicia Climate Action Plan, Tree Master Plan, Green Business and other local initiatives.
San Jose Mas Alla, Guatemala
Xela Aid
GREENDOM
(Giant Green Dome at East Palo Alto Charter School)
This is the first “Greendom” designed by Wolfram Alderson – installed in 2010
Since I designed and installed the current garden East Palo Alto Charter School, it has continued to grow and give benefits to students and community. It’s now almost an acre in size and includes a small flock of chickens, a large industrial greenhouse and fruit trees. Not only do students now have access to a gardening elective class and an after-school garden club, they’re also learning about science in an outdoor, hands-on environment. And they’re learning about nutrition and healthy eating in one of the first teaching gardens in Silicon Valley. I have organized many large scale events to improve the environment, including 50 to 1500 volunteers in one event. Here is a link to a larger scale project in East Palo Alto that involved building a Giant Green Dome I designed.
Wolfram’s enthusiasm and vision for educating children about nature, science and good eating turned the East Palo Alto Charter school garden into the flagship garden classroom for children all over Silicon Valley. NVIDIA was happy to work with him to make the garden a reality.
A small vignette of my urban agriculture experience is featured here – including credit to one of my great garden mentors, Earl Ambeau.
