Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/9/09)

The Green Collar Jobs Training Program offline sustainability trainees are spending more time at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center at Keaukaha. With the amount of time they spend there, they should be expert sustainable kalo farmers by the time the summer opportunity for work experience ends on July 24, 2009. What better way to educated trainees about sustainability than front line conservation in the fields!

The online sustainability trainees spent their day at the office in the Hawai‘i Innovation Center in Hilo. There they continued to refine their blogging, video editing, and online sustainability skills. With program in its fourth week of existence, online trainees have enhanced their skills on the internet, as well as their skills in computer applications such as iMovie, flash, and fireworks.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/8/09)

With the training program about to come to an end, the online crew members started helping Green Collar Technologies with its client work. Using the skills they gained over the last few weeks, workers will help promote a company in Boston, MA by managing blogs and increasing search engine optimization. If all goes well, the income made from these client jobs will be used to fund the sustainable efforts of Green Collar Technologies. As Brent says it, "To put gas in the tank." Trainees also got to talked with some of Brent's colleagues, Cooper and Faizah, who will also give workers classes on some of the ins and outs of online sustainability (such as geo-mapping, twitter, flash, etc.). Cooper just moved from California where he worked with 2Advanced Studios. You should check out the site, it's pretty amazing!

The offline sustainability crew continued laboring at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center, again working with Joe Bernabe. They are out in the center grounds, refining their kalo farming skills.

Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center

The Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center in Keaukaha.
Picture from http://pacrc.uhh.hawaii.edu/

The Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center is a research and development center at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resource Management. It's mission is to:

"Advance longer-term sustainable use and conservation of coastal areas worldwide through aquaculture and resource management."

It's for this reason exactly that Green Collar Jobs Training Program workers spend most of there time learning about sustainable practices. The center is operational at two site on Hawai‘i Island: Keaukaha and Panaewa. The kalo farms the trainees have been working at are located at the Keaukaha facility. It used to be a wastewater treatment plant, but was recently converted in to the Center with an initial focus on ornamental fish culture and cultivation of pearl oysters. It is also because this facility (among other incentives) that make the Univeristy of Hawai‘i at Hilo a premier location for education in the fields of marine sciences, aquaculture and coastal resources.

For more information visit http://pacrc.uhh.hawaii.edu/.

Green Collar Tech Training Program Update (7/7/09)

Nothing new is happening this week for the offline team. They're helping out Joe at the Aquaculture Center almost everyday now. So until we find other activities for them to do, nothing new will be happening on their side. As for us (the online team), the situation is pretty similar. We've been doing the same thing for a while now (editing videos, posting up blogs and pictures). But this week we might do something a little different. We're not too sure on the details yet, but I'll update our progress in the next blog.

-Ashley

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/7/09)

After working a long day in Mountain View yesterday, the trainees spent Tuesday working at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center. We at the Green Collar Jobs Training Program can't over emphasize what an amazing plant kalo is and why it is so useful in terms of sustainability. Unlike other agriculture plants, all the parts of kalo (from the corm to the leaves) can be used, and for centuries kalo has been a staple food for both traditional and contemporary Hawaiians. Cooked, boiled, steamed, fried, and mashed kalo has been present in many family recipes. Everyone loves laulau, although favorites such as poi and squid luau might be a more acquired taste for some. However, the underlying fact is that kalo exemplifies self-sustaining stewardship. If you care and nurture the kalo farm, the crop will grow and provide many benefits. It's the most basic and most important concept that the Green Collar Jobs Training Program is teaching its trainees. While laboring at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center the workers are learning that "If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you", and it's exactly this sense of harmony that the sustainability movement in general hopes to achieve.

Kalo patch at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center.

In terms of the current economy, growing your own food such as kalo isn't a bad idea either. Joe mentioned that during graduation season, kalo leaves become a high commodity for parties and people pay a lot of money for crop. He suggested that people should really think about growing their own patches. Kalo is very low maintenance has a high turnover rate (1 adult can produce 5 offspring), and you can save money on party expenses while also being self-sustainable. Not a bad idea!

Back at the Hawai‘i Innovation Center the online crew also had a learning experience. Brent gave a short lecture on the concept of creating websites for companies and getting paid for it. Some trainee caught on more than others, but the main idea is that there are a lot of opportunities on the Internet that can help you pay the bills. You just have to take the time and effort to consider these opportunities.

Lessons and Tips of the Day:

1. It you take care of the land, the land will take care of you
2. There are many opportunities on-line to make money. You just need to take the time and effort to consider them.
   

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/6/09)

It's officially the beginning of Week 4 of the Green Jobs Training Program! So far the trainees have had numerous sustainability experiences ranging from online blogging to building environmentally friendly Earthships. With a total of less than 3 weeks left in their summer opportunity for work experience there's still a lot to accomplish and very little time.

According to the tentative six week plan brainstormed in Week 1 trainees were expecting to jump into the more client work, but like mentioned before, workers head where the work is needed. Therefore, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the trainees are back in Mountain View building a greenhouse at the Green Collar Technologies treehouse "classroom".

Beginnings of the Green Collar Technologies greenhouse.

Dominic, Leroy, and Dylan building the greenhouse.

There workers, with the help of Brent, Connor, and Faizah, used recycled wood to build the foundation for the Green Collar Technologies greenhouse. This greenhouses will be used to enhance the learning experience when the Mountain View "classroom" is fully functioning as a site for sustainable education.

Once again, the online members are back in Hilo keeping the sites up to date. Online trainees also placed some time aside to "get in touch with their inner Zen". With a few hundred brochures to fold, trainees learned a few more lessons about being patient.

First Annual Green Jobs Day of Action in Hawaii

Check out these clips from the First Annual Green Collar Jobs Day of Action at the Hawai‘i Innovation Center in Hilo, Hawai‘i. It was hosted by Green Collar Technologies.

Green Jobs Day of Action (9/27/08)

On Saturday, September 27, 2008 Apollo Alliance and Green For All presented the Green Jobs Now National Day of Action.

Green for All and the We Campaign are joining with tens of thousands of Americans for Green Jobs Now: A Day to Build the New Economy. People of all backgrounds are organizing Green Jobs Now events, with a special focus on low-income communities and communities of color. Whether it’s an intimate house party or a giant rally, your event can keep the pressure on our leaders to build a new, clean economy that begins to heal the planet and ensures prosperity for all.

In support, Green Collar Technologies had its National Day of Action to encourage green collar jobs and technologies on Hawai‘i Island. It was held at the Hawai‘i Innovation Center in downtown Hilo and offered free courses in sustainability and google applications, as well as guest speeches from individuals and companies supporting the new type of economy. Everyone, green collar or non-green collar affiliated, was invited to celebrate the day that was set aside to work and learn about all green topics of interest.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/2/09)

You're probably wondering, where's the worksite today? It's probably not a surprise that the Green Collar Jobs Training Program is back at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center refining their kalo knowledge and skills. Again under the supervision of Joe, workers spent taking care of the kalo fields.

Workers cleaning the kalo fields.

Dominic shoveling out the weeds.

Similarly, the online workers continued daily tasks of uploading blogs, editing videos, and promoting the program. It was also brought to attention that the pictures on the Green Collar Jobs Training blogs were very difficult to load. Online trainees are working to reload the pictures in a smaller format so that the "People of Puna" can also see the images and sustainable efforts! Lastly workers started a letter to the County Council to raise their awareness of Green Collar Technologies, in hopes to educate, promote, and build a more sustainable Hawai‘i Island.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (7/1/09)

Another day in the office! For the offline workers, the office again was the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center where they would be working with Joe Bernabe. The trainee's task for the day was collecting and prepping kalo for transplanting.

With the help of Joe once again, the team was able to emphasize their taro knowledge with some cutting, sorting, and replanting lessons. The whole process of preparing the taro there pretty much involves cutting off the roots and using the stem for re-growth. But by now, the group has gotten the hang of it since this is their third visit to the facility.

Joe Bernabe and trainees clearing the center grounds.

Green Collar Training Program worker Dylan separating the collected kalo crop.

Back at the office in the Hawai‘i Innovation Center the online training team continued to update the websites, blogs, images, and videos.

Green Collar Jobs Training Program Update (6/30/09)

Great news! The work that the Green Collar Jobs Training Program trainees did helped Mark Hansen pass the inspection for the Earthship building permit. Today, the workers are back in Nanawale to continue work on the sustainable home. Brent Norris also went down to the site to document the work and brought back these great pictures of the Green Collar Jobs Training Program in action.

Workers (from left) Dylan, Dominic, Leroy and Sandy
take a moment to smile before helping Mark with his Earthship.

Workers packing a mix of cement, dirt, and cinder
into white bags to form the wall foundation.

The finished Earthship structure will look like the building behind the workers. It almost looks like a tropical igloo. Earthships can also vary in appearance depending on the wants and needs of the individual owner.

Back in the office, the online workers continued working on promoting the program. Trainees also made work site signs to promote our workers out in the field. If you see the "Green Job Worksite" signs around feel free to stop by, ask questions, and get involved! You can also check out the daily updated websites, blogs, images, and videos!