Join 600,000 global volunteers – Coastal Cleanup Day, Sep 15, 2012

For 25 years volunteers have gathered together for Coastal Cleanup Day. The annual event takes place this year on the morning of September 15, 2012. To volunteer in California visit the California Coastal Commission. For anywhere else visit International Coastal Cleanup. You can also take a pledge to keep our waters trash free, and follow …

What is a virtual photo walk? — Watch this video and you will want to go on one

  “As a photographer you’re in a special place taking pictures, and now you can share that with others”   Photographer John Butterill discovered a way to share his photo walks through Google+ Hangouts. Almost immediately photographers around the world began volunteering to share their view of the world with people whose mobility was limited. …

Obama campaign launches iPhone app, Obama for America – 100 days till the election

With the 2012 election less than 100 days away — 98 days, to be exact — Team Obama is giving its supporters, volunteers and voters a digital push. The president’s campaign and the Democratic Party have launched Obama for America, a mobile app that packs election information, grassroots organizational tools, campaign news and more into …

Latest United Nations conference on sustainability takes a new approach – action not treaties

Government leaders, bankers and corporate CEOs took advantage of the gathering of 50,000 people at Rio+20 — the largest meeting in U.N. history — to announce new partnerships, programs and investments. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the $513 billion in commitments “a significant legacy of this conference — billions of dollars’ worth of actions and …

Certify to become a diver and join Reef Check’s conservation movement

Reef Check California is a volunteer monitoring program for California rocky reefs designed to provide data for managers and to build a conservation constituency among California divers. If you’re interested in becoming a getting certified or learning more, diving season is here! *** May Update: This month we started full swing into Reef Check California’s …

Say hello to OpenStreetMap – the Wikipedia of maps

In October 2011, Google finally revealed pricing for Google Maps services. Lightweight usage was still free…significant load volumes would begin to incur charges: basically, services and applications that generated more 25,000 map loads per day would be charged $10-$40 for every additional 1,000 map loads. For businesses put off by the new costs of Google Maps, …

Volunteer Events: Restoration and education at the Newport Back Bay (via the ROOTS program)

If you live in Orange County, here is a great volunteer event for you. ROOTS, restoration events, one Saturday each month 9-12pm: Volunteers help remove invasives species and plant natives in order to provide habitat for wildlife. Training, tools, refreshments, camaraderie and beautiful scenery are provided. All ages welcome! Bring a water bottle, sturdy shoes, …

My initiation into the African way of life

The Peace Corps Chronicles, Part 2 My Initiation With the quest for vision underway, it was now time to make action speak louder than words. So, I visited the nearest optometrist which is 70 kilometers from my village. He is a Botswana doctor, currently working abroad, and after discussing my needs, the arrangements were made. …

A quest for vision in Namibia

The Peace Corps Chronicles – Part 1   The Beginning As a Peace Corps Volunteer in an African village, I am a teacher, librarian, HIV/AIDS coordinator, after-school program manager and all-around helper for any school functions. Upon arriving here in Namibia, I had a great ambition to accomplish many things in my two-year service. I …