Environmental Volunteers teaches children of all ages to love nature and learning! The organization's mission is to promote understanding of, and responsibility for, the environment through hands-on science education.

The Environmental Volunteers (EV) organization serves elementary and middle school students and their teachers in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, California -- more than 10,000 children each year. Since 1972, volunteers have taught exclusively in small groups utilizing hands-on methodology in the classroom and on field trips. EV believes that what children experience they will come to know, and what they come to know they will care for.

Therefore, Environmental Volunteers is now a Greenstar Premium Partner. This means that, when you visit the Greenstar website as you're doing now, and make a purchase, a portion of the proceeds will be paid to this fine community organization.

Everybody wins. You get some extraordinary, unusual and thoughtful gifts to use for holidays, birthdays, for your home, or to mark any special occasion. Evols gains support for its important projects and Greenstar 's international projects, based in developing countries, also benefit.

So, who is Greenstar?

Greenstar is founded on a simple idea: that people, no matter where they live, have the same basic needs: for food, shelter, caring for their children and families, building their future, leading a life of learning, creativity and dignity. Where people in emerging nations don't enjoy the social and economic conditions to support these basic needs, all they need is the tools to grow by themselves, some assistance and startup resources.

And then they need everyone else to get out of the way.

Greenstar's concrete approach to delivering on this promise is also very simple: a self-contained, solar-powered, Web-connected community center. Including a medical clinic and telemedicine connections, a classroom, a commercial-grade photovoltaic solar power array, and a satellite dish for telecommunications.

Then, make it self-financing through ecommerce on the Internet.

We create a commercial website to market products from the village worldwide, and promote the site to nearly 200 million people who work, shop and learn on the Web every day. Allow them to connect with the people in the villages by email. The people in the village will decide for themselves how to use the income to improve their lives.

In a few months, a village can advance 1000 years, from a position where there is no electricity, no telephone or computer, no clean water, little medical or educational support, and little income, to a position where they are independent, growing, and connected to the world community.

A trial installation is underway on the West Bank, in a remote Palestinian village, with great success. To learn more, see http://www.greenstar.org/newsletter.htm

What do these people have to offer that you would be interested in -- for holiday gifts, for your home or office?

A surprising variety of beautiful and unique items -- from the historic Hebron area, which figures strongly in the scriptural events of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Gorgeous brassware; subtle glassware and ceramics; finely-formed pottery.

And their culture -- live music recorded recently in the village, with extraordinary Bedouin sounds from a tradition more than 5000 years old. You can get a free sample of this amazing music by clicking here.

We also developed a gallery of artwork produced by the children and adults of the community, which shows a startling clarity of vision, and fine artistic balance. These digital products can be downloaded direct to your computer, where within minutes you'll hear amazing music and see stunning artwork. Find out more by clicking here.

Teaching, and teaching others to teach, is what Environmental Volunteers does best. The newest element of our mission is to reach out across the nation and globe to seek partner opportunities with other organizations that we may teach them the EV Model of volunteer-delivered, small-group, hands-on natural science programs for the benefit of their own communities. We also develop educational interactive software and video training tools. To this end, Greenstar is helping to sponsor the Coast-to-Coast Discovery Ride, by donating solar power panels and other key equipment.

In May 2000, Michael Kahn of the Environmental Volunteers will bicycle solo from San Francisco to New England (over 4300 miles), camping out most of the way. On this journey he will explore the environmental and social diversity of the United States and document his discoveries.

The bicycle used on the Coast to Coast Discovery Ride will be equipped with a small solar array provided by Greenstar, allowing Michael to recharge all of his electronic equipment without having to plug it in.

Every day people all over the world will be able to come to the Evols website and check out the latest learning adventures from Michael's ride.

If you would like to receive email updates about the Coast to Coast Discovery Ride please send an email to discoveryride@evols.org.

Here is the main Evols website: http://www.EVols.org

You may contact them direct through Michael Kahn; his email is mike@EVols.org

Mailing address:

Environmental Volunteers
3921 East Bayshore Road
Palo Alto CA 94303 USA
phone: 650-961-0545x43
fax: 650-961-0548

Make a purchase here on the Greenstar website. Or call, toll-free to 877-282-9900 to quickly receive a printed catalog by overnight mail (323-422-9602 outside the U.S. and Canada).

That's all. Greenstar automatically pays 8% of your total purchase, including shipping, to Evols, which uses the funds to support its important work.

Thank you from Greenstar and Environmental Volunteers.