Happy holidays everyone. Hope you have had some time to breathe and relax for a bit. Don’t forget that with the New Year around the corner, you can start making your sustainable resolutions. Suggestions for small ideas that could lead to bigger changes; recycle more frequently, pick up one piece of trash a day, turn the thermostat down 2 degrees, unplug electronics from the walls when not using them (I just started doing this. It really is not as annoying as I thought it would be and we are saving energy!), reduce your shower by 10 seconds every month in 2013, or install more insulation in your home; the ideas are endless and do not have to be life altering. Remember to pick something you can achieve then start small…small steps mean smaller footprints. We tend to be more motivated when we see a direct and immediate impact of our efforts on our lives and communities.
Below you will find the new Flagstaff EcoRanch Sustainability Handbook, a product of a recent sustainability audit conducted by two students in the MBA program at NAU, Net Impact, and the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office. Jorge (MBA student), Paul (MBA student, representative for Net Impact), and Erik (City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program), came to the EcoRanch, looking for double paned windows, CFLs, weatherstripping, low flow toilets, and many other energy reducing methods. A few weeks later they provided an analysis of their findings that included positive methods being implemented and areas to improve on. One of those recommendations was to create a sustainability policy/handbook that WWOOFers, volunteers, and visitors could use while here. We plan on implementing the remaining recommendations over time and hope to follow up with another audit next year to develop a stronger relationship with all three groups.
Flagstaff EcoRanch 