Update:
The Penultimate Birthday.
Well, it's May and that means my birthday month. Usually I have mixed emotions about getting a year older inside prison but after this birthday I will have only one more behind bars---and next week I will officially be under two years to work release!
Our work outside the gates has been going great. We are making progress on several projects including establishing our chicken flock in the new area. We started out with eight older hens donated by one of the maintenance managers. They were pretty skittish at first, but Tomas has been working with them and they are gradually getting friendly. Then we brought down some of the hens from the SPL as well as a couple of roosters who are begrudgingly learning to get along. And finally, one of the cooks from the kitchen brought us some baby chicks that included some Naked Necks, which are about the ugliest chickens you've ever seen. (Tomas says they are cute.) So our flock is up to 26 chickens for now and we are teaching the new ones how to be composters.
Juan has been brushing up on his welding skills and we have several projects that are going to improve the current process and expand our capacity.
KEY POINTS
Point of Perserverance:
A new boss took over at the SPL---one of the plant managers for the prison. This means we will have a much more seamless collaboration with other departments within the prison and should be starting up our educational program soon.
Point of Practice:
We are experimenting with a couple of new composting techniques including Hugelkulture a method of creating mounds out of waste wood and covering it with soil. This slowly releases heat through composting and the mounds can be used for growing vegetables. We are also trying out mixing cardboard with bokashi to test how quickly it breaks down. There is an immense amount of cardboard and wood scraps that go to landfills from the prison.
Point of Peace:
We received a visit from our friends at the Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) and it is always so encouraging to see them. Having colleagues on the outside who not only believe in what we are doing but share our vision for the future is amazing.
THE PLANET
We've discussed recent legislation in past newsletters and it is exciting to see lawmakers recognizing the importance of sustainable practices. This year a bill was passed that should really help EARN down the road.
ESSHB 2301 was passed stating, "Washington is now experiencing the effects of a climate crisis." It goes on to discuss methane as a potent greenhouse gas and identifies organic materials in landfills as a major source of methane.
The legislation also created numerous grant programs administered by the Department of Ecology for various priorities, which include education, technical assistance, indoor and outdoor infrastructure, and processing infrastructure.
Finally, the bill amends prior legislation to mandate that by 2026 all entities that generate 96 gallons of organic material waste per week must arrange for an approved method. (The previous mandate had been 4 cubic yards per week.) This means that by 2026 virtually all businesses dealing with organic waste will need service or onsite methods.
This creates the need for a massive workforce and vocational training to address these issues.
BIG IDEA
One exciting development has been the addition of Tomas Keen to the EARN team. He and his wife Joelene have a 40-acre, off-the-grid place on the Yaak River in Montana, and we are developing a plan for creating a forest therapy retreat spot there as well as a mechanism for building tiny homes for people coming out of long-term incarceration. Tomas and I have been working on grant writing and Joelene has been our research hero.
The other big news is that our website now has an active donation page and we have received our first electronic donation! Huge shout out to our treasurer (and I.T. guru) Kevin for the countless hours he has volunteered creating the site from scratch, updating the newsletters, and now creating the ability to accept donations directly and securely to our EARN account. (All donated funds are currently being set aside for projects and infrastructure.)
FINAL THOUGHTS...
As summer approaches we are excited to be outside and experience all that our new area has to offer. One thing I feel I have been really good at is the creation of oases within the desert of prison and it feels like that is happening again. We hope you all find moments of touching nature.