Earth Crew est. 2008 and Farm to Live est. 2011
Earth Crew
Earth Crew is the core and life-blood of the Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization, Inc. Comprised of passionate volunteers, our mission is to “carry out service events that heal the natural environment and engage people in stopping environmental degradation.”
MEVO kicked-off as an organization after carrying out a trash clean-up at Winters Park in Mahwah, New Jersey. Since then, MEVO’s Earth Crew organized many environmental volunteer events ranging from hiking trail construction and rehabilitation to handing compact fluorescent light bulbs and hosting school recycling assemblies. Earth Crew is lead by a group of student leaders (Earth Crew Team Members) who plan volunteer events about three times a month for Earth Crew volunteers. The student leaders manage all operations of the Crew: applying for grants, leading and recruiting student volunteers, meeting with local non-profit organizations, filing government paperwork, planning transportation to and from the volunteer location and educating volunteers on the importance of the work they are doing.
Past Earth Crew volunteer events:
Tree plantings, trash clean-ups, school assemblies, trail construction and rehabilitation, gardening, hurricane relief, compact fluorescent light bulb distributions, recycling bin making, electronic recycling drives, public event booths and educational outreach, monthly hikes and more.
Farm to Live
In 2011, MEVO started Farm to Live, its newest initiative, in conjunction with 14 New York University students. Our mission is to “empower and educate communities through ethical agriculture, inspiring a farming community that lives generously with people and the Earth.” We span the spectrum of the greater NYU community, volunteering to build social consciousness and grow sustainable, healthy food systems.
Farm to Live plans to establish and maintain natural, local, organic, sustainable, clean, healthy, and as not damaging to the environment as possible, farms throughout the suburbs of New Jersey and New York. Volunteer labor will maintain these farms and the food grown will feed the volunteers and low-income residents in the surrounding area. The farms will serve as opportunities for volunteer work and also as educational locations to promote the ideas of environmental sustainability and sustainable-natural agriculture. Farm to Live will also carry out outreach activities throughout New York University campus and the greater NYC area. The initiative is lead by a team of student leaders (Farm to Live members) who plan events and manage all aspects of the program.
Future Programs
We have lots of ideas on how to make communities more environmentally sustainable. Expect more programs and initiatives starting up in the coming months and year!