Center for Getting Things Started

On our last day on the Big Island, Hawaii, we visited the New Black Sands Beach. We had been in Hawaii all week to film a destination wedding and had been staying near the Kapoho Kalapana (Red Road). The destination wedding was held at the Hale Kukui Orchard in Honokaa which was about 2 hours north of where we were staying. We had spent a lot of time in that area but hadn't explored much around where we were staying. The Red Road in Hawaii's Big Island was famous for beautiful scenery and luscious forests.

Taking a last stroll to one of our newly discovered favorite places sounded like a good idea before flying back to our everyday lives. Heading to the beach we noticed people with wheel barrows and buckets carrying mulch to plants and planting seeds.

Curious we asked one what they were doing and was introduced to Scott Laaback, who is one of the founders of the Center for Getting Things Started. A few weeks ago, he explained, his organization got together a bunch of kids to plant the coconuts that we see growing. All of this land had been overflowed with lava back in the 90s. The Center for Getting Things Started worked with groups to organize and create the capacity to get projects that were for providing cooling effects to climate change. Today with volunteers they were planting seeds and providing mulch to the plants they had planted.

The Center for Getting Things Started provides the education, skills, to empower leaders to take action within their communities to birth their sustainable projects. Their goal is not to lead these projects but to give the knowledge to people so that they can keep their projects thriving. Also connecting them with other organizations to work together building a strong system of sustainability.

Scott explained it as the same way they were planting seeds, choosing the different plants that would work together to take care of each other. One plant provides the resources for another type of plant to thrive. Working together to provide an environment of nourishment for the planet.

Read more here: http://www.c4gts.org/education-for-sustainability/

C4GTS with their Pathways to Zero program lead non-profits and for profit organizations to collaborate together to create zero carbon emissions for festivals and venues. There is a lot of waste happening at festivals and events. The Center for Getting Things Started provides the knowledge and the connections to reduce the strain on climate change.

Read more here: http://www.c4gts.org/ground-zero-initiative/ To get involved and to learn more check out their webpage.