Earth Stewardship Certification

• Develop healthy environmental habits.
• Improve our air, water, and land. Steward our natural resources.
• Educate about the connections between our actions, the earth’s resources, and the well-being of others.

Levels of Certification (Why plants? Press link.)

1. Arnica: 3 LEAF actions in any area
2. Wheatgrass: at least one action in each LEAF area
3. Snowberry: the above plus one ongoing program in one of RI’s 10 action themes
4. Douglas Fir: the above plus an active member of R.E.S.T. (Rotary 5400 Environmental Solutions Team)
5. Ponderosa Pine: the above plus the above ongoing program or another program that supports Drawdown. Program leaders give quarterly club updates.

Sample L.E.A.F. Actions

Land & Water:  plant or maintain trees or pollinators; clean up a river, park, stormwater, or highway; donate used electronics; your ideas. 

Education: invite speakers on the environment (click for list); post, tweet, or share about the environment (ex. re-post from ESRAG, WASH RAG, etc.); support projects to educate girls; explore club members’ carbon footprints; your ideas. 

Air & Energy: Reduce travel via hybrid meetings, Zoom speakers, and carpooling; promote composting, recycling, and/or donating electronics; offset travel through Rotary projects or Tradewater; your ideas. Food: Reduce waste at meetings including disposables; offer plant-rich options*; distribute and/or compost leftovers; sponsor a (Getting) Lunch out of Landfills program; reduce waste at your fundraiser; your ideas.

Register your club’s LEAF actions HERE. 

* Our mothers and doctors told us to eat our vegetables. Our clubs are more hospitable when we offer vegetarian options, especially for members and visitors with dietary restrictions. Now, we learn that eating a plant-rich diet is the 4th best way to reduce air pollution, AKA greenhouse gases.