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‡ Meet our needs without inhibiting the
future generations to meet their needs
‡ Future public school funding uncertain
‡ Rainshadow as a model for sustainable
practices
‡ Self-reliance
‡ Funding, food, water, energy, supplies,
community support, people
‡ Address 3 needs: funding, food, energy


 
   
‡ Why charter schools?
‡ Food prices and footprint
‡ Local food, animal habitat
‡ Clean, renewable energy sources
‡ Reduce energy demand
‡ Empowering our community

³We believe that Rainshadow

Community Charter High School is the
perfect place to serve as a model for
sustainability education resources.´


    ! " #

‡ Goals
‡ Overall: Complete self-reliance
‡ Immediate:
‡ #1: On-campus food growing facilities to
feed our population
‡ #2: Reduce school energy consumption
by 30%
‡ #3: Increase school funds / financial
sustainability
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  $

% $ 



‡ Organic, sustainable, local
‡ Composting & vermicomposting
‡ Rooftop greenhouse / aquaponics system
(fish and vegetables)
‡ Fruit trees, berry bushes, grape vines
‡ Seasonal gardening (raised beds,
hoophouse, seasonal aquaponics)
‡ Reduce our carbon output & create
carbon sinks
‡ Reopen the Rainshadow Pizzeria!
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&

‡ Existing 30 kWh solar array!
‡ Focus on energy (and money) saving!
‡ Smart strips in the computer lab
‡ Motion sensor lights & hand dryers in
restrooms
‡ Adjust thermostats seasonally
‡ Passive solar heating
‡ Student energy ³police´
‡ Minimal energy drain when not in session
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‡ Ultimately, school financial self-reliance
‡ Sell extra compost / worms to local growers
‡ Sell extra fish / vegetables to local restaurants
‡ Sell fruit jams, jellies, preserves (value added
products) to the community
‡ Sell extra seasonal vegetables at local farmers
markets
‡ Rainshadow Pizzeria (pizza with a local
ingredients focus)
‡ Energy / money savings (30% initially)


 ' # 



‡ School support (administration & teachers)
‡ Sustainability in the school¶s core curriculum!
‡ Community Volunteers (r

‡ Joanna Furgiuele & Sean Hill (Sierra Nevada
Journeys)
‡ Mark Herbert (Aquaculture)
‡ David Gibson (Envirolution)
‡ Lynnae Fischbach (Urban Roots Garden
Classrooms)
‡ Neil Bertrando (Permaculture)
‡ Jana Vanderhaar (School site plan)
‡ Marnee Benson (Black Rock Solar)
‡ Rebecca Anderson (Alliance for Climate Education)


 ' # 



‡ Timeline
‡ 4/25/11 - 5/10/11 ± Greening of the Rainshadow kitchen
and café
‡ 5/10-20/11 - Implement & install energy saving program.
‡ 5/15/11 - 6/1/11 ± Begin campus-wide food production.
‡ 6/1/11 - 9/1/11 ± Obtain materials and plan for rooftop
greenhouse.
‡ 9/1/11 - 11/1/11 ± Students construct rooftop greenhouse
and aquaponics system as part of Rainshadow¶s fall
interdisciplinary curriculum.
‡ 11/1/11 ± Re-open Rainshadow¶s student-run pizzeria with
local / organic focus.
‡ 2012 and beyond ± Rainshadow moves toward complete
self-reliance.


 ' # 



‡ Site Plan
‡ Fruit trees on south side on building: wind
block, fruit production, carbon sink
‡ Fruit trees around south parking lot: fruit
production, carbon sink
‡ Grape vines & vermicomposting on west side of
building: fruit, summer heat block
‡ Greenhouse on north side of rooftop: Maximum
sun, aquaponics system
‡ Seasonal aquaponics system on north side of
building
‡ Fruit trees on north side of building
‡ Seasonal garden / hoophouse northeast corner
of lot
‡ Berry bushes on east side of north parking lot


 ( )%
‡ Be as resourceful as possible
‡ Ask for donations from our community
(materials, time, etc.)
‡ Utilize reusable / repurposed materials
‡ Expenses Associated with Goal 1: Food
Sustainability
‡ Composting Supplies: $250
‡ Fruit Plants / Irrigation: $1200
‡ Seasonal Agriculture: $450
‡ Rooftop Greenhouse: $5000


 ( )%
‡ Expenses Associated with Goal 2:
Energy Sustainability
‡ Motion sensor lights: $275
‡ Motion sensor hand dryers: $1425
‡ Smart power strips: $400
‡ Total Expenses
‡ $9000


 ( )%
‡ Revenues
‡ Rainshadow Foundation Fundraising: $1000
‡ Repurposed window panes: ($2000 value)
‡ Vegetable / fruit / etc. sales: $1000
‡ Rainshadow Pizzeria profits: $1000
‡ Subtotal: $3000
‡ GREENevada Project Request: $6000
‡ Total Revenues: $9000
‡ Savings created by our project
‡ Energy Savings: $12,000 / year
‡ (30% of our annual power bill)


 * +   

‡ Great positive impacts
‡ Educate our community about sustainability
‡ Educate future Rainshadow students
‡ Help fix our world for future generations
‡ Produce food locally
‡ Reduce fossil fuel dependence
‡ An example of sustainable design and
enterprise
‡ A model for other schools
‡ Eventually have financial autonomy


 * +   

‡ Minimal negative impacts
‡ Making change is difficult and costs
money upfront
‡ We won¶t see instant results
‡ It will be a long time before Rainshadow
sees the full benefit of our food forests,
greenhouse and aquaponics system, and
the energy savings
‡ We are graduating seniors!
‡ Rainshadow must keep up the tradition of
sustainability
r , -.