My Project Presentation so far

Hi Everybody!
I'm putting together the rough draft of my project now and it includes a lot of information about our environment I thought you might like to see.

I have asked you all to make a pledge to do one good thing for the environment. I want you to know that I have made my own pledge and I would like you to read it.

My Pollution Pledge by Damon Nel

I choose water pollution for my pledge

1.       Help stop runoff by not overwatering my yard

2.       Get my neighbors to fix sprinklers and stop overwatering

3.       Make sure harmful chemicals like oil get thrown away properly

4.       Never put old medications down the drain or toilet and remind my parents how important it is.

5.       Make sure the dishwasher or washing machine are only run when they are full

6.       Use natural pesticides in my backyard and only use heavy chemicals when absolutely necessary.

I pledge to do all of the things and any other things that I find that will help out with water pollution. Water takes up 70% of our world and needs to be clean for future generations to survive.

The second thing I would like you to see is my clean air letter. I wrote this letter to Senator Harry Reid, He works hard to help our environment and keep our air clean, I wanted to remind him how important it is and urge him to continue his support for a better environment and clean air. Below is my letter.

Senator Harry Reid

333 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Suite 8016
Lloyd D. George Building

Las Vegas , NV 89101

Dear Senator Reid,

     Please let me introduce myself, my name is Damon Nel. I am a student and citizen scientist living in the great state of Nevada. I admire you for all of the work you have done as our State senator. In 2011 you voted for the Clean Air act, you have made a real difference for the air quality in our state.

In 2006 the indoor clean air act was passed in Las Vegas, as a kid I was very thankful for this. I could go into a restaurant and not worry about being too close to the smoking section. Clean air is important to every person on the face of the planet, it keeps us alive. My grandmother never smoked a day in her life; she was a waitress until the day she retired. She has severe COPD from waiting tables in areas where people were smoking. She has trouble walking because she can’t breathe. I am a Geocacher and love to have clean air to breathe when I go out hiking around to find cache sites.

Clean air is important to the health of people everywhere. Emissions caused by cars, factories and other sources can cause poor air quality, giving people things like asthma and COPD. The environmental impacts of clean air like acid rain effect plant life including the crops we grow for food.  Our soil is destroyed by pollutants in acid rain all the time. I know that emissions have been greatly reduced by regulations on clean air, and hope to see even more progress in the future. Clean energy sources are being discovered everyday that are helping to reduce emissions from cars, power companies and other energy sources.

Please continue to support clean air for Nevada and for our country. Nevada citizens need clean air to be productive and healthy in our lives. If we don’t try to solve the problem now and continue to try and solve it, the future generations will have a much larger problem.

Sincerely,

Damon Nel

A few tips

I wanted to take a minute to add a fee of my own tips on how to help the environment.

1. But a full bottle of water in your toilet tank, it will cut down the amount of water it takes to fill it up.

2. Make sure all of the sprinklers in your yard work well to prevent run-off

3. Use a re-usable water bottle.

4.Walk to places instead of driving

5.Unplug electronics when you aren't using them

The car is broken

The starter on my moms car died, so I haven't been able to go out geocaching or to check on my cache sites. I am getting pledges here and there, which is great but I would like to get more. The 13th Annual Cache In Trash Out Weekend is scheduled for April 25 and 26, 2015 and I would really like to be able to make it to that event. If we can't make it my mother and I are going to make a whole day of caching right here in Vegas and clean up all of the cache sites we visit. I have gotten a few other people into Geocaching recently and they are having fun finding the treasures and cleaning up around the areas. I have a few more caches all ready to be hidden as soon as our car is fixed, hopefully those will get me more pledges.

Testing!

I haven't had much time for my blog recently, lot's of school work and getting ready for my tests. Testing can be very stressful. I am one of those kids that gets straight A's all year and then freezes during the testing. But enough about stress. I am still getting a few pledges, but I would really like to be getting more. I have noticed that people are posting a few days after they find a cache so hopefully this means my reminder stickers are working. I have been to all of my cache sites in the last couple of days and cleaned up the trash that came in with the rain and wind we have been having. I am thinking about making some new cache sites to get more active pledges, the ones I have are working and I am getting pledges, but I want more.

Rainy Day Blues

I really wanted to go out Geocaching today, but it was cold and rainy. My sites weren't found at all today eithier, probably for the same reason. The good news is I have gotten a couple more pledges, and the areas remain clean. I am thinking about making some more cache sites since these seem to be doing great! Thanks again to anybody that has posted a pledge, visited my blog or cleaned up trash around my sites!

Things are heating up!

I now have all five of my Geocache locations live! I have checked all of the cache sites and they continue to stay clean all around the area! I placed these caches in areas that were clogged with trash and cleaned them up really well when I placed them. Cache in trash out is the geocaching motto and it looks like people are really sticking to it. Yesterday my Great and powerful OZ cache was found for the first time and the person who found it said he would visit the blog.

Pledges have been made!!

I'm happy to say that all of my geocache sites have been found and I have two pledges on my log! Thanks to these geocachers the areas around my cache sites are just a little cleaner today. We are making a difference.

My Caches are Live!!

I spent the day yesterday setting my geocache sites and cleaning up the area around them. 4 Geocache sites that I set are live. They have all been found once already. I cleaned up all of my cache sites, and threw away any litter I found while hiding my caches. Geocachers typically leave a site cleaner than they found it so we are already taking one small step to cleaning up the community and the environment. I haven't gotten any comments or pledges in my log yet, but hopefully those will start soon!!

Silverwood Rock!!!

I posted my very first Geocache today!! I made it an easy park and grab. Hoping it gets reviewed and approved quickly so I can start getting logs and pledges to make the world a better place and the environment 1 little part better. I will update this post when it gets approved!! Happy Heart Day!!

Let's get this project started!!

My Name is Damon, but I like to go by Nomad. I am starting this blog to go with my citizen science project. My project is to reach as many people as I can through my cache sites. If you find one of my sites please go to the pledge page and make one pledge to help the environment.