Wal-Mart’s Environmental Education, Past and Present
Patricia January 26th, 2008
What if corporations converted to sustainability, zero, waste, green products and local grown organic foods?
I’ve just heard Wal-Mart’s new environmental strategist Adam Werbach speak at a conference for sustainability design in San Francisco. Adam is considered one of the worlds leading experts in sustainability. He was formerly the youngest president ever of the Sierra Club. Alan’s company Act Now Productions is training Wal-Mart employees nationwide and inspiring them to create their own environmental action groups in their community. Wal-Mart has met with 200 CEO’s of their top suppliers and initiated a five year plan to move the majority of their products and packaging to sustainability. This will have a huge impact on the designers of packaging and products. Many of the designers attended the Compostmodern Conference in San Francisco last week. This was sponsored by AiGA San Francisco and the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design.
My Mentor Susan Morrison and Wal-Mart
Having worked for Wal-Mart myself in 1991 on a transition of their environmental education project Animal Tracks to a non-profit I think chances are quite good the retail giant will lead manufacturers in the direction of sustainability.
Wal-Mart started as one little as a dry goods store for Arkansas residents and Sam Walton hauled goods in his red pickup. Years later, Sam had an idea for environmental education that he shared with my friend Susan at his wife Helen’s birthday party that was hosted by Susan’s friend Alice Walton.
Her book Animal Tracks identified environmental issues, action steps and the power of Susan’s wildlife drawings to inspire youth to make a difference in their own community. Animal Tracks was distributed to 25 million Wal-Mart customers and 180,000 Animal Track’s books were given to teachers and schools who adopted the plan in their classrooms nationwide. Teachers still use that program today.
Note: Animal Tracks was adopted by the Wildlife Federation in 1992.
David and I spent a fun day with Susan and Randy on a Northern California Beach before they set off on their next venture — the first American Wildlife Expeditions.
Read Susan’s journals and see Randy’s photography of beautiful wildlife and the sensitive feeling drawings by Susan.
Here’s David, Patricia, Susan and Randy with the American Wildlife Expeditions RV behind us.
