ONSC, NWA Emerging Leaders & NWA Green Drinks

The Ozark Natural Science Center has a few new strategic partnerships that we're pretty excited about, and they are paying off for us in a number of ways.

NWA Green Drinks is a casual, monthly gathering of individuals from throughout Northwest Arkansas employed in environmental fields, or who are simply sustainability, conservation and outdoor enthusiasts.  You can count on being in a laid-back environment with like-minded folks.  Bring a friend and come grab some eats and drinks.  We love watching partnerships form and ideas transpire.  Join us! 

The group convenes in Fayetteville at Greenhouse Grille (http://www.greenhousegrille.com/) from 5:30 - 7pm on the second Thursday of each month (April 8, May 13, June 10, July 8, August 12, September 9 & October 14 if you'd like to mark your calendar).  We meet in Rogers/Bentonville on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 5 - 7pm (why, that's tomorrow night!) at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Rogers.  Upcoming dates include April 27, May 25, June 22, July 27, August 24, September 28 & October 26).

You can also find NWA Green Drinks on Twitter (@NWAGreenDrinks), Facebook (http://bit.ly/cbozOg) and LinkedIn (http://bit.ly/cHXgZd), or check out http://nwagreendrinks.ning.com/.  There's more information on the history of the Green Drinks movement and its start in the UK in 1989 at http://www.greendrinks.org/. 

NWA Emerging Leaders
The nifty thing about this group of emerging rockstars from throughout Northwest Arkansas (http://www.nwalead.com/) is that they are action and outcome oriented.  You can check out the site for details on the group, but it's basically 200+ young emerging leaders and professionals ready to take the NWA community into the future.  The work is accomplished through a number of active workgroups.

One of these is the Sustainability Workgroup.  In 2009, this group diverted more than 80% of recyclables from dumpsters heading to area landfills during the P&G Beauty LPGA Golf Championship, which attracted thousands of individuals to the region.  It certainly made an impact to see bank presidents and young professionals dumpster diving to keep recyclable items from the trash.  The group has tackled a number of other significant projects in the past year, most recently agreeing to work with a group implementing classroom recycling in Springdale Public Schools.

Their commitment to ONSC includes assisting us with recycling efforts at Call of the Wild on April 24, and establishing a Terracycle brigade to upcycle specific items for the benefit of ONSC.  Terracycle (http://www.terracycle.net/) is shaking up the business world on a national scale by taking items that were previously less than simple to recycle and instead upcycling them into new products.  In Northwest Arkansas, the brigade established by the NWA Emerging Leaders Sustainability Workgroup is collecting Frito Lay chip bags (any size), Scotch tape cores (the plastic parts left after the tape is gone) and any part of gum wrappers from Cadbury Adams brand gum (Trident, Dentyne, Bubblicious and Stride).  ONSC receives 2 cents per item, and we promise it really adds up.  For details and drop locations, contact Paul Wilson at Intrust Bank (paul.wilson@intrustbank.com) or DM him on Twitter (PaulWilson00).

While these two groups may seem like random plugs for things we're simply passionate about, look deeper - these are our community's future leaders, movers and shakers - we'll take the fact that they care about the mission of the Ozark Natural Science Center as a very, very positive sign.  :)