Bright Ideas

          Recently we had an addition to the KISC energy. We already have hydro power provided from the local lake, Oeschinensee. In addition, we have a wood burning furnace for our hot water needs, which is powered by wood from our very own property. Now we are looking up, to the sun that is!

During the summer, we had the Greenpeace Solar Workshop from the folks at Greenpeace Switzerland and Solafrica. They also provided us with a treat before they left. Freshly installed are 26 panels on the top of Kanderlodge.

As explained in an earlier Eco Blog about PV cells and how they work, the maximum output for the panels are 2.6kWp with direct sunlight.

The solar panels themselves even have a history. They were formally on the roof of the Greenpeace Switzerland office in Zurich for 17 years. Because the lifetime expectancy for the solar panels are over 30 years, we hope to harness the energy from the solar panels for another 15 or so years.

            For the total use of power used by KISC, it only removes a small amount of our electrical usage. However, since the Kanderlodge is our most modern accommodation (completed in 2007), it should significantly reduce the power usage for years to come.

The new solar panels are a part of the many ways KISC is trying to set a good example as a SCENEs centre, but also an example of good outdoor stewardship.

Tad Sigman (US)

Eco Assistant

PET Creations

With over 2000 guests at the high point of our summer season, our recycling center becomes very busy and this creates very full bins for many different recyclables. So I decided to do something creative out of the most common trash we have here at KISC, the PET bottle.

Candle Holder
 

The first really cool thing you can do with an empty PET bottle is a very nice table

decoration for your next BBQ. It's easy to do and it brings a holidays seaside feeling to your table.

You need :

• empty PET bottles
• candles
• sand

Just fill the bottles with normal sand or, for a more colourful table, with coloured sand. Add a

nice candle and you have a beautiful decoration.

Bird Feeder

If you want to do something that lasts longer and makes you some new animal friends you should build a bird feeder.

You need :

•  An empty PET bottle
• 2 old pencils
• Some Seeds (you can get them in a Pet Shop)
• A knife

Start with making four holes for the pencils. Insert the pencils. The birds can sit on the pencils later. Add a feeding hole over every pencil. Now fill in the seeds and close the PET bottle. Add a wire or string to hang it in a tree. The last step is to hang your bird feeder out in your garden and see your new friends eating. Enjoy!

For more cool ideas for PET recycling like the Facebook page of  "Proud PET Recycler''.

My Best,

 

Jessica (CH)

Summer 2014

The River Is Wide

It has been a very busy few weeks here at KISC, but the good type of busy. The Eco Programme has introduced new programmes, reintroduced some old ones and completed solar workshops with other organizations. One of the most exciting events of the summer was the rising waters of the Kander, which brought us a little closer to nature than we could have hoped. 

 

  

The Kander river normal (top), low in the winter (middle) and high in the summer (bottom).

           

                Rivers all around the world, the Kander included, rise and fall over time. If a river overflows its banks and floods the natural surroundings and vegetation, it is called an ecological disturbance. These disturbances are key to the cycle of an ecosystem and can be found everywhere. In short, disturbances clear out an ecosystem when it has become overgrown. This creates a blank page for new organisms to move in and with time, grow into a new system of life. That is called ecological secession.

                Don’t be fooled, ecological disturbance and secession happen all the world over, from avalanches in the mountains taking out trees, to earthquakes and volcanoes in the pacific creating massive damages in their wake. Where ever you may be reading these words, there is a natural way for your local ecosystem to renew itself.

                We have had one of the wettest summers here in Kandersteg in recent memory, which has not only caused trouble with our programmes, but also with possible hazards when it comes to the river coming a little too close to home. The river has overflowed before, even causing the bakery in town to flood (including their flour storage rooms). Thanks to local construction in the last few years, the banks of the river are reinforced with boulders to prevent erosion of the banks and for further complications to arise. Here at the center, we have procedures in place for when the river could get too high. Thanks to our Maintenance Manager Janus (DK), with many Pinkies and Greenies, flooding was controlled by pumps from the chalet drains and sewage systems, while flood areas such as the parking lot and drains were closed off to prevent further problems.

It shows that, while nature can cause complications, we can and do as humans learn to live with our environment with proper preparation. In fact, the more we educate ourselves about our surroundings, like the rivers and the mountains that surround our little mountain chalet, the more comfortable and happy we can be.

Tad Sigman (US)

Eco Assistant

Backwoods Workshop

            Summer is here at KISC! Guided activities start in only a few days and now is the time to talk about some of our new activities. Much like the environment itself, the Eco Programme is always evolving and we are happy to announce our new guided activity, the Backwoods Workshop.

Along with the other guided Eco activities, such as the Juicinator and Alternative Energy Workshop, the Backwoods Workshop aims to educate scouts about their surroundings with a hands on approach. It is by learning about our surroundings and knowing what we need and truly don’t need that we can teach ourselves about sustainability and reducing our impact on the land. After all, it was every single one of our ancestors that lived on this land. If they did not, you would not be here to read these words.

The workshop is broken into 4 sections: fire building, shelter building, water purification, and foraging and cooking.

With fire you will learn how to start fires a number of different ways. What is great about an international Scout center is that different cultures have different ways to start fires, so we can learn so much from other cultures about what is efficient.

Dries (NL) and Adri (BR) try their hand at fire building techniques.

                Shelters are fun to build, but not something exclusive to all Scouting programmes. In some countries, such as my own, wild shelters or bivvies’ are frowned upon, while scouts from Ireland build and camp in self made shelters all the time. This provides an excellent chance to practice your shelters with varied materials.

Classic A-Frame shelter

                Water is something that is very accessible in Switzerland but not elsewhere in the world. Learning how water is harmful and what you can do in order to prevent illness is important for not only survival but also for assisting developing countries. With a little knowledge, it doesn’t take much to stay nice and safe.

Check out this water filter made from a PETE bottle and natural materials, made by Tommy (US)

          Foraging is one of the best way to explore your surroundings. Through wild plants, you can find that rather than buying a salad at a store, all the vitamins and minerals can be found right outside your door. For example, the wood sorrel (pictured below) is easily identified and has a sour lemony taste when eaten. It provides a delightful change to ones wilderness salad, or just casual foraging. Be careful through, it is quite high in potassium and should not be consumed by people with kidney problems.

          If you're interested in exploring the woods around KISC more and learning of ways to not only survive, but thrive, then sign up for the Backwoods Workshop. With appreciation of  the Swiss woods, you can learn more about your surroundings in your country and do your part to be eco.

Tad Sigman (US)

Eco Assistant 

Empire of the Sun

            Sun is shining in Kandersteg and not just from that big bright thing in the sky. We are rolling into summer with many bright ideas, from Alternative Energy Workshops to the upcoming Solar Workshop 21st July – 17^th August. This is a great opportunity to talk about solar power and not just how it works but how KISC is active in its usage.

Solar Energy is on the rise as renewable energy. In March, it was reported that solar energy was just as cheap as conventional energy in both Italy and Germany, with France and Mexico close behind that. This is a big deal seeing that Germany is one of the largest users of solar panels in Europe. Increased incentives and lower costs encourages sun drenched countries to the south to use more.

But How Do Solar Panels Work?
            Solar panels that are commonly seen are called Photovoltaic Solar Panels (photo means light and voltaic means electricity in Greek). These simply convert sunlight into electrical energy. But how?
            This process is called the photoelectric effect, the idea that certain metals or materials produce an electrical current when exposed to light. This started out simple but has grown over the years into a more efficient and affordable use of general usage.
            A PV Solar Panel is much like a sandwich, a sandwich of Silicon that is. One of the two layers of silicon is less stable, so it has too many electrons and wants to get rid of them. The layer underneath has too few electrons and there needs to be a transition of balance between the two.

This is what the inside of a solar cell looks like, all protected in a glass covering. When photons (or sunlight) hits the top layer, the electrons built up in the top layer of Silicon (negatively charged) get excited and move to the bottom layer (positively charged), which creates an electrical current. Then there are some contacts on the end so the electricity can be transferred.

One problem is that there are two types of electricity. The electricity produced by the solar cell is DC (direct current) and most electricity in modern uses is AC (alternating current). A device called all a inverter is placed into the system so it can be converted from DC to AC in order be used properly. For more technical version of how this works, see a explanation here.

Here At KISC
            We use solar panels here at KISC. Our upper hut, Ueschinenhütte, is run off a solar panel for the little energy it needs. Solafrica and Greenpeace Youth Support Center visits from 21st July – 17^th August for their Solar Workshop to teach our guests about solar panels and other uses of solar energy. Scout leaders can get training in solar energy.

Additionally Solar Expert is having a Solar Factory on the 14th - 20th of June where Solar Scout Gadgets are developed and built at KISC.

If your group is coming this summer around that time, contact the programme department at programme@kisc.ch to sign up for a free morning or afternoon eco activity. 

Combined with wind, hydro and thermal, solar power is one part of the solution in an ever green world.

Tad (US)

Eco Assistant

Have You Met Arnold?

Arnold is the squirrel that lives behind the Chalet. Last autumn the Work Parties gave his home a make-over. Here’s a picture of the new look.

             I’m not sure if he likes it, but his neighbors sure do. What we did is called coppicing: the Work Parties cut down a part of the trees and bushes at the base. In the next years, new stems will grow from the roots. After a few years we’ll do the same to the other trees in the picture.

With more light reaching the ground, more plant species will grow there, followed by more animals like butterflies and other insects to pollinate them.

The branches we cut will be put in a long pile. This attracts beetles and gives protection to mice, hedgehogs and little birds. (Watch out for Olave and Von Bon!)

The Pinkies in the offices also really like it, as we get more light inside now, and we don’t have to be afraid of trees falling onto the Chalet!

Dries (NL)

Grounds Manager

Diary Of A River

After the big flood 2 years ago the banks of the Kander needed reinforcing. The part of the river in front of KISC was treated right after the disaster. Right now the government is finishing the job a bit downstream of the Centre.

This is a wonderful opportunity to see sedimentation (the deposit of clay, sand and gravel) in action, something I wrote about last December. Over the next months we’ll make photographs of this stretch of river to see where islands and banks form.

Dries (NL)
Grounds Manager

Trash Talk

        At KISC, we do our best to separate as much of our waste as possible, in no less than 20 categories. Most of the recyclables are brought to Kandersteg’s recycling centre. From there they are taken to the different recycling plants across the canton and country.

       Whatever is not recyclable gets collected by a waste incineration plant and is burned to generate electric and heat energy.

 

       In Germany, there is a discussion going on about whether it’s better to recycle as much as possible or to burn as much as possible.

       Both recyclers and incinerators have their own economic interests to defend, of course, but there are also environmental arguments. Recycling saves precious materials, but takes a lot of transporting goods around. Burning produces energy, but also pollutes the air.

       At KISC we choose to separate waste as much as possible. Not only to save the materials, but also because handing in recyclables is for free, while burning our waste costs us money!

Dries (NL)
Grounds Manager

PS. Check out the film we made about recycling!

Secret Life of Bees Eco Take Home

As summer approaches, it is important to focus on different animals around our world, particularly the ones that need help. This Eco Blog will focus on bees, which while small, play a big part in our world. We will cover types of bees, why it is important to help them and what you can do at home!

 Types of Bees

 The three most popular types of bees which are really important for the pollination of crops are the Bumblebee, the Honey Bee and the Mason Bees. 

Bumble Bees 

These bees are seen most often on flowers. They pollinate plants and gather nectar to make honey, but do not make nearly as much honey as honey bees. They are not particularly aggressive while buzzing from flower to flower and are much more interested in the next flower than they are in you. How-ever, they are very quick to defend their nest and will not hesitate to sting if they feel their nest is threatened. They tend to build fairly simple and disorganized nests in dry grass clip-pings, piles of dried leaves, porch furniture cushions, insulation, or other loose “fluffy” material. They can sting more than once because their stingers are smooth and do not get caught in the skin when they fly away. 

Honey Bees 

These are the bees that people most often associate with “bees.” They are also one of the most beneficial insects on the planet. Their role in pollination is vital to all sorts of fruit and vegetable crops. These bees live in very large, well organised colonies. The males are called drones and differ from females in that they are slightly larger, and have bigger eyes. A typical colony of this type of bee consists of 1 queen, 50,000 workers, 300 drones, 9000 larvae (needing food), 20’000 older larvae (needing to be kept warm) and 6000 eggs.

Mason Bees

They are solitary species and are non-aggressive, only stinging if provoked.

Providing an excellent pollination service, these bees are great to have in the garden. They like to nest in narrow tubes made by larva or woodpeckers in trees. They are called mason bees because of how they protect their eggs .The bees lay an egg in the tunnel, along with some pollen for the bee larvae to eat when it hatches. They then seal up the tube with mud to protect the larvae. Young bees stay dormant in the tubes over the winter then leave in the spring.

Bees worldwide are in danger. This is a problem because bees pollinate about 80% of the crops we eat or use. So if bees went extinct, it would effect the supply of chocolate, cotton (for clothes), coffee and tomatoes! Some of these crops are only pollinated by bees so they would become completely unavailable.

Bee numbers are decreasing all over the world. No one really knows for sure why this is, but, it is likely that some or all of these factors are to blame:

v  Varroa mite (a paracite) that lives on bees .

v  Loss of habitat, especially wild flowers.

v  Pesticides that farmers use on crops.

v  Air pollution that stops the bees smelling and therefore finding flowers.

So what can you do at home to help out bees? Bee boxes are the answer!

Bees boxes are for solitary bee species like Mason bees that don`t use hives. They will help young bees survive the winter. All you will need are bamboo sticks, a plant pot and some materials to hang or support it.

1. Cut the bamboo sticks into sections (measure on the pot how long they have to be)

2. Put the bamboo sticks into the flower pot.

3. Sand down the ends of the bamboo sick. If the flower pot has holes at the bottom use a cardboard piece to cover the holes.

Hang the bee boxes outside under an eave or on a fence post, south facing if possible (or north facing if you are in the southern hemisphere).

          It may be a small thing, but it is a large thing that everyone can do to help bring the bees back all over the world. Give it a try with your scouts, in your schools or just at home and let us know how it is getting on. Together, we can do our best to Be Eco.

Tad (US)

Eco Assistant

Snow Disappears, But The Campsite Stays White

It’s been very warm (and now rainy as well) in Kandersteg, with the snow is disappearing fast. But we’re getting something else white for it in return: Spring crocuses are popping up all over the place.

 

That means that spring has come to the campsite! We’ve stored all our snow shovels, and in a few weeks the Work Parties will help us to get the terrain ready for another busy summer.

This spring we have a Spanish, a Dutch, and an International Work Party; if you’re interested in joining a Work Party to work a few days for the Centre and to enjoy the mountains the rest of the week, send us an e-mail, and we’ll bring you into contact with the right people.

Dries (NL)
Grounds Manager

The Tea Drinking Challenge

It is a matter of fact that Pinkies like to drink tea. Lots of tea! Especially black tea. Even more these days. Why? Because we are preparing for summer! Does that make sense to you? Well…

Tea is not just tea. Looking away from personal tastes, we all need to make sure that our tea comes from a sustainable supplier. We recently evaluated our tea-suppliers and found that in the centre we serve tea from at least 5 different brands at the same times. All of these have different eco-labels and different approaches to a sustainable and eco-friendly tea-industry. So we went to look behind the nice colours of the tea-bag and decided instead to support one brand of tea, which has good sustainable practices. The problem now comes: what do you do with all the rest of the tea from the previous suppliers? You drink it!

At this moment we have app. 3600 tea-bags of black tea of 5 different kinds. If you like milk in your black tea, 3600 cups of tea would require app. 54 L of milk. That is the same amount of milk that the staff team uses for breakfast, coffee, tea and drinking in 2 weeks! Also, there is all the fruit and herbal tea as well.

So if you are making your way by the centre in the next few months, please help us in the quest to become even more eco friendly before summer. If not, why not show your support of our efforts with a nice cup of tea?

If you have been inspired to look at the tea brands you yourself drink every day, then you might quickly get confused by all the different labels you see. So how do you find your way in this forest of eco-friendliness? 

There is a couple of different things to consider regarding the tea-industry: The worker’s conditions, de-forestation, and the quality of tea. Different eco-labels each focuses on one of these subjects. To find out which labels your brand of tea have (or what else they do to environment and society), visiting their web-site is the easiest solution. Underneath you will find a short unofficial guide to what the most common labels means.

Good luck finding your new favourite brand, and happy tea drinking!

Rainforest Alliance

Is only available on products which originate from rainforest areas. The suppliers are regularly check that the farms producing the products are taking precautions to conserve wildlife, waterways and forests. Also important is protecting the workers and their families and actively work for a long-term sustainability. Steps taken includes, reducing chemicals, increasing tree cover, protecting wildlife as well as local communities and indigenous people living in the areas.

Fairtrade

Fairtrade is one very well known brand that focuses on the rights of the workers and mall companies involved in the big industries of especially tea, coffee and chocolate. It is only available to producers in countries where the individual workers right is normally forgotten. Members can only be small producer organisations, that protects the right of any workers and reaches the quality goal. All companies trading Fairtrade must pay a certain minimum price and an investment bonus the company can use to further develop.   

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)

An international organisation supporting responsible and sustainable forestry management. Works to find solutions between local inhabitants, environmental organisations and the timber industry to improve the local community and overall secure forests for the future. Products with the logo are from producers and areas which are environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically sustainable.

 

Mette (DK)

Catering Assistant 2014

Clean Climbing

 

Spring season has started here in Kandersteg. It is time for many to put away skis and start thinking about hiking and climbing.

Climbing, be it rock, ice, or mountaineering, in particular is a activity most would not think to be Eco friendly. It has evolved to do so but still has a bit to go, which is why I wish to talk about it in light of recent events. The Nepalese government has recently ordered that each and every climber on Mount Everest “must bring back at least 8kg of garbage, apart from their own trash.“ This is a major step forward after decades of discarded oxygen bottles, packaging, clothes and in some extreme cases, bodies have littered the trail to the highest peak in the world. A failure for climbers to do this will result in major penalties from the Nepalese Government, which is not clear if that will be fines or revokes or cancelation of future climbing permits.

Many of us here at KISC are not only enthusiastic about being and playing in our serine mountain environment but also taking care our surroundings. This stems from not only a scouting principle of “leaving things better than you found it” but also from being a supportive member of the human race.

Changes have happened over the years to make climbing more Eco friendly and sustainable for climbers. In the early day of mountaineering, It was common in Europe, North America and Asia for climbers to use pitons. As pictured below, these are iron spikes or rods that one hammers into cracks and therefore secure to on their ascent.

                Pitons are damaging to the rock, by enlarging the cracks in the rock over time and are left to rust as they are not removable. While secure, climbers in the 1960s and 1970s realized there need to be a change.

 

                Pictured above are common modern methods of securement while climbing. On the left is a nut (also called a stopper or chalkstone). They are easily slipped into cracks and also (mostly) easy to remove after use. They were first used by British climbers in the 1950s and further propelled by Americans such as Yvon Chouinard in the 60s as part of clean climbing, or climbing in the least environmentally harmful way as possible.

                On the right is a cam, or Spring Loaded Camming Device. First invented in the 1930s by Russian climbers but later patented by climbers in the 1970s. They do a better job and are a lighter protection in even sized cracks than pitons ever could.  Additionally, they are removable and no damaging to the rock.

                These are all good steps in making climbing more clean but what are some of the ways KISC do to do our part? We first limit the number of guest per guide of a trip, not only to help out the guides on a climbing course, but to not put too much traffic on the rock. We do not use pitons but previously placed bolts and anchors, to set up our climbs. These are regularly check to be secure. Additionally, pre-placed bolts concentrate the impact of climbing to only a few climbs and not the whole rock. Lastly, we take good care of all our climbing equipment. Again, not only for safety reasons, but the less we have to replace and the more we can clean or repair can go a long way in making our climbing programs sustainable.

                Climbing, along with all other outdoor sports, be it skiing, rafting or mountain biking makes us better people. However it is important not the degrade the outdoors we love in exchange.  We invite all scouts to explore the hills around our little mountain chalet safely but with a little consideration to their impact along the way.

 

Tad (US)
Eco Assistant

 

Mother Natures Hairdryer

Quite recently we had a lot of warm wind coming down the mountains here in Kandersteg. Enough for writing an EcoBlog about this special wind called “Föhn” (German for hairdryer) which can turn every winter wonderland into brown sadness within a few hours.

The föhn is very common in the Alpine regions of Switzerland and Austria and is known for rapid temperature rise and therefor disappearance of snow covers. The wind originates in Italy as a warm south wind that blows over the Alps. While raising on the south side of the mountain the air cools down, but as the wind comes down on the north side it warms up again at twice the speed. On the accent the air also loses most of its humidity which leaves a dry wind on the north side.

 

Effects

The föhn is said to also have effects on humans. Physiological effects are headaches, dizziness and nausea. Many people also tend to be restless or grumpy during föhn.

The föhn is also the reason for many avalanches. On the mountain top it melts the top layer of the snow and night it freezes over and creates a really slippery ice layer. After föhn winds there is often a lot of snowfall. The fresh snow then rests on top of the ice layer which is really similar to a two layered cake with frosting in the middle. The top layer can then easily slide on the icy layer and cause big avalanches. 

At KISC there is one rule connected to Föhn:  Guests are asked not to light a fire in the fireplaces in the common rooms during föhn conditions.

The high winds of the Föhn force cold air down the chimneys which hinders the smoke to escape to the outside. The smoke then stays inside the rooms and this would set off the fire alarms in the building.

 

 

So you can see föhn winds are a big part of living in the Alps. If you have any more questions about föhn, just ask one of the pinkies. We surely can tell some fun stories connected to this strong wind. J

Agnes (AT)

STS Winter 2014

 

A New Use For Lemons, Ketchup and Vinegar

Here at KISC as many of the cleaning chemicals we use as possible are eco friendly, but could we come up with an alternative to some of our harsher chemicals? Using natural products, that can be found around the house, to clean with is both eco friendly and cheaper than buying most fancy cleaning products.

VINEGAR  

 
Uses: Multi-purpose cleaner, disinfectant, deodoriser.

Particularly good for: Bathrooms and Kitchens.

How to use it: Mix up a solution of half vinegar, half water. This can be used like a multipurpose cleaner to clean hobs, most appliances, counter tops, floors, bathtubs, toilets, sinks, soap scum and hard water stains.

Pure vinegar can be used instead of toilet cleaner to remove nasty rings around the bowl. ½ a cup of vinegar can be added to your laundry as a natural alternative to fabric softener (just add to section of machine where softener would usually be put).

Beware:  Improperly diluted or undiluted vinegar may eat away at tile grout. Do not use on marble surfaces.

Surprisingly: Doesn’t smell of vinegar after it has evaporated!

LEMONS AND LEMON JUICE

Uses:  General cleaner, stain removal, freshening hands and kitchen appliances, bleaching, polishing.

Especially good for: Bleaching.

How to use it: Use it pure to dissolve soap scum or polish and clean copper or brass. Cut a lemon in half, dip in baking soda and use it to scrub surfaces and dishes. To remove stains on plastic tubs, rub on, leave to dry in the sun then clean off. The same can be done with chopping boards. ½ a cup of lemon juice can be added to laundry for extra strain removing power! Lemon juice can be rubbed on hands after handling unpleasant smelling ingredients such as raw fish to remove the odour.  

Beware: Do not use on marble or stainless steel, it may bleach them!

Surprisingly: Half a cup of lemon juice can be mixed with a cup of olive oil to make furniture polish!

BAKING POWDER

Uses: General cleaner and deodoriser

Especially good for: Removing nasty smells.

How to use it: Baking powder can be used as a general cleaner, just sprinkle on a surface and scrub with a wet sponge. Place some of the powder in a box anywhere that needs nasty smells removing, such as the fridge, stinky shoes or the rubbish bin.  

There are lots more out there; Ketchup is good for cleaning all kinds of metal, white bread can be used to dust and is great for picking up smashed glass, coffee can be added to pot plant soil to deter insects and is a great deodoriser, rice is great for cleaning inside bottles and green tea is great for removing smells and cleaning the inside of microwaves!

Why don’t you try some of these at home? Be careful, any new product you try should be tested on a small, hidden area of the item to be cleaned, to ensure that it doesn’t damage the surface.

If you want to read more about this try this website: http://housekeeping.about.com/od/environment/a/Homemade-And-Natural-Cleaning-Products.htm

Helen (UK)

STS Winter 2014