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