GEKSeal--no-datesWEBBasic Principles behind the Good Earthkeeping ProjectThe Good Earthkeeping Project is structured as a series of community-based chapters that primarily focus on establishing win-win partnerships to help local businesses adopt simple environmental initiatives.

Summary of the Typical Steps Involved Prior to Making the Award


1. Encourage representatives of the next generation (Students, 4H, scouts, etc) to learn about the importance of conservation and the need for us all to recycle and save energy.
2. Student or youth group plans a 2-3 minute presentation for local businesses summarizing what its members have learned about practical environmental issues.
3. Students or youth leaders ask for opportunities for about 4-5 young people to visit local businesses to learn about the business at first hand and to discuss how practical it is for them to take a few basic environmental actions (Illustrating the principle of “Seek first to understand and then to be understood” - Steven R Covey.)
4. Student or youth group offers to partner with local businesses and award them with the prestigious Good Earthkeeping Seal™ on a yearly basis if the business chooses to pledge

  1. To recycle office paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and cans throughout their organization

  2. To seek a free energy survey from local utilities company (with no obligation to follow up on any subsequent advice)

  3. To recruit two others companies to agree to meet the above two requirments.

5. (Optional) Invite the local media to cover the award.
6. The seal is awarded for one year at a time but is renewable and is always displayed along with the words, “ Committed to helping pass on a healthy planet to the next generation”

What students and youth will get out it.

  • Financial donation to their organization (up to $1000 per group)
  • Impressive resume credits from the experiences of spearheading a new movement that uses positive environmentalism
  • Learn about the environmental challenges facing our planet and the practical realities that they cause all of us.
  • Satisfaction of seeing real progress in local environmental performance by businesses
  • Learn simple presentation skills
  • May qualify to receive environmental badges from scouts etc
  • Provide the basis for a science fair project- or similar
  • Publicity for their efforts in the media

What businesses will get out of it

  • The ability to display The Good Earthkeeping Seal™ in their marketing materials.
  • Positive publicity as an environmentally concerned member of the local community.
  • A powerful incentive to take the first 3 simple steps towards embracing sensible environmental practices.
  • Partners who will not use their public commitment to criticize them for not doing the other 99 things that could be done.
  • Support for proactive thinking about riding the wave of the coming environmental economy.

What the media will get out of it:

  • Reports about local group that is demonstrating a refreshingly different approach to collaborative environmental initiatives.
  • Documenting a local project that is aiming to become a major national movement

What Gainesville and Alachua County will get out of it
  • A community whose businesses have a simple way to demonstrate that they are taking basic green initiatives.
  • A opportunity to be ground zero for a project that is designed to expand nationally reflecting the Greening of America


Check out how the collaboration works together