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"At REI, I you will find our focus is being an environmentally conscious company has been a part of our culture since our inception in 1938 and is just a part of who we are. We do it because it is the right thing to do."
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REI Round Rock: Building on a Green Vision
The seven Leave No Trace principles are:
1. Know before you go
2. Choose the right path
3. Pack your trash
4. Leave what you find
5. Be careful with fire
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be kind to other visitors
The PEAK program, which consists of an REI backpack stuffed with essential gear for outdoor adventure, as well as games, activities and lessons, is presented as a convenient and fun way to teach young people ethics.
The PEAK program has two primary goals: - Increase awareness of Leave No Trace principles
- Promote the stewardship of outdoor recreational resources
Through this hands-on, interactive program children are taught to have fun outside while practicing responsible outdoor recreation. For information on how to become a PEAK presenter for your own group of young people or learn more about how you can use the PEAK presenter's toolkit, contact your nearest REI store. Contact information for all stores is available on REI.com.
To read more about the PEAK program visit the Leave No Trace website
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Todd Callaway Bio –
Todd is both passionate about the outdoors as well as sustainability. He worked his way through college as a sales specialist and bike tech for REI. Upon receiving a BS in Environmental Geology from the University of Texas he realized that his college job could turn into a career. That realization has taken him on a journey that has stretched for 15 years with REI, taken him to stores in Texas, Colorado, Utah, California, and currently as the store manager at REI’s prototype store in Round Rock, Texas.
His time with REI and involvement with the Round Rock Prototype store has allowed Todd to combine his passions for the outdoors, retail, and sustainability. The team at REI Round Rock has been testing many innovative new approaches to energy efficiency, water conservation, low-impact building materials, and sharing feedback on the reality of daily life in a green building. This store has allowed REI to share many of the great ideas and designs integrated into this store with our local community as well as various industries, media outlets and individuals throughout the US. Aside from cycling, camping, hiking, and skiing, one of Todd’s favorite activities is giving tours of our facility and speaking to groups about our store, REI, and the outdoors.
The community focus of this store has allowed Todd to develop a strong relationship with our local community and non-profit groups as well as inspire and educate many individuals and families about the outdoors and environmental stewardship.
As a father of two young boys who love spending time outside, Todd is proud to work for a company with a strong focus on supporting the environment for future generations to enjoy.
Connections –
REI Round Rock
Josh Kawinski, Public Relations
Jkawins at rei.com
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"REI has a commitment to become a zero-waste-to-landfill company by 2020."
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LEED Gold, PEAK and the EcoSensitive. The Planetshifter.com Magazine Interview with REI Round Rock’s Todd Callaway
REI is a store community within a larger geo-community that shares the Planet. How do you build community?
Great question. REI invites our members and customers to share in our commitment to stewardship by inviting members of our community to join us in the many service projects we support each year. Every market where REI does business supports projects that help maintain trails, plant trees, and work to ensure our open spaces are well maintained and accessible. Since the Round Rock store opened in 2008, we have already hosted 4 service projects that have resulted in over 1,500 volunteer hours contributed to open space in and around our community. As a company, in 2008 alone, we supported over 1.5 millions volunteer hours and hosted 785 service projects. Those are some pretty big numbers.
Our store also has a unique feature, a community space, to help with this as well. The mezzanine level of our store is a dedicated space to help engage, educate, and inspire our community. We use this space to teach clinics and it is also open to local non-profit groups, organizations, and clubs to use for meetings and classes.
How do your personal values juxtapose with REI’s?
I love to spend time outside with friends and my family, as do most all of our employees. REI has a commitment to get people outside and leading healthy active lives, caring for our planet by protecting shared natural spaces, and engaging others in making a difference. I have two sons, 2 and 5, who love spending time outside camping, hiking, and exploring. As I look to the future, I want them to be able to enjoy the outdoors with their kids, so knowing I work for a company that holds this as a part of its core values makes me proud and inspires me every day.
Another value of REI’s is centered on Balance, enjoying all aspects of life. We encourage all of our staff to balance work with their time outside of the store. For me, it helps ensure I am able to spend invaluable time with my family without feeling like it detracts from the commitment I have made to REI. I just finished a paid 4-week sabbatical in celebration of my 15th anniversary with REI. This is an amazing benefit that truly shows a focus on balance.
What has the new prototype green building there taught you about designing workplaces for the future?
One of the best things I have learned is that working in a green building is a real pleasure. Of course, mentally, it is uplifting to think about features you don’t see every day, like solar panels and solar-thermal hot water, but tangible features like natural light and clean air really enhance my daily life. I really can say that there is something about natural lighting versus electric lighting that just makes me feel good. I am sure there is some science behind it. I like that it is common to hear “it just feels good” from people who are describing our store.
It is also interesting talking with people who are in the store and don’t realize it is a green facility. Sometimes we get comments like “Wow, this store looks and feels great,” but cannot put their fingers on why. It speaks to the fact that the green features and design of the building enhance peoples experience in subtle ways. When I explain it is a green building and start pointing out some of the features, you can see it click and many people have an “aha” moment. It is really satisfying to see this.
REI Round Rock is the first LEED certified building in Round Rock (LEED Gold) and I hope that this inspires others to think about future design of their buildings and homes. REI now has 6 LEED certified facilities and we are building all of our new stores to at least the LEED Silver standard.
Do you folks compost? Any possibility of a permaculture experiment on the property?
Unfortunately, we don’t compost at our store yet. As a company we have identified five environmental priorities that have the most impact on our operations and in which we wish to inspire broader change: greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, green building, paper sourcing, reducing waste and recycling, and responsible product stewardship. We do have a composting program at our headquarters and I am confident compost will have a role at our store in the future. For now, we don’t produce significant amounts compostable waste and have struggled to find a resource for compost pickup that will work with our small quantities.
We will continue to evaluate the feasibility of this each year and we are confident in the near future we will be able to effectively integrate compost into our daily operations. As far as permaculture, I wouldn’t discount it, but I don’t see it in the near future. I think we still have a lot of other relevant opportunities to tackle first, but who knows; maybe I will be talking with you about a permaculture experiment 10 years from now. That would be a fun project to be a part of!
It is interesting to note that REI has a commitment to become a zero-waste-to-landfill company by 2020. In 2009, REI recycled nearly 75% (by volume) of all of our operational waste. We have recycling programs in our facilities that include things like cardboard, paper, cans, bottles, batteries, and fluorescent lights. Composting will be a necessary component of this 2020 commitment.
What is at the intersection of outdoor sports and sustainability?
I think I talked about this a little already, but it is pretty simple. We want to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the outdoors. I guess you could describe it as a symbiotic relationship. We rely on the outdoors for our business and people rely on our business to get them in the outdoors. I think that’s a pretty cool connection. I have also read a number of articles in the past year or so that speak to the physical and psychological benefits of spending time outdoors, which I feel points to a kind of human aspect of sustainability related to health/well being having a direct correlation with time in the outdoors. When I inspire someone to spend time in the outdoors, I feel like I am having a positive influence on their health and well being.
Please define environmental stewardship and sustainability for us?
I am sure anyone can look up the general definition of these, so I will share with you how I feel the definitions relate to REI.
Stewardship is our commitment to get people outside and leading healthy active lives, caring for our planet by protecting shared natural spaces, and engaging others in making a difference. Stewardship is also how we operate the co-op, finding ways to improve the environmental performance of our business while we strive to generate positive environmental, social and financial results.
Sustainability points to our ability to ensure long term accessibility to the outdoors through responsible use of our natural resources. Our green building practices as well as focusing on things like our EcoSensitive clothing line helps us reduce our impact on the planet. Bottom line, it is just the right thing to do.
Is the rock climbing wall the closest thing to Environmental Geology these days?!
Funny you should ask. When I finished college and decided to focus on a career with REI, I wasn’t sure how my degree would relate (sure, the climbing wall is close). One of the aspects of Environmental Geology that appealed to me was the field work (time outside) along with the ability to have a positive impact on the environment. Both are important to me and I think I have had as much of an opportunity to influence this working for REI as I would have had I continued with a career in geology. Most people are surprised to hear this knowing I work retail.
We do get a number of geologists that shop at REI for gear to support their field work. I had a few students in earlier this year gearing up for their field camp (a 6-week field class geologists embark on to complete their degree). It was fun sharing with them my experiences and to build a trusting relationship through common experiences. They are probably out in the field today relying in the gear they picked up at REI. So, the experience as a geologist still comes in handy from time to time.
How do non-profits best connect and partner with the store? Please pick one of your favorites and explain how this team-up is changing the world (or Austin!)?
One group we work with is the Austin Ridge Riders. They are a local Mountain Bike Club with a focus on volunteering and trail work (and mountain biking, of course). They have worked with REI to support numerous trail projects over the years. They are a wonderful group with many passionate members and they have a significant impact on the care, maintenance and accessibility of trails in and around the Austin Metro area. They have been recipients of numerous monetary grant awards from REI as well…we just found out that they were selected to receive nearly $15,000 this year to help them oversee and coordinate several trail expansions that will add over 14 miles of additional recreational opportunities here in the Austin area. Truly an impressive and inspiring group and REI is proud to be able to partner with them at some many different levels!
Does your staff practice the seven Leave No Trace principles at the shop?
Yes, as much as possible in a retail building. I am most proud of the work our staff has done around teaching these principals to kids. We have a program called PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) that has enabled us to share the LNT ethics with thousands of kids in the Round Rock community and as a company we shared the PEAK program with over 182,000 kids in 2008.
There is a ton of greenwashing out here. What is it? How do you combat this?
Greenwashing is when companies disingenuously or deceptively refer to or market their products as green (or environmentally friendly). At REI, I think you will find our focus on being an environmentally conscious company has been a part of our culture since our inception in 1938 and is just a part of who we are. We do it because it is the right thing to do and has a positive impact on the environment and in turn helps support our business. We market it at some level, because we want our members to feel good about being a part of REI and to help inspire individuals and organizations to look towards adopting green practices in their personal and business lives.
I personally think we don’t highlight it nearly as much as other companies, but because of the authenticity and history we have, it is clear to people where our values are focused. As far as combating it, I will leave that task others. I enjoy focusing my energy on the practices within my sphere of influence, inspiring people to integrate sustainable practices at the store and within my community. My personal opinion is that companies that truly walk the talk are doing it for the right reasons and will see long term benefits .
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