What do Maroon 5, Jack Johnson, Fun., and Yo Gabba Gabba all have in common?  It turns out that these musical groups are doing their part to help the environment.  In honor of Earth Day, NES hosted a guest speaker rom a Portland, ME-based organization called Reverb (www.reverb.org). They assists these bands and others ‘green up’ their tours.  Project Manage Tanner Watt spoke to students from all grades, telling us that the bands do so much more than recycling and composting.

The tour buses and trucks now only use biodiesel, making a large impact since some of the tours have as many as 150 vehicles.  The bands use reusable water bottles and water stations are set up at the concerts to refill the bottles.  Furthermore, they are connecting with local organizations as they travel, including buying from local farms for their food needs.

Their commitment has also moved beyond the environment.  They have organized coat drives, raised money to support local food pantries, and helped homeless and foster care children, among other initiatives.

The NES kids were engaged by the presentation, asking so many great questions that Tanner couldn’t answer them all.  We hope this assembly helped remind the children the importance of doing their part for the environment.  Reduce, reuse, recycle!  Every little bit makes a difference.