Press Release -- TEAM Celebrates Earth Day at the Mevon Tsuglag Peton School

Contacts:

Tsering Yangkey, Thinley Norbu 94183-90412

Mobile: 94181-27531 Phone: 0091-1892-228178

Dharamsala, 22 April 2007: Tesi Environmental Awareness Movement (TEAM) today celebrates Earth Day with the communities of the Mevon Tsuglag Peton School, Dharamsala. The celebration will begin with planting of trees by the students and offering a special prayer of gratitude for Mother Earth for her unconditional love in nurturing all beings.

Observed as a day of remembrance and service, TEAM members will speak to the students and staff introducing them to environmental issues, ranging from waste management to endangered species to global warming and about the values of traditional wisdoms in protecting our Mother Earth.

"This celebration is a part of our ongoing work to celebrate and service Mother Earth and to appreciate the values of all life forms. For TEAM every day is an Earth Day, but to spread our message it is good to have a specially designated day" said, Tsering Yangkey, TEAM’s Head.

"Our special message for today is Do Not Burn Your Trash, Make Them Useful. It is unfortunate that burning trash is still very common in our communities and we want them to know that alternatives to burning are much better and healthier for their health as well as for Mother Earth", she said.

A series of workshops will be conducted on how to create treasures from wastes and how to make compost from kitchen wastes. TEAM will donate to the school 10 sets of specially designed trash cans for the separate storage of biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. A drawing book will be presented to each of the ninety six students who will take part in creative drawing on the current situation of our Planet and how to offer our services for the protection of Mother Earth.

TEAM will also engage the students and staff in activities that will encourage all of us to move from wasteful and environmentally harmful lifestyles to environmentally correct lifestyles by identifying alternatives and adopting them. The celebration will end with the screening of Ancient Future, a documentary film on Ladakh's traditional wisdom and environment.

TEAM is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation set up to revive the ecological consciousness of the Tibetan people by reminding them of their ancient values of interdependent nature of all life forms and to introduce them to modern, sustainable and pro-nature ways of living. TEAM is the first effort of its kind by young Tibetans in exile promoting environmental awareness and conservation work.

***END***