TWP works with local communities to preserve the environment

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Trees, Water & PeopleBy Ed Brayton

Foundation Beyond Belief is proud to be supporting Trees, Water & People, a nonprofit organization that works to “improve people’s lives by helping communities protect, conserve, and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term well-being depends.”

In the United States, TWP works with Native American tribes to develop environmentally sustainable practices on their reservations. Part of that effort was the establishment of the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, which provides training to Native Americans all over the country in how to install and use solar and wind power systems. More than 175 Native Americans have received training at the Center that they have taken back to their own tribal communities to make them more energy efficient. As the TWP website notes:

“In addition to demonstrating the benefits of renewable energy, RCREC’s training is creating green jobs for residents of Pine Ridge and trainees from other tribes. As tribal leaders learn how to incorporate sustainable technology into their housing, employment training, and energy strategies, the impact will increase exponentially. By harnessing renewable energy, we can significantly improve the lives of Native Americans living on reservations across the United States.”

Founded by Stuart Conway and Richard Fox in 1998, TWP works actively with local communities to help them better manage the natural environment they live in. This work earned Conway the 2010 Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service.

The organization was also awarded the 2009-10 Sasakawa Prize from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) for their work distributing fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly cooking stoves in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Haiti.

We are proud to be contributing to the vital work they are doing to help preserve the natural environment and create sustainable practices across the United States and the world.