Mariah Power Blog

It was a beautiful October day on Friday, the perfect day to plant trees with the Nature Conservancy of Nevada and the Audubon Society. A group of Mariah Power employees volunteered their time to plant 25 Cottonwood Trees on the River Fork Ranch just outside of Genoa, Nevada.  The trees will aid in the Conservancy’s efforts to rehab a large piece of land that bridges the east and west forks of the Carson River.  The full project will include restoration of wetlands, a bike/hiking trail along the Carson River and a new visitors center.  The Conservancy plans to use wind power from Windspire wind turbines to help off-set energy needs in the new building.

Wind power is a great way to help reduce our impact on the environment, but as a company we realize there are a lot of ways to have an impact.  Through acts of energy conservation and nature conservation we can make sure we have a vital future for the next generations.

The day was all made possible with a grant from Toyota.  Oh what a feeling!

Cottonwood staking

new cottonwood trees

Genoa Cottonwood

the planting team

On October 23rd, The Nature Conservancy, Mariah Power, and the Audubon Society are teaming up to plant cottonwood trees at the Conservancy’s River Fork Ranch outside of Genoa.  The volunteer day, sponsored in part by Toyota’s Together Green program, is open to anyone in the community who would like to join in along with volunteers from Mariah Power.

“We are excited to spend a day planting trees with the Conservancy,” said Mariah Power CEO Mike Hess, “It is important for those of us that live and work here to take the time to take care of our natural resources.”  The trees planted during this effort will become a nursery, which will provide cottonwood trees for planting at other sites in the future, as well as providing seeds that can travel downstream to help spread cottonwoods to other places on the Carson River.

“Volunteering is an important way to get people out into nature,” says Duane Petite, Carson River Project Director for The Nature Conservancy.  “Giving people the opportunity to both learn about the work we’re doing and participate in it themselves will strengthen the connection our community has to the Carson River.”  After the event, volunteers and their families are invited to attend an appreciation barbeque where they can learn more about the work the Conservancy does.

The Conservancy acquired the roughly 800-acre River Fork Ranch in 2000; it is one of five locations along the river where the group is working to restore the Carson River and improve habitat.  Located where the east and west forks of the Carson River come together, River Fork Ranch provides critical wetland and wet meadow habitat for wildlife, particularly nesting habitat for migratory song birds.  “River Fork Ranch is located in the Carson Valley Important Bird Area,” explains Robin Powell, Nevada Director of Bird Conservation for the Audubon Society.  “It is a top priority for volunteer work like this that improves habitat for the nesting birds.”  In addition, River Fork Ranch is a working cattle ranch, dedicated to demonstrating sustainable agriculture practices that are compatible with habitat restoration and protection.

“We are excited to have Mariah Power and the Audubon Society joining us in this event,” says Petite.  “It is a great example of how we accomplish our conservation work through strong partnerships with businesses, other non-profit organizations, landowners and others in the community to make sure the work we do benefits both people and nature.”

Space at this event is limited and volunteers are asked to RSVP.  To RSVP or for more information, contact Anne Thomas at athomas@tnc.org or 790-4436.

This week in Wisconsin, Gateway Technical College installed a Windspire wind turbine at its Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation campus.  The Windspire will be used as both an educational tool about alternative energy and to help the college save money on their energy costs.  Wind energy provides a variety of learning opportunities for both college level and high school science departments. By installing wind turbines on campus, students get to experience wind power up close.

Here are a series of photos of the actual installation of the wind generation system.  Using a hinge pole, the wind turbine is quickly raised into place.

From the school’s press release:

The 30-foot wind vertical wind turbine was erected to the north of the CATI, 2320 Renaissance Blvd., and will be used to demonstrate to students the capabilities of energy monitoring and management. Instructors and students will use computer software to monitor the unit, which has applications in some Engineering programs, and will also serve as a test station for Gateway’s wind torque program. The turbine will generate an estimated 2,550 kilowatt hours annually, based on the prevailing wind speed for the region.
“Gateway is committed to link training programs with ‘green’ technologies,” said Gateway president Bryan Albrecht. “Wind training and energy management are areas the Windspire will add real-world experiences for our students.
“By using the turbine to generate power we are also reducing the cost of purchasing electricity to operate the Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation.”