For my interview I talked to one of the employees I know who works at the Chewonki Foundation. I asked a total of fifteen questions, some of which resulted from the answers given.
-Question 1. What has Chewonki done to help the environment?
Chewonki has many programs that are used to help the environment. There are a few programs that I thought were more significant than others. The most significant was Chewonki’s renewable energy program. Chewonki uses a composite of all sorts of different types of energy and conservation.
-Question 2. How does Chewonki use solar power?
The roofs of the buildings at Chewonki are riddled with both solar panels and solar ray tubes. These two devices take the energy from the sun’s rays and harness them to heat water and power the buildings. Chewonki’s solar program is expansive and classes are taught regularly on the details of how the solar facilities work to reduce greenhouse emissions.
-Question 3. How does Chewonki use Bio Diesel?
Chewonki received a grant in 2001 to create their bio diesel program. Bio diesel is currently one of Chewonki’s biggest efforts to aid the environment. Bio diesel cut out about 78 percent of the bad emissions of regular fuel. The produce enough fuel to power two 15-passenger diesel vans, three Volkswagen diesel cars, a Volvo station wagon, a tractor, and several staff vehicles, and provide extra heating fuel for the buildings.
-Question 4. Where do you get the materials for your bio diesel program?
Chewonki gets the materials for the bio diesel program from multiple places. The program was created with state grant money, but the vegetable oil used to actually make the fuel and power the cars comes used from local fast food restaurants.
-Question 5. Does Chewonki use wind power?
Not currently.
-Question 6. How does Chewonki use building plans to reduce emissions?
Chewonki has one building in particular that was planned to take full advantage of the sun’s power. It is built with giant window facing the direction the sun is most often shining from. This helps to keep the building quite warm and reduce heating costs and emissions.
-Question 7. What are the Renewable Energy and Clean Water posters?
The renewable energy and clean water posters are both created for high school classrooms to help with the education and study of the two subjects. They are colorfully illustrated and have both helpful hints and good information about improving the environment.
-Question 8. What is renewable hydrogen?
Renewable hydrogen is an efficient method of storing energy. Chewonki’s renewable hydrogen program can run a certain amount of necessary facilities for up to four days during a power outage. The buildings are kept from freezing and the non-releasable Outreach wildlife center is kept warm. One of the coolest things about the renewable hydrogen program is that the only byproducts are heat and the same amount of pure water as started with.
-Question 9. How does Chewonki use food?
Chewonki’s farm grows a lot of the food that is used in the kitchens and the farm is home to many animals.
-Question 10. What does the farm include?
The farm has two dairy cows, two beef cows, two horses, twenty-four sheep, four swine, and almost a hundred poultry birds.
-Question 11. What are Chewonki’s short-term goals?
Chewonki hopes to reduce their employee air travel, purchase double-sided printers to reduce the paper used, and increase the size of the farm.
-Question 12. What are Chewonki’s medium-term goals?
Chewonki hopes to install more renewable energy sources. They also would like to increase their already expansive solar program, specifically in regards to water heating.
-Question 13. What are some of Chewonki’s long-term goals?
Chewonki would like to convert their water-heating program to completely solar. Another goal is to help the local schools and homes go green in the same way Chewonki has done.
-Question 14. How else does Chewonki help the environment?
Chewonki also has a great wildlife rehab program and a very successful education program. The rehab program has creatures ranging from an alligator, to a golden eagle, to a tarantula.
-Question 15. How does Chewonki’s education program work?
Chewonki teaches classes on all sorts of environmental studies both at the actual site and at schools around the state. They also have a program called Maine Coast Semester where Juniors and Seniors in high school can spend a semester there and study the environment. One of Chewonki’s main focuses is the education of Maine youth.
