Restructuring and Moving

Worldwide Economic Downturn? Yes, we're feeling it. In response we're downsizing and closing up our precious call center. We'll still be capable of web and paper survey data collection, as well as all our other research services, but we'll be subcontracting the telephone survey work in the future.

Opened in 1999, 10 years is a good round number for such a shift. To commemorate the moment, we're having an Office Cooling party, inviting friends, clients and employees to hang out for a few hours and help us off load our office furnishings and computer equipment. In the process I hope to raise some funds to help pay down our line of credit.

SEE BELOW FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE.

If you're in the market, take a look at these photos - I'm working to get a description of all we've got to unload online asap. We'll be having a silent auction at the event. And a loaded table of free office supplies. With some luck, our guests will be able to put all this excess stuff to good use.

Complete list of computers and prices

All machines have Windows XP for an operating system.

RED font indicates the item has been purchased in advance. THANK YOU EARLY BIRDS!

Dell 22" widescreen monitors, brand new, in the box Advance purchase $200, Minimum bid at event $150

Dell PowerEdge 2900 Server with APC and Tape back up system (specs forthcoming, 18 months old) $Price Negotiable

Dell Optiplex 740 - Advance purchase $150 Minimum bid at event: $120
2.5 gHZ DUAL CORE PROCESSOR
2G RAM
230 Gig HDard Drive
XP SERVICE PACK 3
DVD Drive
19' WIDESCREEN Westinghouse MONITOR
SPEAKERS
Software:
Office 2000 installed
Access 2002 installed
Power DVD
Roxio Burning software

Dell Dimension 3000 (2 sold, 5 more available - several available- good entry level kids' computer - just download OpenOffice for productivity software) Advance purchase: $60 Minimum bid at event: $50
2.4 Celeron GHz Processor
256 RAM
33Gig HDard Drive
15" flat panel monitor
*ONE STATION HAS 526 RAM
cD ROM DRIVE

Dell Optiplex 745 Advance purchase $300 Minimum Bid at event $250.
1.8 ghZ iNTEL PROCESSOR
2G RAM
148g HDard Drive
CDROM DRIVE
19' MONITOR
SPEAKERS
Software:
spss 13
Cannon photography software'
Roxio burning software
Softsilver
Office 2003
Visio 2003

Dell Optiplex 755 Advance purchase: $350 Minimum bid: $300
1.8 ghZ iNTEL PROCESSOR
2G RAM
74ig HDard Drive
DVD ROM W/CD WRITE CAPABILITY DRIVE
22' WIDESCREEN MONITOR
SPEAKERS
Software:
PGP
SPSS 16.0 - for sale separately, $300 (new $1200)
Cannon photography software'
Office 2003
OFFICE COMPATABILITY PACK FOR 2007

Dell Inspiron 530S Advance purchase $350 Minimum bid at event: $300
2.2 GHz Intel Duo Core Processor
2g RAM
294 HDard Drive
DVD ROM W/CD WRITE CAPABILITY DRIVE
19' Widescreen MONITOR
Software:
Roxio burning software
Office 2003
Visio 2003
Access 2002 installed
OFFICE COMPATABILITY PACK FOR 2007
POWER DVD

Dell Vostro 410 Advance purchase: $450 Minimum bid at event: $400
2.4GHz INTEL QUAD CORE
3G RAM
430Gig HDard Drive
DVD ROM W/CD WRITE CAPABILITY DRIVE
Wireless Mouse
22' WIDESCREEN MONITOR
SPEAKERS
Software:
Roxio burning software
Office 2007
Visio 2003
POWER DVD

Considering the Human Dimensions of Ecosystems

Last month I had the opportunity to take some time away from the office and indulge in learning. Attending the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference in Seattle was a very good use of my time since many of our clients are designing programs in response to concerns about the local issues addressed by the conference.

I’ve not attended this particular meeting before, primarily because it has been the domain of biologists and ecologists, without much application to the social sciences. This was the first year that the conference included two additional foci – management aspect (especially policy level stuff), and human aspects of ecology. I spent a good deal of time interacting with recent clients and long-standing colleagues. I ran out of business cards, which is always a sign of a good conference.

Two sessions were particularly stimulating. One was a discussion of how to incorporate humans into models of ecosystems. According to my colleagues at the PSGB conference, people have always been treated as stressors or impacts on other biological ecosystems, but never integrated in a more meaningful way themselves.

It’s intriguing to me – this new awareness that People Are Critters Too. It borders on amusing to me and I find the problem intellectually engaging. It’s almost as if people have been seen as non-natural – though we do all the same stuff that other organisms do (granted, with a lot of other unique behaviors too) -- or that people have been seen as observers of the natural world, not participants in it.

Where did that perspective come from? I wonder if Malcolm Gladwell could track it down for me.

The second session that really turned my head around was one on indicators. Biologists shared some incisive, parsimonious work about finding The One Thing that will tell us oodles about the health of certain aspects of our marine ecosystems. Analogous to a canary in a coal mine, but with implications for a variety of factors, not just human health.

My favorite section was not biological (surprised?) but social. Morgan Schneilder’s depiction of how human well-being is both supported by and impinged upon by ecosystem management was simple and brilliant. If she puts her graphic online, I'll be sure to post a link to it here.

I look forward to learning more from these new colleagues in the future, and also to contributing to their work with some of my own insights.

YMCA

Last weekend volunteers recurited by the YMCA used our call center to contact friends of YMCA Camp Orkila & Camp Coleman (alumni, camper families, family campers) to raise money for their annual “help send kids to camp” campaign – called “Partners With Youth.”

The YMCA has a total campaign goal of $339,000. That amount will provide scholarships for 600 summer campers and support 80 schools for overnight environmental education experiences.

The YMCA works with several agencies to target low income families with the opportunity of camp. For example, each year they sponsor kids from a school for kids who are homeless. They also offer financial assistance based on family size and income to everyone who applies and meets their criteria.

"Not making our goal is not an option – we can’t afford to turn kids away who
can’t afford the price of camp. And this year the need is even greater than the
past," explained Magill Lange, Financial Development Director for YMCA Camping
Services.

Last Saturday, they hoped to raise $3,000. Calling on Saturday supplemented their Tuesday call nights and targeted people they have been unable to reach in the evenings. All of the callers were volunteers; most were Western Washington University students who work at camp in the summer. Having a call day in Bellingham was a great chance for them to help send kids to camp.


Why Camp?

A growing body of evidence suggests that two trends—the decline in children’s health and their separation from nature—are linked. If we fail to recognize this link and reconnect kids with nature, we shortchange their health and happiness now—and risk creating a generation of adults that is less healthy, productive and able to value and protect our country’s natural resources.
Camp provides youth with a safe environment to make connections to the natural world where they will develop their senses, stimulate their imaginations and learn to take appropriate risks. Camp combats youth isolation by offering accepting communities that remove the typical pressures of school and provide opportunities to build friendships with caring adults and peers.

Thank you to Magill Lange for the information on the campaign. Good luck!

If anyone would like to contribute, please can go online to: http://seattleymca.donordrive.com/participant/camporkila

How can we retain employees in the time between projects?

Being a project based company there are times when our call center is quiet. Knowing that more work is right around the corner and wanting to retain our experienced interviewers we have decided to pay them to volunteer around Bellingham.

I contacted the Whatcom Volunteer Center and spoke with Dan. He directed me to a PDF on their website that lists possible volunteer opportunities by category. I contacted a few organizations and explained that we had four people with excellent phone skills and experience with data entry and filing.

Katherine and Angela helped out at Mother Baby Center. They called different companies and asked for them to donate money or items to be bid on for the center's annual auction and catalogued the items as they came in. Katherine attended the event and helped at the silent auction tables.

Carol vistited the Bellingham Area Senior Center where she was asked to walk around and ask members to fill out a feedback survey. After doing so, she asked the Center's coordinator, Cam Oliver, if they had received many completed surveys. They had not. Carol suggested that she call those who had not returned the surveys. She got 20 completes in 3 hours!

Harrison worked with Elizabeth Page, the volunteer coordinator for the Puget Sound Blood Center in the area. He helped organize volunteer records and entered appropriate data into the computer program they use to keep track of volunteers.

The interviewers like the change of pace, important work is accomplished, and we retain our expert interviewers. Giving them volunteer opportunities is a win, win, win situation!

ARN is a Toward Zero Waste company!

Applied Research Northwest is a member of Sustainable Connections and participates in their Toward Zero Waste program. The aim of the program is to reduce the amount of waste going to local landfills, increase reuse and recycling of existing resources, and increase purchasing of recycled and environmentally preferable products.
I have attended several Zero Waste meetings and educated the ARN team about the proper reusing, recycling and composting procedures.

Towards Zero Waste activities ARN participates in:
Using the both sides of paper
Buying 100% recycled printer/copier paper
FoodPlus! composting
Recycling all printer toners
Donating unused office equipment
Properly disposing of flourescent tubes and batteries
Using rechargeable batteries
Reusing plastic and paper ba link from the Northwest Business Journal Monthly that outlines what Toward Zero Waste is all about:
http://www.nwbusinessmonthly.com/nwbm%202008/jun/0608_HeroesZero.html

Technology: making life easier day in and day out

Today the heat is not working in our office. Normally this would not be an issue; however, it is about 20 degrees outside. As hardy as the ARN crew is, we all decided that staying warm and cozy was more important than working in an environment that produces frozen fingers and runny noses.

Thankfully, we all have VPN access! I am in awe of technology. There is something very satisfying about being able to stay home and still get work done. Personally, I would not want to make this a habit- I prefer to leave my work at the office, but being able to work from home is great in a pinch.

There are two ways to access your computer from home: the VPN and remote desktop. I actually do not have VPN access; however, I was able to use a website (Logmein.com) that makes it possible to remotely use my desktop (pretty neat!). From what I hear around the office, the VPN is far superior to remoting in; the picture is clearer and the processing time is quicker. But, like I said, being able to use my computer from home when I don’t want to brave the elements to come to the office is a technological wonder.

For the love of VPN and other things that help lighten my load

I'm starting to question my "briefcase". I'm referring to my bag that I use to go to work. When I was heading back into the world of "work" after my daughter was born (which may have actually been less work, but a topic for another day) I thought I should outfit myself with a new bag. Something sturdy and stylish, roomy but not too bulky, something to help me tote all my "work" around town. Brenthaven seemed an obvious choice (go local!). I loved my messenger bag.

I spent a couple of years contracting, mostly working at home. My bag came out with me a few times, but honestly, it was mostly on interviews or introductory meetings where I was trying to land the "work". More like an accessory, it never really carried the "work". Then last fall I was hired on as a regular employee at ARN. I work in the office and at home, depending on how much quiet I need. So I do go back and forth a lot... and so does my bag.

But today, with the magic of my trusty little jump drive and VPN, I'm still not really carrying the "work". Through all our recent weather-related school closures (first snow, and then, seriously, flooding?) I have come to be a real fan of VPN. Heck, I'm logged in through VPN right now. Its truly amazing. My poor little messenger bag is collecting dust.

So... if my "work" is not in my bag, what is? I rely heavily on the outside pocket for my keys, cell phone, and wallet-- all things I typically carry in my purse. Inside the main compartment, there is a notebook and my daytimer which is really what takes up the bulk of the room. I think I've had my daytimer since I finished graduate school in 1994. If it wasn't for that calendar/address book, I'd feel very silly hauling this bag around. If I could take the leap (both economic and psychological) from daytimer to smartphone, I would retire the bag. But then I could upgrade my purse. Thankfully, Brenthaven makes those too.

Waste not, want what?

In 2002, I went to work for a not-for-profit performing arts center in NH. After many years in the private sector, it was hard for me to adjust to the economics of a donor-driven organization. I knew I was in a different world when I was instructed not to print working or draft pages on clean paper, but rather on the back of sheets that had already been used. Frankly, I thought it was kind of over the top. But, I adjusted.

Now, of course, it bothers me to dispose of printer paper that hasn't been used twice. I've taken the practice with me to various private sector businesses and have gotten at least a few people on board. And, I've felt smuggly complacent about the environmental impact of my workplace behavior. Until, that is, I started at ARN. Applied Research Northwest is committed to zero waste, an totally new approach for me. So, I'm back to adjusting and bringing more thoughtful attention to what I do on a day-to-day basis. And learning -- who knew there is a way to recycle used Kleenex and chicken bones? There are three bins under the sink here...besides the usual recycling and garbage bins there's a compost bin for food scraps, dirty paper, bones, etc. The true garbage bin is the hardest to reach and the least full. It is very cool.

I realize I'm behind the curve in many ways as far as my own eco-responsible behavior. It is great to be working in a setting where our environment -- personal, local and global -- is a constant consideration in our daily activities. It is an unexpected but very satisfying perk of my new job.