Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization

Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization, Inc. was founded in the summer of 2008 in Mahwah, New Jersey by Eric J. Fuchs-Stengel. He became motivated to start the group after going on numerous hiking expeditions with several of his friends and falling in love with the natural beauty of the environment. MEVO was started out of the idea that “picking up trash and recycling,” would lead to helping other’s somewhere else in the world. However, at this time of serious environmental problems such as climate change, MEVO has become symbolic of so much more.

MEVO is an Environmental Service Organization

MEVO addresses world environmental problems by organizing itself as an environmental service organization with the organizational goals of service, sustainability, and environment.

MEVO operates as a Grassroots Youth Organization

MEVO is grassroots because it operates in towns throughout New Jersey, growing from out of the grassroots with support of the town’s citizens and youth population.

MEVO is youth because it is founded, organized, and lead by youth (broadly defined as young people and young spirited people, whether they be younger than 18 or older). Our very own Executive Director is nineteen years old!

MEVO works throughout towns in New Jersey and New York connecting youth from colleges and high schools together through volunteer work. In the end creating stronger youth support for the environment and climate movements. By operating between local colleges and schools we educate students on environmental problems, provide them with the leadership positions, and the support of an environmental organization in order for them to work to reduce environmental problems. We organize environmental volunteer events and volunteer with local non-profit and other environmental organizations. Some volunteer events we have organized are planting treesand handing out Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs to reduce CO2 emissions as well as hiking trail restorationand trash clean-ups to restore damaged eco-systems.

Since its founding in 2008 MEVO has grown exponentially. MEVO now boasts a registered volunteer count of over800 volunteers. And we have received countless awards such as …

Project Porchlight Stellar Volunteer Award $1000.00 Youthventure Grant New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NYNJTC) Next Generation Award $500.00 DoSomething.org Seed Grant Just to name a few!

MEVO has also worked with countless non-profit organizations combating many different environmental problems. Some of these non-profits are …

Onechange.org New Jersey State Botanical Gardens Mahwah Department of Public Work Mahwah Environmental Commission Principia NP New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NYNJTC) And many more to come!

Our Goals … Service, Sustainability, and Environment

Service is the way MEVO helps to reduce crucial environmental problems by organizing a group of volunteers to perform peaceful tasks in their communities and the surrounding area. Allowing students with their own bare hands to change and fix environmental problems in the world.

Sustainability is the goal and founding belief of MEVO. It broadly reflects the recognition that our actions today affect our prospects for tomorrow, and increasingly, these actions will affect the quality of life and prospects of future generations. The actions MEVO takes by organizing volunteer service events are aimed to promote environmental sustainability, to reduce human negative effects on the environment, and promote more environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Environment is considered by MEVO to be all of the surrounding, consisting of the ecology of the world, air, water, minerals, and organisms. MEVO works to preserve and protect the natural balance of this environment.