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Name: 
Dylan Stiegememier

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  • Teddy Patrol: 157256
  • Teddy Writer: 270
Total (all categories): 157499

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About: 
I am the Founder of this organization. I love the outdoors. I tried to think of an idea that could inspire lots of individual action and ultimately create change. This is my best attempt. I am educated in political science from Idaho State University and the school of hard knocks. I value conservation efforts and hope this forum will help engage others.

Comments by user

dylans13 wrote a comment on Mini Teddy
20 Mar 2017
Awesome job!
dylans13 wrote a comment on Mullan Trail Road Teddy
19 Mar 2017
Rad. Great job!
dylans13 wrote a comment on 3 Tire Riverwalk
12 Mar 2017
Rad! You have the lead in tire collection!
25 Feb 2017
Rad! Glad the site is working for you. Looks like you had a great day!
18 Feb 2017
I can't believe you found the bucket

dylans13's Teddys

Sävar to the Baltic Sea canoe trip

Took a 12km canoe trip from savar to the Baltic sea. Picked up two bags of trash and bottles and an explorer raft stuck in a tree. Great day with friends. #warongarbage #dowhatyoucan #teddypatrol #thetheodores #conservationist #northernsweden
Posted: 5 years 9 months

Small teddy on the High Coast

Picked up some garbage while viewing Sweden's longest suspension bridge...visiting the High Coast with family. #warongarbage #dowhatyoucan #teddypatrol
Posted: 5 years 10 months

Operation Earth Day Everyday

So I saw a young man who was doing cleanups and started his own group he called Operation Earth Day Everyday. I mailed him a teddy flag and asked if he would post some of his cleanups to the site. Here is his first submission! Checkout his group on Facebook. Buchans, NL Canada Approximately 45 lbs cleaned up!! https://www.facebook.com/Operation-Earth-day-Everyday-196181097558969/
Posted: 5 years 11 months

Teddy at work in Northern Sweden

So I got a job @allstarranch. My boss let me do a teddy at work. Pretty sweet. Talk to your boss about organizing a work teddy, if you got a cool one...or if you are a cool boss let your employees outside to do a cleanup! 45 mins can make a big difference! #warongarbage #thetheodores #DOWHATYOUCAN #conservation #coolboss #hankiscoolwithhistounge #tavelsjö #horseranch #newjob
Posted: 5 years 11 months

Walk in the sunshine around Umea, Sweden

Pick up about 2 pounds of trash on my way to Umea river
Posted: 6 years 4 weeks

Guest Blog - The guilt and thrill of consumption

Author -- Asa Burlin

Another Christmas. As a parent to a child old enough to appreciate toys and presents, but too young to expect them, I struggle a bit with the tradition of -not necessarily giving- but buying, presents.
On the one hand, I think it’s pretty normal to want your children to have childhood experiences and memories similar to those you have yourself. I was f-ing pumped for Christmas presents as a kid. I vividly remember one year when I was maybe 6 years old and my grandfather received a mere three gifts total from Santa. He seemed perfectly happy, but I remember thinking that that must be the ultimate heartache, that he was so stoic for hiding his misery so well. Three gifts! If I’m ever content with just three gifts, please let the Grinch put me out of my misery… I reasoned as a, clearly spoiled, young child in love with getting gifts. And now I definitely find joy in giving, not just my child, but mostly her, presents to open and gawk at.
On the other hand, as a parent you have the opportunity make new traditions. Because our daughter is mutt, we did Swedish Christmas with Santa knocking on the door on Christmas Eve, then woke up on Christmas Day to find he had been snooping around leaving stuff during the night too. As a result, she wondered where the heck Santa was on the 26th. (when he was no-show she decided he must be sick)
She got some really nice stuff. But at least most of it was hand-me downs.
Dylan and I had decided not to give each other gifts. I didn’t get him anything. He got me something. It was a nice gift and I was happy. And I felt guilty because I didn’t also break the agreement.
(For the record here, this is how that conversation went a couple of weeks earlier….
D: so what do you want to do about gifts for each other?
Å: I don’t feel like we need to do any, unless you really want to?
D: no I don’t, I just don’t want you to be all “oh, you didn’t get me anything, oh you forgot our anniversary”
Å: you did forget our anniversary…
D: I know.
Å: ok, so no gifts?
D: cool. )
I was appalled to learn stores now start the sale on Christmas day. Still I’m having a hard time not wanting to go check out the deals.
When I first learned our child was to be born right around Christmas, I was sad for him/her having to have a birthday so close to Christmas. Now we’re trying to set a tradition of making her day exciting and special without gifts. As she gets older, our hope is that she’ll enjoy thinking of fun activities to do with the family, and later when that’s not cool anymore, her friends.
Little things I guess, we try to do to set the tone. To find the Christmas thrill in other things than buying stuff.

Posted: 6 years 3 months

TEDDY ROOSEVELT WOULD BE PROUD -- CDA PRESS May 25th, 2017

Link to CDA Press Article

By DEVIN HEILMAN

Staff Writer

Conservation is more than just the act of keeping the environment clean and healthy.

It's a mindset, and it's a mindset The Theodores, a North Idaho social club, is helping to spread.

"The Theodores is about educating youths and taking them to nature," said Theodores founder Dylan Stiegemeier, who grew up in North Idaho. "It's not just about picking up trash."

But picking up trash is a good starting point for kids to learn the basics.

Stiegemeier and his sister, John Brown Elementary first-grade teacher Kayla Maloney, took her students on a garbage-seeking adventure last week to educate them about the impact of littering. They closely combed a wooded area near the school, each student excited and proud to be doing his or her part.

“Just showing these kids how much garbage is out here makes them think a little differently about what they produce,” Stiegemeier said. "It makes it harder to walk by other people's trash."

First-grader Alma Walters was eager to share her perspective about The Theodores and its litter projects, known as "Teddy Clean-Ups."

"I’m learning about keeping the world safe and no more garbage in the landfills," she said. "If there’s too much garbage, the Earth will get sicker and sicker and then the animals here won’t survive. Some fish will eat plastic and some animals will die."

Maloney said her class conducted a Teddy Clean-Up last year as well, and this year it has been learning about how garbage affects the planet and the animals that inhabit it.

"I think they get it. It doesn’t take a lot for them to get it,” she said. "This really opens people's eyes when they go out and do it. There is garbage everywhere you go."

While planting the seed of awareness in youths is a Theodores mission, the club hopes to encourage people of all ages to be a bit more like its namesake, Theodore Roosevelt. Take a bag with you and pick up the garbage you see on your evening walk. Grab some trash when you rest during a bike ride. Support those doing good things in your community.

Remember Roosevelt's words: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

"Teddy was a great conservationist, champion of social justice and leader," the club's website reads. "Ultimately, the club seeks to have fun and be impactful whether that means picking up trash on Tubbs Hill or helping great local nonprofits put on events."

Stiegemeier said the idea of The Theodores has been with him for a while, but it really got off the ground about three years ago. As a Spokane Falls Community College instructor of political science and global issues, Stiegemeier said he began to notice an unsettling amount of apathy in his students. He has always had an interest in conservation, so when he read Timothy Egan's "The Big Burn," he was reintroduced to Roosevelt's dedication to preserving national forests and other proactive efforts.

Stiegemeier became inspired to start a movement that would make Roosevelt proud.

"People liked Teddy and it didn't matter their ideologies," Stiegemeier said, adding Roosevelt was a key figure who transcended political party lines.

Stiegemeier's vision is also transcending lines — geographic lines. When people conduct a Teddy Clean-Up, they're encouraged to place a special flag provided by Stiegemeier on the bags of trash collected, snap a photo and upload it to an interactive map. People can click on the points to see where Teddys have been completed.

As of Wednesday, Teddy Clean-Ups had been posted in 66 cities in 11 countries, including Colombia, Thailand, Spain and Kyrgyzstan, as well as 30 states or provinces. Nearly 6,000 pounds of trash had been collected and close to 600 people had participated. Almost 40 Teddys have already been done this month.

To receive Theodores patches or flags from Stiegemeier and to complete your own Teddy Clean-Ups or find other ways to help, contact Stiegemeier at teddyrtuesdays@gmail.com.

Future plans for Theodores members include community impact days, organizing a collective of like-minded people to improve their community and Ted Fest, a free music festival that will support local organizations.

Much of the club's funding comes from its members' pockets or from grants, but Stiegemeier said The Theodores will soon be applying for and working toward its nonprofit status.

"I started this club because it needed to be done," Stiegemeier's club biography reads. "I wanted to do something impactful for the community. This is my best attempt. Please join me and let's have some fun."

Posted: 6 years 3 months

Feeding the Ducks. . .Watching trash float by.

So today I took my daughter to feed the ducks in the closest stream to our apartment in Umeå , Sweden. We were there a total of maybe 20 minutes. Due to the fact it was extremely cold and rainy. Honestly, I do not know how the ducks even stand it. Why are they not somewhere more southern? Tough Ducks. While she kasta ducks, (throw ducks) her Swinglish is on point, we saw a glass beer bottle, coffee cup and plastic bag float by. The ducks easily dodge the garbage and find their crackers. It does not surprise me at this point. Trash is everywhere. It had been raining all day and so the high water was flushing everything down. Although Sweden, a country that is very green, and devotes much in time and resources to being sustainable they still have a trash problem. I do not think I have ever been on a hike, walk or out in nature and did not find a piece of trash. If you look it is always there. Even in the most remote places.  I feel that The Theodores is on the right track to raising awareness and fostering activism. Starting The Theodores has allowed me to really take notice and discover other groups and projects fighting the worlds trash problem. I have reached out to many of these groups and mailed many a teddy package. In my opinion the more groups and individuals working on the issue, the more a solution becomes attainable. Sometimes the response is favorable many times I hear nothing back. Cooperation is needed to solve this problem. I encourage you to check out these other groups.  Support them.  Support us!

Project Schone Schie -  https://www.facebook.com/schoneschie/  A dutch group started by a a guy Tommy --  He did a clean-up by his house over a month, documented and started a facebook group to encourage others to do the same.  They are doing amazing things.  Tommy was one of the first groups I mailed a Teddy Package to.

Trash Hero Langkawi  - https://www.facebook.com/TrashHeroLangkawi/    I love this group.  They really put their money where there mouth is.  They do a clean-up every week in Maylasia.  They always kill it on number of pounds collected.  Other Trash Hero groups have started to pop up in Thailand.  I reached out to them through message but have not linked up in substaintial way.  

Operation Earth Day Everyday -  https://www.facebook.com/Operation-Earth-day-Everyday-196181097558969/  Started by a kid in Canada.  He does clean-ups by himself.  Really neat to see someone so young tackle the problem with action.  I mailed him a package to just say good job and that there are other people like him in the world.

A story about a 12 year old boy from Petaluma CA who clean-up 2,000 pounds of trash for a school project.  http://abc7news.com/society/north-bay-boy-cleans-up-thousands-of-pounds-of-trash/1890045/   I mailed him a package to say good job and keep him motivated. 

The Ocean Clean-Up Project -- https://www.theoceancleanup.com/  Started by a 20 something Dutch guy.  Want to figure out a way to collect most of the trash in the garbage patches.  He has raised millions in capitial and also sent boats throughout the oceans to scout the problem.  Really neat.  I often think of what I could accomplish with 10,000 dollars.  

Pick n' Run -  http://picknrun.com/  Really cool group.  Started by a father and son team.  They organize cleanup and trail runs.  I have not reached out to this group but I will in the future.  Also, they are working on developing an app to track cleanups.  This is high on my list so maybe we can work together at some point.  

Packing it Out - http://www.packingitout.org/  Packing it Out is a group that encourage people to get out on hiking trails and pack out all the trash they find.  Started by two guys who did this while they were on various through hikes around the USA.  I have sent an email to this group.  It would be really great to link up in some way.  They have a really great film about biking across the USA and doig talks at REI to encourage others to get on board.  Check it out.  Tons of sponsors and the like.  It  would be nice to talk to them about how to go about getting a sponsor or two.

Yesterday I stumble accross a story about two brothers in Brooklyn who paddle out in some of the most polluted waterways in the USA  and do cleanups.  Have not found a website but if you have insta you can find them at #BroCleanBKLN .  

There are many other groups.  Overall it is encouraging to know so many others are working on the problem too.  You can tell awareness in growing. It feels like we are on the right track.  I think The Theodores is on the right track.  I am excited to see what we can do next year.  I really want to work on something big.  You know really big.  I have been playing with the Idea of printing 10,000 flags.  The flags would be attached with a letter stating they are ment to travel and be used.  Not put on a wall or in a work place.  Keep them moving, keep doing cleanups.  Drop them different places . . .statues, bus stations, train stations, airports, etc. 

We will be traveling back to Idaho shortly.  Then I can pick up the heat press, and other printing materials.  I think I can set up a small printing operation on my glassed in balcony.  I wonder what 10,000 flags would look like and how many clean-ups 10,000 could inspire?  Please leave a commet if you got any ideas for what to do with 10,000 flags.  I am thinking kickstarter and a road trip.  First I got to print them.  I gotta plenty of time here in Sweden. Being unemployed and all. I have money in my Teddy account that would cover the materials. Just need to put in the time.  

Posted: 6 years 3 months

The Inlander - Peirone Prize Recipient

PEIRONE PRIZE WINNER 2016: DYLAN STIEGEMEIER 
This conservation enthusiast has sparked an effort that's spread worldwide

Link to article on Inlanders website

By Mitch Ryals

It started when Dylan Stiegemeier hiked a bent-up old stove top 3 miles out of the foothills near Pocatello, Idaho. He and a buddy were preparing for comprehensive exams, the last step in his Ph.D. program at Idaho State University before writing his dissertation.

The 33-year-old Idaho native with a humble affect, long, curly hair and a penchant for environmental conservation had become a bit disillusioned by academia. All this talking and no action made him anxious, and during that hike, trash that had littered the landscape for decades bugged the crap out of Stiegemeier.

He finished the exams (but still has to write that damn dissertation) and returned to his home in Post Falls. In the meantime, he applied for jobs in environmental conservation. He even offered to work for free. No dice.

"If nobody's going to let me crack the lineup, then I'll create something for myself," Stiegemeier recalls thinking.

And so was born the Theodores: a grassroots effort promoting small acts of environmental conservation in order to create a huge impact.

The Theodores — a nod to one of Stiegemeier's heroes, Teddy Roosevelt, known in part for his efforts on behalf of ecological preservation — takes a lesson from one of the Rough Rider's famous quotes:

"Do what you can with what you have, where you are."

It's the idea that many small, relatively convenient acts can produce a huge impact.

Since 2014, when Stiegemeier launched the effort, the Theodores has been about picking up trash. So far, photos of people from at least 20 states and 20 countries have surfaced. They pick up trash, then pose for a picture with an orange flag with Teddy's mug plastered on it.

In the future, Stiegemeier says, he wants the Theodores to stand for efforts beyond clean-ups.

"I just want people to feel engaged, and I don't really like to tell them what they have to do," he says. "My wife came up with the tag line: 'How do you Teddy?'"

Stiegemeier's mom stopped by his house in Post Falls one afternoon earlier this week. She came to say hi to her 8-month-old granddaughter, Louisa, who bounces around the room in a "Teddy Patrol" onesie. She's also here to drop off a couple of bags of clothes. She just finished sewing yellow Teddy patches on an old plaid shirt and jacket Stiegemeier bought at a thrift store for two bucks each. One more way to get the word out.

Here's how it works: Request a "Teddy package," which includes a flag and a letter (donations are appreciated) and a suggestion to read The Big Burn, Tim Egan's book about the massive fire that spread throughout national forests in Washington, Idaho and Montana. The book also traces Roosevelt's role in preserving these lands.

Then go out and do something to promote conservation and take a picture with your Teddy flag. Stiegemeier says most of these efforts have been picking up trash, but some people recycle. Others plant wildflowers.

Stiegemeier is quick to tell you that he didn't do this all by himself; in fact, he couldn't have. His mother sews, and his brother, Austin, drew the image of Teddy Roosevelt that's printed on all the flags and merchandise. (Austin Stiegemeier is well-known in the Spokane art scene and teaches at Gonzaga University.) A few other friends pitch in as well.

Ali Koski, co-owner of the screen-printing business called the Traveling T, lets Stiegemeier use her shop and equipment to make the flags and merchandise basically for free. Without her help, Stiegemeier says, none of this would be possible.

"At first I tried to talk him out of it," Koski says. "But he didn't take no for an answer. He eats, drinks and sleeps conservation."

Now, for Koski's two kids, both under the age of 10, "Teddy" has become a verb.

Whenever they go on a hike or even a stroll through downtown, her kids will proudly exclaim: "We just Teddy'd!"

The Theodores is a nonprofit in the truest sense of the word. Stiegemeier, who doesn't actually make a profit, continues to donate his spare time and extra money toward the effort. Applying for 501(c)(3) status is next on the list, he says.

As far as long-term plans? He's got a few of those.

He hopes to partner with Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts (Roosevelt was an ardent supporter of the Scouts) to see about establishing a Teddy patch, and he's thinking of developing a curriculum for grade schools. The kids will learn about Teddy Roosevelt, then go out and do a Teddy cleanup.

He was just awarded a few thousand dollars by CDA 2030, an organization dedicated to promoting growth in Coeur d'Alene. He wants to use that money to pay someone to write code that will allow people worldwide to post directly to his website. Right now, it's up to Stiegemeier to gather all those posts from Facebook, which he says is time-consuming.

"Then we could actually start tracking some metrics," he says. "You would be able to see, like for example, over the course of a week or a month, how many people are Teddying and where."

Ultimately, Stiegemeier hopes to build a Teddy hub on the 5 acres he purchased in Plummer, Idaho — sort of like a sustainability center. The land is sitting mostly empty now, full of potential.

"I try not to get too discouraged," he says. "The problems are really big and complex. With any big conservation issues, you think, 'Oh, what can one person do?' But if everyone felt like that, we wouldn't get anything done." ♦

Age: 33

Positions: founder of the Theodores, adjunct faculty at North Idaho College and Spokane Falls Community College, Ph.D candidate and Lakeland High School boys soccer coach.

I give back because... that's the only way to create something sustainable, but mostly because it's fun and rewarding.

I look up to... my parents and David Brower. I like Teddy [Roosevelt], but I have a lot of respect for David Brower because he got the wilderness protections pushed through Congress.

I wish that... the organization continues to grow and that people like what we're trying to do.

 

"I just want people to feel engaged," says Stiegemeier "and I don't really like to tell them what they have to do." | Young Kwak photo

Posted: 6 years 4 months