Eric J. Fuchs-Stengel lives in Mahwah, New Jersey, but he’s not spending much time at home this summer.

Eric, 18, is serving as a summer intern with the Rockland County AmeriCorps [1] community service program. He and a group of other dedicated young people are rerouting and rebuilding a section of the Appalachian Trail on Bear Mountain State Park in Highland Falls, New York. They are sleeping in tents at nearby Harriman State Park and waking at dawn every morning for up to 10 hours of strenuous physical labor.

“This is the best summer I’ve ever had,” says Eric. “I love everything to do with nature. I’m waking up with the sun, going to bed when it gets dark. It’s a great life.”

Eric’s love for the outdoors has a lot to do with his passion for environmental causes. Two summers ago, he founded the Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization [2]--MEVO for short—a nonprofit student group that works to protect the environment and currently has 360 active members. (Interested in joining? Check out www.mahwahevo.org [3].) He also founded the Mahwah School District Green Team.

This fall, Eric will begin at Clark University [4] in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he plans to double major in global environmental studies and environmental science. “You could definitely say that I’m an eco-friendly guy,” he says with a laugh.

Eric first learned about Project Porchlight’s campaign to distribute energy-efficient light bulbs to residents across the state in the fall of last year, when a Project Porchlight representative visited his high school’s environmental club. He immediately signed up MEVO to assist in the Mahwah Blitz held in November 2009. Last April, Eric and MEVO helped organize and execute a second Mahwah Blitz.

“Project Porchlight is one of the most efficient environmental campaigns I have ever heard of,” says Eric, who continues to volunteer for Project Porchlight whenever he can. “I’m just so happy that I was able to bring MEVO to participate in it.”

Project Porchlight New Jersey educates state residents about the energy savings offered by compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs as well as the energy efficiency programs that are available through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP) [5]. Project Porchlight is an initiative of One Change [6], and the campaign is made possible thanks to funding by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) [7] and the NJCEP [8].

When it comes to protecting our environment, simple actions really do matter! Even something as simple as changing a light bulb can make a difference. “Distributing CFL bulbs, Project Porchlight is giving people something they can use every day to reduce carbon emissions and help the environment,” says Eric.

By connecting with state residents one at a time, Project Porchlight is empowering people of all backgrounds to make smart, energy-efficient choices that protect the environment. “It’s extremely effective when you go from house to house and give people these CFL bulbs,” says Eric. “You’re not just telling people what to do. You’re giving them the ability to do it, and that’s the most effective outreach you can ever do.”