Andrew and the Crusaders lead charge to efficiency
 Western customers can help Tacky Tortoise, Prickly Dude, Cactus Coyote and a boy named Andrew educate students about preservation of Earth's natural resources.Andrew and the Crusaders star in three videos designed to teach students to stash trash and save water and energy. The Crusaders battle archvillain Gruesome Pollution and his equally odious allies who want to eat energy, waste water, and disperse debris throughout the country. While battling these brutes, the Crusaders teach students about things like the water cycle and ways to preserve resources. The goal is to involve students in community conservation efforts. Western cosponsored the series' third video, which focuses on water and energy conservation. The first video focuses on preventing litter and participating in recycling programs. The second takes a futuristic view of the same theme, as a girl named Andrea comes to the present from the future to find out why people stopped recycling. It continues the theme of the first video to "stash that trash." Funded through a cooperative agreement with the Nevada State Energy Office, Andrew and the Crusaders was originally developed by Southern Nevada Clean Communities, Inc. Since the series took root in the Desert Southwest, the characters - a tortoise, a cactus, and a coyote - reflect the flora and fauna of that region. The program includes workbooks designed to supplement the videos. They help students further explore the themes presented and offer songs, puzzles, coloring, and other activities. The program aims to capture the attention of children in grades K-6, although it has also been used successfully with junior high students. Since the program's inception, utilities have provided Andrew and the Crusaders videos and workbooks for schools in their region. Since Western sponsors the program through a cooperative agreement with the Nevada State Energy Office, Western customers may offer the series to schools in their area at no additional charge. Andrew and the Crusaders videos and workbooks are now available through Western's Power Line.
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