Go Green! Biweekly Newsletter

 

August 11 2009

In This Issue…

Adopt-A-Spot

Community Garden Tour

Park and Read

Lawn Care

Jazzfest

Facebook and Twitter

Go Green! Tip

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With over 40 rain gardens and 100 planted gardens within the downtown area, the Lansing Principal Shopping District (PSD) and the City of Lansing have a continuing need for volunteers interested in keeping our downtown beautiful. Adopt-A-Spot provides an opportunity for the business community and volunteers to play an active and on-going role in cleaning, greening and maintaining our downtown area through adoption of a site.  Sites for adoption include rain gardens, flowerbeds, historical markers and other public spaces within the downtown area. Be a part of the solution and join the effort as Lansing continues to be a cleaner and greener community. For more information about becoming an Adopt-A-Spot volunteer please call 517.487.3322 or e-mail AdoptASpot@lansingpsd.com

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The Garden Project is proud to showcase several community gardens on the south side of Lansing during this year's Community Garden Tour. This year they will focus especially on youth and families in the garden. Please come Thursday, August 13th at 5:30 p.m. for this fun and informative bus tour. Meet at the Ingham Family Center, 1601 W. Holmes Rd.  There is a $5 suggested donation. In this tour, learn about community and youth gardens in Lansing!  Meet gardeners and see many different gardening styles and techniques.  Please note children must be at least 4 years old and 4 ft. tall to ride the bus.  Call (517) 887-4660 as soon as possible to reserve your seat. You can visit the website at www.lansingfoodbank.org/garden-project

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Visit your local library this summer! Michigan's Department of Natural Resources has partnered with the Library of Michigan, Macy's, and the Hammock Company to announce the "Park & Read" program. Park & Read allows library-card holders the ability to "check-out" a one-day pass into any Michigan state park or recreation area in lieu of the resident daily motor vehicle permit.  This is a $6 savings and free access to the more than 500 events taking place in local parks this summer. Plus, many parks will have a hammock available for Park & Read participants to borrow while on-site for the day so they can fully enjoy a great book in Michigan's great outdoors. Passes are valid for seven days from check-out and can be used for one day at any one of Michigan's state parks.  Hammocks are subject to availability.  This program runs through September 25. Visit the Capital Area District Library for your pass or call Maia Stephens 989-225-8573.

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A beautiful healthy lawn can be a great addition to a home as well as the environment. The best way to establish a lawn is to work with nature by utilizing its own ability to fight off disease and unwanted growth. You must begin with healthy soil, the foundation for any healthy plant life. You must also choose the right kind of grass for your climate; Kentucky Bluegrass and fescues grow well in Michigan for example. Keeping the grass a little long, watering deeply, and controlling thatch build up are also small steps that will create a better lawn. Integrated Pest Management is the best way to have control over a lawn, it means using pest’s natural predators, limited pesticides, and gardening methods to get permanent results that have a limited effect of the environment. Healthy lawns support healthy environments; they provide homes and food for animal life, prevent soil erosion, and filter pollutants from rainwater and the air. Visit www.epa.gov for a more detailed lawn management program.

 

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This year’s Old Town Jazzfest was a great one for the community and for the environment. For the first time, Jazzfest had a “Green Team” that directed recycling, clean ups, a free water station and giveaways of all organic t-shirts. In cooperation with the Go Green! Go Lansing! Initiative, the Green Team had festival attendees make a pledge to protect the environment. Video and pictures from the festival will be featured at www.GoGreenGoLansing.com in the near future.

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You can now keep up on what the Greater Lansing Go Green! Initiative is up to at all times. Follow our updates on Twitter at Twitter.com/LansingGoGreen or become a fan on Facebook! I encourage you to keep in contact with myself and my Go Green! staff, continue sharing with us your concerns and great ideas.

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Being green means reducing and recycling; don’t forget to reuse! There are many free online services that provide a way for people to share items and to help the environment as well.

-               If you aren’t interested in using the library or just want to own your books, www.bookmooch.com allows you to give your books away and receive credits to get books you want from others.

-               A more local option for giving and receiving items to reuse is www.freecycle.org , a non-profit movement dedicated to keeping usable and quality items out of landfills.

-               If you are especially interested in obtaining quality technology like music, movies, games, and other electronic goods, www.zunafish.com is the place to do so without damaging the environment or your pocketbook.

 

 

 

 

 

July 28 2009

In This Issue…

Phone Book Recycling

MSU Organic Farm

Michigan Eats Exhibit

Buying Local

Phone Book Recycling

Fair Trade

Facebook and Twitter

Summer Go Green! Tips

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AT&T Real Yellow Pages, in partnership with the City of Lansing waste reductions Services, Mayor Bernero's Greater Lansing Go Green! Initiative and Nu-Wool Co., Inc. is conducting a telephone directory recycling program from July 28 through August 3. All the recycled directories will be converted to home insulation and hydro-seed mulch by Nu-Wool Co., Inc. You can drop off your outdated and unwanted phone books at the Lansing Recycling Transfer Station; 530 East South Street, the Foster Community Center; 200 North Foster, Gier Community Center; 2400 Hall Street, and Nu-Wool Co., Inc.; 2472 Port Sheldon Rd. in Jenison.

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The MSU Organic Farm is a student led and managed farm founded in 1999 by a group of students eager to apply newly learned skills. The Farm has created a place where students and community can volunteer, work, and visit; the program has clearly flourished and broadened learning experiences. In addition to quality organic vegetables and fruits the MSU Organic Farm now has free range chickens and a bee colony. You can find and purchase their premium products and harvest at their farm stand located on the MSU campus at Auditorium and Farm Lane between 11am and 5:30 pm every Thursday. You can also check out the MSU Organic Farm’s website, msuorganicfarm.org for more information on the program.

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Michigan Eats: Regional Culture through Food is an exhibit currently being showcased through November 15 in the Heritage Gallery at the MSU Museum. The exhibition looks at and investigates Michigan’s food history, traditional recipes, and a variety of celebrations surrounding food. Moreover, the exhibit focuses on “foodways”; the study of why, traditionally, we eat the food we eat and what that means culturally. Visit museum.msu.edu for more information on upcoming exhibits at and coming to the MSU museum.

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Buying seasonal, local food benefits the environment for many reasons. Most food travels an average of 1,500 miles to reach your table, making locally sourced foods effect on the climate comparatively minimal. Generally speaking, local food also uses less packaging, is fresher, and comes in more varieties. Buying local also supports the local economy and small farmers; they save money by being able to package, process, refrigerate, market and ship their produce less. There are many quality farmers' markets in the Lansing area dedicated to bringing you the freshest local food available. Lansing City Market, Allen Street Farmers Market, Old Town Farmers Market and the MSU Student Organic Farm Stand are just a few in the immediate Lansing area. For a more exhaustive list, or for local food near you, visit localharvest.org.

 

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Fair trade certified food ensures a proper wage and working conditions for those who harvest and handle it. But fair trade is green for the environment as well. TransFair, the only fair trade certifier in the US, has strong environmental standards built into its certification process that protect watersheds and virgin forests, help prevent erosion, promote natural soil fertility and water conservation, and prohibit GMOs and many synthetic chemicals. TransFair claims that their environmental standards are the most stringent in the industry, second only to USDA organic certification. Visit  transfairusa.org for even more information.

 

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You can now keep up on what the Greater Lansing Go Green! Initiative is up to at all times. Follow our updates on Twitter at twitter.com/lansinggogreen or become a fan on Facebook! I encourage you to keep in contact with myself and my Go Green! staff, continue sharing with us your concerns and great ideas.

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Have a green summer; find environmentally friendly alternatives to your favorite summer activities.

- Nothing says summer like the grill; use a gas grill if you have one, it's better for the environment because it doesn't create fumes. If you prefer an open fire, consider switching to hardwood charcoals that contain no pollutants like the brand Wicked Good Charcoal.

- Enjoy the weather with a picnic; replace the plastic utensils and paper plates and cups with reusable cloth and ceramic alternatives. Avoid plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and styrofoam and compost all food waste.

- Stay cool and green in your pool; install a pool cover to reduce the amount of heat loss and chemicals needed to clean it. Maintain the pools equipment, keep it clean and lubricated to increase efficiency and lifespan. Installing a new water-saving pool filter will also increase efficiency.