Not Just for Superheroes

With so many different materials we use, recycling can sometimes be confusing. South Carolina's Recycling web site has some great information. This has resources for residents, teachers, students, and businesses.

Teachers have lessons, materials, presentations, and grant funding information available. If students want help for a science fair, it provides a guidebook for creating projects that focus on recycling, energy, and water conservation. We got a kick out of their cool posters, like this one at left. You can print one, or call 1-800-768-7348 to get printed posters by mail. See if there is something new that you can use!

Grown at Home, Made by Hand

For those of us charmed by local treasures in our gift-hunting, check out the goodies in the Homegrown Handmade Art Roads and Farm Trails of North Carolina.

"Travel along back roads to sample fresh goat cheese and scuppernong wine, artists' studios and sidewalk cafés," entices the site. The alliance between arts and agriculture in the Foothills, Piedmont, and Coastal areas has created trails to find local treats. Buying local, food and arts, exploring different areas of the map--that's a siren song to me!

The self-directed driving trails have art galleries, horse farms, you-pick farms, locally owned restaurants that feature local food products, and bed-and-breakfast inns. They also include events and activities; from music at harvest festivals to food and crafts at local fairs.

You can also get a printed guide to all the trails in this book of the same title. Very useful for adventuring...

Farm to Fork

Welcome to Reverend Sara Morgan's stand at the Health Department Market! The Department wants to make it easy for everyone to get their fruits and vegetables. This is in Wayne County, in eastern North Carolina. It's the site of a community that is working to build a sound food system for its people.

The Wayne Food Initiative (WFI) has developed an ambitious program. They envision healthy, knowledgeable and engaged citizens, with nutritious and affordable food accessible to all. The natural world will be protected by sound environmental practices; local farming and businesses, strong. The young people will learn and grow to become the future leaders.

The seed grant for this project was provided by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS). It's a partnership of NC State University, NC A&T University, and the NC Department of Agriculture. They work closely with various agencies, organizations, and citizens like those in Wayne Couny. Now CEFS is looking at the whole state and asking: "What will it take to build a sustainable local food economy in North Carolina?"

Tell them what you think! Come to a regional meeting and help out. If you are involved in any aspect of the food industry or would like to be, bring your information and ideas to this working session. Meetings have been held in Raleigh, Burgaw, and Asheville. This month's schedule includes the regions around Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Greenville. You can get more information about the regional meetings and about this initiative at Farm to Fork. Choose one of the many ways to get involved in "Building a Sustainable, Local Food Economy."

Here is the meeting schedule:

Charlotte area - Monday, Dec. 8th, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Cabarrus Arena and Event Center, 4751 Highway 49 North, Concord.

Winston-Salem/Greensboro/Highpoint - Wednesday, Dec. 10th, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. SciWorks, 400 W Hanes Mill Rd, Winston Salem, (336) 767-6734. Directions at SciWorks.

Greenville - Monday, Dec. 15, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. St. Timothy’s, 107 Louis St., Greenville, (252) 355-2125.

Cheers to Beidler Forest

Have you seen Beidler Forest? Audubon South Carolina operates two wonderful centers: Francis Beidler Forest, and Silver Bluff along the Savannah River. The centers have educational and visitor programs to add to their natural resources.

Francis Beidler Forest, in Four Holes Swamp, is a 16,000-acre wildlife sanctuary. It features a boardwalk that is almost two miles long, through an old-growth cypress-tupelo swamp. South Carolina's Governor Mark Sanford proclaimed the week of November 30-December 6th to be Beidler Forest Week. This recognizes the Francis Beidler Forest, and applauds Audubon's efforts to preserve wetlands in the Palmetto State. Here's a tip of the hat - or, a raise of the binoculars to them! Let's put it on our must-visit list.

Catawba River Film Festival

Join me at the movies! On Thursday, December 4th, at 6:30 p.m., the Catawba River Film Festival will present an evening of short films.

In Birthplace of the Winds, you can watch a National Geographic expedition in remote Alaska - explorers kayaking in waters among volcanic islands, following the routes of the native Aleuts. Other settings include Malawi and Hawaii. All four showings focus on important issues concerning our world's water.

After the movie, Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman will lead a panel discussion. Senator Dan Clodfelter of North Carolina and Bruce Henderson of the Charlotte Observer will participate. The Film Festival will be in the Pease Auditorium at Central Piedmont Community College's main campus. General admission tickets are $5, children under 12 are free, at CarolinaTix or by phone at (704) 372-1000.

Before the film program, a reception will be held in the student art gallery, beginning at 5:30. The gallery is showing student work created from recycled materials for the series, America Recycles. This event, catered by Earth Fare, will honor donors who support the work of the Riverkeepers. Guests may purchase tickets for the reception separately, at Reservations.

You can also contact Erica Geppi for more information at (704) 679-9494.

Dig It Saturday

Can you help plant trees? On Saturday, volunteers are needed to plant thousands of them on the western side of Mountain Island Lake. This tree project, sponsored by the North Carolina Sierra Club and the Central Piedmont Group, helps filter groundwater and creates a buffer to keep our drinking water clean.

The participants will meet at the Henderson Park Swim Club on November 22nd, work from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m, and be treated to a thank-you luncheon and celebration, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

If you can help, the NC Sierra Club asks you to visit their registration site, which also provides a map to the Swim Club. Tools will be supplied, but it will be helpful if you can bring a shovel or gardening tools. If it rains, bring rain gear; if it storms, sponsors will notify you and reschedule. For more information, please contact Jennifer Keech, jkkeech@aol.com, of the Central Piedmont Group, or call Kara Craig, of the NC Sierra Club, at (919) 833-8467.

Fair Oil

Last month, the North Carolina State Fair opened a day earlier, and the attendance on Sunday was a record for the last day. We especially applaud an exciting project at this year's event: around 8,000 gallons of used cooking oil was collected. The used vegetable oil will be converted into biodiesel fuel, to be used by the NC Department of Agriculture at their research stations. It's great to see our "waste" being recycled!