Play on National Public Lands Day

A free event to celebrate National Public Lands Day is happening at the Cradle of Forestry on Saturday, September 26th. A Naturalist will lead a "Water Wonders" (Maravillas del Agua) walk on the paved Forest Festival Trail. The tour will tell about public lands and how the forests affect watersheds and water quality. Kids ages 5-12 can then play in a short game to learn more about the water cycle. This program is presented in both English and Spanish, at different time periods. The Cradle of Forestry has free admission for everyone on this special day!

Habitat Weatherization - Volunteer Sept 26

Welcome to the home of Henry and Bertha Buchanan! Last month volunteers from Habitat for Humanity and the Sierra Club arrived to weatherize their house. It's part of a plan to preserve affordable housing, while reducing the need for energy. And the Buchanans will save on their monthly power bills. At 7 a.m. this Saturday morning, the partnership will tackle two more houses in South Charlotte. Want to help?

This project is exciting because of how well the pieces fit together. Sierra Club's Charlotte Cool Cities focuses on environmental education. For this, a laboratory is needed, and it is provided by Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repairs Division. Tim O'Neil, of Habitat, says the Division has focused on necessities for owner-occupied homes, such as roofs and floors, to make them safer and drier. Now they are adding weatherization, to help conserve energy and to help the owners save money.

In the photo at left, volunteers are repairing the furnace ductwork, usually a leading cause of energy loss. Before the work begins, Matthew Coapman, of Greenhome, is donating comprehensive home energy audits and teaching volunteers. Some very eager volunteers are students in the Sustainable Technology program, begun this fall by Central Piedmont Community College. Mark Helms, CPCC's Director of Service Learning, met with a class in Energy Efficiency recently to explain this project. The class of 27 students is divided into 4 teams; each team will participate in the weatherization of at least one home, the first one this weekend.

Besides helping our neighbors stay warmer this winter, all parties plan to extend this project outward. The Sierra Club plans to share this model program nationally. Helms wants to prepare packets, to hand out at conferences, on replicable design. The goals would be learning how to do energy audits and weatherizations, lowering carbon footprints, and helping people save their homes.

If you can't make it this month, you can join in continuing efforts on this project. For more information, please contact Eric Geppi or call (704) 343-0047.

Buchanan and Sarah Little, relaxing on the porch after a job well done.

All photos by Rob Singh-Latulipe, copyright 2009.

River Trip!

The Riverspeak News from the Winyah Rivers Foundation offers an upcoming paddle trip on the Waccamaw River. This photo, taken by Ed Kay, shows members of the Yakkity Yakers Club on a previous river run. The paddle series, “If The River Could Talk,” continues with a new trip you can join. On Saturday, October 3rd, the morning float on the Waccamaw River departs at 9 a.m. from Wacca Wache Marina in Murrells Inlet, SC. We can row along with the Waccamaw Riverkeeper and Foundation members to enjoy the river's delights.

A reservation is required. Contact Winyah Rivers Foundation in Conway, SC; 843-349-4007, wrk@coastal.edu, or www.winyahrivers.org for more details.

Asparagus Twilight Meeting

This evening, the farm of Mr. Garnett Carr in Roxboro, NC, will host an asparagus how-to class. I thought it was difficult, but the announcement states that this high-value vegetable crop is easy to grow.

Presented by Carl Cantaluppi, a Horticulture Agent for the NC Cooperative Extension Service, the meeting will tour variety trial plots planted there. They will examine yields, discuss soil requirements, fertility, insect control, and harvesting of asparagus. Cantaluppi will show us how to plant year-old crowns, and explain costs and marketing.

The meeting is free and open to the public. It's part of several great initiatives to help growers transform agricultural land from tobacco fields into healthy and profitable farms. Want to go? There is no pre-registration needed. It's at 6 p.m. on 980 Flem Clayton Road, Roxboro, NC. Reach Carl Cantaluppi for more information at 919-603-1350. Maybe we'll see you there!

Mountain Aid Festival in NC, June 19-20

Kathy Mattea, a self- described "recovering country music star," will be the host and feature performer at the Mountain Aid festival June 19th and 20th. Others appearing include Donna the Buffalo, the Slim Redmond Band, and Ben Sollee. This year's proceeds will go to the Pennies of Promise campaign, to build a school for the children of Marsh Fork Elementary. Their current school, in Raleigh County, West Virginia, is threatened by a coal sludge impoundment in the hills above them.

Mountain Aid 2009 will be held at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival farm, near Pittsboro, North Carolina. Tickets are $22.50 in advance and $30 on the concert day; kids are free. Gates will open at noon on June 19th. Tent camping is $10, vehicle camping, $4.

Robert Redford Gets LEAF Award

As Earth Month draws to a close, let's recognize Duke University's brand new LEAF Award, for Lifetime Environmental Achievement in the Fine Arts.

Robert Redford received the first LEAF during Duke's Reunion Activities. The photo at left is from Duke News. Since the early 70's, he has shown his concern for the environment and the arts in his films, and has used his talents and resources to share it with others. He has taken a leadership role in non-profits such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Apollo Alliance. He has lobbied Congress and convened conferences on these issues.

"Robert Redford’s body of work as an actor, director, producer . . . highlights the critical but often underappreciated role artists can play in inspiring people to take action for the environment,” said William L. Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment.

For more information about the award or Redford's long career, see The Duke LEAF Award. The site includes video of the award ceremony and audio of Redford's acceptance speech.

At News 14's interview, Redford was asked how the award would be compared with getting an Oscar. He said, "I like this a lot."

Sunshine, Please

After many days of rain, everyone is ready to get out. Let's play in the sun, and dig in the dirt! If you are ready to plant something, check out the native plant sales in the area. Native plants require less work, and grow better and easier than other species. They behave themselves, and don't require you to trim them (with a machete) in a couple of years. Some non-natives are invasive, even pretty ones like wisterias and English ivy.

The NC/SC Native Plant Sale is this weekend, at the Museum of York County on Saturday, April 4, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The sale features iris, cardinal flower, butterfly weed, and native blueberry plants.

Greenville, SC hosts a Native Plant Society Sale on Saturday, April 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The sale will be held by the Upstate Chapter in the parking lot of Jeff Lynch Appliances in Greenville. Here is its Flyer, SCNPS_09Spring_sale.pdf.

Also on April 18, from 9 a.m. to noon, is the Spring Native Plant Sale and Bog Garden Workshop. The Lowcountry Chapter of the SC Native Plant Society presents it in the parking lot of Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, in Charleston. They also offer the Bog Garden Workshop at 10:00 a.m. Here is that Plant Sale Flyer/Poster.

Look for several events on the 25th: first, the TLC Irvin Learning Farm Primavera Preview, a mouthful that I can't say three times fast. Another event in North Carolina that day is the Duke Gardens Plant and Craft Festival, with music, crafts, and more.

The South Carolina Botanical Garden Plant Sale is also on April 25th, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You can talk to Master Gardeners there about plant selection and care. All proceeds benefit the SC Botanical Garden at Clemson, 295 acres of natural landscapes, gardens, streams, and nature trails. I really want to see the 400 varieties of camellias there!