The PEA Pod, April 2010
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APRIL 2010 |
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From the Executive Director You know how when you watch the Olympics and those figure skaters make a triple lutz look easy, and the gymnasts make a double back layout dismount off the balance beam look like anyone could do it? I am afraid that we have honed our Earth Day Fair planning and organization to such an extent that folks attending the Fair might think it was no great achievement. This apparent ease camouflages the many, many hours of hard work by dozens of volunteers. Just today, one stalwart volunteer, Gail Dawson, organized about a dozen other volunteers, many of whom help with this task year after year, to count and sort 35,000 flyers about our Kids in Action program. These flyers will go to every elementary school age child in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County school system. Parents and children receiving these flyers will have no idea of the hours spent (and paper cuts endured) to get this information out to the community. We have volunteers working on every area of the Fair, some seasoned veterans returning for their fifth Fair and newcomers who have brought new energy and enthusiasm. The Earth Day Fair organizing team begins planning the Fair in August and works steadily until April arrives. So, as you are enjoying the exhibits, live music, fantastic food, and Kids in Action activities, and as you are taking Action to preserve our planet at the fifth annual Piedmont Earth Day Fair on April 17, think about the hard work of the many volunteers that made the event possible and join with me in thanking them for a job well done! Terri E. LeGrand Bring the Whole Family to our Planet Party!Saturday, April 17, 2010, 10 am - 5 pm on the campus of Wake Forest University PEA and the Department of Sustainability at Wake Forest University are teaming up to inspire visitors to commit to make one or more of ten easily-adopted lifestyle changes with the greatest potential for reducing our impact on the Earth. These lifestyle changes range from driving behavior to laundry habits to home insulation. Thousands of commitments to ACT will be documented at the fair. Our Kids in Action program, featuring engaging interactive activities, will teach children how they can take action to protect our planet in ways that are meaningful to them. Hands-on activities include solar car races, a teaching bee hive, energy science experiments, backyard birding, and native rehabbed wildlife. Our younger fairgoers will collect tokens at these and other kid-friendly exhibitor booths and use them to vote for local non-profit organizations in the PEA Children’s Tent. Everyone will enjoy the great lineup of all-natural foods and beverages available from local eateries. Bring your taste-buds and your appetites. There is a wide range of food available from Mexican prepared-to-order, Mediterranean fare, vegetarian dishes, pizza fresh from a wood-fired oven on-site, and ice cream or gelato. The food vendors at the Fair are trying to use as much local produce as possible, and all meats served are from animals raised humanely without growth hormones. Our goal for the Fair is Zero Waste. All food and drink sold at the Fair will be served in/on recyclable or compostable containers. Recycling and composting bins will be available at our Fair, but there will be no "trash" cans. We encourage you to think creatively about ways to reduce or eliminate waste on Earth Day and each day of the year. You can do all this while listening to great live music. The entertainment line-up includes folk, old time, Appalachian punk, indie rock and American soul. Come out and enjoy the day while learning more about making your life and community more sustainable. We encourage you to carpool and if possible, bike to the fair. Bike directions to the fair are available on our website, and we are offering bicycle valet parking and a bicycle safety rodeo for children. Bring your re-usable water bottle and fill it at a Primo Water filling station. The event is rain or shine, and admission is free. PEA Partner Spotlight: Eagle’s Nest FoundationOur children are growing up in a time where electronics are everywhere. Hours are spent in front of screens: computer, video game, TV, and phone. Electronics make our lives easier, but often at the cost of our connection to the natural world. Now, more than ever, we must make an effort to connect our children with the natural world. Eagle’s Nest Foundation has discovered ways to bring out the “wild side” of children. Created in 1950, this non-profit organization oversees Eagle’s Nest Camp, Eagle’s Nest Hante Adventures and The Outdoor Academy. Their mission is “hands-on education for young people while encouraging them to appreciate nature and challenges them to improve their character.” The Outdoor Academy is an academic semester school for High School Sophomores, where they learn the curriculum while fostering a deep connection to nature. Hante Adventures offers challenging wilderness courses for 13-17 year olds, and Eagle’s Nest Camp is a summer camp for 6-17 year olds. Eagle’s Nest Foundation is one of PEA’s newest Savings Partners and offers PEA members a $15 voucher to spend at the camp store during Eagle’s Nest Camp. Read more. Riverkeeper Invites You to Join Him on the Tour de YadkinYadkin Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks will be kayaking 230 miles of the Yadkin River in April to celebrate the many treasures of the river and to raise awareness of the variety of threats facing the river. The Tour will begin April 7th west of Kerr Scott Reservoir in Wilkes County and end May 1st at Lake Tillery in Montgomery County. Most weekends there will be outfitting available for those who want to paddle with Dean on his journey. Learn more. River Run Film Festival Announces Eco-InitiativeRiver Run is stepping up its efforts this year to provide a more sustainable festival to highlight its films. The film line-up will include four “Green Scene” documentaries that explore pressing environmental concerns and the people who are making a difference. They include: “Climate Refugees”, “The End of The Line”, “Oceans”, and “So Right, So Smart”. All venues will have recycling receptacles, as well as water coolers to encourage film-goers to bring their own bottles. Film guides and brochures are printed on recycled paper with non-toxic soy inks, and the souvenir merchandise is made from organic cotton and/or recycled materials. For more information on River Run eco-initiatives, the “Green Scene” films, and a complete list of films, go to http://www.riverrunfilm.com/. Get Outside, Reduce Your Impact and Create BeautyForsyth County Cooperative Extension and the Forsyth County Libraries are teaming up again to offer some great, informative programs this spring. Their popular Home and Garden Series returns with several programs that will show you ways to create beautiful spaces while reducing maintenance, water use, and in turn your impact on the community. The topics include:
Other programs include Trash to Treasures, Low Maintenance Gardening and Backyard Chickens. To learn more about these programs and others being offered, click here for a brochure. There is no cost for the programs, and they run 60-90 minutes. The programs are offered at various libraries in Forsyth County, check the brochure for specific times and locations. May Events at The Krankies Farmers’ MarketThe Krankies Farmers' Market, a joint effort between Triad Buying Co-op, Inc. and Krankies Coffee, features locally and sustainably grown and/or produced foods, including vegetables, fruit, honey, eggs, cheese, pasture-fed meat and bread, as well as flowers and plants. All vendors sell only what they grow or produce, and market organizers visit every farm to ensure the use of sustainable practices. The Krankies Farmers' Market begins its second season in April with a new, larger location outside Krankies Coffee, on Patterson Ave. between Third and Fourth streets, in Winston-Salem. The market is open every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the end of November. Get out and enjoy some of their May events. May 4 - Coffee Tasting: Master roasters from Krankies Coffee will share coffee samples brewed from their freshly roasted coffee beans. May 11 - Cooking with Mooney's Mediterranean Restaurant: Nadine David, chef and co-owner, will do a cooking demo and food tasting featuring local produce and meat. May 18 - Strawberry Day: Strawberries grown without the use of pesticides will be available for sale at the market from Rail Fence Farm in Belews Creek. May 25 - Bike to Market Day: Cyclists will enjoy free valet parking for bikes and refreshments. Ken Putnam of Ken's Bike Shop in Winston-Salem will demonstrate how to carry produce on a bicycle, and Matthew Burczyk, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the City of Winston-Salem, will be on hand to answer questions about road improvements. Welcome to Our Newest Organizational Members 360 Health:Comprehensive Wellness Strategies Not a Member Yet? Join Today!Please join and become part of the solution for a sustainable future. To become a member, you may join on-line or download the membership form from our website and mail it to us. PEA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported solely by membership dues and donations. |
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