The PEA Pod, June 2011
PEA Update
Change is hard but necessary to adapt to an ever-evolving world. As many of you know, our Executive Director, Charles Adair, resigned shortly before the Earth Day Fair. In the face of this change, PEA hired a consultant to help us think through where to go from here. I am thrilled to report that after a full-day Board retreat, PEA has decided to move the organization in an exciting new direction. We are excited about the future of PEA and the future of a sustainable Piedmont Triad North Carolina. Stay tuned for some big announcements coming soon! Have input to share? Call me at 336-655-0176 or post your ideas to our Facebook page.
Terri LeGrand
Board Chair
It's cool to be in our Alliance, 'cause the planet is heating up!
On the heels of another successful Earth Day Fair, PEA is reaching out to the community asking for donations to help support its programming. We are proud to offer the Piedmont Earth Day Fair free to the community. To continue these types of events, expand our outreach and work to change behaviors in the Piedmont, we need YOU to become a member or make a donation today. Memberships, which start at just $25/year, are a fundamental source of our funding.Recently, PEA mailed out fundraising letters to current supporters for whom we have addresses. Click here to view the letter. Whether you received one of these letters or not, donating is easy here with our safe and secure online donation program. Please donate today.
Bike to Work Week
By Matthew Burczyk, PEA Board of Directors
Did you notice more cyclists on the streets and paths of Winston-Salem during the week of May 16? The City of Winston-Salem Department of Transportation participated in National Bike Week May 16 – 20 by partnering with local businesses and organizations to host Bike to Work Week events throughout the city. Hatch, Gold’s Gym, Cobblestone Farmers Market, Wake Forest Baptist Health, and the Forsyth County Health Department all hosted events during the week to reward bicycle commuters and to encourage and educate those who had yet to try cycling to work. Local bike shops helped promote the events and volunteered mechanical services to help cyclists address maintenance issues. All events featured free giveaways, refreshments, and advice on how to incorporate cycling into everyday life.
You can reach the City of Winston-Salem Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator at 747.6884 or mattbk@cityofws.org.
5,000 Attend Piedmont Earth Day Fair on a Stormy Day!
We estimate a crowd of 5,000 attended our 6th annual Piedmont Earth Day Fair on Saturday. We were pleased to see so many members of our community come out on a rainy day to enjoy the Fair. Feedback from both exhibitors and visitors was extremely positive. The strong attendance illustrates our community’s growing interest in protecting the environment.
Let your voices he heard. Comment today on Legacy.
Legacy is a comprehensive planning tool for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County: a blueprint for handling the expected growth of 120,000 people by 2030. Legacy is being updated and we need EVERYONE in the Piedmont community to encourage our leaders to consider the environment as these plans are being updated.
Click the links below to leave your comments on each topic. Please encourage our leaders to take steps to reduce green house gas emissions, reduce and properly handle waste, improve public transportation, adopt energy efficient policies, preserve green space, improve air and water quality, and much more to move the Piedmont towards being a sustainable community. To leave a comment, click on a link below ad then click on the word "comment" at the very bottom of each section in the left hand column.
- Land Use
- Transportation
- Economic Development
- Environmental Quality & Sustainability
- Healthy, Complete & Equitable Communities
- Community Character (including Historic Preservation)
- How do we want our community to be remembered? Should development be required to blend in with the community?
For more information, contact Kelly Bennett, City/County Planning Board, 336-747-7062, kbbennett@gmail.com
Attention all PEA Members!
As members of PEA you are eligible for great discounts from local environmentally friendly businesses. These businesses sell sustainable products and/or adopt principles, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, their employees, their communities, and the environment.
We encourage you to show your support to these businesses. By shopping and showing your cards, you are letting them know that it matters to you that they strive to be sustainable and that you appreciate their willingness to support PEA by offering discounts to members.
PEA Savings Partner List:
EcoLogic Environmental Landscapes
Great Outdoor Provision Company
Portfolio Resources Group, Inc.
World VillagesEarth Day Tees Closeout
Remaining inventory of the 2011 Earth Day Fair Tees are being sold for half price. These organic tees are now just $11 for adult sizes and $10 for youth sizes. You may purchase online here. Inventory is limited so buy today!
D.E.S.K. - Recycling for Education
On April 6th teams of Wake Forest student volunteers signed up to paint desks for elementary school children, and 55 children were able to receive a desk through this year’s event! Discovering Education through Student Knowledge (D.E.S.K.) is an annual community service project at Wake Forest University that began in 2000. The goal of D.E.S.K. is to provide personalized desks and school supplies to elementary students in Winston-Salem, from families with parents that are struggling to make ends meet and/or come from one parent households, and providing a place to study and learn in their homes.
Children are not only positively affected by receiving a desk, but also by the connection each child makes with their sponsoring team. Beyond the day of the event, D.E.S.K also works to provide study tips, as well as an assignment book to better enable students and parents to achieve academic excellence through utilizing the home environment. Through PEA's Green Alert we had 8 people offer desks, 3 of which fit the criteria. For more information on the program or to donate a desk in the future, contact Kelly Koons, Campus Life, at koonskj@wfu.edu.