Join us Saturday, June 27 at 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for the Ecology Action Center’s annual Yard Smart Walk! We will tour five different yards in the area that all demonstrate the Yard Smart principles.
The Yard Smart Program is a voluntary effort to help reduce synthetic pesticide use, conserve natural resources and make room for wildlife. Because studies indicate human health concerns as well as environmental concerns associated with over-use of synthetic lawn chemicals, Yard Smart has developed yard care practices that are safe for children and pets. This walk will be a great opportunity to see what you can do differently in your yard to keep your family and the environment safe.
The event is free and open to the public. If you are interested in joining the tour, please call the Ecology Action Center at 309-454-3169 to reserve your spot. Call soon before all the spots fill up!
Back Thru the Future Technology Disposal is a group that is dedicated to the proper recycling of different kinds of software, specifically CDs & DVDs, and computer hard drives. They offer this recycling service so consumers can reduce their environmental footprints. People often don’t think about it, but these disks and hard drives are comprised of several different recyclable materials. By reusing these substances we can greatly save energy and other important fuels.
A CD is considered a class 7 recyclable plastic, and it requires 300 cubic feet of natural gas, 2 cups of crude oil and 24 gallons of water to make one pound of CDs (which equals 30 CDs). It is estimated that America Online (AOL) alone has produced more than 2 billion CDs. The natural gas used to make those CDs could have heated almost 200,000 homes for a year. It is also estimated that it would take over 1 million years for a CD to decompose in a landfill.
Hard drives also contain a great deal of recyclable aluminum. Recycling one hard drive saves enough energy to light a 100 watt bulb for 134 hours, or run your television for 102 hours, and is the energy equivalent of 1.5 gallons of gasoline.
As you can see, there are many reasons to recycle these kinds of technologies. To recycle any unwanted CDs, DVDs, and hard drives, you must package them properly, and then mail them to: Back Thru The Future, 150 Main Street, Ogdensburg, NJ 07439. Write "FREE CD/DVD RECYCLING" on the outside of your shipping package.
And just so you know, there is another service available to us in Bloomington/Normal that will recycle your old or unwanted electronic materials, including CDs, DVDs, and hard drives. This is the Normal Public Works Garage, located at 1301 Warriner Street in Normal (off of Adelaide rd.) They are open Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information on the importance of recycling different technologies, visit Back Thru the Future’s website at www.backthruthefuture.com/.
The Shawnee Energy Fest May 2 and 3, 2009.
This energy and home improvement fair, located 3 miles away from Carbondale, will showcase local resources (businesses, organizations, networks) that can be utilized to decrease our dependence on nonrenewable energy sources. The theme is: "Ease your conscience locally by promoting sustainability-focused businesses and organizations." There will be forty workshops, including sessions on energy efficiency and renewable energy for your home. The Fest's hope is to save you money, reduce our region’s use of fossil fuels, and boost the local economy. Workshops will include permaculture, local foods, solar power, home energy efficiency, geothermal energy, power-smart pricing, and much more!
In addition to educational workshops and vendor showcases, the weekend will feature off grid music, speakers, tours of the Green Retreat, music, food, a kid’s activity tent and a whole lot more! The cost of the event is $7 per day or $10 for the entire weekend. Tickets will be available for purchase on the website. Children 12 years and under are free.
Parking will be nearby, with a shuttle provided to the venue. Several wineries and natural areas in the area can round out your day or weekend. The Energy Fest hours will be Saturday, 10 AM-6PM and Sunday, 10AM- 5 PM.
For more information for reserving space for a commercial information booth, to conduct a workshop or for general information, contact Aur at
tech@aessolar.com or call at 893-1717. More information and online ticket sales available at www.ShawneeEnergyFest.com
The Sugar Grove Nature Center Native Plant Sale
Saturday, May 23rd, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, the Sugar Grove Nature Center will be having a Native Plant Sale. You will be able to find an assortment of perennials and shrubs that will liven up your garden with heights, colors, and beauty. There will be a wide variety of different plants for sale. Supplies are limited!
Different shrubs that come in 5 gallon pots are $20 each. Some varieties include Red Chokeberry, New Jersey Tea, American Filbert, and Hawk Viburnum. These beautiful shrubs will grow in different environments, bloom stunning and fragrant flowers, and will attract different wildlife with the berries they naturally grow.
There are also premium perennials, grasses, and forbs for sale. Prairie Smoke, Blue Wild Indigo, Indian Grass, Wild Petunias, and Purple Milkweed are just some of the varieties that will be for sale. Perennials in quarter pots are $8, grasses and forbs in 3” pots re $4.
Not only are these plants beautiful, but it is also extremely ecologically beneficial to grow native plants in your gardens. Native plants, because they an grow naturally in our central Illinois environment, require much less work and fertilizers to grow. The less we use pesticides and fertilizers in our yards, the cleaner and healthier they will stay. Native plants are an important part of our Yard Smart Program. Click HERE to find out more about it.
Throughout the day there will be other fun and educational activities to partake in! There will be flower pot recycling, so you can all bring in your #2, #5, and #6 flower pots to be recycled safely so they don’t end up in a landfill. There will be an open Plant Trade Table, where people can swap and trade different kinds of plants, and a Lasagna Gardening Workshop from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. The workshop will deal with different kinds of gardening techniques to maximize the success of your garden ($5 for members of the center, and $7 for non-members).
Don’t miss out on this exciting experience! For more information, click HERE to visit the Sugar Grove Nature Center’s website.
The Habitat for Humanity of McLean County ReStore, located at 1402 W Washington Street, is now taking your donations! If you have any household items you no longer need, but are still in workable condition, you should donate them to the McLean County ReStore.
They are looking for almost anything that can be found in your house. Especially needed are doors, windows, cabinets, and household appliances. However, they are also looking for any building or remodeling material that is still in good enough condition to use. Not only will this save you the costs of dumping these items, it is also tax deductable. Most importantly, however, all these unwanted and unneeded items will go back to the community to help families upgrade their homes.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore sells your used items for only 50% to 70% of store value, and all the profits go to support Habitat for Humanity’s building program, which is working to get affordable homes built for the families who need them in McLean County. A pick-up service of your unneeded household items can be scheduled in advance if you wish.
Call Habitat for Humanity if you have any questions, or if you are looking to schedule a pick-up date at (309) 454-6047.