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Conservation and Environmental Education
Hot news! and Local Links!
November 2011 - Well, "old man winter" is
on the way, but here is an indoor activity for February that will allow
you to stay nice and warm...........or if you are brave of heart you can
take it outdoors! The next "Great
Backyard Bird Count" (GBBC) is
set for Friday, February 17 - Monday, Feb 20, 2012.
It's fun, does not require a lot of your time if you have a busy
schedule, and the entire family can get involved if you'd like. Visit
www.birdsource.org/gbbc for more information.
Also Project Feeder watch
begins on November 12. To learn more or to sign up
(small fee) please visit www.feederwatch.org.
The PA DCNR has many energy saving suggestions....here's one to help
with your annual heating bills........
"Program to save. Save approximately 10%
on your annual home heating expenditures with a programmable
thermostat. Try 68 degrees or cooler in the winter and 72 or higher in
the summer. There are many types of programmable thermostats on the
market and different types of heating systems, so be sure to select
the model that's right for you.
Recycling has just gotten easier!
Cycl It - a new recycling
business is now open and is located at 629 S. 13th Street, Indiana, PA
15701 between the IUP tennis courts and Hoss’s on South 13th Street
extension. Phone #:724-309-8188
The recycling center will take the following items: cardboard,
glass bottles, all plastics #1-7, cans-aluminum & bi-metal,
newspaper, office paper, magazines, batteries, gas grills, lawn
mowers & blowers, vinyl siding, computers/electronics, used motor
oil, used kitchen oil, all appliances.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one way to buy local
seasonal food directly from a farmer. Information on local CSA's
may be found at www.LocalHarvest.org. Local farmer's markets are also listed
at this site. Check it out..... it's surprising to see all the
wonderful local products that are available in our region.
The Environmental Protection Agency provides
guidelines on house and garden pesticides, which provide consumers
with proper disposal instructions on these products. Do not
throw household and garden pesticides into the trash. Many
pesticides are hazardous, and throwing them into the trash puts
children, pets and sanitation workers at risk. Neither should
pesticides be dumped down drains, which could cause ground and
surface water contamination. Consumers are directed to contact
their local solid waste, health or environmental agency for
information on proper disposal of these products. North American Hazardous Materials Management Association
Newsletters you can sign
up for:
'Seeds'
from iconserv NR). iConservePA is a web site managed by the
Pennsylvania DCNR.
'Keystone
Wild! Notes' - the official online publication of the Pennsylvania
Wild Resource Conservation Program, administered by the PA DCNR
Recommended Links:
Earth Hour - Earth
Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals
and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to
take a stand against climate change.
Earth Day is Everyday! 2011 Earth Day was Friday, April 22 and
this year's theme was a Billion Acts of Green. The purpose is to
mobilize one billion acts of environmental service around the world.
Acts can be very simple, such as making a pledge to use cold water for
laundry or picking up trash (which could be immense!). As stated by the
Earth Day Organization, whatever your pledges, "collectively, these acts
not only have an impact on global carbon emissions but will demonstrate
the power of small everyday individual acts of green". For more ideas on
ongoing activities see
www.earthday.org.
Arbor Day 2011 was Friday April 29.
According to the Arbor Day
Foundation, over the course of 50 years, a single tree can generate
$31,250 worth of air pollution control, recycle $37,500 worth of water,
and control $31,500 worth of soil erosion. Do you know the state tree of
Pennsylvania?
National Resource Council - NRDC is the
nation's most effective environmental action group, combining the
grassroots power of 1.3 million members and online activists with the
courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and
other professionals.
Conservation
International - Building upon a strong foundation of science,
partnership and field demonstration, CI empowers societies to
responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity,
for the well-being of humanity.
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