Staunton Green 2020

Sunday’s (Apr. 25) Washington Post had a great article about the importance of reducing the amount of fescue (also known as turf  or non-native grass) in our yards. Turf grass is now the number one “crop” in the Chesapeake Watershed. What’s wrong with that? The $5 billion we spend each year ($5 billion just in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed!!) on our turf includes among other harmful substances huge amounts of fertilizers with a terrifying abundance of phosphorous damaging our waterways.

Check out the article here.

Ready to make changes? See Gena Adams’ post on Apr. 23 on native plants.

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Image via Wikipedia

Ken Kesson, a Private Lands Wildlife Biologist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service and one of seven panelists from SG2020’s forum titled Dawn of a New Urban Landscape – The Natives Return, recommends the following species for a butterfly garden and also lists some short native grasses homeowners in Staunton, VA may want to plant in their yards.

Forbs:
Columbine
Sullivant’s Milkweed
Butterfly Weed
Crooked Stem Aster
Tall Joe Pye Weed
Sweet Joe Pye Weed
Prairie Blazingstar
Dense Blazing Star
Beramot
Downy Phlox
Ohio Goldenrod
Ironweed
Grasses:
Prairie Dropseed

For short grass prairies:
Grasses:
Blue Eyed Grass
June  Grass
Side Oats Grama
Little Blue Stem
Prairie Dropseed
Ivory Sedge

Forbs:
Nodding Pink Onion
Heath Aster
Crooked Stem Aster
Cream False Indigo
Purple Prairie Clover
Mistflower
Violet Wood Sorel
Broad Leaved Penstemon
Showy Goldenrod
Prairie Spiderwort
Wild Petunia
Prairie Smoke
Western Spiderwort

Here’s another guide about butterfly gardening that may be helpful for you, too.

Stay informed after Earth Day.  Here are a few of my favorite websites that I hope you will enjoy.  Send your favorite environmental websites to us at StauntonGreen@gmail.com.

Join the Food Revolution!

www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns

This is an exciting movement started in Huntington, WVA to bring fresh nutritious foods to our schools and to people all over.  See the website to join the 8,440+ Virginians who have signed the petition.

Environmental Working Group

www.EWG.org

Look here for the latest research to protect you and your family from toxic chemicals in our food, water and air in every day products that we use.  EWG is nationally recognized and they event have a great easy to follow rating system.

Food and Water Watch

www.foodandwaterwatch.org

If you liked the movie Fresh, this is a good website for you! This organization is one of the best for environmental education and enabling individuals to take ACTION. Their mission as a non-profit organization is to work with grassroots organizations around the world to create an economically and environmentally viable future. Through research, public and policymaker education, media, and lobbying, they advocate policies that guarantee safe, wholesome food produced in a humane and sustainable manner and public, rather than private, control of water resources including oceans, rivers, and groundwater. Check them out!

The Good Guide

www.thegoodguide.com

The Good Guide is another great on-line resource that rates healthy green products from food to make-up.

Environmental News Network

www.ENN.com

Sign up for daily emails on the latest worldwide environmental news.

The Daily Green

www.thedailygreen.com

Sign up for The Daily Green e-newsletter promoting environmental responsibility with easy to read tips.

Center for Science in the Public Interest

www.cspinet.org

CSPI publishes an excellent magazine, Nutrition Action, on health and food safety. It’s the largest circulating health newsletter in North America.  This is a concise magazine complete with dos and don’ts and healthy recipes at the end of each edition.

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We’re inspired by PIMBY, a small business based in Thomas, West Virginia. Who here in Staunton will start a similar business? We think there’s a great opportunity here.

PIMBY stands for “Power in My Backyard”. The company provides services ranging from site assessments, home energy audits, and the installation of alternative energy systems such as wind and solar.

Matt, PIMBY’s owner, also keeps a blog.  A recent entry concerns a nifty gadget called TED. I want one!

TED stands for “The Energy Detective”, a device that measures energy consumption in your home. What’s cool about TED is that it connects to Google’s Power Meter – giving you real-time feedback on your usage so you can make adjusts to use less and save money, too.

Lots of things happening in Staunton tomorrow in celebration of Earth Day…

• A collection of groups will display outside Sunspots Studio, showcasing everything from rain barrels to solar gadgets (say hello to us!) Read more in depth about activities in this News Leader article by SG2020 steering committee member Bruce Dorries.
• Beverley Street Studio School will unveil its “Earth in the Balance (an anamorphic) illusion” piece
• … and of course, celebrate local food at the Farmers Market that’s going on, too.

In addition, don’t forget a special free event about the benefits of native grasses here in Staunton. Join us at City Hall coming up on the eve (April 21) of Earth Day proper (April 22).

Join Staunton Green 2020, Transition Augusta, and Mary Baldwin’s Center for Global and Civic Engagement tonight for a free screening of the film “Fresh”. Special guests, farmers Daniel Salatin and Jenny Driver, will be on hand to discuss afterwords.

The film will be screened in Mockingbird Restaurant’s music room. Doors open at 5:30 for a special meal featuring locally-raised food.  Come support the local farm producers participating. Film starts at 7pm.

Come early for best seats. Trailer below.

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BEVERLEY STREET STUDIO SCHOOL PRESENTS
“EARTH IN THE BALANCE (AN ANAMORPHIC ILLUSION)”

"Earth in the Balance (an anamorphic illusion)"

“It’s a small world after all…” Or maybe not!  The Beverley Street Studio School will unveil “Earth in the Balance (an anamorphic illusion)” on Earth Day, Saturday April 17 from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the Wharf Parking Lot, beside the Farmers’ Market in Staunton.  At 12′ x 45′, this work is believed to be the largest painting on canvas ever created in the city of Staunton.

“Earth in the Balance” is a giant image of Planet Earth as seen from Outer Space.  But instead of painting the usual spherical planet, the BSSS artists have created a strangely distorted elliptical blob.  Or so it will seem to viewers until they readjust their way of looking at our much-loved and much-abused planet.  From the right viewpoint, Earth will regain its graceful, familiar proportions.  Then if a spectator poses for a photo op in just the right way,  Earth will appear to spin serenely like a beach ball atop that person’s fingertip!

If a spectator poses just the right way, Earth will appear to spin serenely on its axis atop that person’s fingertip!

It’s optical magic that you won’t believe until you see it for yourself.  The project is free, open to the public, and designed to be kid-friendly and interactive.  Children, pets, and whole families are invited to pose with the picture. Bring your camera, wear a costume if you like, and be prepared to see what it’s like to personally hold the Earth in balance.

Contact: Cleveland Morris (540) 332-6111 or cmmmmix@gmail.com

We’re going to be burning the midnight biofuel* the next few days getting ready for some awesome events:

~ Fresh, the movie: Thur. Apr. 15 @ 7pm at the Mockingbird Restaurant (123 W. Beverley St. Staunton)

New thinking about what we’re eating… This uplifting film picks-up where Food, Inc. left off and will inspire and empower you. Post film chat with local farmers Daniel Salatin and Jenny Driver.

The movie is FREE, but come early (doors open at 5:30pm) for a special dinner in the Music Hall featuring food from local farmers (call 540.213.8777 for reservations). Click here to learn more about the film.

Co-sponsored with Transition Staunton Augusta and the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement.

~ Earth Day: Sat. Apr. 17 @ 9am-Noon at the Sunspots Parking Lot in Downtown Staunton (immediately adjacent to the Farmer’s Market)

From rain barrels, composting and solar gadgets to live music/plants, great kids activities and public art you’ll have a blast celebrating, learning about and committing to our sustainable future.

~ Dawn of a New Urban Landscape – The Natives Return: Wed. Apr. 21 @ 7pm at Staunton City Hall, Council Chambers (116. W. Beverley St.)

On Earth Day Eve find out how native grasses in our yards sequestor carbon, absorb that nefarious stormwater and restore our quickly disappearing biodiversity. Click here to learn more.

We look forward to seeing you at these great events!

steve grande and the Staunton Green 2020 Steering Committee

*p.s. So this polar bear walks into a bar (with melting ice caps they have to go somewhere) and says to the bartender: “I’ll have a gin………………….……….. and tonic” The bartender say’s “Sure, but why the big pause?” The polar bear looks down and replies: “I don’t know, but my Dad had them too.”

Mark your calendar…
Dawn of a New Urban Landscape — The Natives Return
7 p.m, April 21, City Hall, Council Chambers