green31.net

From: Joann Held <joannheld@comcast.net>
Hopewell Valley Green Net Coordinator

Hopewell Valley Green Market
April 17th and 18th
at the Masonic Hall and the Hopewell Train Station

The second Hopewell Valley Green Market opens with a family-friendly evening, April 17, 2009, at the Masonic Hall, 88 East Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ. Come at 7 PM to hear an educational talk from NJ State Beekeeper Bob Hughes and enjoy honey ice cream from The Bent Spoon, followed by a screening of Seinfeld’s hilarious but poignant Bee Movie. The film, talk, and ice cream will cost you nothing. If the weather proves unseasonably warm, the event will take place on the grass outside the Historic Train Station, 1 Railroad Place, Hopewell, NJ.

Events the next day (Saturday, April 18, 2009) run from 10 AM-3 PM. Earth Day occurs four days later, and Arbor Day two days after that, but this event will celebrate simply Emersonian self-reliance. There will be an emphasis on living frugally and sustainably through home-made, hand-made items. Famed traditions expert Meg Cox will join the Pennington Quilt Works in a How To Quilt exhibit and demonstration. Christine Toto from Around the Table will show how to make salad dressing. Internet sensation Leila Darabi from Everydaytrash.com will be present to help us rethink waste. There will be displays by some of the area’s most highly-regarded artisans and crafters, as well as demonstrations by local merchants of wool spinning, drum carding, pot throwing, and how-to-build-a-birdhouse, how-to-make-bird-seed (both dry and suet), how-to-make-pet-food, how-to-grow-a-biodynamic-garden, how-to-make-soup, how-to-can/preserve, how-to-needlefelt, how-to-make-an-awesome totebag-with-only-plastic-grocery-bags-and-an-iron-and-possibly-a-sewing-machine. There will be alpacas to pet and chickens to hold and fresh eggs to inspect. Sterling Planet will be there to sign up residents for clean power. Terracycle will demonstrate their best-selling creations built from recycled drink pouches, yogurt cups, and granola wrappers. Photo Haven will take your picture with the Lorax and Horton the Elephant. All of this, plus much more, including live music, games, and possibly a glimpse into the future of electric cars, will be free of charge.

In addition, there will be hot meals for sale (made by many of Hopewell’s finest restaurants) as well as seedlings, trees, cut flowers, vegetables, green products, and instant garden kits.

We’ll be posting a schedule of events soon. Please use the contact form if you’re curious about participating or if you want to volunteer.

See you there!
Tom Adelman
Chairman, Hopewell Valley Green Market

From Sustainable Lawrence:

If You Think of Yourself…

…as a sustainability activist at all, you will want to make sure you save the dates for an amazing event to take place June 5-6 on the campus of Rider University in Lawrence Township.

Entitled “Stoking Our Sustainability Fire”, this event seeks to build, strengthen and expand the growing sense of community those concerned with this challenge, Nonprofit leaders, business people, municipal officials, religious leaders, farmers, teachers — it won’t matter what you do.  If you’re serious about moving your community, organization or neighborhood deep into the 21st century as a truly sustainable place to be — you want to be with us.

Spend this time coming together, delving into the diversity that is the sustainability community, and learning more about how to live the practice, extend the message, and make real the powerful, positive vision of sustainable life in which you have come to believe so strongly.

Sponsored by a large number of organizations in education, faith, business, and community activism, folks from Sustainable Lawrence will be there in numbers.   Executive Director Ralph Copleman will be leading an all-day track on leadership for sustainability.  SL Board Chair David Prescott will convene the event.  SL founder Pam Mount will also lead a session.

It’s workshops.  It’s community-building.  It could be life-changing.  It’s a celebration, too.

You’ll start seeing full details soon.  In the meantime, mark down the information you see here, and contact us with any questions.

P.S. Forward this e-mail to anyone you think may be interested.  Thank you.

“Stoking the Sustainability Fire” Key Info…  http://www.sustainablelawrence.org/

           ISE/CHRMS at the College at Florham campus of
                   Fairleigh Dickinson University

                          invites you to a
                           Breakfast Seminar
                                  on

                      Friday, November 21, 2008

                           7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

             Hartman Lounge, the Mansion (Hennessy Hall)
                   Fairleigh Dickinson University
                             Madison, NJ

               Reinventing Energy in the 21st Century

                         Featuring Speaker:

                        Dr. William Makofske
                    Professor Emeritus of Physics
                    Ramapo College of New Jersey

                         With Panel Members:
                        Al Matos of PSE&G and
                     Tom Miezejeski of HydroCoil
     Presentation
    Highlights

*   Systemic Drivers

*   Technological Innovations in
    Efficiency

*   The Role of Energy Conservation

*   Diversity and Availability of
    Renewable Energy Technologies

*   Social, Political, Environmental
    and Economic Factors

*   Transition to a Renewable
    Energy Economy
   
    See flyer for more information, visit
    http://view.fdu.edu/files/Nov08BrkFlyer.pdf

    Please reserve a space on or before
    11/17/08 by:

*   Registering online at
    http://www.fdu.edu/forms/chrmsregister.html
*   Calling ISE/CHRMS at 973-443-8577
*   Faxing the completed flyer to ISE/CHRMS
    at 973-443-8506
*   E-mailing your rsvp to pniewski@fdu.edu
*   FEE: $35**  (  FEE for NON-PROFITS IS
    $20.00 )
    **Note: Current employees of ISE/CHRMS
    “Corporate Partner” companies and ISE/CHRMS
    “Individual” and “Breakfast” Partners, members of
    FDU faculty and administration, and current
    matriculated students are allowed free admittance.
    Anyone who is not an ISE/ CHRMS partner is
    subject to the $35 admittance fee which is used to
    cover the cost of food. Non- partners
    accompanying those listed above will also be charged
    the $35 admittance fee.

TCNJ’s Community Fest! Going Green for Halloween

The College of New Jersey and Ewing Township invite you to attend the area’s biggest and best festival of the year: Going Green for Halloween Community Fest 2008! It will be held on Saturday, October 25th. SOON!

This year Community Fest will be held on Quimby’s Prairie in front of Green Hall. Browse the Community Fest Village featuring vendors, crafters and foods from around the world. Bring the kids for arts and crafts, games, magicians, jugglers, and inflatables. Party with some of the area’s best bands and performers. Admission is FREE and open to the public!

If you are a vendor or crafter and would like information about participating, please use the link:

http://www.tcnj.edu/~comfest/vendorinfo.html

We are looking for organizations, businesses, vendors, etc. that incorporate sustainability and environmental education/awareness!

This was added as our featured event. It will be the major event for the fall sponsored by green31.net and we encourage everyone to get the word out, register and attend. Updates will be posted to the green31.net home page.

Responding to Climate Change in New Jersey

October 28, 2008, 6:30-9:00 pm
At The College of New Jersey’s Library Auditorium 

A panel of speakers from government, utilities and businesses, education, and community groups will present projects that are making a difference in the State’s energy sustainability. Confirmed groups/speakers as of September 19th, include:

 Kenny Esser, Governor Corzine’s Energy Policy Advisor

 John Cusack, Executive Director of The New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability

Pam Mount, Sustainable Lawrence

 Atlantic County Utilities Authority

Additional speakers from business and community groups will be added.

A networking reception will follow the presentations.

The event is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is requested. Register online at www.green31.net

 

From Winnie Fatton:

The Clinton Global Initiative, the Apollo Alliance and other national
and local organizations have joined with the City of Newark to convene
“Newark’s Green Future Summit” (Friday, September 12th and Saturday September 13, 2008).  The conference is free, but space is limited - so registration is necessary. To register, please visit:
http://www.apolloalliance.org/newarksummit.php

Topics on the agenda include: Economic Development; Green Building; Open
Space; Workforce Development; and Community &Youth Initiatives. 

 

Last year, I found out that my hometown of Paramus has been a member of Tree City, USA for 32 years, the longest in New Jersey.  My county freeholder informed me that Paramus and other Tree City members strive to mantain greenery within the growing urban/suburbanization of the town.  Online, Tree City, USA lists the benefits of becoming a member:   http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/benefits.cfm. 

Mercer County has similarly joined Tree City, USA with towns like Princeton and Hopewell leading the way in this area.  It seems quite simple to join.  In fact, there are 4 standards that a town must uphold to become a member of Tree City, USA.

1. Your city must have a Tree Board or Forestry Department .
2. Your city must have a local tree ordinance.
3. Your city must spend $2 per capita.
4. Your city must promote Arbor Day.  

Unfortunately, there are many towns in Mercer County that have not joined Tree City.  Even more, bordering towns like Ewing have ignored this simple step to commit to sustainability and greening.  It seems that with the know-how from bordering towns, Mercer County should strive to push for Tree City it the surrounding areas.  Visit http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/about.cfm for more information.

A nice way to get involved around the community is to actually sponsor, volunteer, or become a member of a worthwhile cause.  Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) have worked in the Hopewell-Pennington community to conserve open space since 1987.  It has been able to thwart mining companies and major highways from ruining the local landscape. 

FoHVOS is putting together its first ever Eat Locally Tour on September 14^th, from 2-6 pm.  The tour starts in the Hopewell Valley Vineyard where registered guests are welcomed to hop aboard a bus and visit three local food producers.  Throughout the tour, guests will get an informative narration of the area and benefits of eating locally grown food.   You must register, however. 

Even if you cannot make it to the September 14^th date, there are many ways to get involved with FoHVOS.  Besides sponsorship, donations, and membership, FoHVOS offers a wide variety of volunteer work such as Clean Up Days, marketing and outreach event work.

If you are interested, visit www.fohvos.org. 

West Windsor Environmental Fair, Sept. 20, 2008 10-3, Alexander Road entrance to the Princeton Junction Train station.

From the http://www.greeningwestwindsor.com/ website:

The West Windsor Environmental Commission, West Windsor Farmers’ Market and FOWWOS (Friends of West Windsor Open Space) will host an Environmental Education Fair at which local citizens, governmental agencies, corporate exhibitors and regional businesses will come together to illustrate and celebrate opportunities to make West Windsor, Mercer County, the State and indeed the world more environmentally sustainable.

 

Opportunities will be provided for individual exhibitors to demonstrate and describe their particular approach to curb adverse climate change, to reduce greenhouse gases, to minimize solid waste and to limit the negative environmental impact of people’s every-day life.

West Windsor Township has been recognized as an environmental leader in New Jersey. In 2002, it was selected as the first NJ Green Town USA by the NJ Environmental Lobby. It has joined with other municipalities in embracing sustainability as a guiding principle for development and in providing the local community with advice on how to reduce their environmental “footprint.”

 

With a theme of “Greening West  Windsor” (GroWW), the Fair seeks participation from the broadest possible range of corporations, small businesses, non-profit organizations and educational agencies.