What Book Should All Kentuckians Read in Their Lifetime?

Remember your favorite book – the one so good you forgot to eat or sleep because you couldn’t put it down? And then became annoyed when the movie version got it wrong? Share it with someone else!  Bluegrass Greensource is partnering with Teach For America on a “best books campaign,” searching for the one book that every Kentuckian must read.  The number one voted title will be donated to 24 schools in Kentucky. And you can win a Kindle!  It takes just a minute and has a big impact – vote and share!

Snap a picture of yourself with your favorite book!  Photos can be submitted to 1bookkentucky@gmail.com.

Teach For America is an education non-profit that places great teachers in low-income schools in Kentucky.

Link to vote and share – www.yourschoolsyourcall.org

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Science Sensation is a Sensation at the Kentucky American Water Science Fair!

More than 700 students from around Fayette County gathered at Tates Creek High School Saturday, February 7th to compete in this year’s science fair.

30 community exhibitors took part in the Science Sensation portion of the fair.  Science Sensation offers hands-on activities and learning experiences for students while they wait to have their projects judged and attend the award’s portion of the fair.   LexMark’s kinetic sand exhibit was a popular booth with students waiting in line to form sculptures from the sand.  Students also learned about gems and minerals, fossils, chromatography, and had the opportunity to examine animal organs.

For the second year, Bluegrass Greensource helped the Science Fair become more environmentally friendly by incorporating recycling into the event.  This year’s fair featured dual stream containers to collect waste.  Each container was labeled with items at the fair that are recyclable.  Bluegrass Greensource volunteers, Sema Sherwani and Frough Sherwani, helped fair goers to dispose of items properly and greatly reduced the amount of recyclables making their way into the landfill-bound waste.  Rosie the Recycling Bin and Louie the Lightning Bug greeted students, reminding them to recycle and conserve energy.

Bluegrass Greensource would like to thank Kentucky American Water, Tates Creek High School, the 150 volunteers, the exhibitors, the students and their families that made this day possible.

The 16th District Science Fair is collaboration between Fayette County Public Schools and Kentucky American Water.  Bluegrass Greensource is contracted through KAW to organize the Science Sensation portion of the science fair.

 

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Rain Garden Opportunities

What if all our neighborhoods incorporated stormwater that drains from the roof into the natural landscaping around our homes? Plants would be watered naturally, the groundwater recharged, and excessive curbing and stormwater systems could be eliminated. Instead of this modern, concrete-filled, suburban environment we could have flourishing ecosystems in our own yards, as well as better water quality in our creeks and streams. Utilizing rain gardens can help with many of our storm water issues.

A rain garden is a garden with a shallow depression that captures runoff from impervious surfaces, such as rooftops, patios, driveways, and parking lots, before it enters the storm water system. Rain gardens can be customized and are limited only by the resources and time you want to put into them. They use natural processes to improve water quality by filtering pollutants and reducing the amount of storm water runoff. The water easily infiltrates into the soil because of the deep roots of the native plants and recharges the groundwater supply.

In 2013, Bluegrass Greensource received a grant through the Kentucky’s Division of Water to conduct an education program about rain gardens. With this grant Bluegrass Greensource will continue to work with community partners to maintain a rain garden program by leading workshops about rain garden benefits on water quality and quantity, encouraging their construction, and keeping a register of rain gardens built in Central Kentucky.

Bluegrass Greensource will be hosting a series of rain garden workshops sponsored by the Kentucky Division of Water. These workshops are free to the public and participants may be eligible to receive a $250 grant for native plants. This grant will offer residents of Jessamine, Scott, Madison, Clark, Bourbon and Woodford Counties educational opportunities as well as possible funds for plant materials. A Rain Garden Tour will also be offered in each county after the grant program has ended.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

February 24th – Bourbon County Middle School, 6-8 p.m.

April 23rd – Woodford County Extension Office,  more information coming soon

April 29th – Bourbon County Extension Office, 1-4 p.m.

May 6th – Madison County Extension Office, 1-5 p.m.

May 7th – Clark County; Rain Garden and Invasive Species Workshop, more information coming soon

If you would like to learn more about rain garden and possible grant opportunities, I would encourage you to visit our webpage at: www.bgGreensource.org/rain-gardens/.

 

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