Introducing, Junior Nature Explorers!
Anyone who has or works with young children these days has surely noticed a trend where kids spend less and less of their time outdoors. Some blame the prevalence of screens in the home. Some blame “helicopter parenting,” which is shorthand for parents who hover over their kids and try to remove any sort of danger or obstacle they might face. And some blame the idea that the sense of community that defined many of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities has degraded to the point that it’s not safe to let our children play outdoors without adult supervision.
Whatever the reasons for this trend, the results are often the same – most young children have less experience being outdoors in nature. In the past few years, there’s even been a new term created to describe this: Nature Deficit Disorder.
At Bluegrass Greensource, we believe that the outdoors and nature make the best classrooms, particularly when it comes to reaching young minds early on and connecting them with a sense of wonder and curiosity about our natural systems. For many years, we have been developing a program that encourages preschool children and their teachers to get outdoors more and use the natural world around them as a classroom. This summer, because of a generous grant from Norfolk Southern, we are happy to finally bring this new program – the Junior Nature Explorers Program – to life.
“As the mother of a preschooler, I am extremely excited about this new program,” says Amy Sohner, Bluegrass Greensource’s Executive Director. “I see how much my daughter responds to discovering worms under rocks and veins in tree leaves. Junior Nature Explorers will expose preschoolers in Central Kentucky to the wonders of nature and show preschool teachers how to use the areas outside their buildings to inspire exploration.”
Simple in design, the Junior Nature Explorer Program has two parts. In the first phase, Greensource educators will provide three in-depth lessons to preschoolers, guiding them as they play, explore, and learn about the world around them. After completing the series of lessons, each student will be awarded a Junior Nature Explorer certificate and given their very own Explorer Kit, which will include books used in the program, a magnifying glass, binoculars, and nature journal. The second part of the program involves working with the teachers to help them better incorporate outdoor learning into their curricula. After completion of the program, classrooms will receive an Explorer Resource Kit that is filled with all of the materials used in the program, as well as a detailed packet that includes all of the lessons. This is being done to ensure that the participating teachers can continue to replicate these lessons for future classes.
“Every time we go outside, there is an opportunity to learn about something new in our natural world,” says environmental educator Kara Sayles, who has been working with young children at Bluegrass Greensource for nine years. “Exposing children at a young age to environmental education can help them understand the world around them. It can help them develop a sense of place, allowing them to utilize their innate, natural curiosity to develop a life-long desire to learn.”
If you are a preschool educator, or know a preschool educator, who would like to participate in this program, please contact our education director, Pattie Stivender at pattie@bgGreensource.org to register or learn more about our early childhood education offerings.
For more information about Bluegrass Greensource education programs, check out the video below!
We’re the featured charity at Don Jacob’s!
All during the month of April, Bluegrass Greensource is the featured Charity of the Month at Don Jacobs BMW, Honda, and Volkswagen in Lexington. This program is a wonderful way to support environmental education in Central Kentucky while also receiving top-quality service on your automobile at Don Jacob’s!
This program works in two easy, exciting ways: If you schedule a service visit at Don Jacobs during the month of April, and make a gift of $1 to $25, Don Jacobs will match your donation. You can also do good with nothing more than your phone and a Facebook check in. If you are at Don Jacob’s for a service visit or to purchase a new vehicle, simply snap a selfie of yourself at the dealership, post it to Facebook with a check-in, and Don Jacob’s will donate $5 to Bluegrass Greensource!
These are great ways to show your support for environmental education, double the impact of every dollar donated, and support a local family-owned dealership and its hard working staff who have placed their commitment to the Lexington area at the center of their operations since 1971.
Please join us at Don Jacobs this month to show your belief in environmental education and your support for this wonderful community partner!
Bluegrass Greensource is Don Jacobs April Charity of the Month!
Mark your calendars! During the month of April, Bluegrass Greensource is the featured Charity of the Month at Don Jacobs BMW, Honda, and Volkswagen in Lexington! This program is a wonderful way to support the many nonprofits that are working to make a difference in Central Kentucky.
Here’s how it works: If you schedule a service visit at Don Jacobs during the month of April, and make a gift of $1 to $25, Don Jacobs will match your donation! This is a great way to show your support for environmental education, double the impact of every dollar donated, and support a local family-owned dealership and its hard working staff who have placed their commitment to the Lexington area at the center of their operations since 1971.
Please join us at Don Jacobs in April to show your belief in environmental education and your support for this wonderful community partner!
County Spotlight: Anderson County
By: Rob Gates
Outreach Specialist
Bluegrass Greensource
Over the past year, Bluegrass Greensource has taken steps to expand our outreach and impact in one of our western most neighbors: Anderson County. These efforts began in earnest, with a multiyear a partnership with Republic Services to assist in the roll out and continuing education for the county’s new and improved curbside recycling program.
In early 2016, Bluegrass Greensource hosted a community forum bringing together a diverse group of local stakeholders to determine the best path forward for the new program. Since that initial meeting, Bluegrass Greensource has undertaken various education initiatives in local schools and the community to promote and educate residents about the new recycling program. 
These efforts have included hands-on activities at area schools, informational tabling at community events, presentations for local civic groups and businesses, and development of education materials for residents. One of the most noteworthy initiatives was a recycling themed art contest at Emma B Ward Elementary where the winner artwork was used to wrap the county’s new recycling truck!
Building upon relationships developed through the recycling program, Bluegrass Greensource has begun to move forward with partners in Anderson County on a variety of other projects as well. Staff are currently working with the Junior Conservation District to coordinate litter cleanup efforts as a participant in Bluegrass Greensource’s annual Main Street Clean Sweep. In addition, we have taken steps to partner with the City of Lawrenceburg and local businesses to provide support for environmental educational programming for local residents. We are excited about the work we have accomplished thus far and eager to see our partnerships and impact continue to grow in years to come.
The Path of Water: Community Art Contest & Show in Georgetown, KY
By: Danny Woolums
Bluegrass Greensource
Environmental Educator
Growing up in a city like Georgetown comes with many different perks. When you have a small community, you often find yourself able to walk from home to your favorite coffee shop (oh how I miss Lock & Key!) or to the elementary school playground to play on the swingset. I reflect on catching my first bluegill at Royal Spring Park, canoeing along the Elkhorn at Great Crossing or catching bugs by the Elkhorn near Bi-Water Farm for my 7th grade science project.
All of these cherished memories were behind developing a stormwater walk as part of our contract with the City of Georgetown.
Living in Lexington for the past 8 years means that I have enjoyed watching as stormwater murals have popped up all over town and I wanted to be able to give the same kind of experience to the city that raised me. I wanted to be able to share art with my family and protect the same waters I once loved for the future generations. Because of a fantastic partnership with the Scott County Arts Consortium and Girl Scout Elise Marion, I am thrilled to see such a project coming to life.
The stretch of Broadway in Georgetown between the Indian Acres Shopping Plaza and Garth Elementary houses 22 stormdrains. We will be inviting Scott County artists to develop art that will be digitally printed to cover each one of those stormdrains. The local community will have an opportunity to select their favorite submissions at the Scott County Public Library between April 22nd and May 6th; a public reception will be held on the 22nd at 5 pm at the library. Once the finalists are selected, the will be printed an installed throughout May and June. A panel of judges will select the top 3 for cash prizes.
The goal of the City of Georgetown’s ‘The Path of Water’ project is to increase public awareness about stormwater, and city residents’ role in keeping the local environment clean and safe. This project aims to be an exciting way to engage many members of the Georgetown community and leave a lasting, positive impact on the city that first stole my heart.
Workshop Shows that Energy Efficiency Is Truly for Everyone
By: Mallory Johnson,
AmeriCorps VISTA
The January Saturday morning was cold, but sunny, as people began to file into the basement at Arlington Christian Church. Soon the large room was full of adults and children – more than 60 all together – talking, laughing, and sharing stories. Everyone was gathered for the second hands-on home energy workshop being offered by Bluegrass Greensource, the How$martKY energy efficiency program, and Kentucky State University.
What made this room different than previous workshops were the participants. Because of the success of a December home-energy workshop, GLOBAL LEX, a program of the City of Lexington that serves our immigrant, refugee, and limited-English proficient populations, reached out to see if we might replicate the workshop for some of the immigrant and refugee communities that it works with.
Our friends at KSU created this short video the day’s events – check out the video below to see more of this wonderful workshop in action:
Gathered in the basement that Saturday morning were Lexingtonians from diverse backgrounds, representing five different language groups and whose countries of origin include Nepal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Sudan, and others. Despite potential barriers, the presenter, Chris Woolery of the How$martKY program, led the group through a brief presentation before participants broke into small groups to move between stations covering such topics as air sealing, duct sealing, and the benefits of using energy efficient light bulbs.
New to this workshop was a station designed by Isabel Taylor, GLOBAL LEX’s Multicultural Affairs Coordinator. Many of the immigrants and refugees who come to Lexington from warmer climates do not have familiarity with home systems – such as a thermostat or home appliances – that many of us never think about. This combined with the fact that many of these individuals and families live in extremely inefficient homes, creates vulnerabilities that are more pronounced than in other populations.
This vulnerability means there is also a big opportunity to make huge impacts with relatively inexpensive energy efficiency upgrades. Our partners at Kentucky State University stepped up in a major way to provide the energy efficiency starter kits for this workshop’s participants. By the end of the morning, all of the kits were handed out, and many of the attendees were asking questions about what other steps they could take to make their homes more efficient and protect themselves against high electric bills. The motto of the How$martKY program is “Energy Efficiency for Everyone,” and this workshop proved that this is true.
THANK YOU!
By: Chris Porter,
Development Director
Thank you!
This fall, Bluegrass Greensource celebrated its 15th anniversary. During that time, we have worked directly in communities throughout Central Kentucky to help people take the small steps in their daily lives that will add up to big impacts on our shared environment.
As we ramped up our end-of-year fundraising efforts, we were reminded of the deep community support that has been a part of our story thus far. Through this year’s Good Giving Challenge and other fundraising efforts, you stepped up to help us raise $5,190 through 68 donations!
This is funding that will be used to bolster standards-based, community-focused environmental education. Your support will helps us conduct important events, like Home Energy Workshops for the Lexington refugee communities that provide simple and effective ways to increase their home comfort and save money on their utility bills; or lead a cohort of Central Kentucky public school teachers on an exploration of the role that coal has played in Kentucky’s environmental, economic, and cultural history, while also exploring the important conversations and work being done in eastern Kentucky as those same communities look to a future beyond coal; or to simply continue our work with children in the more than 4,000 classrooms that our educators reach every year.
Your support and that of many other Central Kentuckians like who share your beliefs help make all of this possible. Thank you for supporting Bluegrass Greensource this fall and helping us start off our 16th year on the right foot!
Save the Date for Main Street Clean Sweep: April 22, 2017!
By: Ashley Bryant-Cheney,
Environmental Educator & Volunteer Coordinator
At Bluegrass Greensource, we are getting ready for Earth Day! Yes, we know that it is only February, but April is just around the corner. Our big annual event for Earth Day is Main Street Clean Sweep! Main Street Clean Sweep is a community-led litter clean-up. Bluegrass Greensource provides bags, gloves, litter grabbers, and event t-shirts to participants.
Every year volunteers, community groups, families, churches, and local governments get together to clean-up 20 communities around the Bluegrass. In 2016, 1,000 volunteers came together in 22 Central Kentucky communities to pick up 515 bags of litter (over FOUR TONS of waste)!
This year Main Street Clean Sweep is on a Saturday, and we are looking for volunteers all across the Bluegrass to get involved in cleaning up their communities! Do you know of an area in your community that could really use some TLC? Plan to join us on April 22nd this year! There’s no better way to celebrate Earth Day!
For more information on Main Street Clean Sweep, click here, or send me an email at Ashley@bggreensource.org!
Education Spotlight: Teacher Trip to the E.W. Brown Generating Station
By: Mallory Johnson,
Americorps VISTA
Thanks to the support from the Department of Energy Development, on January 17th Bluegrass Greensource took teachers and our Environmental Educators on a tour of RossTarrant Architects and E.W. Brown Generating Station.
Our day began with a tour and educational visit at RossTarrant Architects, an educational architecture firm located in Lexington, KY. Ross Tarrant is a leader nationally in sustainable design, and is the only 100% educational architecture firm in Kentucky. They are also a pilot member of the City of Lexington’s GreenCheck program, a program managed by Bluegrass Greensource. Their offices are a testament to their commitment to sustainable design and education. The building incorporates natural daylighting, good acoustics and the best possible indoor air quality to maximize student performance. Our teachers and staff were given an extensive and engaging tour, and learned a lot about ways to incorporate what RossTarrant was doing into their own schools.
After our time at Ross Tarrant, we headed to E.W. Brown Generating Station, located on the banks of Lake Herrington in Mercer County near Harrodsburg, KY. The E.W. Brown Plant is unique in that it showcases four generations of electricity-producing processes — a hydroelectric plant, three fossil-fueled generating units, seven combustion turbines and a universal solar facility.
The newest addition to the E.W. Brown Plant is the new 10-megawatt universal solar facility that stretches across 50 acres of the plant’s property. It uses more than 44,000 solar panels on fixed tilt rack systems that are positioned to optimize the available sunlight for producing energy. Commercial operation began in spring of 2016. The facility is projected to produce 19,000 megawatt-hours of energy annually, enough to provide energy for 1,500 homes based on a usage of 1,000 kilowatt hours per month.
