Education Spotlight: Clark’s Run Watershed Fun

May 27, 2022By 0 comment

Students from Danville Independent High School and Hogsett Primary School immersed themselves in watershed education this year by exploring Clark’s Run Creek. Both schools participated in classroom water quality activities. Danville Independent High School took a field trip to Michael Smith Park to study the water quality of Clark’s Run.  Hogsett Primary participated in a native tree planting and Bluebird nesting box installation along a branch of the creek. In addition, some of their students also participated in a Jr. Watershed Festival at Michael Smith Park. 

Please enjoy this Creek Day VIDEO created by the Admiral Digital Studio at Danville Independent High School and photos of Hogsett Primary students at Michael Smith Park park during the Junior Watershed Festival.

2022 Creek Days
2022 Creek Days
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On The Table Lexington Recap!

April 22, 2022By 0 comment

Last week, thousands of Lexingtonians gathered in tables all across town to learn from each other, build community, and make their voice heard in local government. Additionally (per ottlex.org), “all participants will complete a survey about how Lexington is growing and changing. This data will be used to shape Lexington’s map for the future through the Comprehensive Plan, the city of Lexington’s most important planning document.”

We took the opportunity to host an OTTLex roundtable discussion at Mirror Twin Brewing on National Avenue on Monday, April 11 to discuss important topics regarding the future of Lexington, but through an environmental lens. Our staff met with a variety of community members and got some great conversations started. Here are the takeaways from those discussions:

Question 1 – How do you want Lexington to change over the next 20 years?

  • Decrease smoking rate/tobacco trash
  • More receptacles for all litter
  • Promote use of pocket and car ashtrays
  • Focus litter prevention and recycling education to off campus housing
  • Add environmental education to schools
  • More options for recycling (i.e. increase what is able to be recycled)
  • Large scale community composting, ideally curbside
  • Plastic bag ban and/or fee for bags at stores
  • Exploration of more energy options with availability to all areas of Lexington
  • Exploration of underground power line infrastructure/development to improve the canopy cover of Lexington above ground

Question 2: Think about our neighborhoods regarding housing, schools, amenities, and safety. How would you like to see them improve?

  • Replace all Bradford Pears
  • More street trees
  • Stop cutting of trees for utility lines – bury lines everywhere possible
  • Help with tree pruning
  • Increase walkability in neighborhoods
  • There seem to be the right amount of parks
  • We like the intentional no-mow zones
  • Continue help low income residents have access to environmental education and arts
  • Smaller high schools/schools in general
  • Better bridging and connectivity between inner city and outlying communities with expanded development of the Legacy Trail and adjoining trails
  • More education opportunities outside the classroom
  • Need for more affordable housing
  • Developing more access to food/resources in current community ‘deserts’ without gentrifying neighborhoods

Question 3: What do you think should be done to protect the environment in Lexington?

  • Household composting picked up at curbside
  • Provide an incentive to compost
  • Funding for homeowners to do environmental projects
  • Plant more pollinator gardens
  • Sell native plants at more commercial stores
  • More pervious parking
  • Energy efficiency programs and for middle/low income residents

Question 4: How can Lexington make it easier for everyone to financially succeed?

  • Rent is too expensive/need for more affordable housing
  • Do less desirable neighborhoods mean less trees? Would planting trees help low income neighborhoods?
  • Areas with large rental populations don’t have as much money spent on landscaping – financial incentives to change that?
  • Make sure parents are aware of opportunities for special schools and continuing education
  • Sense of place education is needed
  • Free early childhood education
  • Work on promoting and growing green jobs (i.e. solar, green infrastructure, etc.)
  • Access to more incentivized programs for participating in “green practices” in inner-city areas, not just high-income neighborhoods

Question 5: Transportation – what do you think would make it easier to get around our city?

  • Promote and expand Park and Rides
  • Encourage free bus passes through employers
  • Lexington has too much parking to make bus riding desirable for middle income residents
  • Bring back the downtown trolly
  • Light rail to connect Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati
  • Have smaller transportation options, maybe even registered pickups
  • Bike to church/bike to work days
  • More bike events
  • Investing in more Lextran service busses and expanding the public transportation routing further outside of the New Circle area

Question 6: Where and how do you think new growth should happen in Lexington?

  • Eventually expand Urban Services boundary
  • Make sure to have a well thought out plan
  • Continue public input regularly
  • Growing “up” vs. “out” by utilizing land and structures already established rather than continued developing on rural farmland or expanding the urban landscape further into natural land.

*Middle and bottom photos provided by Civic Lex.

Special thanks to all our attendees and we can’t wait to see what the future of Lexington and its environment holds!

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Education Spotlight: Creek Days

April 21, 2022By 0 comment

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade, across our service region, get outside and discover the importance of clean water for all living things on Creek Days.  Students participate in macroinvertebrate hunts, perform chemical tests, and complete habitat surveys to determine the health of their waterways. Creek Days are designed to help participants learn the ways humans impact their local watersheds and students often take action by participating in litter cleanups of their school grounds.

Student learning extends beyond creek days with classroom pre- and post-lessons focused on water quality. BGGS leads lessons such as stream erosion investigations, modeling watersheds and their topography, and exploring the interconnectedness of ecosystems.  All lessons are aligned to Kentucky Academic Standards and offer hands-on student engagement.

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World Water Day 2022

March 17, 2022By 0 comment

As the world celebrates World Water Day on March 22, you can do your part in protecting our water locally by joining the BGGS Water Action Team. In 2021, the Water Action Team spearheaded a flood cleanup along Hinkston Creek in Carlisle. Volunteers from BGGS, the Carlisle community, and the University of Cincinnati removed enough flood debris to fill 2 large dumpsters.

In 2022 the Water Team will facilitate two stream cleanups, support local and regional watershed management efforts, and begin to serve as a resource for coordinating, sharing, and supporting local/regional initiatives and educational opportunities.

You can make a positive change in the Bluegrass Region by joining the Water Team and helping us meet our ambitious goals for 2022. If you are interested in join our Water Action Team, email Jadyn Hughes for more info!

Learn more about our Water Action Team
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New Green Check Members Announced

March 8, 2021By 0 comment

By: Noel Osborn

The City of Lexington’s Green Check program has accepted 13 new members to certify this year. Bluegrass Greensource will be working with the following businesses and organizations to guide them through the certification process over the next several months. New members include:

  • Black Soil: Our Better Nature
  • CivicLex
  • Doodles Breakfast & Lunch
  • Hera BioLabs
  • John’s Run/Walk Shop
  • Kentucky American Water
  • Lockbox
  • Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center
  • Pivot Brewing
  • Republic Services
  • Sayre School
  • Wellward Regenerative Medicine
  • Wild Birds Unlimited

In addition to these businesses, eight certified businesses from 2018 will be up for recertification this year. To learn more about the participating businesses and the Green Check program, please visit LexingtonKY.gov/GreenCheck.

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Contribute to the Energy Efficiency & Climate Change Action Team!

March 8, 2021By 0 comment

By: Chris Porter


The recent winter weather blanketing Central Kentucky has been beautiful to look at. However, for families that struggle financially, this weather brings with it new worries – higher utility bills. The economic hardships brought by the pandemic means millions more Americans now face difficult choices between feeling comfortable and safe in their homes or coming out of the pandemic with extremely high utility bills (once service shut off moratoriums have been lifted). 

How bad is the situation? Recently, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) released an article advocating for greater utility relief in any new stimulus package. The same piece estimates that, nationally, utilities are facing $30 billion in overdue bills from consumers. The same piece also acknowledges that the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (or LIHEAP), which provides vital relief for low-income consumers who struggle to pay their winter heating bills, was not meeting the existing need before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Locally, the Energy Efficiency & Climate Change Action Team, a volunteer-run group that formed during 2020’s Bluegrass Sustainability Summit, has been seeking to reinforce the existing web of services underpinning Central Kentucky’s renewable and energy efficiency landscape. In addition to creating a guide to existing efficiency resources, the Energy Action Team has also been trying to raise $2,500 for the purchase of energy efficiency kits that the Team will distribute directly to low-income residents in Lexington. 

In November, the Team received news that the Bluegrass Chapter of the Sierra Club was offering a generous one-to-one match for this effort, up to $1,250. This means, the Team needs to only raise $1,250 to be able to purchase the much-needed kits. The great news is that the Team is already more than halfway there, having already raised $700 during the end-of-year giving campaign! This leaves the Team needing only $550 to unlock the match and purchase the kits. That’s just 11 gifts of $50 or 22 gifts of $25. 

Will you support the work of the Energy and Climate Action Team by making a gift? All proceeds raised for this effort will directly support the Team’s project to purchase and distribute the energy efficiency kits to low-income Lexingtonians, and will not support Bluegrass Greensource’s other programming.

If you want to help, please click this link to make your donation. If you want to get directly involved with this effort, please contact Giulia L. Parli at giulia@bggreensource.org. New members are always welcomed and can join the Team’s monthly (virtual) meetings!

There’s never been a clearer need for communities to come together than during the current moment. The Energy and Climate Action Team thanks you for considering their request and for supporting your community!

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Saving Our Streambanks Virtual Workshop Series

March 8, 2021By 0 comment

By: Lindsie Nicholas

Join us for this FREE virtual workshop series to learn the information, tools, and resources needed to establish streamside buffers and stabilize streambanks on your property and in your communities. The speaker lineup includes Robert Hoffman with Roundstone Native Seed, Chuck Davis and Derek Scott with Beaver Creek Hydrology,  Alicia Bosela with Ironweed Nursery, Laura Greenfield with Oakland Farm Trees, our own Lindsie Nicholas, as well as, regional representatives from NRCS, Soil and Water Conservation District, and UK Cooperative Extension Service.  We will cover water quality and streamside buffer basics; establishing native meadows in riparian areas; design, permitting, and construction related to stream restoration and streambank stabilization; streamside plant selection in Central Kentucky; and agricultural conservation program opportunities and resources. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays,
March 9th-25th, 2021 | 3-4 PM
Virtually via ZOOM

More Information and Registration: https://bggreensource.org/riparian-buffers/

Workshops are open to the public. Mini cost-share grant applications will be available for riparian buffer establishment in the Clarks Run, Hanging Fork, and Hinkston Creek watersheds. Grants are reimbursable up to $2,000!

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Exploring Energy in Preschool

March 8, 2021By 0 comment
In October of 2020, BGGS began piloting a new, OEP sponsored, Preschool Energy Curriculum. Educators at five local preschools have implemented lessons and activities on solar, wind, and water energy as well as simple machines and how animals use energy to do work. Our youngest learners have taken on this new content with incredible enthusiasm and it is a delight to see their minds at work! Three more units will be piloted over the next few months: energy from plants, electricity, and conservation. 
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See What the Education Staff is Up to This Semester

January 22, 2021By 0 comment

This spring, our environmental educators continue to adapt to current educational needs. We are eager to meet with teachers and students virtually! Read on to learn about our programs and how we can work with you.

  • LFUCG Environmental Education: Our virtual program offers K – 12 classrooms in Fayette County the opportunity to take a “field trip” and learn about Waste Management or Water Quality within our city. Contact Pattie: pattie@bggreensource.org to schedule lessons and a field trip with us!
  • Junior Nature Explorers: Preschool classrooms in our service region can join us to discover some of the unique animals, plants, and ecosystems around us! Our next teacher workshop is February 6, 2021 via Zoom. Contact Rachel: rachel@bggreensource.org to learn more!
  • Division of Water: Bluegrass Greensource will continue to be a resource in classrooms in  Clark Runs, Hanging Fork, and Hinkston Creek watersheds. We will engage students virtually through online videos, google classroom activities, and zoom. Objectives include educating students about septic systems, riparian zones, and watersheds, and how to improve water quality in Central Kentucky. For classrooms in Bourbon, Montgomery, and Nicholas Counties, contact Kara: kara@bggreensource.org. For classrooms in Lincoln, Boyle, and Garrard Counties, contact Lindsie: lindsie@bggreensource.org.
  • Toyota Energy Education: Students in Central Kentucky learn about renewable and nonrenewable energy resources in this unit of energy education. Contact Elaine at elaine@bggreensource.org.
  • Preschool Energy Curriculum: Alongside experienced preschool teachers, Bluegrass Greensource has developed an energy curriculum for preschoolers which is currently being piloted in classrooms. For more information, contact Elaine at elaine@bggreensource.org.
  • Junior Green Living Labs: Preschools students and their guardians will discover and explore all things energy during these labs. Please contact pattie@bggreensource.org if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity.
  • Dupree Nature Preserve: Take a virtual hike through The Nature Conservancy’s preserves located along the Kentucky River. Learn about settlement in the area, common Kentucky animals and plants. Contact Pattie: pattie@bggreensource.org. 
  • Stormwater Education: This unit on stormwater, runoff, and water quality is available to 4th and 5th grade students in Scott County. The unit will culminate with a Service Learning Event determined by student interest. For more information contact Pattie: pattie@bggreensource.org.
  • Litter Program in Scott County: Let’s Learn About Litter with Ms. Deb! Ms. Deb is reading books about litter in this collection of videos. This video series is for primary students. Contact Pattie: pattie@bggreensource.org to schedule.
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BGGS’s Executive Director Becomes a Kentucky Colonel

January 22, 2021By 0 comment

Did you see this on our social media? Our amazing Executive Director, Amy Sohner, recently received the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s highest honor. Kentucky Colonels are bestowed upon those that demonstrate noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to our community, state, and nation.

Amy has served Central Kentucky through her work with Bluegrass Greensource for the past 20 years. She has also had a great impact on the community in her work with Keep Lexington Beautiful, Women Leading Kentucky, Bluegrass Tomorrow, and other organizations.

Join us in congratulating Colonel Sohner for her accomplishments!

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