LiveGreenLexington School Partners Recognized for Outstanding Efforts in Sustainability

May 14, 2015By 0 comment

Students from across Fayette County marked Earth Day 2015 by holding up each other’s green initiatives and successes, and dozens of schools received banners touting this year’s sustainability achievements. Forty-two public and private schools attended this year’s recognition ceremony.

The big highlight for Morton Middle was designation as a Kentucky Green & Healthy School. (Only two others in FCPS have reached this level – Henry Clay High in 2010 and Jessie Clark Middle in 2012.) Meanwhile, Bryan Station Middle celebrated its selection as a 2015 Green Ribbon School. (Others that have received this national honor were Wellington Elementary in 2014, Locust Trace AgriScience Center in 2013 and Rosa Parks Elementary in 2012.) Providence Montessori Middle School received recognition as Bluegrass Greensource’s volunteers of the year.

This year’s ceremony was held at the Kentucky Theatre where the students learned of LFUCGs green initiatives from Susan Plueger, director for the Division of Environmental Services.  Mayor Jim Gray congratulated teachers and students for their sustainability efforts.  The Bluegrass Youth Sustainability Council shared their project committee work – noting that students from eight public and private high schools worked together to achieve their goals.

The council’s facilitator, senior Millie Ma of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, delivered an impassioned speech that inspired the crowd.   “Through the interconnected networks we have formed, we can make a difference. It is up to our generation to shift the trajectory and realign our priorities,” Millie said. “Our dedication to improving sustainability will undoubtedly translate into a life-long commitment. We aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow. We are the leaders of today, and we are the key to a better planet.”

Awards included congratulations from Live Green Lexington (LFUCG and Bluegrass Greensource) to its recycling, water and energy partner schools; kudos from FCPS for E=USE2 participants; nods from Kentucky Green & Healthy Schools and Kentucky NEED (National Energy Education Development project); and “Excellence in Water Education” prizes presented by Kentucky American Water. In a new twist on the latter, 10 schools submitted public service announcements on the value of quality water from river to tap, and four were selected to receive water bottle refilling stations: Cardinal Valley, Julius Marks and Wellington elementaries and SCAPA at Bluegrass.

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Take the Styrofoam-Free Pledge

May 11, 2015By 0 comment

As part of the Green Business Challenge‘s Waste Reduction Week, we are asking area businesses and organizations to pledge to eliminate styrofoam completely in their facilities. Please fill out the form below to let us know you are going styrofoam-free. We will publish a full list of participating businesses and organizations on Monday, May 25.

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Celebrate Earth Day at the 2014-15 LGL School Partner Recognition Ceremony

April 14, 2015By 0 comment

Please join us as we recognize Fayette County schools for their efforts in sustainability.  Schools will be recognized for outstanding efforts in waste reduction, water quality and conservation, and energy conservation.

Over 80 public and private schools will be recognized this year.

Educators are encouraged to bring students that have had an impact on their school’s sustainability.

Please RSVP (school name, number of people attending) with Pattie Stivender, pattie@bggreensource.org.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015
5:00 – 6:30 PM
The Kentucky Theater
214 East Main St. Lexington

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Green Career Fair

March 11, 2015By 0 comment

Planning for the 2015 Green Career Fair is well underway! The event will take place on Friday, April 17th at Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington. The goal of this event is to inform high school students about the environmentally friendly educational and career opportunities available to them after graduation.

Last year’s fairs connected over 1,000 students across Central Kentucky with a wide array of resources in diverse industries, including nonprofit organizations, universities, financial aid programs, volunteer opportunities, and over 30 different businesses. We hope that this Spring’s event will be even more impactful on the students who are attending!

All high schools in Central Kentucky are invited to participate at no cost.  Bluegrass Greensource provides funding for busing students to the event and for substitute teachers.  Students will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from environmentally focused organizations from the Bluegrass Region as well as attend breakout sessions for more in-depth information.  Schools may sign up for for morning or afternoon sessions.  There is no limit to the number of students each school may bring.

Bluegrass Greensource is also seeking organizations to participate in this event. We are in search of businesses and programs whose mission statements emphasize sustainability, or who operate in an exceptionally environmentally conscious way. We are also looking for individuals or small groups to lead breakout sessions for students on a variety of different topics related to the green economy.

Please contact Macy Gould at macy@bggreensource.org or (859) 266-1572 for more information or to RSVP.

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Spring Watershed Festivals and Septic Maintenance Workshops

March 11, 2015By 0 comment

After a cold and snowy winter, Garrard, Lincoln, and Boyle Counties will welcome the long-awaited spring with festivals celebrating the Earth and focusing on the importance of clean water. Bluegrass Greensource is working with local partners to host two festivals and workshops in April.

The Garrard/Lincoln County Earth Day and Watershed Festival will be held on April 18th from 10:00-3:00 at Garrard County High School. Garrard County High School offers a perfect venue for the event. The outdoor area features a rain garden, a monarch butterfly way station, and ample space for local vendors, children’s activities, food, hiking, and music. Free workshops will be held inside and will focus on water quality in the Dix River watershed, septic system care and maintenance, organic gardening, rain barrels, and monarch butterfly way stations. A guided hike at nearby Tom Dorman Nature Preserve will take place in the afternoon.

The Boyle County Earth Day and Watershed Festival will be held on April 25th from 11:00-3:00 at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Danville Campus. Boyle County’s Earth Day Festival’s theme of Water Quality will help educate the community about the importance of clean water and the ways they can protect their local waterways. Local vendors, children’s activities, art contests, food, music, and a 14-mile bike ride will be featured at the festival. The Boyle County Earth Day festival will also offer a variety of free workshops indoors, including septic system care and maintenance.

Bluegrass Greensource will host the Septic System Care and Maintenance workshops at the festivals. Septic workshops will focus on the Dix River Watershed in Garrard, Lincoln, and Boyle Counties and the impact of failing septic systems on human health and on the environment. The workshops will give local residents an opportunity to learn about local watersheds and water quality, how septic systems work, proper septic system maintenance, and how to identify problems in a septic system. After attending a workshop, homeowners may apply for financial assistance for system repairs or installation, or for a free septic tank pumpout. To be eligible for the grants, homeowners must reside within the Dix River watershed in Boyle, Garrard, or Lincoln Counties. County health departments are partnering with Bluegrass Greensource to help make this project possible. Please contact Bridget Abernathy at bridget@bgGreensource.org or (859) 266-1572 for more information or to register for an upcoming workshop in advance. Workshop registration will also be available the day of the festivals.

The spring festivals and septic workshops are funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under §319(h) of the Clean Water Act. The Garrard/Lincoln County Earth Day and Watershed Festival is co-sponsored by Earth Angels, Garrard/Lincoln Solid Waste, and Garrard/Lincoln County Cooperative Extension. The Boyle County Earth Day Festival will be held in conjunction with Clarks Run Environmental and Educational Corporation, Boyle County Cooperative Extension, and Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Festival Locations and Additional Information:

Garrard/Lincoln County Earth Day and Watershed Festival

April 18th, 10:00-3:00

Garrard County High School

599 Industry Road
Lancaster, KY 40444

https://www.facebook.com/events/362190993964925/

 Boyle County Earth Day and Watershed Festival

April 25th, 11:00-3:00

BCTC Danville Campus

59 Corporate Drive
Danville, KY 40422-9690

https://www.facebook.com/events/956443684365965/

 

 

 

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Toyota of Georgetown Environmental Field Trips for Students

March 11, 2015By 0 comment

Overlooking nearly 50 acres of wetlands, prairies and woodlands, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky’s nature trail spans approximately one mile, windingalongside native grasses, bluebird boxes, and Kentucky ‘cane’. Trail markers tell Kentucky’s story and how TMMK works hard to protect the state’s natural treasures. Hikers are guided from one ecological highlight to another, with each stop providing information about the beauty, history and importance of our natural environment.

Admission
Free

Accessibility
Approximately one-fourth of the Nature Trail (1/4 mile) is paved and wheelchair accessible.

Hours of Operation
Guided tours are available for school groups Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Reservations must be made in advance. Self-guided tours available for all visitors accompanied by a Toyota Team Member.

Scheduling
Interested in visiting? Schools may schedule guided trail tours by calling the Visitor Center at 1-800-866-4485. A maximum of 32 (including 1 adult for every 15 students) can be scheduled for guided tours, available Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Guided tours are weather permitting, and scheduled seasonally (March through November). Self-guided tours may be scheduled for groups larger than 32.

 Lunch
Staying for lunch? A covered pavilion is suitable for picnicking, and ideal for school groups visiting the nature trail. Click here for picnic shelter guidelines.

Transportation Reimbursement for Schools
Toyota offers a limited number of transportation reimbursements for field trips to TMMK’s Environmental Education Center| Nature Trail. Transportation reimbursements are available for 4th – 8th grade field trips.  For more information about this program and to apply, click here.

Link for lunch http://toyotaky.com/enviro7.asp

Link for reimbursement request http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K6Y6P2T

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What Book Should All Kentuckians Read in Their Lifetime?

February 12, 2015By 0 comment

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!

February 12, 2015By 0 comment

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

February 12, 2015By 0 comment

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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January Newsletter

January 16, 2015By 0 comment

May the GreenForce be with You

The Bluegrass GreenForce is up and running and there is still time for you to join! Click here for more information on how to join the GreenForce.

Sustainable Love

Check out the article our AmeriCorps VISTA Member | Green Jobs Coordinator, Macy Gould wrote regarding having a sustainable Valentine’s Day. Click here to read the article.

New Year’s Resolutions: Go Green in 2015

Don’t Delay!  Deadline to sign up is January 16th.

It’s resolution time again, and we’ve made a list of earth-friendly resolution suggestions for you and your family in the new year. Resolve to be greener in 2015 and you’ll be entered to win a gift basket valued at more than $350 from our new neighbors in the National Avenue neighborhood!

Green Stories

Bluegrass Greensource is premiering the first video in a series, Green Stories, that promote LiveGreenLexington Partners. Click here for more information and to watch Bullhorn Creative.

Check out our Events Calendar to learn more about upcoming green events in your community! Submit your organization’s green event here.

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