Thanks to our Donors and the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Some Exciting News!
By: Chris Porter
Bluegrass Greensource
Development Director
At Bluegrass Greensource, we try to make all of our K-12 educational activities as tactile as possible. Fully engaging all of a student’s senses helps them grasp ideas and retain information, all while deepening their understanding of a given lesson.
Animal pelts and skulls are, by far, the most popular hands-on materials that we bring to the classroom and make available to teachers. These pelts and skulls supplement lessons on local wildlife and are used to help children understand animal biology, habitat and how it is affected by various factors, and animal adaptation to weather, climate, and changing seasons.
“Having hands-on materials like pelts and skulls is so important for enhancing student learning,” says Pattie Stivender, Bluegrass Greensource’s Education Director. “A teacher can describe the differences between the teeth of a carnivore and an herbivore. She can have students read a book or complete a worksheet. But when a student is able to touch and experience the different animal teeth first hand, you can see the moment on their face when they connect the dots and the concept comes to life. Nothing compares to that moment.”
The pelts and skulls that we have been using are 10-years old, and because of their popularity and near constant use, they had begun to fall apart. As part of our spring fundraising drive, we reached out to our friends and supporters to raise money to replace this resource. In addition, we applied for and received a grant from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. Thanks to the generosity of the Colonels and our supporters, we are excited to share that we have been able to replace all of our pelts and skulls.
These materials not only bolster our own efforts to provide high-quality environmental education, they also support individual teachers throughout Central Kentucky who access them through our Community Resource Library. “For an individual teacher, the cost of these materials can be a barrier, particularly for something that you won’t use every day,” says Pattie. “So having access to them through our library is such an important resource for the teachers we work with.”
Thank you to our wonderful supporters and to the many good people at the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels! Their generosity and investments ensure our ability to continue providing the first-rate environmental education that we need throughout Central Kentucky.
It’s Official! Green Check Certification Program Launches for Fayette County Businesses
Lexington launches Green Check Program and recognizes inaugural businesses
From the City of Lexington
Last Thursday, September 29th, the City of Lexington launched the new sustainable business certification program Green Check. Green Check recognizes businesses for their green initiatives and helps them expand their sustainability efforts. Six businesses were recognized for their role in piloting the program: Bullhorn Creative, Good Foods Coop, Habitat for Humanity, Lexmark, RossTarrant Architects and Trane.
“We are excited to see such diversity represented in this inaugural class of Green Check Members,” says Dowell Hoskins-Squier, Lexington’s Environmental Quality and Public Works Commissioner. “The certification process is rigorous, but flexible, to ensure that any business who wants to make a greater commitment to sustainability can participate. We can’t wait to see Green Check Member stickers in business windows throughout Fayette County.”
Becoming a Green Check Member business begins with a personal consultation and completion of the Green Check Sustainability Scorecard. The Sustainability Scorecard caters to organizations across a variety of sectors, including restaurants, non-profit organizations, retail, and manufacturers.
Based on their baseline Sustainability Score, the business or organization is awarded Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Member designation. Although the certification is valid for three years, member organizations are encouraged to pursue higher tiers through continued participation and achievement.
The six inaugural Green Check Member businesses all demonstrate a commitment to increased sustainability within their facilities and operations. Examples initiatives from the pilot businesses include parking lot renovations with permeable pavers, installation of rain gardens, upgrades to energy efficient lighting, office compost programs and promotion of alternative transportation. RossTarrant Architects, host site of the Green Check launch, renovated their office space to earn LEED Gold and ENERGY STAR certifications. Beyond these high-impact features, there are lots of actions individual team members can take to improve sustainability in the workplace.
“You have to start somewhere. The Green Check certification process, using the Sustainability Scorecard, establishes a baseline,” says Brian Buckner, Project Manager at RossTarrant. “Our renovations made energy saving a priority, but there is always something more we can do. For example, we drink a lot of coffee in our office and realized the hot water element was keeping the water hot all of the time, and wasting a lot of energy. By placing it on a timer, we calculated that we can save almost $1,000 every year just by making this small change. We’re also looking into composting at the office again. Every energy-saving change has economic and environmental benefits.”
Green Check is a program of the City of Lexington, managed by Bluegrass Greensource. For more information, including how to become Green Check Certified, please visit www.LexingtonKy.gov/GreenCheck.
The Recycle Challenge Kicks Off October 4th!
The Recycle Challenge, a program of the City of Lexington, is designed to increase participation in the city’s residential, curb-side recycling program, by working through the local public elementary schools. Students at Arlington, Harrison, and Williams Wells Brown elementary schools have been challenged to increase recycling participation in their school districts by 50 percent. In the process, they can earn rewards for their school worth up to $12,000!
In celebration of the kickoff assembly on October 4th, our educators made a short PSA to inspire students to get excited about this year’s challenge. Look out for similar PSAs coming from Lexington elementary schools participating in the Recycle Challenge!
Click here to learn more about the 2016 Recycle Challenge, request a recycling cart, and learn more about how you can support the participating schools!
We’re celebrating 15 Years of serving Central Kentucky!
We want to hear your stories!
By: Amy Sohner
Bluegrass Greensource
Executive Director
2016 is Bluegrass Greensource’s 15th anniversary! We were founded in 2001 to empower the 20 counties in Central Kentucky to create a more sustainable environment. Whether positive changes are made through increasing recycling, making a residence more energy efficient, installing a rain barrel or rain garden, or something else, for 15 years we’ve worked to provide central Kentuckians the knowledge and know-how needed to impact their local environments.
Much has changed in the past 15 years. In 2010, we changed our name from Bluegrass PRIDE to Bluegrass Greensource, and unveiled a brand new logo that better captured the scope of our mission and services. We strive daily to be a region-wide source for environmental education—particularly for preK-12 students—and direct outreach, all in an effort to build environmental literacy and connect people to the resources they need to lead more sustainable lives.
A core aspect of our work that has remained central is the importance of the connections we make with individuals throughout Central Kentucky. Whether volunteering for a litter clean up, participating in a workshop at GreenFest, attending one of our rain barrel workshops, or participating in other activities, your engagement with us has been a key to our ongoing success.
And now we need your help!
As part of our 15th anniversary, we want to gather stories about your experiences working with us. What have been your most meaningful or rewarding moments working with Bluegrass Greensource? How have we helped support your efforts to become more sustainable? What would you like to see Bluegrass Greensource accomplish in the next 15 years? Click here to visit our Google form where you can share your stories! We will collect these stories and then share them throughout our 15th anniversary year in order to celebrate the important connections we have with our many friends and partners!
Bluegrass Greensource Announces Grant from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mollie Harris, Communications Specialist
Phone: 859-266-1572
Email: mollie@bggreensource.org
Bluegrass Greensource Announces Grant from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels
Bluegrass Greensource is the recipient of a 2016 grant provided by the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels. This grant will provide for the purchase of new educational resources like animal pelts and skulls, books, and other materials that Greensource educators and many Central Kentucky teachers use to enhance classroom learning.
The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization of talented and capable men and women appointed by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky because of their service to the state. The Order acts as the Governor’s ambassadors of Kentucky’s heritage and rich history of arts and entertainment.
The primary objective of the Honorable Order is to support needy Kentucky charities and worthy Kentucky organizations by raising money from its membership to help these organizations who stand ready to help our citizens share in Kentucky’s boundless future. The order celebrates this mission and encourages and affirms its members in these efforts.
Bluegrass Greensource is a 15-year old nonprofit providing top-notch environmental education to 20 Central Kentucky counties. In 2015, Greensource reached 4,352 classes and 189,238 people on topics as diverse as waste reduction, water quality, energy efficiency, general sustainability, and urban forestry. In addition, they invested $70,000 in green infrastructure, helped Central Kentuckians install 37 rain gardens, and built 231 rain barrels.
Green Check Launch: September 29, 2016
By: Rob Gates
Outreach Specialist
Bluegrass Greensource
Beginning fall of 2016, a new program aimed at increasing business sustainability will launch throughout Lexington and Fayette County. The program, known as Green Check, will build upon the past successes of the Live Green Lexington Partner Program by highlighting businesses and organizations throughout Lexington/Fayette County that have made a commitment to sustainability and taken the next steps to integrate green principles into their core philosophies and practices.
Green Check is a program of the City of Lexington, developed and administered by Bluegrass Greensource, and is open to all businesses and organizations, regardless of size or type, within Fayette County. Taking part in the program is simple, free and offers a wealth of benefits to members. Perspective members undergo a personal consultation with Bluegrass Greensource staff to complete a comprehensive sustainability scorecard covering a wide array of sustainable initiatives and policies. Through this process, members identify green initiatives already in place as well as recognize potential opportunities to increase sustainability. Members then work closely with Bluegrass Greensource to set goals, timelines, and identify useful resources to make these opportunities a reality.
After completing the process and accomplishing a baseline score, participating businesses/organizations enter the program as Green Check Members. Those that go above and beyond and reach established benchmark scores will be recognized for their efforts with special premiere membership levels (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) and will be entitled to additional promotion and benefits.
Over the past year, eight businesses of various types and sizes have take part in the Green Check Pilot program. These businesses (Ross Tarrant Architects, Trane, Lexmark, Good Foods Co-Op, Bullhorn Creative, and Habitat for Humanity) have helped shape the program and will represent the inaugural class of Green Check Members.
An official launch party will be held at Ross Tarrant Architects on Thursday, September 29 at 3:30 pm to recognize these pilot businesses and celebrate the launch of this exciting new program! For more information, please contact GreenCheck@lexingtonky.gov.
Back to School with Bluegrass Greensource!
By: Pattie Stivender
Bluegrass Greensource
Education Director
Another school year has begun! Our education staff are keeping busy planning and scheduling with schools in our service area, and we have many exciting programs in the works for the 2016-2017 school year!
Recycling
In Fayette County, we will be working hard with the LiveGreenLexington Recycle Challenge. Arlington Elementary, Harrison Elementary and William Wells Brown Elementary will be challenging their communities to increase residential curbside recycling by 50%. Everywhere, we will continue our efforts in waste reduction education in classrooms through such hands on activities as waste audits. Recycling education is a priority in other counties as well— classrooms in Anderson, Boyle, Franklin, Jessamine, and Lincoln Counties will have a waste reduction component to their classroom learning plans.
Water
Water quality education is crucial in Central Kentucky. Our educators help students understand the effects of nonpoint source pollution and model ways that students and their families can reduce the impact of pollution on water. Whether we are teaching about stormwater runoff in the classroom or taking students to waterways near their schools to perform water quality tests, our curriculum is designed to reach students from kindergarten through high school.
Energy
Each school year, we brings activities to classrooms that instruct students about renewable energy resources, energy conservation, and more specific education about Kentucky’s energy resources. Our educators will be working with School Green Teams to monitor energy usage in schools and determine ways that schools can reduce consumption of energy resources.
Litter
In Garrard, Lincoln, and Jessamine Counties, our educators will work with schools to perform litter cleanups and guide students in creating litter maps that show litter hotspots. Students will learn how litter directly contributes to the quality of local water.
If you are interested in learning more about Bluegrass Greensource education opportunities, please reach out! You can email me directly at pattie@bggreensource.org, or call the office at 859-266-1572.
Taking the Classroom to the Garden: Cassidy Elementary and Tates Creek High School
By Ashley Bryant Cheney
Environmental Educator
Bluegrass Greensource
School gardens are the perfect classroom, a living laboratory full of knowledge. As Environmental Educators, we are always excited about getting out in the school garden. These gardens are a perfect place to teach students about plant life cycles, compost piles, pollinators, soil composition, native and nonnative plants, and a host of other important environmental topics.
An increase in outdoor activity not only improves a student’s understanding of the environment, it has also been show to improve concentration, reduce obesity, improve nutrition, and even raise test scores. In a study conducted among 630 students at an elementary school in Kentucky, among grades 1-6, students’ test scores improved by 25% in science, 21% in reading, and 40% in social studies after integrating a school garden into the curricula (National Wildlife Federation, 2010).
School gardens, like environmental education, aren’t just for science. Gardens can be used to teach writing, math, social skills, and of course nutrition. For example, rain gauges can be used to teach measurement and volume, and students can calculate the amount of space needed for their plants while learning perimeter and area.
In the garden, we are able to connect students with real life examples of the concepts they are learning indoors. Earlier this month, I interviewed Kristi Fehr, Science Lab Teacher at Cassidy Elementary, about the value their school garden has brought to her teaching.
Last year at Cassidy Elementary, I led students on a water quality activity that introduced water runoff and taught them a few of the benefits of rain gardens. The garden at Cassidy Elementary combines a rain garden, raised beds, composting, and even a storm drain. For this activity, some students acted as water droplets while others acted as pollution. The pollution tried to tag the water droplets while travelling through the rain garden. Students were excited to participate in the activity and left with some key knowledge about water quality.
If you do not yet have a school garden or you have a school garden that is being underutilized, please contact Bluegrass Greensource, and an educator will be in touch with you to assist with your school gardening needs!
What it Takes: Installing a Rain Garden at Tates Creek High School
By Kara Sayles
Environmental Educator
Bluegrass Greensource
School Rain Gardens can add a lot to the aesthetics of the campus. They can also become the dreaded weedy spot that no one wants to be responsible for. The latter is not the case when we are talking about the rain garden on Tates Creek’s campus.
Elizabeth Inman, a Tates Creek High School Biology teacher, and Devan Robinson, a Tates Creek High School Green Team member, are featured in the photo of the initial rain garden construction. The garden was renovated last year, as a project for the High School‘s Green Team. It is in a triangular median between Tates Creek Elementary, Middle and High Schools and is highly visible to anyone coming onto the campus. It is an ideal location for a rain garden because stormwater can easily percolate through the area from the sidewalk and parking lot. Adding the deep rooted native plants in the rain garden can help pull the stormwater into the ground and decrease runoff from the campus.
Over the summer, Mrs. Inman contacted Bluegrass Greensource about working in the garden. We scheduled a day to weed and check on the newly established plants. Once the garden was weeded, we identified and labeled the native plants that had survived the winter.
Mrs. Inman, along with Green Team members, continually cared for the garden over the summer months. They also added weed cover and mulch. The garden looks wonderful!
She has additional plans for student involvement with the maintenance of garden and even plans on adding some garden art. She is a splendid model for what it takes in making a school garden successful; her determination, dedication and pride in her school’s campus have gone a long way to make this garden great!
If you are interested in installing a rain garden at your school, contact Bluegrass Greensource! We have educational resources available, and staff are happy to answer your questions!
Tips for Caring for your Rain Garden:
– Label plants to help identify young native plants from non-desirable species of weeds
– Use shredded hardwood mulch to prevent weeds and add nutrients to the rain garden
– Until the rain garden is established water the garden at least once per week
– Pull weeds as needed
– Remove dead plants as needed
– Add plants as needed
– Thin the garden to prevent crowding
– Check with local gardening groups to see when a native plant exchange is happening to thin crowding and add diversity to your garden
– Add art, benches, bird baths and more to add extra interest in your garden
Green Waves Radio is on the Air!
Green Waves Radio airs Fridays at 11:00 am on Lexington Community Radio
By: Chris Porter
Development Director
Bluegrass Greensource
The past year has seen the birth of one of Lexington’s newest, most exciting community resources – Lexington Community Radio. Operating two low-power stations (95.7/WLXL/El Pulso Latino and 93.9/WLXU) from the basement of the STEAM Academy, LCR exists for members of the Lexington community to create and broadcast the programs and content that they want to hear.
Bluegrass Greensource was excited to launch its own show on LCR in January. Called Green Waves Radio, this show is a weekly exploration of the people, organizations, and businesses that are working in different ways to strengthen Central Kentucky’s environment and make it more sustainable. None of the staff working on the program had prior experience working in a radio station, and so each person had to learn the basics of conducting a radio show live and in studio, running a sound board, and being on the microphone.
