New Video Series Highlights Lexington Green Businesses

At Bluegrass Greensource, we’re always looking for fun new ways to promote our LiveGreenLexington Partners. Our newest adventure takes us into the realm of video.  The recently-launched Green Stories series will take you on a tour of Lexington’s leading green businesses. Each episode will focus on one LiveGreenLexington partner, and we will be highlighting the things they do to be more sustainable.

Our goal is to show that any organization, no matter how large or small, can make a significant impact by making changes. We hope that this series will educate, inform, and inspire you to act in your own business or your home.

If you know of an organization doing a great job at being more sustainable, please let us know. We’d love to feature new ideas and new people.

We’ll be posting these every month or so on our News page, and on our new YouTube channel!

Our first episode focuses on local marketing and design firm Bullhorn Creative. Bullhorn has been a LiveGreenLexington partner since 2010. They are both recycling and energy partners, and this video gives a great intro to the work they have done in those arenas.

Coming up in our next episode, learn about the work the Lexington Public Library has done to make your library experience a more sustainable one!

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Tired of Tenants Leaving Furniture on the Street after Move-Out?

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Unwanted furniture and home items often find their way to the curb when apartment tenants move out. Unless otherwise collected, these materials create an eyesore and typically end up in landfills.  The Greater Lexington Apartment Association’s Green Committee has partnered again this year with Bluegrass Greensource, LFUCG, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Hippo Crate, and God’s Pantry to develop Move-Out-Madness.  The goal is to collect gently-used items left behind by tenants and make it possible for them to find new homes.

How does Move-Out-Madness work?  Hippo Crate has donated storage crates to be placed at two Lexington apartment communities – Newtown Crossing and Campus Court at Red Mile.  The crates will be placed at each property for one week during their busiest move-out times this summer, allowing tenants to place their unwanted furniture and items inside.  Habitat for Humanity ReStore will pick up the furniture and home items from the crates while God’s Pantry will collect non-perishable food items.  Tenants will be encouraged to take unwanted clothing items to Goodwill, the Hope Center, or Salvation Army.

How can I get involved?  Deliver gently-used, unwanted items to the Hippo Crate at Campus Court at Red Mile from July 16 to July 23, or to Newtown Crossing from July 26 to August 2.  Please contact Lisa Conley with questions or to get your property involved: lisa@bggreensource.org  or 266-1572, ext. 237.

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Over 60 Lexington Schools Recognized for Sustainability Efforts

Bluegrass Greensource joined forces with the Bluegrass Youth Sustainability Council, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools, and the National Energy Education Development project (NEED) to award Fayette County Schools for their participation as LiveGreenLexington School Partners and to honor their commitment to other sustainability programs.  Over 60 schools received awards for their efforts in recycling, water quality improvement, and energy conservation.

The keynote address was delivered by musician Ben Sollee, a native of Lexington and a graduate of Lafayette High School.  Mr. Sollee is known not only for his innovative playing style, but also for his environmental endeavors.  Ben often travels to his performances by bicycle, therefore reducing his carbon footprint by not using an automobile.  His address was an interesting mixture of speech and music.

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Above: Ben Sollee

Susan Plueger, Director of the LFUCG Division of Environmental Policy, also addressed the students.  She summed up the goal of the LiveGreenLexington School Partners program with the comment “It’s all about taking responsibility to do the right thing. We have to teach each upcoming generation how to take care of our land, air, and water.”

In addition to schools, student groups were recognized for their outstanding commitments to sustainability.  Montessori Middle School of Kentucky was recognized for its volunteer efforts –  students Asha Ari, Cece Banks, and Nell Adkins volunteered monthly for Bluegrass Greensource performing tasks such as testing water quality, organizing books, and stuffing folders.

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Above: Montessori Middle School Volunteers of the Year

The Bluegrass Youth Sustainability Council was recognized for Outstanding Environmental Stewardship.   Council members placed recycling receptacles at high school stadiums, painted eco-art on storm drains to raise awareness, and conducted energy audits in schools.  They also planned and organized the Earth Day Celebration which included the sustainability fair and the award ceremony.  The sustainability fair, held before the award ceremony, included local vendors and community organization booths with information about green efforts in Fayette County.  Good Foods Market and Café provided guests with locally grown and produced refreshments.

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Above: Marie Armbruster of the BYSC

Click here for more photos from the event.

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2014 Downtown Trash Bash a Success

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Above: Trash Bash volunteers at the South Limestone location.

The 2014 Downtown Trash Bash on April 18th was a great success! Bluegrass Greensource partnered with the Downtown Lexington Corporation and the Keep Lexington Beautiful Commission to expand this annual litter cleanup to five downtown locations.

We had a wonderful, mild spring afternoon and over 100 volunteers from downtown neighborhoods and businesses enjoyed the weather while picking up litter. Each of the five starting points brought out a great mix of folks, from the UK Student Sustainability Council, who helped clean the flow-through planters on South Limestone, to the staff from Bullhorn Creative, who worked in the North Limestone corridor.

We had great participation from downtown offices at the Fifth Third Bank Pavilion starting point, where WUKY did a live remote broadcast and also bashed some trash themselves. Also at the pavilion, artist Sarah Heller incorporated some of the more interesting finds of the day into an artwork that was later displayed as part of Gallery Hop at the Breadbox Studio Artists stop.

Jefferson Street was hopping, with volunteers cleaning up from the start point at Short Street all the way up to West Sixth Brewing. Participants at the Thoroughbred Park start point helped clean the East End.

A big thanks to all of our sponsors, including those who provided treats for our participants – West Sixth Brewing, North Lime Coffee and Donuts, A Cup of Common Wealth, and Village Host. We had a great time at this event, and look forward to many more!

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Downtown Trash Bash 2014

Help Keep Downtown Lexington Clean and Green at the 2014 Downtown Trash Bash

Come on out to the Downtown Trash Bash on Friday, April 18 and make our downtown more beautiful while helping to protect water quality in the Town Branch watershed!

Individuals and businesses are invited to join us any time between Noon and 4 p.m. at one of five starting locations, where we will provide the tools you need to help remove litter from our cityscape.

Our check-in booths are located at:

  • Fifth Third Bank Pavilion at Main Street
  • Thoroughbred Park at Main Street
  • Duncan Park on North Limestone
  • Jefferson and Short Street
  • South Limestone at Avenue of Champions

Each location will provide snacks and thank-you gifts for participants. Prizes will be given to the organization with the most volunteers, all organizations who register at least 10 volunteers, and the top 3 businesses with the most improved storefronts (must be within the Central Business District)! Event and registration details are available at downtownlex.com or by calling 425-2590.

In case of rain, the event will take place on April 25, 2014.

This year, we have partnered with the Downtown Lexington Corporation and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to help expand the scope of this annual event to include multiple areas of downtown. We have been further assisted by our partners at the University of Kentucky Student Sustainability Council, Fayette Alliance, and NoLi Community Development Corporation in organizing the sign-in locations.

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