newsletter

True Love Goes Green

Let’s show some love for our planet and make this Valentine’s Day green!  We’ve got some ideas that will keep the romance alive and the energy waste minimal.  From buying that box of chocolates to planning the day, here are some tips for every couple.

To save the planet and money, plan a romantic energy saving evening at home.  Turn down the thermostat and snuggle up to your loved one under a blanket for a romantic film or a quiet evening in front of the fireplace.  Leave the car in the driveway and have dinner at home too.  When planning dinner, consider incorporating local produce and/or local products. Your bottle of red or white may taste of fruit, chocolate, oak – but can you detect the hint of a healthier planet?Try an organic or local wine.

Set the mood, and lose the electronics for a night.  Take some time to connect with each other.  Unplug all unnecessary appliances.  Turn off your cell and the computers and turn down the lights.  Soy or beeswax candles can create a romantic energy-saving ambiance.  Whether it be dinner by candlelight or drinks at sunset, soft lighting affects our emotions. Studies suggest that soft lighting evokes a calm feeling throughout our body and can also send the message of beauty, tranquility, and romance.

When you are getting ready for your night in, go ahead and get all dolled up with some eco-friendly products.  Blow dryers use a lot of electricity, so consider letting your locks go au naturale.

Many gifts have unique and valuable stories that can add to your relationship and help the world around you.  Many companies are now making gifts from recycled materials.  Instead of those cliche roses, try getting your significant other a seasonal arrangement of local blooms or a beautiful native potted plant.

Whether your love stands tall or is just beginning to bud, planting a tree is a great way to honor it and a meaningful gift that will last. The tree’s life is like the life of your love, and we don’t mean that in a cheesy way.  Trees also help reduce stormwater pollution while keeping your neighborhood looking great.

If your relationship is not quite ready for a tree, go for some organic fair trade chocolates or a homemade card.

We hope you will try some of these tips this Valentine’s Day!  Remember, true love goes green!  For more ideas on greening your Valentine’s Day, check out the Sierra’s Club Valentine’s Day page.

Septic System Woes?

Did you know that a failing septic system can require expensive repairs, pose a serious health risk to your family and neighbors, and have negative impacts on water quality?  Bluegrass Greensource awarded five Garrard County homeowners cost-share grants to repair or install septic systems at their homes.  Each grant will pay 80% of the repair or installation cost, while the homeowner is responsible for the remaining 20%.

To be eligible for the grants, homeowners must reside within the Dix River watershed in Boyle, Garrard, or Lincoln Counties and must attend a one-hour workshop about septic system care and maintenance.  Following the workshop, participants can apply for a cost-share grant for system repairs or installation, or for a free septic tank pump out (a regular maintenance task that is recommended every 3 to 5 years).

The next free septic system workshop will be held on Tuesday, March 4^th from 6:00 to 7:00 PM at the Junction City Community Center (724 W. Shelby Street).  Please contact Sandy Bottoms at sandy@bggreensource.org or (859) 266-1572 to register!

Bluegrass Greensource will offer a series of free septic workshops over the next two years, as well as a series of watershed awareness festivals in local communities and water-related activities in area K-12 classrooms.  These activities are part of a grant program funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act through the Kentucky Division of Water. 

Robots, Raptors and Race Cars, Oh My!

What do robots, raptors, and race cars have in common?  These were just a few of the hands-on activities available to students at the 30^th annual 16^th District Science Fair. While the 690 participating students were waiting for the judging and the awarding portions of the fair, they were treated to amazing activities and educational information from over 30 community exhibitors at Science Sensation.  

All of the exhibitors contributed exceptional learning opportunities to the Science Fair.   Delta Sigma Theta Sorority gave students the opportunity to handle brain samples, a fetal pig, and horse eyeballs.  Newton’s Attic kept the students occupied with a robot that students controlled to shoot a basketball through a hoop.  Buckley Hills Audubon Society drew a large crowd with their bald eagle and owl exhibit.  Rosie the Recycling Bin and Louie the Lightning Bug greeted students reminding them to recycle and conserve energy.

Showing practical applications of science, 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 and over 25 pound of recyclable waste was recovered!

Bluegrass Greensource would like to thank Kentucky American Water, Bryan Station High School, the 150 volunteers, the exhibitors, the students and their families that made this day possible.

The 16^th District Science Fair is a 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.

Boyle, Clark and Madison Counties Become WasteBusters!

Thanks to a generous grant from the Walmart Foundation, Bluegrass Greensource will be able to expand our successful WasteBuster Program to schools in Boyle, Clark and Madison Counties.   The goal of this program will be to increase school wide recycling, improve learning and save the school systems money.  

The WasteBuster Program is an expansion of a program we successfully completed in Anderson, Garrard, Lincoln and Jessamine counties, and mirrors the award winning LiveGreenLexington Partner Schools Program in Fayette County.  In each of these counties, school districts have shown increased recycling rates, reduction in their landfill bound waste, and improved student test scores.  Fayette County has also shown a significant cost savings because of their participation.

Bluegrass Greensource educators will work with principals, custodians, cafeteria mangers and teachers to provide recycling bins, conduct waste audits, and work with students in the classroom.  Greensource educators will facilitate hands on classroom activities to educate students about recyclable items and waste reduction practices they can implement at their schools.  All participating schools in Boyle, Clark and Madison also have the opportunity to apply for a waste reduction grant to implement specific initiatives in their school.

Bluegrass Greensource is excited about the opportunity to work with schools, staff and students in these three counties!  If you are a teacher in Boyle, Clark or Madison County and would like to participate, please contact Blair@bgGreensource.org.  

Over 100 pledged to Get Outdoors in 2014 through our annual New Year’s Resolution Program, and Bluegrass Greensource would like to congratulate Joshua Saxton for winning the $100 gift card from Kentucky State Parks!

We would like to thank the following people who agreed to publically commit to  Get Outdoors in 2014 — Stephanie Vihlidal, Kenna Phelps, Laurie Davison, Lauren Monahan, Shanda Cecil, Christina Zavos, Melinda W., Ashley Osborne, Roberta Burnes, Alyse Garrard, Kenya Stump, Burley Thomas, Lori Minter, Eric Comley, Robin Stewart, Jamison Barton, Tracy C, Suzanna Weisenfeld, Beth Kelly, Nicholas Larkey, Jeri Howell, Hannelore Elliot, Tanya Ewing, Gayle Bourne, Linda Johnson, Mark Tower, Trudy Robards, Leann Brown, Chris Tyler, Charlie Lanter, Joyce Fister-Daley, Rachel Ford, Sabrina Oaks, Karen Hatter, Melody, Jaci Williams, Kathryn Turbek, Amy Sohner, Gene Slusher, Storey Slone, Chris Woolery, Eamonn FritzGerald, Amanda Black, Jennifer Mitchell, Bill Settles, Joey Svec, Joshua Saxton, Ashley, Mike Reed, Anita Courtney, Paula Dunn, Dawna Scripps, Cheryl Pena, and Jan McKinney. 

Thank you for signing up to receive our newsletter. If you have any questions or comments about this issue, please contact us at info@bggreensource.org.

Sincerely,
Amy Sohner
Executive Director
Bluegrass Greensource

Competition “Can” Increase Recycling

 Public and private school students in Fayette County collected more than 146,000 aluminum cans for recycling during this year’s Recycle-Bowl. In terms of weight, students collected 4,180 pounds of aluminum beverage cans for the contest.

The competition challenged schools in Fayette County to collect and recycle as many aluminum beverage cans as possible from October 21 – November 15. Students from 19 Fayette County schools competed to see which schools could collect the most cans for recycling. This is the eighth consecutive year Lexington schools have participated in an aluminum can recycling competition.

Wise Recycling, Central Kentucky Fiber, the Keep Lexington Beautiful Commission, and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Division of Waste Management contributed monetary prizes to reward the schools. Additionally, schools were paid by the pound for the cans they recycled through Wise Recycling and Baker Iron and Metal.

The schools that collected and recycled the highest number of cans per student in their respective size category received $750 each. The six schools that collected the most cans regardless of their student size category received $450 each. Schools were eligible to receive only one monetary prize.

The winning schools and the prizes they earned are:

1st place winners: 
Lexington Family Care Center, $750 
Russell Cave Elementary, $750 
Wellington Elementary, $750 

Other winners: 
Ashland Elementary, $450 
Cardinal Valley Elementary, $450 
Christ the King School, $450 
Lexington Universal Academy, $450 
Montessori Middle School, $450 
Sayre School, $450 

Greensource Brings STEM Education to Schools

Too often students struggle to see ‘real world’ applications of Science, Technology, Energy and Math (STEM) but through Bluegrass Greensource’s hands on activities in area classrooms, students are able to understand and relate.  Our classroom activities encourage students to explore, question, analyze and even create products used in their everyday lives.

Thanks to a grant funded by the Department of Energy Development and Independence (DEDI), Bluegrass Greensource was able to help local students better understand STEM by teaching them about coal  (it’s history, economy, and environmental impacts) and about alternatives energy sources. 

Recently, students at Lincoln County Middle School explored and analyzed alternative energy sources while conducting a Wind Turbine Lab.  With this activity, students reviewed designs of a typical windmill and its blades.  Students were then asked to brainstorm and design their own turbine blade. They examined and considered different shapes, sizes and material.   When their design was ready, students began assembling their wind turbine kit and building the blades.  Once assembled, students test how quickly the turbines rotate using a digital voltage meter. If needed, students are encouraged to go back to the drawing board and reconfigure their designs.   

As the students study and analyze their results, their hands-on Lab experience gives them a better understanding of STEM’s components and Greensource is able to capture students’ attention and help them learn how to apply this new found knowledge to their daily lives.

Talking about Green Jobs in Boyle County

Over 300 students from Danville City Schools attended the Bate Middle School College and Career Fair on December 19th and learned about green careers.  Bluegrass Greensource partnered with Bate Middle School and the Danville Career Pathways Coach to educate students about their college and career opportunities.  In addition to learning about different colleges and military opportunities, students also learned about green jobs and green businesses right here in Central Kentucky.

The goal of the Greensource’s Green Jobs Program is to educate guidance counselors and students about the growing green economy so that students will be pursue green careers. Green careers offer students well-paying jobs that also benefit the environment.  Our Green Jobs Program, funded by the Americorps VISTA, plans to partner with other schools to host career fairs where green jobs will be highlighted.

If you would like more information about our Green Jobs Program, please contact Ashley Bryant Cheney at vista@bggreensource.org or (859) 266-1572.

Ashley Bryant Cheney Joins Our Team

Greensource would like to welcome Ashley Bryant Cheney as our new Green Jobs Coordinator through Americorps VISTA.  Ashley grew up in rural Alabama and credits her rural upbringing and time spent on her grandparent’s farm with influencing her concerns for the environment. She moved to Knoxville, Tennessee to attend Carson-Newman University in 2004.  While in Tennessee, she worked at numerous non-profit organizations doing volunteer management, program development, and fundraising.  The time she spent living near the Smoky Mountains only furthered her love and appreciation of the natural world.

While attending Carson-Newman University and later the Eastern University in Philadelphia, Ashley researched issues related to environmental conservation, urban homesteading, and community gardening and served on the board of directors for Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center. She moved to Kentucky in July and is enjoying all that Lexington has to offer. 

Ashley is excited to be developing the new Green Jobs Program for Bluegrass Greensource and is looking forward to working with green businesses and area high schools to connect the young workforce with the growing green job market.  She is a great addition to our team!

Local Apartment: New Look, New Outlook for Recycling

 Many things are new at 100 Chevy Chase Apartment Homes- a new name, management, look, and now the shift to become a “greener” home for its residents. Located at 100 Lakeshore Drive the apartment homes just off Richmond Road are visibly different due to new paint and the placement of many blue Rosie recycling containers. Less visible are the changes inside the complex. With Community Manager Jason Whitehouse at the helm the complex is taking steps to become a greener apartment complex. Bluegrass Greensource and LFUCG were invited to their first holiday party on Dec. 19 to discuss recycling, energy efficiency, and water conservation with residents. Over 20 residents stopped by and learned about services offered to them and opportunities to live a bit greener in 2014.

Plans to create a comprehensive recycling program and the formation of a green team will begin in 2014 as more residents move into the complex. An October 2013 stream cleanup for the creek running alongside the Richmond Road side of the property was successful and future stream clean-ups are likely. Whitehouse hopes the space alongside the creek will be utilized by tenants looking to enjoy a bit of nature in the city instead of the creek merely existing as a backdrop. The creek affords the possibility for environmental education opportunities for young tenants like micro-invertebrate outdoor days and storm water education. These efforts will not only help the complex become greener, but will also build a sense of community with residents – something Whitehouse strongly supports.

Bluegrass Greensource is here to assist those seeking to create a recycling program or make their apartments greener.  Nearly every apartment complex has a group of residents interested in minimizing their ecological footprint. The key is finding this group of engaged, participatory residents and showing them how best to utilize their skills and time. Site specifics, resident participation, and the community’s desires are incorporated into any recycling program to maximize success. If you know of, or manage an apartment complex and would like to see changes to your recycling and green mission, contact us at Bluegrass Greensource for no-cost assistance (859)266-1572.

Become a Bluegrass Greensource Ambassador

Bluegrass Greensource Ambassadors serve as representatives of BG Greensource at assigned outreach and education events.  These may include community fairs and festivals, neighborhood events, farmers markets, watershed festivals, etc.  We are focusing on two main areas at this time:

Zero Waste team members to assist at outreach events.  This may include coordinating with event planners and/or assisting at events.

Children’s outreach events.  Volunteers will work with Bluegrass Greensource staff to offer educational activities geared toward children.

Volunteers must demonstrate an ability to conduct themselves in a professional manner, willingness to learn details of Bluegrass Greensource’s programs and educational activities, and comfort communicating with the general public.

Bluegrass Greensource Ambassadors will be expected to attend a mandatory training that will cover Bluegrass Greensource’s programs and educational activities.

Interested in volunteering?  For additional information please visit our website or contact:

Pattie Stivender
Volunteer Coordinator
Bluegrass Greensource
3120 Pimlico Pkwy, Ste 126
Lexington, KY 40517
859-266-1572
pattie@bgGreensource.org

Thank you for signing up to receive our newsletter.  If you have any questions or comments about this issue, please contact us at info@bggreensource.org.

Bluegrass Tomorrow Presents Greensource with Vision Award for Green/Sustainability

Posted Monday, November 4, 2013 on KyForward.com

The annual Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Vision Awards Breakfast included more than sticky buns on the menu. Awards were presented to Don Robinson, Ed Burtner, the Kentucky River Thorobred, Knox van Nagell, Bluegrass Greensource, Judy Clabes, the National Park Service’s Rivers Trails Conservation Assistance Program, Kyle Lake and Rebecca Barnes.

Robinson is owner of Winter Quarter Farm and is best known for breeding multiple Eclipse Award winner Zenyatta, the 2010 Horse of the Year. He won the 2013 Josephine Abercrombie Vision Award for his leadership as chairman of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Planning Commission which made the motion for a change of minimum lot acreage from 10 to 40 acres in agricultural areas.

Ed Burtner is the mayor of Winchester. He has been a major advocate for Bluegrass Station and the Bluegrass Army Depot and is active in many regional organizations and projects He received the Bluegrass Legacy Vision Award.

Other awards were presented for outstanding service to Bluegrass Tomorrow and the 18 surrounding counties to the Kentucky River Thorobred, a Kentucky State University floating laboratory; Knox van Nagell of the Fayette Alliance; Bluegrass Greensource; and a conservation program run by the National Park Service.

The special Robert Clay Award was also presented to Judy Clabes, publisher and editor of KYForward.com, as Bluegrass Tomorrow’s “most valuable” board member and the one who has done the most to improve the organization over the last year.

Passionate about the preservation and protection of precious Bluegrass soils and the equine/agricultural industry, Robinson is a director and past president of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association, and the Fayette County Farm Bureau. He is currently chairman of the Fayette Alliance.

Burtner has been a board member of Bluegrass Tomorrow and the Bluegrass Area Development District. He has been very active in the United Way and the regional Public Policy Group facilitated by Commerce Lexington which advocates for many regional issues including education, drug abuse, the Kentucky River, the water supply and others.

KSU’s Kentucky River Thorobred floating laboratory is a unique 52-foot pontoon boat used for research on river ecology and environment, and was honored with the Education Vision Award.

Bluegrass Greensource (formerly PRIDE) won the Green/Sustainability Vision Award for its excellent and continued work in environmental education and sustainability.

Van Nagell of the Fayette Alliance was honored with the Equine/Agriculture Vision Award for her tireless work in protecting precious Bluegrass soils and advocacy on more than 65 major land use policies.

Russell Clark and Alison Bullock of National Park Service’s Rivers Trails Conservation Assistance Program won the Conservation/Preservation Vision Award for their work with the Kentucky River Water Trail Alliance and the Bluegrass Bike Hike Horseback Trails Alliance, important initiatives of Bluegrass Tomorrow.

Kyle Lake of Prosper Productions and Rebecca Barnes of Northwestern Mutual won Young Professionals Vision Awards for their tireless work with young professional organizations and projects in the region and promoting the Bluegrass Tomorrow philosophy of “developing an environment in the region where creative talent, young professionals, diversity and entrepreneurship will thrive.”

From Bluegrass Tomorrow

Franklin County Students Impact the Environment

Fourth grade students in Frankfort and Franklin County have been making a big impact in their environment.  As part of a project with Bluegrass Greensource and the Franklin County Solid Waste Administrator, students in seven city and county schools have had the opportunity to learn about litter in their classroom, and then applied that to their own environment. 

Students at Bridgeport Elementary, Collins Lane Elementary, Elkhorn Elementary, Good Shepherd School, Hearn Elementary, Peaks Mill Elementary and Second Street School all worked with a Bluegrass Greensource educator in their classroom to learn about pollution and how it affects our local environment.  Using an Enviroscape model to demonstrate a landscape, students first learned what a watershed is and what watershed they lived in.  Students then identified various types of point source and nonpoint source pollutants found within that watershed.  Using items to symbolize litter, animal waste, and oil from cars, students saw where those pollutants came from and where they can end up as stormwater and move through their watershed.  After identifying the various types of pollution in the environment, students then brainstormed best management practices, or ways they can reduce and clean up those pollutants. 

Following the classroom demonstration, students then met again with educators from Bluegrass Greensource to do a project on their school grounds.  Using the information they learned, the students made maps of their school grounds, and used the maps to track where they found litter, motor oil and stormdrains around their own school.  Students then put their best management practices into action and collected litter from their school grounds.  While doing the project, students were surprised to find more litter than they expected.  Students also became more aware of stormdrains and how stormwater affects their environment, and many classes chose to display their litter maps in their schools to educate other students and teachers about litter.

Bluegrass Greensource enjoyed this collaboration with Franklin County Public Schools, Frankfort Independent Schools, and Good Shepherd School.  Greensource is so proud of the impact these fourth grade students made in their community!    

Greensource Grants Make a Difference in Central Kentucky

Over the past three years, dozens of local governments, nonprofit organizations, and schools in Central Kentucky have implemented environmental education and improvement projects with the help of Bluegrass Greensource’s mini-grant program. Through a partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission, Greensource was able to offer this grant program to seven counties in its service region – Clark, Estill, Garrard, Lincoln, Madison, Montgomery, and Powell. Since 2010, the mini-grant program has provided over $330,000 in funding for 61 projects, ranging from outdoor classrooms to cleanups to innovative demonstration projects. Unfortunately, funding for the grant program ended in August 2013, but Greensource has been able to fund some exciting projects in the past few years!

Madison County Conservation District constructed a fallen livestock composting pad at EKU’s Meadowbrook Farm. The composting facility is available for tours by student and professional groups, and its purpose is to provide farmers with an innovative, economical, and sustainable option for addressing the problem of fallen animal disposal.

Lower Howard’s Creek Nature and Heritage Preserve in Clark County cleared invasive plant species on a five acre section of the property and purchased signage in preparation for the opening of its first public nature trail. The 2.8 mile out-and-back John Holder Trail was dedicated in the spring of 2012.

Garrard County Fiscal Court developed a walking trail along Lancaster City Lake, and recently planted 900 native redbud and dogwood trees along the path.

Estill County Cooperative Extension District held a home composting workshop for 46 community members. Participants learned how to compost their kitchen and yard waste, and each household in attendance took home a free countertop compost bin.

EKU installed a 1.6 kWh expandable solar panel system on the roof of the New Science Building, along with a real-time energy production logging and display system that will allow students to monitor the system’s energy output.

Lincoln County 4H worked with Crab Orchard Elementary students to establish a garden behind the school. The garden club planted strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, beans, potatoes, corn, squash, and kiwi. The dedicated students met weekly over the summer to care for their plants and harvest their crops.

Some additional outcomes of the mini-grant program include:

• Development of 12 outdoor classrooms, school gardens, rain gardens, and educational wetlands
• Development of 1 city park on a former brownfield
• Energy efficiency upgrades in 15 public buildings, including schools and a local recycling center
• Installation of solar panels on 1 rural animal shelter
• Execution of 5 environmental education workshops for educators
• Cleanup and restoration of 1 illegal dumpsite
• Installation of recycling infrastructure at 7 marinas on Herrington Lake
• Purchase of materials for 1 local farmer’s market
• Installation of 5 water bottle refilling stations at Eastern Kentucky University

Bluegrass Greensource is proud to have been able to support these projects and many others. These projects are wonderful examples of the efforts that communities in central Kentucky have made to reduce their environmental impact in recent years!

Grant funding through this program is currently unavailable. For more information on past mini-grant projects, please contact Sandy@bgGreensource.org.

Energy Tour Energizes Teachers

“One of the best, educational, thought provoking tours I have taken in 25 years of teaching,” said one teacher after having participated in Bluegrass Greensource’s fourth annual energy tour, sponsored by the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence.

Teachers from Central Kentucky joined BGGS for two days of touring sites related to renewable and nonrenewable energy.  The tour gave teachers firsthand experience with a variety of energy resources and facilities and deepened their knowledge of the content they are teaching for the Next Generation Standards.

Dr. Bruce Pratt of Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for Renewable and Alternative Fuel Technologies started the tour with an overview of energy sources used to produce electricity, and the pros and cons of each.  Harlan County High School was a popular stop on the tour with its renewable energy features.  The school has incorporated many high performance energy features, such as:  day lighting, geothermal HVAC, energy recovery units, low-E insulating glazing, occupancy sensors on lighting, high efficiency lighting, and light colored roofing.

Teachers also learned about coal extraction while touring TECO Coal in Hazard.  After a training session, teachers were taken into a deep mine shaft and had the opportunity to view the mining process firsthand.  The history and impact of the coal industry in Harlan County was highlighted during a Kentucky Coal Mine Museum tour led by retired miner Al Feher.

The tour is intended to broaden teachers’ knowledge of energy-related topics while providing a balanced and unbiased view of each resource.

During this school year, Greensource Educators will be working with each teacher who participated in the tour to offer energy lessons and plan energy related field trips for their students.  For more information, contact Pattie Stivender at pattie@bgGreensource.org.

Rain Garden Grant Deadline is November 18th.

As the weather gets cooler, rain gardens are starting to die back above ground. Yet under the ground, the roots are still very much alive, absorbing water and nutrients to help the plants survive the long winter ahead. Now we can sit back and dream of our rain gardens that will grow next spring and summer.

That is exactly what many homeowners that attended one of our recent rain garden workshops hosted in Jessamine, Scott, and Bourbon Counties will be doing this winter. Not only did participants of these workshops learn about rain gardens, but they were also encouraged to design a rain garden for their property and apply for a grant to help turn the design into a reality. All grant applications are due back to Kara Sayles at kara@bgGreensource.org by Monday, November 18^th. 

Our goal for the workshops was to help citizens create a successful rain garden in their yard that will thrive for years to come. The workshops showcased what rain gardens are, why they are beneficial, and how to construct one. They also included a hands-on component, led by local nursery professionals that involved planting a garden. These professionals are still available for consultations to our workshop participants on their rain garden design and/or show them which plants will work best for specific yard conditions. 

The workshops filled up quickly and were a huge success. We will be conducting a similar round of workshops in Woodford, Clark, and Madison Counties next Fall. We encourage residents of those counties to check back regularly for information about these workshops on our web page at www.BGgreensource.org/rain-gardens/.

We would like to give a huge thank you to the Kentucky Division of Water for supporting our rain garden program in these six counties.  We also thank the following organizations for partnering with us during this adventure: UK’s Agriculture Extension Offices, Springhouse Gardens, Shooting Star Nursery, Ruddles Mill Nursery, Eco Gro, CDP Engineers, and the Scott County Conservation District. Your help was crucial in making this round of workshops so successful!   

Students Learn About Water Conservation in Mercer County

Check out the article Kendra Peek, from The Advocate Messanger, wrote about a water conservation project we worked on in Mercer County with  8th graders from King Middle School.  Great example of community partners coming together and making things happen…

Thank you for your interest in our newsletter.  If you have any questions or comments about this issue, please contact us at info@bggreensource.org.

Sincerely,

Amy Sohner

Executive Director

Bluegrass Greensource

Rain Garden Workshop Coming to Bourbon County on Saturday

Bluegrass Greensource is hosting the last rain garden workshop for the fall on October 19^th at the Bourbon County Library in Paris. The workshop is free and open to the public, thanks to the generous support of a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under §319(h) of the Clean Water Act.  If  you are interested in attending the workshop, register at: 

https://bourboncoraingardenworkshop.eventbrite.com/.

For more information, click here.

Septic Care

Workshop Coming Soon

Did you know that a failing septic system can require expensive repairs, pose a health risk to your family, and have negative impacts on water quality? Bluegrass Greensource is hosting a free septic system care workshop on Tuesday, November 5^th from 6 – 7 PM at Maywoods Environmental and Educational Laboratory near Crab Orchard, KY.  

Click here for more information.

Bringing Water Conservation Education to Local Businesses

For the past two months, Kentucky American Water has been partnering with Bluegrass Greensource on water conservation and quality presentations throughout Bourbon, Clark, Owen, Scott, and Woodford counties. The presentations highlighted different ways people can conserve water at work, at home and in their yard.  Did you know the average dishwasher uses 40-55 gallons of water per cycle? Did you know…

Having a Zero-Waste Event

Just Got Easier

Are you planning an event and would like to reduce waste? Bluegrass Greensource can help! We now have a Zero Waste Guide that can help with your waste reduction plan, each step of the way, from recycling to composting.  In addition, are you looking for a fun way to volunteer to help community events reduce their waste?  Find out more...

Creating Educational Opportunities at Dupree Nature Reserve

It is not every day one gets to be part of a project with the potential to impact generations. In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy of Lexington, Bluegrass Greensource was invited to create educational programming for the region’s newest nature preserve. The Dupree Nature Preserve in Garrard County opened to the public on October 5, 2013 and was a project years in the making… 

Wanted: Teachers/Educators to Check Out our Buckets!

Greensource has a vast library of buckets available for check out through our office. Perhaps you want to teach about animals, camouflage and nocturnal vs. diurnal. Our Animal Pelts bucket would be perfect for that!  That bucket includes native animal pelts from central Kentucky. Beaver, white tailed deer, grey squirrel are just some of the pelts included in this bucket.  Click here for more details…

For the latest green information in Central Kentucky, “Like” us on our Facebook page Bluegrass Greensource or follow us on Twitter @BluegrassGreensource.  If you have any questions or comments about this issue, please contact us at info@bggreensource.org.

Bluegrass Greensource:  New name, new chapter

Bluegrass PRIDE is now Bluegrass Greensource. We’ve updated our social media accounts, launched our new website, and got new business cards and email addresses. But now what?

Amy Sohner, executive director of BG Greensource, took a moment to reflect on our accomplishments in the last 12 years and expressed her optimism for the future. “Since I’ve been around from the organization’s beginning, I have really enjoyed seeing a shift in the understanding of what it means to be green. And with our new name, new brand, we want to continue this momentum.”

Our environmental educators have worked with students in over 230 schools. “On any given day, they may be knee deep in a stream showing kids how to test water quality or up to their elbows in classroom trash as they complete a dumpster dive.” Amy reminisced.

We also work with teachers on how they can use the environment to teach across all disciplines. We have taken science, social studies and English teachers in a coal mine and to solar farms to help them teach about energy.

PRIDE’s outreach specialists stay busy reaching out to Central Kentucky’s adult population and educating them on waste reduction, water quality and energy efficiency. This year, our staff assisted with home energy audits, partnered with community organizations to stencil storm drains and completed waste analyses for area businesses helping them recycle almost 1500 tons.

Our grant programs have done good work all around the region. Invasive plants were removed at Lower Howard’s Creek Nature and Heritage Preserve and their first public hiking trail was opened. Five reusable water bottle stations were installed on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, saving tens of thousands of plastic water bottles from the landfill. Madison County Conservation District was able to develop a fallen animal composting pad to use for education and demonstration purposes. Herrington Lake Conservation League cleaned up the lake, filling 19 commercial dumpsters with litter and manmade debris from the lake, while establishing a recycling and litter reduction program at several marinas.

We’ve also provide resources to community groups to address litter, assisting with the  removal more than 150,000 bags of trash from local roadways and stream banks. To promote our message across the region, we have worked to help make events throughout Central Kentucky both litter, and waste free!

Over time, we became THE SOURCE for green education in Central Kentucky and we wanted our name to better reflect our mission and the fact that we are the Green Source for this area. As we begin this new chapter, we want to continue our outreach in the schools, building on the programs we provide in our region.

We want to continue our outreach in homes, encouraging small changes that have a big impact, not only to our local environment, but also on our wallets and our health.

We want to grow our over 600 business and apartment complex partnerships, assisting them in all of their green needs and helping them get recognition for being environmentally responsible.

We’ve made great progress, but we need your help spreading the word. Same important mission, just a new name. Bluegrass PRIDE is now Bluegreass Green Source. Please share the news with your friends and your community.

__________________________________________________________

Summer Camp Fun

Summer time offers a perfect opportunity to get outside, go somewhere new and try something that you have never tried before. And what could be a better way for kids to do that than to head to a weeklong summer camp? Bluegrass Greensource has worked hard this summer to not only host our own summer camp but also collaborate with some great local community organizations to provide activities and experiences that any kid could enjoy!

Greensource’s biggest summer camp offering happened June 10^th-14^th at the Arboretum in Lexington and gave kids the opportunity to be eco-investigators for the week, exploring different environmental concepts while enjoying all the Arboretum had to offer. Participants got the chance to take guided nature hikes throughout the Arboretum, utilized solar ovens to make s’mores before making their own solar oven and learned about composting while working in the children’s garden. The camp was 8am-4pm and allowed for plenty of exploration and fun!

Throughout the summer Bluegrass Greensource has also had the opportunity to work with several great local organizations such as the Fayette County YMCA and the Lexington Explorium. Educators spent time with the North Lexington Family YMCA and their summer camp, offering lessons on insects you can find in local creeks and streams, our central Kentucky watershed and even planning a litter clean-up around the YMCA property to discuss how everyone has a part to play with litter. July 22^nd through the 26^th several educators will be spending their mornings at the Beaumont YMCA doing fun activities that teach about litter, water quality and recycling. And Greensource provided lessons on Kentucky native mammal species and our local watershed as part of a Lexington Explorium summer camp June 24^th and 25^th.

As this summer begins to slow down there are still some great summer camp experiences to be had. Check with your local community organizations who should have all of the information you might need. And as this upcoming school year starts to fly by and summer plans begin to take shape, make sure to look into some of the great summer camp experiences that Bluegrass Greensource works with throughout Central Kentucky!

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Rain Barrel Reception has Rolled Out Until Next Year

Big news was announced at this year’s annual Roll Out the Rain Barrel Reception on Friday, June 21^st at the Fifth Third Pavilion. An excited group of supporters were on site when Bluegrass PRIDE officially became Bluegrass Greensource. Even more came out to see the wonderful artistic rain barrels, participate in the silent auction and mingle with our featured local artists at the on-site voting competition.

Music was provided by Soul Funkin Dangerous for the event, which was part of LexArts’ Gallery Hop. Local brewery, Country Boy Brewing, brought the Cougar Bait while Seasons Catering brought the wine and hors d’oeuvres. Tates Creek Middle School’s Drama Club teacher, Miles Johnson, was also there to paint a rain barrel with the help of some of our youngest artists.

An original Enrique Gonzalez’s painted rain barrel, called Zenyatta, was a hot raffle ticket item.  The winner of our on-site rain barrel vote was Make Your Mark, painted by local artist Stefan Hulliger and our online rain barrel vote winner was When Roosters Cry, painted by local artist Stephen Wiggins. People were also able to purchase plain rain barrels to create a masterpiece of their own.

Over $8,000 was raised in support of Bluegrass Greensources’ many outreach programs which focus on water stewardship, energy conservation and waste/litter reduction. Another popular program, the Rain Barrel Workshops, illustrate the importance of water conservation and demonstrate how easy it is to make one of your own.

We would not have had such a successful without the support of our sponsors: Kentucky American Water, Stites & Harbison, Country Boy Brewing, Seasons Catering, Coca Cola, KCI Designs Photo, Pain Solutions Auto Body, and Fayette County Extension.

Malissa McAlister’s term as chairman of the board for Bluegrass Greensource has come to a close, but she will continue to volunteer her time with us.  At the recent Rain Barrel Reception, Malissa reflected on how she first got involved. “I remember attending an informational meeting in Danville back in 2001,” she recalled.  “I felt this was just the type of organization that was needed in Central Kentucky to reach out to residents about why it’s necessary to care for our natural environment and teach us how everyone can do their part, no matter how small.”

Malissa currently works at UK’s Water Resources Research Institute as the Kentucky River Basin Coordinator. In 2006, she joined the board as a representative of the water quality profession. She has enjoyed watching the staff captivate school audiences with demonstrations on the importance of green lifestyle choices. During her time as Chairman, she watched the results of the various environmental grants to numerous schools and communities–from outdoor classrooms, to nature trails, to recycling bins, and to energy efficient lighting – make positive changes for cleaner living environments.

“It has been so satisfying to be a part of the maturation of this organization–to the point where it now needs a new name to capture the breadth of its mission!” Malissa stated.  “Bluegrass Greensource was selected as a

fitting name, because we seek to serve as THE source of information about ways that citizens, communities and businesses can implement “green” practices that protect and enhance the beauty and natural resources that are so critical to our lives here in Central Kentucky.”

Thank you, Malissa, for your continued support and service.

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Join our Team

Bluegrass Greensource is seeking a full time VISTA Volunteer to manage a Green Jobs program for Title 1 High Schools in Central Kentucky.  A degree or previous experience in an environmental field is required.  A full job description can be found at https://bggreensource.org/home/what-we-do/our-people/jobs/vista-job-opening/.   Email resume, letter of interest and contact information for three references to maxine@bgGreensource.org.   Applications will be accepted through August 15^th or until position is filled. EOE

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For the latest green information in Central Kentucky, “Like” us on our Facebook page Bluegrass Greensource or follow us on Twitter @BluegrassGreensource.  If you have any questions or comments about this issue, please contact us at info@bggreensource.org.

Sincerely,

Amy Sohner

Executive Director

Bluegrass Greensource

2013 LiveGreenLexington Games Winners

Congratulations to all our 2013 LiveGreenLexington Games Winners!  Winners were announced at our annual awards ceremony on August 1^st at the West Sixth Brewery.  The Games’ Overall Winner goes to Good Foods Market and Café who also won the Waste Reduction Category and Water Stewardship Category.  Other winners include:

Lexington Habitat ReStore: Small Business Winner

Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital: Energy Conservation Category

Kentucky American Water: Energy Conservation Runner Up

Semicon Associates: Waste Reduction Runner Up

Estepp’s Friendly Shell: Water Stewardship Runner Up

FoodChain: Innovation Accolade

Bluegrass Youth Sustainability Council: Education Accolade

Town Branch Tree Experts, Inc: Stewardship Accolade

The LiveGreenLexington Games are a friendly year-long competition between area businesses aimed at helping these groups reduces their bottom line by becoming more environmentally friendly.  In order to participate, businesses fill out a survey detailing their practices related to recycling and waste reduction, water conservation and litter, and energy efficiency.

Forty-three LiveGreenLexington Partner businesses competed in this year’s Games, of which, 9 were recognized as winners at the ceremony.  After the award ceremony, the crowd also got to enjoy a free tour of the innovative Lexington business, FoodChain.

Special thanks goes to West Sixth Brewing, a LiveGreenLexington partner, for their hospitality that night.  If your business is interested in participating in the 2014 LiveGreenLexington Games, please contact Blair Hecker at livegreenlexingtongames@bggreensource.org.  The new competition gets kicked off on September 1!

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Popular Energy Tour is Back

Calling all Central Kentucky Teachers who are interested in learning and teaching about Kentucky’s energy sources!  Our popular Energy Tour is coming soon and we want you to join us on October 24-25th.  But space is limited so teachers must sign up as soon as you can.

Thanks to funding provided by the Department of Energy Development and Independence (DEDI), we are able to offer this two-day tour to Central KY teachers to highlight Kentucky’s developing alternative energy technologies as well as traditional energy sources.  One day will be spent touring EKU’s Center for Renewable & Alternative Fuel Technologies (CRAFT), Berea College’s Ecovillage, a Berea solar farm and the KY Coal Mine Museum.  The second day will be spent in the Teco Mine in Hazard.  Yes, we said “IN” the Teco mine where you will experience first-hand deep earth mining and learn about coal extraction surface mining techniques.  Finally, a panel discussion will cover the advantages and disadvantages of different energy technologies.

As a follow-up to the tour, our environmental educators will host a series of classroom lessons for tour participants about the history of coal in Kentucky, extraction techniques of coal and alternative energies.  Additionally, participating teachers will have the opportunity to schedule an energy related field trip for their classroom.

If you are a Central Kentucky teacher and interested in joining us, please email Pattie Stivender at pattie@bgGreensource.org for more detail information.

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Explorations in Water

Our Water Quality Workshop for Teachers is coming September 18^th.  The workshop is designed to help teachers understand how water quality and water conservation can be taught in a variety of ways and across disciplines.

Water resources are of major environmental, social and economic value.  We rely of water for our health, ecosystem, farming, fishing and mining, plus it contributes to recreation and tourism.  If water quality becomes degraded, this resource will lose its value.

The workshop will include water quality indicators, performing water tests, stormwater mapping, planning a school rain garden and information on Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools Water Inventory.   It is open to all teachers in Bourbon, Clark, Owen, Scott, and Woodford counties.

Special thanks to Kentucky American Water for funding this workshop and supporting area teachers.

Date: September 18, 2013

Time: 9:00 – 3:00

Location: Scott County Extension Office
1130 Cincinnati Road
Georgetown, KY 40324

For more information on the workshop and to register, please contact:

Pattie Stivender
Bluegrass Greensource
3120 Pimlico Parkway
Suite 126
Lexington, KY 40517
(859)266-1572
pattie@bgGreensource.org

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Rain Garden Tour

The 7^th Annual Rain Garden Tour, presented by Fayette County Public Schools and Bluegrass Greensource, is on Sunday, September 22^nd.  Six area rain gardens and their native plants will be showcased in the tour from 2:00 – 5:00 P.M.

One of the stops is the Locust Trace Agriscience Farm where you can tour their net zero waste facilities and 3 rain gardens.  As part of their Native Plant Program, they will also hold a native plant sale.  Proceeds of the sale will go to their education programs.

Three Fayette County Public Schools’ rain gardens will also be stops on the tour.  They include:

Beaumont Middle School – 2080 Georgian Way

Henry Clay High School – 2100 Fontaine Road.

Athens-Chilesburg Elementary – 930 Jouett Creek Drive

The tour is open to the public and is a self-guided.  This is a great opportunity to see unique rain gardens and talk to experts about rain gardens, their benefits and features.  Light refreshments will be provided.

So come, enjoy and learn about what our public school are doing to protect their water quality.  If you are interested in more information on rain gardens and the tours, contact: Kara Sayles at Kara@bgGreensource.org.

Keep an eye on our website for upcoming Rain Garden workshops at www.bgGreensource.org

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ReStore Paint Recycling
Whether it’s a fall clean-up or a complete remodel, you might find yourself with gallons of extra paint.  Luckily, Lexington’s own ReStore offers a novel paint recycling program as an alternative to the landfill or an overstuffed garage.

The only program of its kind in Lexington, ReStore’s paint recycling program is in its 188^th batch; meaning that nearly 10,400 gallons of paint have been saved from the landfill according to Deconstruction Project Manager, Michael Frey.

(Pictured to the left:  Michael Frey and Katie Clay)

The paint recycling program was started in 2010 when staff noticed gallons of partially-full donated gallons of paint were not selling and they were starting to amass quite a collection.

“Why not consolidate it?” they thought.  Initial attempts at mixing were focused on keeping like finishes together- satins with satins, flats with flats.  Today, paints are mixed by similar colors and the end product retains a mostly satin finish, which is water resistant and easy to clean.  Landlords, some of the paint recycling program’s most devoted customers, love the high-hiding quality of the paint.  Katie Clay, Resource Development Coordinator, shared her own personal experience, “I used two coats to cover my brown living room walls with a really nice light blue-green color.”

The paint recycling program is part of ReStore’s larger Deconstruction Program which also salvages construction materials on-site and collects scrap metals. Full and part-time employees churn out roughly two batches a week, which is roughly 100 gallons of paint that becomes recycled product. Two, 55 gallon barrels serve as the site of mixing and filtering. Batches are poured into 5 gallon buckets that sell for $35 each, complete with “home brewed” in Lexington labels created by another local business, Bullhorn Creative. White and off-white have proven the best-selling colors so far.

Jake Brown (left) and Tatum Lewis (right) demonstrate the recycling process.

Volunteers can also get in on the fun. University of Kentucky student groups, schools, and environmental groups have created their own paint batches, complete with catchy names. “Blue Your Mind,” “OMGreen,” “Pretty in Purplish,” “A-maize-ing Yellow,” and “Check me out, I’m Buff” are just a few of the gems.  While seemingly unappealing, “The Milk’s Gone Bad,” a grayish-white turned out to be a great seller. One group from the County Attorney’s Office spent a day moving furniture only to return for an afternoon of paint mixing. Their color creation? “Prosecutor Purple,” of course. “Volunteers are welcome and it doesn’t take a lot of training” says Michael. “A group of six volunteers can create a barrel of paint in around four hours.” School children aged 16 and over can volunteer with an adult 18 or older to operate the mixing drill.

Checklist for recycling your paint at ReStore:

• It must have been made between 1994-present.
• It has never been frozen.
• Paint must be in its original container.
• It must be latex. (Non-latex or other paints not accepted by ReStore can be made landfill-ready by adding cat litter, dirt, paint thickening crystals, or sawdust. Place beside the Herbie with the lid loosely attached on collection day.)

To set up volunteer visits, contact the ReStore Volunteer Coordinator Catherine Trout at catherinet@lexhabitat.org or call 859-252-2224, ext-150.

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Lisa Conley Joined Our Team

Greensource would like to welcome Lisa Conley as our new Outreach Specialist.  Lisa grew up in Daysboro, Kentucky and credits her rural upbringing in eastern Kentucky with influencing her concerns for the environment. She states, “I love the fact I grew up in a region so full of natural beauty. I was always outside playing in the barn, on the river banks, and in the hay bottoms. I came to appreciate the peacefulness there and could get lost in an afternoon of bird-watching, catching tadpoles, or just walking the hills behind our house.”

Lisa used this appreciation of the natural world when she moved away for college. While attending Eastern Kentucky University and later the University of Kentucky, Lisa researched issues related to environmental disasters in Appalachia and taught as a part-time instructor for both universities. She is currently finishing her PhD in Sociology at UK by researching motivations of home food production, the intersections of environmental sustainability, and local food economies. She is excited to be the new Outreach Specialist for Bluegrass Greensource working with large businesses to increase their recycling efforts and find ways to conserve water and energy usage.  She is a great addition to our team!

Interesting in knowing more of Greensource’s staff, go to https://bggreensource.org/home/what-we-do/our-people/staff/.

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For the latest green information in Central Kentucky, “Like” us on our Facebook page Bluegrass Greensource or follow us on Twitter @BluegrassGreensource.  If you have any questions or comments about this issue, please contact us at info@bggreensource.org.

Sincerely,

Amy Sohner
Executive Director
Bluegrass Greensource