Sustainable Lawrence hosts Home & Energy Expo

It is my pleasure to share news of the upcoming Home & Energy Expo, taking place April 10th, 10am-3pm, Lawrence High School, Lawrence, NJ. If you are in the Mercer County area, please join us in learning more about green options for cleaning, heating, cooling and decorating your home.

Lawrence Home and Energy Expo to be Held Sunday

The free event, to be held Sunday at Lawrence High School, is intended to help members of the community “make informed remodeling and purchasing decisions that promote sustainability.”

By Michael Ratcliffe | Email the author | April 8, 2011

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The annual Home and Energy Expo – the first in a series of six events planned to be held this year by Sustainable Lawrence in conjunction with the Lawrence Township Green Team – will take place Sunday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lawrence High School at 2525 Princeton Pike.

The six-event series is intended to highlight projects and practices designed “to improve your health, comfort and quality of life, while saving money and being good to our environment.”

The goal of Home and Energy Expo, in particular, is to help members of the community “make informed remodeling and purchasing decisions that promote sustainability.”

Tahirih Smith, director of Sustainable Lawrence, will give the keynote address and discuss the other upcoming events that Sustainable Lawrence has planned, while special guest speaker Mike Winka, director of New Jersey Clean Energy, will talk about NJCE’s policies and rebate offers. And Thomas Eldridge, business administrator for Lawrence Township Public Schools, will talk about how the school district generated over $1 million in revenue in one year’s time through its solar panel project.

According to Sustainable Lawrence officials , expo attendees will be able to:

• learn about the latest energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning products and other ways they can save money heating and cooling their homes;
• explore green cleaning options;
• learn the benefits of an energy audit;
• hear information about geothermal and solar financing and installation from homeowners and installers;
• find out how to recycle old appliances and get money toward new efficient ones;
• explore new “eco-chic” appliance, fixture and decorating options;
• gain practical insight from neighbors and benefit from hands-on demonstrations;
• compare offers from various experts.

Great Research Tools for "all things green"

A day late and a dollar short, as the expression goes. My apologies for the delay in getting this update out to you.

In prepping for our "green gardening" tips, I found some great resource books that I thought I'd share with you.  I was impressed with these books, as they are practical, well-rounded and easy to navigate.  Don't know if I am a dinosaur, but  I'm still tactile and like the feel of a book. I also think books tend to provide more detailed information than most on-line articles, so you get to drill-down a bit more on specific topics.

Let me know what you think. I bought these used from Amazon and saved quite a bit.

Whole Green Catalog-1,000 Best Things for you and the Earth-Edited by Michael W. Robbins
Living Like Ed-Ed Begley Jr. (I saw this in the library and read it last year. Thought it was a great go-to resource, so I decided to buy it.)
Guide to Sustainable Living-Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life-Ed Begley Jr.

Next update will provide details on prepping your soil for spring. With warmer weather predicted here in the NE, spring is just around the corner.

Thanks for your continued interest,

Paula

It's that time of year to start thinking about your garden

At the request of some readers, this week's article focuses on "green" gardening tips. I know; given our record setting cold weather and unusually high snowfall in the NE (and much of the US), it's hard to think of gardening. Fear not my friends, spring is right around the corner. This afternoon I noticed our pussy willow shrub is starting to sprout; a sure-sign of spring.


Getting Started

To achieve a healthy lawn that embraces sustainability concepts you'll need to Observe, Conserve and Preserve. Start by looking at your garden. Walk around (when the snow has melted!) and observe what you see.  Take note of the grass, weeds, soil, mulch and plantings. Observing your surroundings is a great first step in prepping for spring lawn care.

After you have a good feel for your property, think about your beautification objectives and then factor in conservation and preservation techniques. Starting with the soil, respect the planet by only using organic products as much as possible.  If chemicals are required (we'll drill down on this next week) treat a specific problem in a specific area. Per Native Plant Society of NJ, "If you must use herbicides, apply them directly to the weeds rather than broadcasting if possible. A healthy lawn will reduce weed growth."

As much as possible, please try to conserve water. Nothing frosts my tail (from a gardening perspective!) as much as seeing sprinkler systems running while it's raining. Don't over water your lawn. A hearty watering, soaking the soil, is only needed 2 times per week to maintain a healthy lawn.  It is also recommended that people use sprinklers during the cooler times-evening or early morning. Evening is better as the water evaporates less. If possible, build, or buy, a water barrel to store rain water or gutter run-off. It's a great form of recycling and contains less chlorine than tap. Flower beds should be watered as needed, but can become more resilient with ample mulching.


And speaking of mulch, use mulch on flower beds and gardens to prevent weeds from growing and to help absorb water. Mulch protects plants from extreme conditions-too much sun and too much water. It also helps deliver nutrients to the soil, so look for organic mulch that will decompose into the soil and preferably use non-dyed mulch.

My last tip speaks to honoring our environ. If you plant native shrubs, trees and plants you'll have to use less fertilizer and water. Because native plants are adaptive to the climate and temperature they don't need as much water as non-native plants. Using native plants is beneficial because it helps conserve water and reduces the amount of potential polluted runoff..


Next Steps

This is merely the beginning, as gardening should be viewed as a long-term project. Successful gardening takes patience. You shouldn't rush and take short-cuts. If in doubt, consult with your local nursery or online resources,

Best,

Paula

Coming Up-More details on feeding your lawn and preparing your soil.