Eight Pennsylvania Nonprofits Receive $72,500 in Grants From Verizon to Support Sustainability Initiatives

  Funding to Assist Groups in Expansion of  Community-Based Environmental Programs

            PHILADELPHIA – For students from Conestoga High School in Berwyn, a recent visit to Maysie’s Farm Conservation Center in Glenmoore was more than just a typical field trip.  It was a hands-on lesson in environmental sustainability where, through the center’s Down to Earth Farming program, students learned about filtering soil, planting seeds and picking vegetables, and how to be responsible stewards of the environment.

            Because of the conservation center’s efforts, it is one of eight nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania to receive $72,500 in grants from the Verizon Foundation to support programs designed to increase awareness of environmental sustainability initiatives in our communities.

            “At Verizon, we believe that environmental sustainability is something to think about every day, not just once a year on Earth Day,” said Jim Gowen, chief sustainability officer at Verizon.  “Sustainability needs to be an ongoing part of everyone’s life, whether it is turning off the lights, recycling, volunteering in the community or sharing ideas for going green.”

            In addition to Maysie’s Farm Conservation Center, the other grant recipients are:

• Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, Carlisle 
• Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education, Philadelphia
• Lawrenceville United, Pittsburgh
• Major Artery Revitalization Committee, Philadelphia
• Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, Camp Hill
• The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia
• Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, Schwenksville

            Gowen cited Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy as another outstanding example of sustainability initiatives in action.  The conservancy has invited students and teachers from throughout the Perkiomen Creek’s 362-square-mile watershed to participate in a My Water video competition via its email burst service, Facebook and its website.  Video submissions illustrating why water is important and why it is vital to protect water supplies are due on Earth Day, April 22, 2012.  Judging and the awarding and installation of the grand prize, a new rain garden at the winning school, will take place in May.

            “Verizon is proud to partner with all these nonprofit organizations because when it comes to sustainability, one leads by example, and our joint endeavors will help to expand outreach in the community,” Gowen said.  “Verizon is committed to a 360-degree view of our processes, our people and our products to improve our actions when it comes to our impact on the environment.”

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Did you know that less than 2% of the Earth’s water is fresh? Why conserve it? Well, the plants and animals need it. We do not replace the fresh water that we consume as fast as it is used. When you use water wisely you save money and you save energy. Aren’t these great reasons to cut back on your usage?  

This product is great to teach youngsters to conserve water. Build these habits early on and our children will hold onto them for a life time.  Conditioning our kids to live a green life and do their small part can make a significant difference for their own future and their kids and their kids… you get it.

This device is easy to use, contains a mini hour glass and teaches young and old alike to conserve water in a fun way!  All you have to do is rotate the timer and when the sand runs out you stop your shower. After a few times, you will know exactly how long it will take to wash your hair!

Here are some websites that you can buy this item:

• http://letsgogreen.biz/pages/water.html
• http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/shower-coach-shower-timer
• http://www.yeebiz.com/c/17/666-173/Promotion-Gifts.html
• http://www.amazon.com/ChangeForGreen-Niagara-Shower-Coach-Timer/dp/B004HEBTH8

By Dena Fritz

WCAFI  (World Clean Air Forest Initiative) offers an incredible deal if you care about our earth’s environment. There is not much to do, just by a Clean Air Tree Kit. Inside the kit, there is a growing pellet, pot, tree seeds and instructions. Several trees can even grow from one kit! The kit contains the best local seeds for the area you live in so that when you plant your tree, it has the best chance of growing. The kit packaging is 100% biodegradable, made out of potato waste, is completely compostable. Name your tree, register it, place it on their map to see how many trees have been purchased and planted. The best part about this program is that when you plant a tree, they plant a tree.

Communicate your company’s values with a unique green gift. Use the Clean Air Tree Kit as a promotional product. Plant a tree in memory of a loved one or as a gift. For every Clean Air Tree Kit that you buy WCAFI will plant another tree with their tree planting partners around the world and invest in Local Forests to extend the life of your campaigns.  

 The Nature Conservancy offers 5 practical steps to prevent nutrient pollution

Harrisburg, PA – (May 12, 2011) – Everyone needs clean, fresh water. Keeping our water clean is crucial to supporting life, for both people and nature. As spring weather spreads across North America, The Nature Conservancy wants consumers to know that the decisions they make about lawn and garden care can affect the fresh water in your local river and everything downstream – all the way to the ocean.

Hundreds of millions of people across the country rely on fresh water for drinking water and recreation, and these sources need to be protected so they can stay clean for us and for future generations. One frequent way that water becomes polluted is through excess nutrients – fertilizers, both chemical fertilizers and manure, running off farm fields and suburban lawns.

 “Every living thing needs nutrients, but overloading a freshwater system with nutrients can be disastrous,” said Jeff Opperman, a senior freshwater scientist with the Conservancy. Too many nutrients cause algae to grow in unnaturally high quantities, leading to fish kills, drinking water problems and “dead zones” in places like the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico.

“Globally, agricultural chemicals are a primary source of these nutrients, but the way people manage their lawns and gardens has a real effect on the streams and lakes in your neighborhood,” Opperman said.

What can you do to make your lawn truly “green,” and not just lush?

Five Ways to ‘Green” Your Lawn and Garden Care

Use Less Fertilizer
Excess fertilizer flows off your lawn and garden and ends up in nearby rivers and lakes and eventually make its way to the sea.  If you must use fertilizer, get a soil test first. Find out what your lawn needs.    Many lawns don’t need phosphorus, for example, so phosphorus-free fertilizers might just work for you. Use only what you need, and make sure it stays on the lawn. If you spill some on the sidewalk, sweep it up. And only use it when the lawn is growing.  Remember that any kind of fertilizer, organic or chemical, can be over-used.

Slow Your Runoff
We all want to keep our properties from flooding, but when all the water washes off city streets and our rooftops and yards, it carries a lot of nutrients and sediment with it. These materials can be harmlessly processed by the soils and plants on your property, but in a lake or river they can cause real problems. To slow that water down, don’t cut your grass along a creek or drainage swale.  Better yet, replace grass with native plants that will bind the soil and slow down the water. Or maybe create a water garden, which is both functional—it holds and slows down stormwater—and an attractive landscaping feature. Or buy a rain barrel for the water coming off your roof.  The rain in the barrel can then be used to water your gardens and lower your water bill.

Create Less Waste
Grass clippings are high in nutrients so you want to keep them out of the water.  Use a compost bin or use a mulching mower or both. Often, mulching your grass clippings can help reduce the need for fertilizer. And it’s good to keep the nutrient-rich grass clippings and leaves out of storm drains and of ditches.  Cutting your lawn high (3-4 inches) also increases its vigor, shades out unwanted weeds, and requires less water.

Use Native Plants
In general, using more native plants that are right for your part of the world reduces the need for fertilizers, pesticides and watering.  Replace some of your lawn with wildflower gardens, for example.

Buy Sustainable
Although home lawn care can play a significant role in keeping fresh water clean, you can also help promote healthy land and water with your food choices: what you buy, when you buy it, and the producers you support with your purchases. You can make choices about food that support the kind of farmers who work to minimize water pollution. Organic farms, for example, don’t use chemical fertilizers and are required to demonstrate that they are protecting their watershed.

For some practical steps consumers can take to reduce the amount of excess nutrients they add to the watershed where they live, see the video “Green Choices for Lawn and Garden, by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWey6JtlTEY

Read more about protecting fresh water resources at www.nature.org

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org/pennsylvania

By Dena Fritz

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Dish Soap is great! I use this on our boat to be environmentally friendly on the bay. It smells good, like lavender, which is what it is. I was surprised at how sudsy this soap was. A little goes a long way, lasting through more than a sink load of dishes. In a bucket, this soap was excellent for cleaning the bathroom, the hallway walls and the bedroom laminate and it still was sudsy. Easy to rinse, clean feeling, it left my hands feeling soft and supple. Mrs. Meyers is a green cleaning product and not tested on animals. It comes in a recyclable container and the ingredients are biodegradable and free of petrochemicals. All information of their products are listed on their website.  At only $3.99 per bottle, this product is clearly a great value.

Did you know that some of your  power cords continue to draw energy even when you are unplugged or not using your electronics? It is true. For your electronics that need charging, unplug your cords when not using them.

As far as appliances and electronics that are always plugged in, there is a solution, it is called a smart strip. As well as acting as a surge protector, this strip has a feature called “AutoSwitch Technology,” shutting down devices that are not being used. Not only does it save you money but it saves our environment. This is the kind of tool/technology we need in our every day life to help us do our little part in conserving energy.

This strip uses very little energy and is clearly marked on each outlet for those items that you want to use the AutoSwitch on and the ones you always want hot. With a wall mountable design, an angled space saving plug and a six foot cord , this strip is versatile and convenient.

By Dena Fritz

Great idea founded in 2008 by Mike Marone in New York, the world’s largest recycling event on May 14th in North Chili, NY. Kudos to Mike for coming up with this idea! It is an event held to give away your goods to save them from ending up in a landfill. Are you a hoarder or on you way to being one? This event can help you help others! Wouldn’t it be great if the idea spread to more neighborhoods? How about a national event? This is what I am talking about. Your trash is almost always someone else’s treasures. All you do is place your items on the curb for others to take away free. It’s like a “curb alert” for all in the neighborhood. No cost and very little effort, you can clean out your junk and help out someone who may need that item. I do this all the time with craigslist offering things for free that I would have to pay to have hauled away, you wouldn’t believe what people look for. Start an event in your neighborhood or just give it away on a site like craigslist, you will be happy you did!

Protect the future of nature by signing up for a Visa Signature Credit Card. It benefits the World Wildlife Fund because they receive a contribution every time you purchase with your card. With your Visa Signature Credit Card by Bank of America, you can accumulate WorldPoints. You can earn a WorldPoint reward point for every dollar in net purchases and then redeem them for cash, travel, merchandise, gift certificates and more. The best part is that you can earn rewards and redeem them for “green” purchase.

Choose your own card design with either the WWF panda bear image, a tiger or a polar bear. You can take advantage of their special offer of a plush stuffed animal to match your card design (free after qualifying transactions).

For Immediate Release                 

 Chesapeake Bay Foundation receives contributions of $100,000 from Washington Gas Energy Services and $50,000 from Sterling Planet to fund tree planting in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Annapolis, Maryland (April 10, 2011) – A  unique partnership to reduce regional pollution took root in Annapolis, MD today as 100 volunteers planted 1,000 native trees on a former farm on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The tree planting, as well as other regional efforts, is being funded by Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES) and Sterling Planet.

Together with about 1,300 trees planted two weeks ago, the trees planted today represent the equivalent of burning 77,503 fewer gallons of gasoline over the 30 year lifespan of a tree. The new trees will absorb carbon dioxide from the air and help clean polluted water through filtration, reducing nitrogen runoff from roadways and fertilized agricultural fields.

 “This market-driven solution to restoring our environment is starting to bear fruit, thanks to Washington Gas Energy Services and Sterling Planet “said CBF President Will Baker. “We are creating sustainable environmental solutions with tangible results.”

The trees were planted as a result of contributions totaling $150,000 made by WGES and Sterling Planet to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation managed Carbon Reduction Fund. The sale of the WGES CleanSteps^SM Carbon Offsets natural gas product allows consumers to buy greener energy and support other carbon reduction efforts through a partnership between CBF, WGES, Sterling Planet, and J. B. Hunt Transport Services. 

“For nearly a decade we have been providing innovative energy options aimed at cleaning the environment in the mid-Atlantic region,” said Harry Warren, President of WGES. “In the past eight months, customers have embraced our WGES CleanSteps^SM Carbon Offset enhanced natural gas product which enables us to provide a steady stream of funding for projects like this.”

“It is very exciting to be a member of this partnership that furthers the move to carbon neutrality for businesses and residents with a unique private/non-profit environmental solution,” said Mel Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Planet. “We are proud to support this effort financially and otherwise.”

 To learn more about WGES CleanSteps^SM Carbon Offsets, visit www.cleansteps.com/offsets or view a recording of the launch event at http://www.wges.com/announcement.

Some make Earth Day part of their lives everyday. For those of us that do our little part and would like to do more, there are things you can do to make a difference. Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd and it is an opportunity to join in various special projects around your community to help with the preservation of your environment. On the EPA website there are several things that you can do to join in. Submit a video for “It’s my environment”, submission deadline is April 15th. This is your part to show your commitment to environmental protection part of your life. Other things you can do and on the EPA website you can click on 5 different categories to view the many actionable items from using pesticides wisely to organizing a local event. You don’t have to go crazy,  just do your little part, start small and go with it. You will be proud of yourself and it will motivate you to do more!