Simple Energy Saving Tips

Simple Energy Saving Tips

Change the filter on your furnace
Change some lightbulbs to the compact florescent type
Put plastic on drafty windows
Use a ceiling fan at a slow, reverse direction setting to help circulate heat
Wrap your water heater with a water heater blanket
Patch leaky forced hot air ducts

Trash clean up – Clean the Bay Rhode Island

A Green Spotlight… Clean The Bay

1 Patrol Road
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Website: cleanthebay.org
Email: info@cleanthebay.org
Phone: 741-8749 or 413-3236
To Volunteer use the contact information above.

Clean the Bay is an organization that, until recently, I never even knew existed.  I became aware of this organization from a radio talk-show and checked out their website at cleanthebay.org.

In 2005, Capt. Alan Wentworth and Capt. Ed Hughes decided to take action based on concerns about the amount of trash that has accumulated along the Narragansett Bay shoreline. The two captains showed their survey report to anyone that would listen. As a result, ridding the Bay of debris has become a priority for local/state/ federal agencies and officials.

In 2006 Clean the Bay teamed up with the DEM to apply for federal grant funds and secured a $150,000 grant for what was to be called Clean Sweep I.  This first phase cleanup began in August 2006 and focused on three priority Bay areas: Greenwich Bay, Metro Bay, and the Bay Islands, and West Aquidneck Island shoreline.  More than 1,000 tons of debris were removed – including three barges, more than 18 derelict boats, over 100 lobster pots, yards of abandoned fishing gear, many telephone poles and other debris.

In October of this year, Clean the Bay started on the second phase of this cleanup initiative by securing a $170,000 grant. This grant is the second largest community-based marine debris prevention and removal grant in the nation.  Clean Sweep II will expand the cleanup of large, medium, and small debris to include an additional 86 miles of shoreline. Theses additional areas include Barrington, Bristol, Warren, and areas of Warwick, East Providence, Jamestown, Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth.

Volunteers play an important role in meeting the goals of Clean The Bay.  Contact info@cleanthebay.org for more information about volunteering and to receive email alerts of upcoming events (see contact info above).

The Apeiron Institute for Environmental Living

MISSION
The mission of the Apeiron Institute For Environmental Living is to create ecologically healthy communities by bringing sustainable living practices from around the world to Southeastern New England. We support and facilitate projects, ideas and practices that advocate for environmentally friendly building, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and business practices and integration of sustainability into all aspects of society.
Response from Mary Ellen at the Apeiron Institute

Thanks so much for your interest in getting involved, and for your kind offer of support!  Basically, we are a non-profit environmental organization specializing in education on sustainable living for people of all ages.  We run after-school and in-school programs for K-12th graders, as well as adult workshops on anything from learning to build with straw bales to identifying wild edible plants.  Our big event of the year is our Sustainable Living Festival & Clean Energy Expo, when we pack 40 different workshops, 20 musical and performing groups, 70 vendors, and more into a full day’s event.  We also lead the Sustainable RI Initiative, which seeks to make RI the nation’s first model “sustainable” state, in every aspect from having a good public transit system, locally grown organic foods, clean and thriving natural resources, renewable energy sources, and high-performance buildings.  We also host several websites that are great resources, including the Sustainable RI Directory, which is an online directory listing local businesses, organizations, and individuals who are somehow working towards sustainability. 

There are many ways to get involved with Apeiron, although we don’t have a very good structure for that right now.  We have one-day volunteer opportunities a few times a year that we publicize on our email list, including our upcoming Fall Garden Clean-up and Work Day on Saturday, October 13th, when we’ll be preparing the garden beds and grounds for the winter and doing some light carpentry and painting work on the house.  We do have longer-term volunteer opportunities, like working on our website directory, organizing aspects of the Sustainable RI Initiative, basic office help, or helping out with different events, and I could tell more about these things if you’re interested.

I hope this info is helpful, and I appreciate your support!  Let me know if you’d like to come to the volunteer day this Saturday, or if there is any other way that you’d like to become involved.  I hope to meet you sometime in the future!  Keep up the great work with Green Living RI!
Take care,

Maryellen Snyder
AdministrativeAssistant
The Apeiron Institute For Environmental Living
17 Gordon Avenue, Suite 208
Providence, RI 02905
T 401-228-7930
info@apeiron.org
www.apeiron.org

Organic Compost

Earth Care Farm
A complete, diversified family-operated
organic farm
89 Country Drive, Charlestown, RI 02813 :: (401) 364-9930
Mon-Fri 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Saturday 8:30 am to 12:00
earthcarefarm’s website

Earth Care Farm is a certified organic farm through the Rhode Island Division of Agriculture.  The farm produces high quality farm-made compost and has been doing so for 28 years.  Gardeners big and small rely upon this compost to enrich their soil naturally.

The seedling branch of Earth Care Farm grows organic vegetable, herb, and flower plants for the home gardener. The plants are started from seed and the potting is a rich blend of Earth Care Farm compost and other ingredients certified for organic use. According to Earth Care Farm’s website, earthcarefarm.com, seedlings are available from mid-May through the first week in June.

Helpf from a landscape designer

Update on Cris Larson – The Garden Consultant and Landscape Designer – May 2008

2008 is turning out to be a great year! The Garden Consultant wins Second Place for the RINLA Flower Show Exhibit in Non Profit! Cristin Larson is named 2008’s Young Nursery Professional for Rhode Island by the New England Nursery Assoc. and wins First Place for 2007’s RINLA Excellence Awards in landscape design. Lastly, Cristin Larson is now the Vice President for the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Assoc.!

Coming up with a good landscape plan can be a daunting task.  There are many things to consider.  What can I plant that is native to this area?  Should I plant things that are drought tolerant?  Do I want color at different times of the year? Do I want some evergreens?  What will the mature plantings look like?

About 4 years ago I faced this challenge.  I didn’t want to just throw something together so I needed help.  My first step was to do an Internet search for landscape design in RI.  I was lucky to come across the website of Cristin Larson, The Garden Consultant and Landscape Designer.  With tape recorder in hand, Cris came to my home and viewed my planting area.  She asked lots of questions; very thoughtful ones so that she could design a plan to meet my specific needs.  After spending about an hour with me Cris got to work listening to our taped conversation.  The end result was a computer file (Power Point) containing pictures of each planting suggested and tips for their care.

Now I had the info I needed to head to the nursery and start planting.  And 4 years later I love my front yard.  Overall, I was very impressed and to this day I continue to recommend the services of Cris Larson, The Garden Consultant and Landscape Designer.