See Any Beautiful Birds?

We are thrilled to have a gorgeous blue sky today. The first forsythia blooms are showing, and the first tips of the daffodils are out and growing. Another sign of Spring to come: this weekend is The Great Backyard Bird Count!

This is always a fun event to do with the family, and it's wonderful to do with children. It only takes fifteen minutes of observation to participate. There is a special joy in looking a little closer at nature than usual, and being even more aware of what is around us in our environment. Plus, Cornell University says, "It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds."

They provide area checklists, and web pages for kids. There are some great photographs in the image gallery, and a photo competition. Scientists use the data submitted to track and study populations of birds. There is always something new; last year I learned about 'irruptions' of birds. So take a clipboard along and check it when you're out for a stomp this weekend, from Friday, February 12 through Monday, February 15.

Expedition with Pat on February 2

Habitat and Wildlife Keepers (HAWK) will meet the host of ETV's Expeditions with Pat on February 2, at 7:00 p.m. in the Matthews Community Center, 100 McDowell Street, Matthews, NC. This free event showcases the Clemson University naturalist and host of the ETV program, Patrick McMillan.

The naturalist will tell us about changes that are happening in plants and animals of the Piedmont. Habitat alterations are moving native species to new regions, so the Carolinas are becoming a home for some new ones. McMillan is the director of the Campbell Museum of Natural History at Clemson University. For more information on this special meeting, call (704) 814-0877, or contact the HAWK site, or HAWKncwf@gmail.com.

Habitat and Wildlife Keepers, HAWK, is a chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. Great environmental stewards that they are, their members ask us to help recycle items at the HAWK meetings. They plan to reuse, recycle and properly dispose of these things: batteries in sizes A, AA, AAA, C and D; cell phones, eyeglasses, aluminum pull tabs, water and soda bottle twist off caps, inkjet cartridges, compact fluorescent lightbulbs, egg cartons, and wire coat hangers. So come see this interesting naturalist at the meeting, and bring along a few of those things you weren't quite sure how to recycle!

Oyster Roast this Friday

This name is so fun, I have to share it. The Winyah Rivers Foundation is having their annual River Roast South at a place called Hobcaw Barony.

They offer an oyster roast, southern buffet, tea, beer, and wine. Food and drinks are from the Litchfield Beach Fish House and the New South Brewing Company. The annual meeting begins on Friday, January 29th at 5:00 p.m., and the oyster roast and buffet begin at 6:00 p.m.

The fundraiser will help the Waccamaw Riverkeepers protect the rivers of the Winyah Bay watershed. Sounds fun... and tasty. You can get tickets online or by calling Christine Ellis at 843-349-4007. Have a toast to the rivers!

Free Trees on January 22nd

Winter is a great time to plant a few trees, while the roots are dormant. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension office provides two tree giveaways on January 22nd.

The TreeFest is a tree event on January 22 and 23 in Wilimington, NC. More than 12,000 trees will be given away-- up to five seedlings per resident. A $3 donation will help buy trees for next year’s event. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The event location is Independence Mall, JC Penney Wing; 3500 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403. Contact John Wooldridge for more information at (910) 798-7664.

In Lumberton, NC, you could receive Free Longleaf Pine Seedlings also on January 22nd, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Bodenhamer Tree Farm will provide up to 25 free seedlings per person at the Cooperative Extension Center located in the O. P. Owens Agriculture Center, Highway 72 West, Lumberton, (first-come, first-served). For more information, please call Everett Davis at (910) 671-3276.

Searching for an image, I found this wonderful set on "Trees I've admired," from Daniela Duncan's Flickr. They are all lovely-- too beautiful to pick one.

Plant a tree, and green the world!

Clemson Gets Grant for Wind Energy Study

Clemson University has been awarded $98 million for research to support wind energy! It is the largest single grant ever received by the university, according to the Clemson Newsroom. The Department of Energy (DOE) is giving Clemson $45 million in federal financing under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Local sources are providing $53 million in matching money.

In this five-year grant, Clemson's Restoration Institute and its partners will test newly developed wind turbines and drive trains, in a facility to be built on the former Navy base in North Charleston. In the short term, the Institute estimates the initiative will create at least 113 temporary jobs associated with construction of the facility and 21 permanent jobs. It also will generate 568 indirect jobs for a total of 852 jobs.

Also, the market for wind energy is increasing in the other nine states along the East Coast. An off-shore wind farm is shown in the photo at left, from the DOE. South Carolina already has GE Energy’s wind turbine plant in Greenville, and port, rail and shipbuilding facilities near Charleston. With this exciting new research program, the state may become a hub for the industry, according to Nick Rigas, director of the Institute’s Renewable Energy focus area. In fact, the DOE estimates that the state could gain 10,000 to 20,000 new jobs related to the wind power industry, over the next 20 years.

“This is a great example of how a research university like Clemson can be a catalyst for economic development,” University President James F. Barker said. “We have expertise in many fields — energy, engineering, sustainability — as well as a track record of successful collaboration between the university and our partners in industry and the public sector." The university’s partners in this project are: the Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority; the State of South Carolina; the SC Department of Commerce; SC Public Railways; the SC State Ports Authority; and private partners RENK AG, Tony Bakker and James Meadors.

Planning and construction of the facility will begin in the first quarter of 2010 with a targeted operational date in the third quarter of 2012. We applaud the hard work of everyone that made this project a reality!

For more information, contact Nick Rigas or (843) 554-7226, ext. 114.

2009 Sustainable North Carolina Awards

Thursday night, Sustainable North Carolina (SNC) gave awards to groups and individuals that advance sustainability in our state. Click on the names of this year's award winners to find out more about the great work they are doing!

The first three awards go to businesses:
The Triple Bottom Line award is for a company that successfully integrates social, environmental, and economic objectives. The winner is SAS. For their many constructive efforts, we applaud this company, that built a one-megawatt solar farm, generating 1.7 million kilowatt hours per year, using "sheep to maintain the grass for the array." This year, the company also offered its SAS Curriculum Pathways free to educators and students in grades 8-14 for schools in the United States. Thank you!
Entrepreneurship recognizes Riley Life Industries, a small business that demonstrates a positive impact on its employees, community and environment.
The Innovation award goes to BreezePlay. Their energy management systems can be useful for individuals, communities, and energy providers.

The Catalyst award is given to non-profits, government agencies and educational institutions for outreach initiatives that have broad positive impact. This year the two winners are Central Piedmont Community College and Natural Capital Investment Fund.
More winning categories provided additional recognition for nominees. The Champions award recognized efforts for advancing sustainable “triple bottom line” approaches in our state’s businesses and institutions, and was presented to Patricia Johnson, City of Gastonia; and Eric Henry, T.S. Designs. Walking Fish/Duke University was selected for the new SparK Award for the most inspiring finalist.

For the event, they also asked three local caterers for culinary creations. Square Rabbit, Green Planet Catering and Kaplan Catering accepted the challenge, using organic and local foods. The audience chose Green Planet Catering as the winner for the Chefs Sustainability Challenge this year.

Congratulations to all the winners, and all the nominees for your work. Thanks so much to SNC, for creatively linking economic prosperity, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship together. For complete results, see 2009 Finalists and Winners.

Duke University To Go Climate Neutral

We applaud Duke University's plan to become "climate neutral" by 2024, one hundred years after its establishment. "Duke has long been a major center for the study of the environment," President Richard H. Brodhead said. "We are committed to being a leader in best practices in responding to climate change.” Since 2003, their new buildings have met the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

William Chameides, Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, and others began in 2007 to assess the university’s greenhouse gas emissions. It's about 300,000 metric tons, caused mostly by energy and transportation uses. Duke is addressing these, converting the East Campus steam plant to run on natural gas, for example. The plan includes reducing the number of commuters who drive to campus alone and increasing the number of those who take buses or park-and-ride shuttles. The university intends to offset the emissions it cannot reduce by investing in projects that improve the local environment. An example might be helping North Carolina farmers capture methane and other harmful gases found in hog waste.

More information is available at Duke News and the Raleigh News-Observer.