Home Greening Instills Sense of Pride, Community in Cobbs Creek Neighborhood
Nov 22nd
Last week, the GreenTreks team was on hand at the Cobbs Creek Environmental Education Center for the first screening of our latest video, Green Homes. It was a special treat to reconnect with participants in the Darby Cobbs Watershed Partnership/Philadelphia Water Department supported project almost a year after we initially filmed.
True to the stormwater management theme, the weather was wet and dreary, but attendees spirits were not to be dampened. They loved the film — and to a person, they agreed that they’d participate in the project again if given the chance. In fact, when asked if they’d be so enthusiastic if asked to share in project costs (they were fortunate enough to be the pilot community, so the project was fully funded), the answer was a resounding YES!
Here’s the video that will have others scrambling to bring the Green Homes initiative to their own neighborhoods:
Green Homes from GreenTreks Network on Vimeo.
Philly Hosts another Green Conference: Cities Alive
Oct 20th
Hot on the heels of the recent Low Impact Development Symposium at the Loews Hotel, Philly will host another flock of transformative thinkers the end of next month.
Cities Alive, the 9th annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, is coming to the City of Brotherly Love November 29-December 3, 2011.
This international event is co-hosted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Why here, you ask? Check out the video from our friends at PHS for a few of the answers. All in all, we’d say this is just one more indication that Philadelphia is at the leading edge of the sustainability curve.
For More information visit Cities Alive.
Good for you, Good for Planet II: People Power Produces Electricity
Sep 21st
With all of the gyms around, we’ve wondered about the potential for generating power to light the studio spaces or run the always on ESPN tuned TVs for awhile now. Rather than using electricity to run all the newfangled cardio machines, why can’t we channel our energy and put our calorie burning activities to use?
A little further investigation led us to the Green Microgym, a Portland based outfit which bills itself as “the world’s first electricity generating gyms.” Through energy creation and conservation, they figure they generated 36% of their power needs and saved 37,000 kilowatt hours of electricity in 2010 — the equivalent of:
- 74,000 pounds of carbon emissions
- 81,400 miles NOT driven
- 15 acres of trees planted
Pretty darn impressive, and when combined with their other sustainability-focused efforts (no bottled water for sale; purchase of quality lightly used equipment when possible; member controlled lights, fans, tvs; recycling program and focus on recycled products; high efficiency compact fluorescent lighting; etc), it makes one wonder the collective impact corporate fitness centers could make if they sacrificed a little green to Go Green…
For info about the equipment they use at GreenMicrogym, visit Plugout Fitness>>
Closer to home, some local students are having a bit of fun adn getting into the act. Check out the piece that recently ran in Philly.com:
GreenSpace: At Drexel and Temple, pedaling produces electrical power – Philly.com
Now on Planet Forward: Capturing Rainwater is Good Business Practise
Jul 14th
To start a new partnership with Planet Forward — a project of the Center for Innovative Media at The George Washington University that aims to share innovative ideas, informed opinion, and first-hand experience on energy, climate, and sustainability — we’re debuting some of our latest videos on sustainable stormwater management.
Check out their site at planetforward.org — and submit your ideas for their SMART COMMUNITIES initiative: What innovation can help communities build for the future and adapt to a changing planet?
While you’re there, be sure to look for our stories on various efforts underway in Pennsylvania to manage rainwater in ways that improve the local environment, add to our quality of life, and make good business sense. Go directly to their Water section >>
And check back often. They have some great stuff — and much more will be coming from us!
Interested in Greening Your Roof? Join Queen Village workshop to learn how
Jul 11th
GreenTreks has been all over the city filming various greening efforts i recent months, and this Saturday we’ll be out at the Southwark Queen Village Community Garden as the neighborhood residents put a living roof on the building that houses bee-keeping supplies.
Yup, you’re reading it right: BEE KEEPING SUPPLIES! There are nine hives at the Community Garden and the bee-kepers need a place to store equipment and extract honey — so the Honey House was born. Besides growing a vast array of edibles and ornamentals, the Gardeners have pushed the sustainability envelope and are inspiring others to rethink their own slice of the urban environment: they’ve installed solar panels (and sell power back to PECO during peak times when electricity is most in demand) and a composting toilet on the property. Putting a living roof on the Honey House to help control runoff and demonstrate how greening can happen at an intimate scale, they figured, was the next logical step.
Come and learn how easily a green roof can come together and lend a hand!
GREEN ROOF WORKSHOP
The Southwark Queen Village Community Garden and the Neighborhood Garden Association are presenting a hands on workshop to explain the concept of green roofs and allow participants to work on the installation of a simple and small roof in our garden. The workshop will help complete our new Honey House and raise money for bee equipment. The roof work will be directed by master roofer, Ray Nocella.
Come, participate, or watch, and learn.
When: Saturday, July 16, 2011, 10AM to Noon.
Where: Southwark Queen Village Community Garden
311 Christian St. Philadelphia, PA 19147
Fee: $20/person. Limit of 20 people.
Iced drinks and seating in our garden will be provided.
Call 215-320-2980 to reserve a spot.
