Green News August 2, 2005--A Service of the Mon Valley Greenspace Coalition
Contact Jeremy Morris at jmorris5@wvu.edu or 304-319-6004 to have this newsletter emailed to you.
 

Green Greetings all,
 
1) Spruce Street Farmers Market
2) Highlands Conservancy Outings
3) WV Botanic Garden Wildflower Walk
4) Concerts on the Riverfront
5) Mountain Music Concert Series
6) Green Trails Guidebook
7) Funding Supports Climbing Program
8) Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference
 
(9) MONVALLEY CLEAN AIR COALITION [MVCAC] meetings
 

Spruce Street Farmers Market

 

The Spruce Street Farmers Market now has their very own listserv.  By signing up you will get weekly updates about market vendors and products available.  The email also shares recipes provided vendors and shoppers, send them a special summer recipe to share with other marketers.

 

To subscribe send an email to: Market Manager <sprucestreetmarket@gmail.com>

 

Remember that the Spruce Street Farmers' Market opens every Saturday through October 8:30 AM – noon

 

The market is shifting into full swing for the 2005 season of the Spruce Street Farmers' Market and we have lots to be excited about!  

They are currently averaging 16 vendors, all of whom bring something unique to the table.

 

Locally grown and farm fresh - guaranteed!

Spruce Street Farmers' Market
Fayette St. & Spruce St.
Morgantown, WV

 


Highland Conservancy Outing

Canaan Fir Cone collecting project

August 6th-7th

 

Canaan Fir Cone collecting volunteer opportunity!  The Highlands Conservancy has been been working for many years conserving West Virginia's unique Balsam fir nicknamed "Canaan Fir."  Threatened by overbrowsing by white-tailed deer, and an exotic insect pest, the Balsam Woolly Adelgid, this special member of the forest community needs our help.  These trees are not reliable cone producers, and only bear cones once every 3-6 years, last time in 2001.  This outing is dependant on a cone crop this year. Contact Dave Saville 304-284-9548 daves@labyrinth.net.

 

August 12th-14th,   Fri.-Sun.  Mount Rogers High Country Backpack (VA): Enjoy a 21-mile backpack with spectacular views of open highlands and surrounding mountains. Open areas are similar to a hilly Dolly Sods but with better views and a more remote feel. Hike is mostly above 4000’ elevation and about half exposed meadows. Please bring appropriate rain gear and equipment. Trails can be rocky and wet and weather can be unpredictable at times. Prior backpacking experience required. Hopefully, the highbush blueberries will be ripe. Contact Eric at backpacker@1st.net, (740) 676-4468 for more info or to reserve your spot.  Limit 10.

 

Reserve your spot in advance.  Please try your best to contact your trip leader at least two weeks in advance.  Sometimes the trip leader may cancel a trip if an insufficient number of people have signed up before the outing (remember the trip leader has a schedule too!). In doing so, you may learn critical details about the outing in advance.  Remember that your trip leader may be out in the woods for the preceding days!  Please be considerate of your trip leader and follow his/her instructions.

 


WV Botanic Garden
Summer Wildflower Walk
August 6
 
We invite everyone to come join us for what promises to be an enjoyable and informative wildflower walk with Donna Ford-Werntz. All walks will begin at 9:00 am, unless otherwise noted, and will proceed even in light rain. Any cancellation will be posted on our website at www.wvbg.org.  Wear boots or shoes that can withstand rough and possibly wet terrain.  For walks that may take us through the wetland, long pants are best as some of the plants are scratchy.  Hope to see many of you there.
 

Concerts on the Riverfront
August 11th
 
 Local favorite The Argument will perform at 7:30 pm
at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park
 

2005 West Virginia
Mountain Music Concert Series

Chestnut Ridge Park

 

August 13
Falling Run Bluegrass Band
 

 Bluegrass, Newgrass, Appalachian, Traditional, Original, Celtic and Old-time.   Every other Saturday beginning June 18 to September 3,  Chestnut Ridge Park will host a memorable outdoor "Mountain Music" concert from 6:00pm to 8:30pm.   Admission is $3 for overnight campers, $5 general admission, and free to kids ages 12 and under.  So pack up the family, put on your best stompin' shoes, bring your lawn chair, blanket, cooler and enjoy the evening.

 

All park events can be accessed at http://www.chestnutridgepark.com/events.html

 


Green Trails Guidebook
 
The Green Trails guidebook, published by Portland, Oregon's Metro organization, provides a comprehensive source of information about planning, construction and maintenance of environmentally friendly or ''green trails'' -- trails that avoid or minimize impacts to water resources and fish and wildlife habitat.
The guidebook is a resource for citizens, trail planners, designers, builders and maintenance staff. It focuses on trails in environmentally sensitive areas and recommends strategies for avoiding or limiting the impacts on wildlife, water quality and water quantity. It also provides an extensive bibliography of other sources that give more specific guidelines for trail planning, design, construction and maintenance.

Copies of the guidebook are available for $15, plus $2 for postage and handling. The Overview and Contents are available as a PDF document; read more or find out how to order at the resource link below.
 

Funds Support Climbing Programs
Access Fund Grants Program
http://www.accessfund.org/
 

The Access Fund Grants Program supports projects that preserve orenhance climbing opportunities and conserve the climbing environment throughout the United States. Grant categories include: climbing facilities; seed money for grassroots organizations; land acquisition; education outreach; and conservation research projects. Requests are accepted from the following types of organizations: local climbing groups or organizations; governmental agencies that wish to sponsor or organize a local project; and research groups/conservation organizations and land trusts. (Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status is not a pre-requisite.)
The next application deadline is September 15, 2005. For more information visit the website listed above.


Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference, November 3-4, 2005
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (APPA) are convening a conference November 3 and 4, 2005 entitled Smart and Sustainable Campuses, hosted by the University of Maryland at College Park. This conference will bring together university and college leaders in the areas of campus planning and development, finance and business, facilities management, environmental health and safety, procurement as well as decision-makers in college and university towns.  The idea is to share innovations and solutions, as well as provide guidance to colleges and universities that are in the process of finding their own workable solutions these environmental problems.

The conference will include a series of plenary sessions where leaders in campus sustainability and smart growth development practices on and off campus will discuss strategies that are working today.  There will also be a set of concurrent sessions where facilities personnel, faculty, staff, and students will present their projects and papers (see the Call for Papers at http://www.epa.gov/sectors/colleges/sascc.html).

 In addition, SCUP, in coordination with this conference, will select 4 to 6 universities that will get direct technical assistance for their smart growth and sustainability based work on campus-community collaboration (see the Call for Projects at http://www.scup.org/campusprojects/sust/index.html). Conference attendees will be able to participate in these interactive assistance charrettes. Conference registration will soon be available at http://www.nacubo.org
 
MONVALLEY CLEAN AIR COALITION [MVCAC]
 
UPCOMING MEETINGS--August 9th and August 22nd.
 
1.  Informal Discussion Of Clean Air Issues-- Tuesday, August 9th, 7 pm,
meet at Unitarian Fellowship , 429 Warrick Street, A-frame building off University Ave. between main campus and Law School.  Focus will be
on a number of current activities and plans for immediate future.  New people and new ideas are welcomed.
 
2.  Regular Monthly Meeting-- Monday, August 22nd, 7 pm, at 3333 Collins Ferry Road (home of Dr. Larry Schwab).  Questions or comments may be directed to Duane Nichols, Convenor of MVCAC, at duane330@aol.com.
Cheers all,
 
Jeremy
 
Return to Mon-Earth.org