One of the things that I love about the Kent Environmental Council is its engagement in the community--especially through education and activism. These are two things that are near and dear to my heart, and seeing what so many of us in Kent have managed to do over the years, it seems like a number of people feel similarly. One way to combine both of these loves that is becoming more and more common is through citizen science, or crowd-sourced research projects, where data are collected by volunteers in the community to contribute to a research project designed by someone in the field. Good examples of this research approach are the Great Backyard Bird Count, vernal pool monitoring, and now, KEC member Charles Frederick's newest research project on active living.

This is your chance to become as active in research as you are in your day to day life. Before March 22, collect photos showing examples of active living in Kent (good or bad), and send them with the proper documentation to Charles. By doing so, you will be helping improve our community and add to data showing where Kent is encouraging active living and where it has room to improve. These photos could show, for example, someone riding a bicycle on one of the bike paths around town, children walking to school, areas of sidewalk that are risky for pedestrian or vehicle drivers not paying attention to bikeriders. For each photo include when and where the photo was taken, what you found interesting about the scene, and a description of the weather conditions. 

If you have any questions, contact Charles about this great way to get involved in our active community.

--Lisa Regula Meyer, Chair, KEC

Active living was the topic of discussion at the KEC annual meeting in February. Members Charles Frederick, Christopher Mallin, Harold Walker and Eugene Wenninger introduced the concept of active living and to explained that three focus groups--transportation, sustainability, and parks and trail development--were combined into one active living focus group and that the topic will be a priority for KEC in 2013. Click here to see a PDF of the PowerPoint slides presented at the meeting.

The principles of active living are as follows: 

• Physical activity contributes to improved health and quality of life.
• Everyone should have choices for physical activity.
• Places should be designed for a variety of opportunities for physical activity.
• Development should be designed to encourage mixed uses, compact design and transportation choices.
• Buildings should be designed and oriented to promote active living.
• Transportation systems should provide safe, convenient and affordable access.
• Parks and green space should be part of a transportation network that connects destinations of interest to the community.
• Municipalities need to plan for ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration, promotion of facilities, behavioral supports, and policies that institutionalize the vision of active living and routine maintenance that ensures the continued safety, quality and attractiveness of the physical infrastructure.
• Community governing and planning processes need to address the impacts of the built environment and transportation choices on residents' ability to be physically active.

Active living also includes promotion of local foods, which is the interest of another KEC focus group. Active living benefits include better health, improved diet, local foods, transportation choices, destinations, neighborhood stability, mixed-use communities and more social engagement.

Since the beginning of the year, the active living focus group has established a year-long research project that will study the elements of active living (movement + transportation, place-making + neighborhood characteristics, and social participation + activism) within the city of Kent and help develop a series of projects or policy recommendation for residents, public officials and stakeholders.  

The focus group will be reviewing Kent planning documents and seeking input to document existing conditions until March 22. The group then will take a month to conduct analysis mapping and synthesize the data, which will be presented at an April 22 panel discussion at KEC's spring forum at the Presbyterian Church in Kent. From April through October the group will be involved in the development of active living projects that will be presented to the community at KEC's fall forum. KEC is looking for interested persons to get involved in this process at all levels.

Getting involved with the project is easy. Just take five pictures of things you see in Kent that show the positive aspects of active living or negative aspects that prohibit active living, and write a short paragraph about the picture and issue. Email the material to Charles Frederick, or send it by postal mail to 532 Pioneer Ave., Kent, OH 44240. When information comes in from multiple people at one time, it is called crowd sourcing. Frederick will work with students at Kent State University and others to compile the data.

If you want to be more involved or want to learn more, come to KEC's active living focus group meetings at Scribbles coffee shop, 237 N. Water St., Kent, on March 6 and 20 and April 3 and 17. You also can contact Frederick by email, by phone at 330-678-5327 or by postal mail at 532 Pioneer Ave., Kent, OH 44240. Or join the active living conversations on Facebook.

--Charles Fredrick 

Record-Courier, January 26 -- "The River We Share" is the theme of a collaborative effort between Kent State University and the National Park Service on geology, biology, hydrology and educational programs focusing on the Cuyahoga River, which flows through both the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the city of Kent. The five-year agreement, signed last month, calls for joint projects and research and offers an excellent opportunity to develop future land stewards. The research and hands-on education opportunities will benefit both the students and the parks.

Record-Courier, January 6 -- The contract with Crooked River Adventures, a Kent State University- sponsored canoe and kayak livery, was renewed by Kent City Council for this year, with an option to renew the contract for 2014 and 2015. Crooked River Adventures has operated in John Brown Tannery Park for the last three years. Both John Idone, director of the Kent Parks and Recreation Department, and Mayor Jerry Fiala were in favor of the renewal. For more information about the livery, click here.

--Lorraine McCarty  

Seventh Annual "Who's Your Mama?" Earth Day and Environmental Film Festival

April 17-22

Event times vary 

Headline Events:

April 19 - Environmental Film Festival

5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Kiva Auditorium, Kent State University Student Center

April 20 - Main Street Block Party

11 a.m.-5 p.m.

East Main Street between Depeyster and Water streets in downtown Kent

April 22 - Fifth Annual Vegan Iron Chef

5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Akron Aeros Stadium

300 S. Main Street in downtown Akron

It's time to renew your KEC membership this year or join if you are not a member. February was the deadline for all KEC dues. Remember, dues are the main source of income for KEC. We need your support to do our work. Just fill out the KEC membership form. Membership levels are $45, Sustaining; $35, Family; $25, Individual; $15, Golden Buckeye; $10, Student; $500, Lifetime; and $200, Organization.  Enclose the completed form and your check made payable to: Kent Environmental Council and mail  to: KEC, P.O. Box 395, Kent, OH 44240.