blue sky background truncated
  
Chesapeake Education, Arts and Research Society
 
Restoring and promoting the health of all life in the Chesapeake Watershed  
 through education and action projects organized by volunteers
_ 
           Quadrathon 2013

We Can Be a Part of the Great Energy Transition!
A 2015 book authored by the the Earth Policy Institute (EPI)'s and the World Watch Institute's founder,  Lester Brown, documents the fact that solar, wind, and geothermal are fast becoming less costly than coal, oil, and nuclear.  The book summarizes the corresponding  faster than expected 21st century international shift to localized renewable energy sources and presents a much more hopeful vision for the earth's future than many earlier works.    The book ends with this thought:

 "The biggest question facing civilization is.... Will the energy transition proceed fast enough for the world to avoid catastrophic climate change?  No one can say with certainty ....But exciting change is afoot.......The energy transition will change not only how we view the world but how we view ourselves.  With rooftop solar panels to both power our homes and recharge car batteries there will be a degree of personal energy independence not known for generations.  Our relationship with the natural world will change from one where we are in conflict with nature to one where we are more in sync with it." (Lester Brown, with J. Larsen, J.M. Roney, and E. Adams, The Great Transition, Earth Policy Institute, 2015)

I finished the short book with some renewed hope and energy to be a part of this Great Transition in whatever way I can.

Kind regards,
Maggie Cahalan,  CHEARS Newsletter Editor

Click Here  to go to CHEARS.org and click on the Donate button in the lower left corner to make an online donation or send a Check to:    
CHEARS

PO Box 1841

Greenbelt, MD  20768

 
If you have questions about CHEARS or would like to volunteer, contact anyone of our board members!
The Chears Board of Stewards (Convener, Carolyn Lambright-Davis, lambrightdavis@yahoo.com; Vice Convener, Bob Cahalan, Bob@chears.org; Treasurer, Kate Prager, kateprager@earthlink.net; Secretary, Joan Clement,joan@chears.org;
Doron Antrim, doron.antrim@gmail.com; Maggie Cahalan,  Maggie@chears.org; Bill Davis, williamdavis52@hotmail.com; Mary Ellsworth, Marysellsworth@gmail.com; Marcia Freeman, marciaff@aol.com; Eugenia Kalnay, ekalnay@gmail.com; Bennie Smith, benniejdmba@hotmail.com; Chandra Taylor Smith, drctsmith@aol.com)  Secretary,  
      Tom Wisner 
   stormwater solutions Mar 15 2014Ground breaking  

   

              
     
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In This Issue
Thank You For all You Do and Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
Attention Artists!
Come to Chincoteague Memorial Day Weekend for Co-Learning and Fun!
Forested--An Urban Treasure in Bowie MD
Trees for Sacred Spaces
Green Man Festival--Yard Sale--Bake Sale--- Clean Water is Theme of a Zero Waste Green Man
GCAN Updates
Bringing NOFA to DC/MD/VA

Cal
 
Visit the calendar for a full listing of our events.
 
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...or text CHEARS to 22828


GoodSearch
Projects by CHEARS
Volunteers did spring planting at the Three Sisters Gardens--East in Schrom Hills Park on April 11

Thank You for All You Do and Will Do!  
  
Volunteer Maryland Project
 

  Sponsored City of Greenbelt Logoby the  City of Greenbelt Department of Public Works in partnership with  (CHEARS).  

 

 

Thank you to the 46 volunteers who started seeds and prepared the Schrom Hills Three Sisters Demonstration Gardens for spring on March 8. 

 

Thank you to Doriann for her gardening expertise at the seed starting workday on March 27. 

 

Thanks to Mayor Emmett Jordan of Greenbelt and the 65 volunteers who planted and protected 80 trees in Buddy Attick Park for Arbor Day on March 28.   

 

Thanks to Bagel Place Bagels and MOM's of College Park for donating snacks to feed our volunteers!.   
   

Thanks to Lynne Cherry and the 15 other volunteers who protected 35 trees from beaver herbivory in Buddy Attick Park on April 4. 

 

Thank you to all the volunteers for the April 11 workday at all three of the Three Sisters Demonstration Gardens. Be sure to find pictures of the volunteer event on Facebook. 

 

Next Saturday, April 18 from 10 am - 1 pm the City of Greenbelt in partnership with CHEARS and the Alice Ferguson Foundation will be celebrating Earth Day by sponsoring a watershed cleanup at Springhill Lake Recreation Center. If you are interested in volunteering for Earth Day, please RSVP here.  

 

  
EARN SERVICE HOURS! HAVE FUN OUTSIDE! 
Interested in volunteering?  Contact: Erin Josephitis Volunteer@CHEARS.org.
A copy of the 2015 upcoming April-June schedule is available at:
https://www.facebook.com/chearsorg/events?ref=page_internal  
 
 


 

 

Local artists are invited to participate in the annual group art show with the Green Man Festival. This year's theme is "water" in all its forms. 

The show will be on display for the months of May and June in the New Deal Cafe. Two- and three-dimensional work will be considered. The deadline for submission is Friday, April 24th by 9pm. S
ubmission guidelines are accessible from the New Deal website.!  Visit the New Deal Website for details  http://www.newdealcafe.com/
 
 

It's an arts competition sponsored by the Rachel Carson Landmark Alliance (based in Silver Spring) for teams of one young person and one older person - see link below for more information 

http://rachelcarsonlandmarkalliance.org/events-outreach/rachel-carson-intergenerational-sense-of-wondersense-of-the-wild-contest-2015/

 

 


 

 

 

   CHEARS-"Flows" Project Presents

A Chincoteague Co-Learning & Fun Weekend to Raise Money to Support CHEARS nonprofit environmental projects.

Looking Back ---Moving Forward: Seniors and Climate Change

Memorial Day Weekend  

May 22-May 26 (Fri-Tue)

Beach Strolling & Sitting, Canoeing, Kayaking, Co-Learning Exploration.   Coming of age in the 1960's and 1970's many of us, later known as baby boomers, believed our generation could change the world to be more peaceful, just, and environmentally friendly---Now many  years later using beautiful and threatened Chincoteague Island as a regional focus we

invite you to join us for a co-learning weekend to address these questions:

 

How did we get to where we are in 2015? Where do we go from here? How can we contribute together to the new sustainable and healthy economy needed to address climate change and inter-generational justice?

 

Cost: $200 per person per 4 night double occupancy, including lodging in a beautiful Chincoteague Bay waterfront home, 5 organic vegan meals, and facilitated co-learning outdoor and indoor sessions on Saturday and Sunday, canoe and kayak use.  

 

   Register early, as space is limited to 4 double occupancy rooms (8 participants).

Co-Facilitators are Maggie and Bob Cahalan active  CHEARS senior volunteers.  They invite you to join them as they reflect on paths forward to a meaningful and contributory senior years of life! Bob is the former Chief of the Climate and Radiation Lab at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Maggie, is the Director of the Pell Institute of the Council for Opportunity in Education.   

Contact Bob@chears.org or Maggie@chears.org

for more information & reservations.   

 

 
 
Forested---An Urban Area Treasure---in Bowie MD
     
 
Kids love Bush Cherries.

Come see, a 10-acre forest garden just outside Washington, DC. They offer workshops on everything from forest garden design to pastured ducks, grafting to vertical gardening, and much more!  Click the link to visit the Forested website.    http://forested.us/  PA Energy Fest 2011 Clip 3.wmv 
 
Click above to see clip from Lincoln's presentation to the PA Energy Fest  

 

CHEARS knows Lincoln Smith as the designer of the Greenbelt Food Forest at Springhill Lake Recreation Center and as the co-teacher of our popular CHEARS Cheasapeake Forest Gardens Permaculture Courses that he co-taught with Kim Wash of CHEARS.   

 

 

Below are some of his thoughts on his work.

 

" People can work with ecology in the 21st century,   and we'll show you how. A new kind of forest  sustainably provides things for people because depleting the environment to get what we need no longer works.

Forest gardening is for anyone who wants to get back in the flow of ecology on their piece of land, no matter how large or small. Have you ever wished there was a way for people to benefit the environment by living their lives, instead of just damaging it to some degree?

 We're working on the ecosystems of the future, with people as positive participants. We're confident our classes and design work will be of great value to you, and we're committed to helping you succeed. Come explore the bounty of a forest garden."

Lincoln Smith

  

 

  

Trees for Sacred Places
 offers FREE trees and environmental/ spiritual education for faith communities/ schools/ retreat centers!   The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is partnering with the Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake to encourage houses of worship to plant trees on their property. https://allianceforthebay.org/our-work/healing-the-land/chesapeake-forests-program/trees-for-sacred-places/

 

This ambitious program offers houses of worship the following:

  • Educational workshops on the importance of tree planting in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
  • Hands-on training for tree planting and maintenance
  • Spiritual workshops to explore the faith teachings on stewardship along with the spiritual meaning of trees and water in faith traditions
  • Crew leaders to guide the houses of worship volunteers on the planting day
  • And, of course, FREE trees!

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay received funding  from Maryland's Department of Natural Resources. For more information contact:  

 

Kolya Braun-Greiner, M.Div. kolya@interfaithchesapeake.orgTrees for Sacred Places Program Manager
Trees are Earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven. 
- Rabindranath Tagore 
 Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake
501 6th Street, Annapolis, MD  21403
www.interfaithchesapeake.org
Home office: 301-920-0226, Cell: 301-909-8943

 

 

 

 


Quick Links
 


Green Man Festival - Mothers Day Weekend May 9 and 10 2015

Help Make the 11th Green Man Festival be the Best Ever
 and a Zero Waste Event-- 

      

This is a community annual gathering, focusing attention on Man's relationship with Nature and sustainable choices. This year's theme," Celebrating our Streams and Waterways", looks at water and how it is a key part of our eco-system and the world's environment. There is much to do still to put on this two day event so we are asking for volunteers to help. You can select the category you would like to help with and sign-up for time slots on our on-line schedule at
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084eaaa72eaaff2-volunteer     

      

The Green Man Festival aims to be a ZERO Waste Event with near empty landfill headed trash cans at the end of the Festival!---A team of folks from the Greenbelt Green Team and Green Aces, the watershed groups, CHEARS and the Pollinators group is working together to make this as ZERO Waste an event with as little traditional waste going to the land fill as 

possible!


To facilitate zero waste, all craft folk, musicians, community organizations, and attenders are asked to bring your own re-usable water/beverage bottles and dishes and napkins for food. Food Venders are being asked to use zero waste materials in which to serve food.  Limited amounts of materials to make and decorate re-usable food kits, made from re-purposed food containers and dishes will be available. Volunteers are needed to facilitate making the "eating out food kits" and for facilitating zero waste and recycling operations, offering guidance about the waste sorting process, and explaining the difference between recycling traditional materials (e.g., bottles, cans) and organic waste (e.g., food, paper). No prior experience is necessary. 

   

Stone Soup Project Announcements;  The following are two important upcoming events to support the Green Man Festival            

    

The CHEARS   Spring 9 lives Yard Sale - April 25th 2015  9am to 2 pm on the Roosevelt Center Greenbelt Md.   

 

The 9 lives four Rs:

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle - Rethink

 

All good old things need a loving home, so don't let your attic, shed or cupboards fill up with things you no longer use or need, Recycle them to a new home where they will be appreciated and used. The "9 Lives" Yard Sale serves as the place for the good old stuff to find someone who is looking for just such an item. So look around and find the good stuff that has "more lives to live", and donate it to the 9 lives sale. 

If you would like to sign-up to help at the sale, go to  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084eaaa72eaaff2-thechears 

  

HOW TO DONATE ITEMS:Let us know that you have items and decide between two options. You can bring items directly to the sale on Saturday morning, or, if you prefer, a representative of CHEARS will pick items up on or before the evening of 4/24. Let us know which option works for you, and we will work out the details with each of you. You can contact the Stone Soup Chef ( Richard ) at 301-310-9068 or email stonesoupchef@live.com. (Tax Donation receipts available)* If you plan to donate a lot, please help us by letting us know early.

Here is the sample list of items that we can take -

 

Kitchen gadgets, pots and pans and tools

Toys, Games, books, and creative supplies

Lawn and Garden tools and equipment

Electronics such as radios, record players and other music devices, and most working items under 15 Lbs ( No old style picture tube TVs please!)

Musical Instruments, craft equipment, and supplies

Clothing, but only kids cloths, and costumes, shoes, belts, hats and coats

Furniture that can be moved by hand such as

  • Book cases
  • Chairs ( dinning, rocking, arm, and desk )
  • Tables ( dinning, coffee, end, and side )
  • Lamps ( table, floor, clip-on, hanging)
  • Kids Furniture
  • Lawn or Deck tables and chairs

The CHEARS Spring Bake Sale April 25th 2015  11 - 3 pm on the COOP ramp

A tasty fund raiser where you can help by baking something you love to make. Break out the recipes for your mom's brownies, that favorite cookie, the crunch bars, the nut clusters, and whatever else might tempt the passersby to stop and get something to snack on while learning a little more about the great projects, opportunities and events CHEARS has to offer. Put on an apron for CHEARS.


HOW TO DONATE ITEMS:Let us know what you are cooking up and decide between the following two options. You can bring items directly to the sale on Saturday morning, or, if you prefer, a representative of CHEARS can pick items up on the evening of 4/24.
 

 

GCAN logo
MEETINGS
Our next GCAN Meeting is on Wed, May 6, 7-9:15 pm.  The topic is "The Future of Wind & Solar".  You will receive a separate email with more details in late-April.  

There will also be a special presentation, on Sun, April 26, 2-4 pm.  We will be hosting Aviram Rozin from Sadhana Forest in India, who will be speaking about "Planting Trees, Planting Hope".  For more info visit, https://www.facebook.com/events/426127067561533/

LEARN MORE ABOUT WIND ENERGY
Greenbelt is again participating in an educational campaign, to teach people about switching to 100% wind energy. This program is through the non-profit, Groundswell.  Jane Young has agreed to again head up the "Greenbelt Wind Group".  For more information, visit www.groundswell.org/energy  (and be sure to choose "Greenbelt Wind Group" from the drop down menu). Groundswell is hoping to get 1,500 interested people by April 21.  Then on April 22, they will announce the winning supplier and price.

VOLUNTEER AT GREENBELT GREEN MAN FESTIVAL
Greenbelt Green Man Festival is May 9-10. http://www.greenbeltgreenmanfestival.org/   GCAN will have a table, featuring our monthly meetings, discussion circles, wind energy, and ocean acidification (to follow this year's theme on "water").  Jean Lee is heading up our volunteer team.  If you are available to volunteer for an hour at the GCAN Table, please fill out our doodle, https://doodle.com/e4358aivu3d4brsf.  We are also helping with the Zero Waste Team, to encourage festival participants to bring their own dishes, recycle, and compost.  If you would like to volunteer for an hour at the Zero Waste Stations, please sign up here:   https://doodle.com/e4358aivu3d4brsf

DISCUSSION CIRCLES
We plan to start a new discussion circle this spring.  For more info, visit http://chears.org/gcan/discussion-circles/.  The most likely topic will be "Voluntary Simplicity" (back by popular demand!) If you are interested, please let Lore know what nights of the week work best for you.  We may also start a special circle for "new Greenbelters" who want to build a "sense of community".

GCAN "ACTIVISTS"
We continue to have a broad-spectrum focus.  

   CITY: We are not monitoring any City Council issues at the moment.  We are supporting the work of the Green Team Zero Waste initiative at the Greenbelt Green Man Festival.  We also continue to monitor the process of the Homes Improvement Project at GHI.

    COUNTY: We have been working with Susan Ungar of PG-OFA to lobby our representatives on the state level.  

    STATE: This spring we worked with CCAN on the Cove Point Campaign, Fracking Moratorium in Maryland, Community Solar Bill, opposition to the Pepco-Exelon Merger and the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).    The last day of the MD General Assembly was April 13th.  The Fracking Moratorium and Community Solar bills passed!  (Unfortunately the RPS Bill did not).  See the recent blog post here: http://org.salsalabs.com/o/423/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1320625

Mark you calendars, May 21-29 for more actions being planned in Washington, DC, to oppose the Cove Point Liquid Natural Gas Export Facility (in Lusby, MD, Calvert County). http://beyondextremeenergy.org/  For more background info, watch this short YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12uR07g9yTM&feature=youtu.be

    FEDERAL: We are continuing to fight the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline.  You can follow the latest updates at  
 http://nokxl.org/ 
 http://350.org/campaigns/stop-keystone-xl/
Some GCAN Members may also attend the Citizen Climate Lobby Conference in DC, June 21-23,  http://citizensclimatelobby.org/2015-international-conference

 SPECIAL PROJECTS
     Our Greenbelt Time Bank is up and running at www.greenbelttimebank.org with 93 members and 351 hours exchanged. Orientations took place four times in 2014 and Feb 2015. The next training is "TBA". Email Greenbelt.Timebank@gmail.com.  You can join our next Core Team meeting on Tues, April 21 at 7 pm. Volunteers are needed to help with trainings and approving new members through our online system.

    The Greenbelt Cooperative "Incubator" Group continues to meet.  Some of the most popular ideas are an Early Learning Center in Franklin Park, a Composting Co-op to make organic soil, A Worker Co-op for the Old Greenbelt Theater, A Kids Co-op to do printing and copying, a Thrift Store, and an Edible Landscaping Co-op. The Incubator received a $5,000 grant from the Greenbelt Community Foundation to learn about writing bylaws, articles of incorporation, and how to register as a coop.  Contact greenbeltcoopincubator@gmail.com for more info.  Our congratulations go out to Dr. Caitlin McGrath and Friends of the Greenbelt Theater, for being chosen as the contractor to run the theater when it re-opens (tentatively on May 1st).

    Re-Skilling Workshop Committee - nothing scheduled.   Greenbelt Makerspace (formerly Club 125) is now "the place to go" to learn to make your own household cleaners, fermented foods, repair household items, etc..  See their full calendar at http://makerspace125.org/

    Salon Night - Judy Hamburg is continuing to show monthly movies at her house in Seabrook.  On Sat. Apr. 25, 7-9:30 the Environmental Film on "Wind Power Innovations" will spotlight: How Wind Turbines Work / What is Inside Them; a Horizontal 'Super Wind Turbine; a Japanese 'Wind Lens Floating Hexagonal' Turbine; and China's 2010 role in doubling the world's large Wind Energy Installations. Call 240-486-1210 or 301-794-8221 to RSVP or for questions, directions, or rides. You can also email Judy  at judithann.hamburg@gmail.com

The next Reel & Meal, will be on Monday, April 20.  The movie will be "Divide in Concord" (A Battle to Ban Bottled Water in small town America), http://www.newdealcafe.com/events/reelAndMeal/

For more info on any of these listings, contact Lore Rosenthal, lore@simplicity-matters.org, 301-345-2234, Greenbelt Climate Action Network.

Also visit our Website www.chears.org/gcan/, our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/chears.org and the calendar on the CHEARS website for a full listing of events. 


Cove Point Protectors
Cove Point Protectors


 

  
     potted seedlings chicago fig       
CHEARS Permaculture and Organic Land Care Projects

Bringing the NOFA Accredidation Course to the DC/MD/VA Area--Can We Do It?


For public and environmental health reasons, a key recommendation of the 2009 Greenbelt Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (Green Aces) report on pesticide use was that the city of Greenbelt adopt an organic land care policy for the public lands of Greenbelt and specifically follow the land care Standards developed by the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA). Click on the link to view the Standards http://www.organiclandcare.net/accreditation/standards.  This Green Aces recommendation was re-affirmed in the land care section of the 2014 Greenbelt Sustainability Frameworks.  A key to successful implementation of any organic land care policy is  education of staff and the public.  A group of DC/MD/VA land care professionals and non-profits involved in the Safe Grow movement is currently exploring the feasibility of bringing the NOFA Standards course to the area.  We are looking for partners and financial supporters, and for a venue classroom that can accommodate at least 60 people for the 4 day course.  Contact maggie@chears.org if you are interested in working on this initiative or know of a venue that could be used! 
 
 
If you would like to volunteer to work in the Three Sisters Gardens or Food Forest, please contact one of the following Garden Volunteer Project Coordinators to arrange  times to have fun and help in the gardens.          
CHEARS
Chesapeake Education, Arts and Research Society
P.O. Box 1841 | Greenbelt, MD  20768
www.chears.org  |  301-458-0241
 
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