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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
Happy Late Summer 2015,  
 
Somos el barco, somos el mar, Yo navego en ti, tu navegas en mi  ---We are the boat, we are the sea, I sail in you, You sail in me
(words and music by Lorre Wyatt)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij9zQoSJ3Mk

These pictures from our summer activities and those of Haitian workers below give me hope that maybe we are and can build the beloved community of which Martin Luther King spokehttp://www.wearethebelovedcommunity.org/bcquotes.html 
 

Thanks for all you do,   
Maggie Cahalan,  CHEARS Vounteer Newsletter Editor   
Haitian workers pass rocks hand to hand along a line to build rock walls and plant vegetation near Port-au-Prince. (Photo: United Nations/Logan Abassi/flickr/cc)
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, [email protected]; Vice Convener, Bob Cahalan, [email protected]; Treasurer, Kate Prager, [email protected]; Secretary, Joan Clement,[email protected]; Doron Antrim, [email protected]; Maggie Cahalan,  [email protected]; Bill Davis, [email protected]; Mary Ellsworth, [email protected]; Marcia Freeman, [email protected]; Eugenia Kalnay, [email protected]; Bennie Smith, [email protected]; Chandra Taylor Smith, [email protected])    
       
    
CHEARS is always in need of donations to support our projects .  To make a monetary contribution, Click Here to go to the CHEARS website and then 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
 
 
 
     
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In This Issue

Cal
 
Visit the calendar for a full listing of our events.
 
Did you know...you can update your contact information and CHEARS eNews preferences? Click here!
Projects by CHEARS

  
Volunteering Around the Watershed
 
Weed Warriors  
 
Thanks to the Weed Warriors who volunteered to remove invasive species from Buddy Attick Park throughout the summer!

Interested in volunteering as a Weed Warrior? Email [email protected] 

Thanks to the CHEARS Eco Stewards (aka Earth Squad) for participating in a Discovery Day at Schrom Hills Park! The Eco Stewards learned about the Three Sisters Demonstration Gardens and the importance of pollinators, labeled plants, saw Cabbage White butterflies, smelled spearmint, planted peanuts, and most importantly, had fun!


 
Plans Underway to Green and Zero Waste the Labor Day Festival 
 
Bring your family, friends, and neighbors to the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival
and test your skills and knowledge with the Zero Waste Circle's fun and educational games. Learn from local volunteers as they share tips on how to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost. Participants will win prizes, such as reusable shopping bags from MOM's and coupons from local vendors. Don't forget to B.Y.O.R. (bring your own reusable) water bottle, and visit the Zero Waste Circle's booth to be included in a tally of festival-goers who remember to B.Y.O.R.!
 
You Can Volunteer.  Our zero waste efforts would not be as successful as they are without the time and energy of dedicated volunteers. We invite you to join us in our efforts - volunteer to help Zero Waste the Labor Day Festival: lead games, teach festival goers how to Choose the Right Bin and have fun! It is highly encouraged that volunteers attend one of the training sessions.  The next one is on September  1 in the Department of Public Works Building, 555 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Service-learning hours are provided for both training and serving over the festival weekend. Hurry! Slots are filling up fast, so remember to RSVP in advance by responding to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4caba929a2fd0-greening2
.

The Labor Day Zero Waste effort is a project of the Zero Waste Circle, which is comprised of members of Greenbelt's Green Team and affinity groups with support from the Department of Public Works and the Chesapeake Education Arts and Research Society (CHEARS). 
Susan Barnett and Jane Young contributed to this article. 

Thanks to the Student Conservation Association for learning about carpentry and gardening by building... 
-6 elevated garden beds for residents at the Green Ridge House 
-A raised bed and new compost bins at the Community Center Three Sisters Demonstration Garden 
-New compost bins at the Springhill Lake Three Sisters Demonstration Garden 
-A trail for erosion control at Buddy Attick Park.     
Interested in volunteering?  Contact: Erin Josephitis at [email protected].


    
Mark Your Calendar for September 16
Workshop on Climate and Urban Systems Models at Public Works 

All are invited to a workshop on Climate and Urban Systems Models to be held on September 16, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Greenbelt Public Works.
 
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) introduced the  DC Climate & Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) to Greenbelt. The models are interactive kits/games developed by Pittsburgh-CUSP.  
 
The models are:
  • Extreme weather/Urban watersheds.
  • Hidden cost caf�/What is the greenhouse gas emissions footprint of your food?
  • Tiny Slimy Carbon Keepers/Salamanders eat leaf shredders.
  • Energy Matters/Renewable Energy.
  • Land Use and Climate Change/Climate adaptation in empty spacer (parks, etc.).
  • Planning for buses, bikes, and you.
  • Urban Heat Island. What areas of the City generate heat?
 
We will learn the educational components of the models, how to show the models to the public,  and we'll learn how to make the models ourselves.
 
 
We hope to see you!
 
When?   Wednesday, September 16
Time?      7:00 - 9:00 pm
Where?  Public Works: 555 Crescent Road-----Same entrance as Buddy Attick Park

 
 
Forested---An Urban Area Treasure---in Bowie MD
 
    
 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

  

 

  

Quick Links
   updatecollage            

CHEARS Permaculture and Organic Land Care Projects

Beautiful Art Sculptures are Coming to the Three Sisters Gardens this Fall.  Pictured below is the first Sculpture to be completed that for the Schrom Hills Park--Three Sisters-East.  Installation in all three gardens will take place this fall. The title along with the text proposed by CHEARS volunteers for the plaques to accompany the East Garden Sculpture is presented below.   

HARVEST TREE 
by Zarela Yaluk Mosquera
 
WELCOME ALL to the Three Sisters Garden - East
This demonstration garden is one of three in Greenbelt created for the enjoyment of all. 
Inspiration for the three gardens came from the mutually supportive principles of  
growing corn, beans, and squash together in
traditional Native American gardens.
 
Many Thanks to the Sculpture Sponsors:  alight dance theater; City of Greenbelt;  Chesapeake Education, Arts and Research Society (CHEARS)
Greenbelt Community Foundation; Maryland Heritage Areas Authority;
and Toyota TogetherGreen
 
 
Stay tuned to see the equally beautiful sculptures for the Center entitled Sister Harmony also by Zarela Yaluk Mosquera and  The Wise Owl and the Well Fed Woodchuck a chain saw carving by Joe Stepping for the West garden at Springhill Lake Recreation Center.  Thanks to all who made this project happen and especially Nicole DeWald of the City of Greenbelt, Jeannie Bellina of CHEARS, and Angela Foster and Kelly McLaughlin of alight Dance Theatre! 
 

We Can All Contribute in Diverse Ways to the Global--Local--Urban-Suburban-Rural Land Care and Food Revolution!!!
   
 
 
Permaculture Principles and Ethics
   

Volunteer Households Needed to Participate in Chears Healthy Eco-Yards Co-op (HEYCO) Project Feasibility Study

      

 For the past year and a half, the Healthy Eco-yards Co-op (HEYCO) has been one of 6 potential new co-op's participating in an incubator group that has been meeting monthly to co-learn and give support to each other in starting new co-op's in the Greenbelt area. Utilizing a grant from the Greenbelt Community Foundation, workshops have been held on how to start a co-op. One of the recommendations is to conduct a feasibility pilot as part  is of the start up process.  Our feasibility study is looking for 6 to 8 volunteer households to participate in the year long pilot study set to begin in late summer.  We re looking for a diverse group of folks who have a desire to work co-operatively to increase  their own health and that of the watershed by exploring edible landscapes and implementing best organic land care and permaculture practices.  Our goal is to co-operate to measurably reduce the polluted run off into the Chesapeake Bay, reduce our carbon footprint, build healthy soil in our own yards and local commons--and to increase our own health and well being  by growing a small portion of our food, spending more time outdoors and in community building. It is not necessary that you have a yard to participate or are able to do physical activity, but participants must be willing to spend some time outside even if its just sitting and reflecting---we need that too!   Those interested in participating in the feasibility pilot contact [email protected].          

 

  

 

 

 

GCAN logo
GCAN UPDATE
GCAN UPDATE
MEETINGS
GCAN Meetings are on "hiatus" for the summer. Our next GCAN Meeting is on Wed, Sept 2nd, 7-9:15 pm.  The topic is "Pieces of the Puzzle: Labor Day Parade Prep".  You will receive a separate email with more details in late-August.  
 
DISCUSSION CIRCLES
We currently have a six-week circle on "Sustainability & Resilience for Greenbelt Newcomers".  It is running from June 9-Sept 17. We plan to start a new discussion circle in September called "Transition Streets".  For more info, visit  http://transitionus.org/transitionstreets. If you are interested, please let Lore know what nights of the week work best for you.
 
GCAN "ACTIVISTS"
We continue to have a broad-spectrum focus 
   
CITY: 
We are not monitoring any City Council issues at the moment.  We continue to support the city's Green Team Zero Waste Circle, headed up by Susan Barnett.  This includes recycling, composting, and use of reusable water bottles at various festivals
such as Labor Day Festival (Sept 4-7) and Schrom Hills Fall Fest (Oct 24).
  
GCAN has decided to participate in Information Table at the Labor Day Festival (Sat, Sept 5) and to march in the Labor Day Parade (Mon, Sept 7th).   To help with tabling, please fill out this doodle:  
 To march in the parade, come on Sept 2nd and help us prepare. Thanks to Jean Lee, Marjorie Gray, Susan Stewart, and Barbara Stevens for taking the lead on these activities.
   
COUNTY: This summer, we are working with CCAN and PG-Sierra Club on a Prince George's County Ban on Fracking.  Please contact Lore if you would like to go petitioning or would like to plan a visit to County Councilman Todd Turner's Office. 
 
GCAN is also working with "Clean Air Prince George's" to fight 5 new Gas Power Plants in the county and two new gas pipelines.  Lore Rosenthal and Michael Hartman went to Waldorf, MD on Aug 20th to testify.
 
    STATE:  This summer, we are also working with CCAN on the re-authorization of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act (GGRA).  Three GCANers collected signatures in Fort Washington on July 15th.  
Nine friends of GCAN attended a Public Hearing on GGRA on August 6 at 6 pm in Largo, MD. Click here to read what Lore Rosenthal and Shilpa Shenvi had to say: http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Marylander/Documents/UpperMarlboroCommentsPerson.pdf 
 
 
    FEDERAL: Last month, we were approved as a local chapter of 350.org.  http://350.org/local/ Jean Lee is our liaison and has agreed to listen in on their monthly calls. Their focus this summer will be on the Pope's Visit in September and getting ready for the Paris Climate Talks in December.  Mark your calendar for Sept 24, "Moral Action for Climate Justice" March. https://actionnetwork.org/events/moral-action-for-climate-justice .  For more info about the Paris Climate Talks (COP21), Nov 30-Dec 11, visit http://www.cop21.gouv.fr/en 
  
 
 
 SPECIAL PROJECTS
     
Our Greenbelt Time Bank is up and running at www.greenbelttimebank.org with 100 members and 595 hours exchanged.  The next Orientation/Training is Saturday, Oct, 3, 10am-12noon, at the Springhill Lake Rec Center. To RSVP, visit  www.greenbelttimebank.org or email [email protected].   
 
    The Greenbelt Cooperative "Incubator" Group continues to meet.  Current coop 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.  Our final workshop on Funding Sources will take place this Sunday August 24.  Contact  [email protected] for more info.   
 
    Salon Night - Judy Hamburg has been showing monthly movies at her house in Seabrook.  This salon is on hiatus while Judy relocates to Greenbelt!  Please contact Judy at [email protected] for details.

For more info on any of these listings, contact Lore Rosenthal,  [email protected], 301-345-2234, Greenbelt Climate Action Network.

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

 
   



 

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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. [email protected]Trees 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

 

 

 

 


CHEARS
Chesapeake Education, Arts and Research Society
P.O. Box 1841 | Greenbelt, MD  20768
www.chears.org  |  301-458-0241
 
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