Earth Care In Action
How you can help
Be Informed
A group of elementary students in Bay Minette, Alabama, have been using resources from our EarthCare webpage in their study of sustainability.
They have also decided to share with us one of the other resources they have discovered. Here is the link to that resource, A Guide to Going Green at Home:
https://couponfollow.com/research/home-green-guide
GAS POWERED LAWN EQUIPMENT
Gas powered garden and lawn equipment is detrimental to our health and environment. Gas powered garden and lawn equipment emit volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide. Here are some facts about use of gas powered equipment to think about as lawn mowing season approaches.
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Operating a gas mower for an hour can create as much smog-forming pollution as driving a Toyota Camry for 1,100 miles.
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A consumer-grade leaf blower emits more pollutants than a 6,200-pound 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.
Particulate pollution is already a large problem in Mecklenburg County because of the large number of cars and trucks traveling on our extensive highway network. We encourage you to use battery powered lawn equipment or tool options such as rakes.
LEARN MORE
Here are some good books for information on sustainability for cold winter reading:
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A Christian’s Guide to Planet Earth: Why it Matters and How to Care for It by Betsy Painter
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Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in A Divided World by Katherine Hayhoe
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Diet for A Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe
Watch Katherine Hayhoe’s TED talk on talking about climate change HERE
Get Involved
Plant a tree, clean up a stream, or go for a wildflower walk. Check out the activities at Davidson Lands Conservancy https://davidsonlands.org/dlc-events/
Read Diet for A Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe and attend a discussion of the book on Feb. 5
Watch a vegetarian cooking demonstration by Courtney Spears. Available in mid to late February on YouTube
Crown Town Compost is starting a program of composting food waste. The first 250 families in Davidson will be eligible for this pilot program. This is a great way to reduce waste in the landfill. Here’s the link for more information
Take a walk on a fine spring day on one of the county Greenways. Here’s a link to a page with a map of the 62 miles of Greenways
Advocate
Vote for candidates at local, state, and national levels who support sustainability and care for the earth. Our vote is probably the best way we can advocate for the environment.
Join or donate to an organization that advocates for the environment. Here are some suggestions:
Davidson Lands Conservancy https://davidsonlands.org
Third Act (for those over 60 years old) https://thirdact.org
National Wildlife Federation https://www.nwf.org
Sierra Club https://sierraclub.org
The Nature Conservancy https://nature.org
Upcoming Events
Did you know that 2023 is North Carolina’s Year of the Trail? This celebration of our great outdoors seeks to highlight the wealth of trails and greenways throughout our state. Activities are planned statewide during the year. As part of this celebration, DCPC’s Green Group is hosting a hike on the fourth Sunday of each month at 3:00 PM.
Due to the Memorial Day Weekend, we will skip the May hike. Stay tuned for
the next hike in June.
For more information on the program, or to host a hike, contact Donna Hatfield by email. For more information about Year of the Trail check it out at https://greattrailsnc.com/
Spring Naturefest
Davidson Lands Conservancy is hosting their Spring Naturefest on
Saturday, May 20. Get more information about this event at
https://davidsonlands.org/event/spring-naturefest-at-roosevelt-wilson-park/