Urban Sustainability

This year marks the 30th annual Cowtown Cleanup! Started in 1985 as the Glad® Bag-a-Thon the Cowtown Cleanup is Fort Worth’s longest running cleanup now involving more than 5,000 volunteers. Picking up litter sadly does not prevent it from happening in the first place, but KFWB feels that youth that participate in litter cleanups do not grow up to be litterers. Grab some young people, find a Fort Worth location in need of some TLC, register to cleanup and receive free trash bags, gloves and T-shirts while supplies last. It takes all of us to keep Fort Worth beautiful!  Link to: www.FortWorthTexas.gov/cowtowncleanup

Hear local environmental activist Rita Beving, North Texas Outreach Coordinator for Clean Water Fund and Clean Water Action,  present "Understanding Water in Texas," which will include water planning in Texas, both locally and statewide, as well as conservation tips.

Dinner will feature local celebrity chefs cooking and supporting the efforts of Promise of Peace Gardens to build two new gardens and help with the sustained efforts to grow and educate our community. 

Featured Celebrity Chefs: Sharon Van Meter, Thomas Archer, Eric Shelton, and Mark Wooton.

Special Musical Guests: Cafe Radio with Joel Pipkin on Flamenco guitar, Jordan Pipkin on Afro-Cuban percussion, Nick Jones on rhythm guitar and Chris Hamilton on acoustic bass.

$49.

New Sierra Club chapter for residents in Denton and Collin Counties hosts this water planning meeting with water planning and conservation expert speakers from the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter and local water districts and municipalities.

Info: Brandi Price at brandirealemail@gmail.com.

Topic: "Spring Planting; Sowing the Seeds for Energy and Sustainable Harvest in North Texas."
Presenter: Stephen Studicka, Lynn Stoked, Don Moulton and Dallas Master Gardeners.
 
Stephen Studnicka will present Midway Hills Cristian Church's energy harvesting efforts and goals. MHCC is host to our monthly meetings. Church members Lynn Stoked and Con Moulton will do a presentation of their solar installation. Dallas Master Gardeners will give a presentation about their organization and water-wise gardening.

PermacultureDenton is offering its first-ever Backyard/Suburban Permaculture Design & Implementation Intensive. This course is tailored to average home-owners for the implementation of Permaculture Design in their own backyards/suburban lots. This 2-day course runs from Saturday, Feb 21, through Sunday, Feb 22, 2015, covering area-specific techniques and touching on the basics of Permaculture. Class hours run 9 am to 4 pm both days. Brown-bag lunch periods will be noon to 1:00 each day. If you don't want to brown bag it, there are two organic grocery stores close by where you can grab some nourishing food and return before class continues at 1pm.

Two-day course. $150. Info: 214-404-7301 or LivingLonger@PermacultureDenton.org

The yearly class is a good introduction to the basics of backyard composting, and participants receive an excellent book on compost and gardening and a compost thermometer. Free to Arlington residents.

The class will be held on Feb 27, 6 - 9 pm and Feb 28, 9 am - 4 pm at the building next to the community garden near Davis and UTA Blvd.

Join Rev. Sam Brannon from the Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy, and members of Fort Worth Interfaith Power & Light, in a hands-on planning workshop for the Water Captains program. Water Captains are local members of the faith community who partner with state and local leaders to make sure the Texas water planning process works for everyone. We welcome your participation. Info: Mary Kirwin 817-714-1796 or marykirwin@tx.rr.com with questions and to RSVP.

All you ever wanted to know about composting taught by master composter Melanie O'Neill. Class starts at 10 a.m. preceded by light breakfast at 9:30 a.m. Class is free but reservations required at 214 202-2163.

We will be clearing the trail of tree limbs and removing selected privet (Ligustrum sp.)

NOTE:  Activity involves hiking about two miles into the bottomland forest. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Bring water and use sunscreen protection. Bring hand pruners and loppers if you have any.

Meet at Trailhead, 7000 Bexar Street, Dallas, 75215 (automobile GPS use 6911 Bexar). For detailed directions:  http://www.texasbuckeyetrail.org

Info: Jim Flood, jdflood@airmail.net or call or text 214-934-8463.