Urban Sustainability

To dispel your climate despair and be part of a growing grassroots movement that is getting revenue neutral carbon fee and dividend legislation passed, join Citizens Climate Lobby!Citizen's Climate Lobby (CCL) is a non-profit nonpartisan organization working on creating the political will for a livable world. CCL's mission is to empower normal citizens, who care about their world, to engage in conversations with their elected officials.

 On June 24th five members from DFW chapter went to Capitol Hill and met with Texas Congress members. http://greensourcedfw.org/articles/dfw-citizens-climate-lobby-activists-dc-lobby-congress-carbon-tax. If you care about the environment and want to get involved in getting an effective climate change policy created, come meet us. 

Info: Shawn Reeder at dallas@citizensclimatelobby.org

To learn more about our organization, dial in to our intro call Sept 3, at 7pm. Conference number: 1-866-642-1665. Pass code: 440699#

Speaker will be Sam Kieschnick, nature education specialist for Mansfield Parks and Recreation. Kieschnick is an enthusiastic and dynamic speaker who loves his work and will be presenting a program entitled "Does nature matter? The importance of parks for nature education."

Kieschnick will discuss the new nature education programs being offered in Mansfield, the role of the new Elmer W. Oliver Nature Park (similar, but on a smaller scale to River Legacy) and how Mansfield is using the new nature park as an outdoor classroom and venue for citizen science projects. He will also present some ideas on how cities like Arlington and Mansfield could possibly work together to make their park systems a win-win for residents, the parks, and the critters which live in the parks.

The annual even provides free entertainment and educational activities for the entire family. Master gardener booths at the festival will cover topics such as propagation, lawn care, designing a water-wise landscape, herb growing, worm composting and a dozen other topics. Seminars on gardening will be offered in classroom areas, including “Perennial Gardening” by Marilyn Simmons and “Transitioning from Sprinkler to Drip” by Patrick Dickinson.

 Live entertainment will be provided by the Flower Mound Community Orchestra, Voices of Flower Mound, Studio B Performing Arts Center, Texas Harmony Chorus (Sweet Adelines) and Dallas Tap Dazzlers. Vendors will offer hand-crafted items and information about maintaining a sustainable environment.

Residents with a residential Arlington Water Utilities account can attend a “Make a Rain Barrel” class at EcoFest Arlington and leave with their very own rain barrel. The reduced fee covers the cost of the 55-gallon rain barrel and materials.

Register today to learn how to design and install a rainwater harvesting system at your home. A total of 125 rain barrels will be given away and there is a limit of one rain barrel per residence. $10 for Arlington residents. $40 for nonresidents if space available.

Info: Dustan Compton at dustan.compton@arlingtontx.gov or 817-459-6628.

The city of Dallas’ Waste Diversion Unit will provide a free class on how to start an outdoor composting project and how to create an indoor vermi-composting bin using these valuable materials. Door prizes! Free. RSVP:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E45AFAD2C7-composting/

Learn the basics of harnessing one of our most valuable renewable energy sources: solar. Expert Dan Lepinski will teach participants how to harvest solar for home use, which helps ease pressures on the environment.  Free. Info: CoppellCommunityGarden.org

James Dunkley, trails historian and chairman of the Historic Trails Committee of the Irving Heritage Society, will speak at this special event. He has received the Certificate of Commendation “for distinguished service in the field of historic preservation” from the Texas Historical Commission. James will speak on the correlation of two accounts of Texas history; Roemer's Texas 1845-1847, by Dr. Ferdinand Roemer, and Empire of the Summer Moon, by S.C. Gwynne. This meeting offers a rare and special opportunity to learn from an expert on Texas history. It will also be an opportunity for our researchers to learn from a master. Email Mary Graves at mary.graves@txhtc.org to reserve seats.  

Using colorful photographs, the instructor will demonstrate the natural beauty of native and adapted plants that thrive in the North Texas region. Learn when, where and how to plant each of the recommended plants, their size and height at maturity, seasonal color, texture and more. This program provides information on trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, groundcovers and turf grasses. Free.

Class preceded by  Water-Wise Landscape Design 101 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Whether you have a new landscape or plan to update an existing area, it is critical to begin with a good design. This program teaches the principles of landscape design with an emphasis on how to create a beautiful landscape that will save resources – natural and financial. Free.

Landscape designer and author Bonnie Reese of Beautiful Landscapes will be the speaker at both sessions. Attendees at each session will receive a copy (hard copy or electronic version – limit one per household) of Ms. Reese’s book, “Common Sense Landscaping.” Attendees can also enter a drawing to win a bag of Green Sense organic fertilizer from Rohde’s Nursery and Nature Store. There will be 3 drawings per session.

Whether you have a new landscape or plan to update an existing area, it is critical to begin with a good design. This program teaches the principles of landscape design with an emphasis on how to create a beautiful landscape that will save resources – natural and financial. Free.

Afternoon session:

Fantastic Plants for North Texas from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Using colorful photographs, Bonnie demonstrates the natural beauty of native and adapted plants that thrive in the North Texas region. Learn when, where and how to plant each of the recommended plants, their size and height at maturity, seasonal color, texture and more. This program provides information on trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, groundcovers and turf grasses. Free.

Landscape designer and author Bonnie Reese of Beautiful Landscapes will be the speaker at both sessions. Attendees at each session will receive a copy (hard copy or electronic version – limit one per household) of Ms. Reese’s book, “Common Sense Landscaping.” Attendees can also enter a drawing to win a bag of Green Sense organic fertilizer from Rohde’s Nursery and Nature Store. There will be 3 drawings per session.

Monthly environmental activities hosted by Trinity Environmental Academy, led by certified teachers and founders of Trinity Environmental Academy. Fun, hands-on activities for ages 4-10. Snacks and water provided.

This month's theme: Water, water everywhere.

Free. Info: 469-554-6320 or TriEA2015@gmail.com. 

READ THE GREENSOURCEDFW.ORG ARTICLE.