April Green Tidings

Join us today, the day before Earth Day, for "Solutions Saturday" at Frontier Cafe in Brunswick. Enjoy a series of short environmental films, then discuss local solutions (see schedule below). Get inspired for positive action on Earth Day!

Mark your calendars for "BayScaping: Protect Casco Bay in Your Own Backyard," our next Sustainable Living Talk at 7 pm on May 10. Read on for more about those events, and other things happening in the world of sustainable living.

Warmly,
Fred Horch, Owner

P.S. Our web site keeps growing! If your travels don't bring you to downtown Brunswick, why not swing by our store online at www.FWHorch.com.

Solutions Saturday: Environmental Film Festival

Saturday, April 21 ~ 11 am to 4:30 pm
Frontier Cafe, Cinema and Gallery
Fort Andross
Brunswick, Maine

11:00 am	Family Focus: Environmental Awareness and Action "The Quest for Dan the Can" -- recycling, etc. Discussion leaders: Sustainable Bowdoin Brunswick Town Councilor Ryan Ewing, NRCM
12:15 pm	Local and Organic Food "The True Cost of Food" -- local, organic farming Discussion leaders: Seth Kroeck, Crystal Spring Farm Brett Thompson, Maine Master Gardener Volunteer
1:30 pm	Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention "Our Children at Risk" -- toxins in the environment "Sam Suds" -- PVC, the poison plastic Discussion leaders: Environmental Health Strategy Center Maine League of Conservation Voters
3:00 pm	Energy and Climate Change "Kilowatt Ours" -- a plan to re-energize America Discussion leaders: Chewonki Hydrogen Energy Center

Sustainable Living Talk, "BayScaping: Protect Casco Bay in Your Own Backyard"
Join us on Thursday, May 10, at 7:00 pm at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies for "BayScaping: Protect Casco Bay in Your Own Backyard".

Mary will explain Friends of Casco Bay's BayScaping program to help home and business owners find practical ways to reduce dependence on lawn chemicals. BayScaping is a way for homeowners and their yard care services to maintain a healthy landscape without depending on pesticides and fertilizers. Each person will receive a how-to guide, a soil test kit, and a worksheet for designing a low-maintenance, attractive yard that is healthy for families, pets, and Casco Bay.

As Associate Director of Friends of Casco Bay, Cerullo takes the BayScaping message to the public in a talk that allows attendees to ask questions and share their own experiences. She will touch on the six major aspects of the program: building a good foundation, watering, mowing, thatch and soil compaction, fertilizing one's lawn, and pest control.

Free refreshments and informational handouts will also be available.

Our Sustainable Living Talks are on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick.

News from Energyworks

Here's the news from Energywork, our renewable energy partner:

We will be out and about over the next few weeks at several events -- come and see us on April 20 and 21 at the Midcoast Green Collaborative Expo in Damariscotta. In May, Pat Coon will hold several adult ed classes at the Camden Hills Regional High School: Wednesday, May 9 he'll talk about "Steps to Renewable Energy" on the 16th "Going Solar" and on May 23 Pat will talk about "Wind Power". Also we will be at Chewonki's Sustainable Energy Conference on Saturday May 12. In addition, Spring is in the air and we are starting to get busy, we are gearing up for several new Grid Tie PV projects coming up including an 8KW system for a farm in Knox County.

What's Happening in the Local Environmental Scene
On Monday, April 23, the Brunswick Town Council will consider whether Brunswick will join other towns and cities across Maine and across the country in becoming a "Cool Community". So what is a Cool Community? These are cities and towns that have made a commitment to stopping global warming by signing the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. The Cool Cities campaign helps cities turn their commitments into action by pushing for smart energy solutions.

The Midcoast Sustainable Energy Expo, at the Central Lincoln County YMCA, Damariscotta, on Friday, April 20, from 12:00 - 6:00 pm, and Saturday, April 21, 9:00 - 5:00 pm, will bring together building trades people, energy professionals, and the general public from a geographic area wider than the Damariscotta/ Newcastle region of Midcoast Maine. It will demonstrate affordable energy-efficient construction techniques, demonstrate working examples of renewable energy systems and technologies that local people can install in their homes and businesses.

Lots more is happening around Earth Day on April 22. For more events and information, visit the Earth Day Network.