Month: November 2015

Invitation to Holiday Open House – Ewing Community Center – December 9th

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As the Ewing Green Team Celebrates a Great Year

by Lisa K. Feldman

The Green Team had a great 2015, and wants to celebrate all the accomplishments and successful events of the year. One of the major facets of sustainability is building a sense of community; one that welcomes people from all walks of life. And what better way is there to celebrate but with an invitation welcoming any and all to join us at our Holiday Open House.

A few highlights of 2015 include Ewing’s very first bike tour, the Ewing Fall Spin, with over 50 people, the Fall Festival of Fun featuring the popular ‘Trunk or Treat’ with over 175 children participating, the 2nd Annual Scarecrow Contest with 13 entries and cash prizes of $100, $50 and $25, and the opportunity to make-your-own life-size scarecrow to take home, and seasonal refreshments. The Green Team’s Beautify Ewing campaign worked with the Township to design beautiful and sustainable landscaping to welcome visitors for the two entrances for the Municipal Building on Jake Garzio Drive. At this year’s Night Out event, we got to speak with a lot of our Ewing neighbors as we work to map out all the individual neighborhoods in the Township to help gain the sense of community. We started the mapping of safe routes for schools to help keep our children secure. We sponsored several Environmental Insights programs learning about Invasive Species and demystifying Nuclear Energy. We worked with the other Green Teams in Mercer County to host the Living Local Expo which welcomed over a thousand visitors. There is so much more, but this gives some ideas of what we are doing.

A lot of people in Ewing don’t even know that there is a Ewing Green Team. And there is a lot of confusion and concern about what is ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’. But it is basically raising awareness of the many issues such as recycling, transportation, pollution, local food and economic opportunities that are related to sustainability. And we see our mission as getting people to work together to improve the quality of life for present and future generations through education, cooperation, and action. And being part of this effort has been very rewarding.

Our meetings are the 4th Wednesday of each month at the Ewing Community Center at 7:00 pm and are open to the public. However, meetings are not always a good way to meet our group; we are taking care of business and it can be a bit dry. We hope you can stop by for our Holiday Open House and get to meet our members and learn first-hand how each and every one of us can make a difference.

Date: Wednesday, December 9
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Ewing Senior and Community Center

Happy Holidays from the Ewing Green Team!

Next Up – Understanding the Science of Climate Change

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Environmental Insights Series

Save the date for the next entry in our Environmental Insights Series and join us on Wednesday night, November 18 at 7 pm when Professor Dan Steinberg of Princeton University will speak about Understanding the Science of Climate Change.

Learn about the causes of climate change, the science behind it, and some of predicted effects of global warming/climate change. Dr. Steinberg will also cover the social implications of communicating climate change and suggest some resources for learning more.  Work done by researchers at Princeton University will be highlighted as well as their efforts in developing technologies that will help reduce carbon in the atmosphere.  The talk will also include a local focus on the effects of climate change in the state of New Jersey.

A former Operations Astronomer for the Hubble Space Telescope, Dan Steinberg holds a PhD in Geophysics from Binghamton University and has conducted research at the Goddard Space Flight Center. He was recently named a 2015 Fellow by the American Physical Society for his work at the Princeton University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, where he has held the position of Education Outreach Director since 2000. Steinberg is the creator and leader of dozens of educational initiatives that bring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to a broad public each year, including K-12 teachers and students, undergraduates and local families in the Princeton and Trenton regions.

The EGT’s Environmental Insights Series is designed to engage area residents in a public conversation about critical environmental issues and to spark new ideas concerning sustainability. Please join us.

Date: Wednesday, November 18
Time: 7 p.m.: Ewing Senior and Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Rd., Ewing
Cost: Free and Open to the Public

Ewing Fall Spin Retrospective

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by Pete Boughton

With our 2015 Ewing Fall Spin successful in many ways, a rear-view mirror look-back is in order. Our biking advocacy team engendered a lot of positives on October 24 for which we are relieved and pleased and proud. About 4 dozen rode, vs the 2-3 dozen predicted. The foliage was gorgeous, the talks informative, the rest stop convivial, police and sag support effective, college student volunteers helpful, the Mayor’s kind words appreciated, the ride map, turn sheet and route arrows effective, and sponsorship wide-ranging.

We did dig out a few lessons learned as we plan for Fall 2016, such as firmer budget projections, resolving insurance issues and firming up the route earlier so as to more fully inform potential sponsors and cyclists . We will also ask those who cycled with us for helpful feedback.

The 2016 Fall Spin will be opened for initial planning first on Tuesday January 26th, 2016 at 7 pm at the ESCC, a meeting to which any cycling advocates will be heartily welcomed. From that point forward we will be progressively examining several activities expected in Ewing that will influence our second tour. Among these will be the expected pace of construction on the TCNJ campus and Campus Town, as well as the GM and Naval sites. Will Ewing resume a Community Fest partnership with TCNJ from which we might launch the tour, and if so, on what date? If not, what other event might we combine with? How can we meld in a true youth or family biking-related event such as a safety town or a mini-ride apart from the adult tour?

As you finish reading this, please consider reaching out with your interest, experience and advocacy by email to ewinggreenteam@gmail.com to help us create an even better second bike tour in Ewing!