Category: Meetings

Upcoming Events You Shouldn’t Miss!

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Special Events Planned for Next Week

The last week of October is a busy week.  Check out these local events to help you on your path to a more sustainable life.  From plastic pollution to organic waste practices in our county, and bike advocacy in town, there is something for everyone.

BAG IT – Is Your Life Too Plastic?

Film and Discussion 

Date: Monday, October 27, 2014
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: The College of New Jersey Library Auditorium (Basement)
Parking:  See Parking Map.
Cost: Only 2 hours or so of your time

Join the Ewing Green Team for an award winning film and discussion about plastic pollution from single use plastic bags and our disposable lifestyles.  Moderated by Noemi de la Puente, founder and organizer of the grass roots organization, njthinkoutsidethebag.

This screening is part of an ongoing effort to educate Mercer County residents about how they can be part of the solution before they vote on November 4^th on a nonbinding referendum to support a 5¢ fee on single use plastic bags.

An Environmental Insights offering, a series of films, discussions and speakers brought to you by the  Ewing Green Team, designed to engage Ewing residents in a public conversation about critical environmental issues and to spark new ideas concerning sustainability.

If It Grows, It Goes…

All you need to know about organic waste recycling

Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2014  foodwaste-istock
Time: 7 – 9 pm
Location:  Dempster Fire Academy Auditorium, 350 Lawrence Station Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Cost: Free and open to the public
Pre-registration requested

Organic waste is a part of our everyday lives.  We can’t help but encounter it every time we eat, tend to our yards, or many other daily chores.

That’s why we’re breaking it down for you.  County Executive Brian Hughes will offer opening remarks and a panel of experts will explain what organic waste is, where it goes and what happens in the recycling process. Panelists will present local success stories and how you can bring this program to your town.

The Curbside Organics Program is already in place in Princeton and is currently under contract in Lawrence and Hopewell. Other municipalities in Mercer are looking to join in the near future.

Organic waste recycling is an easy way to make a HUGE impact through small actions.  Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about it, while networking with other like-minded individuals from throughout the region.

Hosted by Sustainable Jersey, sustainability organizations from Princeton, Lawrence, Hopewell, Ewing, West Windsor and The Mercer County Office of Economic Development and Sustainability.

For more info or to register, click here    |    Download the flier   | Driving directions

*Light refreshments will be served.  Doors open at 6:30 pm.*

Bike Ewing!

Join Our New Bike Advocacy Group

Date: Thursday, October 30, 2014  bikeewing
Time: 7 pm
Location: The College of New Jersey, Social Sciences Building Room 241
Parking:  See Parking Map.

The Ewing Green Team announces the launch of a NEW Ewing Bike Advocacy Group and invites you to join with us to promote a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly community.  The 2nd meeting will be held on Thursday, October 30th.

Monthly meetings, goal setting, and other startup activities are in the planning stages.

For more information call Mark at 609- 802- 6798.

Community Visioning Summary

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This past June 7th a group of Ewing residents and neighbors met to have a conversation about a sustainable future for Ewing Township.   A number of key performance areas were identified by participants as being of primary interest during this first Community Conversation.  These areas included Community Engagement, Waste and Recycling, Conservation and Preservation, Development, Economy, and Community Branding.   Numerous great ideas emerged for each topic that merit refinement and development.

The Ewing Green Team plans to continue these conversations at our next three meetings.  We hope to build on the ideas generated to formulate practical actions that will advance the goals that attendees helped articulate.   All Ewing residents are welcome to join us in continuing the conversation at the coming Green Team monthly meetings at the Ewing Senior and Community Center:

  • On July 30th beginning at 6:30pm we will focus on building Community as well as Waste and Recycling issues in our town.
  • At our August 27th meeting at 7pm we will focus on Development, and on Conservation and Preservation. 
  • On September 24th  at 7pm we will focus on Community Branding and on Local Economy. 

Click on the image above for more details on the results of the day.  The initial report has been attached.

Our Conversation facilitators, Lori and Natalie will run the meeting on July 30th and return in October to help us develop a feasible set of action plans based on what is generated during these meetings.  Public participation in this process is key if we want to develop a broad, representative approach to shaping and preserving Ewing’s future.  We hope that you will be able to attend our meetings for any and all of the topics.  Please consider these meetings as opportunities to learn about and become involved in the wide range of issues the Green Team and Ewing residents are working on.  The Green Team also has additional actions underway or under study that were not discussed in June.

July Meeting Information

Date: June 30th
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Ewing Senior and Community Center, 999 Upper Ferry Road, Ewing
Topics: Community Engagement and Waste/Recycling

Community Conversation Initiates Discussion on Sustainability Issues in Ewing

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Just over two weeks ago over 50 concerned Ewing residents, township staff and elected officials  met to have a discussion about a sustainable future for Ewing Township.   It was a gorgeous day and in fact according to one attendee ” I truthfully wanted to skip it when I saw what a beautiful day it was, but I’m so glad that I went!  I think this will be a very beneficial process for Ewing, if it is communicated to and shared with the community.”

In fall of 2013, Ewing Township obtained its first bronze-level of Sustainable Jersey certification.  Using the funds made possible from  a $10,000 Sustainable Jersey Small Grant funded by PSEG Foundation, the team is using a community visioning process to plan for the next 3 year certification.   By consulting the community on what is important to them, the Ewing Green Team plans to respond with a coordinated strategy plan that is specific to what the people of Ewing value and want.  The  Community Conversation on June 7th was the first step in the process. The Green Team will now take the input gathered from the participants and work to develop and prioritize specific goals.  Look for development of specific topics developed at the visioning to be further refined at the summer Green Team meetings.  A second visioning workshop is targeted for fall 2014. The community be invited to come together again to review the sustainability goals that were developed.

Zero Waste Report

Our first conversation was a low-waste effort.  We saw many travel mugs and personal beverage containers.  We were pleased to obtain about ½ of a bag of compostable materials which were taken to the compost bins at the Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension.  There was about ¼ of a bag of actual “garbage” that will end up in a landfill.  And the rest of the trash was recyclable.  We kept the badges – the plastic containers are reusable (we hope see community members again during our meetings as we brainstorm for a plan and at the Fall review) and the paper insert was recyclable.

It required a little bit more effort to plan for a low waste event, but for a gathering of our size we felt that the results justified our efforts.  From the cloth napkins to the absence of extraneous handouts and paper, to the lack of individual sized containers (e.g. sugar packets, individual creamers and tubs and jars of condiments, etc.) and even to the double sided badge with the agenda, we tried to reduce our use of unnecessary packaging, plastic and garbage in general.

The public is invited to attend the next Ewing Green Team meeting on June 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ewing Senior and Community Center where the members will begin to brainstorm on some of the initial themes developed from the visioning session.

New Green Team Environmental Series Debuts on Feb 24th

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The History And Development Of Environmental Enforcement and Its Economic Justification With A Specific Examination Of Environmental Disasters

Presenter: Joseph Mark Mirabella

The Ewing Green Team will sponsor a new series of environmental presentations designed to engage Ewing residents in a public conversation about critical environmental issues and to spark new ideas concerning sustainability.   The first installment of the series will be held on Monday, February 24th at 7 p.m. at the Ewing Branch of the Mercer County Library in Meeting Room 2.

Before the 1970s and the first Earth Day there was little significant regulation to protect this nation’s environmental health. Then in the 1970’s and ‘80s there was an explosion of new environmental laws and regulations and with it came enforcement. Without significant government enforcement, these new rules were meaningless. Attendees will learn how environmental enforcement has changed over the last 40 years, and how it is rapidly evolving into the future. They will also learn how these changes may affect their business or community, and how they can adjust to the potential new world of environmental enforcement. Whether you are interested historically about where we have come from environmentally, or where we are going in the future, this will be an interesting presentation for you!

This event is free and open to the public.  No pre-registration is required.

About Mr. Mirabella

joemirabellaJoseph Mark Mirabella is currently the Central Regional Supervisor for the NJDEP Hazardous Waste Enforcement program.  He is a former Environmental Science Teacher and has taught and lectured on environmental issues at NJ Colleges and Universities for the last 35 years. Currently, he is a Commissioner on the Ewing Township Redevelopment Agency and is a member of Ewing’s Environmental Commission & Sustainable Green Team.

Date: Monday, February 24th
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Ewing Branch of the Mercer County Library, Meeting Room 2

Community Gardens Presentation at Mercer County Extension Office on January 30th

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Master Gardeners and community gardeners Dave Byers and Jim Simon will present an inspiring talk on Thursday, January 30th from 7 – 8:30 p.m. on community gardening.

Their talk will include such topics as:

  • What is a community garden?
  • Who can join a community garden?
  • Why would you do so?
  • How and where do you sign up?
  • What plants do best in a community garden setting?

Master Gardeners with experience in community gardening will provide an overview of those available in Trenton and other locations in Mercer County.

About the Presenters

David Byers has practiced as a licensed landscape architect for over 30 years, including work with Isles as a landscape consultant.  He is a Master Gardener volunteer at the Mercer County Extension Office, and long time community gardener.  He designed and coordinates the Bethany House of Hospitality Community Garden and  the Westminster Wellspring Garden, both in Trenton.   He is a 2014 appointee to the Ewing Green Team.

Jim Simon, Urban Agriculture Manager, Isles, Inc. has been involved in environmental and youth education for over twenty years. He is a Master Gardener volunteer through Rutgers Cooperative Extension and is also on the steering committee of the Trenton Cycling Revolution, a bicycling advocacy group.

Pre-Registration Required

Advance sign up is required at the Mercer Extension office. Call 989-6830 to pre-register.

Date: Thursday, January 30th
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Mercer County Extension Office: 930 Spruce Street, Lawrence, NJ Adjacent to the Trenton Farmer’s Market