Sustainable Ewing Green Team

Grant Helps Ewing Green Team Chart Its Course

March 17, 2014November 3, 20161 Comment

Ewing Township was just awarded a $10,000 grant from Sustainable Jersey through their small grants program. The grant, funded by PSE&G, will fund a professional strategic planning team to facilitate the group and citizens of Ewing to create a multi-year vision and action plan for sustainability. Ewing Green Team leadership worked with Township officials through a detailed selection process to choose a facilitating team from among 3 candidates. MaGa Consulting, LLC from Cherry Hill was ultimately chosen. Lori Braunstein and Natalie Barney of MaGa have experience organizing several New Jersey municipalities and were instrumental to Cherry Hill’s success in implementing an extensive sustainability plan.

The process begins now and will continue throughout 2014. There will be two or three visioning sessions, for which invited participants from a broad range of constituencies, neighborhoods and municipal, civic and business leadership will lend their time and talent to create a vision and plan. This strategic planning is the first step toward growing the organization and the community’s interest and coordinated effort to be able to make a strategic, positive impact for the future. “We want to engage the citizens of Ewing in creating a vision for a very livable, prosperous Ewing that sustains itself for future generations” said Joanne Mullowney, communications officer for the Green Team.

While the vision for Ewing will be unique, actions will likely include aspects of the Sustainable Jersey framework. Currently, the Green Team works in several sustainability areas, often in conjunction with partners such as the Ewing Environmental Commission and TCNJ. These areas include community gardening and local food; municipal, business and home energy improvements; walking, biking and trails; recycling through the Shred Day events, and others. In fall 2013, Ewing obtained Bronze certification and is endeavoring to achieve points for actions sufficient to achieve the Silver certification in the future.

Sign Up for Rain Garden and Rain Barrel Workshops

February 26, 2014November 3, 2016Leave a comment

Rain Barrel Workshops

Learn more about water conservation and how to harvest rainwater from your roof and divert it for on-site usage in the landscape. The Ewing Green Team, in partnership with the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador program, will teach area residents how to build a rain barrel at two workshops this spring. The fee for the program is $45 to cover the cost of the materials and must be paid in advance to allow us to purchase the kits from Rutgers University. Each workshop will run approximately 2 hours. Sign up today.

Event: Rain Barrel Workshops
Dates: Saturday, May 17th
Time: 10 a.m. – Noon
Location: Hollowbrook Community Center

Rain Gardens

Rain Gardens not only beautify your landscape, but also serve practical environmental purposes. They collect water runoff and store it, permitting it to be filtered and slowly absorbed by the soil. This interception of water runoff from impervious surfaces provides a number of benefits for your landscape. It acts to minimize the volume and improve the quality of water entering conventional storm drains and nearby streams. It also works to minimize soil erosion. It helps you provide a habitat for wildlife which can be sorely lacking in home gardens. And finally, the volume and quality of water is better whether it is absorbed in or leaves a rain garden. Join the members of the Green Team at a presentation to show you how you can design and implement a rain garden in your yard.

Event: Rain Garden Workshop
Date: Tuesday, June 10th
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Hollowbrook Community Center, Community Room

New Green Team Environmental Series Debuts on Feb 24th

February 10, 2014November 3, 2016Leave a comment

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

Joseph 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

January 16, 2014November 3, 2016Leave a comment

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