November 2012 Sustainability Update
From the office of Sustainability and Operations at Berea College
CollegeNews:
The Berea College Forestry Team is a third through with clearing a section the college woods of bush honeysuckle. Read more HERE.
Thanks to concerned students, staff, and area farmers, Dining Services has increased the amount of local foods purchased to 15% of the budget and plans to get all the way to 51% by the year 2015. Read more HERE.
Did you know that Berea College has Trash Compacters and a Wind Turbine?
Opportunities on Campus:
Homeless and Affordable Houses Awareness Week-Volunteer Weekends — November 10 or 17, 2012. Help weatherize and renovate homes of those in need. HEAL will be joining Home Energy Partners and Habitat for Humanity to help renovations of two homes in the area. Groups and individuals are welcome to volunteer the first three weekends of Nov 3, 10 and 17 or the entire week of November 10-17. Contact Kelly_Kusumoto@berea.edu if you are interested in participating.
Fall Free-School Skill Share – sponsored by NTSA – November 10th 11am-4pm at Frost Cottage
Come Learn homesteading skills from the school’s older students, including how to build rain barrels, make buckets out of gourds, complete basic bike repairs, cultivate your own mushroom logs, harvest and prepare chickens, tie knots & start fires, as well as home fermentation and salt pickling techniques. Workshops and demonstrations will begin at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm with plenty of opportunities to jump in and take home treats!
DIY Clothing Repair Workshop sponsored by HEAL – November 14 at 7pm-9pm 2012 in Couch Room (2nd Floor of Bruce Trades).
Bring your button-less and torn clothes and join us in various clothing repair and sewing activities. We will walk you through everything from making new items out of old clothes (T-shirt scarves and sweater bags) to patching and re-attaching buttons. Led by Sabrina Barnes, Hans Lambert, and Micala Scott.
Sustainable Berea’s Fall Gathering – November 13, 2012, 6:30pm @ the Berea Friend’s Meeting House 300 Harrison Rd.
Sustainable Berea is a group of community members working since 2005 for a strong local economy, local food, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Come learn about and join Sustainable Berea’s new and on-going projects including their: Food Swap, Skills Directory, Solar Tour, Seed Library, ect. Door prizes include fruit and nut tree seedlings, blueberry bushes, and heirloom seeds! Light refreshments will be served.
Community Clean-Up – November 17, 10am-12pm @ Alumni Circle
Come help maintain a clean environment and lend a hand to our Berea community by joining HEAL in picking up trash and recyclables along the route to Happy Meadow. Gloves and safety vests will be provided. Please RSVP!
Garden Club – Every Friday at Berea Community School
Would you like to help 3rd – 5th graders learn how to grow food? This year HEAL is joining the Berea Community Elementary school in growing Spinach and Winter greens to supplement their cafeteria.
Session 1: 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Session 2: 3:15pm – 4:15pm
*Meet in the connector of Bruce – Trades, we will leave at the designated times for each session so please come early!
If you are interested in regularly participating in the Garden Club, please contact Kelly Kusumoto: Kelly_Kusumoto@berea.edu
News off-campus:
Madison County Energy Expo November 3, 2012 @ the Madison County Cooperative Extention Office 230 Duncannon Lane, Richmond 9:00am-1:00pm.
Learn FREE and low-cost ideas to save on your energy bills and much more! MORE INFO.
Eat Local, Grow Local November 13, 2012 @ Madison County Extension Center 7:00pm
Plan ahead for spring! We will be discussing growing small fruits such as various berries (blue, black, rasp, and straw), figs, and small fruit trees. If you are interested in trying to grow some of these, come and learn. If you already grow some, come and share what has worked for you. We will have some experienced growers guiding the discussion.
Gardeners of Madison County: Rain Gardens November 19, 2012 at The Madison County Extension Center 6:30 pm.
Kara Sales of Bluegrass Pride with us at our November meeting. Her topic will be “Rain
Gardens.” Guests are welcome.
***
Have a sustainability-related event or announcement? Send December updates by the last week of November to:
Bethany Cook
Student Sustainability Coordinator
Bethany_Cook@berea.edu
