10/26/2010

Regional Sustainability Symposium NOV. 10, Pinehurst Resort

Regional Sustainability Symposium   November 10  Pinehurst Resort  9 am - 3 pm

Morning Keynote Speaker: Mr. Henry McKoy, Assistant Secretary for Community Development for the NC Department of Commerce

Mr. McKoy will explain what it means to bring sustainability “to life” and how the economy, the community and the built/developed environment can work together to promote sustainability in the broadest sense.

Lunch Keynote Speaker: Mr. Addison (Tad) D. Davis, Command Executive Officer & Director of Services and Infrastructure Core Enterprise for US Army Reserve

Mr. Davis will discuss Army sustainability. As the Garrison Commander at Fort Bragg who founded their award-wining sustainability initiative, and through his years as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health, Mr. Davis has a unique perspective to share about the importance of regional partnerships to advance the cause of both Army and Community sustainability.

Symposium agenda includes sessions on:

 How to attract the new “green consumer” and how to incorporate sustainable practices into your business.

 Why the Green Schools program, green space, and park systems are so important for children and communities.

 Tax incentives, credits and rebates for the use of solar power, wind power and natural gas, and how to make a business case for installing such technologies.

 Successes shared and lessons learned from a local food cooperative at the close of their first year in operation, and how citizens and farmers came together to bring fresh local food to hundreds.

 How to add layers of sustainability to your home with the use of native plants, xeriscaping, shade trees and more.

 An afternoon “Growth Quality” track that includes an interactive visual preference and assessment exercise that will inform Sandhills communities about the types of development and conservation their residents prefer in the future.

Learn more at www.sustainablesandhills.org

10/25/2010

Oct. 28, SOS hosts SALT's Candace Williams

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER DISCUSSES SALT’S WORK –

THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE SANDHILLS

On October 28, Save Our Sandhills will host Candace Williams, Executive Director of the Sandhills Area Land Trust (SALT) to discuss “The Best Kept Secrets in the Sandhills: The Work of the Sandhills Area Land Trust – Past, Present, and Future.” North Carolina’s 25 land trusts have protected over 309,000 acres of natural lands across the state. And SALT, our local land trust based in Fayetteville and Southern Pines, has recently been credited with protecting more than 10,000 acres of land in the Sandhills region. This is a tremendous accomplishment!

With burgeoning development in the Sandhills, slowed only by a faltering economy, SALT’s efforts are essential to preserving open space. Since 1991, it has been targeting prime pieces to preserve in Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties. These pieces are primarily working forests, farmlands, riparian buffers, and significant natural areas. While its first few years of existence involved setting up a solid infrastructure, its past 10 years have brought in the majority of acreage under SALT’s stewardship. It has evolved from a volunteer-run organization to a professionally recognized organization which operates under the standards and practices of the Land Trust Alliance, the national support organization for land trusts nationwide. Its accomplishments have been wide-reaching: 1. Protecting water quality and drinking water supplies in the Drowning Creek, Little River, McLendons Creek, and Cape Fear River areas, 2. Preserving numerous working farms, 3. Preserving historic and cultural lands, including the Averasboro Civil War Battlefield, Pottery Road, and Rhodes Pond, 4. Preserving Horse Country land, and 5. Securing Military Training Lands; some sizeable projects are planned for the future.

Candace Williams, a native of the Sandhills, has worked for twenty-five years in New England. She is a conservation biologist and has a Master's Degree in that discipline from Antioch University in Keene, New Hampshire. She has worked and studied in many parts of the world such as the Arctic Circle, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Trinidad, Tobago, Chile, and Baja. Most recently, she traveled to Cuba where she was part of a research team contributing to a long-term baseline study on the 24 endemic avian species in Cuba identifying their habitats for future protection efforts. The focus of her work has been endangered species and habitat protection.

Williams returned to North Carolina in 1999 to work as one of the state sea turtle biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Her work prior to returning to N.C. was with the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Coastal Waterbird Program in charge of all the coastal nesting bird colonies along the South Shore of Massachusetts, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket; the Manomet Center for Conservation Science as an avian researcher; and the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. She was also part of the working team that authored the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, a model for other countries around the world.

Since 2001, Williams has worked for the Sandhills Area Land Trust first as Associate Director of the organization in charge of Land Protection. In October 2009, she became the Executive Director. She has been instrumental in protecting over half of the 10,000 acres of land protected by the organization in the Sandhills.

Candace Williams' most recent honors are very impressive. She was the recipient of the 2006 Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award as the Land Conservationist of the Year -- the State’s highest natural resource honor; and she was the recipient of the National Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution – Woman in American History Award – for her contribution to conservation.
Join us; refreshments will be served. Thursday, October 28 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

10/19/2010

Even more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, Oct. 26

North Carolinians recycle 85.4 pounds of materials a second. That's impressive! But we throw away more than 752 pounds of trash a second - almost nine times what we recycle.


Join Sustainable Sandhills to learn even more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle!!

Sustainable Sandhills, Cumberland County

Community Action Team Meeting  Tuesday, October 26th, 2010  6:30-8:00PM
Pate Room, Headquarters Library

Join Sustainable Sandhills for our October Cumberland County Community Action Team Meeting and participate and a mini-workshop about waste reduction. Through interactive activities and discussion, we'll share tips for reducing our waste stream and making better consumer choices. We'll also learn just how much material has been recycled and how much landfill space has been saved through the City of Fayetteville's Curbside Recycling Program!!! Sustainable Sandhills is a nonprofit dedicated to conserving the natural resources of the eight county region surrounding Fort Bragg, NC. Through education, demonstration, and collaboration, we are changing the ways we live, work, and play. Even the smallest effort makes a difference; visit www.sustainablesandhills.org to learn more.

10/15/2010

Help Elect Environmental Protectors

According to a survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research earlier this year, only 1% of Tar Heel voters cited the environment and climate change as the most important issues facing the country today—falling below “Other” and “Not Sure.” But to maintain North Carolina’s high quality of life and to continue growing our state’s economy, we must protect the air, water, and natural resources that make North Carolina special. This is why we need now more than ever to elect candidates who will make the environment a political priority.
In the 2008 elections, CCNC helped elect 71 of the 73 candidates we endorsed. These same elected officials did the job by ensuring a pro-conservation outcome for 10 of the 12 environmental bills Conservation Council worked on during the last legislative session. Please take a look at our 2010 Legislative Scorecard at http://www.conservationcouncilnc.org/  for a complete record of the key issues scored and how your representative voted on each.

We need your help once again this year. Your vote for our endorsed, pro-conservation candidates listed below and a gift to the Conservation PAC are two of the most important things you can do to help protect North Carolina’s environment, the health of our communities, and our economy.

With the General Election right around the corner, your contribution today will help us change the way environmental decisions are made in North Carolina. Your gift of $50, $100, $250 or $1,000 will make a huge impact, but gifts of any amount are appreciated.

Please help us elect leaders who stand up for conservation and successfully ensure a pro-environment majority in the NC General Assembly. Together, we will pass strong environmental policies for North Carolina.

Sincerely,  Carrie Clark, Executive Director

P.S. Anti-environmental interests are spending more money in this election than ever before. Help us level the playing field by making your gift to the Conservation PAC today!
Remember early voting starts today October 14 and continues through October 30. You can find your early voter site at ncvoterinfo.org/

2010 Conservation PAC General Election Endorsements

North Carolina State Senate Races

District 1 – Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Dare

District 2 –Barbara Garrity-Blake, D-Craven

District 7 – Sen. Doug Berger, D-Franklin

District 9 – Jim Leutze, D-New Hanover

District 12 – Jody McCloud, D-Johnston

District 15 – Sen. Neal Hunt, R-Wake

District 16 – Sen. Josh Stein, D-Wake

District 17 – Sen. Richard Stevens, R-Wake

District 18 – Sen. Bob Atwater, D-Chatham

District 19 – Sen. Margaret Dickson, D-Cumberland

District 21 – Eric Mansfield, D-Cumberland

District 23 – Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange

District 27 – Sen. Don Vaughan, D-Guilford

District 28 – Gladys Robinson, D-Guilford

District 36 – Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus

District 37 – Sen. Dan Clodfelter, D-Meck.

District 40 – Sen. Malcolm Graham, D-Meck.

District 44 – Beth Jones D-Burke

District 45 – Sen. Steve Goss, D-Watauga

District 49 – Sen. Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe


North Carolina State House Races

District 3 – Rep. Alice Underhill, D-Craven

District 5 – Rep. Annie Mobley, D-Bertie

District 7 – Rep. Angela Bryant, D-Halifax

District 9 – Rep. Marion McLawhorn, D-Pitt

District 16 – Rep. Carolyn Justice, R-New Hanover

District 19 – Rep. Danny McComas, R-New Hanover

District 20 – Rep. Dewey Hill, D-Columbus

District 21 – Rep. Larry Bell, D-Sampson

District 23 – Rep. Joe Tolson, D-Edgcombe

District 24 – Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, D-Wilson

District 29 – Rep. Larry Hall, D-Durham

District 30 – Rep. Paul Luebke, D-Durham

District 33 – Rep. Rosa Gill, D-Wake

District 34 – Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake

District 35 – Rep. Jennifer Weiss, D-Wake

District 36 – Robin Anderson, D-Wake

District 37 – Debra McHenry, D-Wake

District 38 – Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake

District 40 – Violet Rhinehart, D-Wake

District 41 – Rep. Chris Heagarty, D-Wake

District 44 – Rep. Diane Parfitt, D-Cumberland

District 45 – Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland

District 50 – Rep. Bill Faison, D-Orange

District 54 – Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange

District 55 – Rep. Winkie Wilkins, D-Person

District 56 – Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange

District 57 – Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford

District 58 – Rep. Alma Adams, D-Guilford

District 63 – Rep. Alice Bordsen, D-Alamance

District 81 – Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson

District 85 – Beth Ostgaard, D-McDowell

District 93 – Rep. Cullie Tarleton, D-Ashe

District 99 – Rodney Moore, D-Meck.

District 100 – Rep. Tricia Cotham, D-Meck.

District 102 – Rep. Becky Carney, D-Meck.

District 103 – Ann Newman, D-Meck.

District 104 – Rep. Ruth Samuelson, R-Meck.

District 106 – Rep. Martha Alexander, D-Meck.

District 107 – Rep. Kelly Alexander, D-Meck.

District 114 – Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe

District 115 – Patsy Keever, D-Buncombe

District 117 – Chuck McGrady, R-Henderson

District 118 – Rep. Ray Rapp, D-Madison

District 119 – Rep. Phil Haire, D-Jackson

10/08/2010

Scott Ainslie, Jazz, Tonight 8:00, Red Springs!

Blues Guitarist Ainslie, Red Springs, Oct. 8

Red Springs Middle School   8:00

Friday, October 8th a very wonderful blues guitarist will be performing in Red Springs. Scott Ainslie is a great performer and advocate for social justice, and also an historian and performer of the music of Robert Johnson and the African American roots of American jazz and blues. Ticket prices are heavily subsidized by Red Springs Arts Council, so don't let that fool you. You can hear and learn more about Scott at his website: http:// cattailmusic.com/

Shaw House Vintage Collectible and Antiques Fair

SATURDAY, October 9, 9 - 3:00
Shaw House Vintage Collectible and Antiques Fair
Shaw House, Southern Pines, NC, corner Morganton Road and Broad Street

No Admission Charge

Bring the whole family to the second annual Shaw House Fair of vintage collectibles and antiques on Saturday, Oct. 9, from 9-3. The historic Shaw House, office for the Moore County Historical Association, is the scene for the outdoor vendors' sites.

Admission is free and tours of the 1820s Shaw House and cabins on the property dating back to the 1700s will be conducted. There will be a silent auction, also demonstrations of weaving and colonial domestic skills demonstrated by Gail Frazer, plus live foot-tapping music by Clyde Maness and his friends, all day long from the porch of the Garner House.

Enjoy a lunch of hot dogs and all the trimmings made by Friends of the Bryant House. Raffle tickets are also available for $5 each for a drawing in December for a 42-inch Sony television set, proceeds to the Bryant House restoration.

The gift and book shop will be open, featuring items of local interest including MCHA famous old-fashioned hand-milled soaps.

Proceeds will help the historical association maintain and restore the five historic house museums it owns, used to demonstrate to the general public how early settlers of Moore County lived.

10/05/2010

Salatin's Polyface Farm, Oct. 20

POLYFACE FARM TOUR

Swoope, Virginia,  Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 1-3 PM

Here’s an opportunity to visit and tour Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Polyface Farm is the home of Joel Salatin, the inspirational grass farmer featured in the movie FRESH. This planned visit has grown out of a sustainable agriculture discussion group held for the last four weeks at United Church of Chapel Hill. The participants in our discussion group are interested in local food production and agricultural sustainability issues. Therefore, we have scheduled a tour of Polyface Farm which is open to anyone and we invite you to join us. Here are the details:

1. This trip is open to anyone. Please share this information with anyone you wish.

2. Salatins can easily receive groups of any size. There is no limit to the number of people we can take.

3. We will be given a formal two-hour tour of the most interesting features of the farm: grass-fed beef, laying hens following the cattle, pastured poultry (meat chickens and turkeys), pastured pigs, and more. The tour will be led by Matt Rales, their official farm tour guide: 1 PM to 3 PM, Wednesday, October 20. I suggest we try to get there at least an hour early (two hours would be better) so we can look around a bit before the tour. They have an open-farm policy and I can show you quite a bit of the place myself.

4. It's approximately a five-hour drive one-way from Chapel Hill. We plan to carpool.

Fees:
a. Tour fee – We will divide the flat-rate $250 tour fee among everyone who attends. The more people who go, the lower the cost per person will be. We’d love to have 25 people (or more) and get the cost down to $10 per person (or less).
b. Shared carpool expenses.
c. Lodging for any nights you choose to spend on this trip. Some people plan to drive up the day before and spend the night of October 19th. There are several moderately-priced motels ($50 to $80 per room per night) in the Staunton, VA, area near the intersection of I-81 and I-64. Share a room or not; that would be up to you. Polyface Farm is about 15 miles south of Staunton. Other folks plan to drive up and back all in the same day; they would not have any lodging costs.
d. Meals are on your own.
e. The cost of any other attraction you might visit along the way.

To sign up for the tour or to get more information please contact:  Skip Polson
Email: skippolson@nc.rr.com    Phone: 919-889-4404