Earth's Eagles

Reminder... Saturday, March 28, 2009

Simpson Middle School Second Annual Computers, Electronics and Metals Recycling Day:

All Computers, All Electronics and All Metals – come to Simpson Middle School on Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 9:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. ALL items that fall into any of those three categories can be brought to our parking lot that day to be recycled. There is a processing fee for Computer Monitors of $5.00 and $10.00 for Televisions (not flat screen), due to the costs of recycling these items. All other items can be recycled free of charge; Simpson Middle School’s Environmental Committee does asks for voluntary monetary donations on site. All items need to be brought to the school because the recycling company they use can no longer come to your home to pick up any items. Thank you for your support!

National Wildlife Week March 16-20

Can you feel the excitement? It’s almost here! There’s only 2 weeks left until National Wildlife Week, March 16-20, 2009. Get your students and families excited about something fun and different, and honor wildlife at the same time with this annual event (they’ll love it!).

Starting March 1, visit the National Wildlife Week website at

http://online.nwf.org/site/R?i=osGoyS3fKRMgwmkAKKoaYQ..>www.nwf.org/wildlifeweek  to get your free resources.

Participate in three ways:
    * In a classroom - Download free activity and service project ideas for kids and teens, Wildlife Watch lists of local plants and animals, and take-home activities for families to do together. Even get a discount on our award-winning Access Nature curriculum.
    * With your family and friends - Enjoy the wildlife in your community. Get your family and friends outside to watch for wildlife or participate in a wildlife habitat project.

    * Spread the word - Forward this email to others, including educators and parents, so they can get involved during National Wildlife Week.
     Since 1938, National Wildlife Week has increased awareness about wildlife conservation and the benefits of spending time outdoors. Research shows that a daily hour of (unstructured time outdoors) improves one’s physical, mental and emotional well-being.

 

Eliza Russell
Director of Education
National Wildlife Federation

Grocery bags

Fact:  Continued use of a reusable grocery bag will eliminate the use of 1,000 plastic grocery bags!

Newspaper/Cardboard Mulch!

Did you know that you can use corrugated cardboard , pressed cardboard or newspaper as a weed barrier under mulch?

Using cardboard and newspaper are both with good weed suppression around trees, shrubs and even flowers. This is a money saver and also helps reduce the need to use as much mulch by requiring less mulch to suppress the weeds (saves a lot of time and money). Top off with woodchips or other mulch. The corrugated cardboard usually breaks down and rips quicker than newspaper or pressed cardboard. Newspaper is the best of these for molding to the contours of the land.

Pull out weeds or chop them to ground level before applying the cardboard or newspaper. Thoroughly wet the paper after you put it in place. It also helps to put a few sticks or stones around the edges to keep the newspaper in place. Add topsoil, coffee, grass clippings, chopped leaves in the fall, and other amendments if anything is supposed to grow above the paper or cardboard. Add wood chips or whatever type of mulch you choose, to give a finished appearance and conserve water. Also, if later you decide you want to plant through this cardboard/paper/mulch, it breaks apart when your shovel hits it unlike the synthetic landscape fabrics.

You can get free boxes from most supermarkets, liquor stores, etc. Try appliance vendors for huge boxes. Pizza boxes, cereal boxes, shoe boxes, those kinds of things are also good choices. Just cover up any cracks or spaces with more cardboard, paper bags, or several layers of newspaper. Otherwise the weeds will pop up in those cracks. When using newspapers, use at least 8-10 pages to a layer, and overlap them very well.

Batteries

We will soon begin to recyle batteries.  One of our parents has volunteered to take the [filled] box and bring them to be recycled.  Thank you, Mr. Chaney.

We continue to recycle all paper and aluminum, as well as cell phones, lap tops, ink cartridges and other devises.  Please spread the word that we will have our second annual metal, computer and electronics recycling day on Saturday, March 28.  If this year is as successful as last year, you can count on that the last Saturday of March for years to come!

I wish to continue to thank Mrs. Beig, Mrs. Boland, and Mrs. Henry for coming each Friday to help to recycle our paper.  Mrs. Beig and Mrs. Boland will be "graduating" this May from Simpson, so we will be needing more help for next year.  Please consider helping out once a week for about 45 minutes.

Safely Heat Your Home

With the onset of colder weather, many of us use alternate or additional heating sources to stay warm. From the National Fire Protection Association come the following recommendations;

1. Keep all flammables at least three feet away from any heating equipment

2. Follow all installation, use and maintenance guidelines from the manufacturers of the heating equipment

3. Maintain/clean all chimneys at least once a year.

4. Make sure all fireplaces have a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from leaving the fireplace. Allow ashes to cool in a metal can before deposing of them

5. Test all smoke alarms monthly.

6. Be sure you have working smoke alarms AND radon gas detectors.

7. Set thermostats at 68° during the day when the house is occupied and 60° at night and when the house is not occupied.

8. Make sure vents, radiators, baseboard heating units…. are not blocked by furniture, appliances or other objects that can obstruct the flow of heat.

9. Install weather caulking weather stripping, or foams around windows and doors that may leaked warm air.

10. Turn off all [kitchen, bathroom] exhaust fans as soon as possible, they will pull warm air outside into the cold.

For more information, visit nfpa.org

Family Energy Game

If you challenge your family to be a little greener, they may just run with it, especially if you make it into a game. Easy changes add up between family members (for instance: getting your big brother to reduce just 30 seconds off his marathon shower saves about 4 gallons per shower!)

Object of the game: to score the highest number of green points (and the right to brag about it).

• Equipment needed: reusable bags and bottles; a clock or watch to time showers.
• Keeping score: sign up someone trustworthy to keep track of the points - they need to be un-budging point-callers. Create a chart and tally up points on the fridge.

How to play:

• Bring Reusable Bags - gain a point for going on market or pharmacy runs without resorting to throw-away paper or plastic at the register. You can add a point for each reusable bag you use BUT take away a point for any throw-away plastic or paper bags used.
• Carry Reusable Bottles - get a point for every time you fill up a non-disposable bottle (encourages everyone to stay hydrated too), loose a point of you use a disposable bottle (like the plastic ones that water is sold in). 
• Pick Up Litter - easy: get one point for each piece of trash when you're out and about. 
• Take Shorter Showers - have the family keep time of the showers, and get a point for each day you shave 30 seconds off your normal shower time. OR, get one point for a three minute shower, two points for a two minute shower and three points for a one minute shower. Loose points for showers over four minutes. 
• Turn Off the Lights - dock a point when you leave the room but forget to shut off the lights.

The player with the most points at the end of the week or month wins. Perhaps you can have an actual prize incentive- after all; money will be saved while energy and our resources are also saved.

Free Support for the American Eagle Foundation

American Eagle Foundation

 

If you're planning to make purchases online from stores such as Staples, iTunes, eBay, Amazon, Best Buy, Gap, Walmart, Target, Macys, L.L. Bean and many many others, just connect to them through GoodShop.com and they will donate a percentage of the sale to the American Eagle Foundation!

It will not cost you a penny more, and you will be providing much-needed funding to care for and protect our National Symbol! Take a moment to check out the businesses that are linked with GoodShop: Target, Staples, Toys R Us, WalMart, Sears - these are just a few!

All you need to do is click on this link -- GoodShop -- and you will be taken to a page which lists the stores which have pledged charity donations! When prompted, simply fill in the name of your charity -- the American Eagle Foundation -- and any purchase you make at any of the listed stores will generate income for the future survival of the Bald Eagle for generations to come.

 

 

Recycle Your Christmas Trees

Keep Cobb Beautiful is inviting everyone to "Bring One for the Chipper," and recycle your Christmas tree after the holidays.

As a part of a statewide effort to reuse Christmas trees, Keep Cobb Beautiful is hosting over 13 convenient sites at which area residents can drop-off their trees on Saturday, January 3, 2009, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In appreciation of your recycling efforts, participants will receive a seedling while supplies last.  All Home Depot sites, and the Cobb County Vegetative Waste location will accept trees ONLY on Saturday, January 3.

 

Harrison Park 2650 Shallowford Rd Marietta , GA	Wild Horse Creek Park 3820 Macedonia Rd. Powder Springs , GA	Noonday Creek Park 489 Hawkins Store Rd.   Kennesaw , GA
Fullers Park (Lower field) 3050 Robinson Rd. Marietta , GA	Sewell Park      2085 Lower Roswell Rd.     Marietta , GA	Lost Mountain Park 4845 Dallas Hwy Powder Springs , GA

No other items will be allowed to be dropped off at sites. Cobb County  Parks sites will accept trees from Dec. 26 until Jan. 3.

 

Davey Trees at 770-451-7911, as well as the Cobb Parks chipper locations will have free mulch available to citizens after January 6^th.

Going Green Gifts

Some of us are looking to “go green” for the holidays.  The Simpson Environmental Committee does not endorse any products; however, here are some web sites to assist you in finding more earth friendly gifts.  Of course, many of the “watch dog” organizations not only offer their own gifts, but also welcome donations in honor of any occasion.

 

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/georgia/press/press3808.html

 

http://www.karmakiss.com/detail.php?product_cat_id=31&product_sub_cat_id=268

 

http://www.earthkits.com/

 

http://www.greenlivingeveryday.com/category-s/53.htm

 

http://www.greenfeet.com/index.asp