Fall Into Sustainability: Gardening, Composting, and Energy-Saving Tips
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This fall, you can increase your sustainable living through gardening or composting. As the temperatures decrease, it is a great time for some home improvements that can save on your utility bills too. Read up on these topics and more in this fall issue of the Climate Connection.
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Meet Madison Buschek, Our Fall EcoStudio Intern |
Madison is a senior at UNC Chapel Hill, studying Business Administration and Sustainability Studies. Outside of class, Madison teaches a workout class through UNC’s Campus Recreation and is a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a premier business society. She is also a member of RESPC, UNC’s renewable energy committee.
Two summers ago, Madison worked with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), learning about organic farming in Louisiana and Arkansas. She is interested in small-business development for women, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy. After graduation, she plans to join the PeaceCorps to work in one of these sectors.
Working with Orange County Sustainability this semester, she’s had the opportunity to help coordinate events, like Drive Electric! For National Drive Electric Week, work on sustainability campaigns within the local communities, and learn more about bringing the Orange County Climate Action Plan to life!
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You can start a simple landscaping habit by leaving fallen leaves in your yard or moving them just a little. This has many benefits like helping local plants, pollinators and other wildlife, slowing down climate change, improving soil health, and helping trees grow strong! When you take the Leave Your Leaves pledge, you will get a cool yard sign to show others your commitment to the environment and inspire them to join in.
Check out this short article to learn more about the benefits of leaving your leaves.
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Fall into Gardening: Ways to Make a Healthy Garden As Temperatures Drop |
As the fall season falls upon us, consider these tips and small projects.
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Mulch your plant beds to help keep your soil moist, control soil temperature, and protect plant roots from frost damage.
- Make a bee hotel that provides shelter as they look for places to sleep for winter. All you need is a scrap piece of wood with holes drilled into it. And if you are short on time, just leave the leaves so pollinators can find refuge.
- Pull weeds by hand rather than using a spray.
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Set up a rain barrel to collect rainwater instead of using a hose– gardens don’t need as much water in the fall and winter months.
- Plant winter veggies in your garden right now:
- Carrots
- Turnips
- Spinach
- Brussel Sprouts
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Find more ideas here.
- Try planting cool-weather edible flowers, like nasturtium, viola, and snapdragons, as well as herbs like cilantro, dill, and parsley.
- Hang up Christmas lights to warm plants if temperatures fall below freezing.
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Live in an apartment? Don’t worry, here are some ways you can make a greener garden:
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- Plant herbs in a south-facing window, and create a hanging garden if you don’t have a ledge.
- Set up a hydroponic garden.
- Grow plants in old containers if you have a patio.
- Grow microgreens indoors (they’re super healthy, too!).
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Turn your bathroom into the perfect plant haven– plants love humidity!
- Make your living room wall into a plant display with wall-mounted plants.
- Looking for more? Take part in a community garden.
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Reducing Waste by Turning Scraps into Soil |
Did you know that we waste 40% of our food and this accounts for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions? Not only does it harm the planet, but also your wallet - the average American family throws out an average $1,600 per year. And, kitchen scraps in the landfill convert to methane which has 28 times the negative effect of carbon dioxide.
So, what can you do about it?
Compost your kitchen scraps.
Have you heard of bokashi?
Bokashi is one composting method that is easy that uses fermentation to stabilize kitchens scraps. It involves using a microbe-inoculated wheat bran that is sprinkled on every 3-4” layer of kitchen scraps in a 5-gallon bucket.
Why choose bokashi?
· Makes returning food nutrients to the soil easy – even in apartments!
· Stabilizes kitchen scraps for months
· Meat and dairy scraps can be included
· Seals in nutrients
· Does not attract insects or rodents
· Has a slight vinegar odor
The Fork to Farm project offers training and supplies for bokashi and vermicomposting (including inoculated wheat bran) as well as presentations about food waste/climate change. For more information, contact Tom Smith at wormsdothework@gmail.com.
For information on other types of composting, visit the Orange County Solid Waste web page or contact them at recycling@orangecountync.gov.
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Healing Spaces: How Club Nova's Garden Benefits People and the Planet |
Club Nova is a community center dedicated to supporting individuals with serious mental illnesses, and their new garden project has quickly become a cherished aspect of daily life. From building the garden beds to harvesting produce, members are actively involved at every stage. The garden has quickly become known as “the life of the clubhouse.” Members express that gardening offers them a meaningful way to stay engaged: “It feels good being outside in the sun and fresh air working around plants.'
The garden goes beyond growing produce; it provides a tranquil space that enhances mental, physical, and social health. Accessible to members of all mobility levels, the garden invites everyone to experience its benefits. Many describe it as a place for relaxation and purpose. “Working in the garden makes you feel worthwhile,” one member noted. Another called it “a sanctuary.”
Club Nova received funds from the Community Climate Action Grant Program for this project, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through plant-based diets, food waste reduction, composting, local purchasing, recycling, and rainwater capture.
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Celebrating Clean Rides: National Drive Electric Week Hits Chapel Hill and Hillsborough |
From September 27th to October 6th, Orange County joined the country in celebrating National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) with events in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. NDEW is a nationwide celebration that showcases the benefits of electric vehicles! At these events, visitors explored various EV models and types, while also chatting with local EV owners to learn what it’s really like to own one. Participants discovered cool details about charging, taking road trips, maintenance, and more! The County also plans to have EV ambassadors at events throughout the year to continue answering questions from the EV curious.
Check out a video of the Hillsborough event.
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To learn more about electric vehicles, check out Plug-In NC, a North Carolina statewide program that promotes electric vehicle driving and provides a great map of EV chargers in our state.
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Going Green in the Park: Cedar Grove’s New Electric Mower |
Robert Robbins, park manager of Cedar Grove Park, knows how important it is to protect our lands. We spoke with him about how he’s making his park maintenance more sustainable with his new electric riding lawn mower.
Robert has his hands full maintaining nearly 20 acres of park space, but his electric mower has been a game-changer! Some of Robert’s favorite features are the mower’s power, speed, quiet operation, lack of fumes, and easy oil-free maintenance. Gone are the days of a noisy gas-powered mower! Instead, Robert says his mower sounds more like “a remote control car running up and down the road,” letting park visitors enjoy the peace of nature. The mower is also cost-effective, eliminating fuel expenses. Its price was comparable to a gas-powered model and even came with four extra batteries and a charger.
Charging the mower is simple. He plugs it into a 3-pronged outlet at night and, by morning, it will have enough charge for a couple of days. Charging the mower from empty to 100% takes only about 4-5 hours, and he can use the extra backup batteries if he ever finds himself in a pinch.
With the new Climate Action Plan, the County is transitioning lawn equipment to electric to reduce environmental impacts and create healthier spaces for staff and residents. Robert proudly speaks about his sense of stewardship and how he is “all for sustainability.” While switching to electric is an adjustment with a learning curve, he believes “it will be worthwhile.” Even a small step, like changing to an electric mower, shows a commitment to sustainability and protecting the land people enjoy every single day.
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