Sustainable Blairstown

On Saturday, April 24, over 70 community volunteers of all ages descended on the grounds of Blairstown Elementary School to lay the foundation for a new children’s garden. In just over two hours, the volunteers established a reading ring surrounded by trees and shrubs, raised beds for vegetables and flowers, a meadow, and the Brownie Troop 1161 Butterfly Garden.

Commemorating the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day, many of the volunteers proudly wore T-shirts with “Plant it for the Planet” as they broke ground for the gardens. Blairstown Township Mayor Richard Mach was in attendance, adding a bit of official flair as he cut the ceremonial ribbon for the butterfly garden. While volunteers worked in the garden, many of the students spent time making Earth day crafts such as seed planting, birdhouse painting, and other garden related projects.

Kim Harrington, a six-grade teacher at Blairstown Elementary and the garden project director, stated the overall intent of the garden is to give back to the Earth and to enrich children’s education with experiential programs that teach children a greater understanding of and appreciation for horticulture and food production.

Planning for the garden began last summer as members of the Sustainable Blairstown Committee exchanged ideas and inspiration with Blairstown Elementary School Superintendent Mark Saalfield and Mrs. Harrington, who are both members of the committee. Patricia Kraemer-Doell of Little Big Farm and Dennis Kovalcik of Landscape Originals provided the school with site design and plant selection recommendations.

The establishment of the school garden and the outreach programs that ensue will earn Blairstown points towards a Sustainable Jersey certification that the Township has been pursuing. Sustainable Blairstown member Kevin Doell thanked the volunteers for their efforts in establishing the garden, pointing out just what an amazing impact a group of committed citizens can have in such a short amount of time.

Harrington added that the garden was implemented solely through donations, large and small, from all corners of the community. Donors included Blairstown Township, North Warren Farm & Home Supply, Blue Ridge Lumber, Constantine Landscaping, Dennis Kovalcik – Landscape Originals, Patti Doell – Little Big Farm, Pio Costa, Race Farm, Tractor Supply, U-Mark-It, Agens Stone and numerous teachers, staff, and community members.

With the foundation of the garden now laid, there is still much work to be done to develop it, maintain it, and nurture it to its fullest potential. With the community spirit demonstrated at the garden’s installation, it seems there is no shortage of committed citizens to lend a hand when needed.

Donations Still Needed

Blairstown Elementary School (BES) is celebrating Earth Day 2010 by “planting for the planet” and installing a children’s garden to enrich education and give back to the Earth.

BES will hold a Family Work Day on Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. (rain date:  May 1).  A butterfly garden donated by Brownie Troop 1161, a Reading Ring inspired by the works of the Sustainable Blairstown initiative, and two vegetable gardens are on the list of things to accomplish during this work session for young and old alike.

There will be crafts for children as well as garden projects.  Plant installation, gravel placement, and a seminar on composting will be on the agenda for adults.  This is a wonderful time to come celebrate community!  Bring a shovel and your enthusiasm!

Refreshments will be provided.  There is no cost for the day, however, t-shirts, primarily children’s sizes, will be available for $10.00.

This garden is being implemented solely through donations!  BES would like to thank our many local vendors who have so generously donated to this special project:

• Agway
• Blue Ridge Lumber
• Constantine Landscaping
• Dennis Kovalcik – Landscape Originals
• Little Big Farm
• Pio Costa
• Race Farm
• Township of Blairstown
• Tractor Supply
• U-Mark-It
• Agens Stone, Inc.
• Numerous teachers, staff, and community members

Donations are still needed for plants, fence posts, etc. If you would like to donate, BES is accepting checks made payable to the “Blairstown Board of Education.” For more information, contact Kim Harrington at Blairstown Elementary, 908-362-6111.

At its public meeting on August 12, the Blairstown Township Committee took up the issue of the Sustainable Blairstown Green Team. After reviewing a list of volunteers provided by Environmental Commission member Kevin Doell, the Committee unanimously endorsed the work of the Environmental Commission in establishing its new Green Team. The new team members include:

• • • Joan Cehak
    • Laura Corio
    • Kevin Doell
    • Carolyn Fenton
    • Kim Harrington
    • Joe Heydel
    • Lavonne Heydel
    • Angel Ramos
    • Sylvia Ramos
    • Jen Reich
    • Mark Saalfield
    • Michelle St. Andre
    • Joe Wargo

(more…)

The formation of a “Green Team” is the first step in establishing a community sustainability program. Green Teams leverage the skills and expertise of team members to develop plans, implement programs, and assist with educational opportunities that support the creation of a sustainable community. Such entities can go by any name, but the role is the same: lead and coordinate the sustainability activities of the community.

We are on the lookout for those special champions who are ready to take on the challenge of spearheading the initiatives the community decides it will pursue as it works towards its sustainability certification. The Green Team must represent the diverse spectrum of interests in our community therefore we are seeking representatives from areas such as:
• Business
• Government
• Educational Institutions
• Faith groups
• Environmental groups
• Civic groups

If you are a champion ready to lead our community towards a brighter future, please come to the July 22 Sustainable Blairstown Organizational Meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the Town Hall. Or if you know of someone else who can help our initiative reach success, please share this email with them and invite them to join you at the organizational meeting.

Thank you for your help!

Sustainable Blairstown is an initiative of the Blairstown Environmental Commission as it pursues the Sustainable Jersey certification program. This new blog will be used to organize communications around Blairstown Township’s sustainability initiatives. Look to this site for all future updates beginning with the press release and the Township Resolution.

On July 22, at 7:00 in the Town Hall, the Environmental Commission will be hosting a public meeting to organize the community’s efforts around this new sustainability initiative. Please join us for this important kickoff meeting.

If you would like to be included on the Sustainable Blairstown email list, please send an email to Kevin.Doell@gmail.com with “Sustainable Blairstown” in the subject line.

Call for Volunteers to Join “Green Team” Steering Group

BLAIRSTOWN, N.J. (June 26, 2009) –  On May 7, the Blairstown Township Committee passed a resolution supporting the town’s participation in the “Sustainable Jersey” Municipal Certification Program. With this act, the Township has joined the ranks of over 180 communities in the state pursuing a certification and incentive program that provides a roadmap for towns that want to go green, save money, and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term. The Blairstown Environmental Commission will hold a public presentation on the “Sustainable Blairstown” initiative at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, at the Town Hall. Residents can sign up to be on an informational mailing list at www.sustainableblairstown.org.

“I’m proud that Blairstown will be part of a larger sustainability movement that is taking hold across the state,” said Blairstown Township Mayor Richard Mach. “The program is designed to tap into the talent and resources of our community to tackle initiatives that can strengthen our local economy, protect our environment, and make Blairstown an even nicer place to live. Sustainable practices meet the needs of the present, without compromising the needs of future generations. I think this is an approach to managing our resources that we can all agree with.”

Developed in partnership with the NJ League of Municipalities, Rutgers University, The College of New Jersey, the NJ DEP and the NJ Board of Public Utilities, the Sustainable Jersey program (www.sustainablejersey.com) enables municipalities to tailor their sustainability action plans to the needs and interests of the local community. Each completed program element earns the municipality credits as it drives towards a sustainable certification upon reaching 100 points. A number of other towns in the surrounding area have also passed resolutions to participate in the program, including: Byram, Fredon, Hardwick, Lopatcong, Mount Olive, Mount Arlington, Netcong, and Newton.

“As a first step, we will be organizing a Green Team that includes representatives from all parts of the community ? from government, schools and businesses to church and civic groups,” said Blairstown Environmental Commission representative Kevin Doell. “In the months to come, the new Green Team will be the driving force behind a range of activities that it feels will best serve the community. These projects could include events such as a green festival, a buy local campaign, local food production planning, a municipal energy audit and more.”

If you are interested in joining the Blairstown Green Team or would like to know more, send an email to Kevin.Doell@gmail.com or call Kevin Doell at 908.459.5484.

Press Contact:

Kevin Doell
Kevin.Doell@gmail.com
908.459.4784