spreading love in the form of flowers in bed stuy

I've been wanting to throw some seed bombs since I wrote about Green Guerrillas last summer (and maybe even before that). Well now I'm going to have the chance to live the dream, and you can too, if you're interested.

Here's the opportunity -- it's called Bed Stuy Meadow and it's a project being put on by 21st Century Plowshare, who describe themselves as:

... an inspiration-station and resource hub for anyone who wants to deploy environmental actions that matter--actions that prompt an ecstatic recognition of people's surroundings. Do your part! Join the discourse, participate in the actions here and make your own actions happen!

Oh man, if that doesn't make you want to get involved, I don't know what will.

Full details are below. If you want to get in on the action, email them at 21stcenturyplowshare@gmail.com

If you want to make your own seed bomb, get instructions here [via FunTimeHappyGardenExplosion].


Project Description

The goal is to sow wildflower seeds on every single patch of abandoned soil in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed Stuy this April. By early summer, there should be so many wildflowers growing in the untended treepits, vacant lots, half-built developments and other tiny scraps of neglected soil in Bed Stuy that the whole neighborhood effectively turns into a meadow.

Wildflower seeds are very easy to plant, and they grow well in poor, shallow soils without human attention, so it's going to be relatively easy to make a huge visual impact over the entire neighborhood. The profusion of wildflowers that result from this minimal effort will probably be relentless and visually unifying, and this relentless unity of wildflowers will probably make anyone walking down the street feel good.

I want there to be so many wildflowers on the streets that the summer of 2009 is remembered very fondly every single resident of the neighborhood. I want the continuity of the Meadow to be so strong that Google Earth is compelled to re-photograph Bed Stuy. I want people who don't even live within the five boroughs to visit Bed Stuy for the first time so that they can see the Meadow with their own eyes, and I want people who will never even come to be so inspired by the Bed Stuy Meadow that they make their own amazing neighborhood project and share it on 21st Century Plowshare.

Bed Stuy is a neighborhood of contradictions. There is a lot of crime here, but it's also by far the friendliest neighborhood I have ever lived in. It's got a litter problem and the landscape is dotted with empty lots and condemned houses. But this is also a neighborhood of seriously tended front yards with a rich history of community gardening. Bed Stuy claims as its own Hattie Carthan and the Notorious B.I.G. I think the Meadow is going to work because it doesn't work against what Bed Stuy is. Bed Stuy's low-slung, long-blocked character and the expansiveness of its territory are not like an urban jungle or forest as much as an urban prairie. The effort of the meadow is another chapter in the community gardening history of the neighborhood. Wildflowers are beautiful in the way that the architecture here is beautiful, the way the people who go out of their way to say good morning on the streets here are beautiful. And wildflowers are tough enough to grow wherever the seeds are cast.

Get Involved

1. Plant Seed in April. If you live in NYC and want to spend an afternoon scattering seed in April, email 21stcenturyplowshare-at-gmail-dot-com to get on the list of volunteers.

2. The total budget for this project is about $2000. Donate a few dollars by clicking this button:

another sign the obama administration means good for the earth

Good green things are happening at the White House. Van Jones, founder of Green for All -- the grassroots green jobs organization -- and author of The Green Collar Economy, was recently named Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

At his new post, Mr. Jones will help shape the administration's energy and climate policy, so that climate solutions produce jobs and justice for all Americans.

Good stuff. If you haven't read The Green Collar Economy, pick up a copy at the library, borrow one from a friend, or get one (used) from Amazon.com.

Hey Van, how about putting up those solar panels on the White House?

UPDATE: Video, via Daily Kos

earth hour is coming!

[Poster by Shepard Fairey]

What are you doing on the night of March 28th between 8:30 and 9:30pm? Whatever your plans, make sure you do it with the lights out.

Why on earth would you do such a thing? It's a global statement bringing awareness to climate change. We're telling the world's leaders that when we all work together, we have the power to make big changes.

According to earthhour.org:

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

So far, 930 cities and towns in 80 countries have already committed to participate Earth Hour 2009. Will you take part?

What you do in the dark is up to you, but here are some suggestions:

• Light some beeswax candles, pour some organic wine, and get cozy with your special someone
• Invite some friends over for a potluck dinner, lit only by your smiles
• Go to your favorite bar or restaurant and urge them to participate if they aren't already
• If you're in the city, look up at the sky, you might actually be able to see stars
  
• Take a stroll through your neighborhood and heckle all the people whose lights are on (okay, just kidding!)

Earth Hour 2009 -- March 28th at 8:30pm.

great green events in bklyn

After the recent snowstorm that blanketed the city, I'm really feeling the itch of Spring. It'll soon be time to get outside and enjoy the budding trees, the blooming flowers, the [ah-choo] pollinating plants.

Here are some events to help you shake off the Winter chill and get ready to welcome the fruitful new season.

Tonight, Wednesday, March 4 @7pm
Alternative energy in your home
The Community Bookstore in Park Slope hosts a forum on incorporating alternative energy and energy (read: money) saving tips into your home.
Green Roofs! Rooftop Wind generators! Easy quick and effective measures like painting over your black roof – did you know this is the fastest and most effective thing you can do to reduce energy use? The State offers tax rebates and incentives for installing green roofs which can half the cost of installation! A local business found a company who contracts to put a little windmill on your roof – they provide the equipment and you get the reduced bills! There are lots of ideas being tried out there, and we can surely all benefit from pooling ideas – why reinvent the wheel, or the windmill?
More info

This Saturday, March 7, 10am to 4pm
Making Brooklyn Bloom

Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts the 28th annual Making Brooklyn Bloom, a day full of workshops and info on growing this fine borough into an even greener place to live. Get the full schedule and workshop list.

Admission is free when you download the flyer from this page [think before you print... got an iPhone or other web phone? Save a tree and store it there!]

Ongoing through Spring
Exploring and Appreciating New York City
The Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment (BCUE) has announced their Spring tour schedule. Highlights include: Along the High Line (Saturday, March 21), Crossing Newtown Creek (Sunday, March 22), Cemetery of the Evergreens (Sunday, April 26), Exploring Sunset Park's Waterfront (Sunday, May 31).
Learn more about BCUE

free store, financial district

There's no catch. Really, everything at this store is free. With an artists' grant, Athena Robles and Anna Stein set up the Free Store where donations are accepted but not necessary to walk off with free clothing, jewelry, or household items. It's located at 99 Nassau Street in the Financial District, how apropos.



[Photos courtesy NY Post]

Read more at Racked, NY Post, or AM/NY

"clean coal" brought to you by the coen brothers

Learn more at This Is Reality.

is this fish for real?

I'm going to let this video speak for itself. This fish is pretty freakin' wild.




Read more about Macropinna microstoma (aka, Barreleye) at PopSci.

handmade in brooklyn, the old-fashioned way

Since making it a priority to shop at the farmers market every week, I'm more appreciative of certain things. For one, I appreciate where food comes from, and really, where other things come from as well. I think more about who produced things and how. I'm more gung-ho about supporting locally made products.

There's a great article in the Times detailing the Brooklyn culinary movement, comparing it to 1970s Berkeley in its return to the traditional way of doing things. Some of the gastronomic arts highlighted: pickling, hand butchering, chocolate making, knife crafting. It warms my heart to support local/handmade products in response to the proliferation of mass-produced, made-in-foreign-lands goods. Whether I'm eating a salad at Franny's made from farmers market greens and locally made cheese, chowing down a grass-fed burger at Diner, or crunching on deliciously spicy Mean Beans from Rick's Picks, there's a great sense of satisfaction that I'm supporting people who care a whole lot about what goes into what they're making.

The next step in my appreciation for all things local was to bring it all even closer to home. I've begun cooking more at home, baking, and making other things with my own two hands. I now save veggie scraps to make stock (I made about 10 quarts less than a month ago and have already gone through it all making soups). I've been experimenting with muffin and dessert bread recipes (ingredients are as local and organic as I can get). Unfortunately I missed the really good end of summer pickling season, but I plan on taking advantage of it this year. And I've started making crafts as well.

Why buy it if you can make it, or remake it?

Some of my projects...

Inspired by a picture frame I saw on Etsy, I made this picture frame out of vintage upholstery buttons, linen, and an old frame I had lying around. (I'm the little one on the right.)


I've been wanting a neckwarmer that would fit under my coat better than a scarf would. So I taught myself to crochet using the Stitch 'N Bitch book and crocheted this one using super-soft Peruvian highland wool. So cozy!




I read recently that crochet can only be created with human hands. So when you see something crocheted, you know that no machines were involved (except for maybe the spinning of the yarn).

I also wanted to freshen up an old bookcase we had, so I got some milk paint (in Soldier Blue) to do the job.


I think I've got the DIY, crafting bug, and I think I like it.

PS. I just found this great green crafting blog, Crafting a Green World. Exciting!

action, action, we want action!

Things are not looking up for our feathered, finned, and furry friends. Climate change, overfishing, and pollution are posing a threat to these magnificent creatures. But you can do something to help. Get involved. All it takes is a couple of key strokes and a click to help save species on the brink.

Help birds survive global warming
[National Audobon Society via Care2]
For the past 40 years, as our climate has warmed, birds have shifted their winter ranges further and further north. This ecological disruption is yet another wake up call that we must act quickly to solve the climate crisis. The birds' northward movement is another signal that climate change is here and action is needed now.

Save sea turtles from reckless fishing practices
[Defenders of Wildlife]
Bottom longline fishing in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of imperiled sea turtles. Snagged by razor sharp hooks on fishing lines that span anywhere from four to nine nautical miles, loggerhead and other threatened and endangered sea turtles are drowning and dying right now in the Gulf of Mexico.

Help imperiled coral reefs and tropical forests
[World Wildlife Fund]
You can help protect coral reefs and tropical forests -- two of the most valuable and threatened ecosystems on the planet -- by urging your members of Congress to cosponsor the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act.

Say YES to sustainable seafood
[World Wildlife Fund]
Consumer demand for sustainable seafood can act as an extremely powerful incentive for better fisheries management. If you buy or ask for seafood that comes from sustainable sources, you are helping to protect our marine environment and, at the same time, ensuring that seafood can be enjoyed for many years to come.

Protect endangered species from coal mining
[World Wildlife Fund]
Coal mining is devastating Appalachia and harming endangered aquatic life. Widespread and increasing mountaintop removal mining -- a form of mining in which entire tops of mountains are removed and the debris is dumped in valleys and sometimes directly into streams -- is despoiling hundreds of miles of rivers and streams within the Southeast Rivers and Streams ecoregion, which World Wildlife Fund has identified as one of the richest, rarest and most biologically important ecoregions in the world.

developments: eco stuff from around the web

New growth forest promising, but not as plentiful as the real thing [NY Times]

All-in-one home recycling center saves space, but at a price [Gizmodo]

Light on the horizon: new LEDs that are affordable and built to last [TreeHugger]

Bad news for old king coal (good news for the planet) [Daily Kos]

adorable diy undies just in time for valentine's day

I love it when you can transform something old and boring into something super cute and useful. Here's a little video from Clare Bare -- indie lingerie maker extraordinaire featured on ThreadBanger. It's underwear that you can make yourself from an old shirt, just in time for a happy heart day. Enjoy!



BTW, if you're not handy with the sewing machine you can get a pair of these fancy pants on etsy.

big changes a-comin'

Lately, my posts have been pretty sporadic to say the least. Well, there's a reason for it. There are gonna be some big changes coming soon to this here blog. I'm really excited about them and I hope you'll appreciate the useful tools that are coming your way.

I'll be posting here occasionally in the mean time.

So stay tuned!

what every tree wants

Sun, air, water, soil. It seems so simple, right? Not so for a street tree in the big city. Trees here in NYC can have it pretty rough. But we need them. They clean our air and provide us with fresh oxygen. Their canopies, however modest, provide us with shade during the hot summer months. And street trees are a resting place for migrating and residents birds, providing us with an opportunity to watch nature run its course.

It's easy for us city dwellers to pass trees without a second thought -- we're often too busy going somewhere, texting and walking, or too busy minding our own business to notice.

But trees have needs and we need to tend to them.

This is what trees don't like:

1. Dog poop and pee (no it's not fertilizer and water!)
2. Tree guards that will eventually gird them (and then kill them)
3. Plant beds that come too high above the root line (rot!)
4. Rock salt, aka, halite or sodium chloride (damages the roots)*
5. Cars driving into them (ouch)
6. Compacted soil (so thirsty!)

*better alternatives include calcium chloride and coarse builder sand.

Street Tree DON'T

Sure, the guard saved it from a car's bumper,
but this London Plane may someday grow
into this tall guard

Street Tree DO

This guard allows the tree to grow out if it needs to

I learned all of this at a couple of workshops -- one put on by Trees New York and the other by the city's MillionTreesNYC program. If you're interested in caring for street trees, check with these organizations for free workshops throughout the year. City trees need all the help they can get!