Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Eco Lawn and Garden Event


As spring approaches, Project Green Lawn and The Jonah Center for Earth and Art invite the public to learn about Greening Your Yard Naturally —
Safe Lawns, Native Landscapes, and Edible Gardens

on Tuesday, March 24, 7 – 8:30 p.m., at First Church of Christ, Congregational (UCC), 190 Court Street, in Middletown.

A panel of experts will offer short presentations on Growing An Organic and Healthy Lawn; Alternatives to Lawns & Landscaping with Native Plants; Starting a Vegetable Garden; and Using Edibles in Your Landscape. Panelists include Susan Holland with Natureworks; Bettylou Sandy from CT-NOFA; Patrice Barret, a local Community Gardener; and Vivian Felten with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Ecological Landscaping Network.

An “Ask the Experts” session after the panel will provide the opportunity to ask individual questions. In addition, information about eco-friendly yard care, and landscaping supplies and products will be on display and for sale before and after the program. Exhibitors include Agway, Home Depot, Natureworks, the Connecticut Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association (CT-NOFA), City of Middletown Recycling Office and Project Green Lawn, Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, and The Jonah Center. Information tables and products will be available starting at 6:30 pm.

For more information, contact The Jonah Center at (860) 346-6657 ext 13.

Project Green Lawn is a City of Middletown public awareness campaign to encourage residents and businesses to maintain healthy lawns free of chemicals that are harmful to people, pets and the environment. It is a collaborative project of the Middletown Public Works Department, Recycling Advisory Committee and Conservation Commission, with support and assistance from the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District and The Jonah Center.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

what is the location of the photo in the posting?

John Hall said...

The photo was taken at the DeCordova Sculpture Park in Lincoln, MA. The stone piece is part of an installation called "Rain Gates" by Ron Rudnicki.

Anonymous said...

It would be wonderful to know that the Middletown School system and Wesleyan University have eliminated use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides on their grounds. Would the grounds maintenance supervisors from these institutions please advise us whether this has happened?

John Milardo said...

For the past two (2) years, the City of Middletown uses only organic fertilizers. We have limited any herbicide and pesticide use to one or two facilities, on an as needed basis,using spot treatment of areas. We still use herbicide treatment along fence lines, twice a year. Currently we are between 80%-85% organic treatment of our facilities. Hopefully, we will be able to changeover to 100% organic treatment in the very near future.
John Milardo, Parks Superintendent