Good day, amigos. I bring you a fine selection of green events with which to fill your calendar. All are available a la carte or with a side of local beets and garlic scapes.
First of all, this Saturday, the 6th, is Clean the Bay Day, in which litter of all descriptions will be removed from Virginia waterways by fantastically altruistic volunteers Just Like You! The Bay in question, of course, is the Chesapeake, but you do not need to drive your electric car to Yorktown, Poquoson or Cape Charles to participate—the Nature Conservancy is organizing local cleanups. Sign up through this page. The cool thing is that, at least in some parts of the state, much of the litter collection seems to happen via boat. So it’s a chance to get a sweet tan while belting out sea shanties and fishing all manner of detritus from afflicted waters. Lord knows the Chesapeake needs help.
Flummoxed by the decomposition of kitchen scraps into a rich soil additive? Composting isn’t that tough, once you get the hang of it. Paige Mattson will break it all down (ha!) at the Habitat Store on June 11 at 6:30. Also part of the free Women with Nails event is a briefing on lawn mower maintenance, to which Green Scene snottily says the best way to maintain your lawn mower is to minimize its workload. Food not lawns!
Feeling passive? Your house would like to join you in that sensation. The Spark! program’s Passive House Workshop starts June 18 and continues on the 25th, 6-8pm both nights. A $12 donation will get you what I predict will be loads of knowledge courtesy of John Semmelhack, a local energy-efficiency expert, on the topic of designing or retrofitting houses to use less power. If you need more deets write to gilchrist@cvilledesign.org or call 984-2232.
And of course, there are the essential farmers’ markets which no self-respecting greenie would miss. Beets, garlic scapes, strawberries, and peas: the foods of the gods.
Any green events I missed? Post ’em up.