GreenDorchester

Boston Natural Areas Network and the Boston Gardeners Council are moving forward on planning this year’s Produce to Pantries program. Last year, gardeners grew over 7,000 pounds of fresh produce for pantries in Mattapan and Dorchester. BNAN is looking for gardens or individual gardeners who can dedicate growing produce to be collected for Produce to Pantries weekly. Additionally, BNAN is hoping to find volunteers who will dedicate time each week in helping collect produce from gardens, transporting food from garden to pantry, and distributing produce at the pantries. The food pantry locations, dates, and times are still TBA (but coming soon!).

Attached you will find a flyer about Produce to Pantries, including volunteer opportunities, that you can pass around, post in your garden, and generate throughout your gardening circles. For more information about Produce to Pantries and how to get involved, please contact Dana Chepulis, Garden Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, at dana@bostonnatural.org or 617-542-7696.

MA Park Serve Day, Neponset River Greenway Saturday, April 20, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon Neponset Park, Hilltop Street @ Granite Ave, Dorchester Service projects to improve MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Parks across the Commonwealth will be happening on Park Serve Day. Join Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN) to plant seven new trees at beautiful Neponset Park in Dorchester on the Neponset River. Volunteers will also care for 25 trees planted in the fall of 2012, applying additional mulch, checking stakes and ties, fertilizing and installing gator bags. Gloves, tools, snacks and water provided. Bring friends and family!

Neponset River Greenway Sweet History Stroll along the Neponset River Saturday, February 9 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Meet at the public parking lot at Milton Landing, near 25 Wharf Street, Milton What do chocolate and the Neponset River have in common? Join a DCR Park Ranger on a scenic stroll in Milton and Dorchester Lower Mills to find out. We’ll explore the former Baker Chocolate Factory site and learn about the sweet history of Lower Mills. Then, warm up with hot cocoa. For ages 10 and up. Sponsored by MA DCR.

 With the Boston Gardeners Council, Boston Natural Areas Network is kicking off a three-part series about the importance of compost for all gardens. This first forum features Erika Rumbley, BNAN Garden Educator, introducing the critical role of compost in building healthy and productive soil. Susan Cascino, Director of Recycling at Boston Public Works, oversees yard waste recycling and city composting and will present city plans for 2013. Come with your ideas and questions.

Co-op Power is hiring a Weatherization Crew Leader for its Metro Boston crew! Employee will coordinate activities of Co-op Power’s Boston Energy Efficiency crew members engaged in air sealing and insulation for residential buildings. Download the job posting here or write to jobs@cooppower.coop with “CREW LEADER” in the subject line for more details.

Co-op Power Boston Metro East is finishing up their new home and seeking a few office supplies! They have conference tables and chairs, but are looking for some office furniture and equipment. Contact Wilbert (wseoane@cooppower.coop) if you can donate office equipment that is in good condition. An Open House for the new office (located in Hyde Park) will take place in  January. The staff is growing! Co-op Power is in process of training two local jobs energy efficiency crew leaders, an energy auditor and office management staff – creating local jobs for the green economy. Plenty of programming coming up: a solar hot water training, a House of Worship project at Dorchester’s 2nd Church in Codman Square, and “Neighbor to Neighbor” barnraisings  to support community organizations. Please join the next meeting on January 3rd! (For details, contact Olive Knight, olive@cooppower.coop.

GreenDorchester founder and Dorchester Community Food Co-op board member Rosanne Foley, was recently profiled on WERS and Boston.com. Please read the article, listen to the radio piece, and share this photo online with a few friends. Rosanne, who has for years gone without credit for so much of the work she’s done, deserves a resounding round of applause. Let your friends know about seeds of community Rosanne continues to nurture and grow. Engage with them yourself! Become a member of the food co-op, learn about Dorchester’s history, and Go Local today!

Come support the Diesel Emissions Reduction Ordinance (DERO) at a public hearing in Boston on Tuesday! It’s our last push before the vote! DERO will require the best available retrofit technology and anti-idling enforcement on city-owned and city-contracted diesel vehicles, including major city construction projects. The time is now for Boston to catch up to other major cities and protect children and families from the harmful health effects of diesel pollution. Tuesday, December 18, 2012 Starts at 3:30 p.m., City Hall, 5th Floor Iannella Chamber, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA.

Reduce energy use and bills in your own home, while helping a historic house of worship.

The congregation of Second Church in Dorchester strives to be a wise steward of both financial and natural resources. The church is adding insulation above the historic Sanctuary and converting to gas heat. These efforts will keep the congregation more comfortable, lower our energy bills and improve the energy efficiency of our building.

HEET, SunBug Solar and Co-op Power will donate money toward the energy work being done at the church; for every home energy assessment and solar installation the congregation gets:
· $50 to church for a home energy assessment (no cost to you)
· $100 to church for solar hot water installation
· $300 to church for solar electric installation

This work can reduce your energy bills at home and will help the church.
To learn more and perhaps sign up, please go to this link right now! http://www.heetma.com/content/second-church-dorchester or contact Alphonse Knight 617-872-5961, or the church office secondchnaz@gmail.com.

High energy bills? Cold house? Are you a landlord, renter, or homeowner in Boston? Join Next Step Living and Mass Energy Consumers Alliance at this event hosted by Mayor Menino’s Renew Boston initiative. Refreshments served! Start saving power at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8. Event takes place at the Mildred Avenue Community Center, 5 Mildred Ave, Mattapan MA 02126. Pastries & Coffee will be served!

You can sign up for a no-cost energy assessment for 1-4 unit homes/buildings, engage with professional contractors, and find out how to access rebates for insulation and efficient heating & hot water equipment. For questions: Contact Erin Taylor at erin@renewboston.org or 617-524-3950. Can’t wait to start saving? Sign up for your no-cost assessment today at www.RenewBoston.org.

[GreenDorchester note: you can also consider doing many of the same services through Co-op Power Metro Boston, a wonderful local chapter of a cooperative business. And don't forget to purchase green power through Mass Energy Consumers Alliance or Easy Energy. Energy efficiency and renewable power clean our air, help mitigate climate change, and move dollars from harmful fossil fuels to cleaner, greener sources.]

2013 promises to be a decisive year for transit funding. Thanks to the leadership of riders, advocates, our legislature and the administration, transit has come to the forefront of next year’s session. Please show your support again on November 27 and 29! Spread the word out the Invitation to Public Transit Report Release and Department of Transportation Hearing flyer.

Public Transit-Public Good, a campaign of the Green Justice Coalition, is a statewide partnership that has brought together hundreds of riders and workers to push for a more equitable, sustainable and well-funded transit system in our Commonwealth.  We believe an investment in public transit – and the infrastructure that supports it – will grow our state economy and slash greenhouse gas emissions while increasing access to work, educational, civic and social opportunities across region, class and race.

We are excited to put forth our ideas for solutions to the transit puzzle in our new report, “Route to Our Future: Transit Solutions for Equity, Sustainability, and Economic Growth in the Commonwealth”. Please join the Green Justice Coalition on November 27^th at 10AM for a first look at the report.

WHAT: Policy Briefing and Report Release
WHEN: TUESDAY, NOV 27^th AT 10AM
WHO: Public Transit-Public Good Campaign; transit riders, workers and community leaders from across the state.
WHERE:  MA State House, Room 437

We would be honored by your attendance and look forward to working together towards a more expansive, accessible and effective transit system across our Commonwealth. Please RSVP to: diana@massclu.org or 617-723-2639.

The Green Justice Coalition|Public Transit–Public Good Campaign

Alternatives for Community and Environment/T Riders Union • Bus Riders United of Southeastern Massachusetts (Amalgamated Transit Union Locals 174 & 1037, Community Economic Development Corporation of Southeastern MA, Coalition Against Poverty/Coalition for Social Justice, Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council, Massachusetts Senior Action Council, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Labor Center) • Carmen’s Union–ATU Local 589 • Community Labor United • Greater Four Corners Action Coalition •Massachusetts Communities Action Network • Massachusetts Senior Action Council • On the Move • United for Transit Equity–Pioneer Valley (Alliance to Develop Power, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 448, Massachusetts Senior Action Council, Student Labor Action Project, Western Massachusetts Jobs with Justice), ATU Local 1547, ATU Local 22 • Greater Boston Labor Council

Date: 11/17/2012, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Event Location: Franklin Park
Partner Organization: Franklin Park Coalition
Description: Join 2012 REI Stewardship Grant Award Recipient the Franklin Park Coalition for a day of removing invasive plant species from Boston largest urban park. Enjoy the crisp fall air and a morning of clearing leaves from historic steps and ruins or removing invasive plants. Help preserve Franklin Park’s marvelous landscape. We’ll supply training, gloves and tools if you supply the labor. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and old closed-toe shoes. For more information call 617-442-4141 or visit www.franklinparkcoalition.org. Meet at the Valley Gates Lot (midway on main park road, Circuit Drive, across from golf course).

On Saturday, October 27 from 9 a.m. to noon, join Fields Corner Main Street for a community volunteer day to clean up Fields Corner and plant daffodil bulbs. Meet at Town Field at 9 a.m. sharp! Coffee and doughnuts provided. Check out a flyer here!

For more information, call Fields Corner Main Street office at (617) 474-1432 or e-mail FCMS@fieldscorner.org. Tell your friends and bring them, too!

Mayor Thomas M. Menino has announced a one-year beautification grant opportunity for Boston’s gardeners, community groups, and open space advocates.

Underwritten by $275,000 provided by the City of Boston, the Beautify Boston grant program is offered by Mayor Menino and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to qualified not-for-profit organizations. Approved beautification projects will receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. Grants of $10,000 or more will require an equal match in funding.

Any highly visible beautification or infrastructure project that will make a long-lasting or permanent impact to a neighborhood may be eligible. Approved projects receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for improvements to neighborhood open spaces. Grants of $10,000 or more will require an equal match in funding. Funding matches must be documented and can include in-kind staff time and labor, either in part or in whole. Potential projects include:

Professional landscaping improvements/plantings with maintenance plan,
Tree planting, pruning, or removal,
New benches, murals, public art, walkways or fencing,
Restoration of murals, plaques, fencing, or masonry walls, and
Property cleanups including graffiti removal and waste removal costs.

Applications must be received by Thursday November 15, 2012 at 5:00PM to the Boston Parks & Recreation Department office or submitted online. For complete information and to download application: http://www.cityofboston.gov/parks/beautifyboston/

This weekend, 10/20-10/21, REEP‘s Grow or Die campaign will be taking their next big step toward community control of vacant lots for growing food! Could you spend a couple hours helping them out?

Saturday, 10am-4pm on Ruthven St. / Humboldt Ave. Lot clean-up & neighborhood survey neighbors about the LOT.
Sunday, 10am-4pm on Ruthven St. / Humbodlt Ave., Rain day
Wednesday 4pm-7pm on Ruthven St / Humbodlt Ave.. Celebrating FOOD Day / Community Raised Beds dialogue. Neighbors will start to envision what the lot can look and feel like.

To learn more, call Olmis at 857-869-7673 or email Olmis@ace-ej.org. Please wear long pants/sleeves and bring gloves if you have them. Also, if you have a weedwacker, lawnmower, trash bags, paper grass bags, please let bring it along!

Inspired by the family kitchen as a gathering place, Public Kitchen invites you to feast, learn, share, imagine, unite and claim public space. Join DS4SI in Dorchester’s Upham’s Corner neighborhood, as the Public Kitchen launches a week of fresh food, cooking classes & competitions, rice & beans, food-inspired art, a night market and much more… Launched by the Design Studio for Social Intervention (ds4si), the Public Kitchen is an intervention aimed at social and food justice– an experiment in how more vibrant public infrastructures can improve the quality of our lives. You can join as a volunteer, story-teller, activist chef, market seller, and more! Our lead artists are Chef Nadine Nelson of Global Local Gourmet and the Golden Arrows design collective. Many thanks to our community partners : Upham’s Corner Main Street, The Food Project, The Strand, Shirley Eustis House, Tropical Foods, Haley House, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and Fair Foods.

Download a description of activities here, or visit ds4si.org to learn more.

Bill McKibben, environmental activist and author of more than a dozen books on the environment will speak on the topic “Building a Movement with Hope,” at Mass Interfaith Power &Light’s 10th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, 10/28/12 from 2-5 p.m. at First Church in Jamaica Plain, 6 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. Bill’s talk will be followed by a discussion with Massachusetts faith leaders, Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, President and Conf. Minister of the MA Conference of the UCC, Sr. Alice Laffey of Holy Cross, Rabbi Katy Allen of Ma’yan Tikvah in Wayland and Rt. Rev. Bud Cederholm, Bishop Suffragan, (ret.) of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

Concurrent action-focused discussions will be held on
• How to Become a Builder of the Movement, (Marla Marcum, Better Futures/350.org);
• Energizing Congregations to be Climate Change Leaders, (Jon and Alicia Hunt of Grace
Church, Medford); and
• How to Shrink the Energy Bill and Carbon Footprint at Your Home and House of Worship; (Tom Nutt-Powell of MIP&L and Jason Taylor of HEET).

Advocacy groups and representatives from energy efficiency and solar companies will share their experiences at a Sustainability Fair. Suggested donation: $5. To register go to: www.MIPandL.org. For more information contact Vince Maraventano at vince@MIPandL.org. Flyer here.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino in partnership with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has launched Solarize Mass – Boston, a summertime campaign to make solar more affordable and easily accessible for the city’s homeowners and small businesses. Solarize Mass – Boston increases the purchasing power of residents and small businesses by aggregating small-scale solar to reduce costs and bring solar energy to Boston’s neighborhoods. View a flyer here. Read on for more!

• Available to residents, businesses, and non-profits in Boston with south-facing, unshaded roofspace
• The more people that participate, the less you pay!
• Offer good through September 30, 2012
Can’t wait until the workshop? Sign up online at www.RenewBoston.org/Solar
or call 855-335-SOLAR.

Learn how easy and affordable it can be for you too! Upcoming workshops after the break. Continue Reading »