A continuation of this popular theme.

IN THE GARDEN

Nature pleases, attracts, delights, merely because it is nature.
We recognize in it an Infinite Power.
(Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt, philosopher, 1767–1835)

A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam bells and leaves. No wonder the hills and groves were God’s first temples, and the more they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself.
(John Muir, naturalist and author, 1838–1914)

In the garden the door is always open into the “holy” — growth, birth, death. Every flower holds the whole mystery in its short cycle, and in the garden we are never far away from death, the fertilizing, good creative death. . . . Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.
(May Sarton, poet and author, 1912–1995)

Deadline for the
September - October issue is August 10.

Questions about articles and artwork?

Questions about advertising?

317/255-5594

THURSDAYS – 11 to 11:30 a.m. “EcoReport.” Tune in to WFHB Community Radio, 98.1 or 91.3, or listen online, www.wfhb.org.

Help create a Community Orchard! Volunteers are needed to plan, plant, maintain and (eventually) harvest Bloomington’s first Community Orchard. For more information, contact Amy Countryman, 812/679-8261 or acountry@indiana.edu.

Transition Bloomington is creating a 10- to 20- year energy descent action plan to rebuild community resilience and self-reliance. The local grassroots effort is aimed at facilitating the community’s response to peak oil, climate change, and economic instability. Bloomington has become the 54th Transition Initiative in the United States and is currently the only Transition Initiative in Indiana. www.transitionbloomington.com

The Indianapolis Food, Farm and Family Coalition works to make Indianapolis a more food-secure city through education, awareness, public programs, and connecting consumers to farmers. Members include volunteer representatives from government, consumer, business, farm, cultural, anti-hunger advocacy, faith and community development groups working together to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. To find local food sources in Indianapolis, download the coalition's Local Food Guide from http://www.indyfoodfarmfamily.org/.

The Alliance for Great Lakes has created the Adopt-a-Beach™ program so schools, families, businesses and community groups can adopt beaches and shoreline areas in their local community to conduct litter removal and monitoring and water quality testing. Adopters work with the Alliance to locate a beach to adopt, log the information they gather into our online database and use it for pollution prevention and educational purposes. adoptabeach@greatlakes.org.

Alliance for the Great Lakes, the Michigan City Parks Department and Barefoot Wines will host a cleanup of Washington Park Beach in LaPorte County on July 10. If you are a current year-round adopter and would like to announce your cleanups to volunteers, please contact Frances Canonizado: fcanonizado@greatlakes.org or 312/939-0838 ext. 227.

According to the U.S. EPA, a traditional gas-powered lawn mower produces as much air pollution as 43 new cars driven 12,000 miles apiece. Learn more about the benefits of reducing lawn size from the Lawn Reform Coalition, www.lawnreform.org.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) lists updated information about beach closures and beach sampling results for monitoring locations along the coast of Lake Michigan.www.idem.IN.gov/beaches.

Wood-Land-Lakes RC&D received the largest conservation easement donation in its history: 7,634 acres in White County. The farmland easement was donated through Juanita K. Waugh’s Trust to enable the protected property to remain in agriculture and wind energy production and permanently restricted from development and subdivision, maintaining the rural character of White County. Currently, there are 19 operational wind turbines, with an additional 13 to be constructed, for a total of 32 wind turbines that will operate within the White County-based Meadow Lake Wind Farm. Collectively, the 32 wind turbines, once operational, will make SJC the largest private landowner with the most wind turbines east of the Mississippi River.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources seeks public comment on a draft of a proposed five-year statewide forest strategy that includes conserving, managing and protecting existing forests, especially large patches; restoring and connecting forests, especially along streams; and managing invasive plant species. The plan also includes expanding markets for Indiana hardwoods and developing partnerships with land use decision makers. The document is available at www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/5436.htm. Public review and comment will be accepted until 6 p.m. June 11. Comments should be e-mailed to the DNR Division of Forestry at stateassessment@dnr.in.gov.

According to the U.S. EPA, a traditional gas-powered lawn mower produces as much air pollution as 43 new cars driven 12,000 miles apiece. Learn more about the benefits of reducing lawn size from the Lawn Reform Coalition, www.lawnreform.org.

Bloomington-based Nature's Crossroads seeks organic gardeners interested in helping develop its Backyard Seed Saver Program, an Indiana seed bank. Art, art@naturescrossroads.com or 812/824-3727.

The Green Business Network provides Indiana green businesses with information about current green news and events in the state. GBN strives to make Indiana a sustainable and healthy place to live for the future generations.www.myhomegreenpages.com

Bald Eagles thrive in Indiana. A state-record 119 nests were recently identified by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The previous record was 101 territories found in 2008 and 94 in 2009. For most of the 20th century, bald eagles were absent as a nesting species in Indiana. The first recent nesting attempt was noted in 1989, and the first successful nests were observed in 1991. A total of 73 young eagles were released in Indiana from 1985-89, to reestablish a breeding population. Bald eagles were removed from the Federal Endangered Species list in 2007 and the Indiana list in 2008. They are considered a Species of Special Concern in Indiana. Restoration and monitoring of bald eagles in Indiana is funded by donations from the DNR’s Nongame Fund and federal State Wildlife Grants. To donate to the DNR Nongame Fund, print the form at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/donation.pdf and send it with a check or money order to Nongame Fund, 402 W. Washington St. Rm. W273, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Support Indiana’s proposed ban of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers. Research reports that a single pound of phosphorus can produce 10,000 pounds of wet weeds and algae. Blue-green algae can produce a variety of toxins that can be dangerous to animals and humans. Large blue-green algal blooms can make water unsafe to drink. To get more facts on why Indiana should support a phosphorus ban, view the Indiana Wildlife Federation’s fact sheet at www.indianawildlife.org/phosphorus.htm.

White Nose Syndrome update: In 2009, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced a management decision to close all caves on IDNR properties from through April 30, 2010, as a precaution against the spread of the fungus causing White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fatal disease of cave dwelling bats. DNR will submit an evaluation of this management decision to Region 3 White Nose Syndrome Coordinator U.S. Department of the Interior.

The Wabash River Habitat Protection project received a $1 million grant to acquire and/or restore 3,980 acres of wetlands and grasslands. The. U.S. Department of Interior’s Migratory Bird Conservation Commission issued the grant under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). An additional $2,353,417 in partner contributions will augment the grant. Details: www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/grants/NAWCA/index.shtm

350.org announced a “Get to Work” campaign to start changing our communities, and get to work to make our leaders realize that they actually need to lead, break the logjam and get us moving.Working together with the 10:10 campaign, 350.org plans to make the 10th day of the 10th month of the millennium’s 10th year a real starting point for concrete action: the 10/10 Global Work Party. Communities around the world are invited to put up solar panels, insulate homes, erect windmills, plant trees, paint bike lanes, launch or harvest local gardens. The idea is to send a simple message to political leaders: “We’re working — what about you? If we can cover the roof of the school with solar panels, surely you can pass the legislation or sign the treaty that will spread our work everywhere, and confront the climate crisis in time.” Sign up: www.350.org/oct10

U.S. EPA cleanup of lead contamination in Evansville’s Jacobsville neighborhood is under way. The work on more than 300 properties is being funded through at least $5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. There is no cost to residents. See how every dollar is being invested at www.Recovery.gov. For details on the Jacobsville Neighborhood Soil Contamination Superfund site go to www.epa.gov/region5/sites/jacobsville/index.htm.

The National Wildlife Federation has created a fact sheet about the effects of Global warming on Indiana weather, wildlife, health and economy. Download your copy from www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/In-Your-State.aspx

The United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, inviting the world to take action to safeguard the variety of life on Earth. The goal is to increase public awareness of the current pace of biodiversity loss and how biodiversity is linked to agriculture and climate change. www.unep.org/iyb/

Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Michigan City and West Lafayette are Indiana cities that have joined the EPA’s Community Climate Change Initiative and committed to take action to reduce their carbon footprint. EPA says that reducing greenhouse gases will not only help the environment but will also help communities and citizens reduce waste and improve their bottom line by saving on energy costs. www.epa.gov/r5climatechange/municipalities.html

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry has developed a new Web site that acts as a clearinghouse for forestry related commodities and services. Indiana ranks first nationally in production of hardwood plywood, wood office furniture, wood kitchen cabinets, manufactured homes and wooden caskets and coffins. The Indiana hardwood market is the largest sector of the Indiana agricultural economy. The Indiana forest products industry has a $17 billion economic impact on the state, which has 4.7 million acres of forested lands, of which 85 percent is privately owned. www.INForestryX.com

Celebrate Earth Day by recycling hazardous household waste and unused pharmaceutical products. IDEM has scheduled a number of opportunities throughout the state to recycle. Pharmaceutical discards pose a hazard because pets and children can be poisoned as a result of accidental ingestion, and patient information displayed on discarded containers increases the risk for identity theft. Additional information about Earth Day events or hazardous and electronic waste disposal can be found at www.recycle.IN.gov or by calling 800/946-4449.

The National Park Service has begun a new Long-Range Interpretive Plan for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. An important part of this process includes public participation; the NPS is encouraging the public to voice their interests in the future of the park by participating in the upcoming planning meetings. The Comprehensive Interpretive Plan is expected to be completed by December 2010. Information on the plan and how to get involved can be found at www.nps.gov/indu.

Recent U.S. Geological Survey studies explain what, when and how contaminants may reach public-supply wells. USGS says public groundwater systems can be vulnerable to naturally occurring contaminants such as radon, uranium, arsenic and human-made compounds, including fertilizers, septic-tank leachate, solvents and gasoline hydrocarbons. http://oh.water.usgs.gov/tanc/
NAWQATANC.htm

4/25–5/2 — Stewardship Week: “Conservation Habits = Healthy Habitats.” The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) has proclaimed Stewardship Week to encourage citizens, schools and communities to develop and maintain habitat areas using good conservation practices. The NACD has developed educational materials including booklets, educator guides, educator CDs, posters and activity sheets to help families and communities learn more about conservation habits and healthy habitats. www.nacdnet.org/stewardship/2010

Indiana Blue Green Alliance calls for action on state, federal legislation that would create clean energy jobs. Nationally, the BGA includes United Steelworkers, Sierra Club, Communications Workers of America, Natural Resources Defense Council, Service Employees International Union, Laborers’ International Union of North America, Utility Workers Union of America, American Federation of Teachers and the Amalgamated Transit Union. For more information: www.bluegreenalliance.org.

The National Wildlife Federation has created a fact sheet about the effects of Global warming on Indiana weather, wildlife, health and economy. Download your copy from www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/In-Your-State.aspx

Asian Carp infiltration poses severe threats to the Great Lakes according to environmental groups Great Lakes United and Healing Our Waters. The fishing industry would be affected and the voracious species could collapse the ecosystem. Details at www.glu.org and Healing Our Waters: www.healthylakes.org/category/policy/asian-carp-barrier-act

Indiana’s Wildlife Diversity report, which documents the 2009 projects of the Wildlife Diversity Section of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife, is now online. The publication also documents an ongoing study on the role Interstate highways may serve as a potential barrier to the maintenance of genetic diversity in some wildlife species. www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3347.htm

Citizens unite to improve the Central Canal bank stabilization project. An alliance of Indianapolis neighborhood groups successfully convinced the city’s Department of Waterworks and Veolia Water to alter plans for the Central Canal that would have transformed the historic green infrastructure into a rock-lined eyesore. Instead of extending from below the water surface to the top of the banks, riprap will now be limited to two feet above the water line. Veolia promised to add native plants and grasses to the banks to prevent erosion and maintain the natural setting. In addition, Veolia’s engineers will collaborate with Butler University’s Center for Urban Ecology to preserve turtle habitat. The project will begin in March or April, after nesting season. Veolia will also continue talking with Indy Parks & Greenways to ensure that the public can safely use the top of the banks. Downloadable documents with images of the proposals are at www.indianapoliswater.com.

Prepare for the Post-Peak Life by utilizing the resources at www.postpeakliving.com/

Conservation, efficiency and clean renewables are all we need for a sustainable energy policy, according to the Energy Justice Network. Details: www.energyjustice.net/

Physicians for Social Responsibility have released a medical report on the detrimental health effects of burning coal. Download “Coal’s Assault on Human Health” from www.psr.org/resources/coals-assault-on-human-health.html

Autism and the Indiana Environment blog is an ongoing series of articles by veteran journalist Steven Higgs detailing environmental factors that contribute to the increasing diagnosis of the disorder. Go to www.bloomingtonalternative.com/topics/blog-autism-and-indiana-environment

Wood-Land-Lakes RC&D offers more than 50 free educational and informative DVDs and CD-ROMs.www.wood-land-lakes.org/

Despite the failure of December’s U.N. Climate Summit in Copenhagen to generate a fair, ambitious or legally binding global agreement, activists are still agitating for greater awareness of human-generated emissions that contribute to climate change. www.350.org

The American Public Health Association recently announced its opposition to rBGH (rBST) (recombinant bovine growth hormone.) APHA is the world’s oldest professional public health organization. The group also opposes the use of nontherapeutic hormones in beef cattle, citing “clear evidence that hormones originating outside the body can interfere with our own hormone function.” Read the entire policy statement: www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default.htm?id=1379

A letter from 83 Indiana clergy has been delivered to Sen. Richard G. Lugar and Sen. Evan Bayh urging them to support legislation to combat global climate change. The clergy from 26 towns and cities across Indiana represent the following faiths and denominations: Baptist, Catholic, Church of God, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, Jewish, Lutheran, Mennonite, Muslim, Presbyterian, Unitarian, United Church of Christ, United Methodist and Unity. Members of Indianapolis Green Congregations, Bloomington-based Earth Care Indiana and the Interfaith Alliance Indianapolis collected the signatures. The letter states, in part: “We recognize that you, as an elected official, are required to make difficult choices that have both positive and negative consequences. The issue of climate change has not only economic and political consequences, but moral and ethical impacts as well. We want to look back upon this era as a time when America’s leaders summoned the courage to act as stewards of the Earth’s climate and to protect the world’s vulnerable poor.” For more information, contact: Rev. Keith Dobyns, 765/914-2649, or Rev. Dennis Shock, 317/690-4412.

Green Congregations Task Force and Interfaith Alliance Indianapolis have received a Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. For the past two years, the Green Congregations Task Force and the Interfaith Alliance of Indianapolis Care for Creation Committee have encouraged faith communities to pursue green projects on their campuses. These organizations have assembled an interfaith steering committee that represents nine area congregations, the committee and several other organizations. The task force is also leading an effort in Central Indiana to encourage more sustainable living by congregation members. The Governor’s Awards recognize Indiana’s leaders who have identified and implemented innovative environmental practices into their programs and facilities.

The Environmental Protection Agency will re-evaluate the health effects of the popular weed killer atrazine. The move was prompted by EPA’s monitoring of drinking water supplies in the Midwest, including Indiana, where use of the chemical is widespread. EPA said recent studies have found that low levels of atrazine in drinking water can cause low birth weights, birth defects and reproductive problems. Additionally, Ball State University researchers found that in addition to atrazine, water in the White River watershed includes caffeine, pharmaceuticals and antibacterial agents from soaps. Read the EPA report: www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/atrazine/

Working with the Danish government and others, Google has established a site full of tools to explore potential effects of climate change on the planet: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-climate-change-tools-for-cop15.html

The highly destructive Emerald Ash Borer has been detected in a dozen Hoosier counties. Purdue University has established a Web site with a comprehensive resource guide on symptoms and management. There’s also a calculator to help landowners estimate the cost of various emerald ash borer management strategies: http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/EAB/

Help Indiana select the firefly as State Insect. According to Purdue University’s Department of Entomology, insects constitute 80 percent of the world’s animal species, and they are crucial to the ecological balance of the earth. Insects are decomposers and recyclers, serve as pollinators of flowering plants and are an important food source for many animals and even some plants, The firefly, Pyractomena angulata, was named by Indiana naturalist, Thomas Say, in 1824. Say lived and worked in New Harmony, in Posey County, and is considered the Father of American Entomology. Fireflies are widely recognized, beautiful and beneficial insects. A firefly would be an excellent representative of Indiana’s natural wildlife heritage. Details: www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/outreach/firefly/index.htm

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released new information that highlights pollution in the nation’s waterways. The “Mercury in Stream Ecosystems” study found that mercury contamination is widespread in fish, bed sediment and water from 291 streams across the nation, sampled from 1998 to 2005. It found that most rivers and streams across the country receive mercury predominantly via atmospheric deposition (e.g., coal-fired power plants) as well as from mercury and gold-mining operations. The report, along with a press release, podcast and summary of major findings, can be accessed from http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/mercury/

USGS also released an online interactive tool to predict atrazine levels in streams across the country. Atrazine is one of the most heavily used herbicides in the United States and considered a hormone disruptor by the U.S. EPA, but the agency does not consider it a human health hazard. The European Union banned atrazine in 2004, citing health concerns. A Huffington Post investigation found that yearly average levels of atrazine in drinking water violated the federal standard at least 10 times in communities in the Midwest, including in Indiana. The USGS online mapping tool, USGS report and echnical announcement are available at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/ under Featured Highlights. The Huffington Post’s online video “How Safe Is Atrazine” is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iJQvrEOIjU&videos=lJGi0_NKGVE

Improving Kids’ Environment, with the support of the Indiana State Health Department and in partnership with WFYI, has produced a video about how lead poisoning affects Indiana families. http://mediaserver.ihets.org/vod_wfyi/indylead.wmv.

According to Purdue University forestry professor Douglass Jacobs, a new hybrid American Chestnut could not only reintroduce this nearly extinct species but also could help fight global warming by sequestering carbon. The species was nearly obliterated at the beginning of the last century by chestnut blight. Jacobs hopes the new blight-resistant hybrid could bring this fast growing hardwood back into America’s parks, forests and woodlots. For more info, go to http://www.purdue.edu/uns/x/2009a/090610JacobsChestnuts.html

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recognized the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the State Department of Health Laboratories for their contributions to improving the environment on three national wildlife refuges in Indiana. IDEM’s Office of Water Quality and the Health Department’s Chemical Laboratory Division were cited for their participation in a two-year effort with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify sources and patterns of contaminants in rivers and streams on Big Oaks, Muscatatuck and Patoka River national wildlife refuges in southern Indiana. For more information, go to www.fws.gov.

Lake Michigan Watchdogs is a citizen advocacy group devoted to bringing prosperity through sustainability by monitoring Indiana’s unique environmental habitat in the northwest part of the state. Learn more at http://lakemichiganwatchdogs.com/home.html

The American Human Development Project has created a series of interactive maps that display health, education, income and environmental data on the regional, state and national level. http://map.measureofamerica.org/maps.aspx

The Indiana State Department of Health offers an Asthma Resource Guide. Download it from www.in.gov/isdh/files/Asthma_Resource_Guide_August_2008(1).pdf

Any Hoosier gardener knows that climate change is real and has affected first and last frost dates and what kinds of plants thrive in Indiana. The USDA will soon acknowledge this with a revised hardiness map for the country. www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/usda/climate-change-comes-to-your-backyard.

Plant A Million is a project of the Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation and Development Council and the ten Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Central Indiana. Begun in 2004, the project’s main goals are to educate people about the benefits of trees and their management, and to help the citizens of Central Indiana plant a million or more mostly native trees in the10-county area. To find out how your neighborhood group can participate or to find out about scheduled tree planting events, go to www.plantamillion.org .

The Environmental Protection Agency has established Watershed Central online to help disseminate information on protecting and restoring watersheds. www.epa.gov/watershedcentral

A brochure describing volunteer opportunities at DNR properties is at www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2443.htm .

Earth911.com is a comprehensive search engine for finding a recycling center near you by city, ZIP code, and/or type of item you want to recycle.

No endorsement of specific advertisers is expressed or implied.  E-mail the webmaster.