Mid-Columbia Earth Month Recap 2013 Recap

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Ashlyn Byrd
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1 Mid-Columbia Earth Month Recap 2013 Recap

This is the last year that the City of Richland will be in charge of coordinating Earth Month What began in 1996 as a one day event to educate citizens about local environmental issues, will end as a

2 This is the last year that the City of Richland will be in charge of coordinating Earth Month What began in 1996 as a one day event to educate citizens about local environmental issues, will end as a month (plus) long focus on protection, preserving and conserving our environment and natural resources. Through environmental activities, events, workshops and volunteer opportunities, this event will stand on its own, by the many schools, businesses, organizations, groups and individuals who continue to support it. Compiling the statistics is one of the hardest parts of the event. Take a look at what was submitted for 2013!

Home Show Presentations in classrooms, businesses and more Developed a Tri-City Recycling Guide Updated and

3 Earth Month Organizers Organized and promoted Earth Month throughout the Mid-Columbia by: Organized Earth Hour activities Organized the annual kids contest Seed planting activity and outreach during the Regional Home Show Presentations in classrooms, businesses and more Developed a Tri-City Recycling Guide Updated and maintained a large website with resources, projects, contacts and a calendar of events Communicated using Facebook

8 March 23 Earth Hour Hike. 26 people from Sunnyside to Pasco, participated in a 2 hour hike after dark in Chamna Natural Preserve. March 9 & April 6, completed Tapteal Water Trail site work at sites #2, 4, & 5 including the Wanawish Portage. 15 volunteers. 41 total participants for March and April 41.

9 Cell Phone Collection Domestic Violence Services Thank you to those who donated their unwanted cell phones to Ben Franklin Domestic Violence Services in collection boxes set out around the Mid-Columbia. A total of 650 phones were collected.

10 A Few Projects Richland Cub Scouts adopted the yard of a senior citizen and collected 30 lawn and leaf bags of yard debris. Thank you! A Kennewick youth group youth adopted the yard of a senior citizen and collected over 200 pounds of loose trash and about 400 pounds of bagged trash and wood waste. Connell's Downtown Development Group planted flowers throughout the Business district.

11 Go Green During Earth Month 41 Richland residents and 2 businesses signed up to receive curbside recycling services during Earth Month.

12 ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston Employees cleaned up land around their facility near Horn Rapids in Richland, collecting a truckload of trash. Employees also held a sustainability fair at their Kennewick location and helped with Arbor Day plantings around the Mid- Columbia.

13 Barn Owl Boot Camp April 20, Richland Community Center The Riverview Room was filled to capacity as attendees learned about owls and other birds, participated in crafts and other activities and released a rehabilitated Red- Tailed Hawk in support of Blue Mountain Wildlife.

14 Arbor Day Celebration John Dam Plaza, April 26 Volunteers and sponsors showed up for the educational event which included talks and demonstrations on selecting, planting and nourishing a tree. Compost produced at the Richland composting facility was also used. Volunteers planted ten trees to replace the 18 that were lost during the 2012 wind storm. The celebration included 50 children from Lewis and Clark Elementary School who recited a poem.

50% KENNEWICK 204 38.35% RICHLAND 104 19.55% PROSSER 2 0.38% W RICHLAND 33 6.20% COUNTY 40 7.52% UNKNOWN* 141 26.

15 HHW Collection Benton County Bi-annual event at the Benton Franklin Fairgrounds Month/Year April 2013 October 2012 April 2012 Total Waste collected 74,090 lbs 51,100 lbs 128,865 lbs 179,965 lbs last year HHW COLLECTION: PARTICIPANTS APRIL 26-27, 2013 BENTON CITY % KENNEWICK % RICHLAND % PROSSER % W RICHLAND % COUNTY % UNKNOWN* % 532 *Couldn t get the info BREAKDOWN BY VEHICLE TYPE PASSENGER CAR % UTIL VEH, SMALL PICKUP % LARGE PICKUP % TRAILERS (PULLED BY VEH IN ABOVE COUNT) % 532

Kennewick Community Education April & May, the following earthy classes were held: Hiking the Ice Age Trail Lecture & Hike Backyard Bee Keeper Class Create Art from Used Material Intro to

16 Kennewick Community Education April & May, the following earthy classes were held: Hiking the Ice Age Trail Lecture & Hike Backyard Bee Keeper Class Create Art from Used Material Intro to Knapping Learn to Can Garden Produce History of Rattlesnake Mountain Birds of the Columbia Basin Lecture & Field Trip Crochet Using Plarn (plastic bags) Coyote Canyon Mammoth Dig Participants total 143.

17 Master Gardener Events Washington State University Extension of Benton and Franklin Counties connect area residents to the research and knowledge bases of the state s university to provide solutions to local problems. They offer classes, workshops, write a blog and maintain a huge community garden at the Highlands Grange Park. Technical mentor to approx. 24 community gardens in the Tri-City area Assisted the City of Kennewick and about 60 volunteers build the first city sponsored community garden at Jay Perry Park. Participated in ConAgra' s Sustainability Fair on April 18th. Spring Composting & Waste Reduction Workshop, held April attendees each received a free compost bin. Master Gardeners donated over 4,000 plant starts to community gardens in the Tri-Cities during March and April.

19 Guinness Book World Record With 206 locations reporting, the official total of babies changed into cloth diapers at a single time is 8,301. The Richland event also raised $705 for the Kennewick Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery from the proceeds of the silent auction and Expo.

20 City of West Richland Community Cleanup Event CITY OF WEST RICHLAND ANNUAL COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP EVENT SUMMARY Total number of customers / loads Total tonnage collected Yards of wood chipped & recycled Tons of Scrap Metal Recycled Household Hazardous Waste No HHHW No HHHW Electronic Recycling Collected: Computers NA NA NA NA NA 10 7 Computer monitors NA NA NA NA NA 20 5 TVs NA NA NA NA NA Laptops NA NA NA NA NA 21 1 Total Collected Volunteers Total number of volunteers (incls. youth) Total volunteer man-hours

21 Solarize Mid-Columbia 22 people attended meetings to learn about solarization in their home or business and be part of a group purchase. 12 signed up for site analysis. 3 more meetings coming up in June

22 Shalom United Church In celebration of Earth Month, Shalom United Church donated over $700 to Aid Africa to in their reforestation work in Northern Uganda. This gift provides 4,700 seedlings that will grow to provide food and shelter for years to come!

NATIONAL TAKE-BACK INITIATIVE The US Drug Enforcement Administration s (DEA s) Sixth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 27 collected 50 percent more pills than the previous year.

23 NATIONAL TAKE-BACK INITIATIVE The US Drug Enforcement Administration s (DEA s) Sixth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 27 collected 50 percent more pills than the previous year. 742,497 pounds (371 tons) of prescription medications were collected at 5,829 locations. A total of 2.8 million pounds (1,409 tons) has been taken out of circulation in six years. Local numbers reported 230 pounds collected at the Richland Police Department 126 pounds collected at Pasco Police Department Visit or search for DEA Take Back Initiative

24 And Much More! See the following calendar of events to get a better idea of the many fun activities that were held and promoted during this time.

25 Date Event or Activity Mar 23 Heritage Garden Work Party, volunteer 9am-2pm, Demo Garden, 1620 Union St., Kenn. Call # Mar 23 Volunteer, celebrate or both. Purple Heart planting in honor of veterans near Wye Park, # Mar 23 Earth Hour, 8:30pm 9:30pm; Nationwide Event to turn off lights, see Acoustic Jam, Candlelight & Conversation, the Crow s Nest, Clover Island Inn, Kenn., family friendly Mar 23 Mar 29&30 Flashlight Chamna Natural Preserve Meet at west parking lot at 8pm. ww.earthmonthmc.org Badger Mt. Challenge run & hike, meet at Trailhead Park, Mar 30 Wildflower hike at Twin Sisters, 10am-2pm, Wallula Gap, Native Plant Society, Info & RSVP # April 1-30 April 1-30 April 1-30 April 1-7 April 1 Volunteer with partner organizations, see and link to Volunteer Cell phone recycling all month at all area libraries, police departments, Yokes & Dom. Violence Services A View From Space Exhibit at CREHST Museum, 95 Lee Blvd Richland, Richland Spring Cleanup, neighborhood drop boxes at Leslie Groves Park (yard debris only) Geocaching 101, 1pm-2:30pm, bring GPS or smart phone, fee, Richland Community Center 942-PLAY April 2 Affordable Solar Options Seminar, 12 1pm, Home Builders Assoc., W. Clearwater RSVP April 2 Geocaching at Chamna Nature Preserve, 1pm-3pm, wear sturdy shoes, fee, RSVP at 942-PLAY April 2-4 Go Wild For Reading! Regional Service Corps volunteers plan ecology & safety activities at all local libraries during spring break. Includes games, crafts and more! 12:30-4:15 April 3 April 3 April 5 April 5-7 Geocaching in the Yakima Delta area, 1pm-3pm, wear sturdy shoes, fee, RSVP at 942-PLAY REI: Bike Maintenance Basics, 7:15pm, call or register online Make a homemade kite, 10am, spring break fun! Richland Community Center, fee, call 942-play Sandhill Crane Festival, 3 days of educational activities, see hillcranefestiv al.org April 6 Bateman Island Bird Walk, meet at Wye Park at 8am, bring binoculars. Questions? Call April 6 April 6 Reduce by Reusing Indoor garage sale at TRAC, 8am 2pm, Trail & shoreline cleanup, 9am to noon, Horn Rapids Park, Benton City April 6 Wildflower walk, Badger Mountain Skyline Trail, 10am, meet at parking lot off Dallas, # April 7 April 8 April 8-14 April 9 Tri-City Kite Festival, 11am-4pm, Columbia Point Marina Park in Richland. All kite fliers welcome! Earth Month Kids Essay & Video Contest ends! Submit your entry at Richland Spring Cleanup, neighborhood drop boxes at George Prout Pool (yard debris only) Learn how to recycle greeting cards at a free class, 9:30am Richland Community Center Art Room April 10 How to design a low maintenance garden, 6pm, Job's Nursery, Pasco, RSVP at April 12 Children s Consignment Sale, 9am-4pm, 150 Gage Blvd, Richland,

26 April 13 TCCC Spring into Summer Run/Walk, 1 mile 9am; 5K 9:30am, North of Howard Amon, April 13 April 13 Children s Consignment Sale, 9am-noon half price day, 150 Gage Blvd, Walk for MS, 9am at Columbia Park Bandshell, Kennewick, Molly.Johnston@nmss.org April 13 Wildflower walk, tops of Horse Heaven Hills & McBee Grade, Benton City, Info & RSVP # April 13 Composting & Waste Reduction Workshop, 9:30am to noon, register & receive a free bin, April 13 LIGO Public Tour, 1:30-3:30pm, LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, April 13 Benton City Spring Cleanup, Drop Box Facility, Della and 7th. Ed s Disposal, April 14 April April April 16 April 17 Spring Fever 5K, 9am, Centennial Meadows (N. of Howard Amon Park), Richland, shadles81@gmail.com Environmental Education Week, register to participate or join network of schools at Richland Spring Cleanup, neighborhood drop boxes at Badger Mountain Park (yard debris only) 6 th annual Clot Trot, a hemophilia awareness walk/job, 6pm at the Fingernail, Howard Amon Park Hiking the Ice Age Trails lecture by Bruce Bjornstad, 6:30-8:30pm, fee, April 17 Beyond Bike Maintenance Basics: Brakes and Drive Train, 7:15-8:30pm, REI Kennewick, RSVP April 20 West Richland Community Cleanup, 8am-3pm Enterprise Middle School, Basin Disposal, April 20 Wildflower hike of the Saddle Mountains north of Hanford, 8am-3pm, Info & RSVP, # April 20 April 20 April 20 April 20 April 20 April 20 April 20 April 20 Ice Age Floods Field Trip, 8am-5pm departs CBC, fee, must preregister, Bateman Island Cleanup, 9am noon, Park near Wye Park, Richland, March of Dimes walk for Babies, 9am, John Dam Plaza, Richland, 6 th annual Liz Duncan Memorial Run, 9:30am, Howard Amon park, Rage in the Sage Run/Bike Race 9:30am, Benton City near Kiona Winery, see Volunteers needed for the Rage in the Sage Run/Bike event, sageg@charter.net or CI Shredding Event, 11-2pm, 2 boxes or 2 grocery bags for free shred & recycle, target parking lots Barn Owl Boot Camp Fundraiser, 12-2pm at Richland Comm. Ctr, See birds of prey, adopt an owl, more!

27 April th Annual Rock & Gem Show, 10am-5pm, Benton County Fairgrounds, Kennewick, April 22 Earth Month Kids Essay & Video Contest Announcement April 22 Create art from used material Part 1, 6:30-8pm, class #312S13, fee, April 24 Intro to Knapping, making stone cutting tools Part 1, 6:30-8:30pm, fee, April 24 Barefoot Walking, Hiking and Earthing: Plug in and Power Up! 7:15-8:45pm, REI Kennewick April Prosser Spring Cleanup, 9am-5pm daily. 10th St. & Sherman at the City Yard Basin Disposal April 25 Learn to can garden produce, 6-8:30pm, class #210S13, fee, April 25 Solarize Group Purchase Meeting 7pm, Franklin PUD, 411 W. Clark St. Pasco, # April 26 Tour LIGO Observatory, 3pm-5pm, N. Route 10, April 27 Benton County Tire Collection Event, 7am-3pm, 4951 W. Van Giesen, W. Richland, 20max, # April 27 Wildflower walk, Juniper Dunes, 9am-3pm, Native Plant Society, Info & RSVP April 27 Wildlife Rehabilitation Seminar, 8:30am-4pm, Pendleton OR, April 27 Spring Plant Sale, 9am-1pm, Kenn. Library on Union St., Master Gardeners selling a variety of plants April 27 Electrathon Race & Electric Vehicle Expo, 9am 1:30pm Col. Basin College, NW parking lot, Pasco April 27 Fund the Future 5K Run, 10am, Washington State University Tri-Cities campus, April 27 Nat l Prescription Drug Take Back Day, 10am-2pm, Richland Police Dept. April 27 History of Rattlesnake Mountain Lecture, 6:30-8:30pm, class #911S13, fee, April 29 Create art from used material Part 2, 6:30-8pm, class #312S13, fee, May 1 May 3 May 4 May 4 Intro to Knapping, make stone cutting tools Part 2, 6:30-8:30pm, fee, Birds of the Columbia Basin, lecture (part 1), 6:30-9pm, class #903S13, fee, Bird of the Columbia Basin, field trip (part 2), 8-11am, class #903S13, fee, Wildlands Walk, 2-hour interactive walk thru Amon Basin, departing 9:30-10:30am May 4 Bateman Island Bird Walk, meet at Wye Park at 8am, bring binoculars. Questions? Call May 4 Young Tree Pruning, 10am, Job's Nursery, Pasco, RSVP at May 7-8 Salmon Summit, Columbia Park, 9am-1pm, school outreach, activities & salmon release, May 9 May Crochet using plastic bags, (plarn) part 1, 6:30-8:30pm, class #315S13, fee, Paddle Fest, Howard Amon Park, see kayak adventures May 18 Heritage Garden Tours, 9am-noon, departs from Howard Amon Park, Richland, RSVP at x106 May 16 Crochet using plastic bags, (plarn) part 2, 6:30-8:30pm, class #315S13, fee,

28 Thank you to our Sponsors! Tri-City Herald Franklin County Solid Waste - Premier sponsor of 2013 Kids Contest City of Richland City of Pasco Franklin PUD Bechtel National, Inc. Boise Paper Waste Management of Kennewick Earth Month is 501(c)3 non-profit under our parent organization, the Sustainable Energy & Environmental Network (SEEnet). For more information visit

29 Electrathon at Columbia Basin College

30 Thank you to all! To all who work to protect, preserve and conserve the environment we live in, not just during Earth Month, but every day. Thanks for a job well done. Compiled by Richland s Green Living Office,

IV. The Planning Process

IV. The Planning Process The planning process was organized and conducted by the Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network Steering Committee. Much of the planning involved collecting public input, then using