|Diana Lamson, Correspondent|
The Environmental Resources Committee meets on the first Thursday of the month to discuss topics relevant to the wellbeing of the environment and its residents, flora and fauna. While a primary purpose of the group is to offer educational and enrichment programs for the public, including seed giveaways, promoting composting, and maintaining the pollinator garden at the fairgrounds, we are also involved in some larger projects directly related to climate change and sustainability.
One recent project was the installation of the Apparel Impact Bin at the transfer station last year. Between January 2022 and February 2023 the bin collected 8,880 pounds of clothing and shoes. Because Apparel Impact takes items that aren’t always suitable for resale and commits to finding other uses for them, the result is several tons of material that didn’t go in a landfill or incinerator. Thanks to NG residents who chose this option over the trash hopper!
The ERC continues its efforts to promote backyard composting. Last spring’s compost bin sale was a great success, putting 30 bins into community member’s hands. The use of a compost bin for kitchen scraps diverts some of the heaviest waste that otherwise goes in the hopper, turning it into rich organic matter for garden use, while saving the town money on tipping fees. If you would like to explore this option for yourself, stay tuned for upcoming ERC events!
There is growing concern around the spread of the invasive Asian Jumping Worm. For more information check out these links, especially before buying your plants and compost for the coming growing season:
https://extension.psu.edu/asian-jumping-worms-another-forest-foe
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/invertebrates/asian-jumping-worm
Finally, the ERC will be having their annual seed giveaway event in June in conjunction with the library book sale. The intent of this project is to encourage new gardeners in their efforts to grow fresh, healthy vegetables and to expand the pollinator-friendly environments in our town. Stay tuned for updates on this community-wide event.
