NJ Children Health Expo on Sept. 12 and 13

A friend just sent me the following announcement:

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in collaboration with Newark Mayor Cory Booker invite the public to participate in Saving Our Kids, Healing Our Planet (SOKHOP) expo. SOKHOP is not just another Green Conference! This two-day event sponsored by New Jersey Medical School's Department of Pediatrics, the Autism Center, the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the City of Newark is the first green children's health expo in New Jersey. SOKHOP is at the forefront of a new movement focused on sustainable living practices and it features over 25 top presenters in the fields of preventative pediatrics, nutrition and the environment.

The event is for the whole family and will take place on the Campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ on September, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13. Enter through the Oral Health Dental Pavillion 50 12th Ave. Level B, Newark, New Jersey 07103.

For more information visit http://www.sokhop.com/

Back from the Farm

We are back from Watkins Glen, New York, where we spent a few days visiting the Farm Sanctuary and the State Park. The Farm Sanctuary in NY is the home of 700 rescued animals, all adorable. There is another Farm Sanctuary shelter in California with 400 rescued animals. The New York 175-acre farm is in the charming Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York, just west of Watkins Glen. It is a 4 hours drive northwest of Verona. When the shelter is full, rescued animals are placed for adoption. Since 1986, over 1,500 farm animals had been adopted through the Farm Sanctuary’s network. We stayed in one of the cabins of the farm's bed and breakfast. At the entrance there is a beautiful visitors center called "People Barn" with plenty of information, guided tours of the shelter, a "kids corner" and a gift shop. Volunteers must be over 12 years of age but our kids insisted and joined a group of children collecting apples to feed the pigs. The staff at the farm is very knowledgeable and the animals are highly huggable and fun to be around. We also visited Seneca Lake and Watkins Glen State Park, the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks. Within two miles, the glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. I highly recommend to visit Watkins Glen and spend some time at this wonderful "farm animal paradise".

Going Green in Verona is Easy!

For the last two months I've been working as a volunteer with members of the Verona Environmental Commission. Some of the projects that I got involved with was to photograph all the Treasured Trees of Verona and to help create a presentation about local vehicle idling pollution.

The next project was to redevelop and enhance the VEC's website. In order to work effectively as a group, we used Google Sites, a free on-line application that allowed as to collaborate in a very dynamic way.

We did a lot of research and took plenty of pictures included in the site. I hope you enjoy it. The following is the VEC's announcement:

Going “Green” in Verona is easy!

If you are thinking of going “green” and saving some green; www.veronaec.org, the Web site of the Verona Environmental Commission, is the place to go. The VEC just revamped its site to highlight sustainable living ideas tailored to Verona.

The new site is a collective work created entirely by VEC volunteers using free on-line software. It is a very user friendly portal with plenty of recent local pictures, inspiring and easy to navigate. The VEC would like to invite all residents, including children, to go green and get involved in the protection of Verona’s environment.

Visit us online and learn how you can reduce air pollution today. One of the site’s highlights is Idle Free Verona, a new presentation by the VEC and the H.B. Whitehorne Middle School Environmental Club. Take the Treasured Tree tour and discover how Verona went solar. Stop by the kids’ page to “Go Back to School Green”. Do you know what “Household Hazardous Waste” is? We all have some at home; learn how to properly dispose of it; and for free! What about recycling plastic #5, composting, rain barrels and rain gardens? Read about these topics and much more at www.veronaec.org.

Your feedback is appreciated. You can contact the VEC via email at veronaenvironmental@gmail.com. Going “Green” is easy!

Montclair Green Film Series Presents “Flow”

Community Green and the Montclair Environmental Affairs office will co-host a screening of the award-winning documentary, Flow, on Thursday, August 20, at 6:30 pm, at the Montclair Public Library's Main Branch, 50 South Fullerton Ave. Admission is free. A discussion period after the film will take place until the Library closes at 9 pm.

Flow is Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the twenty-first century – the world water crisis. Salina, builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Beyond identifying the problem, Flow also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis, and those developing new technologies which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.

For further information, please contact the office of Environmental Affairs at (973) 509-5721, or grussell@montclairnjusa.org
For information about Community Green, contact Marnie Vyff at 335-4469, or marnie@ecoLOGIC-design.com

Verona Park Conservancy Meeting

A quick reminder from the Verona Park Conservancy President, Bill Wojtowicz. The monthly meeting of the Verona Park Conservancy will be next Thursday, August 20, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. in the Verona Park Boathouse. Everyone is welcome to attend.

First 2009 Treasured Tree

Yesterday I visited the Corcoran family to take some pictures of their wonderful White Oak tree, the first 2009 Treasured Tree in Verona. The approximately 125 years old, 80 feet tall tree belongs to Eugene and Marie Corcoran and it is located in their front yard at 92 Pease Avenue.

Mrs. Corcoran welcomed everybody with lemonade and appetizers on the porch. She mentioned that 45 years ago, when they moved in the tree was already beautiful. They certainly took good care of it.

White Oaks are native to eastern North America and specimens are known to have lived over 600 years. It is the state tree of Illinois, Connecticut and Maryland. The White Oak is the tree from which the phrase "The Mighty Oak" was coined. Advantages of the White Oak are that they are easily transplanted when young, they require very little maintenance and have a high resistance to ice breakage and oak wilt. In the fall, the leaves are rich with color, and the acorns attract an array of wildlife.

Pictured from left to right: Marykate Dougherty, AJ Farro, Tom Dougherty, Verona Mayor Teena Schwartz, Brian Farro, Owen Dougherty, homeowners Eugene Corcoran and Marie Corcoran, Brian Dougherty, Colleen Dougherty, Deputy Mayor Frank Sapienza and Jerry Shimonaski, Verona Environmental Commission Chairman. Photo by Gloria Machnowski.

The Verona Environmental Commission is expanding its Treasured Tree program and the Chairman, Jerry Shimonaski, explained:

This program recognizes beautiful, mature trees and the homeowners who care for them. These trees add great beauty to Verona and improve our environment by trapping carbon dioxide and airborne pollutants. Among Verona’s current Treasured Trees are an American Black Walnut at 14 Manor Rd., a Sycamore at 132 Sunset Ave., and a Red Oak at 42 Martin Rd. Homeowners whose trees are designated as Treasured Trees receive a plaque from the commission that they may display on their tree.

If you would like to nominate a tree to be designated as a Treasured Tree, please e-mail Mr. Shimonaski with a photo of your tree at gerard.shimonaski@comcast.net

Spotless Verona Park

Last week Verona Park Conservancy members set out for their Summer clean up to keep the 54-acre park spotless.

The Verona Park Conservancy is a public, non-profit organization that is dedicated to working with the Essex County Parks Department and the public to maintain, beautify and improve Verona Park's appearance and facilities for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

The conservancy holds one clean up event per season. This time they got help from young environmentalists during four days of conservation work provided by the Newark Chapter of the Student Conservation Association (SCA).The SCA is America’s conservation corps, their members protect and restore national parks, marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks and community green spaces in all 50 states. Bill Wojtowicz, President of the Verona Park Conservancy, publicly thanked the SCA and added:

The SCA project was not only a way to conserve Verona Park’s numerous historical assets – but a means for Conservancy members to share their wisdom and experience with the young adults I hope someday will carry on our important work.

The conservancy’s clean-up chairman, Dick Heaslip, mentioned that the main goal now is to remove all the man-made debris, which tends to get washed into the lake from the streets and houses. VPC Vice President Deborah Jacobsen guided the teams of high school students from Newark participating in this hands-on project.

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. visited Verona Park to compliment the SCA and Conservancy members on their outstanding work. Neil Moylan led volunteers in maintaining the Children’s Garden, where pesticides are not used to avoid hazardous substances flowing into the lake.

The Verona Park Conservancy meets the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the park’s boathouse. Everyone is welcome.