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Black Gold
Our expanding vermicompost operation
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Q: How can you tell which end of the worm is which?
A: Tickle it in the middle and see which end laughs
Our worms are pooping more than we know what to do with! Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd say... In turn, we're looking to capitalize and are expanding from one compost tub to several more! We're toying with the idea of using this fresh start as a research idea maybe by controlling the compost stream or comparing container style. We'd also like to use this as an educational opportunity for others who are interested in doing vermiculture at home, but might not know how to get started. With that, we are looking to hear from other worm lovers who have experience in compost management or just worm wrangling in general. Come one, come all, let's use worm poop as a reason to get together and get our hands dirty!
Please email erc@pfw.edu if you (or someone you know) are passionate about worms and might have some wise words of wisdom or any helpful hints to keep our expanding family happy and healthy! Or are wanting to collaborate and host a workshop at the ERC! Or are wanting to tell us about a cool worm you saw once. We wanna hear it all!
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What's New with Green Action Club?
A new segment written by members of the environmental club on campus!
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Spent way too long trying to come up with a litter pun. They were all trash.
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Starting this month, Purdue Fort Wayne's new student run Green Action Club will be taking on an article in the ERC's News Brief. Check out Bella Ferrin and Sophia Burkholder's update on the club's first semester below!
This semester, Green Action Club has reignited the conversation at Purdue Fort Wayne about sustainability on campus and in the community. Each month, we will discuss upcoming plans and activities in hopes that others will be inspired to partake in similar activities or to join us as we host ours! We will include highlights of our past events, and some info about what members of the club have done personally to be more green.
Our first activity as a club was a litter clean up at Eagle Marsh, where we spent a morning picking up trash along the roadside. In November, we participated in the 3rd Annual Chancellor's Chili Fest with a vegetarian 'Mean Green Chili and Beans.' As the semester comes to an end, conversations about the future of Green Action Club continue. The club has voted in favor of taking on some of the raised garden beds in partnership with the School of Education in the Purdue Extension Display Gardens. Members will help prep, plant, and care for vegetable plants for the students and community to pick. The club also hopes to do more clean-ups and volunteering in the upcoming semester, as well as engage Purdue Extension for early spring educational programs. Spring will be busy for the club, as we plan programs for the Conservation Conversation, Earth Day, and Arbor Day on campus and participate in Little River Wetland's Project's Earth Day Celebration with a painted rain barrel! Stay tuned!
To learn more about the Green Action Club, find us on Facebook at 'Green Action Club' and on Instagram @gacpfw. If you are interested in joining, as a student or non-student member, email an officer at greenactionclub@pfw.edu
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Being GREEN for the Holidays
It's not just for the Grinch: tips for a more sustainable holiday season
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Holiday ladder: just as festive and doesn't destroy our forests!
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- Plan holiday meals around seasonal produce, and sustainable sourcing - think local root vegetables!
- Enjoy leftovers as long as you can and compost what is left - Fort Wayne has multiple budding options for composting around the city
- Use LED holiday lights, go for the minis, turn them off when you go to bed or better yet, use a timer so you don't have to think about it!
- Opt for reusable decorations, and dispose of broken or worn out items responsibly
- Plan for the lowest footprint travel when possible and buy carbon offsets for the trips you take
- Celebrate the people around you and worry less about the things. If you do share gifts this holiday season, opt for experiential options or the gift of time with loved ones.
- If you are wrapping any gifts, choose reusable materials - use newspaper, old holiday paper wrappings, or cloth wrappings you can keep year after year
- Get in the spirit of giving! Make a donation to an environmental organization
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Upcoming Dates to Note in Spring 2020
Mark your calendars!
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2020 here we come:
Feb 1st: World Wetlands Day: Little River Wetlands Project and ERC
March 22nd: Wild & Scenic Film Festival: Indiana Forest Alliance and ERC
March 23rd: NE Indiana Local Food Forum: Northeast Indiana Local Food Network
April 18th: Conservation Conversation: ERC
April 22nd: Earth Day (50th Anniversary): EVERYONE!
April 24th: Arbor Day (we're becoming Tree Campus USA certified!)
April 26th: Earth Day Fort Wayne: Little River Wetlands Project and ERC
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Connect with the ERC elsewhere:
Add the ERC to your daily internet scroll and stay up to date with our day-to-day. Be the first to see our most recent shenanigans and then you don't have to wait a whole month for updates. Win-win!
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Did you love what you read?! Share your excitement!
Help us continue our conservation and education efforts by forwarding likeminded people either our QR code (left) or the direct subscribe link through the JOIN page on the ERC website.
You can also share this month's news brief with any of the easy one-click buttons below. Thank you!
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PROMOTE CONSERVATION
To invest in the ERC is to invest in local environmental conservation. Donate now to support research, education, and outreach activities in your own community!
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How Are We Doing?
We value your opinion and we want to hear from you! What did you love? What can we improve on? What do you want to see in the next issue? Drop us an email to let us know!
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