Category Archives: Living Green

SLCgreen Highlights from 2014

Happy New Year! It’s been a busy year for the Salt Lake City Green team, and we look forward to an exciting 2015 with your ongoing support. Since we’re in a reflective mood, take a look at some of our highlights from 2014.

Climate Task Force

We started the year with Mayor Ralph Becker’s appointment to the White House’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. Both Mayor Becker and Sustainability Director Vicki Bennett attended a series of round tables throughout the year, which culminated in the presentation of recommendations to the President in Washington D.C.

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Project Skyline

In May, Salt Lake City hosted EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy for a historic visit. In addition to a round table discussion with key partners, Administrator McCarthy joined Mayor Becker to kick off Project Skyline and the Mayor’s Skyline Challenge, a new initiative to curb energy waste from our city’s commercial buildings. SLCgov.com/ProjectSkyline

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SmartTrips Sugar House

During the summer, we kicked off a new year of SmartTrips in the Sugar House/S-Line neighborhood. The program focused on encouraging residents to walk, bike and take public transit to reduce their vehicle trips and impact on air quality. It was a great success! Over 500 households participated, increasing their alternative transit trips by 46% during the height of the program. SmartTripsSLC.com

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SLC Goes Solar

In June, we flipped the switch on Salt Lake City’s new solar farm. The farm produces 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually for our net zero Public Safety Building. We also celebrated two other important solar projects at the event, rooftop installations on the Public Safety Building and Plaza 349. Over 4,000 solar panels were installed on the three project sites, which will generate 1.7 million kilowatt-hours annually. SLCgreenBlog.com

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Popperton Plots Community Garden

In August we celebrated the successful opening and dedication of the Popperton Plots Community Garden in the Avenues. Popperton is one of the first community gardens to open on a parcel of city-owned land, made available through an expanded Green City Growers program. Popperton was also the receipient of a Partners for Places grant to support their development. It was a wonderful harvest celebration and an important milestone! More plots are available for development: SLCgreenblog.com

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Sustainable Business Leadership Award

In November, Sustainability Director Vicki Bennett was recognized by Utah Business Magazine with a Sustainable Leadership Award, and the whole SLCgreen team was there to help her celebrate! Vicki has led Salt Lake City’s award-winning Salt Lake City Green program for 13 years, spearheading initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and divert waste from the landfill. Congratulations, Vicki! SLCgreenblog.com

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Green Your Holiday Celebrations This Season

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Photo Credit: m01229 via Flickr

Despite the unusually high temperatures, holiday season is upon us. Instead of being bogged down by the “buy, buy, buy,” we’re offering suggestions to help green your holidays.

Here are tips on creating your own gifts and reducing waste.

Gifts: ‘Tis the season for spending. But you can still give amazing gifts without draining your bank account. Consider donating to a non-profit organization on behalf of a loved one, upcycle items into trendy new gifts, or make your own lotions or soaps. From “Do It Yourself” green gifts to sustainable wrapping, our Green Holiday Pinterest board has suggestions to help create a more sustainable holiday season.

Another idea, create a SoKind Registry, which allows you to ask for secondhand, gently used and handmade items, you can even request something as simple as a helping hand. SoKind has a fun tagline to keep in mind this holiday season – “More fun, less stuff!”

When you do head out to the stores, make a point of supporting local businesses. When you shop local, more of your dollars stay in the community. Local First Utah has a wonderful directory of Utah businesses on their website. Check out our list of Salt Lake City e2 businesses and consider supporting both a local AND green business!

Holiday Meals: The principles are evergreen, so check out our “recycled” Five Quick Tips for A Greener Thanksgiving blog post and our Green Thanksgiving Pinterest board to green your holiday meals.

Additionally, our Green Holiday Pinterest board has pins for minimizing the use of meat in recipes — vegetarian dishes have a lower environmental impact. And buy local! Pick up your local fresh vegetables from the Winter Farmer’s Market on December 20th, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Setting Your Table: Resist the urge to purchase single-use table settings. After their one use, they go right to the landfill where they take years to degrade (if they ever!) If you’re hosting, ask your guests to pitch in to help wash dishes. If you’re headed to a celebration away from your home, pack up some silverware, plates, and cups (or a water bottle) and bring them along. The extra ten seconds it takes to pack up your own dishes saves landfill space and energy.

Growing Community Gardens Leadership Training Series – Apply Now!

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Great news! Our friends at Wasatch Community Gardens will once again offer their popular Growing Community Gardens leadership series. 

Growing Community Gardens is a 6-week leadership training series facilitated through community gardening concepts. This is ideal for individuals or groups interested in community garden organization and development, focused on building skills, sharing ideas and identifying resources for developing successful community gardens and school gardens.

Upon completion of the training, participants whose projects meet program requirements are invited to join our network of garden leaders, continuing to connect their community gardens with Wasatch Community Gardens resources, as available, throughout the year.

Location
Sorenson Unity Center, 1383 S 900 W, SLC, UT 84104

Dates
Tuesdays, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
January 6 – February 10, 2015
Optional Garden Tour in March, Date TBD

Topics
Classes focus on community organizing, and cover such topics as leadership, diversity, volunteer management, facilitation, and garden design.

Program Fees
$65 for all 6 sessions. Scholarships available.
Payment is due upon acceptance into the training.

Applications are due by December 1, 2014 — enrollment is limited so apply today!

Download the application.

For assistance in preparing an application, or more information, please contact:

Susan Finlayson, Community Gardens Program Director for Wasatch Community Gardens
Phone: (801) 359-2658 x 12
Email: susan@wasatchgardens.org

Green Your Halloween (Part 2)

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Here are some of our favorite tips to green your Halloween!

Costumes

Do you generally buy a brand new costume, wear it once, and stash it away in the closet for years? Do you buy seasonal costumes that are full of toxins? It’s time to save some money, revere your health, and green your Halloween experience. Instead of buying a costume, rent one. Salt Lake City has a variety of places where you can rent a costume.

For adults and kids alike, be creative and make one from finds at a second hand store! Salt Lake City has several types of stores to choose from: Savers, Uptown Cheapskate and Deseret Industries all sell gently-used clothing.

Looking for last minute inspiration? There are about a million ideas on Pinterest.

Trick-or-Treating

For those going out:

  • Remember to bring something reusable to carry the candy in. A cloth grocery bag works well and is easy to carry. Pillowcases or a small bucket work well too!

For those staying in:

  • Hand out something tasty and healthy! Fruits and veggies (e.g. apples, baby carrots, grapes) are always a good choice and require minimal (if any) packaging. Organic fruit snacks are easier on the teeth than candy and are still delicious. Have you considered packets of granola, organic juice boxes or dried fruits?
  • There are plenty of non-food items that can be handed out too! Stickers, crayons, toothpastes and toothbrushes, beads and bean bags are all treats. Don’t forget pencils!

Things to Avoid

  • Most children’s face paints are full of toxic heavy metals (e.g. lead, nickel, and chromium). Manufacturers don’t include these on the package label. Make your own food-based make-up with these DIY Recipes.
  • Foods that contain high amounts of corn syrup/sugar, hydrogenated oils, or artificial colors and flavors.
  • Purchasing new costumes.
  • Purchasing a container to hold Halloween treats.
  • Handing out cheap petroleum-based, plastic toys.

For More Information On Greening Your Halloween

Above all, have a safe, happy and green Halloween!

Urban Gardening with the Bells

Blog post by SLCgreen’s Laura Schmidt.

Thinking of starting an urban garden? Dig right in!

Recently, the “Live More with Less” conference highlighted urban gardening as a practical and meaningful way to be more connected to your food and to improve your quality of life.

Kevin and Celia Bell, urban homesteaders for over ten years, have turned their yard entirely into a garden.

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Wanting to know more about the Bell’s urban homestead, they took me on a tour. Upon wandering onto their property, I was instantly captivated by the colors and the accessibility of food. The front yard has a diversity of life growing: apples, grapes, roses, currants, hazelnuts, cherry, horseradish, and service berries.

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After admiring the front yard, we entered the backyard through a gate. Every inch of the backyard was covered with life! I toured their half acre plot of land in Autumn and not in the full growing season. Among the 40 beds, each 4 x 25 feet, I saw plenty of greens, reds, oranges and yellows.

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“I just harvested about 600 lbs of winter squash from 450 sq ft!” said Kevin Bell.

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These urban homesteaders also raise chickens and bees.

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Surrounded by several urban gardens, Celia and Kevin have a community of farmers right next to them. Their farm is adjacent to B.U.G. Farms, a community garden, Wasatch Commons, a cohousing neighborhood, and two beautiful llamas.

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It might be unrealistic to transform your entire yard into a garden, but we all have to start somewhere. Perhaps a good start is to grow plants in your house or apartment. Tomatoes seem to be a easy first plant. If you’re looking for something a bit more substantial, a small plot is easy to manage. Using the Arable Land Map, you can assess how much of your yard is available for gardening. With a little time and care, you can be eating the food you grew with your own hands!

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If you need more inspiration before joining the Urban Gardening revolution, join us at Brewvies Cinema Pub, tonight for a viewing of Growing Cities, a film about urban farming in America, examines the role of urban farming in our culture and its power to revitalize our cities and change the way we eat. Learn more. Doors open at 6 p.m. Seating is limited. Movie starts at 7 p.m.

Grow your own community garden!

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Attend an open house and learn how you can start a community garden in your neighborhood!

Open houses are scheduled at the Salt Lake City & County Building (451 S State Street) on the first floor on:

Salt Lake City recognizes the important role community vegetable gardens play in supporting our local food system, and has made it a goal to support gardens.

In order to help facilitate the development of new gardens, the City has identified City-owned or managed parcels located on properties with access to a waterline and other conditions conducive to creating a successful and sustainable community garden.

Salt Lake City works directly with Wasatch Community Gardens and community members to develop gardens within City limits.

Visit SLCgreen.com for more information, and to download a community garden application.

We’ll see you there!

Leonardo After Hours Presents: Is Your Food Killing You?

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Yesterday The Leonardo, in partnership with The Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR), announced the next edition of Leonardo After Hours focusing on making healthy, better informed food choices.

Is Your Food Killing You: Navigating a Full Crop of What Food is Healthy, Toxic and Everything in Between features a dialogue between experts in various fields of nutrition, representatives from the food industry and members of our community. With so many diets, recommendations on how to eat, what we eat, how and where food is grown and nutrition fads, it’s hard to distinguish the food news from food fat. The goal of this discussion is to help us truly understand what is healthy vs. what is not.

Come prepared with your questions and comments.

Where:
The Leonardo
209 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Date:
Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Time:
6:00-7:30 p.m.

Cost:
FREE!

Appetizers and drinks are available for purchase.

Partners:
The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR) is a long-term, state-funded investment to strengthen Utah’s “knowledge economy” and generate high-paying jobs. Funded in March 2006 by the State Legislature, USTAR is based on three program areas. The first area involves funding for strategic investments at the University of Utah and Utah State University to recruit world-class researchers. The second area is to build state-of-the-art interdisciplinary facilities at these institutions for the innovation teams. The third program area involves teams that work with companies and entrepreneurs across the State to promote science, innovation, and commercialization activities. For more information, follow USTAR on Twitter.

Located in the heart of Salt Lake City at the Library Square TRAX stop, The Leonardo is a first-of-a-kind museum connecting science, technology and creativity. Here, visitors of all ages can exercise their curiosity, their creativity and experience unique, interactive exhibits and an ongoing calendar of public programs, workshops and classes. For more information about The Leonardo visit: www.theleonardo.org.

City Partners with Local Yoga School to Offer Free Community Classes

Mayor Ralph Becker is pleased to announce the City’s Parks and Public Lands Division is partnering with Salt Lake Power Yoga to offer residents free community yoga in Pioneer Park. Classes will be available from 6-7 p.m. on Monday evenings in September. The class meets in the southeast corner of the park, just east of the Utah Flying Trapeze operation.

Mayor Becker is committed to working toward a healthy, sustainable and livable community. Read more about his Livability Agenda. Explore how Salt Lake City is doing on the Sustainable City Dashboard.

EVENT:                               Free Yoga in Pioneer Park

WHO:                                  Salt Lake City and Salt Lake City Power Yoga

WHEN:                                Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29

                                           6-7 p.m.

WHERE:                             Pioneer Park

                                          350 S. 300 West

                                          (southeast corner)

Furry friends + fun = Yappy Hour

2014 Final SLC Yappy Hour Banner

You’re invited to Yappy Hour!

What is Yappy Hour, you say? It’s an evening of live music, delicious food and refreshing drinks at Pioneer Park with your furry friends!

Salt Lake City Parks & Public Lands is hosting this festive (and free) evening with support from Salt Lake County Animal Services, Millcreek FIDOS, and Best Friends Animal Society. An off-leash dog park will be available so your pooch can stretch their legs!

Enjoy food from the Chow Truck and beverages by Uinta Brewing, available for purchase on site. 

Mark your calendars, we’ll see you there!

Yappy Hour (RSVP to Facebook event)
Wednesday, September 10
5:00-8:00 p.m.
Pioneer Park