“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
Your inspiration for the day.
What’s Your Gardening Potential?
Have you ever wondered how much food you could grow in your yard if you took the time to garden? Now you can find out your gardening potential with this nifty tool!
Through the Community Food Production Mapping Tool, you have the ability to find out an estimation of your property’s food production potential. We website also links users to resources that will educate and empower them to grow more food. Simply zoom in and click on your address to see the following informtion:
- Address
- Lot Area
- Arable Area
- Calories (calories per year)
- Food Days (days per year)
It’s fascinating! And it’s time for you to give it a try. Instructions for using the Community Food Production Mapping Tool are available at SLCgreen.com.
Utah Bike Week
Utah Bike Week has arrived! And Utahns all along the Wasatch Front and beyond are celebrating the joys of traveling by two wheels.
This week is packed with events designed to celebrate biking, connect you with the biking community and reward you for leaving your car at home!
A few of our favorites:
- Gallery Roll Art Show (May 17) – Meet at 177 East 200 South to take part in a fun art gallery “roll”
- National Bike to Work Day w/SLC Commuter Pit Stops (May 17) – Look for bike-friendly “pit stops” on your way into work for free snacks, bicycle lights, beverages, stickers and other items.
- Bike Bonanza (May 17, 4-8 p.m. @ Gallivan Center) – Join UTA for entertainment, prizes, booths and more. This is a great, family-friendly event!
You can learn more about all of the exciting Bike Month events at UtahBikeMonth.org.
The Leonardo UpCycle Project
Our friends at The Leonardo have a very cool project that we just had to share with our readers!
The UpCycle Project takes items destined for the landfill and uses them to fuel innovation and creativity. Residents can drop off their old clutter which will then be up-cycled into a cool Art or Science project. Then stop by The Leo’s Tinkering Garage or the art Lab @ Leo to take part in one of their fun up-cycling activities!
Here’s a sample of items they are able to accept:
Materials can be dropped off any time during regular business hours. More information is available on their website.
Be a Bicycle Ambassador
Exciting news from Salt Lake County! Earlier this week, they introduced the first county-wide Bicycle Ambassador program in the United States.
Salt Lake County’s Bicycle Ambassadors will provide bicycle outreach and education to all 17 cities and unincorporated areas throughout Salt Lake County.
SLCo Bicycle Ambassadors are a group of outgoing and informed bicycle commuters in Salt Lake County. They travel by bicycle, promote bicycle use, serve as positive examples of responsible bicycling and serve as community resources for bicycle commuting support and guidance.
Become an Ambassador
Salt Lake County residents of all ages are encouraged to apply to become Bicycle Ambassadors. A successful candidate will be passionate about bicycles and knowledgeable of bicycle commuting in Salt Lake County.
More Information
Get more information on their website, and don’t forget to “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!
Media Coverage
DEQ Launches Air Quality Video Contest
Our friends at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality recently launched a video contest. They are looking for creative, 30 second public service announcements that can be used to educate Utahns about ozone and give them ideas to help improve our summer air quality.
Watch the introductory video to learn more about the contest:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L27dtwQuFw?rel=0]
Prizes are at stake! First place will receive $500, with additional cash prizes for second and third place winners. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28th, so you have just a few weeks to get your award-winning video together!
Remember, this contest is specific to summer air quality, which comes in the form of ozone pollution. Learn more about the contest on the DEQ website.
SLCgreen Has a New Look!
Salt Lake City Green has a new look!
We are bidding goodbye to our original logo, which has been with the department since its creation. The new logo incorporates the iconic Salt Lake City-County Building, which is featured in the official Salt Lake City seal. The incorporation of the seal reaffirms our connection to Salt Lake City, and provides a simple, yet modern perspective.
SLCgreen is in the process of transitioning over to the new logo, but it will take some time to get all our materials updated. Look for the new logo at community events all summer, and be sure to stop by our booth to say hell0!
We are very pleased with the upgrade, and look forward to continuing to work closely with our residents and community organizations to make Salt Lake City the greenest city possible!
Best,
SLCgreen staff
The old Salt Lake City Green logo. Gone, but not forgotten!
SLC Sanitation Launches New Customer Form
Salt Lake City’s Sanitation Division recently launched a new online form that makes it easier for residents to report service issues related to their waste, recycling and curbside compost (yard waste) bins.
The online form covers the following common requests:
- Missed pickup
- Broken bin
- Lost or stolen bin
- Bins left overnight
- Bins blocking traffic or bike lane
- Seasonal – extra leaf bin and holiday tree pickup
Residents can also always call Sanitation Customer Service directly at (801) 535-6999. Learn more about your curbside waste service.
Grow Your Own Indoor Herbs
Salt Lake City Green joined forces with KUTV2 this morning to show viewers how easy it is to grow your own indoor herb garden! View the segment.
Tools
- Planter – choose one with excellent drainage.
- A few of your favorite herbs – we love basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley and thyme.
- Watering can
- Potting soil – use a few rocks at the bottom of your planter to improve drainage.
Getting Started
If you are a novice gardener or don’t have much of a green thumb, growing an indoor culinary herb garden is an easy place to start. Most herbs are sun worshipers, so all you need to get started is a nice, sunny place in your home.
Plant
- Start with a container large enough to accommodate growth.
- Fill the pot with soil three quarters of the way full.
- Moisten the soil
- Remove herbs, loosen soil.
- Place herbs in pot and fill with enough soil to cover the root ball.
- Pat the soil down lightly and water well.
Care
- Light is the most important element in growing indoor herbs. Find a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of light a day.
- Herbs growing long stems and few leaves are probably not getting enough light and are stretching to find it.
- Water each herb according to its individual needs. To avoid over watering, only water your herbs when you see them start to wilt. This should be about once a week.
- Regular clipping will promote further growth, so use your herbs frequently. But don’t cut more than a third off at one time.
- If your herbs start flowering, they are not being clipped enough!
Enjoy!
Growing your own indoor herbs is an easy way to jazz up your cooking and experiment with new flavors — all while saving money. Just remember that fresh herbs have a 3:1 ratio, which means that you should use three times the amount of fresh herbs compared to their dry counterparts.
Bridget Stuchly with SLCGreen shows KUTV2’s Mary Nickles how to plant an indoor herb garden.
Earth Day in SLC
With Earth Day right around the corner (Monday, April 22nd) we wanted to share a few tips and events to help our residents green their lifestyle and commemorate this special day in Salt Lake City!
15 Earth Day Tips that Really Make a Difference
We spotted this excellent article on The Daily Green, and thought we would share their 15 tips to a greener lifestyle. We love how simple their recommendations are, and the fact that each of them can have an impact! Get the full scoop on The Daily Green.
- Avoid waste: recycle. Salt Lake City makes it easy to recycle common household waste with curbside mixed recycling and curbside glass.
- Give up plastic (and paper) bags. Bring your own reusable grocery bags and save money, energy and natural resources.
- Stop buying bottled water. Buy one reusable water bottle and save some serious cash. We recommend aluminum or stainless steel.
- Stop receiving unwanted catalogs. We have tips on stopping unwanted junk mail on our website.
- Give up conventional detergents. Natural cleaners have less chemicals and work effectively at cooler temperatures.
- Give up hot water (at least in the clothes washer). About 90% of the energy used during a wash cycle is to heat the water.
- Give up the clothes dryer. Or optimize your dryer loads.
- Check for leaks in your toilet. Save water and money with a simple test.
- Use recycled toilet paper. It costs about the same as regular toilet paper.
- Give up paper towels. Invest in some reusable microfiber towels, which can be easily washed and reused again.
- Run a fully loaded dishwasher. Save energy and water when you skip partial loads.
- Lower the temp in your fridge. The fridge accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the average home energy bill each month!
- Give up 2 degrees. Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or more during the summer months.
- Give up dry cleaning. Check the labels when you purchase new clothes.
- Stop wasting gas! Be idle free, avoid jack rabbit starts and stops and check your tire pressure.
Earth Week @ The U
The University of Utah is celebrating Earth Week with a variety of events. View the Earth Week schedule.
Get Involved in SLC
Service in the City has created an excellent handout that outlines a variety of events and other opportunities in conjunction with Earth Day 2013. Check it out and get involved! (PDF)
