GTN Charlotte's reach grows with new website, videos

Megan Lambert and Sean Cosby share a good-luck toast with sweet-potato smoothies

By Rich Haag
The Green Teacher Network for schoolyard garden advocates may be living up to its name in a new way – as a digital network for information and sharing.
Several groups involved in health, nutrition and education formed GTN Charlotte earlier this year to help share information among the many teachers and volunteers working in our area’s nearly 100 schoolyard gardens. Each quarterly workshop provides one major instructional program, additional information and time for participants to share and learn from one another.
But many teachers have a tough time getting away from school for half-day meetings. So GTN Charlotte has begun producing instructional videos, as well. You can find them on the group’s new website, GTNCharlotte.org.

Our debut: “Gardening 101” in 14 short clips

Our first video offering as well as the new website went live last week. We took the keynote presentation at our Nov. 1 workshop, ”Gardening 101,” by Henry Owen of Friendship Gardens, and converted the 40-minute talk into 14 easy to watch segments.
Anyone can access the videos via the resources page at GTNCharlotte.org. Segments cover topics such as “Getting teacher buy-in,” “Watering with kids,” and “Priceless advice.” Most clips are 2-5 minutes long.

Coming next: “Chefs in the Classroom" video series

We just posted the first of four cooking videos that we shot last week. The Chefs in the Classroom series features Megan Lambert, senior instructor at Johnson & Wales University, and Sean Cosby, a J&W graduate and personal chef. Each of them prepares two simple dishes using common schoolyard garden produce such as kale, onions and sweet potatoes. (Thanks to Piedmont Natural Gas for letting us use their kitchen at the PNG facility on Yancy Road.)
• CLICK to watch chef Lambert prepare Plant Part Salad with Sweet Poppy-Seed Dressing.
Our Chefs in the Classroom videos will be available on the resource page of GTNCharlotte.org and on the Catawba River District’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/CatawbaRiverDistrict. We’ll announce when they are ready to view at Facebook.com/CatawbaRiverDistrict.

GTNCharlotte.org is live

Finally, the Catawba River District has created a new website for the Green Teacher Network. You can find it at GTNCharlotte.org. The site will house learning resources such as the videos and other useful materials. We will also use it to handle event and newsletter registrations

Gardening 101 offers tips for launching schoolyard gardens

Henry Owen of Friendship Gardens shares tips in Gardening 101

See the Gardening 101 video clips

CLICK to visit our video site, where you can watch this presentation in brief segments

By Rich Haag

Teachers loved the jewel-case seedling garden.

Who knew that an old CD jewel case could help get both kids AND their teachers excited about schoolyard and classroom gardens?
Using the clear-plastic cases as 21st-century seed starters was among dozens of tips that teachers received on Nov. 1 at the Green Teacher Network fall workshop.
Henry Owen of Friendship Gardens spent close to an hour sharing ideas on how to launch a schoolyard garden with several dozen participants at the Green Teacher Network’s Nov. 1 gathering. What got his audience’s biggest response?
Seedlings sprouting in, of all things, old CD jewel cases.
“That got an even bigger reaction than the photos of my son,” Henry joked as dozens of teachers and garden volunteers oohed over a Powerpoint slide showing the novel planters.
The fledgling Green Teacher Network launched last summer as a way for people running gardens at nearly 100 area schools to network, learn and share with one another. The Catawba River District, Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, Mecklenburg Health Department and Friendship Gardens are sponsoring the network with strong support from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Word spreading about GTN

In August, Darlene Petranic shared lessons with eggs.

The first event in August drew about 20 people; about 50 attended the event on Nov. 1 at CPCC’s Harris Campus.
Henry’s talk was the biggest attraction, even though more than half of the participants already have gardens up and running. He gave tips on how to create garden goals, assemble a strong team, gain needed buy-in by school administrators and teachers, find a good location, improve the soil and, whew! Finally begin planting seeds and seedlings. (You can see a dozen short video clips of Henry’s presentation at the Green Teacher Network website).
Also at the Nov. 1 event:

• Regina Boyd, principal of Winterfield Elementary School, talked about the positive impact her gardens have had student learning. 
• Darlene Petranick, the science lab teacher at Lebanon Road Elementary School, discussed small grants and other resources available from the NC Farm Bureau.
• Teachers and garden volunteers took park in separate breakout sessions to talk about what they are doing. 

The next quarterly event will take place in February. Meanwhile, the coalition of sponsors are putting together on-line garden resources, including the website, a Google-Docs library, and social media to keep the talking and sharing going.

Learn more

Visit GTNCharlotte.org for additional information about the network and gardening resources and to sign up for the GTN Charlotte newsletter. Visit the website’s Resources page to view Gardening 101 videos.

Pallets become Ultimate Schoolyard Garden display at CPCC

Carpentry students at CPCC create sturdy walls from oak pallets.

See the video

CLICK to view a brief video of the display under construction

By Rich Haag

Months of planning for the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden are taking form at Central Piedmont Community College’s Harper campus. Carpentry students are assembling the display for next year’s Southern Spring Home And Garden Show.
Recently, students learning about power tools from instructor Tony Hayes got to use those tools to turn recycled oak pallets into our exhibit following a plan created by LandDesign.
More than a dozen students in the carpentry shop at the Harper Campus were turning 4-by-4 pallets and 2-by-8 beams into sturdy walls up to 8 feet tall.
The grand entrance into the exhibit will be even taller. Visitors will walk through a mock bell tower more than three pallets high.
Inside, they’ll view 18 displays and thousands of plants, many of them draped on or even inside the walls. We wondered if the pallets could handle the load. Tony politely pointed out that pallets are made from oak because it is such strong material.
As if to make his point, Tony later ended up on the floor with a power drill in tight embrace as he helped students drill a hole into a tough piece of oak pallet.
Besides the exterior structure, the CPCC students will create a greenhouse out of wood framing and polyethylene.
Once both structures are finished, they will be taken apart in modules and later reassembled, just before the show starts in late February, inside one of the event’s exhibit halls.
While most people will come to the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden to see the many ways we can use plants, animals and even insects to teach our children, Tony hopes the visitors will realize the display has its own lessons to share – including how we can make good use of recyclable materials.

Learn more about Ultimate Schoolyard Garden

The finished Ultimate Schoolyard Garden will be on display at the Southern Spring Home & Garden Show, Feb.21-23 and Feb. 28-March 2 at the Park Expo and Conference Center. Visit Ultimateschoolyardgarden.org to learn more about our project and keep up with its development.

Third STEM Outdoor Learning Event was picture-perfect fun

Jennifer Covington with Huber Technology explains how we are able to clean and reuse water

CLICK to view the event video

A beautiful fall morning at the Duke Energy Explorium on Lake Norman: Who could have asked for a better setting for the Third Annual STEM Outdoor Catawba River Learning Laboratories?
On Sept. 27, more than 500 fifth graders from schools in the River District came to get hands-on learning and inspiration about the importance of science, technology, engineering and math. The Catawba River District coordinated the event in partnership with the UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education
Scores of volunteers from local businesses, colleges and environmental groups oversaw the learning stations and shared their knowledge and enthusiasm with eager learners.
One veteran of previous STEM fairs was Jennifer Covington with Huber Technology. As she waited with co-workers for the first students to come to their water-cleansing activity, she reflected on how much learning takes place when kids have access to hands-on programs like this.
“There are so enthusiastic and ready to learn. They love touching things and looking in microscopes. They really just enjoy the entire event,” Covington said.

Instructor Wayne Fisher talks to the students about deer

The students spent two hours moving among nearly 20 learning activities. Belmont Abbey College students led students through a pollution activity. WCNC meteorologist John Wendel not only talked about the weather, he created a mini-tornado for students in a mist cloud.
Craig Wyant with the NC Wildlife Federation had many animal skins for students to touch, while David Fogarty with the Gaston branch of the NC Cooperative Extension explained local flora. Wayne Fisher, who oversees science instruction in Charlotte-Mecklenburg elementary schools, even got kids to pretend they were deer.

Mayors Patrick Cannon, left and Bryan Hough handle snakes for the crowd of kids.

Lesson in snake handling

The event ended with lunch on the lakeside lawn and a chance for students and teachers to get one last lesson: in snake handling!
“Do you think these two gentlemen are going to be able to hold our snakes,” a naturalist asked to loud cheers as others handed large nonpoisonous snakes to the event’s two celebrity guests, Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon of Charlotte (now mayor) and Mayor Bryan Hough of Mount Holly.
Children and adults alike laughed as the two men cautiously let the snakes slither up their arms. The snakes don't see us as humans, the naturalists explained. They think we are trees for climbing!
Jeffrey Ruppenthal, principal of Mountain Island Elementary School, spent the day with his fifth graders. The STEM fair is a valuable learning event for his students, he said. “For one thing, they’re right next to the river. It’s important to see that not only is this the waterway for their community, but it’s also the water-drinking source, and then they’re out here doing hands-on experiments in the beautiful weather.”
Students also liked this different way to learn. “We had all these activities,” one boy said, “which made it fun.”

Interactive Learning Station hosts:

• Belmont Abbey College Elementary Education
• Carolina Raptor Center
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Elementary Science
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities - Grease Free Education Program
• DoYourPart - Terri Bennett
• Huber Technology
• Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation
• Mecklenburg County Air Quality
• Mecklenburg County Environmental Health – Groundwater
• Mountain Island State Education Forest
• NC Cooperative Extension – Gaston County
• NC Wildlife Federation
• ReCommunity
• UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education
• UNC Charlotte Recycling
• WCNC – meteorologist John Wendel

Participating schools

• Ida A. Rankin Elementary
• Catawba Heights Elementary
• Mountain Island Elementary
• River Oaks Academy
• Whitewater Academy

Event sponsors

• Duke Energy
• Huber Technology
• Piedmont Natural Gas
• Novant Health
• Catawba River District

Welcome to our team's new members!

Our leaders: (front row) Ann Danzi, Beth Mack, Edna Chirico; (middle) Robb Little, Alice Battle, Kathi Robinson; (rear) Burt Philips, William Daleure II, Dale Stewart; (absent) Henk-Jan von Ettekoven

By Edna Chirico
Executive Director

The Catawba River District recently added three new members to our Executive Board. Each brings unique skills and passion to the work of the Catawba River District.

Alice Battle

First is Alice Battle, a long- time environmental advocate. I’ve known Alice for several years and have respected her leadership on the Mountain Island Lake Marine Commission and as a dedicated cove keeper. Alice also serves on the board of the Catawba River Women’s Group. She lives on Mountain Island Lake and can often be found in her pontoon boat not only enjoying the lake but also volunteering as a caretaker, advocate and voice in protecting this invaluable source of drinking water supply for more than a million people. Alice will lead the River District’s strategic initiative to support parks and greenways, blue ways, and environmental stewardship education.

Henk-Jan van Ettekoven

Henk-Jan van Ettekoven is the director of service and manufacturing for Huber Technology, one of our strategic partners. Henk and Jennifer Covington, also from Huber Technology, have created and presented one of learning stations at our annual outdoor STEM Festival for more than 500 fifth graders. Henk joins the board to ensure that our programs continue to focus on STEM skills and career learning.

Beth Mack

Last and youngest is Beth Mack. The Mecklenburg Health Department hired Beth, a registered dietician, in 2011 to complete an analysis of area schools on a Farm to School platform. She developed the first comprehensive list of Charlotte Mecklenburg schools involved in gardening. Beth recently joined Chartwell and is developing an enhanced local food program for UNC Charlotte. Beth will work on our Farm to School initiative within the Catawba River District, as well as the regional Green Teacher Network.

Durham Tech to host NC Community Garden Gathering Nov. 9

Community gardeners from across North Carolina will gather for a day of learning, networking and fun on Saturday, November 9, 2013, at Durham Tech in Durham, NC.

The event, Nurturing Sustainable Community Gardens: How To Get Rooted In Your Community, will feature presentations on community gardening topics from food raising to fundraising, a community garden tour of the Briggs Avenue Community Garden, and a lively Pecha Kucha showcase of creative garden ideas.

Dr. Lucy Bradley of NCSU will give an overview of community gardening across North Carolina.

“Help spread the word to anyone interested, and please attend if you can,” writes Don Boekelheide, a longtime community gardener in the Charlotte region.

“Not only will you really enjoy meet like-minded folks from all over the state and pick up great contacts and cool ideas, you'll have a great time and eat well.”

School gardens are part of the agenda, he adds, and so is finding grants and support.

The event is sponsored by the North Carolina Community Garden Partners (NCCGP) and Nourishing North Carolina. 

Want to go?

The event will be 8:30 a.m.-4:30 P.M. at the Phail Wynn Jr. Student Center at Durham Tech, 1637 E Lawson St  Durham, NC 27703. Registration includes lunch. Cost is $15 for NCCGP members, $20 for others. Get details at nccgp.eventbrite.comCLICK HERE for more details and online registration

Get fruit shrubs, trees at Cooperative Extension Fall Plant Sale

Here’s a way to plant fruit trees, vines and shrubs in your yard while supporting the work of the Mecklenburg County Cooperative Extension.  Simply take part in the group’s annual fall plant sale –now through Nov. 7.  You can place orders by phone or through the extension service website for several varieties of Georgia- and Alabama-grown blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, muscadines and fig trees.

All plants are sold in 1-gallon containers and are well adapted to the Piedmont growing conditions. Cost for plants is $8 each.

Order deadline is Nov. 7. Proceeds from the sale will support educational programming in Mecklenburg County. Please note that orders are non-refundable and plants do not have a warranty.

How to order

CLICK TO ORDER on line or call the Extension Service office at 704-336-2082 weekdays. Pick up your plants 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 14-15 at the extension service office, 1418 Armory Drive, Charlotte.

River District takes its STEM lessons on the road to Raleigh

By Edna Chirico

CLICK TO HEAR Dr. Klemmer's introduction from Bok Tower Gardens

The River District’s involvement in STEM education is gaining statewide recognition. Recently, three members of our team coordinated an hour-long breakout session at the NC STEM Bridging the Gap Conference in Raleigh.
This annual conference by the NC Association for Biomedical Research seeks to strengthen K-16 STEM education throughout North Carolina.
Educators, business leaders, government officials and others involved in science, technology, engineering and math-focused (STEM) education come to share ideas and resources.
As you probably know, the River District has become deeply involved in improving our nearby schools through hands-on STEM learning opportunities such as schoolyard gardens, STEM learning events and even our roving chicken tractor
Our presenting team at the STEM conference on Oct. 15 included:
• Dr. Cynthia Klemmer, director of education at Florida’s Bok Tower Gardens, leading a video-supported presentation on teaching children about plant parts. CLICK TO VIEW THE VIDEO, "Foods We Eat: Parts of a Plant."
• Megan Lambert, senior culinary instructor at Johnson and Wales University, demonstrating how teachers can use cooking in the classroom to support lessons on plant parts.
• And me, sharing the Catawba River District’s programs including our 11-county regional partnership focused on STEM skills and schoolyard gardens.
Our presentation concluded with an overview of our Southern Spring Show Ultimate Schoolyard Garden design and strategy, plus the opportunity for our audience to sample Megan’s Plant Parts Salad and dressing.
The program was well received (and tasty!) with numerous questions and thoughts from educators around North Carolina.
This is one more reason to support the Catawba River District in our STEM focused initiatives.

River District reaches milestone – federal tax-exempt status

501c3. That mix of numbers and letters means a lot to nonprofit groups – the seal of authenticity, you might say.
Catawba River District, after several years of work, recently received its official designation from the IRS as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, effective June 2012 (the IRS took a while). The Catawba River District was recognized as a North Carolina non-profit for the last 5 years.
Having the federal tax-exempt status makes our work much easier for finding funding, since most foundations and government grant-givers require that status. Nonprofit status also means that donors may not have to pay income tax on charitable donations to us.
Several people have put in a lot of time on this effort, including our executive director, Edna Chirico; her husband, John Huber, who handles much of the River District’s paperwork; and attorney Dan Hansen of the law firm Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, who has provided extensive pro bono legal service to our group.
We also appreciate the support of Vicki Bott and others at Centralina Council of Governments, which has acted as our fiscal agent while we worked to get nonprofit designation from the IRS.
"We truly could not have been as successful as we have been with our programs and initiatives without their support," Edna says.

Ultimate Garden takes lots of planning AND planting

The greenhouse at CPCC's Cato Campus

Putting together the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden takes many skills, thousands of hours of work, and a lot of plants – Perhaps 6,000 plus extras, just in case, estimates Annie West, a senior horticulture instructor at CPCC.
 “Stuff happens,” explains West, who with fellow horticulturalist Kaiti O’Donnell is overseeing plant production for the schoolyard garden display at next February’s Southern Spring Home & Garden Show. Visitors will see a fishpond, hydroponics, chickens, composting, bees, water reuse and thousands of plants from broccoli to sunflowers that normally don’t grow here in February.

Our goal: Planting the seeds of schoolyard gardening

The goal of the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden is to show area educators, garden enthusiasts or beginning gardeners ways to connect schoolyard gardening to curriculum from pre-K through High School and to show that every subject being taught can be enhanced through hands-on learning within the schoolyard garden.
The Ultimate Schoolyard Garden display will include plants common to local vegetable gardens and the nearly 100 schoolyard gardens that have been created in recent years to augment classroom instruction at area schools. There also will be an international area featuring plants common in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The garden plants will be joined by native plants, trees and shrubs and be incorporated into a recycled pallet structure being assembled by CPCC Harper Campus.

Timing is almost everything

That achievement requires planning, timing and facilities that can create spring growing conditions in the winter.
It sounds complex, but it’s really a matter of doing the math and providing the right growing conditions, Annie says. “So if I can get an eggplant to grow and produce a crop for me to harvest in 60 days, I start with that and work backward.” Then you find a way to create the growing environment that eggplants prefer.

Four educational gardens helping produce the plants

Four area educational facilities with greenhouses will do the growing: the horticulture programs at North Mecklenburg High School and CPCC’s Cato Campus, plus two unique facilities that incorporate horticulture in their programs: LIFESPAN (serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities) and Holy Angels (providing specialized, round-the-clock care for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions).
If all goes well, visitors to the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden will a cornucopia of food-producing plants that our children can grow and learn from at school and, for that matter, at home.
And if not – if an ice storm kills the power at one of the greenhouses, for instance, or some plants don’t mature as fast as the gardeners had hoped – then what?
“If it’s close, no one will know,” says the veteran horticulturalist. “Gardening is like Christmas: What “Santa brings is what you get.”

Can you sponsor or volunteer?

As you can tell, this project needs extensive sponsorship and many volunteer hands between now and February. To learn more about how you can help, visit our GARDEN SPONSORSHIP WEBPAGE, where you can also download a detailed packet of materials. You can also EMAIL Edna Chirico, Executive Director of the Catawba River District, or call her at 704-562-8847.

Learn more

The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show will take place Feb. 21-23 and Feb. 28-March 2 at the Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte.
• Learn more about the Home & Garden Show at Southernshows.com.
• Learn more about the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden at catawbariverdistrict.org.

Green Teacher Network wants you, even if Nov. 1 event is full

Darlene Petranick of the NC Farm Bureau offers an egg lesson

The River District’s fledgling Green Teacher Network is taking off! We have had so much interest in our second quarterly workshop on Nov. 1 that we have closed registration for the event!
If you had hoped to come but haven’t registered, don’t despair! Just go to our website and SIGN UP for the Green Teacher Network newsletter. We will let you know about Network programs including our next session in February.
What generated all the interest? The network has answered into an unmet need – an easy way for volunteers and teachers at scores of  schoolyard gardens to get information and help.
Our own experience launching schoolyard gardens in the Catawba River District showed us that while our teachers and garden volunteers are uniformly enthusiastic about helping kids learn through gardens, they have a broad range of gardening knowledge.
Plus many people want to share what they’ve learned and get help from veterans when they encounter problems.

Team effort to create network

The River District worked with several partners to launch the Green Teacher network in August:  the Mecklenburg County Health Department, Gaston County Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, Friendship Gardens and Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated.

Our team agreed that the Network would establish and facilitate a collaboration of educators throughout the Charlotte region who meet quarterly to share information, network and collaborate to enhance hands-on learning, supporting local foods, and expanding current health and wellness initiatives through school-based gardening.

We also decided that the network would be open to all teachers from public, private, charter and home schools are invited to participate. In addition, all educators directly involved in the local food and growing economy are invited to participate.

The launch in August

Working with local garden and health experts, we launched the Green Teacher Network as students returned to school in August. Our first session provided general information about the River District, details about our Ultimate Schoolyard Garden project (CLICK to learn about it) and a 30-minute hands-on lesson on teaching science and math with eggs (We even brought the chickens!). The day ended with informal conversations over lunch and a tour of the host school’s extensive gardens.

Nov. 1 program

We expect about 80 people to attend our free Nov. 1 program at CPCC’s Harris Campus near Billy Graham Parkway. The Mecklenburg County Health Department is doing much of the organizational work for the event and providing the free lunch.
The main topic is “Gardening 101,” on how to launch a successful schoolyard garden. Several of the people who have signed up to attend have extensive gardening experience themselves. Participants will have time to network over lunch, meet a composting expert from Mecklenburg County and tour the CPCC’s own gardens.
And people who can’t come? We plan to videotape the main presentation and make that available to watch online for free.

Join the Network – Get our newsletter

If you want to learn more about the Green Teacher Network, the simplest way is to sign up for our newsletter. We will have details later this fall on plans for the next network event in February, plus links to the video and other information. CLICK to register.
If you have specific questions, you may also contact our executive director, Edna Chirico, at echirico@catawbariverdistrict.org.

Dream garden, store for student creations taking shape

This structure, made of old pallets, will house the Entrepreneur Pavilion.

The green spotlight will shine on schoolyard gardens and student creativity next February at the 2014 Southern Spring Home and Garden Show.
The Catawba River District has partnered with Charlotte Mecklenburg School System, Gaston County Schools, Mecklenburg Health Department, Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, Mecklenburg & Gaston Cooperative Extension, Friendship Gardens, 100 Gardens and many others to transition the 2014 Southern Spring Show into an education-focused, entrepreneur-based event supporting school-based achievements (STEM Skills) and collaborative hands-on learning (Common Core), all imbedded around and supporting schoolyard gardens.

River District's growing green thumb

The Catawba River District currently funds and coordinates STEM (science technology engineering and math) focused field trips, schoolyard gardens, a mobile chicken tractor and an annual Eco-Footprint Challenge in a regional partnership engaging approximately 10,000 economically challenged students from 11 schools.
Schoolyard gardens provide a proven platform for education, health & wellness, and career awareness. At least 84 Charlotte Mecklenburg schools are engaged in schoolyard gardening.  The Catawba River District in partnership with the Mecklenburg Health Department, Mecklenburg Food Policy Council and Friendship Gardens launched a Green Teacher Network on August 20 to support this “growing” nationwide trend.
Between 75,000 and 100,000 visitors are expected to attend the 2014 show. Our features components include:

The Ultimate Schoolyard Garden Display

This demonstration garden for teachers, students, and the general public will include numerous display gardens (raised beds, wildlife, pollinator, ozone, alphabet and others) plus an outdoor classroom, growing and art walls, greenhouse, aquaponics (hydroponics and fish farming), vermiculture (yes worms) and other composting ideas, weather, and renewable energy displays of solar and wind.  Everything being presented could be possible within the structure of a local school. Putting it all together? Well, that would be the ultimate! Learn more at CatawbaRiverDistrict.org.

Entrepreneur Pavilion

All schools within Charlotte Mecklenburg and Gaston County School Systems participating in schoolyard garden projects will be invited to become part of the Green Teacher Network and participate in the Entrepreneur Pavilion. The pavilion will allow each school’s students to develop a “product” that they then can “sell”  in our Entrepreneur Pavilion during the 2014 Southern Spring Show.
Students will get real-world career-focused learning as they develop, make and market their products. Proceeds of product sales will support participating schoolyard gardens. Learn more at CatawbaRiverDistrict.org.

Sponsors and volunteers needed

As you can tell, this project needs extensive sponsorship and many volunteer hands between now and February. To learn more about how you can help, or how your school can create products for the Entrepreneur Pavilion, email Edna Chiricoechirico@catawbariverdistrict.org, Executive Director of the Catawba River District.

Learn more

• The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show will take place Feb. 21-23 and Feb. 28-March 2 at the Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte. Learn more at Southernshows.com.
• Learn more about the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden and Entrepreneur Pavilion, at catawbariverdistrict.org.
• CLICK to download an Ultimate Schoolyard Garden sponsorship packet.

Fruit & Vegetable Coalition promotes healthy foods at Transit Center event

Sept. 19 event promotes healthy eating at uptown Transit Center

In honor of National Fruits & Veggies Month, the Mecklenburg County Fruit & Vegetable Coalition "Super Moms" will be at the Friendship Gardens "To-Go Mobile Market” in the uptown Transit Center on Sept. 19 to distribute fruit and veggie information and kid-friendly recipes. The group would love to have your support.

Friendship Gardens TO GO supplies uptown Charlotte and the many people using the CATS Transit Center with a quick and convenient location to buy fresh vegetables and produce options. Friendship Gardens TO GO is an expansion of the Friendship Gardens program and is made possible by Humana and the Charlotte 2012 host committee.
Friendship Gardens TO GO operates 3-6 p.m. Thursdays through October at the CATS Transit Center uptown. Look for the red truck in Bay X. Charlotte Transit Center next to the LYNX Blue Line track.

Hundreds of groups working together

More than 200 member groups of the Fruit & Vegetable Coalition are building a healthier Mecklenburg County by increasing access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables. The coalition’s goal is to get 25% of county residents to regularly eat 5 fruit & vegetable servings a day.
Current coalition activities include:

• Increasing number of local farmers markets and community gardens
• Advocacy for policies around improving fruit and vegetable access and consumption
• Community education of the benefits of fruits and vegetables

You and your group can get involved, too

Any organization or individual wanting to increase access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables in Mecklenburg County can join the coalition for free. Members get a monthly newsletter, networking, access to many materials and invites to the quarterly meetings.
The group’s website is chock full of materials, as well, including details on many community gardens, farmers markets, and gardening how-to materials.
Learn more at the coalition website or Facebook page.
Or simply attend the group's next meeting,  9:30-11 am Nov 8 at Mecklenburg County Health Department, 249 Billingsley Road, Charlotte, NC 28211

Volunteer to help mobile market

Friendship Gardens To Go needs volunteers to package produce at the Friendship Trays Kitchen (2401 Distribution St.) on Thursdays and then to sell the produce that afternoon at the Transit Center. Or you can make signs and help with marketing through social media, email and word of mouth. Learn more at the mobile-market website.

Get garden basics, sneak peak of Ultimate Garden, at Green Teacher Network

Participants hear about the Green Teacher Network at the Aug.21 debut.

Get the basics on launching a schoolyard garden – and get a sneak preview of the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden – at the second quarterly meeting of the Green Teacher Network, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at the CPCC Harris Campus.

The Green Teacher Network launched in August as a way for the educators involved with schoolyard gardens to learn from one another and from experts in education, horticulture and food preparation. More than 100 Gaston and Mecklenburg schools now have vegetable gardens, and another 50 say they are planning to add them.

Our first program on Aug. 21 gave an overview of the Network and offered hands-on math and science lessons based on cooked and, yes, raw eggs. Read Megan Lambert’s blog to learn more.

Nov. 1 program and sneak preview

On Nov. 1, we will go over basic information for launching gardens. This will be a great time for veterans to share what they’ve learned for the benefit of gardening beginners.
Everyone will want to hear more about the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden under development for next February’s Southern Spring Home and Garden Show. And we will also talk about how your students can create and sell products at the Spring Show Entrepreneurial Village. Proceeds will benefit your garden program.
The free program will include lunch.

Why have a network?

The Catawba River District is partnering with Mecklenburg Health Department and many others to create the Green Teacher Network, a quarterly networking meeting where teachers and educators can network, receive relevant information about gardening and complete a hands-on project, which they can take back to the classroom with them. Other goals include supporting local foods and expanding current health and wellness initiatives through school-based gardening.

The network is open to all teachers from public, private, charter and home schools.  In addition, all educators directly involved in the local food and growing economy are invited to participate. Please note the Green Teacher Education Network’s primary goal is to enhance school-based gardening.

How to register

RSVP please: Please email Edna Chirico, executive director of the Catawba River District, to let us know you are coming. And please include the following information:

• Your name
• Email
• Phone (optional)
• School
• Grade/Subject
• Are you currently involved with gardening at your school?
• Are you a beginning gardener?

Directions and contact information

The Network will meet at the CPCC Harris Campus, 3210 CPCC Harris Campus, Charlotte. Follow signs to our meeting room.
CLICK HERE for a map and directions.

Learn more about Green Teacher Network

You can learn more about the Green Teacher Network by visiting CatawbaRiverDistrict.org or emailing Edna Chirico, the River District executive director.

Mark your calendars: Clean water starts here

Lake Norman Charter students show off their haul of trash in the 2012 Big Sweep

What would Charlotte be without a clean and reliable source of water? Learn how the river has nourished humans for thousands of years at the Catawba River Women’s Group monthly meeting on Sept. 17, then pitch in to keep it clean by volunteering in the Great Sweep on Sept. 28 and the Lake Wylie Riversweep on Oct. 5. Stay on top of these local activities and much more by checking out our calendar at CatawbaRiverDistrict.org.

Meanwhile, here are more details about upcoming events. Have fun, and maybe I'll see you there!
– Rich Haag

Great upcoming activities in and near the River District

• Catawba River Women's Group Evening Social – 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 17 at A Mighty Fortress Lutheran Church in Coulwood: You're invited to join other women interested in the Catawba River for an evening of fun and education. Guest speaker Rusty Rozzelle is an expert on both Catawba River water quality and history (ever heard of Rozzelle's Ferry Road?). Learn more by calling Barbara Lawrence at 704-605-2461. Or reserve your spot by Sept. 15 by sending an email to catawbariverwomen@gmail.com. Event is free, but $5 donations are welcome.
• Mecklenburg Big Sweep – 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 28 at 6 Mecklenburg streams and lakes: Help clean up the Catawba and its streams in this annual event. Hundreds of people pulled 5 tons of junk out of the water last year. This year’s six targets include Latta Plantation Nature Preserve on Mountain Island Lake. Register and learn more at charmeck.org/stormwater/ or call Deania Russo at 704-336-5463. The website has directions and maps to each location.
• Lake Wylie Riversweep – 8 am-1 pm Oct. 5 at various Lake Wylie locations; Help clean up the shores of Lake Wylie in the 12th annual Riversweep, organized by the Catawba Riverkeeper. Come alone or bring your family (kids included), friends, co-workers or neighbors. You `will join residents from all around the lake who care about maintaining a clean and healthy environment. People who have limited physical ability can fulfill many of the tasks performed at each volunteer site. Visit catawbariverkeeper.org to learn more and register.

Send us calendar submissions, too

Does your group have an event of interest to people who live or come to play in the River District? Send us details. We may add it to the calendar. Here are guidelines:

Appropriate items include special events in the River District and programs in or near the River District that are focused on environmental preservation, outdoor activities and community fun. Events must be open to the general public.

The calendar does not list regular meetings except by a handful of important watchdog groups, such as the Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake Marine Commissions.

Please be aware that we cannot list everything and reserve the right to accept or reject a calendar item at our discretion.

Send your items: EMAIL your items to Rich Haag and include River District Calendar in the message line.

Sponsors needed: Help us turn kids on to math, science

Students filter dirty water at the 2012 STEM Fair at Duke Energy Explorium

Imagine having the power to turn on hundreds of eager 10-year-old minds to future careers in science and math.

Well, you DO have that power. And you can use it simply by helping sponsor the Third Annual STEM Outdoor Learning Laboratories.

This event, hosted by the Catawba River District and the UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education, gives more than 500 fifth graders a morning of hands-on math and science learning at Duke Energy’s Explorium center beside the McGuire Nuclear Plant.

Volunteers from area businesses, colleges and nonprofit organizations will lead the activities for students at five Gaston and Mecklenburg elementary schools in the Catawba River District.

What will your sponsorship accomplish?

For starters, 70 percent of our students are classified as economically disadvantaged, making STEM focused hands-on learning an important strategy in their education. STEM (science technology engineering and math) skill development is a key component of career readiness.

Hands-On learning opportunities are a proven method of increasing education retention rates and the students love it.   

See the 2012 STEM event video!

We had a great time last year, and you can experience a taste of it yourself with this 3-minute video. There's a feathery surprise ending, so stick with it. 

Sponsorship Benefits Include:

• Recognition on our web, social media and through our media partners
• Your logo on T-shirts given to each student and teacher for the event. We know that students continue to wear these shirts long after the event, meaning your logo will reach thousands of students, parents and others in our community.
• The opportunity, if you wish, to attend the event and to volunteer.

Sponsorship levels

• Platinum: $5,000  • Gold, $2,500  • Silver, $1,000

To learn more, please email Executive Director Edna Chirico or call her at 704-562-8847.