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The Backyard

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backsteps

When I first mentioned to Neil that I wanted chickens, his initial response wasn’t very positive. He grew up in the Berkshires and sometimes the farm aesthetic was pretty awful. We have a small yard, so any chicken coop we got (I was working on him!) had to be attractive. We spent way too much money on the Eglu by Omlet. It’s a beautiful coop and very easy to clean, which was a big bonus for me.

So everything was going well in our beautiful backyard farm until I took a couple of composting classes at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The teacher was great and very inspiring as to how to scavenge materials in the city. Coffee grounds from your local coffee shop, bales of straw from neighbor’s Halloween displays, etc. It was armed with the information from this class that I purchased a Toro leaf blower and decided to vacuum and mulch my leaves. It actually took a lot of restraint not to become the crazy leaf lady and walk up and down my block vacuuming up the neighbor’s leaves. Hey, I only have a finite amount of “browns” for my compost bin!

Well then I happened upon an autumnal display (this was in October) that had bales of straw and quickly asked them if I could have the straw when they were done with it. I was able to cart off 2 bales. Those suckers are big and heavy and you definitely look like the crazy straw lady when you are wrestling them down the streets of Brooklyn on a cart. I generously spread a layer all over the backyard and piled the straw up in the plant beds. I was glowing with how the straw would break down by the springtime and help my crummy lifeless soil become rich with nutrients and life. Neil was skeptical, but has gotten used to my crazy schemes, so he didn’t grumble too much.

It is now spring and as you can see from the photos, I have plenty of straw on the ground and in the beds. It has shown very little signs of breaking down. The grumbling has gotten quite audible. I planted grass seeds and there are tiny little green hairs peeking up. Hasn’t shown any sign of covering up the straw.

backyard

Even I have to admit that my fabulous composting endeavor looks pretty awful. People who come over think that the straw is for the chickens and this is exactly what Neil wanted to avoid in the first place. Neil encouraged me to pull out the leaf blower to suck up some of the straw and grind it into smaller pieces. That seemed to work, but I didn’t put it all back. I think I will dig it into the beds over the summer and fall and add it to my compost bin. I think the grass will grow through what’s left and my backyard will look a little less like photos from the Dust bowl fairly soon. Cross your fingers!

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Watch Atlanta Peregrines on Web Cam

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peregrine-falcon
It’s so wonderful that falcons and hawks have made a come back in big cities. We’ve had red tailed hawks in our yard drooling over our chickens. I know they are in the area to munch on the rodents that live near all our restaurants, and I say “welcome hawks! Munch away!”

Well Atlanta has set up a webcam to spy on a pair of nesting falcons. Read the press release below to learn more about this pair.

Atlanta’s most prominent falcons couple is back in the public eye.

A Web camera at www.georgiawildlife.com is again providing frequent updates on two adult peregrine falcons and their nest outside the 51st-floor offices of the McKenna, Long & Aldridge law firm in downtown Atlanta.

The protected raptors, which typically mate for life, began laying eggs February 27. They have four now. The nestlings are expected in early April. The young will leave the nest at about 5 weeks old.

Clay C. Long, founding partner and a former chairman of the law firm, said the peregrines offer an annual treat, watching the young “from birth through the transition from down to feathers, then learning to fly and to hunt, and finally ending with our couple sending their young off in the world to find their own cliffs on which to dwell.”

Peregrines were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species because of a successful population recovery effort, but Georgia still lists the birds as rare. There are only two known peregrine pairs nesting in Georgia, both in Atlanta, said Jim Ozier, a Nongame Conservation Section program manager with the state Wildlife Resources Division.

Peregrines are possibly the fastest animal in the world. Their dives, used to catch birds in flight, have been clocked at more than 200 mph.

The Wildlife Resources Division and the world have watched falcons nest at McKenna, Long & Aldridge for five years, thanks to the law firm and a grant from The Garden Club of Georgia. One of the first peregrines nesting there was released in Atlanta by the state, in a partnership with Georgia Power and Zoo Atlanta, Ozier said.

The new falcons will face an urban environment plump with pigeons and other prey on the wing but also packed with potential hazards such as windows and traffic. Two of the three peregrines that hatched on the high-rise balcony last year were later treated for injuries.

“The young have to learn how to survive in the city,” Ozier said.

To see this year’s nest, go to www.georgiawildlife.com and click “Conservation,” then “Species of Concern” and the peregrine falcon Web cam link under “Bird Conservation” label. The view shows the planter in which the birds nest. Frequently hit your computer’s refresh, or reload page, button: The images are updated every 30 seconds.

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Native Plant Species

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bristly sarsaparilla

bristly sarsaparilla


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas has a really great website that helps you find recommended species of native plants for your area. You select your state and then you can narrow your search by adding your light requirements, soil moisture and the types of plants you want (shrubs, trees, annuals, etc.) You can even select bloom times and colors. They even have a suppliers directory so you can find plant nurseries in your area. The Gowanus Nursery is located near me in Brooklyn and also has a nice searchable database. You can even look up native edibles!!

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Become an Outdoors-Woman in NY State

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How funny/cool is this? The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has classes on teaching women to be self-reliant in the great outdoors.

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) and Beyond BOW are programs designed to teach women outdoor skills. These national programs provide women with information, encouragement and hands-on instruction in outdoor skills such as fishing, shooting, archery, hunting, trapping, outdoor photography, map and compass, survival, camping, canoeing and outdoor cooking.

Paddling a kayak
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops are designed primarily for women who have little or no experience with outdoor activities. These are three-day workshops that offer many different classes over the course of a weekend.

Beyond BOW workshops are another opportunity for women to learn outdoor skills and are anything we offer that is not the traditional three-day BOW workshop. They may be “next step” classes for women who have completed a beginner class at a BOW workshop. They may be one day, one subject classes. They may even be an actual hunt, canoe trip or camp-out.

BOW and Beyond BOW workshops are open to anyone aged 18 and over – past participants have ranged in age from late teens to the mid-eighties!

Upcoming BOW workshops:
September 18 – 20, 2009 – Silver Bay YMCA on Lake George, Warren County. Registration materials will be available in June 2009.

Upcoming Beyond BOW Events:
The following Beyond BOW events will take place in the Saranac Lake / Lake Clear region of the Adirondack Mountains. For information on all 2009 Beyond Becoming an Outdoors Woman programs, view or download the 2009 Beyond BOW Schedule (230 KB PDF).

May 29 – 31, 2009 – Beyond BOW
Please choose one class
Cost: Early Bird Registration,
Before January 31st $375*
After February 1st $395*
*Fee includes meals. lodging and instruction.

Firearms in the Forest: Contact Jackie Emslie – (914) -475-4901 or jslie@earthlink.ne

On-Water Canoe/Kayak Interpretive Paddle: Contact Carol Drury (518) 524-2036 or Dryadguide@yahoo.com
Angie Berchielli (518) 797-3747 or AngieBerchielli@MSN.com

Map and Compass: Contact Sheila Young (518) 359-8194 or foothill@capital.net

October 16 – 18, 2009 – Beyond BOW
Please choose one class
Cost: Early Bird Registration,
Before June 30th $375*
After July 1st $395*
* Fee includes meals, lodging and instruction.

On-Water Canoe/Kayak Interpretive Paddle: Contact Carol Drury (518) 524-2036 or Dryadguide@yahoo.com
Angie Berchielli (518) 797-3747 or AngieBerchielli@MSN.com

Adirondack Hiking: Contact Sheila Young (518) 359-8194 or foothill@capital.net

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Listserv
Sign up for the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman e-mail notification listserve and get notices and registration information for all BOW and Beyond BOW events sent right to your inbox. All you need to do is click on the listserv link below and follow the directions on the screen. You will get a confirming e-mail back. You must respond to the confirming e-mail to activate the e-mail notification service.

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman listserv

For further information on the BOW or Beyond BOW program, contact: NYS Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, 625 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-4754 or call (518) 402-8883

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Urban Foraging

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wild parsnip

wild parsnip


So I mentioned that while I was on a birdwatching tour of Prospect Park I ran into a friend taking a foraging for wild edibles tour. I keep thinking about it and figured out who was running the tour. The man’s name, appropriately enough, is “Wildman” Steve Brill.

On her tour, my friend found wild parsnips, sassafras and other edible plants. It was pretty amazing because almost nothing is green or blooming yet.

Here’s a schedule of his classes. I think I’m going to the one on April 18th in Prospect Park.

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Mad City Chickens

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A year after “Mad City Chickens” played to a sold-out, enthusiastic crowd at the Wisconsin Film Festival, the documentary has found a niche with foodies and, beginning this week, a new life on DVD.

The Mount Horeb filmmakers spent more than two years researching the backyard chicken phenomenon in the United States. The film centers on how Madison has become a hotbed for urban chickens, looking at how the laws changed in Madison to allow coops, and what drives urban dwellers to keep chickens for eggs and grow to love the creatures.

“I was thinking it would be a 10-minute film; Tashai thought maybe half an hour,” Lughai said. “We were just going to shoot this film because we like chickens ourselves, but the problem was it was too damn interesting.”

Forty hours of interviews became a 79-minute film (the couple trimmed four minutes from the big-screen version for the DVD). There is nearly an hour’s worth of extras, including more from Mother Earth Editor Cheryl Long, some tips for keeping backyard chickens and a making-of featurette.

“The featurette tells us how it grew and how somebody told us about somebody else,” Lughai said. “All these connections, and it just kept growing and growing. It could have kept growing, but we had to stop somewhere.”

Lovington and Lughai took great pains to make “Mad City Chickens” as entertaining as it is informative. So there are heart-tugging stories, such as the nearly dead chicken found on the road and rescued by Nutzy Mutz and Crazy Catz owner Liz Perry. And there are entertaining moments, such as a piano-playing chicken named Beanie.

“The original idea was to share that they can be more than food items,” Lovington said. “When we first got our chickens, I was excited about getting eggs. I didn’t realize you can have a relationship with them, and after we had them, it was a revelation. That was the first impetus — to share that with people.”

The film played at two film festivals in Canada after its world premiere at the Wisconsin Film Festival last April. Now, the couple is hearing more interest from food festivals. A showing is scheduled at the Santa Fe farmers’ market, at a food co-op in Moscow, Idaho, and at the Spring Film Festival presented by the Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative in Milwaukee.

“This is really attractive to food people — people in the food movement,” Lughai said. “The ‘Mad City Chickens’ group was really on the cutting edge. When they were getting their chicken laws changed, it wasn’t really a movement. It is a movement now, all over the place. I get e-mails from all over the U.S. and Canada; I’ve gotten e-mails from the UK, France and Italy. They asked us to submit to a slow food festival in Italy.”

This summer, “Mad City Chickens” will play at the Cottonwood Creek Environmental Film Festival in California, its first showing in the state.

“That’s cool because it’s right next to Escondido, where Beanie the piano-playing chicken lives,” Lughai said. “Jay Walker, who is out there, will finally get to see the film.”

Lughai doesn’t know if Beanie will be around to enjoy it, though. The filmmakers haven’t been in touch with Walker lately, and Beanie’s blog hasn’t been updated for almost a year.

The chickens have kept Lovington and Lughai busy, but they have other projects in the works. Both are feature films. One is a period piece set in rural England that they’ll film here. Another is a story inspired by their time raising puppies that will become guide dogs.

But they’ll also be spending time promoting the “Mad City Chicken” DVD. To order a copy, go here. The DVD sells for $21.95.

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Tonight is Earth Hour

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voteearth_en
Tonight at 8:30 switch off your lights for one hour.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

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Coen brothers production shows how to not trash the set

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March 26th, 2009

By Shermakaye Bass
Green Right Now

These days it’s not just individual Hollywood A-listers who are going green in their personal lives; they’re taking the entire movie set in a sustainable direction. Some eco-driven insiders have even started up side businesses to complement their work in film. And who knows, with emerging companies like Film Biz Recycling in New York and EcoSet Consulting in Los Angeles, the industry may have just conjured up a new wave of green troops.

Shannon Schaefer, founder of the fledgling EcoSet Consulting (website still in progress), is on the front lines. During her stint as production secretary on the Coen Brothers’ film A Serious Man in Minneapolis last fall, she helped the Coens and FOCUS Features studio divert more than 11 tons of waste from the landfill.

From unused film to leftover food to set props, Schaefer and others recycled or composted the kinds of things that normally end up in a trash dump somewhere.

It started when Schaefer, who has worked in film production for several years (and who officially started her company in December), made it known that she would take charge of greening the set, if the film’s muckety-mucks were interested. As it turned out, FOCUS Features had already instituted a policy to make its operations as eco-friendly as possible, so Schaefer founder herself in charge of not just clean-up, but green-up.

During the 44-day shoot, she says, 80 percent of the 14 tons of trash was diverted. To start, organizers avoided the use of plastic water bottles whenever possible – instead, providing water stations and reusable bottles around the location, preventing an estimated 10,000 plastic water bottles from going to the city dump. Yet only 6 percent of the diverted waste was recycled cardboard, bottles or cans. Surprisingly, 74 percent of the refuse went to compost, including virtually everything from catering and craft services – fruits, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy, paper and corn eating utensils (plates, napkins, cups, forks, knives). “Basically anything that was once an animal or a plant is now compost,” Schaefer said.

The way it began was organic, Schaefer says. She didn’t approach the filmmakers or the set supervisors; she was already part of their crew.

“When I was hired on, I let my supervisors know that I was interested in doing this, and so I was kind of figuring out the logistics for it at the beginning of prep. I’d written up a little memo to the crew and production office, sort of a sustainability statement saying we wanted the film to be as un-wasteful as possible. And so I was already working with my direct supervisors when it came from the top. FOCUS Features had to be the ones to say, ‘Go ahead’ – because often there can be additional costs to recycling and diverting waste.”

Once given the go-ahead, the production office worked with Minneapolis’s Eureka Recycling and local hauler Boone Trucking. In doing so, they were not only able to set a tone within the industry; they were able to show ultimate respect for their host town – by not trashing it.

“I’ve seen a lot of waste,” Schaefer says, “and I’ve been in the position to where even though I care about it, I’m too exhausted to deal with it after filming. So, I’ve been there – I know how hard it can be. But if you have the prep time, if you know you’re doing it in advance and that you just have to implement some new systems, it’s not that difficult.

“It’s something I really care about, and the industry has to change. I want to be part of that change. You can sit and talk about it all you want, but if you don’t do something, then you’re part of the problem.”

Schaefer says she believes that more and more film production crews and studios are moving in the same direction – away from the city dump and toward a self-created (or pre-existing) compost site.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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