We have been hustling and bustling here at GWL. Please keep voting for our orchard every day through May! We don't think we'll make the April cut-off of the top 5, but May is in our sights, so please keep voting here every day!
Last weekend was theLCW Convention. A great event that they put on-part party and get-to-know-you and also a lot of skill building and learning about community resources. The Green Team, Rose and Janel presented a healthy living workshop focusing on toxic chemicals in cleaning supplies and personal care products then the Green Team did a great food demo and shared their activities around healthy eating and what they are working on in the community.
One thing they are working on in the community is TRASH! The workshop I attended was about the North Common Neighborhood and focusing efforts to reach the new neighbors and to reengage others who used to be involved. Our conversation was maybe 70% on trash! When we meet new young people they tell us that the most important and pressing environmental issue they see in their community is the trash. Discussions were about the City's new system for trash and recycling, goals for increasing recycling and outreach and education about what trash does in a community and how to properly dispose of bulk items. On Saturday April 24, we have our Earth Day Cleanup in conjunction with Comcast Cares Day. Join us on the North Common at 8am to get dirty and get the City clean.
So, lots going on- we've also been participating in the MIT@Lawrence practicum on the canals and alleyways, gearing up for community garden building this summer on vacant lots in the City, and registering folks for the CSA (we're up to 100 members!). Don't forget too that Cronin Park is under construction - check out pictures here and on our Flickr site-it looks amazing with the pears in bloom. On that note, get outside before the snow falls again because we know it will-I had a lovely quick trip to Manchester Street Park on Monday and found some grackles and red-winged blackbirds enjoying themselves-photos on Flickr !