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The first full week of May is the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s celebration of “Water Week,” which encourages us to think about how we can protect, restore, and conserve our abundant water resources.  The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning shares this enthusiasm for protecting our resources.  That is why they recently organized the 2013 Rain Barrel Painting Contest.

Teams from twenty-five middle and high schools in both Erie and Niagara counties used the theme, “Rainwater is a Resource, Not Just Runoff,” to design and paint retrofitted syrup concentrate barrels from the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Buffalo, Inc.  The Western New York Stormwater Coalition and the Erie County Water Quality Committee encouraged the teachers and students to learn more about how they could collect stormwater runoff and help prevent it from polluting our waterways.

Stormwater is precipitation that flows over or across impermeable surfaces such as driveways, streets, and parking lots. This runoff picks up contaminants like lawn chemicals, automotive fluids, pet wastes, and other litter as it makes its way into our area streams and rivers every time it rains. Capturing runoff through the use of a rain barrel is one easy way to protect the environment while collecting and storing rainwater suitable for lawn, garden, and other non-drinking uses. You can learn more about how you can protect water quality, as well as test your stormwater knowledge at,  www.erie.gov/stormwater.

Over 300 students from around the region took part in the contest and in the process, learned more about conserving and protecting our natural resources.  Winners of the contest were: the Lewiston-Porter H.S. team led by teacher Mr. Joshua Milovich; the City Honors team led by teacher Ms. Seana Root; and the team from Lancaster H.S., led by teacher Ms. Amy Balling.  A panel of judges ranked the barrels based upon their depiction of the theme, creativity, and execution.  Winners received cash prizes from the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Buffalo, Inc.  View the entries at the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning’s Facebook page.

 

Green It Yourself (GIY) is a continuing blog series about upcycling everyday things to make the perfect gifts and more. Do you have some Green It Yourself ideas? We want to hear from you!

Mod Podge, one of the most sought after necessities when crafting or embarking on any DIY project, can be quite pricey; a 16 oz jar can run you anywhere from $10-$16. Mod podge is essentially watered down glue. Have you ever wondered if you could make it at home with simple ingredients that also save you money? You can with four natural ingredients that reside in your kitchen! We will walk you through making homemade glue that can also be used as mod podge. Recipe yields approximately 2 cups.

Some call it hoarding, but I think my inability to part with some of the items in my life has to do both with my practical and sentimental nature. Why get rid of good stuff? Also, I can tell you the story of how I acquired almost everything I own! For instance, take the T-shirt pictured to the right. A group of friends and I made this in high school for our Government Class. We had to create our own political party and take part in a fictionalized campaign. We made the T-shirt as part of our campaign, but since then, it has been worn quite a few times. As I hesitated to get rid of it, I remembered a Green It Yourself project that would relieve my hesitation, as well as my muscle cramps from packing my dresser full of T-shirts such as this one.

Rice Buddy (a.k.a. heating pad, cold pack, etc.)

About one hour to complete (depending on your sewing skills)

Do you consider Valentine's Day to be a commercialized Hallmark holiday, but would be secretly disappointed if your partner forgot? Are you of the mind set that you can't green your Valentine's Day plans because you waited until the last minute? Don't worry, planet-friendly procrastinators. This blog is for you. Don’t just “Be Mine” this Valentine’s Day; strive to “Be Green” and show your love and appreciation the eco way! There is no reason that you can’t treat yourself to a Valentine’s delight on this day either.

The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning (ECDEP) is proud to announce a rain barrel painting contest for middle and high schools in Erie and Niagara counties in honor of Earth Day 2013!  Schools are encouraged to enter a team, whether through a class or an after-school program, by completing the attached registration form.  The team will design and paint a rain barrel provided by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Buffalo, Inc. for the theme, Rainwater is a Resource, Not Just Runoff.  Other sponsors include the Western New York Stormwater Coalition and the Erie County Water Quality Committee.  They encourage teachers to incorporate lessons on conserving resources, stormwater pollution prevention, and reusing materials for a sustainable planet wherever possible.