Keep America Beautiful is accepting applications for the National Youth Advisory Council. This is an opportunity for ten high school students (15-18 years old) from diverse backgrounds across the nation to participate in a service-learning and leadership development program.  Participants will contribute to and inform KAB on programs while acting as ambassadors and leaders for youth service in their communities.

The deadline has been extended until May 31 at 5:00 pm HST.  A downloadable version of application is available for youth to plan responses to questions. The information is available at:

http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sponsors_YouthAdvisoryCouncil

The application must be submitted on-line at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/kabyouthcouncil2013.  

Durham, NC – May 6, 2013 - Today marks the beginning of Durham County’s 2013 Recycle and Win Campaign where County recycling customers can win pairs of Durham Bulls’ baseball game tickets for simply recycling properly.

There are two ways to Recycle and Win:

At home: Through May 31, set out your blue recycling bin on your collection day with the correct materials. Look inside your bin for a water bottle & red envelope saying that you’ve won. One household will be selected each collection day.

At a Convenience Site: Through May 31, recycle at any of our four Convenience Sites and fill out an entry form with the Site Attendant. One winner will be selected at random per week per site. Winners will be notified via telephone and mail.

According to Chrissie Koroivui, Waste Reduction Supervisor for the Durham County Department of General Services, “Recycle and Win rewards County residents who are doing their part to reduce the amount of waste being landfilled. Now, for the first time, we have added our Convenience Sites to the campaign. Residents become eligible to win by not just recycling cans, bottles, and paper but also clothes, shoes, books, used motor oil, antifreeze, oil filters, cooking oil, and oyster shells. We hope that the inclusion of the Convenience Sites will encourage residents to take advantage of the additional opportunities to divert even more waste from the landfill.”

Recycle and Win starts Monday, May 6, 2013, and concludes on Friday, May 31, 2013. For four weeks, one household per collection day from the roadside recycling program and one recycler per week per Convenience Site will be randomly selected to win a pair of Durham Bulls game tickets, an all you can eat buffet meal, and souvenir cap. The baseball game tickets will be for the June 14, 2013 ballgame against the Indianapolis Indians.

Contest Rules:
Recycle at Home: The contest is open to Durham County roadside recycling customers only. City of Durham residential recycling residents are not eligible to participate. To be eligible to win, the resident must properly recycle according to the rules governing the Durham County roadside recycling collection program. One contest winner will be randomly selected each day by 4 p.m. when recycling is collected in the County. Participants are encouraged to visit the County’s Waste Reduction and Recycling web site to learn what is recyclable.

Recycle at a Convenience Site: This contest is open to Durham County customers who recycle at any of the four Durham County Solid Waste Convenience Sites. To be eligible to win, the customer must properly recycle according to the rules governing the Durham County Convenience Sites. To enter, the customer must fill out an entry form with the Site Attendant on Duty after recycling. One winner per site will be randomly selected from each week’s entries.

For more information on Recycle and Win Campaign and rules governing the Roadside Recycling Program, visit the County’s Waste Reduction web site at www.dconc.gov/recycling or contact the County’s Waste Reduction Supervisor at 919-560-0442.

Durham County Contacts: 
Chrissie Koroivui mkoroivui@dconc.gov Waste Reduction Supervisor 919-560-0002

Two Opportunities to Purchase Deeply-Discounted Electric Yard Equipment

Durham residents looking to trade in their old gas-guzzling mowers and other yard equipment should mark their calendars now for two events providing steep discounts on cleaner and greener electric versions.

The Durham City-County Sustainability Office is partnering with Black & Decker^® to host the 3^rd Annual “Get Your Grass Off Gas” events.  At these two events, residents can purchase discounted electric yard and garden equipment to help get polluting gasoline-powered equipment “off the grass” and into the recycling bin. Discounts will range from 20 to 45 percent off depending on the model. Equipment available includes lawnmowers, trimmers, edgers, blowers, vacuums, and loppers. People who do not have older equipment to trade in can still purchase electric models at the events, but with a smaller discount.

Residents can stop by the Durham County Memorial Stadium, 750 Stadium Dr., on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or Jordan High School, 6806 Garrett Rd., on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to recycle their old gas equipment and purchase new, discounted electric equipment. Both events will be held rain or shine.

According to Tobin Freid, manager of the Durham City-County Sustainability Office, small engines from gas-powered lawn equipment are actually big polluters of the air. “Most people do not associate air pollution with mowing the lawn, yet emissions from gasoline-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chain saws, and similar outdoor power equipment are a significant source of pollution,” Freid said. “The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that using a standard gas-powered lawn mower for one hour produces as much smog-forming pollution as driving an average car almost 200 miles.”

New manufacturing rules began to address such pollution sources in 2011 and 2012 models. However, older equipment still in use in just about every yard in Durham emits high levels of carbon monoxide, which is a colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas. “Not only do these small engines emit this toxic gas, they also emit tiny particles that cause lung and heart problems, as well as hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants that contribute to the formation of ozone and smog,” Freid said. “Ground-level ozone is a pollutant that irritates lungs and can affect breathing. Gas-powered yard equipment users inadvertently contribute to the problem by carelessly handling fuel and by not maintaining their equipment properly.”

Residents who want to make a difference in Durham’s air quality and take advantage of these opportunities to purchase cleaner equipment should visit http://www.GreenerDurham.net for more information on models and prices and to pre-register to reserve specific electric equipment. Pre-registration is not required, however event organizers cannot guarantee a particular model will be available on either day without pre-registration.

All gas-powered equipment brought in to recycle at either event must be drained of fluids before being dropped off. Used motor oil can be dropped off at the City of Durham’s Waste Disposal and Recycling Center (Transfer Station), located at 2115 E. Club Blvd. The facility is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Assisting residents in switching from polluting equipment to cleaner equipment aligns with the Environmental Stewardship Goals in the City of Durham and County of Durham Strategic Plans as well as the City-County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan.

For more information about either of these trade-in events, contact Freid at (919) 560-7999 or by email at tfreid@dconc.gov.

Residents may also learn more by liking the Durham City-County Sustainability Office’s Facebook page at http://www.Facebook.com/GreenerDurham.net or by following Greener Durham on Twitter @Greener Durham.

For more information about Black & Decker, visit http://www.BlackandDecker.com.

Durham, NC: Residents will learn how to “go green” at Durham’s Earth Day celebration on Sunday, April 21 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Durham Central Park (502 Foster St.) in downtown Durham.  The free event is sponsored by Durham Parks and Recreation and Keep Durham Beautiful in partnership with NBC 17 and will be held rain or shine.

Participants can expect a variety of exciting, educational and fun-filled activities as they sit back, relax and receive eco tips from local environmental experts in the Eco Lounge. Top five reasons to plant a tree, the buzz about bees, and recycling 101 are some of the topics that will be covered. In addition, resources and information about green products and services will be shared by local businesses, artists, non‐profits, and educational and government agencies at the Sustainability Expo.

Children ages 12 and under will enjoy a host of kid friendly attractions such as arts and crafts, face painting, science experiments and more at the Kid’s Zone sponsored by the City of Durham Water Management Department.

Participants can also shop at the Earth Day Market as well as groove to music and dance performances at the main stage hosted by NBC-17’s Chief Meteorologist Wes Hohenstein. The festival will culminate with the Earth Day Parade and a musical performance by nationally renowned Cool John Ferguson.

New this year, the Shred Truck and E-Waste Recycling event sponsored by the City of Durham Solid Waste Department will be held on Saturday, April 20 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Durham County Memorial Stadium on 750 Stadium Drive. Residents can dispose of old computers, TVs, other electronic equipment with cords and more for free.

Festival goers are encouraged to carpool, walk, take the bus or ride their bike to the festival. Free bike valet service will be available.

For details about Earth Day call 919-560-4355 or visit www.durhamearthday.org. For information about the Shred Truck and E-Waste Recycling event call 919-560-4186 or visit www.DurhamNC.Gov.

Only 18 Spots Available on Bus Tour; Interested Participants Must RSVP

DURHAM, N.C. – Have you ever wondered what happens after the City of Durham picks up your curbside recycling cart?

For a behind-the-scenes look at what happens once your recyclables are collected, the City of Durham Solid Waste Management Department is offering a free bus tour to the Sonoco Recycling Facility in Raleigh on Friday, April 19.

The bus tour will depart at 9 a.m. from the City’s Solid Waste Management Department, located at 1833 Camden Avenue, and return to Durham around noon. Participants will receive a guided tour of Sonoco Recycling’s state-of-the-art facility followed by a question-and-answer session with City staff and Sonoco representatives.

Only 18 seats are available on the bus tour and participants must be 12 years of age or older. Children under the age of 18 must also be accompanied by an adult and all participants must sign a waiver, arrive in closed-toe shoes, and wear safety glasses and vests that will be provided by Sonoco Recycling.

To reserve a seat on the bus tour, contact Larrisha McGill, waste reduction coordinator with the City’s Solid Waste Management Department, by email at Larrisha.McGill@DurhamNC.gov. Participants should provide their name, phone number, and an email address. At least three days advance notice should be provided for cancellations as well.

For more information, contact McGill at (919) 560-4186, ext. 32227 or by email at Larrisha.McGill@DurhamNC.gov.

Saturday March 30 – Our lawns are greening up and getting full of robins and dandelions, so you might be thinking about what you want to do differently this year in your yard. For example, as we try to reduce nutrients going into our lakes, can you make a difference by using the best times to fertilize and best ways to control weeds, and making sure you aren’t spreading more fertilizer than you need?  Do you have microclimates in your yard — and how do you deal with them?

The Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Sierra Club will be having a lawn clinic in from 1:00PM to 2:30 on March 30th.  We will start by the wall at 839 Sedgefield Street, walk around to look at cool yards and talk about talk about how lawn chemicals get into stormwater.  In the process, we will learn some practical things about lawn care.

To RSVP, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LawnClinic

Creek Week is March 16-23, 2013. Make plans now to volunteer at a local cleanup and make a real difference. Creek Week Vision is so that Durham residents enjoy, feel connected to, and protect local waterways. Creek Week provides opportunities for Durham residents to discover and explore local streams and lakes through educational programs and recreational activities and to do their part to protect waterways through volunteer projects. For a list of events that you can get involved with, visit: http://keepdurhambeautiful.org/our-events/durham-creek-week-events/.

Event to Celebrate 30 Consecutive Years as a “Tree City USA” in Newly Landscaped Black Wall Street Plaza

DURHAM, N.C. – A tree planting and seedling giveaway in the newly landscaped Black Wall Street Plaza will commemorate the City of Durham’s annual Arbor Day celebration, where Durham will be recognized as a “Tree City USA” for the 30^th consecutive year.

The free event is set for Friday, March 22, 2013, at 11 a.m. in the Black Wall Street Plaza, which is bounded by Orange Street, Mangum Street and Parrish Street in downtown Durham. This year’s event is sponsored by the City of Durham’s General Services Department and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development as well as Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc.

During this event, City officials will receive the 30^th consecutive “Tree City USA” designation from a representative with the N.C. Forest Service at the newly built pergola, followed by a ceremonial tree planting in the plaza. Event attendees will also be treated to a performance by the Morehead Montessori Children’s Choir, who will perform a special selection in honor of this occasion. Attendees will also be able to visit event sponsor tables and receive a free tree seedling, where once planted, they can then take a photo of the newly planted tree and redeem it for special discounts at sponsor businesses.

According to Alex Johnson, manager of the Urban Forestry Division in the City’s General Services Department, this year’s event is designed to help residents celebrate trees in urban environments and encourage them to plant and care for trees in their own yards and neighborhoods. “It’s hard to overstate the importance of trees in urban areas since they buffer noise, create cool and inviting spaces, reduce energy use, clean air, remove carbon, and produce oxygen.” Johnson said. “Trees also reduce erosion and runoff. Compared with other elements of infrastructure, trees increase in value over time, repaying their modest cost of installation many times over through the environmental services they provide.”

Work is now underway on the new Black Wall Street Plaza where the City’s General Services Department is planting new trees and building a new pergola to be completed in time for the Arbor Day Celebration later this month. The landscaping work in this plaza is the second phase of the Parrish Street Project and is being funded with $40,500 remaining from a grant received by the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with assistance from U.S. Representative David E. Price. The first phase of the Parrish Street Project was completed in 2009 with the installation of six historical markers commemorating the rich history of Parrish Street. Part of the landscaping project in the Black Wall Street Plaza is also being supported by a $10,000 donation from BP and Family Fare.

According to Tania Dautlick, executive director of Keep Durham Beautiful, green space also has an economic impact for surrounding businesses. “Keep America Beautiful reports that the value of properties in proximity to trees or within a quarter mile of a park can be as much as 10 percent higher,” Dautlick said. “Trees in business districts also report higher revenue than treeless areas because consumers prefer visiting green retail and business locations. ‘Views of green’ have even been shown to improve employee satisfaction and productivity for businesses. Since the Black Wall Street Plaza is in the heart of the revitalized Parrish Street, the impact of this newly landscaped green space should have a positive impact on these businesses as well.”

For more information about Durham’s Arbor Day celebration, contact Johnson at (919) 560-4197, ext. 21275 or by email at Alexander.Johnson@DurhamNC.gov.

About the General Services Department

The City of Durham’s General Services Department creates, manages and maintains city properties to provide best value to the Durham community. The core business functions include: Administration/Business Services, Facility Operations, Landscape Services, Urban Forestry, Real Estate, Construction Project Management, Cemeteries, Keep Durham Beautiful, and Deferred Maintenance. As guided by the City’s Strategic Plan, General Services serves as a steward of the City’s physical assets. Through annual and long-range facility planning activities, the department plans, provides, and maintains the City’s facilities infrastructure, which supports the community’s quality of life and serves as a foundation of a healthy economy. For more information, visit http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/gs/Pages/Home.aspx.

About the Office of Economic & Workforce Development

Guided by the City’s Strategic Plan, the Office of Economic & Workforce Development helps ensure that Durham has a strong and diverse economy by increasing the city’s tax base through several revitalization initiatives, including new development efforts in the central city area. The department also plans and promotes cultural awareness and events, identifies and recruits target industries as well as assesses and trains Durham residents to fill new jobs. For more information, visit http://www.DurhamEconomicDevelopment.org, “like” on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DurhamOEWD, or “follow” on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/DurhamOEWD.

About Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc.

Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City of Durham’s General Services Department and the County of Durham to encourage private businesses, residents, and community organizations to conserve and enhance the appearance and environment of Durham through cleanup events, beautification projects, and educational activities. For more information, visit http://www.KeepDurhamBeautiful.org, “like” on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/KeepDurhamBeautiful, or “follow” on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/DurhamBeautiful.

About the Parrish Street Project

The Parrish Street Project is an initiative of the Durham City Council to commemorate the nationally significant history of Parrish Street, also known as “Black Wall Street,” and spur economic revitalization for this downtown Durham corridor. This initiative is being coordinated by the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the Parrish Street Advocacy Group, and a group of Durham leaders, activists, businesses, and residents representing some of the most influential organizations and interests in the Bull City. Together they are engaged in a mission to attract new investment and pursue national heritage area status from the United States Congress. To learn more, visit http://www.ParrishStreet.org.