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Nature Park Goes
Green
Flushing Township Nature Park goes green. This may
seem a little redundant, because in may ways the
nature park has always been green. The park has
always promoted wise sustainable and environmentally
sensitive practices such as, the use of native
plants, removal of invasive plants, recycling,
composting, rain gardens, storm water management,
and much more. We are now taking it to the next
level. The Public Environmental Program Mission
Statement has been revised as follows:
To provide sensible and sustainable practices,
techniques and demonstrations that promotes the
improvement of the natural environment, while
enhancing our quality of life.(see the entire
document on the website under public programs at the
website flushingtownship.com). There are now two
main criteria that our programs must meet; 1. the
program will have an aspect that aims to improve the
natural environment, and 2 . will also enhance the
human quality of life.
We are pleased to offer a new series of programs
that will focus on alternative energies and
sustainable green products and practices. The first
program offered in this series is Alternative Home
Heating, scheduled for Saturday, April 7th 10:00 am * 12:00 pm. This program will be
held at the Flushing Township Hall located at 6524 N
Seymour Rd. Two professional speakers will present
alternative heating options including, solar heating
and corn and wood pellet stoves. Cold winters
translate into costly gas heating bills. It is
never too early to plan for next winter, and an
alternative heating system will reduce your monthly
bills.
Future program topics will include: energy efficient
lighting and appliances, green building and
remodeling, solar and wind electricity, alternative
automobile fuels, and more. The nature park will
host an annual special event titled "Green Day" that
will highlight many practical and sustainable
products and practices that any household can
adopt. This year Green Day will be held at the
Nature Park on Saturday, May 26th.
Green gifts such as, CFL (energy efficient light
bulbs), LED lights, programmable thermostats, rain
barrels, and more will be awarded to lucky
individuals who attend a green event at the Nature Park. All attendees will
receive knowledge to be green.
Projects and
Programs in Need of Volunteers
A volunteer workday is scheduled for Saturday, March
17th, from 10:00 am - 12: 00 pm. The work to be
done includes, removing Garlic Mustard (Alliaria
officinalis), an invasive plant that is threatening
the native woodland spring flowers and their
habitat; and trash can be collected along the river
bank.
Another upcoming program that requires a large
commitment from volunteers is Maple Syrup making.
It is an interesting process, from tapping the
trees, to collecting the sap, and boiling the water
off to create the tasty syrup. We are lucky to have
three excellent volunteers that have worked this
program for the last several years, but it would be
good to have new volunteers to learn the process and
fill in when needed. Volunteers for this program
also get some syrup to take home with them! Another
enticement for volunteering is that every volunteer
of the Nature Park is invited to the Annual
Volunteer Appreciation Pancake Breakfast, scheduled
for May 19th, which features the home made maple
syrup processed at the
Nature Park.
Volunteers are essential here at the Nature Park.
Without volunteers many of the public events would
not be possible. There are many more projects and
programs that could be established or conducted more
effectively with the help of volunteers. Please
contact the park office if you are interested in any
of the following.
Wildflower survey: An initial survey was conducted
two years ago, and we are looking for qualified
volunteers to help us continue this project.
Native Plant Garden Maintenance: The expansion to
the garden requires more attention, and volunteers
can help us maintain this educational project.
Bird Inventory: We would like to keep track of the
birds that use the park. A defined survey chart can
be used or just a list of bird sightings during a
particular time.
Invasive Plant Removal: Help us control the amount
of invasive plants and let nature bring back the
native flora of the park.
Program Coordinator: A truly dedicated volunteer
with some extra time could provide a much needed
service by coordinating the volunteers for the
park's projects and programs.
Any Public Program: Nearly all of our public
programs require a volunteer. Some programs, like
our special events, require more help than others.
These include, Maple Syrup and Early Easter Earth
Day, Saturday, April 14th from 10:00 am * 1:00 pm,
Green Day, May 26th, Fresh Water Expo Day, and
Nature's Halloween, October 27th
Interested in becoming a volunteer? Contact the
park office to pick up a volunteer guide and how to
get involved, or access the Nature Park website at
www.flushingtownship.com and click the "Volunteer"
link.
Easy Ways to be
Green
1.*Replace
incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent
lights. Compact fluorescent lights use 66% less
energy and last up to 10 times longer than
incandescent light bulbs. Replacing one 100-watt
incandescent bulb with a 32-watt CFL can save $30 in
energy costs over the life of the bulb.
2.*Save
energy and reduce your heating bills! * by making
your home draft proof: cushion the bottoms of drafty
doors, seal windows in winter, and caulk cracks to
help prevent heat from escaping. During the winter
months, turn your thermostat down one to three
degrees each day for eight hours to conserve energy.
Doing so will also reduce your heating bill by as
much as 10 percent! * Purchase a programmable
thermostat to save heating energy when you are not
home.
* Clean your furnace's air filter monthly during
heavy usage. Consider a new furnace. Today's
furnaces are about 25% more efficient than they were
in the 1980s. (And don't forget to check out
furnaces carrying the Energy Star label.)
3.*Green
up your appliances. Replacing your old refrigerator
could save you as much as $150 a year, according to
the EPA. Appliance use comprises about 18% of a
typical home’s total energy bill, with the fridge
being one of the biggest energy hogs. If any of your
appliances is more than 10 years old, the EPA
suggests replacing them with energy-efficient models
that bear their "Energy Star" logo.
When using your stove top, use the burner that best
fits to the pot or pan size. Using a burner that is
too big wastes valuable energy.
4.*Instead
of using a disposable paper or Styrofoam cup, enjoy
your morning coffee in a reusable ceramic mug. Doing
so will help reduce the millions of paper and
Styrofoam cups that are sent to landfills every
year.
5.*Save
a tree, use less paper. You can buy "tree-free" 100%
post-consumer recycled paper for everything from
greeting cards to toilet paper. Paper with a high
post-consumer waste content uses less virgin pulp
and keeps more waste paper out of landfills.
Remove yourself from junk mail lists. Each person
will receive almost 560 pieces of junk mail this
year, which adds up nationally to 4.5 million tons,
according to the Native Forest Network. About 44% of
all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and
unread, and ends up in a landfill. To stem the flow
into your own home, contact the Direct Marketing
Association's Mail Preference Service at P.O. Box
643, Carmel, NY 10512. Opt out of credit card or
insurance offers at OptOutPrescreen.com or by
calling 888-567-8688.
Carry your own cloth bags to the store to avoid
using paper or plastic store bags.
*** Resources compiled from several websites, view
more at
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3915
http://thegreencommunity.org/index.html
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/24799.html
Schedule of Events
All programs are
free unless specified
Volunteer Day -
Garlic Mustard Removal
Saturday, March 17th 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Come help us remove Garlic Mustard, an invasive
plant, and clean up litter along the river.
Build a Nest Box
Program
Saturday, March 24th 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Build your own Blue Bird or Bat box.
$10.00 per kit, includes everything you need.
Alternative Home
Heating Presentation
Saturday, April 7th 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Held at the Flushing Township Hall located at 6524 N
Seymour Rd.
Cold winters equal costly gas heating bills.
Alternative heating will reduce your monthly bills.
Solar heating & corn and wood pellet stove
presentations
Maple Syrup and Early
Easter Earth Day
Saturday, April 14th
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
**History and process of making maple syrup with a
taste test.
**Camouflage Easter egg hunt
**Crafts and games
**Wildflower hike
Wood Cock Night Hike
Friday, April 27th
8:30 - 9:30 pm
Watch the elaborate mating ritual of the male
American Wood Cock.
Flushing Township Nature Park
8301 N. McKinley Road
Flushing, MI. 48433
Phone: 810-639-6161
Fax: 659-4212
Email:
ftnp@comcast.net
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