Cape Fear's Going Green • Fall 2007

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to the premier issue of Cape Fear’s Going Green!

Have you ever asked yourself these questions: Where does our water come from? Where does our recycling really go? What kind of energy tax credits are available for North Carolinians? How can we promote a healthy garden without pesticides? Paper or plastic? Does it matter if I buy organic produce? How can I keep my pet healthy and active? Would an electric car really work for me?

I know I have. As the reality of our finite resources becomes more obvious each day, it can be hard to know what, if anything, we can do to help sustain our planet and the people on it. That’s why I started this magazine.

Going Green will serve as your guide to eco-friendly activities, products and services in the Lower Cape Fear. We will feature people who live and work in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin the counties of southeastern North Carolina.

We’ll cover a range of topics designed to help you make choices that can save you money, contribute to healthier living for you and your family, and assist you in being kind to our planet.

Over the course of the year we’ll discuss green building and sustainable architecture, water management, alternate energy, eco-friendly products, transportation, organic food and gardening, and the enjoyment of nature.

Profiles of local individuals, groups, businesses, and events will show the variety of innovative projects our neighbors are pursuing. We’ll have articles on local plants and animals and the places they live. Business briefs, book reviews, and a calendar of “green” events will suggest where to learn more about topics that interest you. An on-line version of our calendar the first “green” calendar in the area will be updated weekly to provide you with the latest information on what’s happening.

We’ll also look at ideas from our sister Green City, Eugene, Oregon, and see what might apply here in Coastal Carolina.

This premier issue’s theme is Green Building. Whether you are building a new home or considering improvements to the one you have, our report on this year’s Solar & Green Tour may give you some ideas for products or features you’d like to have.

In these pages I hope also to explore more subtle questions those of scale, and possessions, and reusing, sharing resources, the nature of waste, the interconnectedness of our planet’s inhabitants, and what really constitutes stewardship of our planet.

Don’t ever doubt that one person or one community can make a difference. You have already started making a difference by picking up this issue of Going Green.

— Valerie L. Robertson Editor

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead

Contents

3 3rd Annual Solar & Green Tour

8 Why Collect Rain?— The Inherent Nature of Water

9 Rain Barrels— A Simple Investment in Collecting Water

9 Introducing Sustainable Features in Older Homes

11 I Spy a Tree Game

12 2007 NC Wildflower of the Year

13 Miss November

14 Garden Spider— Andy Wood Commentary

15 The Outdoor Classroom

16 Full Belly Project Update— Email from Malawi

18 Business News

19 Topsail High School Steps Up to the EV Challenge

19 Coastal Carolinas Electric Auto Association

20 Business Briefs & Education Updates

21 Book Suggestions

21 A Green Roof Comes to Wilmington

22 Calendar

On the Cover: New home by Anne & Bradshaw Builders is one of the homes featured on this year’s Solar & Green Tour. Built on a narrow, deep infill lot in downtown Wilmington, existing oak and magnolia trees were left in place. Numerous energy conservation accommodations make this a comfortable and energy-efficient home. See page 6 for more details.

Photo by Valerie Robertson

Cape Fear’s Going Green is a bimonthly publication promoting eco-friendly resources and lifestyles in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin.

Publisher & Editor in Chief: Valerie Robertson

Sister City: Eugene, Oregon (Voted “Greenest City” 2006 by The Green Guide)

Eugene Correspondent: Mary Robertson

Advisors & Editorial Contributors: Jessica Ashcraft, Bouty Baldridge, Lara Berkley, Jock Brandis, Brion Capo, Brian Connors, Laura Cotterman, Evan Folds, Steve Garrett, Gwenyfar, Ann Howard, Andy Jakes, Kathleen Jewell, Chris Liloia, Karen Linehan, Scott Ogden, Page Paterson, Adeline Robertson, Lynn Ruck, David Ruehle, Linda Thomas, & Andy Wood

Special thanks to Scott Ogden of B + O Design and the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance for their contributions to this issue.

Cape Fear’s Going Green Going Green Publications P. O. Box 3164 Wilmington, NC 28406 (910) 547-4390 www.goinggreenpublications.com

Cape Fear’s Going Green is available by subscription or on our Web site.

Print copies are available at many area eco-friendly businesses and locations, including:

B + O Design Studio, Folks Cafe, Pomegranate Books, Progressive Gardens, Sapona, Tidal Creek Co-op, UNCW, & WHQR

Editorial: If you have story ideas or calendar items to suggest, email us at editor@goinggreenpublications.com, or call (910) 547-4390.

Advertising information: Email ads@goinggreenpublications.com.

Cape Fear’s Going Green is distributed free through Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties. If you have a business and would like to receive multiple copies for the public to pick up, please contact us.

3rd Annual Solar & Green Tour

Held each October, this year’s tour fea tured nine sites in the Wilmington area, from new construction to retrofitting of historic buildings

The Annual Solar Homes Tour began several years ago as an opportunity for people to visit homes that incorporated solar prin ciples in their design. Over time the tour grew in popularity, and more communities started participating in the annual showcase. In 2007, 13 cities across North Carolina held tours, and an estimated 115,000 people attended tours in cities nation-wide. As cities adopted the event, they made it their own.

In Wilmington, where working with green building principles is more prevalent than use of solar alone, our tour incorporates both. Organized locally by the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance (CFGBA) and cosponsored by North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA), the goal of the tour is to allow the public to see examples of renewable energy technologies and energyefficient practices in both residential and commercial settings.

This year’s Wilmington Area Solar and Green Building Tour featured nine examples of green building practices, renewable energy examples and low impact development techniques, ranging in scale from the modest

Site 5: John Wallace / Carolina Contractors

John and Cynthia Wallace built their new two-story Mediterranean-style house around a south-facing courtyard.

Using pre-cast insulated con crete panels allowed them to re duce on-site wall assembly time to under 8 hours. (Additional finishing took longer.) Superior Wall panels– in which concrete is bonded to insulation at the factory— give the structure a great “R value,” the measure of insulation’s effectiveness.Yearround comfort is enhanced by use of properly-sized overhangs, high quality windows and doors, contrete slab and tile, and a nar row footprint to catch breezes.

Sustainable Features:

Climate control

Use

Precast

to the spectacular. Some ideas– such as appropriate combination of windows, overhangs, and building orientation– could be seen incorporated in a wide variety of featured buildings. It was a year to learn about innovative wall technology, which many are starting to use to create comfort able, energy-efficient spaces.

Friday evening prior to Saturday’s tour CFGBA hosted a pre-tour social downtown at Bailey’s Park/Toomer’s Alley. New this year was a complimentary Green Expo of vendors and community organizations.

To learn more, visit www.ases.org/tour or www.ncsustainableenergy.org.

The Wallace house is slab on grade, built of pre-cast concrete panels, with a concrete tile roof. Oriented around a courtyard to the South shaded by mature trees, the house can capture the summer’s prevailing breezes. Windows are sized to minimize summer sun yet allow winter sun to warm the interior. West-facing windows are kept to a minimum and are shaded by porches or future mature landscaping. All rainwater runoff is channeled across the front yard to decrease irrigation demand.

photos by Scott Ogden | B + O Design

Pre-cast insulated concrete panels for the first floor arrived by truck and were assembled in place that same day. Pictured here is the second set of 4000-lb. panels being lifted in place by a boom crane.

3rd annual solar & green tour

For under $300 and a lot of sweat equity, this studio outbuilding and garden replaced an unsightly parking lot. The

materials are almost all reclaimed and recycled from local sources (e.g., beams, metal, doors). This is do-it-yourself “green” in its simplest and most inspired form materials given a second life.

Sustainable Features:

Energy conservation measures: Operational windows on all sides of building with roof vents for heat escape

Wide overhangs in combination with appropriate ly-placed windows allow low winter sun to warm the structure’s interior in the winter, while block ing excessive sunlight in the summer months. This same idea can be seen in several of the building’s on this year’s tour.

What makes a building “Green?”

Green building, also called high performance or sustainable building, is characterized by innovative design and construction practices that reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of buildings on the environment and the building occupants.

As described by the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance, green building focuses on the following five main areas:

• Energy efficiency & renewable energy

• Efficient & ecological water use & management

• Sustainable site planning & land use

• Conscious choice of materials & resources

• Healthful indoor air quality

The benefits of green building are many, and they include:

• Reduced operating costs from energy efficiency & lower water use

• Reduced overhead for maintenance & waste disposal

• Improving health & worker produc tivity, performance & efficiency

• Protecting health of occupants

• Lessening demands on local infrastructure such as landfills, stormwater sewers & water supply

Dixon Stetler’s Weaving Studio sits behind the Wabi Sabi Warehouse at Independent Art Company, an operat ing artists’ studio facility in downtown Wilmington (itself an adaptive reuse of an old ‘70s light industrial warehouse building). A small, square building with a simple slanting roof, the structure sits on the edge of the IAC’s herb, vegetable and fruit garden. Constructed and designed by local artist Dan Brawley, the weaving stu dio consists primarily of recycled 4” x 12” heart pine timbers which were salvaged from the Love Grove Park industrial com plex after its razing. The corrugated metal

Climate control landscaping: Organic garden to south of studio replaced asphalt parking lot (light industrial use) (reduction of “heatisland effect” of paved surfaces)

Use of sustainable materials: All materials in the building are recycled, except for 6 sheets of plywood, paint, and hardware

roofing was a post-consumer purchase from Horton Iron and Metal Recyclers. The sliding door to the studio was salvaged from the St. John’s Lodge during its renovation by the Children’s Museum of Wilmington.

Site 2: Dietsche & Dietsche Building— D.P. Thomas Construction

This is an historic rehabilitation of a 130-year-old building on North Front Street in Wilmington, performed by a husband-wife architectural team. They restored all salvageable materials and de tails (structural elements, windows, floors, plaster walls, pressed tin ceiling), and

Sustainable Features:

Active solar system(s):

Future photovoltaics

Passive solar elements:

Skylights

Sonotubes

Energy conservation measures:

Closed cell insulation

14 SEER HVAC system

On-demand hot water

Low flush toilets

Climate control landscaping:

Future green roof

Sonotubes

Other renewable energy features:

Daylighting

Use of sustainable materials:

Building reuse

Materials reuse

Recycled blue jeans insulation

replaced missing, unsalvageable, or his torically inappropriate items (stair, powder room, storefront) with new, appropriate and environmentally-sensitive details and materials. In addition to the energy-effi cient items mentioned in the sidebar, they used environmentally healthy low- and no-VOC paints and sealers, and natural Linoleum flooring. An existing toy store is relocating to the first floor store and the duo will relocate their office to the second floor.

Site 4: Independent Art Company— Dan Brawley & Dixon Stetler

3rd annual solar & green tour

Site 3: Biel Residence— Panelwerx

A SIP home under con struction looks like a regular home, but con struction takes a week or less instead of the 4-6 weeks typically required for a stick frame house.

Insulated Panels, or “SIPs” for short. SIPs are an EPA Energy Star-recognized build ing component consisting of a layer of Oriented Strand Board (OSB), an Expanded Polystyrene foam core and another layer of OSB, bonded together to form a sandwich panel. The overall façade of a SIP home is not affected by the use of the panels. The benefits of building with Structural Insulated Panels include: a whole wall insulation value of R-18.2, a structure engineered to withstand 160 mph winds, and a reduction in construction timeline due to building in a span format.

Biel’s utility bill for her 1800 sq.ft. house averages $40 per month about half what it might cost for a more traditionallyconstructed home of comparable size.

Sustainable Features: Energy conservation measures:

Because the home’s tight exterior envelope is comprised of Structural Insulated Panels which have an EPS foam core, air infiltration through the walls is diminished resulting in reducing HVAC loads, equaling reduced energy consumption.

Use of sustainable materials:

Sips of North Carolina, Inc. was on hand at the Tour’s Green Expo, to show cross-sections of Panelwerx building material.

Site 1: NY Hatters— Plantation Development Group

This 25,111 square foot, three-story mixed-use residential building under construction contains nine high-end urban one-bedroom and studio units as well as 1,600 square feet of office space.

Because it is located in the historic district of Wilmington, a fire district, the exteriors had to be of non-combustible construc tion. The builders chose 6” x 16” Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction in part

SIP construction allows for little or no waste. Building components are environmentally friendly. No off-gas ing. Extra EPS foam can be returned to its manufacturer to be recycled.

to meet this fire safety requirement, but also because they were familiar with its use, and were aware that ICF produces a very strong structure, with extremely high energy efficiency in its exterior walls.

The building’s name is a nod to the dry cleaning and hat blocking estalishment that once occupied the space.

Rendering of the NY Hatters building under con struction in the 100 block of Grace Street, and building in process. The ICF walls come with rein forcing in the blocks, and drywall can be screwed directly into it. The building will be finished with stucco on three sides and faced with brick and stone.

Sustainable Features: Use of sustainable materials: ICF Shell construction

Jessica Biel’s home was one of the first in New Hanover County to have exterior walls constructed of Structural

signed to complement existing homes at the edge of Wilmington’s Historic District.

3rd annual solar & green tour

Sustainable Features:

Passive solar elements:

Southern orientation, solar tubes, roof cutouts for daylight, tree cover, interior daylighting

Energy conservation measures:

Programmable thermostat, fluorescent bulbs, all Energy Star apppliances & fans, dual flush toilets, icynene foam insulation—entire envelope, tankless gas water heater, ductless mini-split HVAC, low flow faucets

Climate control landscaping:

Xeriscape: all natural, indigenous plant ings require no maintenance

Unique solar features:

Cutout porch roof design, glass block ceiling for daylight in bath, solar tubes

Other renewable energy features:

Universal design for longevity, interior air filtration system

Use of sustainable materials:

Cement board siding, recycled timber beams, tile collected from multiple sites, recycled glass countertops, all construction waste recycled & collected for local reuse

Site 7: Princess Place House— Anne & Bradshaw Builders

Featured on our cover, this new NC Healthybuilt, EPA Energy Star home was built on Princess Place in downtown Wilmington, on a narrow, deep infill lot with existing 30+ year old oaks, magno lia, and grasses. All the trees were left undisturbed and 75% of the lot was left pervious. Trees provide shade in summer over 80% of roof with little area available for PV or solar collectors, so the builder combined several techniques to introduce natural light throughout the living space.

“Daylighting” is a term for controlled admission of natural light into a space to reduce or eliminate need for electric lighting. This is traditionally accomplished through placement of windows and skylights, but this house carries it several steps further. The house was sited on the lot with sunlight in mind. Solar tubes channel light into overhead ceilings. An open floor plan and openings between spaces allow light and air to move through the building. Careful placement of open ings and glass block in interior walls allow the natural light entering the house to be enjoyed from multiple rooms. Careful attention to air flow contributes to the

Cutouts in the porch roof allow more natural light to reach the interior of this home. effectiveness of the heating and cooling systems in place.

Another principle contributing to the livability of this home is its incorporation of Universal Design, or design that recog nizes that different people have different capabilities, and that people’s abilities can change over time. Attention to floor plan as well as details of individual fixtures can contribute to the house being appropriate for a broad range of people.

Anne & Bradshaw Builders won the Bronze Award in the Spring 2007 Parade of Homes.

Managing Stormwater Runoff:

As rainwater flows to a neighboring creek or river or ocean, it picks up oil and other pollutants from streets and other manmade, impervious surfaces (surfaces water cannot penetrate). Unchecked, it carries it right along with it into the wa terway. Anything that slows the rainwater on its course minimizes the amount of pollution that winds up in the waterway. This can be in the form of vegetation that absorbs some of the water, or contours in the land that allow the water to seep into the soil more slowly.

Rain gardens, or bioretention areas, are designed to collect water, which drains away in a matter of days. Plantings and soil combine to absorb and filter pollutants from runoff. Bioretention ponds hold a permanent pool of water in addition to storing stormwater runoff during rain events.

North Carolina State University has been active in projects to improve water quality in Wilmington’s Burnt Mill Creek.

A raingarden/bioretention area was built to drain the existing 15,000 sq. ft. parking lot of Port City Java’s corporate headquarters on Market Street, a few feet from Burnt Mill Creek. The bioretention area is divided into two cells, each approximately 5 feet wide, 1 foot deep, and 585 to 590 square feet. The cells are planted with a zoyzia grass cover and planted with Dwarf Wax Myrtle. Underdrains were installed in both cells, and NCSU monitors the water quality.

The equipment located in this cell is used by NCSU to monitor parking lot runoff and the im pact of the bioretention area on water quality.

Site 6: Port City Java— NCSU Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) (Jason Wright)

3rd annual solar & green tour

Built on a bluff on the Intracoastal Waterway, the 9,000-square-foot, threestory residence in the Porter’s Neck neighborhood is a high-performance green-built house, with 50 photovoltaic solar panels located on both the main house and a 2-story detached carriage house. Chris Senior built the house for three generations of his family, and it generates approximately 1,000 kilo watts a month from a 10-kilowatt solarpowered system. The house is grid-tied to Progress Energy through the NC GreenPower program, a program that helps North Carolinians with solar photovoltaic generators connect with their local utility. Rather than be “off the grid,” the house uses power from Progress Energy and also feeds power back into the utility. Oriented for maximum active and passive solar performance, the house has all “green” materials. A series of large overhangs and porches provide shading and cooling breezes.

Building Performance Specialists

Larry and Reen Cahoon have steadily made their large split-level home more energy-efficient in the 18 years they have owned it. They’ve added insulation to pipes and the attic, added sheathing on

Sustainable Features:

Active solar system(s):

Solar pool heating system

Passive solar elements:

Energy-saving film on windows, reflec tive grid on heat exchanger

Retrofitted solar system/elements:

Solar-powered fan on greenhouse

Energy conservation measures:

Compact fluorescent lights in most fixtures

Climate control landscaping:

New shrubbery on South side

Low cost solar system(s):

Solar accent lights around pool and front walkway

Use of sustainable materials:

Rain barrels (6, on all down spouts), na tive lumber in landscaping, bamboo flooring in sun room

the south side, kept the roof as reflective of heat as possible, and upgraded appli ances to be more energy-efficient. “We have also reduced storm water runoff by landscaping, use of rain barrels for water ing shrubs and garden, and using French drains around the pool patio. We have reduced the negative impacts of lawn maintenance by using our own shallow well for watering (and filling the pool), reducing lawn area by growing more natural flora, using soil testing for fertilizer application, and minimizing pesticide use.”

Sustainable Features:

Active solar system(s):

10kw net-metered system (50 GE Solar 200w panels, 3 inverters)

Passive solar elements:

1st floor concrete mass

2’ overhangs above all south-facing windows

Energy conservation measures:

Icynene insulation

Conditioned attics

Rinnai on-demand water heaters

Engineered HVAC system, 1 mini-split

Detergent-free washing machine

3 families (8 people) under 1 roof on 1 footprint

Climate control landscaping: Indigenous, salt-tolerant plantings

Pervious driveway

Low cost solar system(s):

Solar path lights

Unique solar features:

Net-zero-energy home (NC Greenpower member)

2 solar boat lifts

Other renewable energy features:

Ample daylighting

100% compact fluorescent bulbs throughout

Recycled furniture (NC antiques)

Use of sustainable materials:

New, indigenous, managed, Southern Yellow pine floors throughout

All HardiPanel (cement board exteriors)

Low-VOC paints

An avid swimmer, Larry has extended his swim ming season by two months at either end by in stalling an active solar pool heating system with solar panels on the roof. (The system is active rather than passive because a pump moves water through the system.)

Pella high-performance casements (located & sized to catch coastal breezes)

Energy Star appliances/fixtures

Site 8: Cahoon Residence—

Why Collect Rain?– The Inherent Nature of Water

by Evan Folds

It is the epitome of irony that water has become an endangered resource when it falls from the sky all around us. The reality is that we are relying on reserves of water called aquifers that serve many more vital functions than a human trough. We are simply using it faster than it can replenish itself. There are many repercus sions to the activity of water mining, most of which we cannot measure directly. All of life is directly connected to the quality and energetic state of our water. Viktor Schauberger was a leading thinker in this regard, predicting boldly almost 100 years ago that one day a gallon of water would cost more than a gallon of gasoline, as bottled water does today. Think about that…in fact, a U.N. director-general recently predicted that wars will be fought over water…wars over water?

So the solution to future global war is rain barrels! Ok, so it’s more complicated than that, but they make a lot of sense in more ways than you may think. Most people envision saving money on their water bill when they consider purchasing a rain barrel, but there are in fact more subtle benefits that turn out to be far more profound.

In order to fully consider an invest ment in a rain barrel one must first articulate what we are collecting and why. Water is life and all water is not the same. We elicit these understandings every time we purchase a bottle of water from the store and shun the “drinking water” from our taps. In fact, very few of us have ever experienced pure water as H2O. Due to its unique structure water creates a dipole moment, or a manifestation of polarity, in its molecule. This display of polarity allows

Cape Fear Green Building Alliance seeks to bring together professionals in the building industry, including architects, designers, contractors, builders, realtors, and developers, and concerned members of the general public.

VISIT CFGBA.ORG

Our goal is to promote building approaches, collectively known as “green building”, that are environmentally responsible, health conscious, and financially sound.

Learn about CFGBA and other regional green building events, resources, and green building basics. Participate in our online message board and learn how to become a CFGBA member.

other regional and green in our learn member.

We support education for both industry professionals and the public regarding green building practices, technologies, and products, and are committed to furthering the awareness and presence of green building in the Cape Fear Region.

water to electrically attract all matter, positively or nega tively charged, that it comes into contact with. This affinity to everything elicits water’s role in natu ral systems, to act as the grand com municator between everything, even destruction. Did you know that an item will not combust if it has been fully dehydrated?

to electrically communicate. This is the basis for homeopathy, biodynamic agri culture, why a river meanders, why a virgin spring tastes more “alive” than the “drink ing water” from your tap, etc. For further proof, research Dr. Masura Emoto and his many investigations into the potentials of water. Dr. Emoto discovered that human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that com prises over 70% of a mature human body and covers about the same amount of our planet. Water is a very dynamic substance, allowing its physical shape to easily adapt to whatever environment it experiences. However, its physical appearance is not the only thing that changes– the molecu lar shape changes as well. The energy or vibrations of the environment actually change the structure and potential of the water. In this sense water not only has the ability to visually reflect the environ ment, but it also molecularly reflects the environment.

Tuesday every at of Front and above Roudabush

Come to our monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at The Balcony located at the corner of Front and Dock St. (3rd floor above Roudabush Cafe, Wilmington NC)

A further inves tigation of water must be made here. Water has the ability of memory, not in a cognitive sense, but in a vibrational sense. It harbors and maintains the energetic essences that it experiences, particularly when impregnated by a vortex, allowing life

So to bring this into context, rain water is a clean slate energetically. It has completed its time under the forces of levity and is offering itself to the world as pure water ready to be imbued with the positive energies of natural environ ments. Unfortunately, we humans do not collectively consider water’s energetic capacities when deciding how to deliver and utilize water. In order to fully appreci ate this context, we must understand that there is a vital difference between living water and water that has experienced the

Photo by Lynn Ruck | Rain Water Solutions Rain barrels can be linked or “chained” together so that when the first barrell fills, the overflow starts filling its neighbor.

conservation

Rain Barrels a Simple Investment in Collecting Water

A rain barrel is a mechanism for delib erate collection of rainwater and it is, in fact, a sustainable investment. Some third world countries utilize this technique for collecting drinking water, but most in de veloped countries use them for irrigation and gardening. Not only will a rain barrel pay for itself over time via cheaper water bills, but you will have far greater success in the garden and lawn. On average in North Carolina, we receive almost three inches of rainfall per month throughout the year. If you have a 2,100 square-foot home, this translates into almost 3,700 gallons of water falling on your roof each month!

The average rain barrel is around 60 gallons and there are several things to consider before purchasing one. Obviously, one can make a simple rain barrel out of mere buckets and a tap, but

consider things such as mosquito control, security, and overflow when planning your approach. A good rain barrel should include overflow hoses to prevent runoff from running through the patio, screens to keep mosquitoes out, bolts to keep children from climbing in, and options for spigot placement on the face of the barrel. These options will mean that you will pay more for your rain barrel, but they are worth the investment. The only material necessary other than the rain barrel and its respective components is an elbow to di vert a gutter towards the barrel. It will take too much time for the barrel to fill if simply left in the open to fill passively. This can also be accomplished by simply putting your rain barrel under a place of significant runoff under the roof, but is much more efficient if you can dedicate a gutter.

Builders of new homes can also con sider using a cistern for “off the grid” water collection. With 3,700 gallons falling on the roof every month, it could be a smart long-term investment.

For more information on using rain barrels, visit www.rainbarrelguide.com.

Introducing Sustainable Features in Older Homes

When Kevin Rhodes was renovating his bungalow in downtown Wilmington, he wanted to incorporate eco-friendly features without compromising the front appearance of his historic house.

Exterior features include arrays of rain barrells, which Rhodes chained together.

He uses the rainwater to irrigate his garden. The water pressure provided by gravity alone is sufficient to water garden plants, but if he wanted faster flow, Rhodes says he would add a solar-operated water pump. The barrels are positioned along the sides of the house, where they will be barely visible from the street once the plantings mature.

Hot water for this 4,300 square foot house is provided by two 3x10 solar panels on the north elevation, placed there to maintain the appearance of the south front of the house. Although located on the north, the panels are tilted up at 30 to 35 degrees to the south, and receive enough direct sun to heat the 80-gallon hot water heater.

Rhodes obtained his barrels at an annual rain barrel drive, held by City of Wilmington Storm Water Services. Email rain@nhswcd.org for details of their 2008 Spring drive.

(919)835-1699

More info at: www.rainwatersolutions.com

Rain Water Solutions designs are available in Wilmington from the following:

City of Wilmington’s annual spring rain barrel drive: Email rain@nhswcd.org for details

Local Retail outlet: Progressive Gardens, 5732-A Oleander Dr, Wilmington, NC www. progressivegardens.com (910)395-1156

Four barrels chained together will hold a total of 260 gallons of rainwater. Elevation of the barrels off the ground increases the water flow from the spigots. When planning water flow, it’s useful to position barrels at the highest corner of your yard when possible, so that water hoses attached to the spigot can use gravity to channel the water down to any point in your yard. 9am-2pm

If you look closely at the front corner of the house, you’ll see the downspout angles back towards the chimney, so that it empties into the first of two barrels located at this corner of the house.

In the end, rain barrels make sense on many levels. Not only do they save you money and help the environment, but they allow your plants to grow healthier.

artificial processes we put it through: filtration, ozonation, fluoridation, chlorination, and, finally, being delivered via straight-shooting and right-angled water pipes to our taps. Evidence of this can be obtained by a simple taste test of water from a living (virgin spring) and deadened (bottled water, tap water, etc.) source, or, discovering the energetic “high” associated with paddling or surfing.

Next time you are ponder ing the existence of plant dis-ease and pest infestation in your landscapes think of your plants as you would yourself. Imagine that you ate fast food and drank tap water all day? In this context it may become easier to understand why it is necessary for us to use legions of chemicals and carcinogens in our landscapes in order to keep them looking

This is merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg regarding the fascinating concepts and science of water structure and its potential and role in life. Further research can be pursued using the following terms or keywords: “Viktor Schauberger”, “Masaru Emoto”, “flowforms”, “homeopathy”. Biologist and inventor Evan Folds welcomes discussion of this and other topics. Owner of Progressive Gardens in Wilmington, he can be reached there or through either www. progressivegardens.com or www.vortexbrewer.com. page

satisfactory– our ecosystems are degenerating, and we are merely providing a crutch. Are we that superficial that we value beauty over health, especially when there are more responsible and cost-effective alternatives?

I Spy a Tree (For Free)

Urban Forester Brion Capo has invented an online and community game to promote trees in our beautiful urban forest.

How to Play the Game

1) Find the tree on the City of Wilmington Web site: Go to www.ci.wilmington.nc.us. Watch for the “I Spy A Tree” game to appear in rotation in the middle of the page, click on the words, and study the tree.

2) Find the tree in Wilmington: Find an address for the tree pictured for this month.

3) Email us your answer!

From the pool of correct answers a randomly selected winner will be drawn. If that’s you, you will receive instructions on how to collect a FREE tree from one of the sponsors. A different sponsor will be used each month, along with a different tree picture. Thank you for looking around and enjoying the urban forest! Questions? Email treespies@wilmingtonnc.gov.

Nurseries Supporting “I Spy A Tree (for Free)”

Each month, one of the sponsors listed below will provide that month’s winner with a FREE tree.

Akers Tree Movers, Bill Akers – 232-1700 Phillips Nursery, Glenda Phillips – 253-6692

The Transplanted Garden, Tom – 763-7448 Zone 8 Gardens, Dick – 792-1118

Rooks Lawn & Garden Center, Susan – 259-3302

Cross Garden Center, Derek – 791-5725

Five Oaks Nursery, Monica – 762-8637

Masonboro Home & Garden, Bob & Dawn York – 792-1499

Lou’s Flower Patch – 395-1004

Ash’s Japanese Maple Nursery – 270-4723

Pendercrest Gardens & Gifts, Alexis Williams – 452-1020 Fitness Tree Service, Stephen Snyder – 796-6507

Native Plant Society Opens Local Chapter

The North Carolina Native Plant Society (NCNPS) was formed more than 50 years ago to promote enjoyment and con servation of native plants and their habi tats through education, protection, and propagation. Duane Truscott is organizing a Southeastern Chapter of the NCNPS. The first organizational meeting was held in September, and the group plans to meet

This Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, was the “mystery tree” for “I Spy A Tree” earlier this year. The game winner was a member of the Sheriff’s Department who correctly identified the address of this majestic tree, and so won a young tree from one of the supporting nurseries.

at 7p.m. the third Tuesday of each month, in the cafeteria of Cape Fear Community College’s north campus.

On Saturday, November 17 the group will hold a Plant Walk to collect native seeds. For details, email truscottd@ bellsouth.net, or call (910)675-1205. For information on NC Native Plant Society state-wide, visit www.ncwildflower.org.

Permaculture Classes Forming

Christopher Yermal and Neal Taylor are starting a series of classes on perma culture, or permanent agriculture. Topics under consideration are: building garden soils, designing structures for energy efficiency, livestock, and orchard design and management. To learn more about the classes and field trips, call (910)470-1030 or email oneworlddesign@ec.rr.com.

Brion Capo

North Carolina Wildflower of the Year Project

The North Carolina Botanical Garden and the Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc. are co-sponsors of the North Carolina Wildflower of the Year program. This conservation project was initiated in 1982. The project’s aim is to actively promote throughout the state and region an attrac tive plant that is native to the southeastern United States. Over the years literally tens of thousands of gardeners have received the seeds and read the strong conser vation message in the North Carolina Wildflower of the Year brochure.

Swamp Sunflower

2007 NC Wildflower of the Year

Swamp sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius, is a giant yellow exclamation point at the end of the growing season. In October, after the summer phlox is done and many perennials are wind ing down for the year, the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s native plant border suddenly experiences a burst of sunny golden color in the form of this cheerful plant. This clump-form ing native perennial will reach 6 or more feet tall by 4 feet wide, and when it is covered in blooms it is simply stunning.

Few perennials produce such a density of flowers. Though each individual head is approximately 2 inches across, much smaller than those of its relative the annual sunflower, the overall effect is pure color. For most of the growing season the plant is more subtle. With narrow dark-green foliage and willowy stems, swamp sunflower provides a nice backdrop for spring and summer bloomers. As its flowers fade the foliage often takes on a lovely red color. Another bonus is that the ripening seed heads are bird feeders that you don’t have to fill!

Swamp sunflower is so named because it is most often found growing in moist areas. In the garden it is happy in wet to average soil and prefers full sun. This is a plant that responds well to garden conditions and is considerably larger and more floriferous than its wild siblings. It is in its element in perennial borders and wet meadows but is also attractive as a specimen plant. Late-blooming asters, including New England and aro matic American-asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae and S. oblongifolium, respectively), make good garden companions to swamp sunflower.

Look for wild populations of swamp sunflower in the eastern United States ranging as far north as New York and as far west as Missouri and Texas. It is most commonly found growing in wetter sites such as swamps, marshes, and savannas.

Seed supplies for the Swamp Sunflower have run out for the year, but they will be offered next year through the Botanical Garden’s “Native Plant Seed List,” which is mailed to all members of the North Carolina Botanical Garden in February. See the Botanical Garden’s web site for information on membership and on the 2008 North Carolina Wildflower of the Year, announced at the end of 2007: http://ncbg.unc.edu.

For a brochure on the 2008 flower, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

2008 NCWFOY

North Carolina Botanical Garden CB 3375 Totten Center, UNC–CH Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375

Photo by Chris Liloia | North Carolina Botanical Garden

Reprinted with permission from the North Carolina Botanical Garden Web site: ncbg.unc.edu

Miss November

Orb Spider

Seen here from the belly side, this spider is known for her large, symmetrical webs. Abundant in later summer and fall, and essentially blind, she has a highly developed sense of touch and will retreat to the side of the web or drop to the ground if disturbed. She also is called a writing spider because of the zig-zag pattern she adds to her web.

Black and Yellow Argiope garden spider

Garden Spiders

by Andy Wood

The first incident occurred when I opened a shed door that had apparently been the resting spot for a drowsy yellow jacket wasp. The door’s sudden movement prompted the insect to take flight, only to be snatched from the air by a garden spider’s web strategically located just above the door’s upper right corner.

The black and yellow spider, with a body fully an inch long, sensed the dis turbance in her web and in an instant she scampered from her resting spot to where the yellow jacket was pinned some ten inches distant. And then an amazing thing happened. The spider, somehow sensing inherent danger with her catch, proceeded to wrap her prey with the thickest bands of spider web I have ever seen a spider pro duce. She did so by twisting the insect with the tips of her long outstretched legs, all the while keeping her soft body as far from her quarry as possible. In mere moments all that could be seen of the insect was its

sharp stinger protruding in a vain attempt at stabbing its antagonist like a sewing needle through a sheet.

After a brief pause the spider gingerly leaned in toward the wasp’s head region to deliver a venom-laced nip with her fangs. Once that had been done the spider retired to her resting spot in the web’s center and there she waited for the venom to do its handiwork so that she could later eat her meal in safety.

I’ve seen spiders react to stinging insects this way before, but as though to underscore their uncanny ability to sense danger, early one morning just a few days after the yellow jacket affair, I was moving a piece of garden hose and in so doing dis turbed a large horsefly that had designs on my leg. The robust black fly launched off my leg and in an instant became ensnared in a large circular garden spider web that neither of us had seen. The horsefly was stuck just as the wasp had been in the shed spider’s web and as though sensing it best not struggle too forcefully, unlike the yellow jacket, the fly seemed to be extri cating itself with very delicate movements of its front most legs.

Just when I thought the fly might escape, the spider flinched, tugging the web as she did so. It was clear she distin guished something in her web. A second flinch confirmed it and with sprightly steps she picked her way across the web straight to the fly and without pause, grabbed the insect with her jaws, as a dog would take a favorite toy. She retreated to the web’s center, her new-caught prey clutched in her mouth and only then did she perform the ritualistic food wrap, but this time, deploying barely enough webbing to be seen around the fly. Somehow, this spider knew the stingless fly presented no threat.

These two incidents might be un remarkable were it not for the fact that the black and yellow garden spider is all but completely blind. They may see light and dark, but unless touched, they don’t respond to movements near them. And while this fact may be gleaned from the internet, it is first-hand observations of a spider in its silken web, outdoors in nature that is more likely to propel a curious person, young or old, to become more

familiar with the world around them and with such knowledge, more likely to pro tect rather than eliminate these common, often misunderstood and maybe underap preciated, wonders of backyard nature.

Twice in the past two weeks Commentator Andy Wood has inadvertently contributed to the untimely demise of small creatures near his home, though each incident had all the ingredients needed to inspire an accidental naturalist.

Andy Wood is Education Director of Audubon Carolina, and is the author of Backyard Carolina. His commentaries can be heard every other Monday on WHQR; this commentary originally aired on August 13, and can be heard in the Public Arts section of Web site www.whqr.org.

The Outdoor Classroom— Cultivating a lifelong love of nature!

by Karen Linehan

At the front of our school, just to the left of the main door, is a small area enclosed by a wooden fence. For several years it was just a plain swath of ordinary grass with a row of holly bushes planted tightly against the building. Yet, now this area is an enticing tangle of wildlife-friendly perennials and shrubs that grow in the lush splendor of early autumn. When viewed from outside of the fence, the garden appears impenetrable. Yet through the garden gate one may safely enter and trod upon a mulched path, which winds in figure-eight fashion around two central island plantings. It is here in this miniature jungle that our students may experience all of the many wonders that a garden can offer throughout the year.

An ordinary school ground with grassy play areas and orna mental landscaping will always yield some form of fascinating natural history. One may easily find the silken hammocks of sheetweb spiders in mature shrubbery, or the exquisite earthen egg chambers of mud daubers on aging brick walls. However, an intentional outdoor classroom with enhanced gardens of native plantings will offer a treasure trove of ecological diversity so rich that even the most determined educator will find it challenging to fully integrate it into the curriculum.

Over the last four years our faculty, students, and parents have enthusiastically worked to expand the “walls” of our school building to establish outdoor spaces for the teaching of all subjects. Though our campus is small we have converted several underutilized areas into enchanting cor ridors of learning. Using North Carolina native plants, we are attracting a wide diversity of insects, spiders, birds, reptiles, and mammals that stimulate our students’ natural curiosity about living things. These wildlife oases make our own campus an im mediate resource for catching “teachable” moments and transforming them into longterm studies. Underlying these experiential lessons in science, social studies, math, and literature is the mission of planting a

Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar, which feeds on plants that are members of the carrot family: parsley, dill, fennel, and Queen Anne’s Lace. Stu dents grow parsley and fennel to attract these egg-laying female butterflies.

deeper ethic of conservation. By creating opportunities for students to connect with the natural world on their own school grounds, we are also cultivating a lifelong love for native animals and plants.

During the past several weeks the milkweed in our garden has nourished scores of Monarch caterpillars, which are now metamorphosing into adult butterflies bound for Mexico. The passion-flower that scrambles along our garden fence is adorned by the orange, soft-prickled caterpillars of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly. Green Anoles stalk grasshoppers among the passion-flower leaves while Carpenter bees plumb the nectaries of the vine’s

outrageously designed flowers. If we enter the garden quietly, we may catch sight of a Carolina Wren flitting among the Beautyberry branches laden with bright, purple fruit. We marvel at the increasing height of our October sunflowers that will soon explode into supernovas of yellow flowers eight feet above our heads. We continue to be enraptured by the trans formation of this common plot of grass into an extraordinary habitat for wildlife and learning. And, it is all just outside our classroom doors!

Karen Linehan currently teaches 1st/2nd grade at Friends School of Wilmington and is a former natural science educator with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

The classes plant American Beautyberry (Calli carpa americana) in their garden to attract birds: Carolina wrens, mockingbirds, brown thrashers, and American robins feast on the berries.

photos this page by Karen Linehan

Emily, Preston, and Kate show off milkweed seeds before letting them sail on the wind. The seeds come from butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa).

Profusion of plants in schoolyard garden offers rich learning opportunities for students at the Friends School of Wilmington (primary campus).

sustainable Belly

Malawi is a landlocked country located in southeastern Africa. It is bordered in the north and east by Tanzania, on the east, south and southwest by Mozambique and to the west by Zambia.

Brian Connors | Peace Corps Malawi

A borrowed peanut sheller was used to shell 30 tons of peanuts—called “groundnuts” in Malawi.

Malawi

Full Belly Project Update— Email from Malawi

In response to a request from villagers in Mali, Wilmington resident Jock Brandis invented a peanut sheller that can shell peanuts many times faster than is possible by hand. Sun-dried peanut shells are much harder than the commerciallydried shells found in the U.S., and having an affordable sheller is revolutionizing food processing and crop choices. Through Wilmingtonbased Full Belly Project, shellers are being distributed through many developing countries.

Here is an email Brandis received from a Peace Corps Volunteer, telling how one village used a borrowed sheller to raise seed money to drill a borehole for the village’s first drinking water.

From: Connors, Brian

Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 9:12 AM

To: jock.brandis@fullbellyproject.org

Subject: Malawi Update

Hello, Jock -

I’ve been away on Leave, followed by a training so I haven’t had time to let you know how things are going with the sheller. I got the three sets of parts you sent the other day and this afternoon I walked them over to the metal shop but the guy was out. Will try tomorrow...

The cost will be about $28, and the half bag of cement brings the total cost to about $35 for the whole thing. Add that the value of a few hours over a couple of days and it comes out to be pretty cheap—compared to the lost value of gnuts [groundnuts] that have been sitting in storage for months.

Here is a recent story involving the sheller: New Peace Corps Volunteer Tim Strong was in the office one day 8 weeks ago and we were talking about the gnuts in his village. His community was looking for a way to raise match funding for a borehole (with funding by the Ambassador’s Special Self Help Fund)—Lots of money needed there!

We were standing outside and I pointed to the sheller and told him to take it, as he had a ride to his site that day, and suggested that he introduce it and see if it’d work as a money maker. We talked over some quick

strategies for using it to raise the match money.

Tim took the sheller and demoed it to the Village Development Committee (VDC) the next day, and they hashed out a plan to charge people for shelling nuts. As they were demoing the machine a business man from a nearby village walked by and watched. He spoke up and said that he was in the area to buy gnuts, and they told him of their plan. Well, he asked, would you like to shell the nuts I’ve got and I’ll pay you for the

work? They agreed, and the upshot of it is this: Last Friday, Tim’s VDC completed their contract with the farmer after shelling 16 TONS OF GNUTS! Again, sixteen tons! They did another contract for another farmer for 7 tons, another for 3 tons, and a final one for 4 tons. Final shelled amount was 30 tons in two months. On Monday they returned the machine to me, but they’ve got their match money in the bank. The shelling money wasn’t enough to cover all the match, but they quickly saw success and gathered to raise the rest of the money in several different ways. Borehole digging starts in early September—first potable water in the village. Once the new parts are made, the VDC is going to make their own machine and continue their work. They have plans to press oil, make gnut butter, and want to try mixing chili with the shells to burn overnight in their farms to try to keep elephants out of their farms. They’ve definitely got a eye on the future now.

This work would only have been possible by a dynamic Peace Corps Volunteer—all of 5 weeks in the field—a motivated com munity, and a gnut sheller. I have attached a few pictures here for your pleasure. Tim is the first Volunteer in the village, and he’s a star.

Where we go from here is figuring out how to make a production center, but I think that may resolve itself when more villages get the sheller. Let me know if you or anyone has any questions or suggestions. Take care!

— Brian Brian Connors Peace Corps Malawi

To learn more about the activities of Fully Belly Project, visit www.fullbellyproject.org.

photo by Brian Connors | Peace Corps Malawi Peace Corps Volunteer Tim Strong and a villager in Malawi with a sheller and nuts drying in the background.

business news

Organic Meals “To Go”

Looking for a great homecooked organic meal? Well, Wilmington now has it. Coowners Lori Bailey and Penny Polites have made it possible for all of us to enjoy home-cooked organic meals without the work. Whether you are looking for a quiet evening at home or entertaining family and friends you can now turn to OrganicArt Cuisine for prepared dinners, available for delivery or pick-up.

Bailey has lived in Wilmington for over twenty years. “After viewing a disturb ing movie, Supersize Me, I decid ed to make big changes in my life and daily diet,” says Bailey. The more she researched the state of nutrition the more she became convinced our world is in a self-destructive pattern. Bailey scoured the organic sec

tions of the local grocery stores and began to fill her home with the foods she thought best for her family. Several years later, “I feel great, and not to mention I have lost a few pounds as well,” says Bailey.

Penny Polites, new to our area from Pittsburgh, believes in taking care of herself and her daughter. Part of that is eating simple, healthful foods that have been minimally processed. Seeing the effects of food additives on kids makes her realize that what we eat plays a direct role in who we are emotionally, physically, and mentally. “All the spinach in the world means nothing when it’s been filled with pesticides and all the chemicals needed to mass produce quicker and bigger crops,” says Polites.

A neighborhood coffee house and roaster, locally owned, offering the finest organic & fair trade coffees and teas

1201 Princess Street ★ 910.362.1448

M - F 7am - 5pm

Sat & Sun 8am - 1pm 4023 Market Street ★ 910.762.9511

M - TH 7am - 7pm

Fri 7am - 9am: Live Music 7-9pm Sat & Sun 8am - 4pm

★ THE STORY ★

Folks Cafe is a labor of love of Castle Hayne local Alan Swart and wife Griselda Garcia. After graduate school, Alan served in Nicaragua with the Peace Corps. Working with coffee farmers in Matagalpa, he met Griselda. Returning to Wilmington, they began a business to marry their passion for great coffee and social responsibility. In 2001 Folks opened on 12th and Princess Streets, selling Organic and Fair Trade coffees. With much love and community support, they now bring new life to the quirky location, “the historic Taco Bell building.” What can only be described as warm, welcoming, and colorful, you will enjoy their passion for coffee knowing that only Fair Trade and Organic Coffees and Teas will be served.

Bailey and Polites have turned their personal quest to find fresh, healthful food for their families into a business they hope will help change the way we feed our family and friends. “From the oils to the herbs used you will be assured that your meal is prepared of organic ingredients.”

OrganicArt Cuisine entrees change monthly. Stop by or call to have your dinner selections pre-ordered for delivery or pick-up for a day, a week, or all month.

OrganicArt Cuisine 4606 Maple Ave., Wilmington. Telephone: (910)799-1700. Hours: 11a.m.– 7p.m. Mon–Thurs.

Green Building Center to Open

Elaine and Matt Jack plan to open a building center fea turing only green products in December 2007. The store will be located at Anderson Square, 4113 Oleander Drive, Suite B in Wilmington, and will carry

a wide range of non-toxic and eco-friendly products, includ ing paint, flooring, countertops and partitions, and wall cover ings. For more information, email them at SaponaGreen@ gmail.com.

Tidal Creek Co-op Expands Community Meeting Space

Host your next meeting at Tidal Creek! The Tidal Creek Community Center is located upstairs from Tidal Creek Co-op at 5329 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, North Carolina, and has two rooms available for rent. The Community Center can seat up to 30 people comfortably. This space is open and offers plenty of natural light. The smaller Conference Room is ap propriate for private meetings and can seat up to 12. Tables and chairs are available, as are

electrical outlets. Additional presentation tools and materi als are also available, some for a fee. The tables can be rearranged to suit the meeting and facilitator’s needs. Light refreshments or catering from the Tidal Creek Café are also available for a fee, if requested in advance.

Email april@tidalcreek.coop or call 910-799-2667 ext. 202 to determine room availability or obtain a room request form.

Topsail High School Steps Up to the EV Challenge

by David Ruehle

The Topsail High School Electric Vehicle class was started in 2000, to compete in the EV Challenge, a nationwide winning 5th place overall, and winning the Rookie of the Year award.

alternative fuel education program. That year, the first class, 13 students, converted a 1996 Ford Ranger to solely electric power, and competed in the EV Challenge,

premiere, the Earth Day celebrations, and at events throughout the school district to raise awareness among students in younger grades.

The Topsail High School Electric Vehicle class participates annu ally in the EV Challenge, a program designed to encourage high school students to apply math, science and physics as they rebuild a gasoline-powered vehicle into one that will run on alternative fuel. Student teams compete with teams from throughout the U.S. in the “Final Event,” a two-day rally.

In the 2007 EV Challenge the class won the overall Champion of the Event award for the third straight year. The award-winning Topsail class is pictured here at the Final Event in Raleigh, along with two vehicles the class converted to run on electricity.

Gadget of the Month—

Monitor your gas mileage

It’s not unusual to see Bouty Baldridge driving around Wilmington in one of his electric vehicles. But what does he do when he can’t escape the need for a vehicle with greater range?

Bouty recommends a little device he bought and installed under the dash of his gasoline-powered car; it displays a digital reading of his mileage as well as other realtime information. If he accelerates too fast, he sees his mpg number plummet.

“I think if every car had a gauge to let you know how much fuel you are using at any given moment we could see dramatic reductions of gas usage,” says Baldridge. “It is very helpful in determining the most efficient driving habits.” And he can move it easily from one vehicle to another.

Called a ScanGauge, the device can display up to 4 of 12 possible gauges at one time. It retails for $169.95 (including shipping) at www.scangauge.com.

Since then, the Topsail High School EV class has converted two more vehicles to electric power, a 1992 Toyota Paseo and a 1985 Pontiac Fiero, and has won three national electric vehicle championships. On top of competing with electric vehicles, the class also works to promote alternative fuel research and raise alternative fuel awareness. The class’ electric vehicles can be seen at many functions, such as the Who Killed the Electric Car?

The class’ current project is upgrading the Toyota Paseo. The conversion involves installing a larger motor, a NetGain Technologies WarP9 series wound DC motor. Also being upgraded is the car’s battery pack. Replacing the 13 Trojan 30XHS batteries will be 12 Trojan T-1275 lead acid batteries. After completion of this, the class hopes to expand into the realm of other alternative fuel vehicles, possibly making a hybrid-electric vehicle this year, and will still compete in the newly-christened SMARTT Challenge, the latest permutation of the EV Challenge.

David Ruehle is a student in Topsail High School’s EV class. For more information see www.kickngas.org or www.evchallenge. org, or watch the video at www.youtube. com/watch?v=gy6zItzfk58.

Area Electric Vehicle Chapter Forms

Thanks to the efforts of electric vehicle enthusiast Page Paterson, there is now a Coastal Carolinas chapter of the Electric Automobile Association, or EAA.

The national group serves as an information source on the state of electric vehicle technol ogy worldwide, for its members and the public, and encourages experimentation in the building of electric vehicles (EVs). It promotes improving energy and resource efficiency, reducing emissions, and improving vehicle safety.

Paterson reports there are 48 EAA chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada, with a combined membership of more than 1400

enthusiasts. Local chapter members receive the national newsletter as well as periodic email news updates about developments in the industry.

Learn about the national EAA or download a membership form from Web

site www.eaaev.org. Annual membership is $39 ($25 for students and seniors). All it takes to join the local chapter is to specify when joining the national group that you want to be affiliated with the Coastal Carolinas Chapter. Questions? Email Page Paterson at pagepaterson@mac.com.

Steve Garrett

Bouty Baldridge and Page Paterson discuss the merits of electrically-powered vehicles with attendees of the 2007 Wooden Boat Show, held at Cape Fear Community College.

business briefs & education updates

Milestones & Awards

Christine McElwee, General Manager of Tidal Creek Co-op, attended the 51st Annual Consumer Cooperative Management Association Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin in June. The conference attracted 440 attendees from cooperatives throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Of particular interest was first-hand exposure to CCROPP Cooperative, whose more than 1100 member-famers sell their products under the Organic Valley

Family of Farms label: Organic Valley (dairy/eggs/produce), Organic Prairie (meat) and Organic Logistics (fleets, biodiesel). CCROPP has two facilities in North Carolina; Organic Valley products are available locally at Tidal Creek, Lovey’s and Harris Teeter.

Victor E. Brown, Jr., owner of Solar Weather Works, LLC, received a Renewable Energy Technologies diploma from NC State in August.

Brown, a member of the NC GreenPower Speaker’s Bureau, attended the Annual Meeting of Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation on September 22 at Odell Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College. He spoke informally about the NC GreenPower program with many of the nearly 3,000 members of the co-op attending the meeting. [To arrange for a speaker from NC GreenPower to address your organiza tion, contact Lane Smith at (866)533-NCGP or (919)857-9013.]

Steve Mott and Shannon Rippy of Mott Landscaping, Inc. have completed the following courses offered by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities: Green Roof Design 101 (Atlanta, GA); Green Roof Infrastructure: Design & Installation 201; Green Walls 101: Introduction to Systems & Design (Minneapolis, MN); and Green Roof Waterproofing and Drainage 301 (San Francisco, CA). Rippy’s first green roof project upon her return was the rooftop of Mott Landscaping’s office on Queen Street, downtown Wilmington. [See article, page 21.] Information on Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is available at www.green roofs.org.

Shore bird expert Robin Wood is now in Asheville, NC starting classes at

UNC–Asheville’s environmental studies program. Many of us have enjoyed nature walks led by Robin.

New Location for CFGBA

Due to standing-room-only crowds all year, the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance has moved its monthly meetings to The Balcony on Dock Street, above Roudabush’s and Yosake. Look for the CFGBA sign at the back entrance (the one with a street-level elevator) on Dock. Come early or stay late for dinner at Yosake.

Cape Fear River Watch Big Sweep Report

Cape Fear River Watch is happy to re port that on September 29, 2007 another successful cleanup of Greenfield Lake was executed. 65 volunteers and two CFRW staff members participated in the muchneeded Big Sweep of the 100-acre lake. Approximately 72 bags were collected, weighing in at over 500 hundred pounds of garbage.

NC Aquarium Photo Contest

The North Carolina Aquariums are seeking excellent underwater photos from amateur photographers. Each year, the state’s three public aquariums conduct an Underwater Photography Competition, designed for amateur and non-profes sional photographers. There is no entry fee; entries may be digital or print, and must be postmarked by December 31, 2007. Sponsored by East Carolina Bank, the contest highlights the state’s rich aquatic resources. For submission details visit www.ncaquariums.com/aqnews.htm or call 1-800-832-FISH (3474).

2008 Cape Fear Nature Calendar

Cape Fear River Watch, the environ mental nonprofit entity that protects and improves the water quality of the Cape Fear River Basin, is creating a nature calendar for 2008 local nature photos of the Cape Fear Region. The calendar will be sold throughout the Wilmington area with all proceeds going to Cape Fear River Watch to help fund its many environmen tal programs.

For information on purchasing a calendar, email spyboy_024@yahoo.com or carolinanaturalist@yahoo.com. Or you can call 910.264.6986 or 910.762.5606.

book suggestions from Pomegranate Books

The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live

Sarah Susanka Taunton Press • $22.95

Susanka’s book was one of the first to advocate a literal smaller footprint as a way to tread lightly upon the planet. She reviews 25 homes (new and remodeled, from all over the U.S.), which exemplify the concept of qual ity over quantity. She asks us to build only what we need for the activities we perform on a routine basis. Truly a guide to a simpler but richer life.

The staff at Pomegranate Books offer some of their favorite books highlighting the green building theme of this first issue.

A Green Roof Comes to Wilmington

The first thing Mott Landscaping’s Shannon Rippy did upon her return from her recent green roof certifica tion class was to install this green roof on the front portion of Mott’s of fice in Wilmington.

A “green roof” is the result of plant ing rooftop vegeta tion in 2 inches or more of growing medium. Here, small plants are potted in a medium that is only 1/8 the weight of regular soil; the root ball is bundled in a fabric designed to disinte grate as the young plants fill in the space. The plants will absorb rain falling on the roof and thus diminish stormwater runoff to the nearby Cape Fear River.

A vantage point looking out the second story win dow shows a closeup of the young plants and the red rain drainage channels running between the plant-filled areas.

Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House

Carol Venolia and Kelly Lerner

Lark Books • $24.95

So, you want a sustainable and envi ronmentally friendly house but not everyone has the luxury of starting from scratch. With Kelly Lerner and Carol Venolia’s designs and advice, learn how you can go green by renovating an existing home.

The Natural House

Daniel D. Chiras

Chelsea Green • $35.00

This book takes an in-depth look at natural building methods, from Straw Bale to Papercrete. It is es sential to those wanting to build an economical, environmentallyconscious and energy-efficient home using the most innovative and natural products available.

This view from the street shows the slope of the green roof covering the front porch of Mott Land scaping’s office building, which contains approxi mately 150 young plants. The patterns formed over the surface of the porch roof will evolve over time as the plantings mature.

Calendar Guests welcome at monthly meetings of area organizations, unless marked “members only.”

Send us your calendar items! Email information to calendar@ goinggreenpublications.com, or call 910.547.4390. The online version of the calendar is updated weekly. January and February items received by December 12 are candidates for our print calendar as well.

November 8

Film “Everything’s Cool,” a hot documentary about global warming from the producers of “Blue Vinyl,” will be shown at the 13th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival. 12:30 p.m. at Thalian Hall. Tickets available in advance at cucalorus.org or at Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess Street, Wilmington. $7 at the door, or a $50 Screening Pass for access to your choice of 120 films.

November 14

Airlie Gardens bird hikes, 2nd Wednesday of each month, with environmental educators. 8 a.m. at Garden Services Center. Free to members, or free with admis sion. Bring your own binoculars, if you have any. 910.798.7700 or www.airliegardens.org.

November 17 NC Native Plant Society plant

walk to collect seeds from native plants. CFCC north campus. For details email Duane Truscott at truscottd@bellsouth.net or call 910.675.1205.

November 20

Cape Fear Green Building Alliance meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month. The Balcony, 3rd floor of Roudabush building, corner of So. Front & Dock Street, Wilmington. 7–9 p.m. For details check newslet ter on www.cfgba.org.

November 24

Airlie Plant Walk, 10–11:30 a.m. Plant Walks are the 4th Wednesday of each month with Head of Gardens. Free to members, or free with admission. www.airliegardens. org or 910.798.7700.

November 28

Airlie Gardens: Growing Like a Weed! 9–10:30 a.m. New preschool program for Little Sprouts (chil dren ages 2–5) and their parents. November program is “Birds and Bugs.” www.airliegardens.org.

November 30

UNC–TV airs two episodes of Exploring North Carolina:

1:30–2:00 a.m. “Birds of Winter” features snow geese and tundra

Calendar

swans, migratory waterfowl that winter throughout the state in staggering numbers. 9:30–10:00 p.m. “Invaders Among Us” high lights invasive plant & animal species.

December 1

Environmental seminar 9–11 a.m. (1st Saturday of the month), Cape Fear River Watch. Guest speaker from NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher. 910.762.5606 or www.cfrw.us.

December 2

Black River Mistletoe Kayak Tour 10 a.m.–4 p.m. View mistletoe in its natural habitat, learn about its life cycle, and harvest some to hang

over your honey at home on this kayak day tour. Includes basic instruction to kayaking. Transportation and equipment are provided. Cost is $60; register by Nov. 26. 910.341.0836 or info@adventurepathways.com.

December 12

Airlie Gardens bird hike with environmental educators. 8 a.m. at Garden Services Center. Free to members, or free with admission. Bring your own binoculars, if you have any. www. airliegardens.org or 910.798.7700.

December 13

Cape Fear Biofuels meets the 2nd Thursday of the month, 6–8 p.m. in Tidal Creek Co-op community room, 5329 Oleander Drive, Wilmington. www.capefearbiofuels.org.

December 15

Aquarist Apprentice PM, for ages 10 and up. 2 p.m. at NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Take a behind-the-scenes tour, help prepare animal diets, and participate in some daily care and maintenance tasks. Includes an animal feeding. Price $20. Call 910.458.7468 or email danielle.wallace@ncmail.net for reservations.

December 19

Airlie Gardens: Growing Like a Weed! 9–10:30 a.m. New preschool program for Little Sprouts (children ages 2–5) and their parents. December program is “Wild in the Winter.” www.airliegardens.org.

For additional calendar listings, visit our Web site at www.goinggreenpublications.com.