Go Green - Whidbey Island Green Guide 2014

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Energy efficient can also be comfortable page 2

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WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

A nature-friendly home that’s comfortable

By JESSIE STENSLAND

A large, craftsman-style house in Langley is proof that environmentally friendly residences can be beautiful, functional and comfortable.

Rebecca Stults and Barbara Banfield, a married couple, have been living in their new, 3,200-square-foot home for about a year and have found that it is an extremely pleasant atmosphere.

The couple had been living in an old, drafty home in Seattle and decided to move to Whidbey Island a few years ago. To help them build their dream home, they turned to Damon Arndt, a Langleybased designer-builder and owner of Next Generation Design Build. He focuses on quality and environmentally responsible homes, according to his website.

They worked with him to design and build a two-story house that utilizes both passive and active solar energy and features many re-used items and materials.

Whidbey Sun and Wind analyzed their property before they purchased it to maximize the solar energy potential by the siting of the house. They had to remove just a couple of trees on the property to make it work.

As Banfield explained, the house has many large, southfacing windows, which capture heat from the sun in the winter.

The windows have overhangs, which block the sun when it’s higher in the sky in the summer, keeping the house cool.

The roof is covered with solar panels, which convert photons from the sun to energy. Under a Puget Sound Energy program, they get credit for the extra energy the panels produce beyond what they need and it is “banked” against their energy bill, Banfield said.

“We didn’t have to start paying anything until January,” she said.

The house is also well-insulated. Structural insulated panels, known as SIPs, line the roof. They consistent of insulating foam sandwiched between two boards; they have very high insulating properties.

As a result, the house stays cozy.

“We didn’t need to turn on the heat until the middle of November,” Stults said.

The house is heated with a wood stove in the living room and old-fashioned, hot-water radiators. They didn’t want forced air heating, which can be harsh and blow dust around, so they found some old radiators at a second-hand shop. It took a lot of elbow grease to clean them up, but they agree it was worth it.

“It’s a gentle heat that just envelops you,” Banfield said.

Stultz, who worked at Boeing her entire career, incorporated a piece of the company into the house.

The large beams crisscrossing the ceiling come from historic Boeing Plant 2, which was demolished a few years ago.

The handsome floor is

Jessie Stensland photos

Above: A Langley home owned by Rebecca Stults and Barbara Banfield utilizes both passive and active solar energy. Right: Barbara Banfield stands in the giant kitchen of the eco-friendly house that utilizes salvaged materials. salvaged myrtle wood from Oregon. The fixtures in the house come from secondhand shops.

The basement is below ground level, so it stays at a constant, cool temperature.

It makes it perfect for their exercise room and root cellar, which doubles as a wine cellar.

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Page 3

LABOR OF LOVE

Key to ridding island of noxious weeds is community education

By JANIS REID

Famous as the plant that killed Socrates, poison hemlock is one of several dangerous plants that grow on Whidbey Island.

While strides have been made through education and volunteer work to rid the island of these invasive plants, more can always be done, according to Janet Stein, noxious weed coordinator for Island County.

“Here it’s really going to take a community effort,” Stein said.

As a smaller county, Island County does not have the inspectors and removal teams that other larger counties might have.

So for Island County, Stein said, education is key.

“The thing about Island County is we don’t have a big budget for our program here,” Stein said.

And the game plan is not always cut and dried.

Noxious weeds are undesirable non-native plants that have economic, ecological or aesthetic implications, according to the WSU Extension Service. Noxious weeds are often highly destructive and extremely competitive with native

plants, making them very difficult to control.

The impact of these plants varies, but can be quite damaging. For a farmer, noxious weeds can ruin crops and grazing lands.

For city dwellers, the weeds can overcome gardens and pathways, and decrease home values. They can also destroy valuable natural resources like wetlands and animal habitats.

Depending on which of four classifications noxious weeds fall in, landowners could be required to simply control the plant or completely eradicate it whenever possible.

Class A weeds are plants whose presence in Washington is still limited.

Preventing new infestations and eradicating existing infestations are required by law. Class B weeds are limited to certain areas of the state. Class C weeds are the noxious weeds that are already widespread and control enforcement is allowed on a county level, if desired.

The county’s most common noxious weeds include tansy ragwort, a yellow flowering plant that is toxic to livestock; purple loosestrife,

Photos provided

Above: Workers remove the noxious weed Hairywillow. Right: Maybe one of the most well-known noxious weeds in the area, scotchbroom is known for its bright yellow color. a wild flowering plant that is known to take over and destroy wetlands; spartina, a grass-like plant, that takes over shorelines and requires eradication; and Canada thistle, which grows pink flowering pods and can take over farmer crops.

While some are more common than others, Island County’s noxious weed list spans to pages and lists more than 100 plants.

“I think everybody has to be aware,” Stein said. “Even small lots can be a source of the weed seeds.”

Stein said the noxious plants are often introduced quite innocently, like seeds

stuck on clothing or a gardener bringing a plant home from a trip abroad.

While not all non-native plants are bad for the island, Stein said some behave better than others.

The state has required landowners to control the noxious weeds within their property since 1881. But not until 1969 was there active enforcement of that requirement.

Island County has its own Noxious Weed Control Board that implements laws and guidelines of the state code and works in collaboration with Washington State University Extension to pro-

vide education to landowners and the community.

The WSU Extension website provides information and pictures of all the noxious weeds so that landowners can identify them and find out how to deal with them.

Stein said people are also welcome to contact her office with questions or e-mail her a picture of the plant in ques-

tion.

Landowners can then work with the WSU Extension office to implement the correct controls. In some cases, a small amount of state funding can be acquired to assist property owners control or eradicate the weeds.

Questions about noxious weeds can directed to 360678-7992.

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WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

Gardening for the environment Wildlife, bugs welcome at one Whidbey residence

By RON NEWBERRY

Ron Newberry photos

Although they aren’t native to the area, an assortment of mosses and grasses cover some of the garden beds at Carol and Marshall Goldberg’s home. The quarter-acre property has no lawn, only pathways that lead to large expanses of a landscape that features tall grasses, perennials and water features.

en n!” e r “G lea C a nd

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

For Carol Goldberg, her idea of beauty in her garden is a few notches taken out of leaves and Carol Goldberg, a former high school biology teacher, preaches the benefits tall grasses left to wither and turn of native plants in landscaping At her home on North Whidbey, her garden includes lots of native sword ferns and a ground covering shrub with red berbrown.

These are signs that her garden ries called Arctostaphylos uva ursi. The plant produces white or pink blooms. is healthy and doing its part to pro“More than one-third of all anivide a more natural environment raise young. mal species worldwide are insects Nowhere on her property is friendly to insects and wildlife. that eat plants,” Goldberg said. there a lawn.

“Once you discover that one of “Lawns are basically sterile of “They convert plant tissue to your bushes is being eaten by catsupport for biodiversity,” Goldberg insect tissue, which in turn are erpillars, you get bragging rights,” said.

“They don’t support any of eaten by omnivores, and the predaGoldberg said. tors eat the omnivores. It works up our native animals.”

Goldberg is strong advocate of Goldberg can’t stress enough to the chain.” environmentally-friendly garden That’s why Goldberg gets excitgardeners the importance of incorpractices, and backs it up in her ed when she sees a few munch porating native plants into their hilly landscape at home on North marks on a plant’s leaves. landscapes.

Whidbey.

With bird populations declining She was a speaker at the A former high school biology significantly in the past 40 years, teacher, she preaches the benefits Whidbey Gardeners Workshop she said insects should no longer of native plants and other yard fea- earlier this month in Oak Harbor, be looked at as the bad guy. tures that appeal to certain insects where she gave a presentation on “Birds time their reproduction creating wildlife habitat with native to peak caterpillar reproduction,” and small animals alike.

A sign in her yard reveals that plants and the conservation ben- Goldberg said. “Caterpillars have her property is a National Wildlife efits of doing so. more protein than beef. But when She is trying to dispel myths the “Our Cascade Project Manager took Federation certified “Backyard insect ‘ownership’ population diminishes, about insects andHis provide facts Wildlife Habitat,” meaning itof pro-our remodel. ‘pride in ownership’ showssuccess so does the reproductive vitalcompeted place in the food vides the four basic habitat ele- about their of the birds and of theirteam predators.” throughout the project.

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Page 5

To get her property certified as a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, Carol Goldberg needed it to provide food, water, cover and places to raise young. The quarteracre property on North Whidbey features all of that. She doesn’t fret about grasses that turn brown and wither, knowing they might provide a temporary hideout for a salamanders, frogs or other creatures. Goldberg isn’t so concerned about a plant’s beauty than its function. She is often delighted to see a notch taken out of one of her plants, knowing that it might’ve served a caterpillar or moth that depends on that species.

do the insects that feed on them,” she said.

Goldberg plants certain native Goldberg doesn’t prescribe a plants in her garden to try to yard exclusively bearing native attract specific species of moths species of plants. Her own yard is and butterflies. full of more common, non-native She knows that a certain type of species that add color and beauty red alder will attract a Pale Tiger to her landscape.

Swallowtail butterfly.

But she maintains a blend, tryA Mourning Cloak butterfly ing to help with biodiversity. likes Red Stem Dogwoods.

Goldberg said she also doesn’t Although some insects are able fret about tidying her garden too to feed from a variety of plants, much, knowing dried grasses there are others that can only offer shelter for wildlife such as digest a few related plants or one salamanders and perhaps nesting specific species of plants, Goldberg material for birds. said.

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structural diversity in your garden is a good way to encourage wildlife.

Planting shrubs with berries such as Huckleberry, Elderberry, Cascara and Mountain Ash are good attractants for birds.

He suggested leaving taller snags on your property for birds to feed in and create cavities to nest.

Making a jagged cut, and not flush, leaves the snag looking more natural and appealing to the eye, Bevis said.

“You’d be surprised how quickly woodpeckers and birds use it as a feeding post,” Bevis said.

The more natural the setting, the more in harmony it is with nature.

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FROM WILDLIFE, PAGE 4

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Page 6

WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

Puget Sound starts here

Agency aims to educate and empower public on regional waterways

By JUSTIN BURNETT

It’s estimated that 140,000 pounds of toxic chemicals make their way to Puget Sound every day, from pollutants such as petroleum, copper and lead to zinc and polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly knowns as PCBs. About 75 percent of those toxins make their way to Puget Sound by stormwater runoff from roads, driveways, rooftops, even people’s yards.

Local harbor seals are seven times more contaminated with PCBs than those in Canada’s Strait of Georgia, and transient and southern resident orcas are believed to be among the most PCBcontaminated mammals on the planet.

The above are all facts listed on the website of Puget Sound Starts Here, a grassroots open source campaign that aims to educate and empower the public to do their part in cleaning up the region’s waterways.

“It’s from snowcaps to whitecaps,” said Alicia Lawver, a spokeswoman for

Puget Sound Partnership.

“We’re all part of the problem and part of the solution. We can all make a difference.”

Puget Sound Partnership, a state agency, is one of about 750 Western Washington organizations partnered with Puget Sound Starts Here.

Essentially a coalition or network, it was created as a mechanism to unite past efforts of individual public and private agencies under a single and cohesive banner, all of which are working to improve water quality across the region.

An open resource for the hundreds of different partners, information is shared through a structure that is more bottom-up than topdown.

“It’s less an organization and more of a movement,” Lawver said. “It’s a way of thinking.”

It’s also a shot in the arm for local and like-minded groups, such as Whidbey ECO Network, which is composed of 20 different organizations, from various Washington State University Extension programs and

Photos provided

Above: Washington State University Beach Watchers of Island County leads students to the beach at Camp Casey Conference Center to help them learn about Puget Sound through direct experience. Right: The artwork is from a third grade student whose class with Service, Education & Adventure (SEA) studied important things the public can do to protect Puget Sound.

Pacific Rim Institute to non-profit groups like Orca Network, Goosefoot and the Whidbey Audubon Society.

While Whidbey ECO Network has many local partners — it’s one of 11 networks around the region — Puget Sound Starts Here and the Puget Sound Partnership are an important educational and financial resource.

A $10,000 grant is helping Whidbey ECO Network fund Whidbey Earth & Ocean Month, which takes place in April.

“They are a vital partner,” said Susie Richards, coordinator of Whidbey ECO Network.

Another arm of the campaign is to directly reach the public and is accomplished largely through the Puget Sound Starts Here website, which is managed by Puget Sound Partnership.

The online resource focuses on efforts everyone can do at home, from encouraging the sparing use of fertilizers and pesticides and keeping your car in tip-top shape to

limit leaking pollutants to picking up pet waste.

“It’s simple everyday things that can really make a difference,” Richards said.

Pollution in Puget Sound isn’t from a single contributor and the solution won’t come from a single organization

either. The problem is cumulative and the result of daily life, Lawver said. Cleaning will take wide-spread action on a community scale.

“And it starts with every one of us,” Lawver said.

“We all need to work together.”

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Page 7

School group taking steps to help ecology Whidbey ECO Network finds student support

By BEN WATANABE

Students at South Whidbey High School have small plans to make a big difference in the environmental health of Whidbey Island and Puget Sound.

Their goal: encourage and empower their peers to find simple ways of reducing waste.

About 20 active members of the school’s Green Team, backed by the environmental group Whidbey ECO (Education, Communication, Outreach) Network, are working to get students to give up paper and plastic lunch bags in favor of reusable boxes.

“We’ve noticed a lot of people, since it’s convenient, take their lunches in plastic grocery bags and paper bags,” said Sophie Nilsen, the Green Team’s vice president.

“That’s a waste.”

They have been assembling a collection of metal lunch boxes and reusable lunch bags, including thermal ones that keep foods cold, that students can buy from them at a nominal cost.

So far, their collection ranges from a simple green thermal bag with a zipper to elaborate collectible metal boxes with “The Muppets” on them. said Caitlyn Workman, Green Team club president. They noticed a growing trend for students using vintage metal boxes and wanted to use it as a springboard for a small environmental change.

That’s just a small example of what Whidbey ECO Network has done in schools on Whidbey Island. In April, the network has plans to work with several schools as part of the Whidbey Earth and Ocean Month ahead of Earth Day. At South Whidbey High School, they will work with the Green Team to put speakers in every science class that will focus on Whidbey’s environment and the Puget Sound ecology.

“If we don’t connect to young people, what’s the point,” said Susie Richards, the network’s coordinator.

“Children, they have a role,” she later added. “They can be marginalized then suddenly expected to know what it means [to be environmentally conscious].”

Whidbey ECO Network brought students from Broad View Elementary School in Oak Harbor to the South End of the island for a week of lessons. Richards, a former teacher, described the network as a “go-to resource” that offers field trips and lessons to schools. Students can use its website as an online research tool for reports and papers.

“It’s meeting education content needs but also introducing students to real issues,” she said.

The South Whidbey Green Team, which partnered with Whidbey ECO Network this year — its second as a club — has caught the spirit of environmental outreach. Nilsen and Workman said the club visited South Whidbey Elementary School earlier in the school year to speak with students about what recycling is, how to separate recyclable materials and spoke about “Garbage

Ben Watanabe photo

Whidbey ECO Network coordinator Susie Richards meets with South Whidbey High School Green Team club president Caitlyn Workman and vice president Sophie Nilsen to present the school’s reusable lunch bag and water bottle program.

Island,” the floating mass of plastic bottles in the Pacific Ocean that is estimated to be as large as Texas. They laughed when recalling the impact high school students had on them as elementary school-age children.

“A couple of them were really interested, which gives me hope,” Workman said.

Three tips from Whidbey ECO Network coordinator Susie Richards for helping Whidbey and Puget Sound’s ecology: 1. Scoop the poop: Dog and pet animal feces have caused problems in Puget Sound, such as a shellfish ban in Holmes Harbor. Keep a small plastic bag or a corn-based bag that more easily breaks down in landfills to pick up after a dog when going for a walk.

2. Be aware of what goes down the drain: People should be informed about what they flush. Even though much of Whidbey Island uses septic systems, the stormwater still flows out to Puget Sound. For motivation, Richards said to look at the debris that gets stuck or tossed in stormwater ditches, and don’t add to that pollution.

3. Grow gardens: Edible lawns are in fashion, such as replacing grass in the front lawn with a raised garden to plant tomatoes and beans.

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Page 8

WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

Recycled, reused Langley repurposed artist’s work comprised of ‘found’ materials

Celeste Erickson photos

By CELESTE ERICKSON

Langley artist John Long is used to working with fine materials. He is known for creating Northwest coast-style carvings and masks with precision and symmetry.

But, in the past few years Long has experimented with materials outside of his normal set — mostly from the dump.

Long has used his skills as a carver to create whimsical birds out of repurposed materials. The birds are made from a wood base and finished with materials he finds

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from various sources.

“It’s fun for me, going out and finding other materials, it’s what makes it interesting,” Long said.

He started his creations after longtime friend and fellow woodcarver Roy Foster inspired him to try something different with his art and work with different materials.

After seeing photographs of sculptures made from various objects, Long decided to create his own work made from repurposed materials.

To date, Long has created three bird sculptures and is working on the fourth.

His first three include a crow, pelican and vulture.

A far cry from the fine cedars of his carvings, Long used everyday firewood as the base for the three unusual bird sculptures.

But carving the base is the easy part. For Long, what takes the most time is finding the best material to adorn the bird. Long considers everything from the feathers to the beak to the environment of each bird.

One easy source for materials was bicycle shops. Long sought them out to find inner tubes to cut and lay flat for feathers of

his crow sculpture called “Thief 2.”

“The bike shops were thrilled because they just dump them out anyway,” he said.

“I have enough inner tubes to last a lifetime,” he said jokingly.

For the crow, Long wanted to craft a scene depicting the bird’s nature of thievery. Long used materials such as a zipper and soda can tab to surround the crow.

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Left: John Long carves out the body of a kiwi bird for his fourth sculpture featuring repurposed materials. Long is known for his work in Northwest coast style carvings and masks, but has found a new joy creating his whimsical birds. Below: John Long’s work called “Thief 2” features a crow made from bicycle inner tube as the feathers, rebar as the legs, and “stuff” a crow would gather. Long sought materials from bike shops, thrift stores and in nature.

“I found those by hanging out in junk shops,” he said.

Long also used found objects such as bicycle tire tread, an angler’s net, fabric and rebar in the other sculptures.

“I don’t try to make them beautiful,” he said. “I want to make them funky and SEE ART, PAGE 9

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“A Greening Congregation” 360-221-4233

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

“I want to make it in a way for viewers to say, ‘How did you do that?’ and ‘I never would have thought of that.’”

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FROM ART, PAGE 8

humorous.”

Long is currently starting his fourth bird, a kiwi. He said he is excited to show the bird’s personality, which he described as “a funny bird.”

For this sculpture, Long’s biggest challenge is finding the best material to illustrate the kiwi’s fur-like feathers.

The top contender is a roll of twine he died orange and plastic twine.

For the beak Long found an antique curling iron from the 1920s from his hairdresser.

Finding a way to use his found objects are moments Long enjoys.

“Beaks are particularly fun for me in contrast to the body,” he said.

For him, the birds have become a way to counterbalance his creativity from the carvings.

“The birds were completely out of

John Long, artist

nowhere,” said Long’s wife Camille. “It’s fun to see him be creative with materials.”

Camille Long works at Whidbey Art Gallery and hears viewers’ responses to his work.

Long said people are surprised to figure out the materials used on each bird, and often find the bike tires cool.

“It’s fun to see that reaction,” she said.

That response from viewers is exactly what Long set out to achieve.

“I want to make it in a way for viewers to say ‘How did you do that?’ and ‘I never would have thought of that,’ ” Long said of his creations.

“It’s playing, really,” he said. “Being in my own world, it’s like my little grown-up sandbox.”

Long’s repurposed work is currently featured at Whidbey Art Gallery, 220 2nd St., Langley. For more information visit www. whidbeyartists.com or call 360-221-7675.

Above: John Long’s work called the “Bone Collector” features a vulture made from bicycle tire, feathers, Thera-band and pop rivets. Long scavenged for the materials at bike shops, thrift stores and in nature. Right: John Long’s work called “Gone Fishing” features a pelican made with bicycle tires, a shelf bracket, angler’s net, fabric, nails, rebar, zip ties, wire and fishing lures. Long said it was a challenge finding a material for the beak and pouch.

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To make reservations, call (360) 679-4003 or (877) 679-4003 or visit

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WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

Making ‘green’ choices in everday life is easy It’s the simple, everyday choices in life that can have the most impact on the environment around you.

For those who want to save energy, reduce their carbon footprint and aid in the overall movement of improving the environment, there are steps you can take everyday to make that happen.

Melody Kuschnereit, coordinator for the Sustainable Whidbey Coalition and outreach partner for the Community Energy Challenge sends out regular tips called “Green Bites” to her membership.

While Sustainable Whidbey’s membership is composed mostly of businesses, she said she likes to share ideas and facts that anyone can use, whether it’s at home or in the office.

“Smaller things are more achievable,” she said.

Green Bites include information on how to save energy, using less-toxic products, tips for reducing waste and more.

The Sustainable Whidbey Coalition is a network of leaders directly involved in fostering sustainability on Whidbey Island. The coalition was formed in 2007 as a collaborative response to global climate change and local implications.

Sustainable Whidbey promotes the Whidbey Green Seal, which is a free certificate program that publicly recognizes organizations that actively implement resource conser vation measures, demonstrate a culture of environmental awareness in their operational activities and proactive social responsibility in the community.

puter towers and laptop computers free of charge as a part of the E-Cycle Washington Program.

Tips on making everday “green” choices:

n Turn off your engine when you stop for a minute or two. It is a myth that it’s more fuel efficient to leave your engine running for a few minutes rather than turn it off and restart it.

n When cleaning out your office, keep in mind that Island Recycling accepts televisions, monitors, com-

n Use non-toxic cleaning solutions whenever possible. Non-toxic cleaners are available at almost all of Whidbey’s grocery and hardware stores. You can also search online for easy ways to make your own non-toxic cleaners. n Reduce fax-related paper waste by using a fax-modem and by using a fax cover sheet only when necessar y. Fax-modems allow documents to be sent directly from a computer, without requiring a printed hard copy. n Make sure your faucet has an aerator. Aerators reduce water flow by 25 percent while producing a water stream that is every bit as good for washing dishes, hand, or fruits and vegetables. n Screen-savers generally do not save energy.

In fact, certain graphicsintensive screen savers can cause the computer to burn twice as much energy, and may actually prevent a computer from entering sleep mode. n Plants can serve as natural air filters.They improve indoor air quality by removing pollutants such as formaldehyde (which is found in carpeting, upholstery, particle board and electronics). Some plants that work well in an office environment include: Boston Fern, Dracena, English Ivy, Peace Lilly, Philodendron, Snake Plants and Spider Plants.

CLIFTON VIEW HOMES For over 24 years, Whidbey Island's clear leader in environmentally excellent construction. Now specializing in Net-Zero and Positive NRG™ Homes. CLIFTVH972C5

Some of your Neighbors can now Power their Cars with the Extra Energy produced by their House! Can Your House do that? www.Zero-EnergyPlans.com (360)969-2363

n Nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries and Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) rechargeable batteries are the most highly recommended, longest lasting batteries you can buy. n Don’t just throw it away.

Unwanted household and office items — furniture, books, appliances, office supplies, electronics and more — can be donated to help your local environment and local community. Donations made to local second-hand stores support local nonprofits in your community and help the environment by reducing waste. n To save your colored printer ink when printing a black and white document, go to “printer properties.” Click the “Color” tab.

Check the box for “print in grayscale” and then click the box for “black print cartridge only.” n LED bulbs last up to 25 years, use up to 80 percent less energy, are dimmable and produce the same quality and brightness of light that customers are used to getting from old incandescent bulbs. n If you have a manual thermostat or no thermostat at all, one way to save energy and money this fall and winter is to install a programmable thermostat. When installed and used with the four preprogrammed temperature settings for weekend and weekdays, you can save about $100 each year while staying comfortable. n In the colder months when the windows are closed, indoor air quality becomes more of an issue. Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won’t off-gas

toxic chemicals. n Consider shopping online, if you really can’t find everything on your list locally. To have 10 pounds of packages shipped by overnight air uses 40 percent less fuel than driving yourself round-trip to the mall, according to the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions.

How do you earn a Whidbey Green Seal?

If you own or run an organization with a public location on Whidbey Island, you can fill out an application online at sustainablewhidbey.org/projects/greenseal The program includes 7 categories of which successful applicants qualify by meeting at least 50 percent of the criteria in at least four categories.

What are the qualifying categories?

1) Energy 2) Transportation 3) Water Conservation 4) Waste and Toxic Pollution Reduction 5) Community 6) Local 7) Purchasing

n Adjusting the thermostat by just two degrees is the equivalent of losing 2,000 pounds of carbon emissions annually and almost $100 in energy costs.

What can I do/ How can I get involved?

Membership: Organizations directly involved in fostering sustainability on Whidbey are invited to become a member of the Sustainable Whidbey Coalition (SWC). Membership forms are available on our website.

Affiliate Membership: Anyone who wants to financially support the SWC, but does not otherwise qualify as a full Member is welcome to join as an Affiliate member. Affiliate forms are available on our website.

Shop Local: When you are doing your shopping, try to stay local. Shopping locally supports your friends and neighbors, reduces carbon emissions from traveling, and keeps your tax dollars local. When you really can’t find what you need on Island, try shopping online.

Shop Green: Remember to bring your own bag, and look for the Whidbey Green Seal!

n Check air ducts to ensure that as much warm air as possible is delivered through your central system, check the ductwork and wrap any leaks with duct mastic. Distribution losses (what’s lost while air is transported from your furnace through ductwork to the vents) often amounts to 30 percent. Sealing ductwork could increase efficiency and the warm air received considerably, keeping you warmer and making the furnace work less. n If you have a woodburning fireplace, save your ashes in a tin instead of throwing them away. Cold wood ashes can be mixed in your compost heap to create a valuable soil amendment that provides nutrients to your garden. n Reduce your carbon footprint. Leaving your car at home twice a week can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1,600 pounds per year. n Did you know: For every trash can of waste you put outside for the trash collector, about 70 trash cans of waste are used in order to create that trash.

To reduce the amount of waste you produce, buy products in returnable and recyclable containers and

recycle as much as you can. n Don’t heat your freezer.

Site heat-producing appliances away from refrigeration equipment. It is not uncommon to see grilling or frying equipment next to coolers and freezers. n Did you know most paper plates and napkins are compostable? If there’s anything worse than plastic plates, it just might be their Styrofoam counterparts.

One of the easiest things you can do to go green is to reach for biodegradable plates, cups and cutlery when you’re shopping for your soiree this summer. n Residential irrigation and other outdoor uses can account for up to 40 percent of water consumption.

Growing the future • • • • •

Organic pea patches available Organic CSA produce shares available Extensive walking trails Loganberry Festival July 26 & 27 “Back to the Farm” New Rainwater Catchment & Rain Garden projects Wonn Road & Highway 525 • Greenbank 360-678-7700 • www.greenbankfarm.org

For more efficient watering practices, consider collecting rainwater and use native plants and drought-tolerant plants in your landscaping. n Winterize your vehicle by checking air filter and fluid levels, tires for tread wear and proper inflation, and the condition of your windshield wipers. Ensuring your vehicle is ready for weather changes will reduce damage, which prevents waste from broken parts. n Select cold-start compact fluorescent, highpressure sodium, or metal halide lights for outdoor lighting. If you leave lights on all night, use light-sensor controls that automatically turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn.

Help Keep Whidbey’s Watersheds Healthy!

• Help us restore and maintain special places for fish & wildlife • Learn how to use native plants • Be a volunteer teacher at the Maxwelton Outdoor Classroom All ages and school districts welcome

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE

Whidbey Watershed Stewards www.whidbeywatersheds.org • (360) 579-1272 info@whidbeywatersheds.org

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

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360-333-8805

SUMMIT

GSERVICES ARDEN , LLC

S ERVING ALL OF W HIDBEY I SLAND Before

Before

After

G ARDEN R ESTORATION M AINTENANCE P RUNING / ALL T YPES M ULCH / G RAVEL / S TONE I NSTALLATION

B RUSH / G RASS / W EED C LEARING D EBRIS H AULING AND… Much More!

After

Contact Information: Todd Heppner 360-333-8805 PO Box 1344 Coupeville, WA 98239 theppner@earthlink.net

www.summitgardenservicesllc.com Facebook@SummittGarden

LIC.# SUMMINGS871NE

BONDED & INSURED

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WHIDBEY ISLAND GREEN GUIDE

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • South Whidbey Record

EARTH DAY: Tuesday, April 22, 7 pm Screening of the movie Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science Climate science has been under increasing attack. In response, geologist Simon Lamb took his camera to climate science colleagues around the world to find out what’s really going on.

+ networking and information displays

Saturday, April 26 9 am

Thursday, April 10, 6:30 pm

South Whidbey High School Auditorium

Field Trip: Birding and Weed Watching!

A Brief History of the Salish Sea: How We Got to Where We’re Going

More events and details at www.whidbeyearthday.org

at the Maxwelton Outdoor Classroom Led by Janet Stein and Kim Shepard

Lecture with Elliott Menashe

Saturday, April 26

Clinton Community Hall, Clinton

9 am - 12 noon

Sponsor: Friends of the Clinton Library

Invasive Species Removal from Saratoga Woods

Saturday, April 12

12 - 3 pm

Sponors: Whidbey Camano Land Trust and Greening Congregations.

Scotch Broom Removal Bayview Recycle Center

Friday, April 25

Sponsor: Island County Noxious Weed Program

6:30 pm

Going Green

PBS documentary screening hosted by UUCWI For more details: www.whidbeyearthday.org

Monday, April 14 through Tuesday, April 22

Sunday, April 13, 1 - 5 pm

Nine Days of Prayer to Honor Creation

Field Trip: Birds and Marine Mammals

Each day’s reflection and meditation focuses on Whidbey Island.

meet in Oak Harbor; various locations Led by Steve Ellis, Whidbey Audubon Society

Visit www.whidbeyearthday.org for information on how to pick up or download a copy.

Presented by Greening Congregations: Langley United Methodist St. Augustine’s Episcopal St. Hubert Catholic Unitarians of Whidbey Island plus WI Jewish Community WI Friends/Quaker Society

Science While Sipping

Saturday, April 19, 11 am – 5 pm Welcome the Whales Festival & Parade

just a sample of our half-hour talks over drinks

1:30 pm Parade (downtown Langley)

• Thursday, April 10, 6 pm, Greenbank Bar & Grille Native Bees & Local Brews

3:00 pm The Friendly Whales of San Ignacio Lagoon: Early Research

• Friday, April 11, 5:30 pm, Ott & Murphy Tasting Room Catastrophic Spills from Exxon Valdez to Deepwater Horizon with Dr. Nat Scholz, NOAA Scientist

Whidbey’s Earth and Ocean Month is organized by representatives from: Citizens Climate Lobby– Whidbey Chapter, Goosefoot, Orca Network, Service, Education & Adventure (SEA), South WhibeyTilth, Whidbey ECO Network, and WSU Extension/Island County.

visit www.orcanetwork.org for more complete details.

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• Thursday, April 17, 5 pm, Blooms Taste for Wine & Art Noxious Weeds: What are they? Where are they? Why care?

lecture by Mike Bursk, Ocean Institute, Dana Point, CA United Methodist Church in Langley

our media partners:

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