Sustainable Cherry Hill

Sustainability Lies Within

lori — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:42:48 +0000

In my September 2011 SCH blog post, Sustainability Is the Answer… but What Was the Question?, I noted that there are many different goals and strategies for achieving each person’s vision of sustainability. In the process, we often focus on enhancing the external world – such as having a cleaner environment, a more vibrant economy, or a healthier, more dynamic community. But when we look at our own personal lives, we often find unstable or unfulfilling circumstances which bely our own happiness, and in the end are mostly of our own creation. How can we achieve true sustainability in the world around us if our very own lives are undermining our individual stability?

A sustainable lifestyle is one in which areas such as family, personal relationships, work and physical/emotional health are all maintained in relative balance. However, some of these matters are more challenging for us to cope with than others, and our adaptive strategy is often to avoid reconciling those areas which we feel ill-equipped to handle. This behavior can cause us to neglect facets of our life that also require attention and dedication. Some people may invest heavily in their job, physical appearance, materialism, relationships, or countless other realms because they provide a kind of refuge from painful issues that are not yet resolved within themselves.

The problem with our avoidance of emotional pain is that it inherently places us in situations that compromise our potential for lasting happiness. We may end up finding ourselves feeling unfulfilled, or engaging in unhealthy relationships, addictive habits or other self-limiting and self-defeating behavior. The result is an unsustainable platform for life which can be fraught with physical, financial and emotional instability, or a kind of sterile security that can rob us of our productivity and passion for life.

Avoiding our own weaknesses produces fear-based choices which can be so ingrained in our thought process that we often do not realize the unhealthy situations we may create as a result. In my personal life, for instance, I found it easier to focus my time and energy on marriage and family rather than the challenges of professional life. Although the bond I have forged with my two young daughters is irreplaceable, divorce ultimately made me realize that my over-investment in family was highly unsustainable because it sacrificed personal balance for perceived emotional safety.

It’s a fairly simple process to identify aspects of our external world which we feel should have increased sustainability. However, it is much more challenging to identify and reconcile those inherent aspects of ourselves which have a direct impact on our personal circumstances. Unless we confront our fears and the thought patterns which produce them, a sustainable life will be an elusive goal – as we repeat the same unhealthy behaviors that accompany our attempt to avoid negative feelings.

From my own experience, I can attest that assuming responsibility for the role we as individuals play in shaping our life is neither easy nor without considerably painful introspection. However, whatever issues about ourselves we choose to avoid now are only bound to resurface later in an increasingly complex and difficult way. Personal sustainability, therefore, is about taking proactive control of your life’s journey, and realizing that a more sustainable world lies within more sustainable people.

Paul Hanley is a long-time Cherry Hill resident, freelance writer and Environmental Science professor at the Community College of Philadelphia. Look here on Sustainable Cherry Hill for more upcoming blogs from Paul in the coming weeks. He can be contacted at phanley@ccp.edu.

Gardens for a Rainy Day Workshop & Tour

lori — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:25:02 +0000

Rain gardens are the hottest new trend in landscaping. More aptly called storm gardens, these flower gardens literally ‘clean up’ storm water. One of the environmental concerns of increased impervious ground cover (such as increased pavement, asphalt, or roofing) can be greatly reduced if storm water runoff can be intercepted before it reaches the storm sewer. One beautiful way to do that is to plant a rain garden
Rain gardens look like regular perennial gardens, but they are much more. During a storm, a rain garden fills with water, and the water slowly filters into the ground rather than running into storm sewers. Rain gardens protect the local waterways while beautifying the neighborhood –or your own back yard—and providing a habitat for wildlife.
There are over 50 demonstration rain gardens that have been installed and are being maintained throughout the State of New Jersey. One of those gardens is right in our own “backyard” at the Cherry Hill Public Library!

Come join us on May 31st, 6:30 – 8pm at the Cherry Hill Public Library for a presentation on creating Rain Gardens, led by Mike Haberland, Environmental and Resource Management Agent with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington and Camden Counties. This presentation will include a tour of the Demonstration Rain Garden at the Cherry Hill Public Library. This is a FREE program, but registration is required here.

Hosted by The Sustainable Cherry Hill Garden Task Force.

A full house for “Greening Your Bottom Line” business breakfast

lori — Sat, 05 May 2012 10:55:19 +0000

The business community comes together to learn how to go green!

What do you get when you put 104 people together at breakfast on a rainy Tuesday morning? You get great minds thinking alike at the Sustainable Cherry Hill Greening Your Bottom Line event May 1, 2012.

SCH’s Green Building/Business task force designed this event over about five months and the team succeeded in drawing top-notch business leaders to learn and share about green business practices. SCH executive board member, task force leader and Spiezle Architectural Group’s Scott Downie led the presentation that was originally developed by Marstel-Day analyst and task force member Tony Tancini. Tony & Scott collaborated to come up with the key questions and some thought-provoking answers on why a business should work to reduce its impact on the environment, how to get started and what actions will lead to results.

The question-answer session and networking put many businesses together on how to collaborate on potential greening projects as well as sharing best practices. Because of the success of the sold-out event and enthusiastic interest, the task force will work to plan a follow-up event later this year.

Many thanks are extended to Mayor Chuck Cahn who welcomed the attendees and promoted participation in the “It’s in Our Power” program that continues in the township. The task force and Sustainable Cherry Hill are also grateful to Leadership sponsors including Hutchinson Mechanical Services and the law firm of Montgomery McCracken as well as event sponsors Waste Management, Arch Design Architects, White Optics, Organic Diversion, Trinity Solar, Wu Associates, ZLED Lighting and in-kind sponsor Camden County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Thanks are also extended to George Katsikis, general manager of Caffe Aldo Lamberti and the staff who provided excellent service and a tasty breakfast in a beautiful setting.

Check out great photos from the event here!

Submitted by Brenda Jorett

Join us for a regional capacity building event!

lori — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:26:57 +0000

Our Sustainable Future: The YOU in Community

Join us for an engaging event to build a sense of community, cultivate leadership skills, create outreach strategies and develop a collective vision of sustainability for our region.

Are you already involved with SCH or your own community’s sustainability efforts?
Are you interested in creating change in your business, school, faith group or community, but need some support?
Are you part of a civic group and want to build capacity and/or develop a plan?
Are you just curious?

Friday, May 11 at 6pm: Dinner at Croft Farm provides an opportunity to meet and socialize with enthusiastic people from our region. Aside from a delicious dinner and an optional hike, we’ll have some special, fun surprises to make it easier to meet others.

Saturday, May 12, 9 am to noon: Morning work session at Trinity Presbyterian Church that will include a light breakfast and three interactive programs to encourage growth, personal insight and planning. Meet others, share ideas and challenges and learn all about our community run task forces!

We encourage neighboring communities to bring teams to learn and grow along with us.

Everyone is welcome!

*We hope you will join us for both dinner and the program, but you are welcome to pick just one!

More information and registration here.

Art Blooms Earth Festival brings a community together

lori — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:22:26 +0000

What is a sustainable community? Each person has his or her answer to that question, but the 2012 Cherry Hill Art Blooms Earth Festival has become a symbol of how a community can come together to learn, share ideas and have fun at a location that certainly is one of Cherry Hill’s most scenic and historic.

When Croft Farm is in full bloom on a pleasant, spring day, the trees, plants, bushes, as well as the farm house, art center and barn are a splendid backdrop for a brilliant day. The Earth Festival brought together hundreds of people from Cherry Hill and other South Jersey communities to share ideas about sustainability, preserving our resources and making our communities and the world a better place.

The inaugural Earth Festival Family Fun Bike Ride kicked off the day with enthusiastic leadership by Sustainable Cherry Hill’s Way To Go task force. Mayor Chuck Cahn and his wife, Stephanie, Sustainable Cherry Hill executive board and task force members and most importantly, residents, children and others who want safe, scenic and well-planned recreation routes enjoyed the 6.5 mile ride through the Barclay Farm neighborhood, adjacent to Croft Farm. There’s already word of the 2^ndEarth Festival kick-off bike ride in 2013 and hopes that many more people of all ages will participate.

Student entertainment and sustainability displays are the heartbeat of the Earth Festival. The musical selections by every talented group throughout the day added to the flavor of the festival. The dedicated teachers, staff and parents who support the students every day and the smiles the student performances bring to every face are the best reviews one could give to these performances.

From elementary sustainability guessing games, to water quality experiments, shoe collections, sustainability posters and incredible art work from recycled objects, Cherry Hill students are quickly becoming the sustainability leaders in Cherry Hill and other communities. Their projects led by their talented teachers showed adults that our children “get it” when it comes to taking steps to preserve and protect our planet.

New to the festival this year was a next-step in interactive displays. Students and their art teacher helped children of all ages draw on a section of the Croft Farm parking lot with chalk and washable spray paint. The temporary art fixture in the shape of a huge tree is a celebration of our world and the resources that we oft times take for granted.

Finally, we thank all of our Earth Festival sponsors, the 70+ vendors and exhibitors, Mayor Cahn and his wife who is promoting the Wellness Program throughout Cherry Hill, The Cherry Hill Arts Board, the police and fire departments, and the dozens of Sustainable Cherry Hill volunteers and supporters who spent countless hours producing this annual event. Watch for updates on how you can be part of the 2013 Art Blooms Earth Festival including the date of the event so you can mark your calendar and be part of creating a more sustainable community – every day.

WHYY Newsworks Coverage here.

Photo Links:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sustainablecherryhill/sets/72157629920859091/

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150785615724656.433087.134342599655&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150785890989656.433119.134342599655&type=1

http://s739.photobucket.com/albums/xx38/bjorett/Sustainable%20Cherry%20Hill/Earth%20Festival%202012/

Thank you to our sponsors:

Submitted by Brenda Jorett

Phoenix Park Groundbreaking in Camden

lori — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:28:25 +0000

Andrea Ferich gives a benediction for Phoenix Park in Camden

This morning I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Phoenix Park in Waterfront South Camden. This project will transform a former 5 acre industrial site into a stunning waterfront park for the residents of this community.

The ceremony today took place along the Delaware River on a sheet of cracked asphalt that formally held an old, polluted factory. Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA) Director Andy Kricun, explained how the land was purchased by the CCMUA using Camden County Open Space Funds and cleaned up with the help of the NJ DEP. Andy and the CCMUA have shown tremendous leadership in improving the quality of life of residents in Camden through odor control technology improvements and as a partner in the Camden SMART initiative. SMART stands for Stormwater Management and Resource Training and is a collaborative effort between the City of Camden, the CCMUA, Coopers Ferry Partnership, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, NJ Tree Foundation NJDEP and a host of public/private partners. The initiative includes various neighborhood green infrastructure projects, storm water management policy development and green infrastructure training programs. In addition to improving storm water management through its beautiful natural design, Phoenix Park will also provide much needed community access to the Delaware River.

Andy thanked the many individuals and organizations who helped make the purchase and clean up of this land possible, including Camden Mayor Dana Redd, Helene Pierson from Heart of Camden, Camden County Freeholder Jeff Nash and Director of Environmental Affairs, Jack Sworaski, The Center for Environmental Transformation’s Andrea Ferich, Jessica Franzini from the NJ Tree Foundation and Edward Choromanski from the NJDEP.

Fr. Michael Doyle, the iconic priest from Sacred Heart Church in Waterfront South Camden, described how the name ‘Phoenix Park’ was inspired by a beautiful park in his native Ireland. Fr. Doyle has been championing the vulnerable of Camden for many years and expressed his pleasure in having another beautiful place for community members to spend time and enjoy the river.

It was wonderful being a part of this morning’s ceremony. Sustainable Cherry Hill is committed to forming and cultivating positive regional partnerships with our neighbors. It is important for us to remember that all of our sewage and trash goes to this neighborhood in Camden. Let’s try to make our connection to the city be about something more positive- join us sometime as we plant and harvest fresh veggies in The Center for Environmental Transformation’s garden and greenhouse, visit the South Camden Farmer’s Market and Greensgrow’s CSA, plant trees with the NJ Tree Foundation, come see a show at the South Camden Theater and more!

And hopefully in one year- come with us to have a picnic in the new Phoenix Park!

Some great hands-on opportunities to improve & enjoy Cherry Hill

lori — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:49:18 +0000

Green Hands National Volunteer Clean Up Day

The New Cherry Hill Trail Crew

The Cherry Hill Trail Crew is a volunteer program of the Cherry Hill Township Environmental Advisory Committee (CHEAC) and is comprised of volunteers who have the principal responsibility of performing trail maintenance on all of the Township’s trails on a monthly basis and to promote conservation. The Trail Crew also will organize and host corporate, civic, youth groups to perform service projects on the Township’s trails to assist in the maintenance and preservation of Cherry Hill’s open spaces.

This is an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, enhance and preserve our open spaces, learn new skills and get fit!

More information here.

FREE Mountain Biking Clinic Series at Kresson Trails

The JERSEY OFF ROAD BICYCLE ASSOCIATION and KESWICK
CYCLE, in partnership with the Cherry Hill Dept. of Parks & Recreation,
the Cherry Hill Environmental Advisory Committee and Sustainable
Cherry Hill, invite you to the 2012 Mountain Bike Skills Clinic Series at the
Kresson Trails in Cherry Hill, NJ. The free clinics are held the third Saturday
of each month from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Kresson Trails located near the
Kresson and Springdale intersection in Cherry Hill. Whether you’ve been riding
for a day or a year, the clinics are designed for anyone who needs to
pick up (or brush up) on basic off road riding skills.
The clinics will focus on the fundamentals of mountain biking: basic bike set-up,
rudimentary riding techniques including climbing, descending, cornering, braking
and shifting, plus trail essentials like repairs, etiquette and equipment selection.
More advanced skill sets will be added as participants progress through the year.
You are invited to come once or as many times as you would like.

Check out Cherry Hill Township’s new “Virtual Town Hall” website for details here.

Low cost, high impact ways to “Green” your business!

lori — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:25:11 +0000

Greening Your Bottom Line

Business Breakfast at Caffe Aldo Lamberti

Tuesday, May 1st
7:45-9:30am
Program begins at 8:15am

Join us for breakfast, along with the Camden County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn and sponsoring businesses to understand the no cost, low cost and high impact opportunities that can get you started greening your bottom line!

More information and
registration here.

Caffe Aldo Lamberti is located at 2011 Marlton Pike (Rt.70) West in Cherry Hill, NJ

Cost: $15 in advance/ $20 at the door

Leadership Sponsors:

Sponsors:

Standing room only crowd for Updating the Suburban Lawn

lori — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 21:38:18 +0000

To what turned out to be standing room only and numbered over 90 attendees, SCH Garden and Green Health task Forces presented the workshop “Updating the Suburban Lawn for Sustainability and Health” on Wednesday March 28, 2012 at the Cherry Hill Public Library. Attendees hailed from 22 different local towns. The workshop featured three speakers approaching the topic from very different perspectives.

Our first presenter was Aimee Bently, a professional gardener and owner of Horticulturist for Hire, with an expertise in creating gardens designed with native plants. Her presentation focused on native plants that know how to thrive with minimal care and creating viable habitats for bees, butterflies and other wildlife in our own backyards. Next, was SCH Garden Task Force’s own Sarah Deppa who presented her survey of current research on the use of chemicals to maintain our landscapes and their impact on our environment. Her presentation began a look at the terminology used to describe pesticides and provided us with statistics on how the use of pesticides impact the safety of our waterways and our community. Lastly, Barry Draycott of Tech Terra, a professional supplier of organic gardening materials, talked about the basics of the quintessential American lawn. He provided us with many ways we can make our lawns healthier and healthier for the planet and even organic!

It was an information- packed evening with an opportunity to ask questions of our presenters. We all look forward to our next event on May 31, where we will be learning all about rain gardens with a tour of the Cherry Hill Library’s’ newly installed rain garden.

Submitted by the Sustainable Cherry Hill Garden Task Force.

Join us for Art Blooms Earth Festival on April 28th!

lori — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 03:01:47 +0000

Art Blooms Earth Festival 2012

Saturday, April 28, 10 am to 3 pm
Croft Farm, 100 Bortons Mill Road, Cherry Hill, NJ

Free Admission! Rain or Shine!

For more information, click here.

Presented by Sustainable Cherry Hill, in collaboration with Cherry Hill Township & Cherry Hill Arts Board

New this year-

Family Fun Bike Ride

The SCH Way To Go task force is working with the township to kick off this year’s Art Blooms Earth Festival with a 6.5 mile bike ride from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m.

Ride along with Mayor Chuck Cahn at The “Family Fun Bike Ride” starting at Croft Farm, wind through Barclay Farm, then end back at Croft Farm. Click here for more information.

Sustainable Fashion Show

This free event on May 3, will feature sustainably produced and repurposed accessories and clothing modeled by Stephanie Cahn (wife of Mayor Chuck Cahn), SCH Founder Lori Braunstein and other local women! Hosted by The Cherry Hill Arts Board as part of Art Blooms Week.
For more information, click Eco Fashion Flyer.