SCHOOLS: The crowd was estimated at 5000 and was augmented by the many Cherry Hill school students, family members, teachers, PTA members, staff and Cherry Hill superintendent Dr. Maureen Reusche who attended the festival. District character education director Mona Noyes and Zone PTA member Kate Verkamp coordinated thought-provoking and creative displays representing 19 schools. The character and sustainability theme blended kindness and sustainability so perfectly. The student displays are also part of the May 14th Cherry Hill board of education meeting taking place at the Malberg administration building. We look forward to an Earth Festival collaboration  with the district next April. Our appreciation also goes to Caley Vickerman, the Haiku Mistress who led many students in the “Guerrilla Haiku Movement” chalk-art celebrating our relationship with the Earth.

ENTERTAINMENT: Two stages of performances had toes tapping, hands applauding and the Phillie Phanatic in awe of all the talent in our community. Kudos go to: Thought-provoking performances by elementary students from the Mann and Paine schools, melodious sounds from the Rosettes and Close Harmony (Rosa International Middle); string and saxophone quartets from Cherry Hill East, dancers from Happy Feet, karate experts from Kobukan; upbeat harmony from the Cherry Hill Pine Barons Barbershop Chorus; smooth sounds from Out of the Beardspace and The DG Band and the daylong New Orleans-style sounds from Little Stevie & His Electric Mojo.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Our first-time sponsor Magnum Computer Recycling, set up the e-waste recycling area at the festival entrance. In  addition to the free snacks and face-painting, dozens of people unloaded ancient computers, power cords, old gaming stations and other end-of-life electronics. More than 4400 POUNDS of e-waste was collected for safe, Earth-friendly disposal or recycling.

• Our non-profit food vendor – Chimp Aid/Roots & Shoots, collected $1500 which is being donated to the Jane Goodall Foundation Institute.

• The family-friendly bike ride at 9 a.m. included more than 40 participants on the two and nine-mile rides around Cherry Hill
• 100 tree seedlings were planted by children and hopefully- many of those seedlings will grow at the homes of those children.

Our dedicated organizing team which includes Cherry Hill’s Recreation Department with support from the Department of Public Works, Police and Fire Departments, Mayor’s Office and Mayor Chuck Cahn, is already planning for the 5th Cherry Hill Earth Festival. We have a list of updates and tweaks and we’ll work to make the 2014 festival a showcase for South Jersey.

Enjoy this video collage of Earth Festival 2013. Produced by Brenda Jorett

Join us on Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

 in the back room at PJ Whelihans from 6-8pm!

SCH has its own chapter of this popular social and business networking happy hour that brings together a wide array of environmentally minded people each month over beverages to discuss green and sustainable solutions, ideas, concepts and much more.

This laid back, unstructured gathering is part of an international movement and a collaborative effort with Green Drinks Philadelphia.

And remember, the efforts of SCH are regional and inclusive… you do not need to be a Cherry Hill resident to participate with us.

Stop by the first Wednesday of EVERY month at PJ Whelihan’s on Rt. 70 and Greentree Rds in Cherry Hill from 6-8 pm to hang with us and other like minded folks in the community. Everyone is friendly and eager to meet new people!

Note: SCH provides the “GREEN” opportunity to network, but not the “DRINKS”!

Everyone either runs a tab or pays by the drink.

Contact Lori Braunstein for more information

Lori.Braunstein@sustainablecherryhill.org

Sustainable Cherry Hill organizes a yearly Earth Day Festival gathering community organizations, schools and residents together to celebrate their community and talk about issues of sustainability.  Guerilla Haiku was invited by organizers this Saturday  to train a group of high school volunteers to get fest-goers writing haiku about Earth Day.  Many exciting things happened;

A) The high school Agents of Haiku fully embraced their mission (to get EVERYONE to write at least one haiku) and approached as many people as they could find thereby initiating conversations with and between 100s of strangers, impressing me and all people lucky enough to interact with them with their enthusiasm, commitment and positive energy.

B) Haiku were written in Turkish, Bangladeshi, Italian, Spanish, French, and Japanese making the polyglotism of the Cherry Hill community impressive indeed.

C) People embraced the Festival’s purpose and wrote many haiku of an environmental ilk!

D) An enormously good time was had by all!

Over 300 total haiku were written through the course of the festival, and a sampling of them are available here for your viewing enjoyment!   Thanks to Sustainable Cherry Hill and our amazing Agents of Haiku for a lovely day of celebration!

1. Celebrate: we expect several thousand people to celebrate the Earth as the Croft Farm foliage blooms in all its glory. The celebration starts with the Family-Fun bike ride across from Croft Farm with easy two and 9-mile rides along safe Cherry Hill Streets. Registration begins at 8 a.m. You must wear a helmet. Recommended for ages 8+. Then enjoy the festival and our opening event at 10 a.m. Here is the event-day schedule.

2. Learn: See how students, teachers, staff and parents from 19 Cherry Hill district schools have learned how to foster our resources through character education – citizenship, responsibility, respect, being fair and working for the common good. Student videos, displays, skits, songs and stage performances. AND we have green crafters, non-profit groups, businesses and more engaging us with different ways to understand sustainability in our everyday lives.

3. Grow: Children can plant tree seedlings while grownups exchange or purchase garden plants at the Plant exchange; visit the beautiful gardens around the Arts Center where the April 27-May 11 Art Blooms weeks get underway. Grow you mind and spirit as the Haiku Mistress and Cherry Hill High School West volunteer students engage children of all ages in chalk-art haiku on the black top in front of the Farm House and throughout the festival grounds

4. RECYCLE – then Dance, Sing, Romp: When you arrive at Croft Farm for the festival, drop off your end-of-life small electronics, appliances, computers and printers at Magnum Computer Recycling for Earth-friendly disposal and recycling. Also drop off all those wire hangers, plastic bags and batteries that have piled up.

TWO stages of solar-powered (sun-permitting) entertainment features: The Rosettes & Close Harmony from Rosa International Middle School; plays by students from Paine & Mann Elementary Schools; Kobukan Karate; String quartets from Cherry Hill East; Happy Feet dancing; Cherry Hill East Sax quartet, Cherry Hill Pine Barons; Out of the Beardspace band: The DG Band & next to the Arts Center Little Stevie & His Electric Mojo.

The little ones can ROMP at the Moon Bounce! The Phillie Phanatic brings his antics to the festival in the 11 a.m. hour!

5. YUM!Come to enjoy tasty and healthy lunch and snacks from Chimp Ade (benefits the Jane Goodall Foundation) & J-Dogs; Alex’s Lemonade.

The Cherry Hill Earth Festival is planned by Cherry Hill Township and Sustainable Cherry Hill. This year’s event is presented by Hutchinson. Our Leadership Sponsors are Camden County, Magnum Computer Recycling and Rosenblatt Roofing.  Our Green Sponsors are Body Solutions, Metro PCS and Penn Medicine.

We thank all of our sponsors and in-kind supporters. Most of all we thank YOU for being an agent of the EARTH. See you at the Earth Festival – Sat., April 27 – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.!

For more information, see our complete Art Blooms Earth Festival page!

 An authentic life consciously promotes peace and happiness to unlock our full potential as people. Authenticity is also highly sustainable since it does not let fear produce self-defeating choices which undermine our own best interests. (See “Sustainability Lies Within”, May 2012). Authentic living incorporates a synergistic combination of self-fulfillment and spiritual awareness which serve a greater good to others and the world around us. Here are some keys to achieving an authentic life:

Key #1: Surround yourself with positivity

Negativity is not only toxic – it’s contagious. It’s difficult to maintain a positive outlook when you are constantly bombarded by the negative views and opinions of others. Anger and bitterness lead us toward combative interaction with the world, which will inevitably permeate our social relationships and jeopardize our stability and happiness. The more we surround ourselves with positive people and influences, the more likely we are to view the world in a healthy way  and enable our peace and well-being.

Key #2: Put relationships first

We have a lot to juggle in our daily lives. It’s easy to lose sight of what’s important when we are bogged down with work, chores and responsibilities. But when we create the time to be meaningfully connected with those close to us, we create an emotional safety net which helps to ensure sustainable happiness. Honestly, how likely are we to be happy with our relationships if we don’t take the time to cultivate them to their greatest potential?

Key #3: Find gratitude

There are tremendous riches all around us, yet we often focus on what we don’t have, which can set us on a course to habitually seek elusive external gratification. Only when we find gratitude for what we do have will we then be able embrace the present and reduce the stress and frustration of continually pursuing ‘more’. Make a list of things for which you are thankful, and look at it every day.

Key #4: Seek fulfillment

Many people find themselves exhausting their productive energy in jobs which neither inspire nor fulfill them. But we can also seek fulfillment in other ways such as volunteering, spending time with loved ones, or pursuing creative outlets. When we are fulfilled, we honor our best attributes and also bring the best to the world, enabling us to be of service to others in a positive way. By having compassion and helping others, we can actually reduce stress and enhance our longevity. (See “Stess and Human Health”, July 2012).

Key #5: Don’t resist reality

How often have we gotten upset about something that did not go the way we planned, only to realize later that it was ultimately for the best? It’s easy to get uptight when things don’t go the way we think they should. When we learn to view life’s events as part of a continuum essential for our personal growth, we liberate enormous amounts of positive, productive energy within ourselves. Be thankful when things go “wrong”, and then you’ll be able to learn from those situations to empower yourself to move forward.

Key #6: Don’t believe everything you think

Our individual reality is based on our perception, and our thoughts drive our perception. When we understand that we have the ability to undo negative or unhealthy thought patterns, we can change our reality. But first we have to acknowledge the deep-rooted emotions which have driven our perception for most of our lives. Although this is no easy task, it helps us become empowered by starting with ourselves, rather than futilely trying to change the people and circumstances around us.

Key #7: Be OK with yourself

One of the most elusive tasks is to learn to accept ourselves for who we are. This can be an extremely painful process, since over our lifetime we tend to cling to the belief that we are never good enough just as we are. This thinking fosters fear-based decisions which steer us away from our authentic selves. Only when we overcome these internal blocks can we embrace a life where peace predominates over fear and anger.

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No one can create an authentic life for us – we can only do it for ourselves. But over time, applying conscious living and self-control to our thoughts and actions can reward us with the peace and fulfillment that only an authentic life can give. If we are to truly embrace sustainability, then we absolutely must include our own lives in the equation. You’ve only got one chance at life. Why not do it in a way which makes you happy and uplifts others around you?

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.

In March of last year, as a participant in REACH, I worked with three other students on a project as part of the Green Challenge Program sponsored by the Educational Information and Resource Center (EIRC) (http://www.eirc.org/). Our group, along with other groups from our school and other schools throughout New Jersey, were challenged to come up with a project that would help us learn about conservation and sustainability and would demonstrate a way that we could make a positive impact on our environment.

Our group’s “Let the Sun Shine In” project was intended to show how easy it would be to save energy if each of us made a small effort. We wanted to see how much electricity our school would conserve if we shut off the lights for just one day during school hours. With the approval of our principal, Sr. Lydia Etter, we did just that. The lights remained off from 8:30 am until 2:30 pm in all the classrooms and hallways, as well as the school office and the cafeteria (with the exception of the cooking area for safety reasons).

At the start of the “lights out” period, our school’s custodian officially documented the reading on the building’s electric meter. While the lights were out, we took lots of pictures. Many photos showed that most of the classes clearly did not need lights because with the shades up, the classrooms were very bright.  At 8:30 am on the following morning, our custodian took the reading again, giving us the total electrical wattage usage for the prior 24 hour period.  He then took the reading from that time until 8:30 am the next day and this gave us the reading for a typical 24-hour day with the lights on. We compared the readings for two 24-hour periods and determined that we saved nearly 33% of our school’s daily electricity usage on the day we “Let the Sun Shine In”.

At the Green Challenge Competition in May, 2012, we presented our project to a team of environmental and engineering professionals, competing against numerous groups from our school as well as other schools, both public and private, throughout the state. Our team was awarded top honors, receiving the only Platinum Satori award.  As a result of the highest award of the Platinum Satori, I am now permitted, and honored, to be pursuing the Green Satori by spreading the word about my group’s project and bringing public awareness to how each of us – even elementary school students – can take steps to protect our environment and valuable resources.

Through my project I’ve learned a valuable lesson: that it is everyone’s responsibility to care for our planet and that no effort is too small. Yes, it would be great for Resurrection Catholic School and every other school in Cherry Hill to shut off the lights for one day each school year and save electricity. However, imagine if each of the nearly 12,000 Cherry Hill students did something as simple as shut off unnecessary lights and unwatched televisions and unplug unused appliances. While these individual efforts may seem small, the combined efforts would have a great  impact.

Starting off the evening was Dr. Jong Shin from the Chung Institute of Integrative Medicine in Moorestown, NJ. In his presentation, Dr. Shin opened our eyes to some unsuspected threats to our immune system such as red food dyes, plastic containers (he advocates glass) and even the electromagnetic fields given off by the myriad electronic devices found in many homes. He also gave us tips on how to detoxify our bodies using certain teas, hot baths, raw local honey, grass-fed kefir and kim chee – among others. An informative and inspiring 45 minutes of health empowerment!

The second speaker was Crystal V. Pizarro, life coach and nutrition specialist at Advanced Wellness Solutions in Clarksboro, NJ. Interestingly, Crystal encouraged us to view allergy symptoms not as a curse, but as messages which we can use to address an imbalance of system equilibrium in the body. She also showed us that many foods can trick our bodies into reacting to them as if they were environmental allergens. The recurring theme in the first two presentations seemed to be that if we focus on overall health (especially digestive health) that allergies of all kinds become less of an issue.

The final panelist was Marilyn Eppolite, energy therapist and expert on genetically modified organisms. Marilyn began by focusing on enhancing wellness through our body’s energy field through such things as flower essence therapy, celtic weave and the emotional freedom technique (EFT). In the second part of her presentation, she discussed the effects that genetically modified foods (GMOs) can have on personal health. I was shocked to learn that some tomatoes are genetically altered with fish DNA to make them more resistant to freezing temperatures. That’s why you could eat a tomato and get an allergic reaction to fish!

After about 90 minutes of panel presentations, everyone had a chance to ask questions of the experts. It was only a shame that we did not have a while longer for everyone to voice their questions. As we broke for the evening, there were some very enthusiastic conversations still taking place between the panelists and attendees. As moderator of the evening’s events, I learned a lot of new information which I must now set out to implement for myself and my family. Thanks to Caren Kaufman and Lacey Swartz for organizing such an informative and well-attended event!

Submitted by SCH Green Health Task Force member Paul Hanley. 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.

Green Drinks is cancelled tonight (March 6th) due to the weather and illness.

Please join us next month on Wednesday,  April  3, 6-8pm for our next Green Drinks!

According to Lori Braunstein, the evening wrapped up with a brief break-out session. Facilitators from SCH and SJ Network  focused the discussions on collaboration.  Each group then reported on the major topics of discussion. People really found that section valuable and seemed to want more of that.

After hearing about successes of Stratford’s Green Team and the collaboration between the school district, business community and other regional groups, there may be more questions than answers for some communities still trying to kick-start their sustainability efforts. Sustainability does take a village; in that room tonight connections were made and the journey continues.