Ensuring the Future by Acting in the Present
Regional/Urban Partnerships for SustainabilityFor more information about this task force, contact Nancy Ashton : Nancy.Ashton@stockton.edu or Susan Manser:Â susan_ manser@ hotmail.com . The task force meets on the second Thursday of each month at Lori Braunstein’s house at 405 Country Club Drive in Cherry Hill. Â All are welcome! Mission Statement: This task force exists in order to engage in partnerships with neighboring towns and cities in order to promote sustainability, broadly defined as causing and maintaining the well being of people in their environments. Update (Summer 2011):
Upcoming Events:
Strategies: Actively initiate and develop partnerships with other communities. Ongoing: Participate in mutual sharing of knowledge and skills as related to sustainability. Ongoing Serve as a clearinghouse for partnership opportunities for all SCH task forces. Facilitate cooperation among South Jersey communities regarding sustainability efforts. Increase awareness of regional interdependence through educational and partnership opportunities. Promote awareness of issues related to urban sustainability. Objectives:
Previous Projects: Rain Barrel Project: Partner with Andrea Ferich, Urban Gardener from The Center for Transformation to market and sell rain barrels produced by Camden Junior Gardeners. Seed Project: Investigate ways to help Andrea and her junior gardeners to market and sell organic heirloom seeds/seedlings. Poet of Poverty Screening/Discussion: Thursday, January 21st. 2009 at  7 pm, a screening of the film, Poet of Poverty and panel discussion with Father Doyle and representatives from The Center for Transformation and Sustainable Cherry Hill. Co-sponsored by the SCH Faith task force and The Cherry Hill Public Library. Over 250 people attended. Cherry Hill East Organic Garden Project: Investigate the possibility for Andrea’s junior gardeners to teach organic gardening techniques to Cherry Hill East gardeners. Encourage Cherry Hill residents to donate their Recycle Bank points to Cherry Hill East to earn grant to subsidize the garden. Ongoing Waterfront South Workday: Organize an event in the spring where Sustainable Cherry Hill supporters assist with preparing the community garden for planting. Ongoing Parkside Businesses and Community in Partnership: Look for opportunities to support and advocate for their sustainability activities. Support task force member, Nancy Axelrod in her work with the Parkside community. Ongoing. It Takes a Sustainable VillageBrainstorming about sustainability is challenging, invigorating, exciting and yes, exhausting. It’s a complicated topic. Tonight (1/30/13), the South Jersey Green Network led by Sustainable Cherry Hill, brought people from Camden, Stratford, Haddonfield and other communities in and around Camden, Burlington and Gloucester Counties to hear about best practices and yes, share some of the walls that pop up when trying to establish a Green Team. Sustainable Cherry Hill (SCH) sparked the network a few 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.
Getting Camden ready for planting It's March, so let's do potatoes! Sustainable Cherry Hill and Camden’s Center for Transformation have partnered up to bridge the gap between Camden and it’s suburbs. Using positive collaborative experiences like working side by side in Waterfront South’s Eve’s Garden, are a wonderful way to connect and create! Weather permitting (and it looks like a high in the 50′s), we will be turning over the soil to ready the garden for potato planting! Lori is leaving her home in Cherry Hill at 8:40 am if anyone wants to caravan. The group will be meeting at the greenhouse at 410 Jasper Street. Park on the street and walk behind houses to the greenhouse. Call Lori @ 609.238.3449 if you need anything. Urban gardener Andrea Ferich and her Junior Gardeners will be ready and waiting for us. Come “Shovel Ready” and bring your work gloves, shovel, if you have one and a water bottle (reusable of course!)
It’s a long ten miles from Cherry Hill to Camden Andrea and Beck Middle School teacher, Gary Haff talk irrigation This afternoon, a group of Cherry Hill teachers, students and parents took a trip over to Waterfront South Camden to tour the greenhouse, garden and the neighborhood around The Center for Transformation (CFT).  Representatives from Cherry Hill East High School, Beck Middle School and Woodcrest Elementary School came to Camden to learn how to start an organic garden at their schools.  The suburban kids listened intently as the city kids taught them about irrigation, heirloom seeds, growing seasons and the environmental challenges of the neighborhood. They noticed that among the abandoned homes in the neighborhood, were signs of transformation, like hand painted murals, a “poet’s walk” containing a brick from James Joyce’s Ireland home, a new community theatre and a community built outdoor bread oven.  The kids take a try at pedaling the bicycle that waters the plants! The junior gardeners took the group to the future site of their fruit orchard as everyone used their imaginations to picture a vacant lot filled with apple trees.  Andrea Ferich, the director of sustainability at the CFT,  talked with the group about getting their gardens started and pointed out popular items from the heirloom seed catalogues she had on hand in the greenhouse.  Andrea has developed a “Seed to Table” garden curriculum that she sells to  teachers interested in using sustainability and food justice in their classrooms.  The next step for this partnership will be for Andrea and the junior gardeners to take a trip over to Cherry Hill and help us get our gardens started.  In addition to connecting with our neighbors in Camden, the field trip provided an unexpected opportunity for our elementary, middle and high school communities to collaborate on a sustainability initiative.  Standing in the garden with the waste water treatment plant looming behind On a personal note, I ‘ve spent some time in Waterfront South over the past couple of months, but was especially moved by today’s visit.  There was something about bringing the kids from the suburbs and the city together that affected me  a bit more than usual.  The ten mile drive up 676 and 295 seemed extra long this afternoon.  Pulling back up to Cherry Hill East, I dropped each of the four girls off at their cars and watched them drive towards home.  Several hours have since passed and I can’t seem to kick this melancholy feeling. On a related note, I attended The Cherry Hill Education Foundation’s open house a few nights ago, where teachers and students got to show off the projects they created with funding from the foundation.  CHEF provides thousands of dollars worth of grants for teachers to use to fund “extras” not included in the school budget.  Beck Middle School and CH East show off their composters  Cooper Elementary School takes energy efficiency seriously
Hard work and nourishment for the soul Andrea and her junior gardeners Last Thursday, Sustainable Cherry Hill sponsored a screening of the film “The Poet of Poverty” and a panel discussion with Fr. Michael Doyle from Sacred Heart Church as well as Mark Doorley and Andrea Ferich from The Center for Transformation in Camden. The topic of the program was Camden and the Suburbs: How are we connected? The room was packed with standing room only and participants left feeling inspired and challenged to get involved. Â Fr. Doyle explained to us that it was important to form relationships with the people of Camden and the best way to do that is to spend time in the community. Â Whether you are a gardener, a theatre buff, a carpenter or just another set of hands, there is a place for you in Waterfront South Camden.
 Working up a sweat at Eve's Garden A group of us couldn’t wait to get started and spent this morning in Eve’s Garden greenhouse digging a trench that will be used to grown microgreens and farm sustainable tilapia fish.  We’ll be back for regularly scheduled work days on the first Saturday of each month from 9-12.  Email Andrea for details  aferich@gmail.com or call Mark Doorley at the # below. We will also be continuing the conversation begun at the library and have an eco-tour of Waterfront South on Saturday, 2/13/10 at The Center for Transformation.  Reservations suggested by calling Mark Doorley at 856.429.1779 or markdoorleynj@verizon.net . Top photo by Joan Obrian
The Poet of Poverty is SOLD OUT! Is everyone going to The Poet of Poverty? The response from the community has been overwhelming and we are currently over subscribed to the screening of the documentary “The Poet of Poverty” and the following panel discussion with Fr. Michael Doyle and representatives from The Center for Transformation. For those with reservations for the January 21st Poet of Poverty program, please get there by 6:45. We have started a waiting list and would like to start promptly at 7pm.  The event is free, but donations will be accepted for The Center for Transformation. We would like to harness the region’s interest in a meaningful connection with Camden by offering regular opportunities to learn and work together. Saturday, January 23, 2010, 9:30 -noon: Workday at Eve’s Garden Sign up if you can give a few hours to work in the greenhouse of Eve’s Garden preparing a planting are for winter crops. Come get your hands dirty, transforming a small patch of Waterfront South in Camden into a source of healthy food for the neighborhood!  For more information, call Andrea Ferich at 856-283-1338. Saturday, February 13 , 2010, 10 – noon: Poet of Poverty, Continue the Conversation! Sponsored by Sustainable Cherry Hill and the Center for Transformation Join us in Waterfront South to continue the conversation begun here at the Cherry Hill Library! There will be an eco-tour of the neighborhood, along with opportunities to share with each other, as well as with the Center volunteers, ideas about moving forward in partnership. Coffee and refreshments will be available. This is free, but reservations are required so that adequate preparations can be made. For more information, contact Mark Doorley at 856-429-1779 or markdoorleynj@verizon.net. This is just the start of the ongoing, unique relationship we hope to cultivate with the Waterfront South community in Camden.  Remember, we are already closely connected, as every toilet flush in Camden County and all of our garbage ends up in this neighborhood.  As human beings, we have much to gain by meeting and working side by side with our neighbors in Camden. Take a moment to look at the full range of volunteer/sponsorship opportunities available to make a positive impact on this community (and ourselves!): Center for Transformation Volunteer Opportunities (1) Center for Transformation Volunteer Opportunities (2) Gardeners!! We are also pairing the The Center for Transformation and their Junior Gardeners for a seed/seedling ordering opportunity/sale.  Read more here.
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