Recyclique moves into new workshop

An energetic Recyclique crew just inaugurated our spiffy workshop space at The Forest Foundation's new campus (end of S. Goley St., around corner from old EcoLounge) w/ a 3-hour "play" session on Sat. June 13th converting rain barrels for the upcoming July 4th Eno River Festival. Recyclique is a co-op of adults & young people that formed in March 09 to do "upcycling" -- We design and build sustainable products made from waste materials. Our goal is useful, cool products, that are distinctive (not kitsch!) -- which promote sustainability, have potential for social entrepreneurship, and for education. We had a creatively boisterous meeting last Wed. night attended by 10 members at which we shared latest prototypes -- Amanda has now managed to top her vinyl floor-lined garden bag with a stylish indoor worm bin (yes, actually stylish) made of recycled wood! We are planning a workshop focused on revamped lamps, and maybe one to learn to weld. Everyone agreed to rent workshop space, open a bank account and gear up for the festival and other outdoor events. We have $449 from barrel sales and donations (after June rent) at present. We are still figuring out the rules for how we'll work together, but so far its a blast! Join us -- students and adult volunteers welcome!! Carpenters, crafters & visual artists especially welcome. For more info: Email: scsmith @ email.unc.edu

Our next "play-date" is Sat. June 27 at NOON at our workshop -- Go east on Angier Ave, one block past Alston Ave., turn right on S. Goley, go to end, and through metal gate.

Volunteers needed for our booth at the Eno River festival July 3-5th. Free entry to festival for first 3 volunteers to sign up each day.

Feed My Sheep Community Garden

YES!! The Feed My Sheep community garden at Asbury Temple UMC Church (corner of Angier & Alston Ave.) is now a reality, and slated to double in size in July as part of the church's Wright Room youth program.

The garden is a joint project of yikes!, Public Allies & Asbury Temple's Feed My Sheep food ministry. Three UNC service learning students, Linnie Greene, Jayme Strowd & Tavia Benjamin worked with Sandy on bio-intensive methods & container gardening this spring to get the seedlings underway; Our partners, the NCCU Public Allies organizers class (see Eric & Tionya above!), handled outreach and obtained a small grant to fund the project. The students gave a workshop with community members on biointensive methods in April. And Rachel Hardy, who directs the "Feed My Sheep" food ministry at Asbury Temple secured permission for the garden on church grounds in May. Many thanks to LeDarrell Murray, who brought his tiller to break ground on our first garden workday, and to David Arthur of Isaiah House/Jubilee Restoration Project who built the frame for the raised bed.
To join the garden team, and/or to help design the garden workshops we'll be doing with the Asbury Temple youth program in July, email Sandy: scsmith @ email.unc.edu.

Green Living Issue of Indy Weekly

Check out the Indy's new Green Living Issue, which just came out in celebration of Earth Day 2009. I was the special project editor, & I thought it turned out nicely (but then, I would . . .)
Indy Weekly: Green Living Issue

Earth Day Barrel Painting/Sales Booth

On Sat. 4/28 from 12-5 pm we will have rain barrel painting as an interactive activity, along w/ literature & samples of other Recyclique products, at the yikes! booth at Durham's Earth Day celebration, Durham Central Park, near Foster & Corporation, downtown. Student & Adult volunteers welcome!

Blogging toward Sustainability

Sandy's occasional editorials on sustainability (Independent Weekly):
Bladerunners: Towards a sustainable lawn

How our kids will pay for global warming

NC Powerdown events

From July 2008 through March 2009 we hosted regular events at the EcoLounge on energy/climate topics as part of NC Powerdown, a Triangle-wide meet-up site for all ages. We have just moved to a new site, so stay tuned for new info on the location for events. You can join the site to receive notices of future events at: http://oilawareness.meetup.com. Just go to home page and sign up. Events to date included:

· a forum on sustainable biodiesel w/ tour of production facility (July 2008)

· viewing of the film "Blood & Oil" followed by a panel discussion (August 2008)

· a slide-show by early adopters of solar hot water (October 2008)

· two workshops on do-it-yourself solar space heaters (Dec 2008 & Feb 2009)

· an electric car demo & showing of "Who Killed the Electric Car?" (March 2009)

Workshop - Build Your Own Solar Space Heater

Solar Space Heater Student project: This spring a "miniterm" class from the NC School of Science & Math built a solar space heater at the EcoLounge (at Carolina Biofuels, 1404 Angier, Durham). These boxes, which come in a variety of designs, save energy in winter and many models have a rapid payback. Yikes! coordinated the project, which ran from Feb 26 - March 6. Prof. Marion Brisk teaches the class; Steve Hren, Chris Allen & Matt Jacobi advised students on materials and construction. Special thanks to The Forest Foundation, which sponsors yikes! projects.
See the resulting YouTube video which lays out each step in construction:
How to Build a Solar Space Heater, Parts I, II & III
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl5stDoprhw

Here's photo of our prototype (below, right):

This project grew out of a yikes!/NC Powerdown workshop: How to build your own solar air heater on Feb. 6, held at the N.C. School of Science & Mathematics, Durham, NC, taught by Steve and Rebekah Hren, authors of The Carbon-Free Home.