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StreamlinesVolume 43, Issue 3Summer 2008 from Green Valleys
Association
Healthy Watersheds Lead to Healthy Living
GVA Qualifies for“Green OfficeCertification”by Lyla Kaplan
Based on a survey provided by GreenlinePaper Company,
headquartered in York,PA, GVA can claim Green Office Certifi-cation
with a high score of 89%. Thesurvey measures energy use,
recyclingpractices, use of recycled products andother actions that
minimize impact on theenvironment. This certification supportsthe
significant steps GVA and Welkinweirhave taken over the years in
implement-ing greener practices to reduce our envi-ronmental
footprint. (See list on page 12.)
Can you taste the difference?Thinking outside the bottle
Part 3 in a series on bottled water, by Catharine Swan
“Can you taste the difference betwteen bottled and tap water?”
That’s the challengewe put to visitors at the 6th Annual
Envirofest. This quickly became the “talk of theday” at GVA’s Water
Tasting Contest. Participants were given three water samplesto
taste: Sample A — Bottled Poland Springswater; Sample B – filtered
public tap water fromUwchlan Township; Sample C — unfiltered
publictap water from the same source. A total of 159 peopletook the
challenge. Most were surprised to learn theirpreference:
Public Tap Water 59Tap Water Filtered 45Bottled Water 55
The same test was carried out with a group of 11Girl Scouts
earning their Thinking Badge. Surpris-ingly, this group showed an
even stronger prefer-ence for tap water. The public water (filtered
andunfiltered) was from Uwchlan Township. Thebottled water was
Acadia Natural Spring Water.
Public Tap Water 8Tap Water Filtered 2Bottled Water 1
The reaction of many who participated in the tastetest was,
“Don’t buy bottled water any more honey!”
Inside the Water Tent atEnvirofest. These empty plas-tic jugs
represent how muchwater each American uses onthe average day. See
page 2.
See “Certification” on page 6.
NEW!
Membership Services Online
Please visit our website – renew yourmemberships and encourage
others tobecome a member now with a simpleclick. You may also now
make donationsthrough our secure website.www.greenvalleys.org
On Saturday, May 10th 2008, over50 volunteers removed an
esti-mated 3,100 pounds of trash fromGreen Valley Association’s
fivewatersheds in northern ChesterCounty – Stony Run,
French,Pickering, Pigeon and ValleyCreeks. Green Valleys
Asso-ciation’s 12th Annual StreamDaycleanup was made
possiblethrough the volunteering of in-dividuals, organizations
such as
StreamDay effort turns up lots of trash
GVA helps unveil“Buffers 100”
Trash recovered from our five watersheds is loadedon trucks for
proper disposal.
See “Cleanup” on page 3.
See “Buffers” on page 5.
by John Hoekstra
by John Hoekstra
On June 18, The Pennsylvania Campaignfor Clean Water
Partnership, backed byPennsylvania state legislators and a
coali-tion of more than 100 organizations –including GVA – formally
unveiled theBuffers 100 proposal in Harrisburg, call-ing on the
Dept. of Environmental Pro-tection (DEP) to support a proposal
man-dating a minimum 100-foot forested
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“Healthy Watersheds Lead to Healthy Living”
bits & pieces
Page 2
GVA MissionStatement
Protectthe lands and waters of thenorthern Chester County
region
Educatethe community onenvironmental issues
Advocateenvironmental guidelinesthat will preserve the
water-sheds of our region
GREEN VALLEYS ASSOCIATIONOF SOUTHEASTERN PA
1368 Prizer RoadPottstown, PA 19465
Phone: (610) 469-4900Fax: (610) 469-4990E-mail:
[email protected]: http://www.greenvalleys.org
OFFICERS
President — Harriet StoneVice Presidents — Debbie Eddingerand
Chris Orzechoski
Treasurer — Donald W. Hans, Jr.Secretary —Elaine FitzSimons
STAFFExecutive Director—Catharine SwanDirector of Watershed
Advocacy —John Hoekstra
Director of Welkinweir — VictoriaLaubach
Director of Education — Dawn WhiteAccountant — Mary WeaverOffice
Manager/ProgramCoordinator— Lyla Kaplan
Webmaster — Virtual Farm CreativeNewsletter — Pamela Baxter
Streamlines, our quarterly newsletter,highlights local and
regional activitiesfocusing on water resource conserva-tion and
preservation. If there are waterresource issues you would like to
learnmore about through our newsletter,contact Catharine Swan,
ExecutiveDirector, at 610-469-4610.
Envirofest 2008 —Solutions forSustainable Living
Despite cold, gray weather, and competition from other events in
the area on May3rd, attendance at the 2008 Envirofest was
tremendous, drawing well over 1,000 peopleand exceeding last year’s
turnout. The 5K Water Hero Walk/Run saw a record num-ber of
entrants (125). (See results on page 12.)
With more than 70 local environmental organizations and
businesses represented atthe event, the collective expertise in
sustainable living products and services wassubstantial,
informative and helpful. Other highlights included the new Family
BikeTour that we look forward to making a regular feature, the
How-To Clinics, WaterTent and Water Tasting, and the popular family
fishing.
The Water Tent theme was “What Can I Do?” Here, visitors learned
about howindividual actions at home, at work, and in the community
impact the health of ourwatersheds. Interactive displays “brought
home” the opportunities for and importanceof water conservation in
our homes and daily habits. Each display answered thequestion “What
Can I Do?” and provided concrete suggestions on the following:
• how to reduce water use• how to reuse water (gray water)• how
to protect our waterways and water supplies• how to be more
“waterwise” in managing stormwater runoff
The options? Purchasing a rain barrel or a low-flow shower
faucet to conserve water,creating a rain garden, planting native
plants along stream banks to reduce erosionand sediment build-up,
and drinking tap water – it is safer than bottled water,
costspennies in comparison and does not tax our limited oil
resources or add to the solidwaste stream.
“Water Wise” Facts from the Water Tent
• Since the inception of indoor plumbing, water usage in the
U.S. hasincreased from 5 gallons per person a day to over 70
gallons perperson a day.
• Americans use twice as much water as residents in other
industrialcountries
• 20% of pollutants in streams come from dog waste
• A 1-liter plastic water bottle takes 5 liters of water to
manufacture
• 25% of samples taken from over 100 brands of bottled water
contained contami-nants high enough to violate state and industrial
standards (note: tap water is regu-lated by EPA; bottled water by
the FDA. However, the FDA does not regulate waterbottled and sold
in the United States, which represents 60% of bottled water.)
• Low water tables are due to over-consumption and decreased
ability to absorb raindue to increased run-off.
• Pollution decreases the quantity of quality drinking
water.
• Over one billion people (1 out of 6 people) lack access to
clean water and less than1% of the world’s fresh water is readily
accessible for direct human use.
• 40% of the world’s population will be living in water-scarce
regions by 2025.
• In the U.S., at least 36 states anticipate water shortages
within the next 10 years.
by Catharine Swan
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Visit our Website: www.greenvalleys.org
stewardship
Page 3
from John Hoekstra, Director of Watershed Advocacy
PA Turnpike Design RoundtableAs an invited member of PA Turnpike
Commission’s (PTC) Design Roundtable, GVAattended a May 15, 2008
meeting to begin to discuss the future widening of the turn-
pike between mileposts 320-326. (Valley Forge Interchange
&Atwater Slip Ramp) As reported in the Summer 2007
Stream-lines, the current plan’s stormwater load exceeds the
capacityof the proposed recharge basins; this would cause the
basins toultimately fail. The result would be increased flooding
due tono stormwater being managed, a decrease in water quality
andlower flows in Valley Creek under normal conditions.
Valley Creek, one of GVA's five watersheds, had recovered froma
severely degraded state in the early 1970's, to improve in
water
quality and ultimately be designated as an Exceptional Value
stream in 1993. Sincethat time, however, the rapid urbanization
within this watershed has led to highstormwater runoff threatening
to once again degrade this popular native trout streamas well as
putting George Washington's Headquarters in Valley Forge
NationalHistoric Park in harms way.
In this first meeting, the project need, history and overview of
the project werepresented along with a proposed timeline. Given the
fast approaching summer vaca-tion period it is not anticipated that
the members will be meeting again until after thefuture public
outreach which would then make the next meeting around September
ofthis year. Additionally, plans were announced that the project
team were to meet withlocal legislators following this meeting.
The project team consists of the PA Turnpike Commission, Urban
Engineers, STV,
Remembering “Dusz”A tribute to Carl “Dusz” Dusinberre
On the morning of June 5, 2008, ChesterCounty lost a special
individual who wasan environmental champion for theValley Creek
watershed. Carl Dusinberre,past president of the Valley Forge
Chap-ter of Trout Unlimited, slipped off to hisfavorite fishing
hole for some muchneeded and earned rest.
For those of you who had the goodfortune to be acquainted with
Carl, youknow that he had a unique style all hisown, a true gift.
Besides being an excel-lent artist, he also was a great orator
–somewhat of a cross between Mark Twainand Will Rogers. He liked to
quote both.
At this time, I’m trying to think of whatpearl of a story or
perfect quote Carl wouldoffer up with a twinkle in his eye. Wouldit
be something like, “We are all here fora spell, get all the good
laughs you can?”Or would it be something more inspira-tional such
as, “Even if you’re on the righttrack, you’ll get run over if you
just sitthere.” (Both of these are quotes of WillRogers.) Whatever
Dusz might say, Iknow it would serve us all well in remind-ing us
not to wallow in our loss but wouldrather seek to inspire us to
continue ourfight to preserve and protect the environ-ment. In
this, Dusz excelled.
Mark Twain once said, “Twenty yearsfrom now you will be more
disappointedby the things you didn’t do than by theones you did do.
So throw off the bow-lines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catchthe
trade winds in your sails. Explore.Dream. Discover.” Somewhere in
all thesequotes is a small portion of CarlDusinberre. He will be
missed.
Trout Unlimited (Valley Forge Chapter), Camphill Soltane and The
FACE of thePickering, South Coventry and East Coventry Townships,
as well as corporatecommunity groups from Weston Solutions and XL
Insurance. Some of the collectedtrash was able to be recycled; the
majority was picked up for proper disposal byPennDOT and East
Whiteland and East Vincent Townships. The breakdown of
theindividual cleanup results are as follows:
Watershed lbs. of trash
1. French Creek 4752. Pickering Creek 45 plus (May 21st, 2nd
cleanup)3. Pigeon Creek 11004. Stony Run 500 (more to be removed
from dump)5. Valley Creek 8506. Schuylkill 100
Volunteers made a couple surprise discoveries. These included a
private dump alongthe Stony Run which has been reported to the
respective township for further action,an old cigarette vending
machine stuck in the banks of Valley Creek, and some oldpolitical
campaign signs. On the good side, volunteers also got to discover
the rich,scenic splendor of our waterways. They marveled at some of
the wildlife they cameacross, such as a spotted sandpiper and the
always majestic Great Blue Heron.
Overall, everyone had a great experience. New volunteers learned
more about ourwonderful watersheds and future visitors will find
our stream systems that much cleaner.Over the 12 years of this
program an estimated 13 tons of trash have been removedfrom the
watersheds in northern Chester County. Thanks to all who came out
to help.
“Cleanup,” from page 1
Inc., HMMH, Inc., KCI Technologies,Inc., Legislative Roundtable,
DesignRoundtable. For detailed information onthe project go to
www.paturnpike.comClick on Major Design/ConstructionProjects -
Click on Letter H – Milepost320-326A.
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Page 4
Join GVA or Renew Your Membership Today! *ONLINE MEMBERSHIP now
available!
Name ____________________________________
_________________________________________
Address __________________________________
City__________________________ State ______
ZIP ________ Phone ______________________
Township ________________________________
Watershed ________________________________
Email ____________________________________
I would like to volunteer time to GVA.
Dues and contributions are tax-deductible. Green
ValleysAssociation is a registered charitable organization. A
copyof the registration and financial information is availableby
calling 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not implyendorsement.
Make checks payable to Green Valleys Associationand mail with
Membership Form to
1368 Prizer Road, Pottstown, PA 19465. Visa/MasterCard
accepted—please call office.
BASIC MEMBERSHIPS Check if this is a gift membershipBasic
Membership includes quarterly newsletter, notice of events
andprograms, access to Welkinweir grounds, reduced rate to special
programs(including summer environmental camp) and fishing with a
GVA permit.
Family Membership $50.00 Individual Membership $35.00
(Individual Membership and higher, save $5 and renew for two
years.)
Sr./Student Membership $25.00
SPECIAL MEMBERSHIPS
Naturalist
..........................................................................
$100.00Includes basic membership, plus hummingbird feeder*
Environmentalist
.............................................................
$250.00Includes all benefits of Naturalist, plus bluebird
house*
Protector
.............................................................................
$500.00Includes all benefits above plus bluebird feeder*
Steward
...........................................................................
$1,000.00Includes all of the above benefits plus a “tribute tree”
planted onthe Welkinweir property in your name*
* Check here if you wish to receive the added benefit.
members & supportFoundation SupportWilliam Penn Foundation -
$30,000Commonwealth of PA –DEP - $15,424
Corporate, Public andOrganizational SupportSiemen’s Medical
Solutions - $500Penn Liberty Bank - $250Ludwig’s Corner &
Riding & DrivingClub - $100
Corporate Sponsors -EnvirofestSee list of Sponsors on page
10.
Welcome New Members!Ms. Jennifer Basile Ms. Jil Castanon Mr. and
Mrs. Janet & Jack Chidester Mr. David Coyne Ms. Lauren James
Mr. & Mrs. Gene & Julia KrumenakerMr. & Mrs. Dan &
Karen KraneMr. Paul KuperMr. & Mrs. Peter & Heather
LevinMr. Matt LohrMr. Michael LongMs. Cassandra MabinLen, Pam &
Amanda MartinMr. & Mrs. Frank & Pat MastMs. Lisa McBrideMr.
& Mrs. Jamie & Cheryl McVickarMr. & Mrs. Todd &
Missi MeisterMr. James MorganMr. & Mrs. Bryce & Grace
MurrayMs. Joell OswaldMr. & Mrs. Paul & Darlene
PennypackerMr. & Mrs. Vinnie & Holly PiturroMs. Michelle
PollockMr. Wayne PriceMr. & Mrs. Kirk & Christy Putt
Ms. Meredith ReardonMr. & Mrs. Bill & Karen SaundersMr.
Walt ScheelMr. & Mrs. Spencer & Sara ScottMr. & Mrs.
Marc & Kristine SimmonsMr. J Eric SmithMs. Kimberle SolnoskyMs.
Cathy StevensonMs. Maritsa SullivantMr. & Mrs. Gerald &
Michele TennityMrs. Martha ThomoeMs. Amy ThompsonMr. Kyle TyraMs.
Anne WilliamsMr. & Mrs. Steven & Christine WittlingerMr.
& Mrs. Tyler & Tildy WrenMs. Allison YackelMr. & Mrs.
John & Lisa Zaums
Sponsorship opportunities are now available for our Annual
Dinner.This event is a unique opportunity to meet prominent
political, communityand business leaders, and to develop
partnerships and networks. Show thatyour business supports the
important work of GVA and become a sponsortoday! For information,
contact Executive Director, Catharine Swan, at 610-469-4610 by
August 21, 2008.
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EnvirofestacknowledgmentsGVA has so many people to thank for
their in-kind contri-butions to this year’s Envirofest : Studioeec
for design-ing the map of the grounds, Conestoga Rovers Associ-ates
for creating the run map, Kimberton Whole Foodsfor supplying
oranges, Dutch Village Soft Pretzels,Taylor Rental for tent
coverage, Owen J. Roberts SchoolDistrict for lending tables,
PA-American Water Companyfor providing the water tank, JNDesign for
the Run Bro-chure design, Clif Bars for their protein bars,
SomersetNursery for their plants, Lloyd Casey from Casey’s
For-estry Concepts, Wegmans, Yellow Springs Farm,Ludwig’s Village
Market for the food and ShackamaxonCatering for providing food for
the Wine & Cheese re-ception. And thanks to Kim Pavia for
coordinating the BikeTour, and Janet Garges and Colleen Spiess for
coordi-nating and planning the 5K Water Hero Run.
Siilent Auction In-Kind Contributors:
Barlett Trees, Bikesport, Bonefish Grill, Casey’s
ForestryConcepts, Cob Studio, Commerce Bank, Cooking for
Real,Dick’s Sporting Goods, Downingtown Country Club,Downingtown
Running Company, John Eldridge, HCRineer & Sons, EMS, French
Creek Ridge Vineyard,French Creek Outfitters, Gardner’s Nursery,
GeneralWarren Inn, Joan Baker, Kimberton Inn, Lionville
YMCALionville, Marcal Products, Marchwood Dental Associates,Natural
Home Magazine, New Age Air, REI, PhiladelphiaZoo, Seven Stars Inn,
Springhouse Education, Sun andEarth Products, The Body Shop, The
Organic MechanicsSoil Company, and artist Meryl Joblin.
Thanks to Virtual Farm Creative for their graphic
designexpertise.
Finally, special thanks to the Envirofest Committee fortheir
tremendous dedication, talents, and unflagging teamspirit:
Drew Brandt - CertainTeedKaren Colistra – XL InsuranceDon Cook -
Horseshoe Trail ClubLinda Hall – XL InsuranceMark Highland – The
Organic MechanicsJennifer Hohenberger – Coldwell Banker
PreferredRichard Koster – GVA Board MemberLyla Kaplan – GVA
StaffSteve Oehlert – Oehlert BrothersJody Segal Reinbold – GVA
VolunteerKathy Taylor – GVA Volunteer
Our annual Mother’s Day Tea at Welkinweir, which highlights
thepeak bloom of Azalea Lane, continues to grow. One
multi-yearparticipant declared the event “their official start to
spring.” Thesuccess of the Tea is due to the many volunteers who
plan andwork on the event, to the many participants who return year
afteryear and help to spread the word, and to our sponsor,
HarleysvilleNational Bank, for their financial support.
Help us save resourcesYou can help GVA save natural resources
and expenseby signing up to receive your issues of Streamlines
online. An added benefit is that you’ll get to see all the
fabu-lous photos in color! To be placed on the email distribu-tion
list, email Lyla Kaplan at [email protected]. SOLUTIONS FOR
SUSTAINABLE
“Buffers,” from page 1stream buffer along both sides of all
streams throughout PA asa protection against pollution. It further
recommends an addi-tional 150’ in headwater streams (1st and 2nd
order streams),and another 200 feet for High Quality and
Exceptional Valuestreams.
In addition to the endorsement by 110 organizations,
businessesand municipalities, more than 25 legislators from both
partiesand both chambers of the General Assembly endorse
Buffers100. It is perhaps the single most important initiative DEP
couldenact to protect the health of our waterways and of our
com-munities.
Joined in partnership, many distinguished legislators were
inHarrisburg to endorse the incorporation of the Buffers 100
rec-ommendations into the Chapter 102 regulations to DEP Secre-tary
McGinty including Legislative speakers Rep. Camille“Bud” George
74th Dist.(Chairman House Environmental Re-sources and Energy
Committee), Rep Kate Harper 61st Dist.,Senator John Rafferty 19th
Dist., Senator Andrew Dinninman19th Dist., Rep. Robert Freeman
136th Dist., and Rep. CaroleRubley 157th Dist.
See “Buffers,” page 11
Page 5Visit our Website: www.greenvalleys.org
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“Certification,” from page 1 This doesn’t mean we’re finished!
This survey, of course, repre-sents just one form of measurement of
green practices. And just likemost people, we are still learning
how to make more informed,conscientious decisions about our daily
practices and what products webuy and use.
A recent initiative in support of our “greener” commitment is to
purchase the majorityof our office products from Greenline Paper
Company. This includes:
• 100% post-consumer recycled chlorine-free paper (Forest
Steward Council –FSC-certified, exceeding EPA standards) *
• Trash bags made from recycled plastic
• Biodegradable and compostable dinnerware products made out of
bagasse, a by-product of the sugar-making process that would
otherwise be trashed
*Note: Most recycled paper products in regular office stores
contain very little post-consumer waste (PCW) paper. When shopping,
always look for FSC-certified paper
and other wood products to help fight deforesta-tion and reduce
landfill waste.
Finally, if you are a business owner, you can findout how your
own organization rates by going towww.greenlinepaper.com. It takes
about 10minutes to complete the 24-question survey.
Smart car washingWashing your car on your lawn maycause a raised
eyebrow or two, but it’sbetter for the environment than washingit
on your driveway.
Why? Most people wash their cars in thedriveway, street or
parking lot. Theresult is that the cars end up clean, but
the dirty run-off — including whatevercleaner was used — most
likely will runinto a storm drain and from there into thenearest
creek — home to fish and otherwildlife, and ultimately the source
ofdrinking water for many residents. If youchoose to wash your car
at home, selecta site where the water can soak into grassto allow
the wash water to filter throughthe vegetation and soil instead of
flow-ing directly into a storm drain.
How does grass help? By washing yourcar on the lawn, you are
providing afilter for the dirtywater. Grassand otherplants
absorbthe contami-nants andreduce theamount ofpollutants that would
otherwise eventu-ally end up in the nearest stream. That’spart of
the equation. Conserving wateris important also. To conserve water,
usea bucket rather than a hose for washing,and turn off the hose in
between uses.
greener livingfrom Catharine Swan, Executive Director
Grow a “green” yardReduce Runoff and Trap Pollutants with a
Healthy Yard
If you care about the health of the environment, as well as the
health of children andpets, do what we do: forget about using
herbicides and pesticides on your lawn andgo natural. You’ll save
labor and money, and end up with less maintenance from yearto year.
Here’s how:
• Cut the grass at 3" to 4" to encourage deeper roots, retain
moisture and discourageweeds.
• Cut off no more than 1/3 the height of the grass when you mow,
i.e., don’t waituntil the grass gets too tall and then scalp your
lawn.
• Mulch and leave the grass clippings on your lawn as natural
fertilizer.
• Got weeds? Hire kids to pull out them out.
• To combat grubs, consider beneficial nematodes or milky spore.
Apply these natu-ral measures and let nature take its course! If
you must water your lawn, do it earlyin the morning to reduce
evaporation; don’t water at night as this could make thegrass
susceptible to disease.
• A weekly watering of 1” promotes deeper root growth and is
better for the lawnthan frequent, light watering.
• Make sure the water goes on the grass and not on paved
surfaces – driveway, streetor sidewalk.
Summer Tip #2 - At community carwashing fund-raisers it’s best
to do-nate the money directly to the char-ity rather than to have
them washyour car. If you know anyone orga-nizing a car wash in a
parking lot,please help spread the word of the“dos and don’ts” of
car washing.
Summer Tip #3 - Use water from arain barrel to wash your car, to
helpthe environment even more.
Summer Tip #1 - If you areresponsible for bringingwater to your
children’ssporting events, bring a jugof water and paper cups!
“Healthy Watersheds Lead to Healthy Living”Page 6
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Page 7Visit our Website: www.greenvalleys.org
from Victoria Laubach, Director of Welkinweirwelkinweir
2008 Horticultural InternsOur 2008 Horticultural Interns Austin
Deputy and Eve Mahoney, both horticulturemajors from Temple’s
Ambler campus, began work in May. Now in its second year,our
horticultural intern program offers a broad range of practical work
experiences toindividuals interested in a career in ornamental
horticulture. The interns work duringthe summer with the Welkinweir
Director and with volunteers in gardening, plantpropagation,
educational programs and special events. Interns share in the
arboretum’smanagerial endeavors and gain valuable first-hand
experience in the operation of anarboretum. They also have
continuing education opportunities as well as the chanceto visit
private and public gardens and meet other professionals in the
area.
This program is made possible throughfunding from the
Pennsylvania Histori-cal and Museum Commission ($5,000),the
Pennsylvania Higher EducationAssistance Authority ($7,200),
andprivate donations from individuals andgroups. We appreciate the
support for thisprogram and look forward to manysuccessful
years.
In the photo at right, Welkinweir horticul-tural interns Austin
Deputy and EveMahoney visit Dr. Fred Winter at hisgarden in North
Coventry Township. Thisbeautiful garden features rhododendrons,many
bred by Dr. Winter. We appreciate hisgiving us a personal tour of
his gardens attheir peak of bloom.
Partnership with Camphill SoltaneWelkinweir is partnering with
neighbor Camphill Soltane, a life-sharing communityserving adults
with disabilities, to provide a volunteer work opportunity on the
arbore-
tum grounds for student Matthew Shumaker.Matthew volunteers on
Tuesday and Fridayafternoons, learning and carrying out a numberof
jobs to help maintain the grounds. His jobcoach, Jim Colbert, says
Matthew loves the workhe does here at Welkinweir and this
opportunitywill help Matthew gain real world job experience,skills,
and establish good references. When asked,Matthew says, "its very
nice at Welkinweir, but Ireally have to get back to work now. . ."
We ap-preciate the enthusiasm Mathtew brings to the joband his
willingness to work hard. We will missMathew when he returns home
to California thissummer after graduation and wish him the bestof
luck in his future endeavors. Many thanks toMary Weaver for
facilitating this partnership.
Longwood GraduateProfessionalOutreach ProgramGraduate students
in the LongwoodGraduate Program in Public Horticulturehave selected
Welkinweir for the “Profes-sional Outreach” component of
theircurriculum. This partnership will give thegraduate students an
exceptional, real-world learning experience. Their topic willbe
“collections” – the living plants thatcreate the arboretum.
Under a Museum Assessment Programgrant we received, consultant
A. WilliamGraham created a Collections AssessmentReport. Working
with the Longwoodstudents, Welkinweir will now be able tobegin
implementating the report’s recom-mendations, and allow the
horticultureprogram here to expand in new ways.
Thanks to volunteers Estelle Cremers,Win Howe and Debbie
Litzenburg fortheir help with the grant proposal.
Grant AwardedWelkinweir has been awarded a $2,500capital grant
from the Chester CountyConference and Visitors Bureau for
direc-tional signage to enable visitors to moreeasily find our
location. We appreciate thecontinued support of the Chester
CountyConference and Visitors Bureau.
Volunteer Matthew Shumaker oper-ates a leaf blower, one of his
duties atWelkinweir.
Horticultural interns visit local garden
Tribute TreesWelkinweir has been the recipient of anumber of
tribute trees this spring, whichwill enhance the arboretum’s
collections.Three native oaks were planted to memo-rialize three of
our GVA members, and twoornamental trees were planted to
celebrateweddings held at the estate. If you’re look-ing to
celebrate an anniversary, wedding,birthday, or other special event,
or tomemorialize a loved one, please considerplanting a special
tree in the arboretum.Contact Victoria Laubach at 610-469-7543.
SUMMER HOURS for the Welkinweir grounds areMon - Fri 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. Weekends for GVAmembers only. For information call
610-469-7543.
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Page 8 “Healthy Watersheds Lead to Healthy Living”
educationfrom Dawn White, Director of Education
Earth Day atVincent ElementaryFor the second year in a row,
Green Val-leys Association participated in VincentElementary
School’s celebration of EarthDay. This school-wide event
engagesstudents in activities that incorporatevarious areas of
study – from science tocreative art – and involves variouscommunity
members and organizations.
GVA donated 600 native White Pine treeseedlings to the school,
one for everystudent to plant in their own yards.
In addition, Director of Education DawnWhite presented a
“Healthy Habitats”program. Over 150 students learnedabout the
characteristics of healthy habi-tats, assembled food chains, and
playeda “Losing Your Habitat” game in whichstudents discovered what
happens tonatural resources when pollution, devel-opment, or other
negative events occur.They then made suggestions as to whatthey and
their parents can do to help.
Gini Carl, GVA educator, demonstrates the effects ofpollution on
a watershed to 2nd graders at UwchlanHills Elementary.
School Programs develop environmental stewards
Phoenixville Eco-Action Club members get dirtywhile taking apart
the marsh area in the courtyard.
Under GVA’s grant-funded Environmen-tal School Program, GVA
works withfour target schools to instill appreciationfor nature and
foster stewardship of theenvironment. Three of the schools
haveafter-school clubs and the fourth,Uwchlan Hills Elementary
School, hasuniquely formed, under GVA grant funds,a parent group
that initiates and imple-ments initiatives to move the school tobe
more environmentally responsible.
The parents’ group serves as an exten-sion of GVA, working
closely with theteachers, principal, and management staffto
introduce classroom lessons and fieldtrips, reduce waste, create a
schoolyardhabitat, and a “No Idle” zone. One of ourgoals is for the
other three schools toeventually adopt the Uwchlan Hillsparents
group model and for Uwchlan tohave and after school club.
Below are spring highlights from the par-ticipating schools:
At Vincent Elementary School, the after-school Nature Explorers
Club created
and tested weather instruments, learnedabout water pollution and
its effects onwildlife and people, created an ediblegroundwater
experiment, and learnedabout nature in their own backyard by
exploring the woodlands andfields throughout the
schoolproperty.
At Uwchlan Hills ElementarySchool, GVA worked withthe teachers,
students andScout groups to identifyareas of support to create
a“greener” school. Accom-plishments included 1) en-hancing the
“outdoor class-room” habitat gardens,2) working with the
Down-ingtown Area School DistrictRecycling Committee toidentify
ways to reducewaste, 3) launching a BatteryRecycling Program that
re-sulted in families recycling 2,300 batter-ies in 6 months, 4)
examining land man-agement practices on school grounds,and 5)
displaying the school’s green prac-tices at GVA’s 2008
Envirofest.
At Phoenixville Area Middle School,following up a visit to the
wastewatertreatment plant, the after-school Eco-
Action Club took a field tripto the water purification plantin
Phoenixville. The Clubalso visited the high school’swetland study
area createdwith GVA grant-funds 5 yearsago, to guide them as they
re-design their interior courtyardand install new bird feedersand
berry plants to attractbirds and butterflies.
As our new partner,Pottstown Middle School’sEnvironmental
Science Clubhad a table at GVA’sEnvirofest to promote thework of
the Club and GVAwithin the school.
During spring 2008, under this program,GVA delivered 10 programs
to more than900 students. Next school year theseprograms will
expand, with additionalfocus in the Owen J. Roberts
SchoolDistrict.
Slideshows and video on Envirofest,Mother’s Day Tea and Stream
DayCleanup are now available on ourwebsite!
www.greenvalleys.org
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Page 9Visit our Website: www.greenvalleys.org
Summer Nature Camp Kinder Nature Club
educationfrom Dawn White, Director of Education
There are limited spaces left in Green Valleys Summer Nature
Camp. Contact DawnWhite at 610-469-3277 to check on the remaining
availability of programs. Registra-
tion forms can be downloadedfrom the Camp page of ourwebsite
(www.greenvalleys.org).
This popular program attracted recordnumbers this spring as we
expanded thispre-school program to include 2-year-olds.
The children and their parents
• learned about the music nature createsthrough birds, water and
insects
• made binoculars; went birdwatching
• tasted honey whilelearning about bees
• enjoyed puppets andstories about spring-time happenings and
noc-turnal animals
• searched for worms and learned aboutthe important job they do
in nature
• discovered tadpoles, frogs, and insectbabies in the pond,
stream and wetlands
Kinder Nature Club will be held againin the fall, starting in
October. Each week,children and their parents discovernature
through hands-on activities,stories, games, crafts and nature
hikes.Please see the enclosed GVA Calendarfor the fall schedule and
details.
Environmental Education PaidInternship AvailableThis spring, we
were fortunate to hire our first education intern, Beth Miner. Beth
dida fantastic job with our Kinder Nature Club program, led Scout
and family programs,and put together the impressive Water Tent
displays for Envirofest.
In order to sustain such a wide variety of quality nature
programs, GVA is continuingthe seasonal internship program. We are
seeking a college student or graduate who isinterested in learning
to teach hands-on environmental education programs tochildren in
this non-formal education setting. Responsibilities include
developingthe activities and teaching Kinder Nature Club classes,
monthly family programs,and workshops for visiting school and Scout
groups.
This paid internship is for 10 weeks in the fall and/or the
following spring. For thefull position description visit
www.greenvalleys.org or contact Director of EducationDawn White at
610-469-8646.
Support neededfor scholarshipsWe need your help! Over theyears,
GVA has typically beenable to offer 5-7 scholarships tofamilies who
cannot afford tosend their child to summer naturecamp. The
scholarship fund issupported by generous peoplelike you, who
recognize both the
need to help these families and also the importance of having
nature in their lives. Sofar, we have received only enough funding
to send 1 child to camp on a scholarshipthis summer, leaving 5
children on the waiting list. Just $170 provides the opportu-nity
for one child to attend camp, but you can contribute any amount
toward our goalof $850. Please help us help these children!
Thanks to Mars Corporation for the assistance from five of its
employees tohelp trim vegetation from trails and set up the
canopies for Green ValleysSummer Nature Day Camp on June 6th.
Wildlife Walks
Reminder — Wildlife Walks will nottake place during the summer,
but willstart up again in the fall, beginningSeptember 13,
9:00-10:30 a.m.
New Family NaturePrograms plannedfor fallLook for new programs
for families ofall ages on our website later this sum-mer, and in
our fall newsletter.
A creek exploration turns into an opportunity to play“Soak the
Camp Counselor!”
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Page 10
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calendarSeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptember
OctoberOctoberOctoberOctoberOctober
Sat., Sept. 13 Wildlife Walk; 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.;FREE; meet at
GVA educationbuilding.
Sat., Sept. 20 Henrietta Hankin Library Program:2:00 – 3:00
p.m.; FREE; Held at thelibrary; Please call the library toregister,
610-321-1724. Space islimited.
Sat., Oct. 4 Family Nature at Night Program: BatWalk and
Campfire;
Tue., Oct. 7 Annual Dinner: Keynote Speaker, BernSweeny with
Stroud Research Center,from 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at TheDesmond
Hotel, Malvern.
Sat., Oct. 11 Phoenixville Library Program: 2:00 –3:00 p.m.;
FREE, Held at the Library;Please call the Library for
information,610-933-3013. Space is limited.
Sat., Oct. 11 Severe weather date for ‘Bat Walkand
Campfire.’
Sat., Oct. 11 Wildlife Walk; 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.;FREE; meet at GVA
education building.
Sat., Oct. 18 Henrietta Hankin Library Program:2:00 – 3:00 p.m.;
FREE; Held at thelibrary; Please call the library toregister,
610-321-1724. Space islimited.
Sat., Oct. 18 Wildlife Walk; 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.; FREE;meet at GVA
education building.
Kinder Nature Club Schedule
Tue., Oct. 7 “Wonderful Wetlands”; 12:30 –2:00 p.m.; 3 - 5 year
olds; at GVAeducation building;
Wed., Oct. 8 “Wonderful Wetlands”; 10:00 –11:00 a.m.; 2 - 4 year
olds.
Tue., Oct. 14 “Feathered Friends”; 12:30 –2:00 p.m.; 3 – 5 year
olds.
Wed., Oct. 15 “Feathered Friends”; 10:00 –11:00 a.m.; 2 – 4 year
olds.
Tue., Oct. 21 “Bats!”; 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.; 3 - 5year olds.
Wed., Oct. 22 “Bats!”; 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.; 2 – 4year olds.
Tue., Oct. 28 “Itsy Bitsy Spiders”; 12:30 – 2:00p.m.; 3 – 5 year
olds.
Wed., Oct. 29 “Itsy Bitsy Spiders”; 10:00 – 11:00a.m.; 2 – 4
year olds.
Pre-registration with payment required. Fees (per child,per
class): $10 members, $12 nonmembers, adultsand siblings are
FREE.
Southeastern PA, especially Chester County, was well
repre-sented by our local legislators: Rep. Curt Schroder and
Rep.Barabara McIlvaine Smith. Senators Rafferty and
Dinnimanpublicly recognized Green Valleys Association to the media
onall levels of watershed protection, noting their support of
Buff-ers 100. Andy Paravis, vice chair of the Federation of
North-ern Chester County Communities and supervisor of
NorthCoventry Township, lent his voice to this strong and
impres-sive showing of the support for the Buffers 100
proposal.
“Buffers,” from page 5
SAVE THE DATE!!GVA’s Annual Dinner
Tuesday, Oct 7, 20085:30 – 7pm Cocktails, 7– 9:00pm Dinner
at The Desmond Hotel, Malvern
Keynote Speaker: Bern Sweeny, PhD - Director,President and
Senior Research Scientist at Stroud WaterResearch Center, and
Adjunct Professor of Biology atthe University of Pennsylvania
Rep. George presents the Buffers 100 proposal to PA DEP,
withmembers of the PA Campaign for Clean Water partnership.(GVA's
Director of Advocacy, John Hoekstra, is at the left.)
Visit our Website: www.greenvalleys.org Page 11
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Summer, 2008
Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDBirchrunville, PA
Address Service Requested
Green Valleys Association1368 Prizer RoadPottstown, PA 19465
Printed on recycled paper
“Healthy Watersheds Lead to Healthy Living”
Visit our website: www.greenvalleys.org
SAVE THE DATE!!GVA’s Annual Dinner
Tuesday, October 7, 20085:30 – 7pm Cocktails
7 – 9:00pm DinnerThe Desmond Hotel, Malvern
In qualifiying for Green Office Certifica-tion (see page 1) GVA
was recognized fortaking the following actions to minimizeour
footprint:
• Solar PV panels on the estate house• PECO wind energy• Compost
yard waste• Use of non-toxic natural cleaning prod-
ucts• Energy star computer and appliance
upgrades• Use as few lights as possible (which are
all CFLs)• Computers turned off before leaving the
office• Natural ventilation and low energy
consumption fans for cooling• Setback thermostats for the
heating
system that automatically reduce thetemperature when the
building is notoccupied
• 30% and sometimes 100% post-consumer recycled paper
• Recycle all office and rental eventmaterials in accordance
with WasteRecycling service.
If you have more suggestions or want toassist in the greening
process, we welcomeyour input!
Green OfficeCertification
“Water Heroes” run for the environmentIn the 5K Water Hero Run
atEnvirofest, the fastest male andoverall runner was SteveNoone,
with a winning time of19.09. The fastest femalerunner was Susan
Landry, witha time of 22.16 minutes.
In the 13-15 age group, KevinAlloway finished in the amaz-ing
time of 21.03 minutes!Thanks to these three and allthe other
participants forbeing Water Heroes!
GVA makes saving resources easyGet stainless steel water
bottles, grocery bags and more from GVA
When you come to GVA, you can now purchase GVA stainless steel
water bottles andreusable shopping bags. Prices: Reusable shopping
bags $2.00, stainless steel waterbottles $8.00, and canvas bags
$12.00.
When you buy these products, you not only decrease your
consumption of plastic, butyou also to help support GVA! In
addition, you may also be protecting your health.Many reusable
water bottles are made of polycarbonate (No. 7 plastic),
whichcontains Bisphenol A. According to the Natural Resources
Defense Council,Bisphenol A (also known as BPA) has been linked to
breast and prostate cancer,reproductive problems, diabetes and
alteration of brain chemistry and behavioralchanges. In addition to
hard plastic sports bottles, BPA is used in many householdproducts,
including plastic baby bottles, and metal food cans, which are
often linedwith plastic to prevent a metallic taste in food.