Food Tank - The Think Tank for Food America’s Grow-a-Row works to positively improve the lives of people in the Northeast United States by planting, harvesting, rescuing, and delivering fresh produce to those in need, free of charge. With more than 9,000 volunteers, America’s Grow-a-Row grows, gleans, and gives over 1 million pounds of fruits and vegetables to people throughout New Jersey, New York City, and Pennsylvania annually. America’s Grow-a-Row educates all their volunteers about hunger, introduces younger generations to farming and healthy lifestyles, cultivates a spirit of kinship and giving, and contributes to the reduction of food waste. https://foodtank.com/news/2018/05/america-grow-a-row-chip-paillex/

A Rutgers Environmental Steward is a volunteer that is trained in the important environmental issues affecting New Jersey and works to help solve local environmental problems. Stewards attend weekly classes and are taught by leading researchers from Rutgers, government, and the nonprofit sector. Field trips to environmentally significant sites are included. Stewards complete a 60-hour internship of their choosing to become certified. Topics include climate change, soil health, alternative energy, water quality, habitat conservation, pollinator protection, environmental policy and more! Anyone can become an Environmental Steward! You do not need an environmental degree. You simply need a passion for the environment, a desire to learn, and a willingness to volunteer to create positive change in your community.

Join us on Tuesday, September 19th from 7-8 p.m. at The Collingswood Public Library for an educational evening on how to save seeds. We will cover the three basic methods of processing seeds: dry, wet, & fermentation. The presentation will be about 10-15 minutes. This will be followed by a demonstration of all three methods. If you'd like to get your hands dirty please bring your own fruits and dried seed pods with you for processing. This last part is optional. https://www.facebook.com/SJSeedCircleLibrary

Have you ever considered raising chickens in your backyard? Gwenne Baile, Chair, Camden County Chickens and Chair of Haddon Township’s Backyard Chicken Advisory Board will teach you how easy and rewarding it is to raise a backyard flock on Sunday, September 10th at 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM at the Camden County Environmental Center. Learn everything from choosing the right chicks, setting up a coop, and keeping them happy and healthy year-round. Rosebud, her Therapy Chicken, will be joining us!

A bill being considered by state lawmakers would implement the 2014 constitutional dedication of corporate business tax revenues for environmental purposes, including grants for historic preservation. However, as it reads, the measure proposes that 97 percent of dedicated revenue would be used for land acquisition, public recreation and conservation, Blue Acres and farmland preservation. That would only leave 3 percent for historic preservation. http://bit.ly/1xHKP2s

The New Jersey Conservation Foundation has received $715,000 in grants to protect water resources in the Pine Barrens, the Delaware Bay watershed and the Highlands. The grants represent the first phase of a $35 million, multi-year initiative by the Philadelphia-based William Penn Foundation to protect and restore drinking water for 15 million people in the Delaware River watershed. The watershed covers more than 13,500 square miles and spans New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. In South Jersey, the aim is to further protect the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, a vast underground reservoir providing more than 35 billion gallons of clean water annually to residents, farmers, businesses and industry.

Super Storm Sandy destroyed many trees in Merchantville. Also, many of our trees are mature, and some die every year. New Jersey Forestry together with other organizations is sponsoring the NJ Tree Recovery Campaign. Through this program Merchantville will receive FREE tree seedlings for distribution to residents for planting on their own property. Residents can get up to 5 seedlings at Borough Hall during regular office hours from April 1 through April 18.

Believe it or not - the ground will begin to thaw soon, and the harbingers of spring will begin to make their presence known. One group of plants that is known for delicate blossoming in early spring, and is not well known outside of hard core gardeners is called spring ephemerals. Ephemeral means short-lived or lasting for a brief time. Spring ephemeral de- scribes perennial flowers that pop up early each spring, quickly bloom, then retreat into dormancy as the heat of summer approaches.