Living Green Events
iMESA COMMUNITY GARDEN NEWS!
Exciting progress continues through a non-profit organization
called "Mesa Urban Garden" or MUG for short! Get details at
www.MesaUrbanGarden.com.
Sign Up Now to Learn About Hip Veggies - Feb.
23 from 1 to 2 PM., Cooking with He(ART): It's Not
Hard to Use Chard with Marisa Hall. Did you know
Rainbow Swiss Chard is beautiful, delicious, and is easy to
grow? Artist Marisa Hall will teach you how to grow, harvest,
and make pesto with this vibrant vegetable. Where does the art
come in? Hall will be selling art imprinted bags featuring
Rainbow Chard. This class will be held at Mesa Urban Garden, 212
E. 1st Ave. It is a family-friendly event costing $10 per adult
and $14 per family. Contact Hip Veggies at (623) 486-0737
or info@hipveggies.com.
Grand Opening on Jan. 26 Soggy but Successful!
There was a great turn out from the community despite the (wow,
is it ever going to stop raining) weather. Even Council members
Dave Richens and Dennis Kavanaugh stopped by. The event produced
some very happy raffle winners and many purchased beds for
spring gardening. ASU Design students displayed plans for raised
garden beds for the physically impaired and a very cool rooftop
design for the ramada. They are now looking for donations or
sponsors to help with construction. If you have ideas or would
like to contribute, please contact
Ryan@mesaurbangarden.com.
READY TO START YOUR SPRING GARDEN?
It's time to plant, so sign up NOW for a garden-ready bed at
Mesa Urban Garden. Soil and irrigation are already in place. No
back-breaking work or tilling needed. Print off a
Garden Bed Rental Agreement, fill it out, then contact
Ryan Winkle to
meet onsite and find your garden bed location. Too Easy!
WISH LIST Mesa Urban Garden is looking for a
temporary small storage shed until a permanent shed can be
built. If you have something available that you'd be willing to
donate, please contact
Ryan@mesaurbangarden.com.
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BONUS TIPS
Fri., Feb. 8-Sun., May 26. WEATHER OR NOT: ART WITH
ATMOSPHERE - This art exhibit takes a colorful look at
weather, including rain, storms, clouds, wind, snow, lightening
and more. Your family will enjoy creating breathtaking tornados,
delivering weather reports, and experiencing the thunderously
amazing Glow-in-the-Dark Weather Room. At the Arizona Museum for
Youth, 35 N. Robson, Mesa, AZ. For more information (480)
644-2468 or
AMY Exhibitions.
This Sat., Feb. 9, 8 AM to Noon. Household Hazardous
Waste Collection Event sponsored by the City of Mesa to
provide an opportunity for the proper disposal of products
including paints, batteries, fluorescent lights, tires,
prescription drugs, electronics and more. There is no cost to
take advantage of this event. East Mesa Service Center, 6935 E.
Decatur St. Mesa, AZ. For more information, call City of Mesa
Customer Service at (480) 644-2221 or visit
www.mesarecycles.org.
Thur., Feb. 21, 6 PM.
Free Community Cinema Film Screening,
The
Powerbroker: Whitney Young's Fight for Civil Rights by
Bonnie Boswell. Whitney M. Young, Jr. was one of the most
celebrated and controversial leaders of the civil rights era. As
executive director of the National Urban League, he took the
struggle for equality directly to the powerful white elite,
gaining allies in business and government, including three
presidents. LOCATION: Mesa Arts Center, Contemporary Arts
Building, Dobson Lecture Hall, One East Main Street, Mesa, AZ.
Sat., Feb. 23, 8 AM to Noon. SHRED-A-THON -
Document shredding will be offered by the City of Mesa. 5 box
limit per household. Center Street Facility, 2412 N. Center St.
Mesa, AZ. Visit
www.mesarecycles.org.
Are you looking for a landscaper? A great new website directory
of Smartscape trained professionals is now
available. Smartscape graduates have 20 hours of specialized
professional landscape training that emphasizes sustainability
and stewardship of natural resources in the maintenance of
beautiful urban environments. This program is sponsored by the
City of Mesa Water Conservation and other Valley cities. Contact
a Smartscape graduate
today! Smartscape training also starts on Feb. 19.
Are you wondering what to do in your landscape after the frost?
Check out our
Monthly Landscape Watering Reminder bonus tips!
The City of Mesa Library provides a great list of
Living Green and sustainable books
including topics on solar, energy efficiency, gardening and
more.
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IT'S SPRING! MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE GREAT MARCH
EVENTS!
Sat. March 2, 8 AM to 1 PM. READY TO SAVE WATER AND MONEY?
Attend SRP's 6th Annual Water Conservation Expo.
Get a SMART controller (yes, it's so smart it adjusts itself for
the season) at an amazing discount of $50 plus tax (retail value
$290). But wait, there's more! Attendees will also get a free
water-saving showerhead and a desert plant! The Expo focuses on
water management, stewardship and conservation. Classes on
"smart" controllers, and Xeriscape design and maintenance will
be offered. Mesa Conservation staff will be there. Learn more at
Together We
Conserve.
Sat., March 9, 7 to 11 AM. One for Water 4-Miler and
Family Festival is a fun race that offers
something for everyone - a fast course, desert scenery, great
prizes, swag, food, and a unique "tank chaser" to beat a running
toilet. Whether you're a runner or prefer to walk the
course, this professionally-timed 4-mile loop run promises a
unique blend of the traditional race with some distinctive
moments. Following the race and awards ceremony, a Family
Festival with food, kid's activities, mascots, leak-fixing
demos, music, and more will top off a memorable race day. Join
us to help raise awareness for fixing leaks and encouraging
water efficiency in our homes, landscapes and businesses!
At Rio Vista Community Park, Peoria, Arizona. Mesa Conservation
staff will be there. More information and registration, visit
www.fixaleakweekaz.com.
March 13-17
spark! Mesa's Festival of Creativity will
provide an immersive environment to celebrate the work of
amazing, creative people and to discover the creative thinker
inside every visitor! The event will take place at the
Mesa Arts Center during Spring Break.
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GREEN OPPORTUNITIES BY OUR CLOSE NEIGHBORS!
The City of Scottsdale offers a free Green Building
Lecture Series that demonstrates energy/resource
efficient, healthy, and environmentally responsible building
practices. See their
spring program schedule.
Green Revolution: A Green-themed Exhibition from the
Smithsonian - Until May 25 Tempe is one of the lucky
few to play host to Green Revolution, a green-themed exhibition
from the Smithsonian. The Tempe exhibition is a collaborative
project that combines the arts and sciences while teaching
community members about "going green" in Arizona. Tempe Center
for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, AZ.
More information.
-LG-