Earth Day Spokane

Come help us plan for an even better Earth Day Spokane! Meetings will be held at Sun People Dry Goods, 32 West 2nd Avenue, Suite 200, Spokane, WA.

This year’s event is April 23rd – Main Street (between Browne and Division). Watch this space for event times and other details.

For more information on this event or to find out how to become a vendor, volunteer, participant or performer please contact Jessica Anundson at (509) 847-9503 or jessica.tweedy.anundson@gmail.com.

Planning meetings are currently every Wednesday from 4-5 at Sun People Dry Goods, 32 West 2nd Avenue, Suite 200
Spokane, WA 99201 – starting Wednesday, February 16th.

Here is an update as of February 3, 2011:

“Morning all,
Please mark your calendars for Monday, February 7th for the first and most important Earth Day 2011 planning meeting. The meeting will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the 3rd floor conference room of the Community Building.

This meeting is going to be critical to our efforts to build off of last year’s momentum and to set the course for another successful, eye-opening and respected event.

As previously mentioned, we are quite a bit behind schedule and must work fast and effective to pull this event off. It can be done. It must be done.

There are a few very important decisions that need to be made Monday. Please plan on settling on a date, a location and a core team of volunteers who will pull this event off. In year’s past we have counted on one or two people to man the wheelhouse. We aren’t going to have that luxury this year. We must work as a team, a community. If we can’t do this, what can we really be expected to do?

Thanks for your time and your willingness to work on Earth Day 2011!
–

Bart Mihailovich (bartly7@gmail.com)”

Contributions to Urban Forestry Can Now Be Made Via Your Utility Billing
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It’s quick and easy and you can help support a very worthy cause — your Urban Forest. Just look for your City of Spokane Utility Bill and check the box labeled “URBAN FOREST” and write in the amount you wish to contribute. Your donation will help support planting of trees and provide other much-needed care for our valuable urban forest.
Spokane’s Urban Forest belongs to everyone and it’s a valuable asset for our community. Our trees give us shade, clean air and water, a sense of place and history, better health, and tranquility as well as providing a unique identity for Spokane.

So, make a donation to support the City’s Urban Forestry program via your City of Spokane utility bill.

For more information please call 509.363.5470 or go online to www.spokaneurbanforestry.org

About Urban Forestry
City of Spokane Urban Forestry staff manages 50,000 street trees and another 28,000 trees on developed park land within the City of Spokane. City arborists help manage the urban forest by planting and maintaining trees throughout the City. The thinning of trees in some areas is also done to improve the overall health of various stands of trees in the City’s park system. Improving the City’s urban forest is an ongoing project that will take decades of work and careful management. In 2010 Spokane received its seventh year in a row designation as a Tree CityUSA. That program is sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

Running a sustainable farming operation can be a challenge, especially in tough economic times.  Whether you’ve been farming for years, or have a dream of beginning or adding a new farm-based enterprise, you’ll learn exciting new tools & strategies for farm or farm business profitability with the Cultivating Success^TM series of entrepreneurship classes.

The program courses include Sustainable Small Farming & Ranching, and Agricultural Entrepreneurship & Business Planning.  The 12 to 14-week evening courses feature a full line-up of guest speakers, including university experts and successful farm entrepreneurs. Courses are offered by the Cultivating Success Program, a collaboration of Washington State University, the University of Idaho and the non-profit organization Rural Roots, and are taught through County Extension.  The costs of the courses vary, but are typically between $150-250.

For more information, contact Michel Wiman of WSU Small Farms Program or go to the Cultivating Success website.

To register for classes in Washington or Idaho, please contact local sites to register found at the previous links.