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tricityherald.com / Lifestyles / Home and Garden

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Saturday, Apr. 05, 2008

Mid-Columbia events going for green

By Loretto J. Hulse, Herald staff writer

You can help make our community a little cleaner and greener by making a pledge to do so and announcing it on the Web.

Information on scheduled Earth Month activities in the Mid-Columbia -- including gardening classes, kids activities, workshops, recycling opportunities, even an Alternative Energy Expo -- can be found online at www.earthmonthmc.org.

Not online?

Give Mid-Columbia Earth Day chairwoman Gail Everett a call at 942-7730 and she'll be glad to help you find or create a project.

Report your results back to the website or to Everett by the end of April and -- if you're among the first 1,000 to do so -- you'll receive a canvas tote bag or a Western white pine conifer seedling. Groups will receive a tree to plant.

Let it rot

Learn how to turn most kitchen and garden waste into rich organic compost at a free workshop from 9 a.m. to noon April 12 in the conference room at the Kennewick branch of the Mid-Columbia Library, 1620 S. Union St.

The workshop will cover:

* How to reduce the amount of garbage you generate.

* How to put your house and garden organics to good use.

* How to make your own soil conditioner/fertilizer.

Those attending will receive a free composting bin.

The workshop is sponsored by the Solid Waste divisions of Benton and Franklin counties, the cities of Richland and Kennewick, the Washington State University Extension and the Benton Clean Air Authority.

Preregistration is required, call 942-7730 or 545-3551.

Be frugal with water

"How to Conserve Water in your Landscape" is the topic of the Mid-Columbia Sustainable Business Network's monthly brown bag meeting on April 24.

Kathy Criddle, a local waterwise gardener for eight years and member of the Native Plant Society, will share ideas on how to use her favorite perennial flowers and natural plants in your landscaping. Find out how xeriscaping or waterwise gardening in the business landscape can be more than just gravel and junipers.

The free program will be at noon at the Mid-Columbia Library, 1620 S. Union St., Kenenwick.

For more information, go to www.ci.richland.wa.us, link to "Living" and then "Environmental Education."

Recycle old cell phones

Clean out your junk drawer and recycle those old cell phones. Throughout April you can drop them off in containers placed at all branches of the Mid-Columbia Library. Richland Public Library will not participate this year due to the space constraints in their temporary quarters.

The phones will be cleared of data by a company called Cell Phones for Safety and donated to Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties.

Non-working phones will be sent to Shelter Alliance for reconditioning and the money received will be used for community services in the Mid-Columbia.

For more information, call 585-4351.

More opportunities

* Tuesday -- Learn how to recycle greeting cards, 9:30 a.m., Richland Community Center.

* Tuesday -- Learn how to incorporate native plants into your landscape, 12:10 p.m., CREHST Museum in Richland.

* April 12 -- Benton City cleanup, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., containers at the city shops at Della Avenue and Seventh Street.

* April 14-28 -- Connell community cleanup, containers at the city shops.

* April 15 -- Planting, feeding and care of your garden, 12:10 p.m., CREHST Museum in Richland.

* April 19 -- West Richland cleanup, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., containers at Enterprise Middle School, 5200 Paradise Way.

* April 19 -- CI-Shred Document shredding, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Target parking lots in Kennewick and Richland.

* Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@ tricityherald.com

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