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Open House Linn County
You are invited to our Open House on Monday, March 25, 4-6 pm! Tour our new location at 383 Collins Road NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Win really cool gifts like low flow shower heads, faucet aerators, meet...
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Solar Energy
Meet my new friend, Jason! He is helping my husband and I determine the right ‘array’-ngement for solar power for our home. I learned so much in our 2 hour visit with him! We want to generate enough...
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Eco Super Heroes 4
Oh my goodness! YOU should hear what the Eco Families are doing about STUFF! After watching the PBS video on happiness, 3 young cousins sorted their toys and gave away a huge pile! Another family went...
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H2O
Thanks to a recent spring rain, my rain barrel is FULL! I am grateful that in Iowa we have the freedom to collect rainwater for our outdoor uses. I use rain water for my container gardens, the annual...
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New life for damaged trees
My dear friends in NW Iowa and Minnesota are still recovering from the ice storms recently. They are cleaning up lots of broken trees. Although it is a very sad thing to see a precious tree snapped...
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Earth Week
I have two special places in my yard prepared for the pear trees that I will get this weekend. They need sunshine, nitrogen, well drained soil. I ordered them from Backyard Abundance, a non-profit...
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Energy Conundrum
Have you missed me? I have been on the road for 7 weeks conducting training, attending conferences and putting a lot of miles on vehicles! I shared our Eco Family work with folks all over the nation,...
View ArticleTransition Neighborhoods
I recently invited neighbors and friends to a compost and rainscaping open house in my yard. I put laminated signs in my prairie patch, rain garden, rain barrels, and the organic garden bed. Although...
View ArticleOffice Compost
In 22 weeks, January – May, The Linn County ISU Extension & Outreach office has diverted approximately 100 gallons of food waste from the landfill by collecting leftovers from lunches, coffee pot,...
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Disaster Self Care
Recently, I found myself holding my breath as I crossed a bridge on one of the swollen rivers. My heart skips a beat when I see reports of flooding on TV. Images of the Flood of 2008 stream through...
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Green Roof Inspires Joy
I got a tour of the brand new Cedar Rapids Library Green Roof! It has amazing ecological features including the beautiful sea of sedum plants, state of the art water collection system and solar powered...
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Cut Down a Tree
Ancient tree! I have been accused of being a tree hugger. I tied a large cardboard sign around my ash tree this summer so the tree trimmers sent out by the utility company knew I wanted it trimmed NOT...
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New Shoes
Shoeshine Time! Back to school time makes me think about new shoes. I remember getting a new pair of school shoes each fall during my grade school years. They lasted til summer break or until they...
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Save a Bottle
I don’t buy bottled water anymore. I take my aluminum, glass and BPA free plastic beverage bottles to refill wherever I go. I like to think that I am diverting the equivalent of a case of plastic...
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2 Much Stuff
We got rid of cable TV and put up an antenna! I was excited to have that money back monthly to add to our savings. Then, lightning took out the TV. So, a new TV was in order. This caused a...
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Glass or plastic?
I am in the process of changing over my pantry containers from plastic to glass. I am trying to reduce my use of plastic wrap and plastic leftover containers for several reasons. I want to reduced my...
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Oaks and Swings
I think my favorite tree is Oak. At least today. We planted a white oak tree years ago – it survived girdling from a dog chain, broken limbs by a neighboring fallen tree and the go cart. We just...
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Prairie Palooza
I love my little prairie patch! I reconstructed a miniature prairie on a corner of my lot in 2008. The giant mulberry tree and numerous smaller trees and shrubs were taken out by the utility company....
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Rooftop Fun
I am so pumped for Saturday! We get to host a temporary Nature Explore outdoor classroom on the green roof of the brand new Cedar Rapids Public Library! We will have a 6 activity areas – a spiral...
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Abundant Apples
I am up to my ears in apples! I am loving it! We have made apple tarts, applesauce, apple juice, dehydrated apple slices, frozen apples for pies and eaten lots of fresh ones! We are sharing our...
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