Hike With Friends!

We had a fun time with a fun group of people (and dogs!) last month, so there will be another good Hike Group trek on Sunday, March 26. A great opportunity to walk an established safe trail with friendly folks. All are welcome!
(Read more details about this trail HERE.)

Creation Care – Ask the Waste Wizard

Do you find yourself sometimes wondering whether a particular item can go in the recycling bin? Given the changes from time to time in the list of items that are accepted for recycling pick up, some uncertainty is understandable. The Waste Wizard tool is an excellent resource that can alleviate potential confusion: click here to check any item. (You can also download the mobile app version by searching for "AVL Collects.”) Type in any item and learn whether it can be placed in curbside collection. If an item is not accepted, available disposal alternatives will be listed (Terracycle, Hard-to-Recycle collection, or garbage). 

Items that don’t belong in the recycling bin can ruin whole loads and can damage equipment, so please practice mindful recycling. (And remember that reducing and reusing are even better ways to care for the earth.) 

Janice B.

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
– Native American Proverb

Creation Care -- Stream Strengthening Tips

Do you own property that fronts a stream or river? If so, consider maintaining some plants and vegetation around the edges of your stream (a "riparian buffer"). Having native trees and shrubs around streams is very important for maintaining clean waterways that are able to support fish and other animals. They help filter pollutants before they can reach the stream, they provide shade that can stabilize water temperature, they decrease the severity of flooding, they strengthen stream banks to protect from erosion, and they provide habitats for land and aquatic wildlife.

If you currently just have grass on your streambanks, consider planting native trees, shrubs, or herb-like plants, and avoid mowing and clearing within 30-50 feet of the streambank (the more of a buffer the better). Also look out for exotic invasive plants since some of these can alter streamflow and smother out the surrounding vegetation.
(advice borrowed from the Jackson Co. Sustainability Council)

“Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
“You, O Lord, care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.” – Psalm 65:9

Creation Care -- Recycle at Your Grocery Store

Did you know you can recycle more than plastic shopping bags at your favorite grocery store? Local stores, including Ingle’s, Publix, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Target, and Whole Foods, have easy-to-access recycling bins near the front door for plastic bags and wraps that cannot be recycled in curbside recycling bins.
 
Grocery Store Recycling Items

• plastic retail bags (clean, dry and free of receipts)

• bread wraps, produce bags

• newspaper sleeves and dry-cleaning bags

• wrap from paper plates, napkins, bathroom tissue, cases of water, and diapers

• bubble wrap and deflated air pillows (think Amazon)

• plastic shipping envelopes (remove labels)

• plastic cereal box liners (if it tears like paper, do not include)

• Zip-top food storage bags (clean and dry)

Remember, these items need to be clean, dry, free of labels and cannot be placed in the curbside recycle bins. Not only will you be helping to keep our streets and waterways litter free, but you will also be providing material for new products.

Visit plasticfilmrecycling.orgto find your nearest drop-off location.

Reminders:

• We are still collecting unopened, clean packages of utensils (with or without napkins and condiments) inside both the Fellowship Hall and Main Street entrances of the church. These will be donated to the ministries of the Haywood Street Respite shelter.

• WNC Repair Cafe returns to Living Web Farms on Tuesday, June 15, 5-7 pm. (See details in previous newsletter HERE.)

 “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” —Henry David Thoreau

Mars Hill University plants a prairie, thanks to Shaelyn!

On a campus hillside at Mars Hill, our very own Shaelyn Roberts has been working with her biology professor to help native grasses and flowers retake the land from invasive species. The project began in the 2019-2020 school year with several students growing native seedlings. Now Shaelyn is taking the student lead on the project for her senior seminar in field biology. She got a grant to purchase seeds, supplies, and testing equipment. As the new prairie grows, maintaining the area will be easier, as the native flora will need mowing a lot less than it does now. It will also be a good habitat for birds, reptiles, insects, and other pollinators. And it provides the university with a new living lab for students to learn from and contribute to.
For more pictures of the group of students and faculty who helped plant, click HERE.
To read more about the project and Shaelyn’s great involvement, click HERE.

Creation Care -- Changes to Plastic Recyclables

Curbie, the recycling service for the Weaverville area, is no longer accepting certain plastic items. These include clamshells, plastic take-out containers, blister packs (packaging around items like light bulbs or headphones), and containers often used for produce and bakery items. Even though those items often show a recycling symbol and category number, they can no longer be accepted.

The easiest way to remember which plastic items you may place in your recycling container is to consider their shapes. Plastic bottles, jugs, jars, and tubs are still recyclable. (All items should be clean and dry.)

Plastic bags and wraps are collected for recycling at most grocery and home improvement stores, and should not be placed in your recycling container. 

The best way to keep plastics and other materials out of the landfill is to reduce our use of them. You can use your own containers for takeout foods and beverages sometimes (as restaurants receive more requests, a larger number will be open to it). When placing orders online (via Amazon, etc.), look for reduced-packaging options. If you purchase something in a container that is not recyclable, try to think of alternate uses for that container before trashing it. It takes some effort and mindfulness, but it pays off.

Janice 

“The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” - Wendell Berry

Dispose of and Recycle Electronics (May 1–3, Sat.–Mon.)

Ike's Hauling will be located in the parking lot behind the Weaverville Town Hall to accept discarded monitors, computers, phones, cables, etc. (Please remove any personal information from electronics.) May 1–2, Sat.–Sun. from 8 am–8 pm, and Mon., May 3 from 4 pm–7 pm. For a list of what they take, go to their website here.

They will also be in Woodfin at the end of May, where they will receive televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, and more. Any other time you have large items, simply call Ike’s Hauling to make an appointment for them to pick it up: 775-7720.

Creation Care tips

Have you set a goal to make changes in 2021 that would benefit God's creation? Perhaps you’ve already chosen to recycle or avoid the use of chemical pesticides in your garden, but would like to expand your efforts to other areas. Here are some options to consider:
(Choose a few actions below that can be realistically integrated into your routine, and work toward doing them consistently.)

Bravo! You just took a step toward making the planet a healthier place for all of us.