Fall 2012

Introducing the GreenHouse residents of the 2012-2013 school year...

Tarver Shimek- Junior, Ecology & Biodiversity major from Baltimore, MD

Michael Grantz- Senior, Environmental Policy major from Louisville, KY

Travis Tindell- Senior, Natural Resources major from St. Cloud, FL

Richard Milby- Sophomore, English and Philosph major (not sure which or both) from Atlanta, GA

Nancy Lilly- Sophomore, Natural Resources major from Eagle, CO

Stella Pfau-  Senior, Ecology-Biodiversity major from Birmingham, AL

Joey Mooradian- Sophomore, Spanish or History or Music or English major from Nashville

Bea Troxel- Sophomore, (likely) Environmental Arts & Humanities major from Nashville

Allie Horick- Sophomore, (likely) Ecology & Biodiversity major from Nashville

Rachel Jenkins- Sophomore, Philosophy major from Georgia 

We've been in class for a little over two weeks but have already been busy organizing awesome activities for the semester!

This weekend we had our first garden hours of the semester. It was drizzling most of the time, but we managed to tear up several beds and put in some cabbage, kale, lettuce, radish, peas, among other veggies. We also did some repairs to the fence; the lovely tree growing next to the garden entrance got so big over the summer that it is starting to knock over the fence.

On Sunday we worked with Sewanee Green Action, the Community Engagement House, and the Sustainability House to organize "Shop the Yard Sale, Stop the Pipeline," a fundraiser for Tar Sands Blockade (http://tarsandsblockade.org/), which is fighting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in northern Texas. We generated $268 for the cause, and even received some Facebook thank-yous from the organizers in Texas!

                    Tarver and Travcat in Belgium, circa 1917.

Make sure to come to the documentary screening of The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil this Sunday at 7 PM in Gailor Auditorium. This is being put on by our friends at the University Farm and the Sustainability House, and there will be coffee and snacks afterwards at the GreenHouse.

Waste Less Week Results

CONGRATULATIONS TO 

Ellen Slugg

Richard Milby

Erin Brahm

for each winning $20 gift certificate to Stirling's from a lottery after participating in the first annual Waste Less Week!

These students were three of the 25 Sewanee undergrads who pledged to carry around their non-decomposable trash last Mon-Fri for Earth Week.

Many students who participated found this an enlightening, challenging, and thought-provoking experience. Their thoughts are shared below:

"Because we recycle and compost food (that is pre-made for us) we do not see the behind the scenes packaging that would be used compared to the trash produced by the majority of people who use the grocery system. " 

"It was interesting to experience the habitual motion of tossing into an empty bin that takes "everything", and then catch yourself and put it in your little baggy and have it swing by you all day"

" I thought it was interesting how carrying my trash influenced my purchases and decisions such as using scratch paper."

"It turns out the little decisions really do build up."

"I realized that food and compostable is the biggest part of my trash"

"I got several questions about my bag of trash, and the response to my answer was mostly positive.  Some of the greener people said they wished they were as committed and were proud of me.  One person just scoffed and turned away."

"It definitely helped me think about recycling and how much trash I throw away during the week!"

- WLW participants

Hope you will join us next year!

Earth Week

After the SOP hike tomorrow, we will be finished with our series of Earth Day celebrations. On Friday we had a screening of an episode from the BBC series Planet Earth, and all day yesterday we opened up our doors for students and community members to drop off gently used clothes and take with them anything they like. The rest of the clothes from the Clothing Swap will be donated to the Appalachian Women's Guild.

For Earth Day we built the brick base and thermal layer of our oven, which we can use starting this week! Here are some pictures from our work today:

Tarver and Deanna display their affection for both mud and one another.

Allie and Joey lining up the fire bricks.

What we completed today (except the top is now filled in).

Spring Garden Party

Perfect weather today for our spring garden party, organized by next years residents as is tradition.

Tarver showed off her skills on the hula hoop, and Ben, Andrew, and Arden played some music. For lunch we had Sequatchie Cove burgers and lamb burgers, beans and quinoa, and local salad and sweet potato fries. The chickens made several new friends, and Dr. Potter joined us for a few songs before everyone departed.

Travis, Arden and Michael begin work on the cob oven.

Zach and Johnny soakin' in the rays and the clay.

Arden and Andrew playing some tunes.

Meeting Minutes 4/8

Cabinet cleanout sometime before finals week

Meeting with new GHers Wednesday @ 7

Earth Week Events

There was an email about Sewanee Environmental Art Show on earth day. We should have a craft night this friday where people make stuff out of recycled materials. It gets auctioned off for Blue Monarch.

This week we need to do library tables Wed, Thursday, Friday of this week 10-12, but Friday 11-1. MM will make signs.

We have a form for people to sign up & we will give them plastic bags (on which we will write our logo WLW (Waste Less Week)). We will offer stirlings gift cards via raffle.

We need to send out a cstudent (Deanna) about us being at the library and doing this event

Table Times outside of Library

Wednesday: Tarv & Stew 10-11, MM & Trav 11-12

Thursday: Ben & Parker 10-11, Arden & Sarah 11-12

Friday: MM & Tarver 11-12, Jojo & Stew 12-1

Michael Pollan Talk 4/19 @ 7pm in Chatt, but we should get there an hour early

We will advertise to everyone, first come first serve sign-up, cstudent after we talk to popo

Tarver will chat with popo about getting 2 vans

4/20 Planet Earth Showing @ 4:30

Michael will get projector & speakers

Sat 4/21 Cothing Swap @ 10am-4pm

Start advertising now: Arden c-student, MM poster

We'll do it on porch and flat part of yard

Donate extra clothes to appalachian's women's guild

Sun 4/22 Woods Creek cleanup

Mon 4/23 John Benson hike w/ Bea effing Troxel... day hike

He's gonna talk about being environmentally friendly while doing outdoor activities

Complete Earth Week Poster we need to make it. MM and people to help her

we will also need to make a ctudent

Baby Chick

Introducing the newest member of the Sewanee GreenHouse....

(S)he (we can't be sure of the sex until it starts cock-a-doodle-dooing or bawking) was given to us by Dr. Haskell's ornithology class, who hatched (it). We're also not sure of the breed yet, maybe a polish? Maybe not? (S)he certainly does have an awkward hair-hat though. I've been calling (it) Marge Simpson.

Meeting Minutes February 19th

Coffee table next Friday from 11-coffee end--everyone who can help/sing silly songs!

Coffee has been orderd by Michael

Stewart Tarver and Michael will help set up/make coffee that morning.

MC- Ross Scarbrough!

Everyone playing a song send an email to Mary Michael.

Her sister might be singing a song.

Sarah is making an AWESOME POSTER. It will be done Tuesday.

Send another email--Arden.

Stew will attempt to be coffee bitch during event.

Technology ain’t needed.

Can we get K Smith to make a surprise appearance? Please?

He’s been invited. He will be re-invited. He will be a “surprise guest” on the poster.

Dr. Potter might play something!! But not Haskell; womp.

Also, it’s Merit weekend.

We should tell admissions about Leg’n’Salmon.

We should name the chick. It’s a female, according to Andrew Bradshaw.

But we won’t really know til it’s older. Do we want to get friends for it?

We need to do it this week if so. Trav says get three more chicks. That makes four. Math.

They should probably be layers and not special floofy kinds.

MM will talk to Haskell about it. Deanna will look into and stuff.

Egg brekki was great and happy! Good job. Next time invite professors!

GARDEN ARDEN sez garden is good. Sprouty contraptions are hard to water.

Compost Truck Tragedy: Where the fuck is the key? Toriano tooken it. Zomg he was just like in our house.

Three etc. needed to help do next compost round.

Chef Rick told Deanna to text her. She was like no thanks bro.

CHORE SWITCHAROO:

Arden and Ben--Chickens. Plus Travcat.

Parker and Deanna-- compost

MM and Stew-- love n joy

Sarah and Tarver -- kitchen

Michael and Jojo-- living room; set up cuddle hours.

Three weeks til Spring Break. Woop.

Stepping stones on the downhill slope by McCrady?

Dr. Potter willing to give us some money to prettify that space!

It’s pretty gross though. Flagstones for free that Parker knows about.

How can we wash the front of the house?

Arden will call PPS and get heat fixed.

Trav said it would be cool to have a week of no waste.

Can we get people to sign a pledge on Earth week?

Maybe it should end with earth day.

This should be publicized so that people think the GreenHouse is Green.

Even if it’s recycling it is still waste. Tampons are fine.

Oven makin’

Farming with the farmers’ market as an internship this summer!! Deanna can help you write the stuff that needs to be submitted by March 1st. Deanna will have a meeting soon about this, with people like Michael and Heather who farmed last summer.

We got dat National Geographic subscription.

Ben is late, he must take off his pants.

He is taking off his pants. They are unzipped. He hesitates. He rebuckles. General disappointment.

People often feel that the GreenHouse didn’t do as much as it used to.

Craft nights can happen.

Sarah suggests documentary nights. Chicken Run first?

Next thursday first one--emailSarah for any suggestions or ideas. Possibilities for discussions afterward, speakers, etc.

Public screenings require monies for lawyer shit.

By word of mouth?

Team up with Cinema Guild to help us? Sarah will try to talk to them about it.

Craft night

Heather and Peter have materials for arts.

Ben and Arden and Tarver and Travis will help head this up.