Louisville's Bike to Work Day Celebration is taking place on Friday, May 30, 2014 rain or shine! They’ll be celebrating the bike at 4th Street Live at Noon.  Get started now by registering to participate, it's free!

Here's what you need to know:  

1. They're giving away a free bike from Parkside Bikes!
2. There are events going on all month long, sponsored by Bicycling for Louisville, the local bike advocacy organization.
3. Never biked to work before?  Don't worry; Bicycling for Louisville will help you learn how.
4. They're meeting at 5 different locations around town to bike to work together on Friday, May 30th.

Join me and my staff in another phase of the Lexington Road improvements between Cross Hill and Top Hill Roads on Saturday, June 7th from 8:00 am – 11:30 a.m. We will be weeding and cleaning the hillside along Lexington Road.  Please volunteer to be a part of this restoration effort.  Gloves, tools and Louisville Water Company PureTap water will be provided to all volunteers.  Please bring your own reusable water bottle.  Call our office at 574-1109 for more information. 

January 1, 2015 is the date that enforcement of a ban on the use of plastic bags for yard waste will begin throughout Jefferson County following a period of educational outreach. A regulation passed on May 6, 2014 by the Louisville-Jefferson County Waste Management District specifies the use of reusable containers, paper bags, or compostable bags for yard waste collection.

The regulation prohibits collection of yard waste in plastic bags that are not compostable. Here are five approved methods, in order of preference, for disposal of yard waste.

• Mulch and/or compost yard clippings to eliminate cost and need for yard waste collection;
• Place yard waste in reusable containers, such as an old garbage can, to reduce the need for continual purchase of single-use bags;
• Place yard waste in paper bags designed for yard waste collection;
• Place yard waste in compostable plastic bags that meet ASTM D6400 standards;
• Use seasonal drop-off centers for yard waste

Compostable plastic bags and paper bags designed for yard waste collection can be found at many area retailers that carry lawn care cleanup supplies. An educational outreach campaign has been launched to prepare residents before enforcement of the regulation begins.

Yard waste left out in plastic bags during the education period will be collected, but haulers will then leave educational material about the regulation and the coming enforcement. After enforcement begins on January 1, yard waste in plastic bags will not be collected and residents could be subject to fines and cleanup fees.

The regulation addresses contamination of yard waste caused by an abundance of plastic bags that prevent yard waste from being processed into desirable compost and mulch.

Contamination caused by plastic bags leads to 32,000 tons of yard waste being added to area landfills each year despite a 1994 ordinance requiring that the waste not be landfilled. The new regulation removes the barrier that has prevented compliance with the ordinance.

Similar rules are already being enforced in surrounding cities such as Cincinnati, Lexington, Columbus and Nashville. The yard waste container regulation is an initiative of the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team, funded by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

For a quick summary of answers to questions about yard waste disposal options click here.

More detailed information about the yard waste container regulation is available online at http://www.louisvilleky.gov/SolidWaste.

Help free the trees with Olmsted Parks Conservancy! They need YOUR help with removing invasive vines to save park trees and restore our urban woodlands! Gloves, tools and guidance provided. Volunteers needed on the following dates June 5, 12, 19 & 26, July 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31, and August 7, 14, 21 & 28. Visit www.olmstedparks.org or call 456-8125 for more information or to register online click here. 

Summer is the prime time to eat locally grown food.  There are many benefits to eating locally grown food: 

• You support local farmers, helping preserve farm land and strengthening the local economy. 
• Your food arrives to you fresh from the farm: healthy options with amazing fresh taste.
• You can ask growers’ about their techniques and choose sustainable options.
• Less fuel is used to transport your food, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions. 
• By participating in the local food economy, you have the opportunity to grow community.