Prepare NOW for Hurricanes

The Atlantic hurricane season is June to November, with peak season mid-August to late October; early preparation may increase resiliency. Every family that fails to take basic preparedness actions is a family that may pull responders and critical resources away from those most needing emergency assistance. The most basic home emergency kit should include sufficient water and non-perishable food to support the family for at least 72 hours. Learn what else to include in your home emergency kit.

New Halifax Community Center Reopens The new 17,000-square-foot Halifax Community Center reopened June 25, replacing the old facility built in 1972. The center is targeted for LEED Silver certification, featuring energy-efficient building and mechanical system design, a water cistern and LEDs in the parking lot. It also includes an improved gymnasium, weight room, restrooms with shower facilities, new playground, warming kitchen, office/reception area and public art.

Want to Know the Value of a Tree? There's an App for That Introduced in 2006 and now in its fifth iteration, i-Tree allows cities, states and other users to quantify the value of trees. The program calculates the "leaf surface area" of a community and assigns the canopy an economic value based on environmental services trees provide, such as pollution mitigation, carbon sequestration and storage, stormwater runoff reduction, and more. i-Tree is a free, state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed open source software suite from the USDA Forest Service. City staff will receive i-Tree training as part of a larger grant to fund the restoration of trees in John Chavis Memorial Park.

Raleigh4U Website Gets a New Look The City of Raleigh's Office of Economic Development recently launched its redesigned Raleigh4U website, featuring a new contemporary look with responsive design. It includes videos showcasing what Raleigh has to offer, economic development news, and information on the business assistance program and more. The redesign is part of City Council's efforts to support strong economic development and innovation, two important components in making Raleigh a sustainable city.

Raleigh Accepts Two Properties from City of Oaks Foundation The City of Raleigh recently accepted the donation of two properties. The first is a 43-acre tract of land and water located in northeast Raleigh adjacent to the Neuse River Greenway, offering significant environmental advantages. The second property,  more than 38 acres in southeast Raleigh, is adjacent to the Walnut Creek Greenway and Ampitheater and has excellent potential to become a neighborhood park. The City of Oaks Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit partner of the City dedicated to protecting Raleigh's natural lands while providing outdoor education opportunities to the community.

Need Two Recycling Carts? Each household with access to curbside recycling collection from the City of Raleigh should have received one blue cart; however, large families may need a second cart. If you consistently have more materials than can fit in one blue cart, you may purchase a second cart by calling (919) 996-6890. A 65-gallon cart costs $42; a 95-gallon cart costs $48. This one-time fee is the only cost for extra recycling capacity; customers with two blue carts pay the same monthly recycling fee as customers with one cart.

WELCOME...
to the City of Raleigh Office of Sustainability bimonthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy our news, click the links to learn more, and forward it to others who may be interested. To receive future issues, sign up for Sustainable Raleigh through MyRaleigh Subscriptions.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Feed Your Food

Each week patrons can "recycle" their food scraps, compostable containers and non-recyclable paper into compost at the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market. July 23 is Compost Day; shoppers will be encouraged to pick up a postcard and drop it at their favorite restaurant to spread the word on how easy it is to start composting.

If you have a photo showing sustainability in action that you'd like to have considered for the Photo of the Month, please email SustainableRaleigh@raleighnc.gov and include a brief story.

To Shred or Not to Shred

Paper consists of fibers; the longer the fiber, the more valuable the paper is during the recycling process. As paper is repeatedly recycled and/or shredded, fibers become shorter and must be down-cycled into tissue or toilet paper. While these materials are still valuable, they are not as valuable as white office paper with long fibers.

Only shred items containing personal information: social security numbers, medical history, credit card information and scores, and junk mail credit card offers. Since paper is also compostable, try mixing shredded paper with your compost pile; of course, it's always best to include only non-toxic inks.

SUSTAINABILITY REMINDER

A full bath is equal to approximately 60 gallons of water; a 5-minute shower is equal to 20-35 gallons of water.

CALENDAR

JULY

23, 30 - Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
City Plaza on Fayetteville Street
(919) 821-6977

AUGUST

6, 13, 20, 27 - Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
City Plaza on Fayetteville Street
(919) 821-6977

8 - Recycling Center Tour
1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Wilders Grove Solid Waste Services Center
Registration Required
Contact: Bianca.Howard@raleighnc.gov

14 - Energy Conservation Workshop
6:30 - 7:45 p.m.
512 Brickhaven Drive, Conf. Room 203, Raleigh
Registration Required
http://energy.ces.ncsu.edu/

SEPTEMBER

1 - Labor Day / City Holiday

3, 10, 17, 24 - Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
City Plaza on Fayetteville Street
(919) 821-6977

18 - Sustainable Home Raleigh Workshop
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Estey Hall, Shaw University
Paula.Stroup@raleighnc.gov

City of Raleigh
Office of Sustainability
222 West Hargett Street #307
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 996-3070
Twitter: @raleighgogreen
SustainableRaleigh@raleighnc.gov