Holiday lights, new Member Spotlight, and Bird Safe Buildings

Got broken string lights?

Try fixing them (see YouTube tutorial) or recycle them through

• your closest MOM's Organic Market (a Maryland Green Registry member!),
• Hardware stores (Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace), 
• County electronic recycling collection centers  (do NOT put them in your regular recycling as the cords will tangle in the sorting equipment), or
• Mail them in here or here.

To prevent breakage,

1) Buy LED string lights - they last 10 times longer than incandescent, and

2) Store them carefully. Try wrapping the string around a piece of cardboard, a hanger or a cord reel.

Bird Safe Buildings

The days are short and the hours with lights on are long, which, unfortunately, can spell trouble for migrating birds. Excessive artificial light at night can disorient  birds and cause them to deviate from their flight path. Collisions also occur when birds try to fly through windows that are invisible or transparent to them. Take actions to reduce bird collisions and save energy too by reducing unnecessary exterior lighting, setting lights on motion sensors or timers, and adopting some of the other steps suggested by Safe Skies Maryland.