March/April 2009 - Indiana Living Green by Indiana Living Green

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S : LOCAL FOODS • • •

PUBLISHER Lynn Jenkins Lynn@IndianaLivingGreen.com (317) 769-3456

Homemade Baby Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Community Supported Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Mysterious Morel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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Chambers Take Green Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Snapshots of Carbon Emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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EDITOR Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp Editor@IndianaLivingGreen.com CONTRIBUTORS Christina Ferroli tom mcCain Ed McKinley Marianne Peters Betsy Sheldon Maria Smietana

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SALES Sales@IndianaLivingGreen.com (317) 769-3456 GRAPHIC DESIGN Paul Wilson Design (317) 624-9900

Wildflower Spring Flings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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COPY EDITOR Joseph L. Bennett

Roll Out the Rain Barrels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Green, Greener, Greenest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Green Finds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Green Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Footprints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Publisher’s Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Last Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Green Up Your Lifestyle — Sign Up For A Green Scene Workshop See Page 28 Or The ILG Web Site For Details

D R AW N C O N C L U S I O N S

WEB DESIGN Margaret Hsu Stout greenway@margaretdesign.com PRINTING The Papers Milford, Indiana SUBSCRIPTIONS $18, six issues Indiana Living Green 1730 S. 950 E. Zionsville, IN 46077 CIRCULATION 20,000

INDIANA LIVING GREEN is published bimonthly and is printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks.

Indiana Living Green March/April 2009

ON THE COVER: © Charlie Trezise A morel rises amid wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) and fragile fern (Cystopteris protrusa) in a Clay County woods.

T H E VISIT

GREEN C A L E N D A R

www.IndianaLivingGreen.com FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE CALENDAR!

MARCH 2009

Indiana Living Green offers ways for to make a difference.

you

GREEN 1. Attend any/all of ILG’s three Green Scene events (page 28) to learn more about living green indoors, outdoors and in your personal lifestyle. 2. Visit a natural area in order to appreciate the beauty of spring wildflowers and native plants. 3. Join a Community Supported Agriculture program (see page 15).

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Thru March 28 Bloomington Winter Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon, Harmony School Gym, 2nd and Woodlawn, Bloomington. Buy directly from local growers. Indoor market also features live music, chef demonstrations and a wonderful community. Join us for breakfast and buy local produce, meats, baked goods, dairy and more. • Info: www.localgrowers.org Indiana Building Green Symposium, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 N. Michigan Road; education sessions cover sustainable building design and operations with a focus on what Indiana’s cities and towns are doing to go green. More than 40 exhibitors in trade show. • Info: www.bsu.edu/capic/buildinggreen Environmental Fair, Bookmamas, 9 S. Johnson Ave., in Indianapolis’ Historic Irvington, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Features a line of environmentally related books, vendors and music, including the Dancin’ Nancys, Dean Phelps, and Brian Pitz. • Info: www.bookmamas.com

Don’t Miss These ILG Green Scene Events See Page 28 For More Information.

MARCH 14 Greening Your Outdoor Space, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, 1029 Fletcher Ave., 9 a.m. to noon.

MARCH 28 Greening your Lifestyle, 9 a.m. to noon, WFYI, 1630 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis.

APRIL 4 Updating Your Home to Green, 9 a.m. to noon, Holliday Park, 6363 Spring Mill Road, Indianapolis.

APRIL 2008

GREENER 1. Stop watering your lawn. Grass will grow deeper roots and become less susceptible to fungal disease without constant watering. 2. Learn more about the importance of native plants and attend Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society’s Plant Sale and Auction on Saturday, May 9, www.inpaws.org 3. Plant trees; conserve water; avoid chemicals; drive less.

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GREENEST 1. Make or buy a rain barrel for water conservation in your own backyard. 2. Plant native plants for beauty, for wildlife and for water conservation. 3. Show your support for conservation of our natural resources by participating in Arbor Day and Earth Day activities in your community, www.earthdayindiana.org

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The Secret Life of Worms: A Composting Workshop, 1 to 3 p.m., WonderLab Museum, 308 W. 4th St., Bloomington. Experts from Worm's Way will help participants make a multi-layered worm bin, complete with live worms, and show how to maintain the worm bin colony at home. Part of The Science of Being Green programs, sponsored by Indiana Living Green. Fee applies. • Info: (812) 337-1337, ext. 25, or www.wonderlab.org IOGA Plant Auction, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Indiana Organic Gardeners Association annual plant and garden auction. Hussey Mayfield Memorial Public Library, 250 N. Fifth St., Zionsville. Bring plants and garden-related items to the auction and take home a variety of heirloom, organic and gardening treasures. Pitch-in lunch. • Info: www.gardeningnaturally.org Footprint: How Big is Yours? Earth Day Festival, noon to 5 p.m., Washington Township Park, 115 S. County Road 575 E., Avon. Demonstrations, displays and entertainment centered around easy ways citizens can minimize their ecological footprints. • Info: www.hendrickssolidwaste.com Wetlands and Wild Spaces, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, WonderLab Museum, 308 W. 4th St., Bloomington. Join the Sycamore Land Trust for a variety of hands-on conservation activities, with a focus on the benefits watersheds provide, how aquatic life helps create healthy waterways and why forests and wetlands are critical for migratory birds. One hundred free native tree seedlings will be given away. Part of The Science of Being Green programs, sponsored by Indiana Living Green. • Info: (812) 337-1337, ext. 25, or www.wonderlab.org Arbor Day Festival, 4 to 8 p.m. Thomas A. Weaver Memorial Complex, 1 Municipal Drive, Fishers. Kids’ activities, crafts, entertainment, vendors and demonstrations, as well as an on-site scavenger hunt, rain or shine, free. Stage performances include the Hamilton Southeastern High School orchestra and a live bird of prey demonstration. Food available for purchase. • Info: www.fishers.in.us/parks 24th annual Wildflower Foray, organized tours of several sites in Brown County to see thousands of wildflowers, from trilliums to Virgina bluebells, organized by the Hoosier National Forest. • www.tinyurl.com/d2vsz8 Earth Day Indiana Festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., American Legion Mall, Indianapolis. One hundred environmental and conservation exhibits, live music from some of Indiana's best new bands, special activities for the exchange of environmental information and awareness in a fun, friendly, family-oriented atmosphere. • www.earthdayindiana.org

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Please submit calendar items by visiting our Web site:

www.IndianaLivingGreen.com or e-mail calendar@IndianaLivingGreen.com

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GREENGreetings!

Lynn Jenkins, Publisher

To have consistent access to local products, consider signing up for a Consumer Supported Agriculture or CSA.

Whatever happened to bumper stickers? I love them. A simple statement; a quiet protest; a grand acknowledgement — all on the back of your car. Often humorous, occasionally vulgar and sometimes philosophical, bumper stickers are one of the simplest ways to practice our First Amendment rights. Two of my recent favorites are “Local Food is Homeland Security” and “Backyard Chickens are ‘Cheep’ Therapy.” You’d have to know the joys of a clucking hen (and her excessive bragging when she lays an egg!) in order to appreciate the latter sign. The fresh eggs of outdoor roaming hens are not at all like the anemic, watery eggs produced by debeaked hens in cages stacked high in mammoth agriindustrial warehouses. Next best to eggs from your own backyard chickens are eggs (and chicken) from a local farm, farmers market or grocery that carries local products. The same goes for grassfed beef, pastured pork and natural lamb. And of course the produce! To have consistent access to local products, consider signing up for a Indiana Living Green March/April 2009

Consumer Supported Agriculture or CSA. CSA is a subscription system, which connects consumers with local farmers and producers, providing a direct link from production to consumption. CSAs, farmers markets and locally owned stores are great ways to enjoy a little extra “homeland security.” Check out the list of local Indiana CSAs on page 15 and sign up for the freshest seasonal food. Our second anniversary in April doesn’t come without some disappointment. Back in June we considered expanding ILG to celebrate and begin our third year. Then the economic crash came and threw us all into a spin. So, instead, we are belt tightening, like many others, to make it through these very difficult times. Over the next few issues,

you may see some additional changes to help us reduce costs. What you won’t see is any change in the quality of the information ILG offers. Thanks to the hard work and professional style of editor Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, you will continue to receive top quality material from and about Indiana’s green community. A special thank you to all who assist ILG by subscribing. We ask everyone to support our advertisers and let them know you appreciate their ongoing support of ILG. We will make it with your support. Celebrate Earth Day at one of the many festivities around the state. And sign up for one of ILG’s three new Green Scene events in March and April. (See page 28 for details). Let’s work together to turn Indiana green! LY N N J E N K I N S

Please send your Rants&Raves to: Letters@IndianaLivingGreen.com Fax: (317) 251-8545 Indiana Living Green 1730 S. 950 E. Zionsville, IN. 46077 3

FOOTPRINTS BY BETSY SHELDON

Photo courtesy Indiana Recycling Coalition

Carey Hamilton takes coalition helm

Recycled plastic from electronics pleases Carey Hamilton, executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition.

People. Planet. Profits. It’s the holy trinity of the Triple Bottom Line, which adds social and environmental values to financial numbers as measures of responsible business. And it’s as sacred to Carey Hamilton as that other triumvirate: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Hamilton is the new executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition — the board’s number-one choice from more than 100 applicants to lead the 20-year-old not-for-profit. From government employee to advocate at the Statehouse, Hamilton has racked up 14 years of environmental job experience. And a run for a seat on District 4’s citycounty council in 2008 deepened her conviction that City Hall needs people with environmental knowledge. But ask her what she’s most proud of, and she’ll tell you about Indiana’s Greening the Government Program. She pushed for Indiana to adopt the federal program, established during the Clinton administration, to foster more environ-

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mental practices in state offices. The executive order was signed in 1999, and Hamilton was appointed the first director. “I worked with leaders of state agencies to come up with most comprehensive policies feasible at the time. There were only a couple of state governments operating under the program then,” she said. Today, Hamilton has her work cut out for her in Indiana. She refers to a recent study showing that Indiana citizens have the highest per-capita waste in the country. “We need to do better. It’s imperative that more Hoosiers understand the strong connection between environment, health, quality of life and economy.” A key goal for IRC, says Hamilton, is to work for public policy promoting recycling, green jobs and green infrastructure. Currently, her sights are on e-cycling. “Computers and electronics are the fastest-growing segment of the waste stream, and it’s a big, big problem.” IRC thinks electronics manufacturers should shoulder the financial burden for recycling. “If charged, they’ll come back with products that are less toxic,” she said. Hamilton sees signs for optimism. “We’re experiencing a strong uptick in people reaching out,” she says. “There’s a statewide demand for more information. People are realizing that recycling is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint.” Betsy Sheldon writes regularly about topics of sustainability. She is co-author of Green Cleaning For Dummies and a blogger for Wiley Publishing.

Footprints provides snapshots of Hoosiers who embrace, promote and foster a sustainable lifestyle. If you have someone to recommend, please e-mail: info@IndianaLivingGreen.com www.IndianaLivingGreen.com

GREEN N E W S B R I E F S ENERGY Kokomo cookin’ with K-Fuel Kokomo — City officials have launched phase one of Kokomo’s Renewable Energy Partnership or K-Fuel. K-Fuel is a bio-fuel produced by recycling used cooking oils collected from participating restaurants. A new biodiesel plant, located at the Kokomo Wastewater Treatment Plant, required a $65,000 city investment, but is expected to trim as much as $25,000 from the city’s annual diesel bill. The biodiesel plant is capable of producing about 18,000 gallons of fuel a year, the Kokomo Tribune reported.

Wisconsin Green Power Partners cut emissions Chicago — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said its Green Power Partners in Wisconsin reduced their greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 by buying more than 386 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from renewable resources such as solar and wind power. The partners included Kohl's Department Stores, the state of Wisconsin, River Falls, Wisc., GE Healthcare Headquarters and the Monsanto/Agracetus Campus. The green power bought by these organizations is equivalent to eliminating the carbon dioxide emissions of some 50,420 passenger cars per year, or is the equivalent of electricity needed to power some 35,286 average homes annually. For more information: www.epa.gov/greenpowerefficiency

University study says cellulosebased fuels better for health Minneapolis/St. Paul — Filling our fuel tanks with cellulosic ethanol instead of gasoline or corn-based ethanol may be even better for our health and the environment than previously recognized, according to new research from the University of Minnesota. The study finds that cellulosic ethanol has fewer negative effects on human health because it emits smaller amounts of fine particulate matter, an especially harmful

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component of air pollution. Earlier work showed that cellulosic ethanol and other next-generation biofuels also emit lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The study is the first to estimate the economic costs to human health and well-being from gasoline, corn-based ethanol and cellulosic ethanol made from biomass. The authors found that depending on the materials and technology used in production, cellulosic ethanol's environmental and health costs are less than half the costs of gasoline, while corn-based ethanol's costs range from roughly equal to about double that of gasoline. For more information: www.tinyurl.com/c2y4zv

ENVIRONMENT Children’s health study focuses on environmental influences Bethesda, Md., — The National Children’s Study will examine the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of more than 100,000 children across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21. The goal of the study is to improve the health and well-being of children. The Study defines “environment” broadly and will take a number of issues into account, including: natural and man-made environmental factors, biological and chemical factors, physical surroundings, social factors, behavioral influences and outcomes, genetics, cultural and family influences or differences and geographic locations. Researchers will analyze how these elements interact with each other and what helpful and/or harmful effects they might have on children’s health. By studying children through different phases of growth and development, researchers will be better able to understand the role of these environmental factors on health and disease. The study will also allow scientists to find the differences that exist among groups of people, in terms of their health, health care access, disease occurrence and other issues. Preliminary results from the first years of the study should be available in 2011. For more information: www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov

For the latest news about green living, visit: www.IndianaLivingGreen.com Submit your news items with high-resolution images to: editor@IndianaLivingGreen.com

Indiana Living Green March/April 2009

Color, Variety Key to Making Baby Food BY CHRISTINA FERROLI

ÂŠ iStock

Homemade infant food is a wise choice for green-conscious parents, and the benefits are many. Homemade infant food can be a healthier alternative. It will not contain fillers and additives such as sugar, salt and fat. Lastly, the baby will get used to foods the family eats. If you choose to feed your infant with homemade food, consult your pediatrician or a registered dietitian to ensure that your baby gets all nutrients, especially iron. As a rule of thumb, an infant between 4 and 6 months of age can start on soft solid foods.

Freshness counts Pureed fruits and vegetables can be prepared from fresh-cooked produce. The term puree means to put food through a sieve, grinder or blender, which gives the food a smooth, liquidlike texture. Foods such as ripe bananas can be mashed with a fork or pureed and will not need pre-cooking. It may be necessary to add fluid (breast milk,

formula, water or cooking water) to the pureed food to make it the right consistency for baby. Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables may also be pureed and used.

Check ingredients When commercially processed or canned food is used, check the ingredient label to make sure extra sugar (including high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, honey, etc.) salt, fat or additives, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), are not added. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain all the necessary nutrients for a growing, healthy infant without the need for adding extra sugar, fat or sodium.

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Commonly prepared produce (cooked and pureed) for babies includes: apples, dried prunes, fresh pears and peaches, potatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, peas, asparagus, and green and wax beans. Ripe mashed bananas are also great for infants.

Control quantities Although fresh, organic produce is on the menu, you still need to be careful about your baby’s diet. Not all foods are appropriate for infants. High-nitrate vegetables, such as beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, lettuce, spinach and turnips, should not be fed to infants in large quantities. The naturally occurring nitrates in these vegetables can change to nitrites in our bodies, and nitrites bind iron in the blood making it hard to carry oxygen. This can make it difficult to breathe and cause the skin to turn blue. Limit the serving size of these vegetables to one to two tablespoons per feeding.

Indiana Living Green March/April 2009

Be careful, too, about introducing egg whites (yolk is okay), honey and peanut butter into an infant’s diet since these foods can cause an allergic reaction.

Order of introduction Rice or rice cereal are good first soft-food choices; however, introduce your infant to wheat and mixed cereals last, since these can cause allergic reactions in young babies. Follow the cereals with vegetables and make sure to wait a few days after introducing each new food before trying another one. Meats and fruits follow vegetables. It is recommended that fruits be introduced after vegetables because infants have a natural preference for sweet and may not accept vegetables if given fruit first. — Continued on page 8

T i p s f o r M a k i n g H o m e m a d e B a by Fo o d • Wash your hands with hot water and soap, scrub, rinse and dry with a clean towel before preparing your baby’s food, before feeding your baby and after changing your baby’s diaper. • Scrub all working surfaces and equipment with soap and hot water, rinse well and dry with a clean paper towel. • Prepare fresh fruits or vegetables by scrubbing, paring or peeling and removing all seeds. • Prepare meats by removing all bones, skin, connective tissue, gristle and fat. • Cook foods when needed, boiling them in a small, covered saucepan with a small amount of water until tender. The less water used, the more nutrients remain in the food. • When cooking foods for the family, which will also be used for the baby, separate the baby’s portion before adding seasoning or spices. Babies do not need added salt or sugar. • Puree food using a blender, food processor, baby food grinder, spoon or fork. Cut food into small pieces or thin slices and take out seeds and pits before pureeing. • Test for smoothness by rubbing a small amount of food between your fingers. Add a liquid such as formula, breast milk or water to achieve desired consistency.

• Refrigerate pureed food that is not used immediately. • To freeze, pour cooled, pureed food into a paper cupcake liner or a section of a clean ice cube tray, and cover with foil. (Plastic products may contain chemicals, such as biphenol, that can migrate to food if used incorrectly. Make sure all plastic products, bags and wrappings are baby-safe and do not use them in the freezer or microwave, if not approved by manufacturer.) • When frozen solid, store cubes in a freezer container (freezer bag or box) in the freezer. Label and date containers. Keep meats for up to two months and fruits and vegetables for six to eight months. • Reheat frozen cubes in a heat-resistant container in a pan of hot water. • Microwave ovens heat foods unevenly and cause hot spots, so it’s important to stir food well to prevent burns. Use a microwavesafe cover, not plastic wrap and stir the food during the heating process. • Check at local farmers markets for locally prepared, organic baby foods, which some vendors may offer. Farmers markets are also great places to buy fresh, organic fruits, vegetables and other foods.

Colorful, balanced diet Within two to three months of introducing soft, solid foods, the baby’s daily diet should include breast milk or formula, cereals, vegetables, meat and fruits. Remember to consider color when you are menu planning for your baby just like you would for an adult’s meal. Babies like bright, cheerful colors. Select vibrant colored vegetables and fruits, which will make the infant’s eating experience more enjoyable. Also, don’t get into a food rut, feeding the same food(s) every day. Vary the diet.

REFERENCES: • The University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Making Your Own Baby Food, Nellie Hedstrom, Bulletin #4309, http://tinyurl.com/9pt2rc • Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, Third Edition, Roberta Larson Duyff. The American Dietetic Association, 2006. Christina Ferroli, a registered dietitian and an educator with Purdue University’s Marion County Extension, helps young and old learn the basics of eating healthfully and naturally. She is a strong advocate of Slow Food (Italy) and the eat local movement. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association and Public Health Community Nutrition and Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Groups.

Chambers Boost Green Initiatives BY JO ELLEN MEYERS SHARP

A company can slap a green claim on any product or service, but how do buyers know what, if any, sustainable practices support the label?

In central Indiana, an imprimatur of sorts is available from the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. Since its launch last year, 40 of the chamber’s 4,260 members have been approved and five have been denied the Green Business stamp, said Jean M. Farison, the chamber’s business advocacy manager. It is the only such chamber program in the state, she said. “We think it’s been going very well.” The Green Business Initiative came out of discussions the chamber had with the Bart Peterson and Greg Ballard mayoral administrations and their efforts to make Indianapolis a sustainable community. What seemed to be lacking was a one-stop shop where businesses could apply for certification, a role that seemed natural for the chamber, Farison said.

Six categories To boast the Green Business logo, a member must fill out an application that is broken down into six categories: purchasing, transportation, energy conservation, water conservation and quality, recycling, waste reduction. A business must score a minimum of 15 to 20 points, depending on the number of employees. They are asked to submit written policies about their sustainable practices. A six-member panel, most of who are chamber members, evaluates the application and makes the decision to grant or deny certification.

The designation lasts for two years, and then businesses need to reapply. The expectation is that their scores will improve and their sustainability practices expand, as called for in their program pledge: “to continually strive toward environmentally safe and sustainable business practices and operations to ensure that the greater Indianapolis region is environmentally healthy and viable.” Members also pledge to meet all existing federal, state and local environment regulations.

Affirming process For several businesses, the Green Business stamp affirms long-held practices. One of the first to earn its green button was Borshoff, one of Indianapolis’ largest marketing communications and public relations firms. “For the past two or three years, we’ve made the effort to be green as a company,” said Susan Matthews, a principle with Borshoff, which has about 40 employees. One of them, Holly Havener, has spearheaded Borshoff’s efforts for the last several years and suggested applying for the chamber certification. Once they saw the questionnaire, they could see that “a little here and a little there” added up to a fairly comprehensive program, Matthews said. Besides the usual recycling of paper, ink cartridges and other office products, Borshoff employees volunteer to cart glass, plastic and aluminum to recycling centers. The company did away with a parking allowance for employees and now provides them with a transportation allowance of $65 a month, which can be used to get to and from work, whether they drive, take public transportation, ride their bicycles or walk.

Most organizations need an inside coach such as Borshoff’s Havener or the hotel’s Fuller to foster green initiatives, Farison said. However, to be completely successful, a corporation should have a policy that spells out what its philosophy and practices are for sustainability. Putting it in writing emphasizes its importance to employees, vendors and the community, she said.

Hospitality takes lead

Seymour offers grants

University Place Conference Center and Hotel in Indianapolis also has earned the chamber’s Green Business moniker. Its program has been fostered by Heather Fuller, senior sales manager and green team leader. She has been with the facility for nearly 13 years and has seen the hospitality industry take a leadership role in sustainable practices. Now, she said, guests expect that their bed sheets will not be changed every day and that they’ll be able to use a towel more than once before sending it to the laundry. And clients have begun to make a facility’s green practices part of their decision-making process when it comes to holding meetings and other events. On the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, the conference center no longer provides water, milk or fruit juices in bottles or cartons. Instead, the drinks are served in reusable carafes or coolers. The staff has developed signs that let guests know what steps are being taken toward sustainability, said Fuller.

Other chambers in Indiana also have programs that encourage their businesses to develop green practices. Several, such as the New Palestine Chamber of Commerce, hold education sessions to teach their members what they can do. In Jackson County, the Seymour Chamber of Commerce has had a leadership role in recycling for at least 30 years. Building on the success of a neighborhood recycling program, the then-president launched a pilot project, said Bill Bailey, president of the Seymour chamber. Building neighborhood by neighborhood, the chamber purchased recycling bins for paper, cardboard, plastic and metal. The materials are picked up as part of city services for about 50 percent of the town of about 19,150 residents. “There are two bins at most houses,” Bailey said. In an attempt to build on that success, the chamber offered minigrants in 2008 to organizations that boosted Seymour’s recycling efforts,

Passion required “I’ve been passionate about this since college, and recently, we got some additional support from the president of the management company,” Fuller said. The facility, one of 14 managed by Flik International Corp., has 278 guest rooms, 25 meeting rooms, five banquet rooms and 190 employees. Fuller also serves on Flik’s sustainability committee.

Indiana Living Green March/April 2009

said Debbie Hackman, head of the chamber’s recycling committee and director of the Jackson County Solid Waste District. Among the six grants were $250 to the town of Crothersville to encourage a recycling program and reduce the cost to residents, and $250 to Addie’s Walk, an outdoor classroom at the Jackson School in Seymour, named for a local resident. The funds for the grants were raised last June by the 300 participants in Seymour’s annual 100-mile Ride to Recycle. The 12th annual Ride to Recycle will be June 20, 2009. To provide a bigger lift to organzations seeking funds, the number of grants will be reduced in 2009 to three, with one for $500 and two for $250, Hackman said. The Seymour chamber’s grant program received a special Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence in 2008. Photo courtesy Seymour Chamber of Commerce

Photo courtesy Borshoff

Borshoff provides shopping bags made of recycled materials for employees and clients as a way to promote sustainablility.

Brie Butler collects recyclables to help the Jonathan Brewer Scholarship Fund, which received a grant from the Seymour Chamber of Commerce.

Borshoff’s Matthews said simple steps like recycling create an inviting culture for communities and corporations that only gets better as more green practices become incorporated into people’s lives. “Sure, it may help save money, but the real bottom line is that it is the right thing to do.”

GLOBAL SNAPSHOTS OF

Carbon Emissions BY ED MCKINLEY

Photo courtesy Purdue University

Kevin Gurney remembers the exact moment when the American public stopped ignoring ozone depletion. In the late 1980s, he recalls, a NASA photo enhanced to show a “hole” in the ozone layer appeared in Time magazine, causing an immediate shift in consciousness and eventually a ban on the chemicals that caused the problem.

Kevin Gurney, an atmospheric scientist at Purdue University, wants to illustrate carbon emissions as a way to help the public understand global warming.

Now, Gurney’s hoping to help spark a similar breakthrough with global warming. As an atmospheric scientist and assistant professor at Purdue University, he leads a group that’s amassing an inventory of carbon emissions that could eventually create a difficult-to-ignore, house-to-house “snapshot” of everyone’s contribution to the problem. “It’s a very powerful way to say something that heretofore has been pretty abstract,” Gurney says. So far, he notes, the public has failed to grasp that burning fossil fuels and eliminating tropical forests releases carbon dioxide that traps heat in the atmosphere — with potentially catastrophic results. Though the public has been slow to notice climate change, scientists have been aware of the phenomenon for 30 years, Gurney says. That’s about when he learned of it in an undergraduate class at the University of California-

Berkeley and decided to make it his life’s work. Now, in the Hestia project at the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, Gurney and his associates are working with Indianapolis officials to quantify and determine the causes of the city’s carbon emissions at the neighborhood and roadway levels. The team plans to display the findings in threedimensional computer images. Eventually, Gurney wants to refine the Hestia research to show carbon dioxide release from individual houses and businesses. That would require residents to volunteer to share their utility bills and other information. For now, researchers are collecting data recorded at power plants and manufacturing facilities and estimating carbon emissions at smaller sources, says Gurney, a member of the International Panel on Climate Change, which received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2007. Hestia grew out of a project called

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Vulcan, which began three years ago with a grant of nearly $750,000 from NASA and additional funding from other sources. In Vulcan, researchers have compiled national data, backing it with sometimes detailed and sometimes generalized data for counties and municipalities. Researchers first released Vulcan data in April 2008 and plan a second release in April of this year. Highlights of the first release included rankings of United States counties with the highest carbon emissions. Porter County in northwest Indiana ranked 13th. The NASA funding for Vulcan has run out, but Purdue researchers have pieced together enough money to

Indiana Living Green March/April 2009

Researchers now have a better view of where carbon dioxide is being emitted, thanks to Vulcan, a research project led by Kevin Gurney, an assistant professor at Purdue University. This map shows where CO2 is being emitted in the continental United States in 10-kilometer grids and combines data from sources including factories, automobiles on highways and power plants. The map offers more than 100 times the detail of previous inventories of carbon dioxide. The image displays metric tons of carbon per year per grid in a logarithmic base-10 scale. continue the project. Gurney says he is one of four working more-or-less full time, while four others help with some aspects of the work. Several other institutions dropped out after the first three years of the research, leaving Purdue as the only entity still formally engaged. However, an informal network of collaborators is arising among people who use the data. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Continued on page 14

CARBON EMISSIONS Continued from page 13 Users put the data to work in projects ranging from atmospheric modeling to socio-economic studies. The data also could help government agencies evaluate plant emissions when or if laws are passed to limit carbon dioxide output, Gurney says. As planned from the start of Vulcan, Gurney intends to combine his group’s data with information gleaned by the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, which NASA plans to launch in February. “The OCO will look at the atmosphere from the top down, and Vulcan

produces CO2 [data] from the bottom up,” he says. “The idea is the two will become internally consistent with each other, and that will allow us to understand the carbon cycle to a much greater degree than we do now.” That cycle, he notes, consists of the exchange of carbon among the air, the land and the oceans. Ed McKinley, a freelance writer and editor, is a former reporter for The Indianapolis Star. He divides his time between Chicago and Monticello.

RESOURCES: • Hestia Project, www.purdue.edu/climate/hestia/ • The Vulcan data is available for anyone to download from the Web site at www.eas.purdue.edu/carbon/vulcan • A video of the maps and simulations of the atmospheric fate of fossil fuel CO2 also can be viewed on YouTube, http://tinyurl.com/5ufzfd

her father and

Get your eyes on.

brothers.

Morel mushroom

“We’d go to the

season is almost here.

Girton, a mushroom hunter since

courtesy Girton © Photo

focused,” says Bob

family

“You have to be

woods in back of the cemetery,” Mary said.

“You had to have a

his boyhood in Plymouth. His

stick to push back the leaves —

family has hunted Marshall

or scare away snakes.” Her son

County’s morels every spring for

Bob collects more than 1,000

nearly a century. Family matriarch morels annually. “I think he can 90-year-old Mary Girton remembers hunting them as a girl with

smell them.” Left: A morel found along the bank of the White River just north of Broad Ripple in Marion County. Above: Bob Girton has been hunting mushrooms with his mother, Mary, since he was 10 years old.

PURSUING THE MYSTERIOUS MOREL Continued from page 17

Photo courtesy of Ed Rose

A forest of mushrooms thrives in Boone County.

Magic Mushrooms

Hobby or Obsession?

Many edible mushroom species grow in Indiana, but the morel, Morchella esculenta, lures foragers of all ages into the early spring woods. Morels are “sponge” mushrooms, hollow and ranging in color from black to yellow. They are usually 3 to 5 inches tall, the fruiting body of a much larger organism that feeds by underground filaments. Indiana morel season lasts from early April in southern Indiana to midto late May farther north. Take a guide (either a book or a person) with you if you are a novice because some wild mushroom species are poisonous. “If you aren’t 110 percent sure what you have, don’t eat it,” advises Donald Ruch, professor of biology at Ball State University, who is currently writing a book on wild mushrooms.

Ruch starts looking for morels on May 1 near his home in central Indiana. He enjoys the hunt. “There’s a mystique to hunting mushrooms. And it’s great getting out into the woods after a long winter,” he said. Morels are most often found in heavily wooded areas. David W. Fischer, author of the book Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America and the brains behind the Web site http://AmericanMushrooms.com, hypothesizes that morels might associate with dying or dead apple and elm trees, but the mushroom has also been found in places completely devoid of trees. Morel’s unpredictability adds to its mystique. For some people, that creates an irresistible urge to start looking. Morels tend to come up in the same place every year, so every mushroom hunter has his or her “spot,” passion-

ately concealed from other mushroom hunters. A mushroom seeker needs to use caution; however, if the spot happens to be on private property. Always get permission to hunt for mushrooms on someone else’s land. Morels don’t mind growing around developed property, but be aware that morels found on developed land may be contaminated by pesticides or herbicides. Most mushroom hunters share similar traits. First is secrecy. “The universal rule of mushroom-hunting is that the location of one’s patch must be jealously guarded,” Fischer said. Bob Girton echoes that view. When he finds a new spot, “I don’t advertise.” Another trait is stamina. Girton goes out every evening after work during morel season. His mother remembers a time when he and a friend hunted with a flashlight. “There have been plenty of times when I found few or none for hours, then hit the mother lode,” Fischer said. Ball State’s Ruch has coined the term “monomorelitis” — you know you have it when you can only find one morel at a time, but never a whole patch.

Preparing the Feast Appreciation for the taste is the last trait of a successful mushroom hunter, and it goes a long way toward instilling secrecy and stamina. The morel’s flavor has been described as smoky, nutty, woody, mild and smooth. Whether combined in a sauce or scrambled with eggs, they are a delicious addition to a spring meal. They can also be frozen or dried for use at other times of the year. Mary Girton uses her mother’s recipe to prepare her morels. After cleaning them, she dips them in flour and fries them in butter or shortening. Ruch also enjoys them fried, but his favorite way to eat morels is to halve them, stuff them with

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Amazing Mushroom Facts cheese, and bake them in the oven until the cheese melts. Morel recipes are widely available on the Internet, but Ruch recommends a cookbook by Hope Miller, Hope’s Mushroom Cookbook, for wild fungi recipes. “I always enjoy the game of seekand-find with morels,” Fischer said. “But these days, I find myself even more consumed by a fascination with the incredible and often mysterious biology and ecology of this very special kingdom of organisms.” Morel mushrooms will soon appear on a forest floor near you. Grab a stick and a basket and learn to forage for this native species. Marianne Peters is a freelance writer and editor living in Plymouth. She has a Web site: www.wordsmithwritingservice.com and Weblog: www.hoosierwordsmith.typepad.com

• Mushrooms are not plants, but members of the fungi kingdom. • The visible, edible part of the mushroom is the fruit. The mycelium, the body of filaments that extends itself underground and feeds on the surrounding medium (soil, decaying wood), is much larger. • Morels contain an assortment of amino acids and other compounds that give them their savory taste, and they are very low in calories. • Hunting advice from David Fischer: when you’re hunting for mushrooms, stooping or squatting helps, because you can see them in profile. • A few mushroom species in Indiana are poisonous. Never, ever consume a mushroom unless you have positively identified it as edible. • Morel mushrooms are not safe to eat raw. Always cook them first.

RESOURCES: • Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America by David W. Fischer, 1992, University of Texas Press. • http://AmericanMushrooms.com, David W. Fischer’s informative website. • Peterson Field Guide Series A Field Guide to Mushrooms: North America by Kent H. McKnight and Vera B. McKnight. • Common Mushrooms of Indiana State Parks and Reservoirs, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks and Reservoirs, Interpretative Services, is a brochure available at www.in.gov/dnr/files/Mushrooms2.pdf • Hope’s Mushroom Cookbook, by Hope Miller, www.mushrooms-millers.com. • For specific questions about or identification of mushrooms, contact Donald Ruch, professor of biology, Ball State University, E-mail: druch@bsu.edu

Roll Out the

Barrels BY JO ELLEN MEYERS SHARP

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc. has begun promoting the use of rain barrels as one way homeowners can reduce the stormwater that flushes through our sewers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Indianapolis has a wastewater problem,â&#x20AC;? said David Forsell, president of KIB, a not-for-profit with the mission to beautify the city, improve the environment and foster pride in the community. As Indianapolis continues to grow, new home and business construction

increases hard surfaces, such as roofs, roads and parking lots, which funnel more water into the sewers. As stormwater moves over these surfaces, it picks up contaminants, such as fertilizers, oil and debris.

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Combined sewers collect precipitation and raw sewage and pipe the mix to treatment plants. These sewers are designed to overflow into a river or stream if a system overloads. As little as one-fourth inch of rain can result in overflow, Forsell said.

“Wastewater management is paramount in sustainability efforts, and using rain barrels is a great way for individuals to have a positive impact in their communities and help solve a problem.” — David Forsell The federal government has targeted combined sewer systems as polluters and ordered cities and towns to clean them up, which likely would be a multibillion project. Combined sewer systems were state-of-the-art when they were installed. A hundred years ago, the theory behind them was dilution — the massive amounts of water in rivers and creeks would dilute pollutants that poured from the viaducts. As communities grew, more and different pollutants were generated, rendering the dilution method obsolete. Indianapolis and other municipalities are examining ways to meet the new federal guidelines. You may not think a rain barrel would make a difference, but it does when there’s a barrel at every downspout. And the practice has picked up in popularity. Last summer, Laura and Tyler Henderson of Indianapolis held four rain barrel workshops and expect to do so again this year at area farmers markets. – Continued on page 22

ROLL OUT THE BARRELS Continued from page 21

MAKE YOUR OWN

Rain Barrel WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Drill holes and install spigot and overflow valves. You also will have to remove enough downspout so that the rainwater will flow into the barrel. Make sure to include the height of the concrete block or other device to elevate the barrel when figuring how much downspout to remove. Photo courtesy TerraCycle

Tools: Drill, small saw or drill bit for making holes, utility or box knife, pliers and wrench.

Drill holes in the barrel’s lid. Affix a screen mesh over the barrel to trap insects and debris. Place barrel on riser. The closer a barrel is to where it will be used, the more efficient it will be. Attach a hose to the spigot or drain water into a bucket or watering can.

Supplies: A 55-gallon drum, plastic or wooden, new or used. If used, make sure the container is food-safe and clean. Also you will need a vinyl hose, PVC couplings, spigot and overflow valve and hardware, a screen grate to keep debris and insects out, concrete block or something to elevate the barrel.

Last year, the couple made and distributed more than 200 rain barrels, raising more than $1,000 for local and international water conservation and purification related projects. The effort is small but makes a huge difference when whole neighborhoods participate, said Laura Henderson, a yoga instructor and one of the founders of the Indy Winter Farmers Market, where rain barrel workshops will be held in April. The proceeds from each rain barrel sold through KIB will pay for one tree to be planted in Indianapolis through its NeighborWoods program. “Wastewater management is paramount in sustainability efforts, and using rain barrels is a great way for individuals to have a positive impact in their communities and help solve a problem,” Forsell said.

Photo courtesy TerraCycle

W HE R E TO B U Y:

In heavy rains, a barrel will overflow, so many people install a system to handle downpours.

RESOURCES: • Rainwater Harvesting Guide www.rain-barrel.net • Install a Rainwater Harvester video www.greendeantv.com • How to Make a Rain Barrel www.naturalrainwater.com • Rain Barrels, www.cityfarmer.org/rainbarrel • You Grow Girl, www.yougrowgirl.com

• Laura and Tyler Henderson tyandleah@yahoo.com • Green Way Supply www.greenwaysupply.com • Rain Barrels & More www.rainbarrelsandmore.com • Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc. www.kibi.org • Worm’s Way www.wormsway.com • Also, check with local garden, home improvement or hardware stores Workshops: • Indy Winter Farmers Market www.indywinterfarmersmarket.org • Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc., www.kibi.org • Invoke Studio www.invokestudio.com

THREE SPOTS FOR

Spring Beauty BY JO ELLEN MEYERS SHARP

If you are looking for a daytrip or overnight to put a little spring in your step, here are three flings that highlight Indiana’s natural and man- (or woman-) made beauty.

Photo courtesy T.C. Steele State Historic Site

T.C. Steele State Historical Site Address: Ind. 46 between Nashville and Bloomington, Web: www.tcsteele.org E-mail: tcsteeleshs@dnr.in.gov Phone: (812) 988-2785

Plein air artists follow T.C. Steele tradition of painting the landscape and gardens at the historical site in Brown County.

Theodore Clement Steele’s wife, Selma, was the laughing stock in Brown County when she bought wagons of manure from farmers to work into her gardens. It was 1907. The couple had purchased 211 acres in Brown County and built The House of the Singing Winds and the artist’s studio, about nine miles west of Nashville and 10 miles east of Bloomington. Selma was German and knew the value of natural organic matter as a soil additive. The results of her efforts were acres of lovely peonies, irises, lilies and dozens of other plants that fed her husband’s artistic appetite. Her gardens were immortalized in dozens of her husband’s paintings, where art captures life imitating art. The flowers are still

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Photo courtesy T.C. Steele State Historic Site

there today in gardens that have been restored lovingly by volunteers and the state. And they retain their original purpose, serving as the plein air setting for artists throughout the seasons, including Festival of Flowers PaintOut. Besides Selma’s cultivated gardens, you’ll find the site is rich with many native plants and wildflowers. Several garden and art-related events are scheduled from March through May and throughout the year. Guided tours of the buildings are available for a fee. See the Web site for details. April 24 through 26 will be the 24th annual Wildflower Foray (http://tinyurl.com/d2vsz8), which features tours of several sites in Brown County, including the T.C. Steele site. The event is organized by the Hoosier National Forest.

Indiana Living Green March/April 2009

Wildflower enthusiasts get up close and personal with plants at the T.C. Steele home.

When in the area: take advantage of the locally owned, unique and delicious restaurants in Bloomington and Nashville, such as the Nashville House or FARM Bloomington. Overnight accommodations are available in both communities and at Brown County State Park.

A woodland phlox (left) and a trillium (right) bloom at Lonidaw Nature Preserve.

— Continued on page 26

Waterleaf at Spurgeon Nature Preserve in Noble County.

Spurgeon and Lonidaw Nature Preserves Noble County ACRES Land Trust Web: www.acreslandtrust.org Phone: (260) 637-2273 E-mail: acres@acreslandtrust.org Edna W. Spurgeon Woodland Reserve and Lonidaw are two of five nature preserves managed by ACRES Land Trust in Noble County in northeast Indiana. Noble County also is home of Gene Stratton Porter State Historic Site (www.genestrattonporter.com). Because of their spectacular displays of spring wildflowers, Spurgeon and Lonidaw came recommended by Jason Kissel, executive director of ACRES Land Trust, which has at least 68 nature preserves and more than 4,450 acres in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Its headquarters is in Huntertown. Lonidaw means Spirit Queen of the Woods, and was the name of the Native American wife of Potowatomi Chief Simon Pokagon. A 30-acre preserve northeast of Kendallville,

Lonidaw has wild columbine, celandine poppy on the higher ground, skunk cabbage and marsh marigold in the low wetland around the shore of Little Whitford, a five-acre kettle lake. Spurgeon was ACRES’ first preserve. On its 65 acres northeast of Ligonier are low ridges or kames left by glaciers and cut by glacial meltwater. Beneath a forest of some of Indiana’s largest beech, sugar maple and tulip trees lie large-flowered and sessile trillium (also known as toadshade), blue-eyed Mary, bloodroot, hepatica, celandine poppy, Dutchman's breeches and squirrel corn. Visit the ACRES Web site for detailed maps, brochures and other information. When in the area: Ligonier has the Indiana Historic Radio Museum (www.tinyurl.com/dmvoax) and the Jennie Thompson Gardens. Kendallville is home of the Mid-America Windmill Museum (www.midamericawindmillmuseum.org), several festivals, restaurants and motels. In nearby Steuben County is Pokagon State Park.

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Left: Trillium field at Lonidaw Nature Preserve in Noble County.

Photo courtesy Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Below: Redbuds bloom at the Gene Stratton Porter State Historic Site in Noble County.

Shades State Park Address: Ind. 234, northwest of Waveland Web: www.tinyurl.com/bancko Phone: (765) 435-2810 Turkey Run State Park Address: Ind. 47, southwest of Crawfordsville Web: www.tinyurl.com/aepuun Phone: (765) 597-2635 Shades and Turkey Run state parks are considered premier spots for spring ephemerals. Along the flood plains of Sugar Creek, which cuts through both parks, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find large stands of fiddlehead ferns, wood poppies, Virginia bluebells and trillium, said Roger Hedge, heritage ecologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. These parks are natural geologic wonders with sandstone ravines, forests and many trails of varying difficulty. For a rare display of trillium nivalis or snow trillium, visit Pine Hills Nature Preserve near Shades. When in the area: Dine at restaurants in Crawfordsville or visit the covered bridges in nearby Parke County. Overnight accommodations are available throughout the area.

Indiana Living Green March/April 2009

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