“Our sidewalks are some of the oldest in the city,” said Councilman Peter Wright, a representative of Ward 5 in the Hollywood section of Homewood. Based on information from citizens requests as well as input from City staff and local officials, the RPCGB and the City of Homewood have created a list of potential new sidewalks. Read more…

Hours of operation:

• Monday-Wednesday 11am-2pm,
• Thursday-Saturday 11am-7pm,
• Sunday 11am-5pm.

Alabama has entered a defining time period for diet-related health issues.  Our future competitiveness, productivity and educational achievement as a city and state will depend on a community of people who are better connected to their food.  Birmingham has taken great steps to turning its attention towards the very critical, but preventable, health needs and consumption habits of future generations. But there is still much to be done. That is why Jones Vally Farm is gearing up to redouble efforts on the education front—and renewing its focus as an organization.  Look out for exciting new initiatives with Birmingham-area schools.

Along with this new focus, the urban farm has decided to change its name to Jones Valley Teaching Farm.  They’ll continue to be active in the community within Pepper Place Market, Railroad Park Market, local restaurants and their new on-site farm stand. To help fund their education efforts, the farm will be introducing a new fundraising plan that engages our community in a fun and interactive way.  As part of this plan, a new matching grant partnership will soon be announced, along with the launch of an online fundraising campaign this summer. Stay tuned for more information on how you can help!

The cost for the tour is $5,746 and includes all airport transfers, all yacht and hotel accommodations based on double occupancy, all meals and draft beer, all guides, activities and tours. Speak with the contact below for price exclusions.

Please go to the following links for information on INCA, the itinerary, the Integrity yacht and a video of the Galapagos. http://www.inca1.com/galapagos/galapagos.html http://inca1.com/Integrity/Integrityhome.html http://www.youtube.com/user/inca1travel

Journey with the Zoo to one of the most exotic places with extraordinary species on our planet. Space is limited. Please contact Karen Carroll at 205-397-3856, or 205-397-3856, kcarroll@birminghamzoo.com to reserve your spot today.

The Alabama State Parks Wi-Fi network provides guests with a reliable Internet connection to enhance their visit to the parks by allowing them to stay connected with friends and family back home as well as conduct essential business such as school work, financial transactions and social media.

According to Alabama State Parks Acting Co-Director Tim Wishum, the wireless Internet program is one of the largest wide-scale Wi-Fi deployments of any United States park system. The Alabama program will provide more than 20,000 park guests with free Internet access while camping.

“We started the program at Gulf State Park in 2010,” Wishum said. “Since then we have deployed more than 600 radios, routers, and relays, utilizing 92 miles of wireless networks to provide Internet to more than 1,200 campsites.”  Rather than create a few localized “hotspots,” Alabama State Parks have turned entire campgrounds “hot” allowing guests to stay connected while in the comfort of their own RV.  Since implementing the program, improvements have been made to ensure problem areas and outages are resolved quickly.

Free Wi-Fi is also available in or near the park office or store in select parks that do not have the campground systems. Those parks include Blue Springs, Monte Sano, Buck’s Pocket, Florala, Frank Jackson, Lake Lurleen and DeSoto.

For more information about Alabama State Parks call (800) 242-7275, or visit www.alapark.com.   The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.

The City of Birmingham and Keep Birmingham Beautiful Commission will host an event to allow citizens to recycle their Electronic Waste instead of sending it to our landfill. One of two e-waste recycling days, the highlight is the opportunity to recycle TV’s for FREE! TV’s and computer monitors are often difficult to find recycling outlets for. This is also the conclusion of the Keep Birmingham Beautiful Commission Great American Cleanup.

What: E-cycles Recycling Day and culmination of Great American Cleanup

When: Thursday, May 10, 2012 6AM – 12PM

Where: Linn Park, Short 20th Street

Accepted Items for Recycles Day: Personal Computers, Televisions, Monitors, LCD TVs, Flat Screen Monitors, VCRs,Radios, Stereos, DVD players, Microwaves, Power Supplies, Rechargeable Batteries, Vacuums, Banking Equipment, Telephones, Pagers, Networking Equipment, Laptops, Keyboards, Mice, Power Cables, Non-Hazardous Medical Equipment,Printers, Copy Machines, Servers, Hubs, Ink Cartridges, Toner Cartridges,Remotes, Modems, Projectors, Cameras

Unaccepted Items for Recycles Day: Refrigerators, Washers, Clothes Dryers, Dish Washers, Mercury Containing Devices (Thermometers, Fire Alarms), Hazardous Chemicals/Materials, Light Bulbs, Florescent Bulbs, Bio Waste

Partners include the Keep Birmingham Beautiful Commission,Creative Recycling, Alabama Environmental Council, ACIPCO, My Green Birmingham, UPS, Alabama Power Company, and Nucor Steel.

-Commute Smart 

May is National Bike Month and the 9th Annual Bike to Work Day will have a new spin this year! Bike from Work will be held in the evening of Thursday, May 10 and include an organized bike ride to promote using alternative transportation for commuting to and from work. Hosted by CommuteSmart, an initiative of the RPCGB, participants will begin and end their ride at the Young and Vann Building. The evening will also include a family-friendly celebration after the ride that will promote safe cycling in Birmingham.

View the Bike Route, or for more information contact Jeniese Hosey at (205) 264-8406, or  jhosey@rpcgb.org

The House Ways and Means Education Committee will hold a public hearing on the Energy Star legislation at 9 a.m. May 2 in Room 617 of the Statehouse. The legislation, which is one of Conservation Alabama’s top legislative priorities this session, would create a state sales tax holiday on Energy Star-rated appliances during the back-to-school sales tax holiday in early August. As Alabama ranks high for energy inefficiency, the sales tax holiday would encourage citizens to purchase energy efficient appliances to help save money and reduce energy consumption. Similar sales tax holidays have been popular in other Southeastern states such as Georgia and North Carolina, and the tax revenue lost on Energy Star appliances is more than made up by increased revenue off of non-sales tax exempt items. The bill is a win for consumers, the state, and the environment.

Wednesday is a busy day for conservation related items. Beyond the sales tax holiday bill, several other items are on committee agendas:

- A bill to provide tax incentives for the purchase of compressed natural gas vehicles will have a public hearing in the same committee meeting;

- A bill that will provide incentives for other alternative fuel vehicles also will have a public hearing before the same committee meeting;

- A public hearing is slated for a bill that would require the Alabama Department of Transportation to consider the life-cycle costs of major infrastructure projects before the legislature allocates funding;

- A proposed constitutional amendment to redirect Forever Wild funding to child abuse and vocational programs will be the subject of a public hearing; and

- A bill to limit environmental regulation because of United Nation’s conspiracy fears is in committee Wednesday afternoon.

Finally, other bills such as the proposal to extend the landfill moratorium another year is awaiting a final vote by the Senate. And a bill to require certain industries to have a toxic waste performance bond is expected to be voted on by the House. Only days remain, but there is plenty of life left in conservation-related legislation this session.

Story re-published with the permission of Conservation Alabama.

You can follow legislation related to the environment each week on Conservation Alabama’s Hot List at conservationalabama.org.

The deadlines for 2013 Mini and Competitive Grant applications and 2012 Scholarship applications are quickly approaching. All grant applications must be postmarked by April 27, 2012.  All scholarship applications must be postmarked by May 4, 2012.  

Mini-Grants

The Environmental Education Mini-Grant program provides funding for hands-on environmental education programs to communities in Alabama. Mini-grants assist Alabama citizens with local environmental projects. Although teachers make up the  majority of applicants, any non-profit organization wishing to pursue a community-based environmental project in Alabama is encouraged to apply. Applicants may apply for up to $2,500.

Competitive Grants

Funds for this  program are allocated specifically to assist with helping to create environmentally responsible citizens through education. Any non-profit/tax exempt Alabama organization or school planning a community based environmental program is encouraged to apply.  Competitive grants are available for up to $10,000.

Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships

Legacy’s Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to Alabama students who are pursuing  environmentally related careers. Students who are of at least junior standing are encouraged to apply. If you are planning to make a difference in Alabama’s environment when you complete  your studies, don’t miss this chance to secure financial  assistance for tuition and  books. Undergraduate students are eligible for up to $1,500 and graduate students are eligible for up to $2,000.

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