As We Are Now

We held our regular meeting tonight and, as always, I am amazed by the energy and dedication of the EarthKeeper's Board. The monthly committee reports include:

Naval Base (what's new and notable from our Board member on Base, Jennifer Ward-Pelar).

School Activities (from our teacher, Gale Lizana).

Communication (what's been done and what's needed).

St. Marys Curbside Recycling (the monthly rate report).

RiverWatch (all matters pertaining to the health and welfare of our river: committee Chair, Rick Frey).

And then we move on to observations, ideas and discussions.

- July's recycling results are the best we've seen for that month since the beginning of curbside recycling: 37.99 tons collected. Well done, St. Marys! But how do we increase the numbers? With the addition of junk mail and "chip board", each and every home should be placing two bins by the curb but it seems that many are unsure of what "chip board" entails. 

Think "Packaging": cereal boxes, soda boxes, beer boxes, mac & cheese boxes, Kleenex boxes...all of those cardboard items that once went into the trash are now welcomed in your recycling bin. So is Junk Mail - all of those flyers that find their way into your mailbox. If you don't have a bin, just contact mthomas@advanceddisposal.com and one will appear at your home within the week.

- We're pleased and gratified by the number of people who visit this site for updates and information and we want to make it even more informative and interactive.

E.g. one Board member who lives on the river has noted increased activity re: dolphins, roseate spoonbills and manatees.

Another (our school teacher at St. Marys Elementary) spoke of a lizard that the children found that is actually listed as an "invasive species."

The number of derelict boats in our harbor is a matter of grave concern. It is also a complex issue that involves myriad agencies.

I invite you all to contact us with such reports, concerns and observations.

- The annual January Electronic Recycling fair hosted by the EarthKeepers is a hugely popular event and I am constantly asked when our next one will be. After-Christmas has always seemed like the most reasonable time and I thank you all for holding on to your e-scrap. Given the response of the community we may need to arrange this twice-yearly...but until then, please "collect the stuff" until next January.

And now the hard part. We have hundreds of members who joined us when we were first established. We've not sent out reminders of yearly dues because your voices and support have meant all the difference between a city that doesn't recycle; a city littered by trash; a city that doesn’t act as a good steward of its extraordinary environment. As a 501c3 we have considerable insurance payments and there are costs involved in city-wide clean-ups, public service notices, providing recycling bins for all city events and so forth. 

We will continue to do our utmost to help our community to protect this precious corner of our planet as we  address your questions, provide new information and create/encourage increased environmental awareness. We ask only that you either renew your membership, join us or donate whatever you can. Thank you so much for your support over the years.
http://www.stmarysearthkeepers.com/memberform.pdf

Alex Kearns

Chair, St. Marys EarthKeepers, Inc.