August 2008
I don’t just care about wild resources,
I help them prosper
The Wild Resource Conservation Fund supports the conservation and study of threatened and endangered species and educates children and adults on how to protect our invaluable flora and fauna. Last year, the fund awarded $1.2 million for research, conservation, and education projects, but with your help, it can do even more! Purchase a sleek otter license plate. “Check off” at tax time by donating your state income tax refund (Line 32 in the PA40). No refund? Send a tax-deductible contribution and make an investment in biodiversity. Keep up with the state of Pennsylvania’s nature with the fund’s Keystone Wild Notes and mark your calendars for the Wild Resource Festival on September 13 at Presque Isle State Park in Erie. Go here for the many ways to go wild for your wild resources.
Close the loop with compact fluorescents
The Home Depot®, the world's second-largest retailer, recently launched a national in-store, compact fluorescent light bulb recycling program at all 1,973 The Home Depot locations. The free program is the largest of its kind in the nation. Customers simply bring in any expired, unbroken compact fluorescents and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk. The Home Depot has been actively promoting compact fluorescents, selling more than 193 million to date. They use up to 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb, last longer, and cost less over time. Because they contain small amounts of mercury, recycling is the preferred path for disposal. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, they are a good choice for the environment. Buy them, use them, and recycle them! Learn more about The Home Depot’s recycling initiative and other efforts to brighten the future.
Plant trees without leaving your desktop
With just a click of your mouse, you can help plant trees in Pennsylvania! Odwalla, working with the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, will donate up to five trees per person who visit here.
It’s simple. Go to the web page and drag five trees (maximum allowed) onto the “PA”. For every tree selected, the foundation will get a portion of the $50,000 that Odwalla has committed for tree plantings in state parks. More trees mean nicer parks, cleaner air, and better habitat. Tell your family, friends, and co-workers and click away!
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Congratulations to Katherine Frey of Winfield, Pa., the winner of a monthly drawing from the SEEDS subscription list. Ms. Frey receives a copy of It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth Friendly Living.
Sign up if you received this e-mail from a friend and would like to add yourself to the Seeds mailing list.
iConservePA is a program of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Edward G. Rendell, Governor.
PAiCon of the month
Meet Jennifer from Mount Bethel, who suggests cutting-down on catalogs to avoid the unnecessary cutting-down of trees! You, too, can become a PAiCon and every PAiCon can now create an online journal—without harming a tree.
Did you know?
The tallgrass prairie still thrives in western Pennsylvania. Jennings Environmental Education Center in Butler County contains a 20-acre relict prairie ecosystem, a rarity in our state. The colorful site is home to spectacular blazing stars and other flowers plus the endangered massasauga rattlesnake. Visit in early August when the fields are in full-bloom.
Spotlight on…
Greenfest Philly. Party like there is a tomorrow September 7 at this free, fun, and informative event spanning four city blocks at Second and South streets in Philadelphia. Programs, contests, music, eco–films, and more than 200 exhibits make this an earth-friendly, all-ages treat for the senses and the mind. Look for the iConservePA booth!
© 2007 Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources