Easy Actions for Sustainability

It’s hot and I’m bothered. 

Why?  Because I’m an unabashed, unapologetic tree-hugger.  I like big trees and I cannot lie! Because I’m a Central Carolinas Master Naturalist, National Wildlife Federation Habitat Steward and Habitat Host and Habitat Ambassador, and Audubon Ambassador, and Mecklenburg County Master Composter, and have  certificate in Native Plant Studies from UNCC I get a lot, repeat, a lot, of feeds to my Facebook account on all things environmental.

And folks, let me tell you, we’re in a mess.  Between habitat loss, mass tree-cuttings, use of exotic plants instead of natives, loss of environmental legislation, climate change, and the huge issue of plastic use (just to name a few), we’re in a big mess.

The question is, what the heck can we do about it???? As individuals we can’t set policy, single-handedly control elections, change the behavior of manufacturers.  But we can still take action and make a difference.

I’m going to be sharing a variety of ideas in the coming weeks.  What I’m hoping is that you find a few of them that you will commit to.

Let’s start with straws.

Let’s start with straws.  I’ve seen some articles that said straws are not a big problem in the overall scheme of things.  But straws are an easy thing for us to control, so let’s start there.

First, just say no.  When you’re eating out and a server gives you a straw, smile and give it back.  I always do it at the beginning of the meal so that it doesn’t get wet or dirty, and I don’t know what happens to unused straws at the end of the meal.  Are they put back into the box or thrown out because they’ve been on the table?

If you really want to use a straw, take your own.  There are so many options to choose from.  I’m including some pictures.  I found all these online.  They’re cheap and durable.

No more plastic water bottles

The next step?  No more plastic water bottles.  According to www.earthday.org humans purchase 1,000,000 plastic bottles per MINUTE.  The really horrible thing is that the US only recycles about 23% of theirs. 

Butts don’t swim

Final idea for today: if you’re a smoker, please don’t throw your butts on the beach or in our bodies of water.  Please don’t toss them on the ground where they can be swept into our storm drain system, ultimately ending up in our streams and rivers.  Chemicals that leach from the cigarette are often toxic and harm wildlife, bodies of water, and the ecosystem.

Here’s a visual for you:  in 2018 the Ocean Conservancy’s annual clean-up resulted in 2,412,151 cigarette butts being collected.  According to oceanconservancy.org those butts would line the distance of five marathons!

 If you’re someone who loves going to the beach, pick up trash while you’re there.  You’ll do a good deed and get some exercise.  Get your kids involved, too.

I was with a group of friends at a local coffee shop recently.  I always have a reusable straw in my purse, but I was really happy to see a friend pull one out.  Another friend questioned her about it and she replied that she only uses it on Thursday afternoons at the coffee shop.

Room for improvement?  Sure.  But it’s a starting point.  It’s a change and it’s moving in the right direction.

RAW to Reclaimed Woodworking

“I do love the smell of wood. All wood does something: it reacts differently, cuts differently, smells differently.”

— Ryan Watkins

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

To Matthews resident, Ryan Watkins, owner of “RAW (his initials) to Reclaimed Woodworking,” each piece of lumber, each piece of wood has a story to tell. “You can [often] feel the history of the wood,” he says as he looks around his new 2000 square foot warehouse (4002 Matthews Indian Trail Road) with wonderment and pride. On this day, he’s looking at pieces of ash, maple, walnut, oak, and antique pine.

As he’s working with these pieces, he says, he imagines the pilots standing around smoking cigars – a recycling of history and of raw materials, now used in another place and time.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

He’s most proud of the 1840s pine planks resting in his shop, which came from Minnesota after being torn down from a barn originally used for WWII glider pilot training. As he’s working with these pieces, he says, he imagines the pilots standing around smoking cigars – a recycling of history and of raw materials, now used in another place and time.

“I do love the smell of wood. All wood does something: it reacts differently, cuts differently, smells differently,” he said. For Ryan, utilizing all his senses when creating something out of wood gives him both fulfillment and purpose. It is now also his undeniable passion.

In 2017, Ryan hung up his Matthew’s Fire Department captain’s uniform and fireman’s gear for the last time. With 17 years on the force, he was tired, injured and in need of a Plan B. He had a wife and two children; their well-being was foremost on his mind.

Although Ryan had always tinkered with his hands and with materials like wood, about one year earlier, a designer-friend asked him for his help with some small custom projects. This would be a weekend and night’s project.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Later that same year, he was offered the opportunity to make 24 table tops with oak veneer plywood, for a South Carolina group opening a restaurant. He was game, but only had his 250 s.f. of work space in his garage. A scramble to find an appropriate location landed him in his new warehouse and his new life-path was soon carved out. Joined by his wife, the office manager, this became a team effort.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

To Ryan, using both new and reclaimed wood, recycling has become a metaphor for starting over.

“Taking a pile of lumber and turning it into something, that’s where the satisfaction is,” he said. “A lot of it is to put it on the workbench and see what you can do with it.”

He is working hard and diligently to chase his dream. “I’m nowhere near the peak where I want to be,” Ryan said, adding that he watches other long-time woodworkers who are successful and is following their lead. “We’re going to grow; we’re going to reach for the stars. Watch out IKEA!” he said with a laugh.

We’re watching.

RAW to Reclaimed Woodworking
R2Rwoodworking.com
704-200-5374
@raw2reclaimedwoodworking

Rezoning: 10816 Idlewild Road

On August 14, 2017 the Board of Commissioners (Taylor, Ross, Urban, Melton, Higdon, Miller, and Whitley) unanimously approved rezoning application 2017-661, submitted by Land Investment Resources, LLC. The property, 16 acres, at 10816 Idlewild Road (Tax Parcel 193-161-10) was rezoned from R-15 to R-15 & R-VS.

On the property at the time of sale was a single family home built in 1978, several outbuildings (a washroom which appeared to be late 19th or early 20th century) and a barn built in the early 20th century. The R-VS rezoning permits a maximum of 29 single-family detached homes, at least eight of which will have side garages.

The property is within Crown Point Elementary, Mint Hill Middle, and Butler High School zones. The staff report to the Board presented no data for impact to those schools.

The R-VS District requires a minimum of 8% tree canopy preservation. This proposed development would achieve 25% canopy preservation with a commitment to save the tree line along Idlewild Road.

The buildable area consists of 13 usable acres and three additional acres along the Irvins Creek floodplain (and the future Irvins Creek Greenway). During the rezoning process, there were several points where Commissioner John Higdon led the conversation toward saving the historic buildings.

The washroom was relocated to Purser-Hulsey Park Community Garden. With no feasible solution for saving the barn structure, Land Investment Resources, LLC offered to donate the materials to the Town for reuse elsewhere. The Town agreed. A subcontractor is currently disassembling the barn. The Town will store the wood planks until a suitable use arises, most likely at Purser-Hulsey Park.