BASIC Initiative Belleville Achieves Strength in Character http://www.doyouhavecharacter.com BASIC is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community organization. The BASIC Initiative is an offspring of Belleville's Community of Character initiative. It works to develop and support programs, collaborations and community organizations that serve the greater Belleville community.
Get Up and Go http://www.getupgo.info/ Get Up and Go is a campaign that challenges communities, groups and organizations in St. Clair County to participate in activities that improve health and fitness.
They also encourage further investment in green spaces for community use. LEAF continues to collaborate and partner with Get Up and Go, as human health and environment are inherently linked.
Community Supported Garden at La Vista http://www.lavistacsa.org/ This local Community Supported Garden, located in Godfrey Illinois, began in 2002 and is part of the Oblate Ecological Initiative. Community Supported Agriculture has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. La Vista does not use any synthetic or chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Shares of the harvest are sold to area families and individuals and serves as a model for small-scale community supported agriculture.
Illinois Extension Office Madison and St. Clair County http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/madisonstclair/ Provides reliable research-based information in horticulture, agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, family life, consumer sciences, community and economic development. They offer a variety of programs and classes throughout the year.
Sierra Club Kaskaskia Group http://illinois.sierraclub.org/kgroup/ The local Kaskaskia Group represents Sierra Club members from the Illinois counties of St. Clair, Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Washington, Clinton, Marion and Jefferson. The Sierra Club, founded in 1892, is the oldest grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It works to ensure a safe and healthy community in which to live. (back to top)
REGIONAL AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Environment Illinois
http://www.environmentillinois.org Environment Illinois is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization that focuses on protecting Illinois' air, water and open spaces
Illinois Climate Action Network http://www.illinoisclimateactionnetwork.org/ A coalition led by 12 diverse groups that has been involved in a multi-year effort to tackle global warming through legislative measures and citizen involvement throughout the state.
The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) is an environmental advocacy organization focused on a broad range of environmental issues across Illinois. It represents environmental groups from around the state on legislation and policies by lobbying and organizing statewide support.
Missouri Coalition for The Environment http://www.moenviron.org/ Missouri Coalition for the Environment works to protect and preserve the environment through education, legal defense and citizen action. They are based in St. Louis. (back to top)
GLOBAL WARMING HELPFUL LINKS Carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere. The carbon stays in the atmosphere and acts like a warm blanket, which holds in heat. The earth has a natural balance that traps just enough heat in the atmosphere to keep temperatures within a narrow range allowing for the air we breathe, clean water, and stable weather patterns. Human activity is tipping that balance by overloading the atmosphere with heat trapping gases from factories, power plants and cars. Should we fail to significantly curb carbon emissions; the planet will experience more extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuations, rises in sea levels, more intense storms events---ultimately making the earth a less habitable place for humans. The following websites are some good starting points to learn more:
Cool Cities http://www.coolcities.us/ The Sierra Club's Cool Cities initiative focuses on getting local communities to make commitments to curb global warming by putting smart energy solutions to work, such as greening municipal vehicle fleets, making buildings energy efficient, and investing in safe renewable energy. LEAF is supporting these aims and working to encourage local municipalities to sign onto this nation-wide initiative.
The Climate Project
http://www.theclimateproject.org The Climate Project is a nonprofit organization with the mission of increasing public awareness of the climate crisis at a grassroots level in the United States and abroad. TCP presentations are available for public engagements of any size, free of charge.
ICLEI http://www.coolmayors.com/ (ICLEI) is a membership association of local governments committed to advancing climate protection and sustainable development. Their mission is to build, serve, and drive a movement of local governments to advance deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) http://www.ipcc.ch/ A well-respected scientific intergovernmental body set up by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its primary role is to assess the latest scientific, technical and socio-economic literature relevant to human-induced climate change
Low Impact Living http://www.lowimpactliving.com This website allows one to calculate their carbon footprint, find out about commercial clean energy products, provides green energy project ideas and alternatives. A great site to find practical ways you can lower your carbon footprint.
The United States Mayors Climate Protection Center http://www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/ClimateChange.asp In 2005, the U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously endorsed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, an initiative launched by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels in which mayors commit to reduce emissions in their cities to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012. This website highlights those efforts and includes an up to date map and list of all signatories.
We Campaign
http://www.wecansolveit.org/ We Campaign is a project of The Alliance for Climate Protection -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort founded by former Vice President Al Gore. (back to top)
GARDENING & PERMACULTURE
University of Illinois Extension: Horticulture http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state/hort.html The Division of the broad-ranging Extension Website (see above in Local Agencies) that deals specifically with gardening issues, geared to our region. Includes a link to sign up for their excellent e-newsletter, The Green Thumb.
Missouri Botanical Garden's Gardening and Horticulture Page http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/ The gateway for the Garden's extensive resources available for gardeners of all levels of experience. Includes a searchable database of plant information (http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Search.asp) that you can tailor to match plant taxonomy, plant characteristics, or plant requirements. The annual Plants of Merit selection recommends trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and other plants that are both beautiful and well-suited to the local environmental conditions that the Metro East shares with the St. Louis area.
Missouri Botanical Garden's Water Conservation Page http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/factsheet.asp?code=53 Water delivery systems and energy use are inextricably linked. The availability of this intensively developed resource is high on the list of topics that scientists worldwide are advocating for close study and stewardship in the coming years. This page provides suggestions and resources for saving water in all areas of yard and garden care, and includes their own links to additional resources dealing with water conservation.
Seed Saver's Exchange http://www.seedsavers.org/ Seed Saver's Exchange is the largest non-governmental seed bank in the United States. Located in Decorah, Iowa, it is the headquarters for a cooperative venture of heirloom seed preservation and sharing, and hosts an annual Summer Convention that features food and music as well as gardening lore.
GrowNative www.grownative.org GrowNative is a program of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) that encourages planting and maintaining species native to this region. Their recommendations are applicable to the Metro-East area as well, since we share many of the same prairie and glade environmental conditions, even in our developed neighborhoods.
Tallgrass Prairies http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/tallgrass.html For a look at just how diverse Illinois' native ecosystems are, see this multifaceted page by one of our state's most eminent botanists, and a long-standing expert with the Illinois Natural History Survey, Kenneth R. Robertson.
Unfortunately, many of the largest websites devoted to Permaculture are commercial in nature. For a good overview of Permaculture philosophy and practice see Wikipedia’s entry on the topic, or try the “Permaculture the Earth” website which, although basic, is a good jumping-off point. We also have Permaculture Book references available from the local library system on our Resources page. (back to top)
For further information contact Amy Funk: (618) 215-2011 or Peg Rombach-Riggs: (618) 234-5583 or email: info@metroeastleaf.org.
