March 5, 2009

Dear TLC Members and Friends,

We have a new system for distributing the E-News!

While preparing for this new system, it is possible we may have included you for the first time. In other instances, this may be sent to multiple addresses that we have for you on file here in the office. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Please note the link at the very bottom of this message to update or change your account. You can also use this link to change your name as it appears above. So, if you would rather be Bob than Robert or Couscous the Detective instead of Karen, go ahead and change it!

If you have friends you think would enjoy reading E-News, send this to them using the Forward to a Friend link at the bottom of this message.

Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy this edition of the E-News!

1. Irvin Learning Farm Primavera Preview postponed to April 25
Volunteers and staff have been busy preparing the Irvin Farm for summer camp, but despite our best efforts, the farm needs a little more preening. So, the Primavera Preview has been postponed to April 25 when we will be able to showcase the farm in all its springtime glory. The summer camp will provide stimulating opportunities to connect with nature, however, the spring afterschool pilot program has been canceled. Find out more online.

2. TLC's March Madness - two outings this month!
March is a great time to get out and enjoy the Triangle - at least between basketball games! Take a break from the brackets, and join us on for an outing this month. See you there!

Also, the complete Spring 2009 Outings schedule is now available. Check it out!

3. Swift Creek Skateaway, TLC's March Backyard Adventure
Spring has made its way to the Piedmont. Migratory birds are passing through the region, and the first flowers have pushed their way into bloom. What a great time to hike and take in the refreshing warm breeze and wonderful floral smells of springtime in the Triangle with our March do-it-yourself Backyard Adventure, Swift Creek Skateaway. Find out more online.

4. Meet March's Members of the Month: Carol & Karsten Rist
No matter where these Durhamites have lived, Carol and Karsten Rist have always been very involved in their community, from membership in the Audubon Society to helping plan sustainable growth in southern Florida. Find out more about Carol and Karsten in our Member Spotlight.

5. Lend a Hand
Join TLC's team of dedicated volunteers! Check out these new opportunities to make a difference in the Triangle.

6. Making plans in Chatham County
TLC is currently involved in three conservation planning efforts in Chatham County. Both the Rocky River Conservation Plan and the Chatham Farmland Protection Plan kicked off in February.

The Rocky River planning group consists of citizens and landowners working to lay out a conservation assessment of the natural and historical features of the lower Rocky River watershed.

TLC is partnering with the Chatham Extension Center and the Chatham Soil and Water Conservation District to develop the Chatham Farmland Protection Plan. More than 75 farmers, foresters, and elected officials attended the kickoff meeting to welcome Philip Gottwals, a consultant with expertise in rural economic development who will prepare the plan. Gottwals is currently interviewing local farmers to identify economic development and farmland protection strategies throughout the county.

TLC is also working with the Chatham County Partnership to acquire funding for a comprehensive conservation plan. This plan will develop a process for bringing together conservation information and goals for public use in local, regional and statewide decision making. It will present a strategic approach to blend conservation science, environmental data, and public goals into useful tools for community action.

If you would like more information about any of these efforts, contact Leigh Ann Cienek at lcienek@triangleland.org.

7. It's a Date! Green Jamboree June 20th!
Save the Date! TLC's Green Jamboree 2009 is set for Saturday, June 20. Join your fellow TLC members at the Irvin Farm (Jones Ferry Road, Chapel Hill), a 269-acre haven of farmland and forest complete with trails and a fishing pond. Enjoy food, music by The Bluegrass Experience, guided hikes, catch-and-release fishing, and lawn games! More details coming next month.

8. 2009 "Green Book" Released
The Green Book report, "Good for the Economy, Good for Public Health," was released on March 3 by the Land for Tomorrow coalition. The report is an annual compilation of county-by-county funding by the state's four land and water conservation trust funds, including Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation, Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage and Clean Water Management. With your help and support, last year the trust funds provided $214.2 million for 330 projects in 89 counties. These funds are vital to help safeguard water quality and drinking water supplies, promote tourism, improve public health, provide buffers around military training areas, and protect farmlands and forest. To view a complete copy of this year's Green Book, visit landfortomorrow.org.

9. Where in the Triangle?
The TLC “Where in the Triangle?” quiz is back to challenge your knowledge of the villages, backroads and crossroads communities throughout our region, from Bennett to Bentonville to Bahama. So, eager contestants, here is the next puzzle. Take a look at this picture, then send an e-mail telling us where you think the photo was taken. (Here’s a hint: the photo was taken in the region of this month’s Backyard Adventure, Swift Creek Skateaway). One lucky reader will receive a stylish TLC baseball cap. We will draw a winner from all the correct answers we receive at enews@triangleland.org by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10.

Thanks to all of you who responded to last month’s “Where in the Triangle?” quiz! The correct answer was Barbara's Suburban Fashions, south of Siler City.