On My Radar 9.10.15

Upcoming September 2015 Events in New Haven (#GSCIA)

Get your Green on, New Haveners! You have no excuse for staying home with the plethora of mostly free events coming up. Some days are so event-full that it will take some planning on your part to hit them all. 

Here you go, in chronological order, starting with this Saturday. 

Saturday, September 12

8-10 am, Quinnipiac Meadows Nature Preserve

1040 Quinnipiac Avenue

HAWK WALK and TALK

Free Event. Sponsored by the New Haven Land Trust. 

According to the Land Trust, “It's a great time of year to observe hawks and other migrating birds! Bird expert and past president of the New Haven Bird Club Mike Horn will be giving a guided walk at our Quinnipiac Meadows Nature Preserve this Saturday. All are welcome (except out-of-control children). Rain or shine! If you have them, bring binoculars and see you there!”

Also this Saturday…

Saturday, September 12

GREEN EXPO (11 am -5 pm) 

CT FOLK FESTIVAL (11 am -10 pm) – 10 Years Young!

Edgerton Park, located off Whitney Avenue near the Hamden-New Haven town line. Free Admission!  The full program and list of participants is available here. 

Monday, Sept 14

7:30 PM, BAR, 254 Crown Street, New Haven

New Haven Green Drinks meets at a special day and time in order to participate in TRANSPORTATION on TAP, hosted by goNewHavengo, the group that asks you to “Think outside the car.” Eat pizza, drink beer, and learn about transportation in New Haven. Attendees must be 21 or over.

Tuesday, September 15 - Tuesday, December 1

(with a few exceptions)

5:30 - 7:30 PM

DIVERSE VOICES: Environmental Leaders on Climate Change and the Environment

Kroon Hall, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven

The public is invited and welcome to attend this series of lectures offered as FES810 at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. More here. FREE.

The event-full Saturday, September 19 kicks off with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk or bike across the soon to be opened new southbound Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge.

Saturday, September 19

10 am - 3 pm

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

on the new Southbound Q-Bridge

Access provided at the intersection of Hamilton Street and Ives Place.

Only pedestrians and bicycles will be allowed on the bridge. The event planners promise family-friendly activities, refreshments, stunning views, and great photo opportunities. More information here. 

From there it’s just a hop and a skip over to the 6th annual East Rock Festival…

Saturday, September 19

11 am - 7 pm

EAST ROCK FESTIVAL

Orange Street between Willow Street and Cottage Street

This free festival celebrates all the East Rock neighborhood has to offer with food vendors, live music, demos, kids’ activities, and information on area non-profits.

And, if you plan it right, you can quench your thirst for a good cause…

Saturday, September 19

4-7 pm

BEER and OYSTERS in the GARDEN

Fred Cervin Bioregional Garden

608 Whitney Avenue

A fundraiser for the New Haven Land Trust. Standard ticket is $30.00 in advance. Support community gardening, environmental education, and nature preserves. More information is available here. 

Friday, September 25

5:30 pm (ish) at the flagpole on the New Haven Green

CRITICAL MASS

Critical Mass is a cycling event held on the last Friday of every month. Part of the worldwide Critical Mass movement, New Haven's “Kinder and Less-Critical Mass” is a monthly celebration of bicycling. The ride is generally slow; length may vary. The size of the group can reach 200 in the summer months! 

There ought to be something in here for just about everybody. Get up. Get out. Go New Haveners, Go!

Freebie Friday 8.28.15: Explore the Great Barrier Reef without Getting Wet

Last week Google added Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to the extensive list of modern and ancient world heritage sites that you can explore online as part of Google’s World Wonders Project.

That is correct. You and users across the globe can now travel through The Great Barrier Reef on Google Street View. Google partnered with the Catlin Seaview Survey, who used a special camera to capture the images. The Catlin Seaview Survey is a global study monitoring the health of the world’s coral reefs. According to the survey’s website, there has been a 40% loss of corals around the globe in the last 30 years. 

The images are beautiful, but the survey’s work could not be more serious. The Catlin Seaview Survey is “creating a baseline record of the world’s coral reefs, in high-resolution 360-degree panoramic vision. It will enable change to be clearly monitored over time and will help scientists, policy makers and the public at large to see and understand the issues reefs are facing and work out what needs to be done to best protect coral reefs now and into the future.”

The partnership with Google is helping to raise awareness of this problem.

The voyage starts here. 

TGIF. Have a great weekend. 

FYI Why a piñata? Just like a blog link, unless you open it, you won’t know what’s inside.

Ten Things to Love About IKEA

In 2003, I thought I wanted a mall to come to New Haven. I wanted Macy’s back. And a Nordstrom’s. I was tired of having to drive out of town to buy shoes and underwear.

Instead we became the first city in New England to get an IKEA.

I have come to love this store and this company. 

Here are a few of the reasons why:

• When IKEA installed solar panels on its roof in 2012, it was the largest array of solar panels in the state. 
• IKEA is a good source of local jobs and the workers seem happy to work there.
• Coffee is always free if you join the Family (free membership). 
• Its restaurant offers a great view of the city (and the I-95 construction project) and is a great place to have a business meeting or a study group.
• It is the perfect place to burn off some calories when the weather outside is too hot or too cold to go for a long walk. And it is always fun to imagine what it would be like to live in the various sized display “homes” where there always seems to be ample space until you realize the occupants have no personal possessions.
• IKEA has a convenient “wall” for responsible recycling many types of items including spent CFLs and rechargeable batteries.
• The grocery section is stocked with a variety of organic products including drinks and jams.
• As of this month most of their seafood is MSC or ASC certified. 
• The restaurant now has a VEGAN alternative to the famed meatball plate. Since spring vegetable balls GRÖNSAKSBULLAR have been on the menu. The ingredients will vary with the seasons. The GRÖNSAKSBULLAR currently on the menu have a kale base and come with a side of steamed vegetables and cauliflower “gravy.” Very tasty. Every day can be Meatless Monday at IKEA!

AND…

• As of September 1, IKEA stores worldwide will only sell LED bulbs and lighting. 

You can read more about sustainable IKEA here.

I choose IKEA over a mall any day.