Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, December 12, 1994 TAG: 9412140010
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Cathryn McCue
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Roanoke franchise owners Joyce and Leonard Wilson in Roanoke are joining hundreds of other Mail Boxes centers in recycling the pesky peanuts. They accept any size, shape and color of the packaging fill.
"This is a service to the community. Anybody can bring in their peanuts," Leonard says. "I encourage my customers to 'think green' and bring their clean, good-as-new peanuts," Joyce says.
The center is located in Southwest Plaza, 2050 Electric Road. Call 772-7300 for more information.
Recycled Christmas
A few ideas for a more "environmentally friendly" holiday:
Buy a live Christmas tree. If you buy a cut one, compost. An artificial tree lasts a long time.
Minimize size and number of lights. Use edible decorations like popcorn and cranberries to feed the birds after the holiday.
Use recycled cards and wrapping paper, preferably unbleached. Or skip the card and write your name on the box. Wrap gifts in newspaper or cloth. Use newspapers or real popcorn for cushioning.
Look for gifts that are durable, not over-packaged, energy efficient, reusable, recyclable, and not made of tropical woods like teak, rosewood and mahogany. Plants make nice gifts and help reduce indoor air pollution. Car pool or use public transportation to shop.
Don't use throw-away items at holiday parties, and recycle beverage containers and food scraps.
Brought to you by the Environmental Defense Fund, a national, nonprofit organization linking science, economics and law to solve environmental problems.
Gifts that grow
Help your loved ones put down some roots this holiday by planting trees on the national forest. For a $10 donation, the George Washington National Forest will mail a certificate with your name and the gift recipient's name. The donated trees will be planted on one of the forest's six ranger districts, but will not be identified as a "gift tree."
"Giving a tree as a Christmas gift helps the environment, since a tree takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen," says Jim Sitton, timber specialist on the forest. "In the case of young trees, this process occurs rapidly."
Checks or money orders should be written to "USDA Forest Service" and mailed to the George Washington National Forest, Public Affairs, P.O. Box 233, Harrisonburg, Va., 22801. Include the recipient's address.
Home for the holidays
A young bald eagle, laid up at a wildlife hospital since summer, was released at a refuge along the James River on Dec. 3.
The 4-year-old bird had been found in Charles City County in July suffering from a broken wing and severe malnutrition. It was taken to The Wildlife Center of Virginia in Weyers Cave, where its wing was mended. The eagle was eventually moved to a 100-foot flight cage to build up its strength for the big day.
"He flew beautifully, beautifully," says Dr. Stuart Porter, the attending veterinarian. It's believed the bird was wounded in a fight with another eagle.
The eagle was one of 2,500 animals treated at the center this year, and one of many birds of prey released at the Upper Brandon plantation, southeast of Richmond. The plantation is owned by James River Corp., which has granted a conservation easement on the 1,700-acre site to ensure the land remains open and undivided, an ideal habitat for bald eagles.
The nonprofit center has nearly completed a $1 million new facility in Waynesboro, but, Porter adds, still needs money to finish the job.
Green guide for the valley
Does your business use recycled paper for business cards? Have you reduced or eliminated toxic chemicals from your manufacturing process? Do you sell jewelry made from recycled stuff?
The Clean Valley Council wants to hear from you. The nonprofit group is creating a directory of area businesses that sell or use environmentally friendly products. The council will use the directory to provide information about product availability.
The council is looking for products made of recycled material or produced without hazardous chemicals, and businesses that recycle. Mail information, including company name, address, telephone and hours to Clean Valley Council, P.O. Box 523, Roanoke, Va. 24003-0523. For more information, call 345-5523.
A rich forest
Westvaco Corp. has announced it will dish out another $250,000 to conduct songbird studies, endangered species surveys and other environmental projects in its Wildlife and Ecosystem Research Forest.
Westvaco, with operations in Covington, established the 8,430-acre forest in West Virginia earlier this year to study ecological impacts in a forest that continues to be logged. The increased funding will go toward collecting baseline data so researchers can measure changes in the ecosystem over time.
The projects includes an endangered species and aquatic life inventory by the wildlife section of the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, an inventory of all commercial tree species, water quality data, and a history of the area.
For more information on the research forest, write Bruce Brenneman, Westvaco Research Center Leader, P.O. Box 608, Rupert, W.Va, 25984.
by CNB