More Green Links
The following links provide information about resources, toolkits, and workshops on green living and sustainability.
BIKING/BIKE TRAILS
Activate Omaha provides a directory of websites and resources for a healthy lifestyle, including walking and biking trails, gardening, parks, camps, and sports opportunities: http://www.activateomaha.org/igsbase/igstemplate.cfm?SRC=DB&SRCN=&GnavID=4&SnavID=15
Community Bike Project Omaha (CBPC) offers classes through Metro Community College’s Continuing Education program, from how to patch a flat to building a new bike from component parts: www.mccneb.edu/green
Omaha Bikes conducts a series of classes through Metro Community College’s Continuing Education program that are taught by local League of America Bicyclist certified instructors. Completion of the four classes plus an instructor led group ride will result in an award of completion from the League of American Bicyclists: www.mccneb.edu/green Omaha Bikes website: http://bikeomaha.blogspot.com/
COMMUNITY ORCHARDS
Dundee/Memorial Park Neighborhood Association received a grant from Mayor Suttle’s 2011 Neighborhood Grants Program to develop a community orchard in Memorial Park:
www.dundee-memorialpark.org
Philadelphia Orchard Project, a model community program: www.phillyorchards.org
COMMUNITY SERVICE - RESOURCES & TOOLKITS
Feed America.Org maintains a database of local food banks. Many of them accept fresh fruits and vegetables from backyard and community gardens: www.feedamerica.org
Global Youth Service Day: www.gysd.org
Habitat for Humanity Youth Programs: How to start plants, build a birdhouse or bench and other projects youth can volunteer for with Habitat for Humanity: www.habitat.org/youthprograms/
Keep Omaha Beautiful Programs
Adopt a Park: www.keepomahabeautiful.com/programs/adopt-a-park
Adopt a Trail: www.keepomahabeautiful.com/programs/trail-cleanup
Storm Drain Awareness: A way for neighborhood association and other groups to help protect groundwater and earn money for their group. To download a Storm Drain Awareness Kit, go to: www.keepomahabeautiful.com/programs/storm-drain-awareness
Serve.Gov: Search for local environmental community service projects and use the website’s toolkits to create and register a project: www.serve.gov
Serve.Gov Toolkits: The following downloadable toolkits will help community groups get started on a variety of service projects: Support Local Food Banks, Organize a Clothing Drive, Read with Children, Organize a Book Drive, Audit Your Home, Maintain Public Lands, Let’s Glean!, Support Community Gardens, Start a Walking Team, and Create Your Own Project.
Youth Service America provides information and resources for youth ages 5 to 25 to plan and complete a service project: www.ysa.org
COMPOSTING
Composting websites: www.mastercomposter.com
Composting Workshop: Metro Community College’s Continuing Education Program has a workshop on “How to Compost.” For information, call (402) 457-5231 or visit: www.mccneb.edu/green
DVDS
Green Planet Films is a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental education through film. Neighborhood associations and other groups as well as individuals can check out, rent, or buy their DVDs: www.greenplanetfilms.org
Omaha Public Libraries own a variety of DVDs on environmental education: www.omaha publiclibrary.org
EARTH DAY
Earth Day in a Box is a toolkit for planning and completing a community service project for Earth Day or any day of the year: www.earthday.net
Earth Day Omaha: www.earthdayomaha.com
ENERGY CONSERVATION/ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy Star Guide for Congregations: A free, downloadable resource that enables faith groups to save energy and money while helping the planet. Enter the title into your favorite search engine: Putting Energy Into Stewardship: Energy Star Guide for Congregations.
Nebraska Solar Energy Society: www.ceen.unomaha.edu/NSES
Nebraska Wind Energy – Nebraska Energy Office: www.neo.ne.gov/renew/wind.htm
OPPD offers workshops on energy efficiency & conservation and has weatherization tips and other information on its website: www.oppd.com/AimGreen/index.htm
reEnergize Program in Omaha and Lincoln: www.reenergizeprogram.org/
U.S. Department of Energy: Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy www.eere.energy.gov/consumer
U.S. Department of Energy”s Website For Youth: A website where they can learn about the different kinds of renewable energy, ways to help their parents save energy and money, and play educational games: www.eere.energy.gov/kids/
FARMERS’ MARKETS
U.S. Department of Agriculture provides information on how to start a farmers’ market and apply for funding: www.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets
Local Harvest maintains a nationwide directory of food growers and providers, including farmers’ markets: www.localharvest.org
FOOD
Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska: http://food.unl.edu/web/localfoods/home
Completely Nourished: www.completelynourished.org/page/about-1
Douglas County Health Department provides information on local food, including community gardens, farmers markets, how to start a community garden, activities for kids, where to donate produce, and more: www.douglascounty-ne.gov/gardens/
Eat Well Guide: Sustainable Table’s directory of local family farms, farmers’ markets, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture programs), restaurants, etc.: www.eatwellguide.org
Feed America.Org provides an online directory of local food banks. Many of them accept food donations from backyard and community garden: www.feedamerica.org
Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition: www.centerfornutrition.org
Local Harvest maintains a database of farmers’ markets, family farms, farm stands, Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs) and other sources of locally grown food: www.localharvest.org
Nebraska Farm-to-School Program: www.farmtoschool.org/NE/programs.htm
Slow Food Omaha: www.slowfoodomaha.com
UNL Food: Urban Agriculture: http://food.unl.edu/web/localfoods/urbanag
FOOD PRESERVATION
Metro Community College has a two-day hands-on Food Preservation and Storage seminar that covers canning, freezing and drying of fresh vegetables and fruits of the season: www.mccneb.edu/green
Pick Your Own.Org has a short directory of Nebraska pick-your-own farms and instructions on home canning, freezing, and making jams and jellies: www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm
UNL Food: Home Food Preservation: http://food.unl.edu/web/preservation/home
GARDENING/GARDENS
American Community Gardening Association maintains a national database of community gardens and helpful publications on how to start and maintain a garden: www.communitygarden.org
Big Garden Project: www.gardenbig.org
City Sprouts: www.omahasprouts.org
Container Gardening – Tips for apartment dwellers and others who don’t have access to a backyard garden. www.containergardeningtips.com
Douglas County Health Department provides information on local food, including community gardens, farmers markets, how to start a community garden, activities for kids, where to donate produce, and more: www.douglascounty-ne.gov/gardens/
Fall Container Gardening , You Tube Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf5Rar3HbzI
Gifford Park Community Garden/Youth Garden: www.giffordparkomaha.org/
Junior Master Gardener: How to start a JMG Program for children in grades 3 through 8: www.jmgkids.us
Kids Gardening: www.kidsgardening.org Many resources are available, including, Sowing the Seeds of Success: How to Start and Sustain a Kids’ Gardening Project in Your Community. Database of local gardens.
National Gardening Association: www.garden.org
Nebraska Master Gardener Program: www.mastergardener.unl.edu/
Omaha Master Gardener Program: www.douglas-sarpy.unl.edu/
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum: http://arboretum.unl.edu/
North American Native Plant Society – www.nanps.org Database of local native plant groups.
OmaGro: www.omagro.com
The University of Illinois Extension Program provides a downloadable guide called “First Garden.” www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/firstgarden
GREEN BUSINESSES
Green Omaha Coalition – Green Business Council: www.greenomahacoalition.org/greenbusinesscouncil/
The American Sustainable Business Council: www.asbcouncil.org/
GREEN CONGREGATIONS
Forum on Religion and Ecology: http://fore.research.yale.edu/
Green Faith.Org has developed an interfaith environmental stewardship program: www.greenfaith.org
GREEN GRANTS
Grant opportunities for Nebraska communities: http://nfs.unl.edu/ReTree/retreenebraskafunding.asp#statewide
Omaha Public Library’s Grantseeking Resources: http://guides.omahalibrary.org/grantseeking
Neighborhood Grants Program: In 2010 Mayor Suttle added a green improvement category to the Mayor’s Neighborhood Grants Program. Examples of neighborhood green improvements are community gardens, tree plantings, and landscape design. This year, neighborhood associations could have applied for up to $5,000. To learn how each neighborhood association or community group will use their grant funds to help green their neighborhoods, visit: www.cityofomaha.org/mayor/mayors-office-home/archives/1641
GREEN HOMES
Green Home Tour 2011: www.greenomahacoalition.org
National Geographic has a popular and fun room-by-room guide to greening a home: www.environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/green-guide/home-garden/room-by-room/office/
U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=1
GREEN SCHOOLS
Green Omaha Coalition’s Education Council sponsors a local Green Schools Program: www.greenomahacoalition.org/councils/green-education/green-schools-program/
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
Under the Sink is the drop-off facility for household hazardous waste in Douglas and Sarpy Counties. Tires, appliances, and electronics are not accepted: www.underthesink.org
INVASIVE SPECIES
The Nebraska Invasive Species Project provides information on plants, wildlife, insects and other invasive species and maintains a projects database: www.snr.unl.edu/invasives
JUNK MAIL
Forest Ethics’ program to stop junk mail is an easy way neighborhood associations and other community groups throughout the U.S. are saving millions of trees: www.donotmail.org/form.php?id=50
LAWN CARE
The University of Nebraska at Lincoln provides information on sustainable landscape design and care: http://water.unl.edu/web/landscapes/landscape-designwww.extension.unl.edu/home-lawn
NATIVE PLANTS
Nebraska Native Plants Society: www.unl.edu/nebnps/NNPSindex.html
Wildflower Center maintains a database of native plants: www.wildflower.org/alternatives
Wild Ones Handbook - Landscaping with Native Plants: www.epa.gov/greenacres/wildones/wo_2004b.pdf
NATURE
Children and Nature Network has a free online toolkit for starting a nature club in your community. Visit: www.childrenandnature.org and click on “Nature Clubs for Families.”
Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood in Omaha provides the free booklet, A Parents’ Guide to Nature Play on its website: www.greenheartsinc.org/
Green Hour.Org has a lot of helpful resources for getting children outside to play and experiencing nature firsthand: www.greenhour.org
Nature Find is a quick and easy way to find parks, trails, and other nature sites in your community: www.nwf.org/naturefind
Nebraska Natural Resources Districts have created an interactive website that allows users to search (by NRD) dozens of outdoor recreation sites for camping, fishing, a family picnic, hiking, biking, wildlife viewing and more: www.nrdrec.org
PRAIRIE PRESERVES
Allwine and T.L. Davis Prairie Preserves: www.unomaha.edu/prairie/app.php
Audubon Society of Omaha Prairie Preserve (formerly known as Jensen Prairie):
www.audubon-omaha.org/jensen_prairie.htm
Prairies Forever has instructions on its website on how to create a prairie garden: www.prairies.org
Prairie in the Park Program: www.omahabydesign.org/projects/environmental-element/natural-environment/prairie-in-the-park/
Tallgrass Prairies in Eastern Nebraska: www.nebraskabirdingtrails.com/trail.asp?trail=16
Vincent Bluff: A Loess Hills Prairie Preserve in the Urban Heart of Council Bluffs, Iowa:
www.loesshps.org/Photos/Maps/slides/VincentBluffMapaerialcolor.php
RAIN GARDENS/RAIN BARRELS
Groundwater Foundation in Lincoln provides how-to information on creating a rain garden, protecting the groundwater on your property, and organizing community service projects: www.groundwater.org
Kansas City’s 10,000 Rain Gardens Project: http://www.rainkc.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.home/index.htm
University of Nebraska at Lincoln resource, Rain Gardens for Homeowners provides how-to information: http://water.unl.edu/web/landscapes/rain- gardens www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp?what=list&orderBy=topic
University of Wisconsin Extension Agency’s pdf on creating a rain garden: www.clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/gardens.pdf
REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE
America Recycles Day.Org has on its website: the America Recycles Day Toolkit; downloadable posters, flyers, bookmarks; The Little Green Activities Book, and other resources: www.americalrecyclesday.org/arddownloads.aspx
Curbside Rewards is a newer recycling program available in some Omaha neighborhoods: www.curbsiderewards.com
Earth911 is an easy-to-use website that has information about where to recycle almost everything that can be recycled, including electronics, vehicles, appliances, and much more: www.earth911.com
Electronics Take Back.Com maintains a database of electronics companies that will take back their electronics, some for free: www.electronicstakeback.com
E-Stewards.Org keeps a database of the most environmentally and socially responsible electronics recyclers. Log onto: www.e-stewards.org and click on “Find Your Local E-Stewards.”
First Star Fiber: www.firststarfiber.com
Freecycle.Org/Freecycle Omaha: www.freecycle.org
Habitat for Humanity’s Omaha Restore accepts donations of leftover building materials: www.habitatomaha.org/restore.asp
Lions Recycle for Sight: A program for recycling used eyeglasses and sunglasses. Find a drop-off site at: www.lionsclubs.org
Literacy Directory: To find a literacy center in Omaha that accepts donations of gently used books, log onto: www.literacydirectory.org
Nebraska Materials Exchange, a Keep Nebraska Beautiful program: www.knb.org/exchange.html
Omaha Public Libraries take donations of gently used books for their acquisition list or to sell and raise funds for the libraries: www.omahapubliclibrary.org
Reach Out and Read – Some Omaha sites take donations of gently used books for their reading centers: www.reachoutandread.org
Rebuilding Together.Org takes donations of extra construction tools and building materials. Lawn and garden tools may also be needed. To find a local affiliate, go to: www.rebuildingtogether.org
The Story of Stuff, a short video created by Annie Leonard, author of the book by the same name: www.storyofstuff.com
Wasteline.Org provides recycling information for Omaha: www.wasteline.org
SCHOOL GARDENS
The Center for Ecoliteracy publishes the free 51-page downloadable, Getting Started: A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms: www.ecoliteracy.org/publications/getting-started.html
Grants/funding for school gardenS:
EPA: www.epa.gov/teachers/grants.htm
Kids Gardening Resource Directory: www.kidsgardening.com/resources/resource.asp
National Environmental Education Foundation: www.neefusa.org
National Wildlife Federation: www.nwf.org/schoolyardhabitats
SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP
Joslyn Institute for Sustainability: www.ecospheres.com
Metro Community College: www.mccneb.edu/green
Sustainability Leadership Institute: www.sustainavilityleadership.org/
TOOL COOPERATIVES
West Philly Tool Library, a model community program: www.westphilllytools.org
TRANSPORTATION
City of Omaha Transportation Master Plan: www.cityofomaha.org/tmplan/
MetrO! Rideshare connects residents of Omaha & surrounding areas with others who want to carpool: www.mapacog.greenride.com/
Omaha Metro: public transportation system: http://ometro.com/
TREES
American Forests’ website provides a lot of information, including step-by-step instructions on how to plant a tree: www.americanforests.orgplanttrees/howto.php
Arbor Day Foundation has inexpensive mail order trees on its website as well as information about ways to connect kids with nature, including instructions for creating a backyard nature explore space: www.arborday.org
Nebraska Forest Service: www.nfs.unl.edu/
New Tree School provides information on native trees, tree planting and care: www.newtreeschool.org
ReTree Nebraska is working with Nebraska communities to plant 1 million new trees by 2017: www.nfs.unl.edu/retreenebraska.asp
Trees of Nebraska, a comprehensive 75-page identification guide to 97 of the state’s trees: www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp?what=publicationD&publicationId=991
WALKING/WALKING TRAILS
Virtual Walking Tour of Nebraska: Take a walk in your neighborhood, at the mall or anywhere at all. Then log onto the website: www.walknebraska.org and convert your mileage into a virtual tour of our great state. Choose from five scenic tour routes and view landmarks and eye-catching scenery of Nebraska. The program is free and you can even print a certificate of completion as you finish each trail.
WILDLIFE HABITAT
Backyard Wildlife Planting for Habitat and Landscape Plants for Wildlife pdfs: Click on Wildlife Management at: the University of Nebraska at Lincoln Extension Publications: web link: www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp?what=list&orderBy=topic
National Wildlife Federation provides a step-by-step guide to turning your backyard into a wildlife habitat that will attract birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife and how to get it certified: www.nwf.org
Email web links you would like to add to this list to GNC Co-Chair Helen Deffenbacher: hdeffenbacher@cox.net
See also: the companion Resource Guide to the Green Neighborhood Scorecard
