Sabrina Harder from the Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources used this pie chart during her presentation at the NCI campus at Frederick last fall to show how Americans use energy. Courtesy of Sabrina Harder.
By Melissa Porter, Staff Writer
Spring Plant Swap 2013
This past October, you may have seen several members of the Green Team standing in front of Building 549 giving out free plants or offering to take extra plants off your hands—this was the first Green Team Fall Plant Swap.
“The plant swap was a very positive experience for everyone who participated, even those we recruited as they walked by. I thoroughly enjoyed organizing it. I think the idea of nurturing brings out the best in everyone,” said team member Dolores Winterstein, a guest researcher in the Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation.
So when you are cleaning out your garden this spring, consider bringing your extra plants to the 2013 Green Team Spring Plant Swap, which will be held May 6–9 during the Spring Research Festival.
Website and Newsletter
If you would like to learn more about what the Green Team is up to, check out the team’s website and newsletter.
The Green Team newsletter, compiled by Linda Brandenburg, a cost analyst in Facilities Maintenance and Engineering, features seasonal tips on being “greener” at home and work. It also includes information on some of the Green Team’s ongoing initiatives, such as eyeglass donations.
The team recently started a monthly trivia contest, so watch your e-mail for the monthly question. Everyone who submits the correct answer will be entered into a drawing for a reusable water bottle, lunch bag, or shopping bag.
The Green Team’s website, http://ncifrederick.cancer.gov/Staff/GreenTeam/Default.aspx, provides “green” tips and news from the team. The content is updated frequently by Winterstein, so check back often.
Seminars
This fall, team member Eckart Bindewald, Ph.D., senior computational scientist in the Image Processing Section, Nanobiology Program, organized a seminar presented by Sabrina Harder from the Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources. Harder spoke about ways to save energy and about incentives and rebate programs available in Frederick County.
“Mrs. Harder gave a thorough and interesting presentation regarding energy usage and home energy savings. She also presented funding opportunities for home owners. Some of these opportunities are unique to Frederick County and not widely known,” Bindewald said.
A highlight of the seminar, Bindewald said, was when the audience was presented with an unlabeled pie chart corresponding to how American’s use energy. The audience was asked to label the pieces of the pie with items such as heating and air-conditioning, appliances, and lighting. “It was not as easy as it sounds,” Bindewald said. It gave the audience more awareness about the different components of home electricity use, he said. According to Harder, a group of girl scouts was the only group that completed the activity without mistakes.
The next seminar has been scheduled for April 9 at 12:30 p.m. in Building 549 conference room B. This seminar will be about the Frederick County Green Leader Program.
The Green Team continues to look for new events and initiatives to foster a more environmentally friendly workplace. If you are interested in joining the team or have questions or suggestions, e-mail the Green Team at FNLGreenTeam@mail.nih.gov.