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Home My WebLink AboutUBI 2012 MAR-2CITY OF COLLEGE STATION space that follow natural features, such as creeks and rivers, and their floodplains that are largely kept in a natural state. Some greenways link neighborhoods and parks with each other through multi-use paths, also called greenway trails. In some instances, greenways are along human- made features like utility or road corridors. Most greenways in College Station are along our creeks: Wolf Pen Creek, Bee Creek, Lick Creek, Spring Creek, Carter’s Creek and their tributaries. Greenways have numerous benefits and accomplish multiple goals. They help protect habitat and create corridors for wildlife, as well as improve air and water quality. Greenways allow floodplains to function as they were intended for occasional or periodic flooding, which in turn minimizes costly damage to developed areas. Multi-use paths create an alternate mode of transportation, which can relieve congestion on our roadways and reduce pollution. They are not only beneficial for our environment, but they encourage residents to live a healthier lifestyle by participating in nature-based recreation Inside College Station * * * * * * * City of College Station * Home of Texas A&M University® * College Station, Texas * * * * * * * This spring offers many exciting volunteer opportunities that have an eco-friendly approach. The City of College Station is recruiting residents, neighborhoods, businesses and other groups to support the new Adopt-A-Greenway program. This program will serve to help maintain College Station’s system of greenways. Citizens are encouraged to adopt a greenway much like the existing Adopt- A-Highway program that most of us are familiar with. By protecting our greenways, we make College Station a safer and cleaner place to interact outdoors. Participation in this program requires the removal of trash at least twice a year at a designated greenway for two years. Volunteer members will be publicly recognized on our website for their work and a sign also will be placed at the adoption site identifying the groups involved with the program. Moreover, we want volunteers to feel good about the difference they are making in the community. What are Greenways? Greenways are corridors of protected open March 2012 Adopt-A-Greenway program begins this spring and exercise. Ultimately, greenways have many valuable uses and should be maintained regularly. April 28 is Creek Clean-up The Adopt-A-Greenway program will host its first major event at Wolf Pen Creek on Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Citizens are encouraged to come clean and beautify the area through litter pickup and a few landscape projects. Pre-registration is open and highly recommended. Supplies and a light lunch will be provided. This is a great opportunity to give back, so don’t miss out! We’ll see you at Wolf Pen Creek! To learn more about the Adopt-A-Greenway program or the Creek Clean-up at Wolf Pen Creek, visit cstx.gov/adoptagreenway or contact Venessa Garza at 979.764.3674 or vgarza@cstx.gov. QUICK LINKS >>> cstx.gov/adoptagreenway and medications, just to name a few. For a complete list of accepted items, visit bvswma.com or call the Household Hazardous Waste Hotline at 979.764.3809. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rain Sensors and BarrelsReduce water waste We all know that April showers bring May flowers, but do you have a rain sensor or a rain barrel to help take advantage of those April showers? Rain sensors help reduce water waste by turning off your irrigation system during or immediately following a rain event. These simple devices work by catching water up to a pre-set depth, and when rain occurs over that amount, a signal is sent interrupting the next irrigation cycle. Rain sensors are required on newly installed irrigation systems and can be retrofitted to most existing irrigation systems. Rain barrels help you capture runoff to use again later to water your landscape, saving precious drinking water. They can be as simple as a 55-gallon food-grade barrel hooked up to a gutter downspout, to a sophisticated large-scale cistern big enough to collect rainfall from a home’s entire roof surface. More information on rainwater harvesting is available at: rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu. College Station Utilities offers rebates of up to $25 per barrel for rain barrels over 30 gallons in size. Visit cstx.gov/water for complete rebate information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-OffApril 14 On Saturday, April 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. hundreds of volunteers are needed to help clean litter and trash dumped illegally across Brazos County for the 12th Annual Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off. Last year, 21 local civic and service groups, along with over 350 local volunteers, removed more than six tons of litter and debris, and recycled more than 430 abandoned tires. The Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off is a statewide event organized by the Texas Department of Transportation, CITY OF COLLEGE STATION Brazos Valley Earth DayApril 21 Celebrate our natural and cultural environments during the 17th annual Brazos Valley Earth Day at Wolf Pen Creek in College Station. The event will take place April 21, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Event activities Educational booths with region-wide information on recycling, rainwater harvesting, backyard composting, green lawn care techniques and alternative transportation; a Kid’s Zone with an inflatable bounce house, obstacle course and environmental story times; and Music (4–7 p.m.) by Vocal Trash, a band that fuses world-class singing, industrial style drumming, break-dancing and comedy antics into a unique and uplifting experience. Interested in becoming a vendor, exhibitor or sponsor? Application deadline is Friday, March 30. To apply and for more event details, visit brazosvalleyearthday.com or contact Heather Qualls, College Station Recycling Coordinator, at 979.764.6229 or hqualls@cstx.gov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event April 28 The spring Household Hazardous Waste Collection event will be on Saturday, April 28 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University Services Building in College Station, located east of Veterans Park and Athletic Complex on Harvey Road. Examples of hazardous waste includes paint, paint thinners, automotive batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, household chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, computer monitors, pool chemicals, medical waste, Inside College Station March 2012 {PAGE 2} events coming in April Register for Xtra classes! Visit cstx.gov/xtraed for details. Become a Lifeguard! Register for American Red Cross Lifeguard Training to get certified! Sessions begin April 13 and May 11. Visit cstx.gov/swim to learn more. Once you get certified, apply to be a City of College Station lifeguard at csjobs.cstx.gov. March 12 – April 27 Summer Swim Team Registration $110 per person. Ages 5-18. cstx.gov/swim April 7, 1-3 p.m. Annual Easter Egg Hunt Lincoln Recreation Center Ages 10 and under. cstx.gov/lincolncenter April 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. AARP Driver Safety Class Southwood Community Center Ages 50+. Fee varies. 979.764.6371 | mrodgers@cstx.gov April 18, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Exploring History Lunch Lecture “Rudder: From Leader to Legend” by Tom Hatfield, Ph.D. CS Conference Center $5 per person. RSVP by April 13. 979.764.6351 | kkelbly@cstx.gov April 23–May 4 Adult Softball Registration $390 per team. Ages 16+. cstx.gov/sports Keep Texas Beautiful, and our local Keep Brazos Beautiful organization. Register today at keepbrazosbeautiful.orgaction.com before March 30. Learn more about this event at keepbrazosbeautiful.org or e-mail amyreed@keepbrazosbeautiful.org.