Collins Family Wins Grand Prize!

The Collins Family is the first family to win the Earth Week Grand Prize!! They had their choice of participating in a guided educational canoe trip down the Smith River by DRBA or receive two tickets to the Gemini Fest that is June 19. Mr. and Mrs Collins decided to treat themselves to a date to the Gemini Fest.

Quote from Tim Collins: " You guys made the Collins family's week! My family and i loved all the activities you provided, there was such a range of different activities to choose from, my kids wanted to go to all of them!"

CONGRATULATIONS COLLINS FAMILY AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!!!!!

Earth Week Highlights!

Hello Everyone!


The first annual Earth Week went very well! We had 27 activities in 9 days and over a dozen organizations participating!!! Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this a successful event!!

Here are a few highlights from the week

Community Pride, Community Wide Litter Pick-up: The Frank Wilson Park location was cancelled due to the lack of participation however the other four sites did very well accumulating dozens of bags of trash from throughout the community! Great Job Guys!!

Earth Day 5 K: Hosted over 90 participants! T-shirts, food, and drinks were provided to participants. What a great time! Good Work!

Friends of Philpott Environmental Expo: Over 400 people attended this event and dozens of vendors were advertising their organizations from throughout the area. What a great time and such great exposure for us!

VMNH Earth Day Event: VMNH provided environmental programs for school groups for Earth Week. Over 300 students participated in this event!

Screen on the Green: At this event we had kids playing recycling games, getting their faces painted, playing on playground equipment, playing with bubbles before showing the movie, "Over the Hedge." We had over 50 people attend this event.

Earth Week Celebration

On behalf of fifteen community organizations, the Martinsville-Henry County Children & Nature Network (MHCC&NN) is pleased to announce the premier of Earth Week, April 18 to April 26 2009.

The purpose of Earth Week is to bring the community together to celebrate the environment. During the week, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational and fun-filled activities. You won’t want to miss Screen on the Green, Earth Day 5 K, Earth Day at VMNH, and the Photo Scavenger Hunt. Go to: http://www.mhccnn.org/ for a complete listing of all the week’s fun events!

Download an Earth Week Passport from http://www.vmnh.net/news.cfm?ID=151 or pick one up from participating organizations in the community to be able to enter to win guided family canoe trip on the Smith River (immediate family only).

If you have any questions contact Tamara Poles at tamara.poles@vmnh.virginia.gov or go to http://www.mhccnn.blogspot.com/

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plants American Chestnut Tree at Philpott Lake

In an effort to support the restoration of the American Chestnut tree, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hosted a ceremonial tree planting of the American Chestnut tree yesterday at Philpott Lake Overlook. This beautiful ceremony was not only educational but empowering as well. It showed that we not only recognize the benefits of the American Chestnut tree but we are not giving up on saving it from extinction. Danny Martin opened the ceremony with a great introduction their purpose then speakers like Daniel Brown from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), W. Roscoe Reynolds Virginia State Senator, Susan Martin (ACE), Cathy Mayes who is the President of the American Chestnut Foundation Virginia Chapter, and Bryan Burhans who is the President of the American Chestnut Foundation.

About the American Chestnut Tree and the blight

The American chestnut tree was an essential component of the entire eastern US ecosystem. A late-flowering, reliable, and productive tree, unaffected by seasonal frosts, it was the single most important food source for a wide variety of wildlife from bears to birds. Rural communities depended upon the annual nut harvest as a cash crop to feed livestock. The chestnut lumber industry was a major sector of rural economies. Chestnut wood is straight-grained and easily worked, lightweight and highly rot-resistant, making it ideal for fence posts, railroad ties, barn beams and home construction, as well as for fine furniture and musical instruments.
The blight, imported to the US on Asian chestnut trees, is a fungus dispersed via spores in the air, raindrops or animals. It is a wound pathogen, entering through a fresh injury in the tree's bark. It spreads into the bark and underlying vascular cambium and wood, killing these tissues as it advances. The flow of nutrients is eventually choked off to and from sections of the tree above the infection, killing them. www.acf.org

Networking Update from the Corps of Engineers

Join the Corps of Engineers and local volunteers this Saturday, February 7, at Jamison Mill Park at 9 am for some trail building. Work days are typically scheduled for the first Saturday of every month. This time we will have two SK 500 mini-skid steer trail building machines on hand to continue where we left off a month ago. Volunteers will begin working at 9 am and conclude around 1pm or so.

Also, Henry County Bike Club President Tommy Smith will lead a road bike ride at 2 PM starting at Jamison Mill Park after we are finished working. Remember to bring your lunch along with snacks and water. Some snacks and drinks will be provided by the Friends of Philpott. We will be doing a significant amount of corridor clearing so leaf blowers are very much appreciated. Dress appropriately, with sturdy leather shoes and gloves. Hard hat and eye protection recommended. Contact Mary Lawson at (276) 629-4512 ext. 227 if you're interested in volunteering.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The New Year is underway bringing in new programs, new events, and a new name for the MHC C&NN! We had our first meeting of the New Year January 6th and it went very well. It was a very productive meeting because we have a lot of very eager and energetic committee members who are ready and gearing up to do some very notable programs! Here are some key points of what we covered during the meeting

NAME ALERT!!! The MHC C&NN contacted the national Children and Nature Network to notify them about our current progress. They were delighted to hear about our progress and what we are doing with the community. They were elated that they had inspired this area to take action. However, because the “Children and Nature Network,” is the national organization we are unable to use this name. Therefore our committee members are currently brainstorming potential names for this organization. Will it be the Martinsville Henry County Outdoor Community Network? We will let you know when we decide.

Earth Week! Since Earth Day falls on a Wednesday this year and we would like families and other members of the community to participate in Earth Day, the MHC C&NN will be conducting an entire week devoted to the environment! This week, cleverly titled "Earth Week," will start April 22 and last until April 29. Each day there will be environmental events and programs taking place around the Martinsville Henry County area. So far we have an art contest, hikes, and numerous environmental programs in progress. Keep checking this blog to find out more details about this huge event.

The Network

At our meeting which is mentioned above, we discussed some upcoming events that other organizations are conducting. The following are some events and activities that are going on in your area,

New College Institute: They are having a Lecture Series entitled Healthy Hearts on February 12, 2009 at noon

Philpott: March 18, 2009 at 11:00am there will be a ceremonial tree planting of a blight resistant American Chestnut tree at Philpott Lake Visitor Assistance Center in Bassett, Virginia.

Henry County Schools: Good luck to the students of HC because they started their SOL testing January 7. Also I would like to extend congratulations to them for receiving a grant to do stream testing. Great Job!

Master Naturalist: I would like to congratulate the 23 people who graduated recently from the Southwestern Piedmont Chapter Master Naturalist program! They are currently looking for volunteer opportunities to complete their program requirements. Keep up the good work guys!

Patrick Henry Community College: I would like to congratulate them as well for their numerous achievements. They have received a grant for their agriculture department and they are one of the two community colleges that saw an increase in student enrolment this year! Great Job!

Dan River Basin Association: Started their Tuesday Morning Strolls, the next one is February 3rd at 9:00am. They are also conducting an art contest entitled “Picture Yourself on the River,” this will take place during Earth Week. The art is due April 22 and the winner will be announced April 29.

Virginia Museum of Natural History: Recently had a festival entitled Dino Day that went very well. Great Job! They also are looking for ideas or suggestions for their Special Saturday programs. If you have any ideas or suggestions on what VMNH should have for programs during Special Saturdays please email Tamara Poles.