Ask the Expert Events at Community Forklift in July

Here are some more green events for July in the Washington, DC, region:

The folks over at Community Forklift--"the Thrift Store for Home Improvement"--are hosting two 'Ask the Expert' events this month.

• Thurs. July 22, 6:30-7:30 pm - Ask the Green Builder - Brian Higgins will discuss environmentally-friendly improvements to his own house and take questions about your homes. He is president of Green Home LLC, a local company that aims to be "the smart, affordable choice for energy efficient, healthy, and earth friendly additions, renovations and solar heating."
  

• Wed. July 28, 6:30-7:30 pm - Ask the Home Energy Expert - David Brosch is an energy auditor, trained weatherization practitioner, certified HERS rater, and a certified home performance contractor. He will explain what all these terms mean, share tips for reducing your energy bills, and answer your questions. David's local business, Green Homes Blue Sky LLC, was formed to offer homeowners energy conservation and green construction services. Their goal is "to make the world a little bit better and your home a lot better."

Location:

Community Forklift
4671 Tanglewood Drive, Edmonston MD 20781
(Hyattsville area, east of Takoma Park -- 5 minutes from DC in Prince George's County, Md. )
http://communityforklift.com/

I also posted more July green news and events over at the Bethesda Green Blog. Enjoy!

Some Local Green News and Events for July in DC Area

Well, I've slipped a lot in posting a calendar of events at the beginning of the month--although I am writing a weekly local green news and events roundup over at the Bethesda Green Blog. Here's today's installment at BG: Local green news and events for July 12.

A few things to note:

• July 13 -- Green Night Out With Van Jones: This is a big fundraiser event for Green DMV. Good info about it from the GoingGreenDC blog.

• July 16 -- Last Day to Submit Nominations for Bethesda Magazine's Green Awards! Generate some recognition for the green champion in your school, neighborhood or business. You can nominate organizations and people in 5 categories. Businesses, non-profits, communities, and people of all ages are eligible. Winners will be profiled in the November/December issue of Bethesda Magazine and recognized at the Bethesda Green Gala on Oct. 7, 2010. Get more info from the Bethesda Magazine site.

How to Save Water and Keep Plants Happy During Water Restrictions

Here in Montgomery County and throughout the WSSC service area, most of us are trying to comply with the mandatory water restrictions as WSSC replaces part of a water main. They want us to cut water use by 30 percent; so far, customers used 5 percent less water on July 2 and 8 percent less water July 3. So there's a long way to go.

I'm not watering my garden, but today when I saw my dehumidifier needed to be emptied, I said, 'A-ha, I can use that water on my tomatoes and basil!' So I did. I also thought about putting a bucket in the shower to collect "gray water" to use on non-food plants.

I was feeling clever until I saw that WSSC has a huge list of "Tips on Keeping Your Plants Happy During Mandatory Restrictions." The advice includes collecting shower water as you're waiting for it to heat up, dumping cooking water in the garden (from pasta or veggies), using dehumidifier water, and even mulching your plants.

Plus, they have a reminder that native plants need less water, so in the future plant them and you won't have to worry.

WSSC also has this list of year-round Water Conservation Tips; just remember WSSC has banned outdoor water use until they lift the restrictions.

*Note*: For the latest water restriction updates, visit wsscwater.com.

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Do you have more water-saving tips? Share them here!