Earth Day Dallas hopes to catalyze a "green" movement in North Texas by staging a two-day event on April 22nd and 23rd over several city blocks in the Dallas Arts District.  We anticipate 500 civic, corporate and non-profit participants engaged in an event that will be the biggest and best Earth Day celebration in this part of the United States.  Sponsors currently include:

    * The Environmental Protection Agency
    * D Magazine
    * The Nature Conservancy
    * Chevrolet
    * Dallas Independent School District
    * Half Price Books

This will be the seminal event in an ongoing movement to showcase green business and civic efforts that improve North Texas and the lives of North Texans.  Events will focus on entertaining, inspiring and educating attendees with various ways to think, work and live green by showcasing emerging green technology and providing eco-friendly activities. 

    * Up to 50,000 visitors in the downtown Arts District (accessible by DART).

DIY Gardening: Drip Irrigation
Thursday, March 24th, 7:00pm-8:30pm- Are you new to gardening or just looking for
ways to be more successful in the garden? The Do-It-Yourself Gardener classes are a
great introduction to the essentials of gardening. This class will cover drip irrigation.

Environmental Education Center (City Of Plano)
4116 W. Plano Parkway
Plano, TX 75093
Register @planoparks.org, Class #118533
$5 for Plano residents, $9 for non-residents

For more information contact Erin Hoffer at erinhof@plano.gov or (972)769-4228 or
visit www.livegreeninplano.com

Dallas Sierra Club Meeting

Tuesday, March 8, 2011
REI Dallas, Guadalupe Peak Room
4515 LJB Freeway
Dallas, Texas 75244
Phone: 972 490 5989

Smarter Water For North Texas
    The Texas Conservation Alliance invites North Texans to an informative and positive program, "Smarter Water for North Texas."  The good news is that we have enough water in existing reservoirs to meet our water needs for the next 50-plus years.  We can avoid new reservoirs which would destroy many thousands of acres of bottomland hardwood forest, uproot families, and harm existing local economies . . . if we make the right water allocation and use decisions.  This program will allow us to explore low-impact water supply options which will allow us to avoid the monetary and human costs associated with unnecessary new reservoirs.

DIY Gardener: Rainwater Harvesting
Thursday, March 10th, 7:00pm-8:30pm—Are you new to gardening or just looking for ways to be more successful in the garden? The Do-It-Yourself Gardener classes are a great introduction to the essentials of gardening. This class will cover rainwater harvesting.

Environmental Education Center (City Of Plano)
4116 W. Plano Parkway
Plano, TX 75093
Register online @planoparks.org, Class #118532
$5 for Plano residents, $9 for non-residents

For more information visit www.livegreeninplano.com or contact Erin Hoffer at
erinhof@plano.gov or (972)769-4228

Rainwater Harvesting
Don’t let your rain go down the drain! Saving water in your yard is something that you can do with ease. Dr. Dotty Woodson, Extension Program Specialist – Water Resources will share basic water harvesting strategies, how to calculate the amount of water that you can capture and then help you construct your own rain barrel. Just in time for our spring showers, this class is a must for anyone who is trying to conserve water on their property.

5/21 at 12pm, $75

Rain Gardens
These days, every drop of rain counts. Dr. Dotty Woodson, Extension Program Specialist – Water Resources  will show you how to use the rain and make it good to the last drop! Find out unique ways to capture and use water in the landscape as well as the best plants to use in a rain garden. This unique style of gardening will show you some innovative ways to really put the rain to work for you!

5/21 at 9am, $25

Thu, Feb 10 - Make a Rain Barrell from 6:30 -
8:30 pm. Dr. Dotty Woodson, Extension Program Specialist - Water Resources will
be teaching this class and will provide participants the opportunity to
construct a 55 gallon rain barrel as well as discuss installing an efficient
irrigation system. The rain barrel is yours to take home! Cost is $40.00 for
each barrel and they measure 24 inches in diameter and 36 inches tall. Bring a
vehicle large enough to haul your rain barrel(s) home. Texas AgriLife Research
and Extension Center, Pavilion Building, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas 75252.

Saturday, March 12, 9 am to 1 pm. Grow With Us -- Water Conservation Techniques: Maintaining the Landscape.

Saturday, March 5, 9 am to 1 pm. Grow With Us -- Water Conservation Techniques: Planning the Landscape.
See how to select the right area for your garden and what plants are best for our environment. We'll also talk about soil analysis, designing irrigation and mulching. $60; Register for Course/Section Number HALT2005.53101  through El Centro College. Online: www.dcccd.edu (click on-e-connect-CE/W Training).    Call in:  214 860-2147 Walk In:  801 Main St., - 2nd Floor Continuing Education Window. For more information on this course, visit the El Centro Continuing Education Website at http://www.elcentrocollege.edu/Program/CE/uded with admission.

Saturday, Feb. 26, 9 am to 1 pm.Grow With Us -- Water Conservation Techniques: Methods of efficient Irrigation.
Learn how water is wasted and methods of irrigation to reduce water waste, with an overview of state regulations. $60; Register for Course/Section Number HALT2005.53101  through El Centro College. Online: www.dcccd.edu (click on-e-connect-CE/W Training).    Call in:  214 860-2147 Walk In:  801 Main St., - 2nd Floor Continuing Education Window. For more information on this course, visit the El Centro Continuing Education Website athttp://www.elcentrocollege.edu/Program/CE/.