The EARTH Center Events 2012
The 2012 season is here and the EARTH Center would like you to be a part of our events. Located in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave., South Brunswick, the EARTH Center is home to Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County. Unless noted, all events are held at the EARTH Center. Register by calling 732-398-5262.
4-H Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
February 26, 4 pm – 8 pm
Funds go to much needed repairs to the 4-H Center. $8 per person
Join us at the Middlesex County 4-H Center. 645 Cranbury Rd. E. Brunswick NJ
Investment Basics Seminar
Mon. Feb. 27, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
presented by Rutgers Professor & renowned Author Barbara O’Neil
Learn strategies for our times. $15 program fee
Floral Photography Workshop
Sat. March 3, 2-4 pm
Rutgers Master Gardener Juanell will share her expansive knowledge.
Bring a camera and dress for a hike.
$20 program fee, register by Feb. 29.
Rain Barrel ‘Train the Trainer’ Program
Wed., March 7, 6:30-9 pm
For teachers and leaders. Not homeowners.
Register at 732-398-5273 by Feb. 29
Attracting Birds & Butterflies to Your Backyard
March 14 Wed., 6:30 pm
Learn what plants and features can make your yard a haven for winged wildlife.
cost $20 register by March 9
A-Z Lawn & Mower Maintenance
March 24, Sat. 9-11 am
Discover best practices for a greener, safer lawn.
cost $20 register by March 21
Organic Lawn & Landscape Care
March 24, Sat. 12 Noon- 2 pm
Discover “Earthwise” techniques to keep your backyard pesticide free.
cost $20 register by March 21
Intro to Backyard Composting
March 31, Sat. 10am -Noon
Reduce waste, feed your garden.
Free! register at 732-745-4170
Vermi-Composting Workshop
April 4, Wed. 6:30-8:30pm
Want to compost but live I an apartment or condo? Use worms indoors.
Free! register at 732-745-4170
May 5 Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Get Your Garden Started Day & Plant Sale
Consult with the MGs for great plant selections & care.
Don’t forget your plant wagon. (Rain or Shine)
Celebrate National Herb Day
June, July & August Saturdays 10 am – Noon
Master Gardeners Butterfly House: Free
Filled with butterflies and attracting plants, educational and fun for the family.
Year–Round consult with the County’s Master Gardener Helpline 732-398-5220
Monday-Friday 10 am- Noon
The EARTH Center can also be a resource for local scout troops providing a place to work on Gardening or Agriculture achievement badges. There are plenty of opportunities for scouts to fulfill community volunteer time needs as well. .
For more information on programs offered by the Middlesex County office of Rutgers Cooperative Extension call 732 398 5262.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension educational programs are offered to all without regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
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Homeowners Can Experience Rain Garden at the EARTH Center
Homeowners in Central
Jersey who are interested attracting birds & butterflies and preserving
clean water, can get a first hand look at how to do, it by visiting
the newly installed rain garden at Middlesex County's EARTH Center.
The rain garden
display was planted at the EARTH Center to show homeowners how a simple
to install feature in their landscape, can help replenish diminishing
groundwater supplies and combat non-point source pollution. Non-point
source pollution occurs when water from precipitation runs quickly across
impervious surfaces and picks up chemical pollution along the way, eventually
finding its way into our lakes and streams. This creates a serious problem
for our eco-systems.
A rain garden is
simply a shallow landscaped depression, tailored to receive a calculated
amount of runoff from the house's gutters, sump pump and/or driveway.
Once the physical layout of the basin is achieved, the garden is filled
with plants that can withstand or thrive in wet conditions.
Benefits of rain
gardens include the reduction of lawn areas (which often attract the
use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides); the removal of nutrients
from runoff that would contaminate above ground water sources: and the
beautification of the local landscape.
The EARTH center's
rain garden was a joint effort between the Middlesex Co. Extension Ag
Dept (with Bill Hlubik as the County Ag Agent) and Rutgers University's
Professor Chris Obrupta. The chief function of a rain garden", says
Dr. Chris Obropta, "is to minimize water runoff into stormdrains - runoff
that courses throughout the watershed and causes decreased sediment,
flooding and damage to shorelines. "The cumulative effect of rain gardens
throughout the state could be enormous," he says. "In New Jersey, we
average approximately 44 total inches of rain per year. Build 40 of
these gardens in your neighborhood - with each treating 1,000 square
feet of driveway or roof top runoff - and you'll have treated and recharged
one million gallons of water per year."
The EARTH Center,
home to Middlesex County's office of Rutgers Cooperative Research &
Extension is located in Davidson's Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave in South
Brunswick. Also recently planted are the already existing vegetable
display garden and herb garden.
For more information
contact the Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension's of Middlesex
County's Ag office at 732 398 5262.
Rutgers Cooperative
Research & Extension educational programs are offered to all without
regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual
orientation, or disability.
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EARTH
Center Tours Available
Middlesex County's
EARTH Center invites you to learn about local agriculture and the environment.
Now your school group, Scout Troop or Senior's club, can take a guided
tour at the Middlesex County EARTH Center to learn about these topics
and more. These educational guided tours take place at Davidson's Mill
Pond Park in South Brunswick and are available by request for a nominal
fee. Tour content can be tailored to suit your group's interests and
needs.
The EARTH Center
demonstration areas include a 1000 square foot vegetable garden, a 13-bed
herb garden and a water conserving rain garden just to name a few. These
demonstrations are used to spark conversation about local agriculture,
basics of horticulture, Integrated Pest Management, earth-friendly gardening
techniques and many topics that are the focus of the Extension Agriculture
and Natural Resource Management Department. Visitors can also find out
more about the 4-H Youth Development program in Middlesex County while
visiting the EARTH Center.
If you are not familiar
with your local Extension office, it is part of a nationwide network
that brings the research of the state land-grant universities to local
people. Rutgers Cooperative Extension offices throughout New Jersey
are cooperatively funded by; the County Board of Chosen Freeholders,
Rutgers University- New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Even if you can't
visit the EARTH Center this season, you can still get great vegetable
gardening tips plus information on the infamous Asian Longhorn Beetle
at the Middlesex County Extension website, just visit co.middlesex.nj.us/extensionservices
and click on Educational Video. For more information call 732 398 5262.
Rutgers Cooperative
Extension educational programs are offered to all without regard to
race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation,
or disability.
