Lafayette's first Zero Waste Week!

Thanks to the dedicated people working with No Waste Lafayette, May 16 -22 has been declared as the first local Zero Waste Week. The week will feature opportunities to learn about local zero waste efforts through in-person and virtual activities.  

 

No Waste Lafayette President Catherine Comeaux says, “Zero waste refers to the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery of products, packaging and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water or air that threaten the environment or human health. Zero Waste Week will explore how Lafayette is already embracing this philosophy and opportunities for us all to do more.”

Each day of Zero Waste Week will focus on specific themes, and No Waste Lafayette is calling on residents, nonprofits, schools and businesses to participate in each day’s theme. These events provide a great opportunity to participate and learn more on sustainable ways of living, and show you how easy it can be to adopt zero-waste principles.

 

• Sunday (5/16): Reconnect. Reconnect with nature and look for upstream solutions. Join us for a self-guided group paddle on Bayou Vermilion, starting at the canoe/kayak launch near Vermilionville at 2 p.m. RSVP on Facebook!
  
• Monday: Rethink. Rethink your consumption and disposal habits. Consider new ways to avoid creating waste.
• Tuesday: Reuse and Refill. Visit local thrift stores and businesses who help us work towards zero waste.
• Wednesday: Reduce. Reduce food waste through growing and composting. Join us for a 3:30 p.m. tour at Bayou Vermilion District’s La Cuisine de Maman to learn about their Rocket food waste composter. RSVP on Facebook!
  
• Thursday: Research. Join us for a virtual Zero Waste Happy Hour, where we will dig deeper into what it means to work towards zero waste. RSVP on Facebook!
  
• Friday: Reject. Reject single-use disposables, especially those that are harmful to the environment, like Styrofoam and plastics. Have a Foam-Free Friday lunch, post a pic, tag No Waste Lafayette on Facebook or Instagram, and enter to win a prize.
• Saturday: Repair.  Join us at the main Lafayette Public Library downtown from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. for a Fix It Event. Bring in your broken items and volunteer fixers will be repairing items and teaching us about how to reduce our waste through repair. RSVP on Facebook!
  

No Waste Lafayette was founded in 2017 and strives to educate the community on various zero waste methods in order to help with the reduction of unnecessary waste. The group's members are awesome examples of living sustainably, and have helped reduce waste in Lafayette through numerous fix-it cafes and community cleanups. 

 

 

Next week is sure to be fun and educational. Join in and participate in Lafayette's first Zero Waste Week!

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Halloween Art and Nature Festival

If you're looking for a fun, family friendly event, make some time this Saturday to drive out to Arnaudville and attend the Halloween Art and Nature Festival! Due to last weekend's heavy rain, the festival was rescheduled to November 2, and is still from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit the Facebook event here!

Atelier de la Nature is a nine-acre experiment in a farm-returned-to-nature. Sustainable food educator Aurore Ballengée, artist and biologist Dr. Brandon Ballengée, and their children Victor and Lily began Atelier de la Nature in 2016. The former soy field is now a native prairie, hardwood and wetland habitat.

They are a partner of the NUNU Arts & Culture Collective, and are within the Cecilia et les Alentours Cultural District. The goal is to educate about the interconnection of the south Louisiana ecosystem. Atelier de la Nature offers French and English cooking demonstrations, guided nature walks, eco-workshops, and art and science educational programming.

The festival has a ton of activities planned, including:

• Trick or treating,
• Halloween-themed stories in French and English
• DIY costume making/cosplay workshop and contest
• Bio-art painting demonstration using live microbes
• Mythical Afro-futurist heroes workshop, based on Louisiana folklore and African mythology
• Japanese Pickle making and Kim-Chi fermentation workshop
• DIY walking stick workshop
• Ghostbusters archery activity
• Jack-o-lantern bath bomb decorating
• Deuxième Vie Creative reuse activity
• Hands-on educational presentations about native reptiles and amphibians with live animals and natural history artifacts (skins, shells, bones)
• A "Beetlemania" exhibit featuring live spiders, scorpions beetles and other creepy crawlers
• Solar power workshop and demo
• Building a bee hotel to help insects
• Ceramics activities with clay from the Atelier de la Nature
• Traiteur medicinal plant walk and making paint from plants activity
• Fortune telling and spooky face-painting
• Geodesic dome from bamboo activity,
• Presentations on native wildlife, native plants use and how to create safe nesting areas benefiting Louisiana's bird populations

Participating organizations include:

• Acadiana Center for the Arts
• Acadiana Master Naturalists
• Acadiana Native Plant Project
• Atchafalaya National Heritage Area
• Audubon Louisiana
• Bain Amour Bath & Body Company
• Cecilia et les Alentours
• Cub Scouts Pack 301
• Deuxième Vie Creative
• Elizabeth FX
• Field Hat Studios
• LASOAR (Louisiana Association of Sports, Outdoor Adventure, and Recreation)
• Les Deux Mondes
• Longfellow Evangeline State Historic Site
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
• Louisiana Amphibian And Reptile Enthusiasts (L.A.R.E.)
• LSU Ag Center
• LSU Entomology Club
• LSU Museum of Natural Science
• New Generation Seafood
• Red Hatter Productions
• St. Martin Parish Public Library
• TECHE Project
• Tee Jugs, LLC
• Teens Outdoor Education and Service (T.O.E.S.)
• The Beetle Experience
• The Walls Project/ Baton Roots
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette Anthropology Program
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
• University of Tennessee Sculpture Club

Festival organizers advise attendees to bring a chair. Food and drinks will be available.

GO

Atelier de la Nature, 1050 Andrew Gautreaux Road, Arnaudville, LA 70512
(off Coteau Rodaire Hwy, north of I-10 Exit 115 Cecilia/Henderson)

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Plan Lafayette Day with UL Lafayette Sustainability

As PlanLafayette marks its fifth year since being adopted in the city, events are being held each month to share updates. Since the plan’s adoption, it has become an event series where plan successes are celebrated and new initiatives are launched.

The latest topic is sustainability and green infrastructure in the community, and the UL Lafayette Office of Sustainability is hosting a series of free sessions for the public, in conjunction with Lafayette Consolidated Government.

The sessions highlight the community’s vision for sustainable approaches to development, including topics such as stormwater management, transportation and waste reduction; along with highlighting the partners working to achieve related goals.

When: Thursday, August 1, 2019

Where: LITE, 537 Cajundome Blvd, Lafayette, Louisiana

 

11 a.m. UL Lafayette Sustainability Strategic Plan

Attendees will hear an overview of the university’s mission, goals and strategic plan for the Office of Sustainability. The session will also demonstrate and how UL’s Master Plan and PlanLafayette guided the development of the Sustainability Strategic Plan.

• Register here

 

12 p.m. Lunch N Learn - Campus as a Living Lab

Solving real world problems through cross-discipline – Thanks to Bluewing Civil Consulting, attendees can enjoy a complimentary lunch with university representatives for a discussion on the Living Lab concept including goals for the initiative, stormwater and waste management on campus, and how business and government are partnering to make positive impacts in the community.

• Register here 

 

2 p.m. Building a Sustainable Transportation Network

Subject matter experts from UL’s Office of Sustainability, Lafayette Consolidated Government and the Acadiana Planning Commission discuss the goals for and problems with our local transportation network. Registrants will learn about insights gleaned from the University’s first annual student commuter survey and goals for University-related transportation, the future of public transit, accomplishments towards a more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly community and carpooling as a regional movement.

• Register here

  

3:30 p.m. Solar PART Lab Tour and Electric Vehicle Charging Station Ribbon Cutting

Attendees will hop on a bus for an up-close look at UL’s $5 million Solar PART (Photovoltaic Applied Research and Testing) Lab at the research park and then celebrated Lafayette’s first public electric vehicle charging station with a ribbon cutting.

• Register here

 
The UL Lafayette Office of Sustainability has worked hard over the past few years to develop the university as a pioneer in sustainability and zero waste measures, so these events are sure to be valuable and interesting!

All events are free, but registration is required, so be sure to register for any event you'd like to attend.

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Earth Month with My Little One

Y'all know Earth Month is one of my favorite times of year, from the springtime beauty to the many events being held to the focus on the environment and sustainability.

Check out my Earth Month goals from 2018 and Earth Month events in 2017. And let's reminisce on 2015, when I debuted Eco Cajun's updated look and layout, and 2018, when I made a special announcement!

This year is no different, even if I'm still in the mindset of "Wait...is it really April already!?" (Nothing like trying to catch up and only be a little behind, rather than actually be prepared in advance, ha!)

 

With the change in my routine, I've also got a change in perspective. I got to thinking a couple weeks back about how I can involve my daughter in my Earth Month activities this year. And now I'm more excited than I've been in awhile.

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Photo Friday | Gulf Brew Recycling

This weekend is Lafayette's annual beer festival, known as Gulf Brew. It always draws a huge crowd, where attendees can sample a ton of beers from local, craft and larger breweries. The proceeds benefit Acadiana Center for the Arts, helping to continue Lafayette's strong arts culture.

Photo via Gulf Brew

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Photo Friday | Mickey's Loop Bike Ride

Happy Friday, everyone! It's been yet another whirlwind week...while I keep hoping that one of these weeks will be a little less busy, I've pretty much accepted the fact that I will have about five minutes of downtime a week before the baby arrives, ha.

Who all is looking forward to a day off next week, even if it's smack dab in the middle of the week?

But looking ahead on the calendar to an event I saw on Facebook this week...the third annual Mickey's Loop Memorial Bike Ride is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11. The loop bike lane is named for Mickey Shunick, and passes in front of her memorial bicycle on St. Landry Street near downtown. Forward Lafayette and TRAIL Events are putting on the ride again this year.

This year, the bike ride is in honor of JeanPaul Judice, who was killed earlier in January while riding his bicycle after a pickup soccer game.

My husband and I participated in the first Mickey's Loop Memorial Bike Ride back in 2016, and it was definitely a hot, sunny evening. If you participate in the ride, be sure to bring a lot of water, and don't forget your helmet and lights.

Because of the heat, I won't be able to participate in the ride this year, although I wish I could get in a bunch more miles on my bicycle before September! Baby and I will still be supporting all of the riders in spirit and remembering the legacies of all those who have been killed while riding their bicycles.

Visit the Facebook event page for the memorial ride to get all the latest updates.

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Photo Friday | Bicycle Safety Festival and Summer Reading Kickoff

Tomorrow will be a busy day for two of my favorite eco-friendly things: bicycles and libraries!

Happening tomorrow at Parc Putnam in Downtown Lafayette, the third annual Bicycle Safety Festival and Lafayette Public Library's Summer Reading Kickoff is helping to herald in summer vacation.

Parc Putnam is on Lafayette Street across from the federal courthouse - there is plenty of street parking, but of course, I encourage you to ride your bicycles there! The Congress Street bike lane is conveniently adjacent to Lafayette Street, allowing you a safer ride. (In previous years, the festival was held at Parc San Souci.)

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National Bike to Work Day

There are tons of events across the country as part of National Bike Month, and one of the most popular is Bike to Work Day, which is this Friday, May 18.

Depending on where you live, biking to work may be a common, every day practice. But in many places, especially smaller towns, the overwhelming majority of people drive themselves to work.

Biking to work is not always feasible, and that's understandable. Back in 2013, my husband (who was my boyfriend at the time!) and I celebrated Bike to Work Day, when we were both at different jobs. Our bike commutes were about 3 1/2 miles each, and we had simple alternative routes that allowed us to avoid main roads.

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Photo Friday | Sustainable Festival Food Options

Super quick post today, because I know most everyone in Acadiana has Festival fever!

I've got to give a shout out to Scratch Farm Kitchen, a staple at the Farmers and Artisans Markets on Saturday mornings, and a new food vendor at Festival International.

Photo via Scratch Farm Kitchen's Facebook

They focus on serving farm to plate street food, and this week, they shared an Instagram post showing off their compostable bowls for the weekend. It's so great to see a Festival vendor looking for more eco-friendly options!

Photo via Scratch Farm Kitchen's Instagram

If you're looking for a healthy Festival food alternative, check out their menu:

• W.E. Grassfed Burger
• Beta Bowl
• LocoRito Burrito
• Curry Up

Then, visit their food truck located in the LUS La Craft Biergarten space on Jefferson Street all weekend!

Don't forget to check out my blog post and Times of Acadiana article on how to geaux green at Festival International, and have fun this weekend!

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Festival!

The stages are set up, the music started last night and Downtown Lafayette is about to get a lot more residents for the weekend - Festival International is here, y'all!

The weather forecast looks pretty perfect, and there are many ways you can make Festival your own.

Whether you attend one afternoon or all five days of music, dancing, eating and drinking, remember to party a little greener!

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Photo Friday | Preparing for Earth Day

As with pretty much everything so far this year, Earth Day is still managing to sneak up on me!

For yet another weekend, the rain looks to put a damper on events, but I'm still looking forward to attending the annual Earth Day festival at Vermilionville to check out the booths and exhibits.

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Earth Month Events Across Acadiana

With all of the springtime events ramping up and Easter weekend just ahead of us, it's strange to think that Earth Month is only three days away. Of course it's one of my favorite times of year, between the environment-related events, decent Louisiana weather and abundance of things to do in the community.

Whether you live in South Louisiana or not, there are sure to be Earth Month events happening near you. Mark your calendar so you don't miss out on the fun!

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World Water Day 2018 | Water + Nature

Every year on March 22, the United Nations celebrates World Water Day. This year's focus is on water and nature, exploring how nature can provide us solutions to tackle crises like floods, droughts and water pollution.

Graphic provided by World Water Day

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Photo Friday | Project Front Yard + Krewe of Rio

Since January 6, Mardi Gras season has been in full swing, with balls just about every weekend. Lafayette's first parade rolls this Saturday, as Krewe of Rio kicks off the parade schedule.

This year, Krewe of Rio has teamed up with Project Front Yard to help make their parade a little less wasteful. Last weekend, Skyra and Lisa with Project Front Yard visited the krewe's float staging space and helped collect cardboard boxes and plastic bags as krewe members loaded up their beads for throwing.

The cardboard boxes were saved for recycling collection, and the plastic bags will go toward Project Front Yard's school project Plastic Bag Roundup.

Collecting the trash at the start will make a huge impact on the amount of waste left behind by the floats.

Tomorrow evening, Project Front Yard volunteers will serve as the final float, walking the parade route to pick up recyclables and waste. The cleanup aims to help divert parade waste from becoming litter on our streets, in our yards and in our waterways, and to help divert recyclables into the recycling stream.

“The Krewe of Rio is proud to partner with Project Front Yard to set an example of how to have fun and also be environmentally-conscious. “We recognize that Mardi Gras is an important component of our community culture and a huge tourism asset. We want to maintain the beauty of our neighborhoods and streets as well,” said Larry Comeaux, Krewe of Rio President. “We hope that our example creates a domino effect for other parades and events in Lafayette to follow.”

“Project Front Yard was founded on the principle of community pride and we are excited to work with Rio to create a sustainable approach to Mardi Gras. We love when community members take ownership and pride in showcasing a clean and fun way to ‘Laissez les bon temps rouler,’” said Skyra Rideaux, Project Front Yard Coordinator.

Three years ago, Project Front Yard held its inaugural Krewe of Rio parade cleanup, which I really enjoyed participating in. (Head into my archives for that recap blog post!)

We got a great workout, in addition to saving a ton of trash from becoming litter, and collecting a ton of beads to donate to LARC for their resale program (check out my blog post on LARC's efforts).

If you're heading out to the Krewe of Rio parade or any other parade in Acadiana, make sure to pack food and drinks in reusable containers and pick up any waste you may have before you leave!

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America Recycles Day 2017

Happy America Recycles Day! Every year on November 15, Keep America Beautiful puts the spotlight on the importance of recycling.

While it's important to reduce and reuse first, recycling is a better way to handle items that we already have.

There are thousands of local events planned across the country today and all month long, but even if you only take a few minutes out of your day, you can celebrate individually.

• Take the pledge to recycle a particular product, maybe one you don't recycle now. 

• Recycle as much as you possibly can! Especially on November 15, make it the highest priority. If you collect your recycling inside, make sure to bring everything to your outside bin or community dumpster for pickup.
• Bring any plastic shopping bags to a recycling collection point. Many local grocery stores have a bin for plastic bag recycling. 

• Grab some bags and get outside. Use your lunch break to go on a litter hunt and pick up and recycle as much as you can, or take a walk after work to clean up the neighborhood.

• Take your children around the neighborhood to clean up litter, and teach them about the importance of recycling in the process! In the spirit of the day, make sure to recycle anything that can be recycled, from plastic bottles, to cans, to cardboard. Don't just throw all the litter into the trash can.
• Offer to recycle for others - whether your office or neighbors. Offer to take any of their recyclable waste and put it out for pickup. At work, go around to everyone's desks and offer to collect any recyclable waste, or leave a special bin for them that you can pick up later.

The first version of my office recycling bin, back in 2014!

• Visit the America Recycles Day website and look for a recycling event in your area. There are 2,460 registered events across the country! This year, there are no organized events in Louisiana, but don't let it stop you from doing something on your own.
• Share the message with everyone! Let your friends and family know about America Recycles Day and encourage them to participate too.

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Recap: Project Front Yard 2017 Awards

October is always a busy month for community events, and one of my favorite October events is the Project Front Yard awards. The fourth annual award presentation was held last week at IBERIABANK in Downtown Lafayette. (Check out my recaps of 2014, 2015 and 2016's presentations!)

This year, four awards were given out for Cleanliness, Beautification, Education and Overall Effort. Cleanliness, beautification and education are the three pillars of Project Front Yard's mission, and are what drive every initiative under Project Front Yard.

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Photo Friday | Festivals Acadiens' Commitment to Sustainability

Festivals Acadiens is just ONE week away! The festival is held in the middle of every October at Girard Park in Lafayette (this year, October 13-15), and focuses on Acadiana's French heritage and culture. The weather is usually amazing for some music, dancing, food and shopping!

Photo courtesy Festivals Acadiens et Creoles

Above all that, what I love about Festivals Acadiens is its commitment to sustainability. The grounds always have a ton of recycling bins (Last year I wrote about the 150 ways to be green at FAetC.)

This year, Festivals Acadiens has announced its plans and strategy to become the greenest festival in the state of Louisiana by 2018.

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Photo Friday | Bayou Teche Trash Bash and Boogie

Now that fall is officially here, it's a great time to get outdoors! Getting out on the area waterways is a popular weekend activity - especially kayaking on Lake Martin, Bayou Vermilion or Bayou Teche.

This weekend, if you have a hankering to get on the water, you can do so while helping to clean up!

Tomorrow morning, the TECHE Project is hosting its regular Trash Bash and Boogie event, starting at 9am in Port Barre.

It is that time of year again as we get the Bayou Teche ready for the hundreds of paddlers from around the country to come and explore our beautiful water way. We are happy to announce our annual Trash Bash and Boogie, to be held at the start of the Bayou Teche in Port Barre on September 23.

As usual, the TECHE Project will have everything you need to have a successful cleanup. Bags, gloves, pickers, and boats! What would a TECHE Project event be without food, music, and beer (also other drinks for the youngsters)

The Trash Bash and Boogie is a family friendly event. If you have a group or organization interested in helping we would love to have you. We hope that you join us to make our Bayou Teche a cleaner, healthier place for people to work and play! 

Volunteers at previous Trash Bash events have helped to clean up hundreds of pounds of trash out of Bayou Teche, the only waterway in Louisiana to be designated by the National Park Service as a National Waterway Trail.

Photo courtesy TECHE Project

Photo courtesy TECHE Project

TECHE Project has been a great ally to Eco Cajun over the past few years - I always love visiting with volunteer Dane Thibodeaux at the Vermilionville Earth Day events, and I'm working with him now to go on a bayou cruise and see firsthand some of the work TECHE Project does.

Photo courtesy TECHE Project

The event tomorrow is sure to be an enjoyable time - round up the family and head on out to Port Barre to help clean up Bayou Teche!

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Photo Friday: Thinking Ahead for PARK(ing) Day

PARK(ing) Day is happening across the country and around the world on Friday, September 15, and Lafayette is getting in on the fun!

PARK(ing) day is an annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into public “PARK(ing)” spaces. A handful of Downtown Lafayette metered parking spaces will be transformed into interesting, vibrant public spaces.



ReCover Acadiana is organizing the event in partnership with Lafayette Consolidated Government, the Downtown Development Authority, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, and the Downtown Lafayette Restaurant and Bar Association.

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Bicycle Safety Festival Time!

Make your plans to come on out this Saturday for Lafayette's second annual Bicycle Safety Festival!

Last year, the festival was held the first Saturday in June (right before a mega-rainstorm, I remember), but this year, it's happening during National Bike Month at Parc Sans Souci in Downtown Lafayette.

From 9am to noon, there will be free bike registration, a bike safety course, helmet giveaways, bike lights, food, drinks and live music.

The festival is free to attend, and great for families, especially when you can pick up a bike helmet and register your bike for free. 

And this year, starting at noon, there will be a bike lane cleanup, although I'm not exactly sure which bike lanes will be canvassed. Lafayette's bike lanes definitely tend to be a catch-all for litter and other road debris, and Mountain Bike Lafayette is gathering volunteers willing to help pick up trash and sweep debris from the bike lanes so that they can be better enjoyed.

These events are a great way to celebrate National Bike Month and get involved in the local bicycling community. I had a great time volunteering at last year's festival, and although this year I may just be a visitor, I encourage you to stop by and learn a little about bicycle safety!

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