Georgia Employees Support a Cleaner Greener Georgia
Earth Share of Georgia distributed nearly $90,000 in the 2nd quarter to our local and national member agencies. That money comes from the $360,000 pledged by Georgia employees in 60 companies running fall payroll deduction campaigns with Earth Share. Local environmental groups will use this money for conservation buying, stream clean-ups and tree planting. Thanks to all of our donors for supporting a cleaner and greener Georgia! To sign up your company as a workplace partner contact Polly Sattler at 404-873-3173.

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Atlanta's Air Quality Goes From Bad to Worse as EPA's Exemption Overturned by Federal Courts
Atlanta will soon be among the notorious cities like DC and Philadelphia with "severe" air quality ratings after a federal court overturned an extension given by the EPA to comply with the Clean Air Act. Environmental groups are now hailing the ruling as a victory. The hope is that this will force the EPA to take more aggressive action against Atlanta's traffic congestion, the main source of Atlanta's air quality woes. In the meantime, companies like Georgia Power will likely face tough fines for their part if Atlanta does not comply by as early as next year when the deadlines are expected to be enforced. Click here to read the full story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. You can also visit www.selcga.org.

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Earth Share Guide to Summer Fun
Whether you're a day-tripper or a night owl, Earth Share member groups have a summer fun event for you. You can learn to water-ski at Callaway, bring your aspiring entomologist to Oxbow, or take a night hike at Reynolds. Check out these events going on around the state this month. Chances are there's something happening right in your back yard:

·Pack a picnic basket and relax on the lawn at the State Botanical Garden in Athens while enjoying live music. The 2003 Sunflower Music Series continues July 15 with Kevin Kinney.
·Buzz over to the 4th annual Insect Festival at Oxbow Meadows in Columbus on July 13.
·Learn to be a water monitor at Elachee in Gainesville with the Adopt-A-Stream Training, July 18 &19.
·Venture by boat into the tidal creeks around Little Tybee Island with Wilderness Southeast on July 26.
·Get rollin' on the river with TNC for a Canoe Trip down the Chestatee River on Saturday Jul y 26.
·Wander the trails of Reynolds Nature Preserve in Morrow at night in search of winged predators.
·Take a Summer Family Adventure or learn to water-ski at Callaway in Pine Mountain.

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MEMBER PROFILE: Callaway's New Who's "Hoo" List
The four recently released barn owls at Callaway in Pine Mountain, GA could care less who's heading up the Board of Trustees of the newly established Preserve at Callaway. But Earth Share of Georgia is pretty excited that two of our own will be carrying on the mission begun by founder Cason J. Callaway to become a model environmental education destination. Dr. Becky Champion, Earth Share of Georgia Board President and Director of Columbus State University's Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center is one of the new Board Members. She is joined by Ray Anderson, Chairman of Columbus based Interface Inc. which recently became an Earth Share Workplace Partner. One of the first projects undertaken by the new facility was the hatching and release of four barn owls, which are native to the area, but still pretty rare. The newcomers have successfully hacked their way out of the wooden cages, appropria tely called, hacking cages, and are getting acclimated to their new surroundings. You can arrange for a guided tour of The Preserve by calling 1-800-CALLAWAY.

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Head to the Hills
Special thanks to our friends at Nantahala Mountaintop Cabins for donating a beautiful cabin in North Carolina for the Earth Share of Georgia staff retreat (check out the photos at the top right). If you are interested in heading to the hills yourself for a weekend or longer, Nantahala Mountaintop Cabins will donate 10 percent of your rental fee to Earth Share. They have six luxury cabins, all located near the Smoky Mountains, the Nantahala River and Tsali, the southeast's premier mountain biking destination. Check out their website and tell them Earth Share sent you packing.

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CHASTAIN PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS: Park Pride, with the support of dedicated volunteers, coordinates monthly projects at Chastain Park on the first Saturday of each month. For more information about these projects or about the improvements being made to Chastain Park, contact Ray Mock. RayMock@mindspring.com or (404) 723-3116

TREE MAINTENANCE: Trees Atlanta is responsible for watering, pruning, and mulching over 1700 trees in the summer months. Contact Andy, andy@treesatlanta.org, to see where you can pitch in.

ELACHEE TRAIL WORK PARTY: On July 5th from 10am-3pm join volunteers and staff as they maintain the trails of the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. 770-535-1976

COMPUTER RECYCLING EVENT AT GEORGIA TECH:
July 12. Needs include greeters, traffic control, unloaders, stackers and sorters. Shifts 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 11:30-4:00 p.m. To volunteer, contact Gloria Hardegree, Georgia Recycling Coalition garecycles@mindspring.com or 404-634-3095

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We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.--Mother Theresa

Dell to Hold Computer Recycling Event at Georgia Tech
Dell Computers is supporting the Environmental Protection Agency's "Plug-In To eCycling" campaign by organizing a FREE computer recycling event with the Georgia Institute of Technology. Bring your unwanted computer equipment to the drop-off location at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on the Georgia Tech campus on Saturday, July 12, between 9 a.m-3 p.m. and recycle it free of charge. Accepted items include any brand of computer-related equipment - computers, computer monitors, keyboards, mice, printers and other peripherals. NO televisions, copiers, cell phones or other household electronics unrelated to your computer, so please leave them at home. Please remove all data from your computer's hard drive and any removable media such as floppy disks or PC cards. www.dell.com/recyclingtour

Hot Tips for a Cool Summer
Air conditioning and heating account for nearly half of all energy used in US homes. A lot of that energy is wasted by inefficient or improperly maintained systems. Following these tips will help you keep it green while you stay cool this summer.
·Turn your air on only when your home is occupied or consider installing a programmable thermostat to time it for you.
·During the day, keep the shades drown on windows that face east, south, and west. This helps reduce solar heat gain into your home.
·A clean AC is an efficient AC so keep it well maintained by cleaning the filter once a month, spraying down the outside compressor, keeping plants within one foot of the outside unit and furniture and drapes away from the vents inside.

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Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. --Goethe

September 12: Save the Date for Trees Atlanta's GreenSpace Management Workshop 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

September 20: The Atlanta Share the Road Century: A bike safety ride to benefit the Atlanta Bicycly Campaign. Details at www.atlantabike.org

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All nature is your congratulations, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself.--Henry David Thoreau