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Ways To Learn About Green Living In Philadelphia

Green living means living a sustainable lifestyle that conserves resources and energy while reducing waste and pollution as well as protecting the environment. While many of us are familiar with "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," green living is so much more. Green, sustainable living is all about the day-to-day choices we make about the foods we eat, the things we buy and the mode of transportation we use when we want to get around. Philadelphia-area residents, teachers and professionals who want to learn more about the concepts of green living and how they can be adopted in the Philly area can turn to several organizations that offer classes, courses and programs.

Philadelphia Horticultural Society
phsonline.org

For Philly-area residents and organizations interested in starting a community garden, the Philadelphia Horticultural Society offers a program. This program, The Garden Tenders, incorporates hands-on training for gardeners and potential gardeners to learn how to garden through workshops. The program also educates participants about how to find a community garden site, identify neighborhood resources, cultivate volunteers and form partnerships in the community.

Environmental educators and land care professionals can learn about organic land care, including maintenance, design and principles of land care, through a curriculum based on the Northeast Organic Farming Association. Upon completion of the 30-hour course, participants have the option to take the Accredited Organic Land Care Professional Exam.

Schuylkill Center For Environmental Education
schuylkillcenter.org

For Philadelphians hoping to learn about organic community gardens, composting and environmental issues, the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education is an excellent resource. Volunteer gardeners work garden plots to produce for their own families as well as for local churches, area restaurants and food banks. K-12 classroom teachers and environmental educators can find training programs and opportunities for professional development at the Schuylkill Center, including teacher workshops that show educators methods and strategies for integrating nature into their curriculum. Teachers can also learn firsthand about the area's watershed projects through a joint program with The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.

Sustainable Business Network Green Training Index
sbnphiladelphia.org

Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry supported the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia to launch a comprehensive list of training resources. This simple-to-use listing of programs connects workers and funders throughout Pennsylvania with environmentally related trainings and education services. SBN developed this list once it learned through business-centered research that many companies, while they were familiar with the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, for example, had no idea about where to find new training sources, nor the understanding of how to take advantage of them. The list also serves to inform training providers with information about other programs and trainings, including who they serve and what industries they focus on. This not only helps them provide their trainees with a comprehensive list of resources, but it facilitates collaboration between programs. For funders of sustainable and green programs, the Green Training List provides benefits that are twofold: funders can easily identify the specialization of a training provider as well as verify the credentials and number of years in business.

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Christy Ayala covers sports, recreation, the outdoors, and leisure activities in the Philadelphia area. She earned a masters degree in recreation administration from George Williams College and managed programs in the Midwest, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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