Eco Friendly Real Estate Blog

I've been vacationing near home this week. I am adventuring in conservation areas--looking for wildlife (small varieties! -- like the wild turkey who crossed the trail today)--and ready for great photo opps. Today I am out at Creston Preserve. Three reasons I like it here...besides the peaceful atmosphere??

I've stopped by the clubhouse for a visit with REALTY STAR, Corey Atherton and asked him to tell me a bit about the views. We hiked a trail, then hopped in his red mountain vehicle to check out one of the many Mountain Overlooks....Here's a small movie clip with that scene. ...

What better way to engage your energy on Labor Day than to head out to the mountains near Asheville in search of a worthy enterprise. For me, today that included a hike at Creston Preserve and the less strenuous pursuit of a beautiful blue butterfly who turned out to like the camera. Happy Pursuit for me...and I hope for You, too!

Dateline Asheville, North Carolina, September, 2009
Real Estate News and Views from Green Asheville's "Stay-in-Your-Home" Eco-Steward 

Since its creation, North Carolina's Natural Heritage Trust Fund has contributed almost $300 million through over 400  grants to support the conservation of approximately 300,000 acres of North Carolina's most significant natural areas and cultural heritage site including: 

•·         Lands that represent North Carolina's ecological diversity to ensure their preservation and conservation for recreational, scientific, educational, cultural and aesthetic purposes;

•·         Additions to state parks, state trails, aesthetic forests, wild and scenic rivers,
fish and wildlife management areas

As a Land Specialist brokering lands for family legacies here in the Asheville  Western North Carolina Mountain area, is the granting of funds for land acquisition to the Division of Forest Resources.

(photo shows smart dog relocating to the Asheville area on a hike in one of the many national forests in our area.)

GREEN CAREERS and JOBS: I am often asked, " What can I do for work in the Asheville area?" If you are relocating to the Asheville area, here is a link that  possibly offers and answer to that question: http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/jobs/types_of_jobs.htm

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__~o
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(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable  world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............with OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL & Asheville Short Sale Consults. ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS.Serving Asheville's Stay-in-Your-Home, Relocation LAND Clients..

On the GO 4 Sustainability:  "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Yesterday, two Sprouts stores opened in the Austin area - one in Sunset Valley and one (the one we visited) in Round Rock.

Being the foodies we are, my husband and I made a date to go check it out the very first day they were open. 

We arrived separately (I was coming from showing properties in several parts of the area) and found parking spaces relatively easily, surprising since the parking lot was full, full, FULL!  This should have been a hint.

We didn't take a basket, as this was planned to be an exploratory expedition.  Good thing, too - the store was not only packed, but the checkout lines reached halfway to the back of the store.  We maneuvered our way through the various departments, checking out the produce and the items available and doing some comparison shopping.  A good selection of items that I've had to drive further into town, to Whole Foods or Central Market or Sun Harvest, to find (though I'm still going to have to drive all the way in to get my favored brand of peanut butter, Arrowhead Mills crunchy), and some new items I wasn't familiar with by old, trusted vendors.  The produce looked good, though I didn't see any local produce (we are, after all, in the middle of a drought, and that might have something to do with it), and local produce is one of the reasons I was glad to see them open.  We'll be checking out the bakery items in our never-ending quest for great bread. 

All in all, this looks quite promising.  I'll be making a serious shopping trip sometime in the next couple of weeks, after the "new story frenzy!" slows down a bit. 

I get to meet all kinds of interesting people as I visit eco-friendly conservation communities here in the Greater Asheville area. One of my favorites is COREY ATHERTON who is the Project Manager at Creston Preserve. The other day he took me out exploring his favorite sites. Now's your chance to come along with us.

Dateline Asheville, North Carolina, August, 2009
Real Estate News and Views from Green Asheville's "Land Legacy" Eco-Steward

Conservation Stewardship Program Asheville and Beyond . I was so interested to read that  Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan  this month (August, 2009) has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will  begin continuous sign-up for the new Conservation Stewardship Program. 

Eligible Applicants:  

Individual landowners
Legal entities
Native American tribes

Congress capped the annual acreage enrollment at 12.769 million acres for each fiscal year nationwide.

This new Program  encourages agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities and possibly even adopt additional ones on their operations. "This program will help the nation's agricultural and forestry producers reach greater levels of conservation performance, which will help protect our land and water," Merrigan said. "The conservation benefits derived from maintaining and enhancing natural resources will improve the quality of soil and water, assist in addressing global climate change, and encourage environmentally responsible energy production."

To apply potential participants can use a self-screening checklist to determine whether the new program is suitable for them or their operation. For information about the CSP, including eligibility requirements, producers can log on to www.nrcs.usda.gov/new_cspor visit their local NRCS field office.

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__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable  world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............with OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL & Asheville Short Sale Consults. ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS. Serving Asheville's Stay-in-Your-Home, Relocation LAND Clients..

On the GO 4 Sustainability:  "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Dateline Asheville, North Carolina, August, 2009
Real Estate News and Views
from Green Asheville's
"On the Go 4 Sustainability" Eco-Steward

You can expect more than a color tour when you visit/relocate to Asheville this Fall.

Check out The Ashevillage Institute"colorful" array of Fall offerings. Today they announced the Fall Series of upcoming workshops . The workshops cover various areas of interests, but all pertain to sustainability.

They are:

Bee-Keeping - August 29 & 30 
Natural Building, 5 day - September 9-13 
Natural Building, 3 day - September 24-26
Backyard Sustainability - October 3 & 4
Urban Aquaculture - October 12 & 13
Natural Building, 2 day - October 14 & 15
Rainwater & Greywater Catchment - November 6 & 7
Natural Finishes: Plasters & Paints - November 13 & 14

I know which one I'm going to for sure, How about You?? All workshops are held near downtown Asheville at the Institute. DETAILS and registration at http://www.ashevillage.org/avi/events_projects.php

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__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable  world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............with OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL & Asheville Short Sale Consults. ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS.Serving Asheville's Stay-in-Your-Home, Relocation LAND Clients..

On the GO 4 Sustainability:  "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Dateline Asheville, North Carolina, August, 2009
Real Estate News and Views from Green Asheville's "Stay-in-Your-Home" Eco-Steward 

I am excited about today's release of Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina: Growing Communities through Garden. available for download at the referenced link.  How timely!  

It's almost Fall Planting Season, and many of us are thinking about how much fun it would be to have a community garden. 

So this publication is just what we need...an excellent guide, whether you live in Asheville...or even in Your State.

Why garden alone? Start a garden with your neighbors. (photo)

Diane R. Beth, MS, RD, LDN, Nutrition Unit Manager... Nutrition Branch of the NC Division of Public Health, says,

" The guide describes a community garden, its benefits, how to find or start a garden and tips for growing, storing, preparing and enjoying fruits and vegetables.  In addition, it highlights North Carolina and national gardening resources.  Whether a "community" setting (worksite, faith community, school, etc.) is considering starting a community garden or they are thinking about joining a garden near them, the primer outlines the options, steps and resources to ensure success.....  The NC-based garden photographs really show the great work going on in our state and will inspire others to either connect with existing gardens or start their own" 

Resources:

www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com
www.NCPanBranch.com
www.FruitsAndVeggiesNC.com

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__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable  world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............with OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL & Asheville Short Sale Consults. ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS. Serving Asheville's Stay-in-Your-Home, Relocation LAND Clients..

- "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Dateline Asheville, North Carolina, August, 2009
Real Estate News and Views from Green Asheville's "Stay-in-Your-Home" Eco-Steward

Effective communication- it is about how well we communicate with each other- about how well we  connect with our audiences. That holds t rue no matter where you find yourself.
 Take for example the ten (10) eco-friendly Groups at Active Rain:

•1.      ECO-All-Stars~ GREEN Resources, Trends & Friends (1062 Members)
•2.      BuiltGREEN (36 Members)
•3.      EcoBrokers  (110 Members)
•4.      Environmentally Responsible Real Estate Professionals (26 Members)
•5.      Going Green! (184 Members)
•6.      Green housing panel (144 Members)
•7.      Green Lending (27 Members)
•8.      Green Marketing (395 Members)
•9.      Healthy Lifestyle - Green Lifestyle (97 Members)
•10.  NAR Green Designation Realtors (4 Members).

Does the time and energy the members of these Groups devote to a post help to determine how well larger ecological issues are considered? I cannot say for sure.

 Certainly, eco-friendly consumer interest and demand is high in today's real estate market, so it seems likely that the 10 Green Groups at Active Rain touch  thousands readers interested in sustainable innovation - a core message the posts convey. And. I enjoy reading posts softly wrapped in the blanket of eco-friendly real estate information.

I believe the 10 Green Group posts do educate readers, and can influence how individuals, groups and cultures see, value, and ultimately act in the world. A shift in views and values towards the natural world may soon be blooming. After all, effective communication succeeds. And the 1,000+ members of the Green groups At Active Rain are making that happen.

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__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable  world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............with OBJECTIVE, ECO-FRIENDLY FIDUCIARY COUNSEL The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Asheville, NC. Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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I wrote a previous post about energy education websites for kids., entitled, Great Kids Websites for Energy Education. I am a former Teacher with an Early Childhood Degree and I am always on the lookout for educational sites that are fun for kids. I feel that for us adults, changing the way we use energy is a slow process, but for kids, lessons learned at a young age come easier and they help form lifelong habits.

My favorite author is Theodor Seuss Geisel, or Dr. Seuss, as most of you know him. My favorite story is The Lorax. (More info on Theodor Geisel at the Seuss Website of Springfield Museum in Massachusetts.)

The story of The Lorax is all about saving the trees. This website on the EnergyStar website however, is one that takes it a step further. There are hidden pictures of appliances, coloring pages of the characters of The Lorax, and word searches for ways to protect the environment.

I give this site a thumbs up and recommend it for ages 5 through 10. And Parents, do check what's out there for your children with them. We let our children play all kinds of games which bring out aggression and competition, as well as creativity. I'm not going to preach here. I'm just asking you to balance their experiences with knowledge that will help their futures, at least environmentally.

Feel free to add any sites you feel are worthy of noting. We all learn when we share.

By the way, www.EnergyStar.gov is a great site for adults, too!

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker^®