Video: Recycle Man Serenades Participants AT PEEC’s Earth Day Festival
Recycle Man and children have a jam session during PEEC’s Earth Day Festival. Video by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com Read More
Video: The Hill Stompers Perform At PEEC’s Earth Day Festival
The Hill Stompers make their entrance into the Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s Earth Day Festival today at the Nature Center. Video by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com Read More
Scenes From PEEC’s Earth Day Festival
A crowd checks out the various booths and activities featured during today’s Earth Day Festival at the Nature Center. The Pajarito Environmental Education Center hosted the event while Enterprise Band & Trust sponsored the entertainment. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
Zero Waste Team Member Sue Barnes shows off her fashion skills as well as her ability to reduce waste with a hat she created from materials that likely would have been tossed in a landfill. Barnes also volunteered during PEEC’s Earth Day Festival today at the Nature Center. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com Read More
Stansbury Leads 17 Members Of Congress Urging Biden To Join United Nations Convention On Biological Diversity
Congressional News:
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Friday, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) led 17 Members of Congress to urge President Biden to prioritize the United States’ ratification of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity.
In a letter, the lawmakers point to the global extinction crisis, the unique role of Indigenous nations protecting biodiversity worldwide, and the need for U.S. leadership and partnership to halt and reverse global nature loss.
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity is the international legal agreement that encourages signatory policy Read More
Celebrate Earth Day On Santa Fe National Forest
SFNF News:
Join Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) staff, along with their partners, for the annual Dia del Rio y Camino (River and Road) Litter Clean-up event to be held Earth Day, Saturday, April 22.
Participants at the Pecos, New Mexico location will be assigned various sites along NM Hwy 63 for trash pickup, with all supplies provided.
This annual event, organized by the Upper Pecos Watershed Association, highlights the meaningful partnerships between all agencies along the Pecos River and the dedication to resource stewardship and protection. Working together we can protect and improve Read More
PEEC Hosts Earth Day Festival At Nature Center Today!
New Round Of Tree Trimming Begins Tuesday On Ski Hill
Southwest Fire Defense has been trimming trees under contract with DPU for over a year. Courtesy/DPU
Southwest Fire Defense trimmed trees in the ski hill vicinity last summer. Courtesy/DPU
COUNTY News:
To mitigate hazards and power outages, a new round of tree trimming coordinated by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is scheduled to begin on the Pajarito Ski Hill Tuesday and continue through Friday. DPU’s contractor, Southwest Fire Defense & Tree Services, will be conducting the work.
While DPU’s list of hazard branches covers the whole county, the current priorities are for Read More
Daily Postcard: Painted Bunting Bird Spotted Near UNM
Daily Postcard: A painted bunting was spotted lingering on a tree branch outside the window of former Hilltopper Jennifer R. Bartlit recently in Albuquerque near UNM. The painted bunting is a small brightly-colored member of the cardinal family. The males have blue, green, red and yellow plumage and are considered by many to be North America’s most beautiful bird. Source: www.allaboutbirds.org. Photo by Jennifer R. Bartlit Read More
DPU: Take Control Of Your Utility Usage With Portal
By ABBY HAYWARD
Water & Energy Conservation Coordinator
Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities
“Why is my utility bill so high?” This is a common question heard at the Department of Public Utilities (DPU). While market pricing and weather are beyond your individual control, there are several factors that you can control and even prepare for, such as consumption and an increased number of people using your resources.
The Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Self Service Portal is a helpful customer-focused tool that can benefit all utility customers.
For starters, this portal Read More
Celebrate Earth Day And Oppenheimer April 22!
J. Robert Oppenheimer
COMMUNITY News:
Learn more about “Oppie” and the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee (JROMC) at the JROMC booth and take a photo or selfie with a life-size cutout of the birthday boy at the PEEC Earth Day Festival Saturday at the Los Alamos Nature Center.
Oppenheimer T-shirts and ticket passes to SALA’s July film series will be available for donations, which support scholarships and STEM programs.
The celebration continues at SALA Event Center. Come to SALA April 22 or 23 for a world premiere!
The world premiere of the documentary film, “Oppenheimer, After Read More
Handy Tips On How To Prevent Food Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL News:
Benefits of Reducing Food Waste
In the United States, food is wasted across the supply chain from farm to fork. According to the EPA, roughly 96% of discarded household food ends up in the landfill while only 4% is composted.
Along the entire food supply chain, it is estimated that almost 40% of all produced food is discarded with most going directly in the landfill. Wasted food not only costs consumers money (over $218 billion annually), but also contributes to your individual and household greenhouse gas emissions. If you want to calculate your carbon footprint and learn Read More
Find Treasures In Trash At New County Reuse Center
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County community disposes of approximately 15,000 tons of trash each year. Out of all the trash sent to the landfill, there are many valuable treasures and trinkets, decorations, hamster cages, BBQ grills, and exercise equipment to name a few.
Los Alamos County employees noticed a unique opportunity to create a center where these valuable items could be rescued from being forever encapsulated in a landfill and give them a new home.
Establishing a Reuse Center at White Rock Overlook Collection Center will provide the community with a place to take unwanted, but still Read More
Heinrich Bill To Support Local Firefighters & Emergency Responders Passes Senate With Strong Bipartisan Support
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich meets April 4 with first responders at BCFD Station 33. Courtesy/Heinrich Office
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two federal programs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have provided more than $15.3 million to local fire departments in New Mexico.
Those programs, plus funding for the United States Fire Administration (USFA), are set to expire unless Congress acts.
This week, a bill backed by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) to extend these programs passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support. The bipartisan legislation is the Fire Grants Read More
Daily Postcard: Sun Illuminates Pasque Flowers
Daily Postcard: Pasque flowers illuminated by the sun recently around Los Alamos. Photo by Maria Jonsson
A completely bloomed Pasque flower reveals its yellow colored center. Photo by Maria Jonsson Read More
DPU To Hold Blind Water Taste Tests At Earth Day Festival
Water Cost Chart. Courtesy/DPU
DPU News:
Harkening back to the days of the Pepsi Challenge, the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is challenging the community to blind taste tests that pit County tap water against two different bottled waters.
On April 22, Earth Day Festival visitors will find a DPU table where they can determine whether they are able to distinguish differences among the three different waters.
A second taste test booth will be set up at ScienceFest Discovery Day on July 8. Revenue in the U.S. bottled water market is expected to total about $94 billion this year and Read More
Libertarian Party Hosts Roadside Cleanup Event April 22
Libertarian Party News:
The Libertarian Party of Los Alamos is sponsoring a roadside trash clean up as an Earth Day event Saturday morning April 22 to start at the East Gate Entrance RV Parking Lot.
Members will gather by the restrooms and provide trash bags and water.
All volunteers of any political party are welcome and greatly appreciated. All are advised to bring gloves and appropriate clothing.
They will clean up as much trash as can be picked up along both sides of N.M. 502. Read More
DPU And Libraries Offer Tools For Energy Audits
Kill-A-Watt Power Meters are designed to show, in real time, what an electric device is costing you in dollars and watts. Courtesy/DPU
DPU News:
“Energy Audit” is the buzz word of the day. It’s true that Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU) conducted energy audits for residential customers nearly 10 years ago. While we no longer offer this service, there are reasonable ways to audit your home or business on your own.
Why are you interested in an energy audit? Are you looking for ways to improve the efficiency of your space? Are you interested in an audit because it might ultimately Read More
Santa Fe National Forest Prepares For Seasonal Openings
Forest Supervisor Shaun Sanchez
SFNF News:
SANTA FE —This week, The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) begins the decision-making process of reopening roads and recreation sites.
Some of the factors considered when deciding to open a site include state and local health and safety guidelines, seasonal availability and facility conditions, and local weather forecasts.
Visitors to the SFNF are advised to be aware of the risk of flooding. The recent stretch of warm weather has resulted in significant runoff from the melting high-elevation snowpack throughout northern New Mexico. Streams, Read More
Time To Get Dirty And Compost Food
COUNTY News:
It’s time to get dirty! Los Alamos County Council green lit the municipal-wide food composting in September and County staff are working to move the project along.
The projected start date for the food compost program is approximately two years.
County Sustainability Manager Angelica Gurule recently gave an update on the project to the Los Alamos Daily Post. She noted that the conceptual design was expected to be completed in May and work on the environmental study of the site is ongoing. From there, permitting will be addressed.
For the conceptual design work, Gurule said SES Engineers, Read More
Celebrate Earth Day With PEEC On Saturday!
Celebrate Earth Day with the Pajarito Environmental Education Center 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 22 at the Los Alamos Nature Center, 2600 Canyon Road. The event will feature entertainment, sponsored by Enterprise Bank & Trust, food, activities, informational booths and more. For more information, visit peecnature.org. Pictured above is a scene from a previous Earth Day Festival. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
PEEC’s annual Earth Day Festival is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 22 at the Los Alamos Nature Center, 2600 Canyon Road.
As always, there will be many family-friendly, earth-conscious, Read More
