For two years now, I’ve been sharing a little kooky idea to create a fleet of trikes that have the capability to water the newly planted trees, flower beds and planters throughout our neighborhood–using rain water! (see kooky napkin sketch at left).
The necessity of this hit home yesterday as I was driving up Dodge and noticed too many of the new trees look dry and knowing I don’t have an easy way to fix the problem.
We haven’t had much luck getting the Hydro Buffalo idea funded. I thought maybe “if I could just get it started” with a prototype–at least ONE trike, then riding that suped-up trike around could prove to everyone that it’s not just a kooky idea–it’s a GREAT kooky idea! and eventually we’d be able to expand the fleet.

Before you ask–YES, Blue Bike and Riverkeeper are aware of this idea, and we hope our collective audience is excited to help–we’re all in the same boat though. We need one adult trike to get us started! If anyone out there can donate a solid adult trike we can then weld a cart and get this thing rolling.  If you think you can help–please get in touch with Caesandra at volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org or call 716-885-4131

Here’s the other part of the proposal if you are “People who know People”
Read the rest of this entry »

Folks, there’s lots and lots of exciting activities for August.

You can download our calendar from our website–click on the calendar or link.

We are always in need of people to help with publicizing or organizing events so if you need volunteer hours (or your teen does) contact us and let us know volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org

Please don’t get me wrong, we love the Garden Walk–I love anything that gets people out into the sidewalks and talking to one another about color and veggies and sunshine. And I realize that with 355 gardens on the Walk–it makes it difficult to map a larger area; however, there are many gardens east of Main Street that I think are worth visiting–namely those in our neighborhood:

• Our Rain Garden at the corner of Northampton & Michigan is very new! It was installed by National Grid employees as a corporate service project this past Earth Day 2010. The garden was designed by Matthew Dore of Buffalo Horticulture. Matt regraded the vacant double lot to guide rain water into the middle (like a shower drain) where a pergola was built surrounded by blueberry bushes. The lot also features a privacy fence using reclaimed flooring. The perennial flower beds have a backdrop of foundation stone.  Planters built from reclaimed hemlock floor joists double as seating along the sidewalk.
  Keep traveling down Northampton and
• You’ll discover a Bee Sanctuary which was once a vacant lot, but is now a warm blanket of yellow, amber, and bronze with summer wild flowers. (In the spring the lot was dotted with blues, pinks and purples). The wild flowers are native to the North East and are helping to fortify a sagging urban bee population.
• Our Children’s Vinery is truly unique!  It has an apple tree and six arbors supporting a variety of pole beans, melon, squash, tomatoes, eggplant and chard.  We have Mobile Victory Gardens donated by artist, Stella Maars which are growing herbs and pumpkins.  We’re just adding a teepee of morning glories.  We have experimental containers for growing potatoes and a strawberry patch which has delighted people of all ages!
• The Patchwork Garden is also a sight–50 different beds which neighbors, volunteers and groups have adopted!  Folks plant whatever they want in this community garden and they enjoy having a place to grow their own food and relax.  We host events like movie nights, cooking demos, art, performances and free gardening workshops in the garden.
• Just around the corner there is another style of community garden, The Cold Spring Community Garden on Southampton and Masten, managed by Dan Ash and Jessica Lang.  Their garden is a site where five houses once stood, but now there is an 8foot wall of tomatoes, several rows of vegetables and raspberry vines.  There are also fruit trees which will mature into a mixed bowl of cherries, plums, peaches, pears and apples!  Volunteers and neighbors work in the garden and are able to eat what they harvest.

Thousands of volunteer hours have gone into building these gardens and the whole reason is so people can come and enjoy them. We hope you’ll visit them soon.  Over the next 2years we hope that Northampton will showcase greenspace development and neighborhood stabilization.  It will be like a red carpet–only greener!  If you have questions or would like to get involved, please stop by our table at the Garden Walk/Talk this weekend!

Looking to Volunteer?  Like to garden?  Look no further!

Grassroots Gardens has put out the call for volunteers to help at a few community gardens around Buffalo — now is your chance to get involved and get your hands dirty!  Join us on the following workdays to make these community gardens more wonderful than they already are:

7/17: The Cottage District Community Garden is looking for some muscle and a few extra hands to help out with a project at their garden at 10AM on  Saturday, July 17th @ 60 York St (between Normal and Plymouth).  They’re looking for at least five people, but more is always merrier.

7/31: Also, on Saturday, July 31st at 10AM the Community Garden at 20 Orton Place will need as many volunteers as they can get–they are going to be taking down / moving materials and replanting the gardens.

Come help out!!!!

Come out this weekend, July 10th and 11th for our two day workshop!

Day one. digging and leveling the ground. 10am start
Day two. installation of paver’s. 12pm start

Come out this weekend and help us make a patio in our yard at the ReSource.

We will spread the work out over two days so we have an adequate amount of time and energy to transform our yard into a relaxing oasis.

Over the weekend you will be able to lend a hand as well as learn how to prep an area for laying down the paver’s as well as how to install them and make sure they stay in tact over time.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity on how to lay pavers.  You will walk away with an abundant amount of knowledge about this tricky and time consuming DIY project.  Come out this weekend and ask some questions about this topic.

Are you an early riser? or does your workshift end in the wee hours of the morning? The heat wave is going to wreck our investment in the garden if we can’t keep up with watering.
It’s important that we water every day, but the problem is that it should really happen early in the morning.  If you’d like to help us water the gardens, you can meet us at 8am at 158 Eaton.  If you’re available earlier, the gardens always have full water barrels–the watering cans are nearby you’re welcome to water the beds, flowers, rows and anything else that looks like it’s supposed to be green, colorful or edible.
Watering Tips:
Water in the morning when it’s cool
Avoid getting water on the plant leaves–keep the water spout/spray under the leaves or closer to the ground
Never water during the peak heat/sun hours or you will scorch roots and steam the leaves
Avoid watering most plants at night so water doesn’t pool overnight and leave your plants susceptible to fungal growths

Here’s a link to some green/gray watering tips.

We need folks to go on a walk, a stroll, a canvas to pass out invites for Saturday’s Strawberry Moon Celebration and hang some posters for the Pickle Eating Spectacle in the neighborhood and around town.  PLEASE email us at volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org for more details or stop by the porch at 158 Eaton and pick up the posters.

My name is Danielle Rovillo and I am the latest addition to the Buffalo ReUse crew. I am proud to announce that I am the new Volunteer Coordinator. I am really excited to join in ReUse’s effort to strengthen Buffalo! 

I recently received my Master’s in Urban Planning from the University at Buffalo. I have a background in architecture, environmental design, and community development. As a student, I have worked in many different places. I interned at a engineering firm, did field work for the City, and researched for professors. I also spent many years making delicious pizzas.

I think all of that pizza has gone to my head because I am sort of obsessed with food! I like growing, cooking, and eating yummy local veggies. I love learning about food access, community gardening, localism, healthy living, and all of the ways our City can help us live happier, healthier lifestyles. I also get excited about community building, the environment and green practices, fair housing, composting, and bicycling. More importantly, I am interested in how all of these things fit together in Buffalo’s diverse neighborhoods. I love, love, love the Queen City and have spent a great deal of time studying our history, development, and plans for revitalization. Now it’s time to put it all to work.

I was really excited when I heard about this job because I knew it would be a great way to contribute to the City’s rejuvenation. From what I’ve heard, the ReUse volunteers are a pretty amazing bunch. I look forward to working with the ReUse team and the volunteer crews to bring people together under a common goal – strengthening the city that we love.

I encourage everyone to volunteer with Buffalo ReUse! We have a range of tasks to complete this summer, so I hope you will consider joining us (or joining us again, and again, and again) in our effort to reuse, repurpose, and rediscover Buffalo. Send me an email and let me know your interests, I will do my best to match you with an appropriate task. We appreciate volunteer contributions no matter your time commitment – so pick a day, week, or month this summer and join in the fun!

If I won’t get to meet you as a volunteer, I hope I will see you at the ReSource shopping , or at a workshop learning how to beef up your container garden. Don’t forget to check out the community calendar – there are some pretty great events. I, for one, cannot wait to taste fresh strawberry slushies at the Strawberry Moon Celebration on June 26th.

Click here to sign up as a volunteer! Feel free to email me with questions, thoughts, and ideas. volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org

Hope to see you soon!

MAP needs volunteers for a quick, early evening of work to finish their green house. We are hoping some of you might go over and practice so you’ll have some know-how for when ReUSE puts up ours later this summer!
Details Below:
This Tuesday (6/8)from 4-8 PM we will be putting the final touches on
our new greenhouse, and need volunteers to show up in force to help
us handle and install 2 40′X100′ sheets of plastic. No skilled labor needed, just lots of hands and smiles.

From 4-6 we will be installing the doors on the structure, and from
6-8 we will be putting the plastic in place. Come after work and
help this project become a reality!

Jesse @the farm
389 Massachusetts Avenue

This Saturday, May 1st, ReUse needs folks to help plant trees with Re-Tree WNY. After this planting we will have literally and officially planted 1,000 trees in the historic Cold Springs and historic Masten neighborhood. I am not sure how many more plantings Re-Tree WNY will sponsor in the future so we want to make sure this one counts! We pre-dig the holes so this volunteer opportunity is really great for people of all ages because it’s not as strenuous as some other sites.
Please eat a hearty breakfast and dress appropriately; we will plant even if it’s raining.
I guarantee it will be muddy, so wear boots or sneakers you can get dirty. We will also do a Street Blitz in conjunction with The Great American Cleanup; neighborhoods across the country are sprucing and clearing litter from sidewalks–come out and join the effort!
We’ll begin at 298 Northampton at 9am and give you a quick tree planting training and put you into teams; we intend to be done by 3pm. If you’re under 18, please bring the waiver signed by a parent.

Try to carpool.  Parking is available behind the store on Eaton Street, near 158 Eaton.

As always, we will finish with a potluck and group massage (shoulders only–no feet). Caesandra is making her not-quite-famous-yet tater tot casserole, pear-n-spice bread pudding and whatever else she finds in the pantry. Feel free to bring chips, hot dog buns, cornbread muffins, cookies, salads, utensils or a crockpot of comfort food.

If you’re available this Friday, we could use a few extra hands to pickup the trees from the garage. Please meet us at 8am ReUse to carpool over call 885-4131 so we know to expect you.