Green Saves Green Member Meeting Minutes

Monday, June 12, 2023

5:30 p.m., Pasquotank County Library


Present: Karl Brandspigel, Rosana Castilho, Nita Coleman, Phil Donahue, Jane Elfring, Marlene Greer, George Jackson, Rodney Johnson, MaryAnn Jordan, Bill Kruse, Sue Kruse, Chip Lewin, Anna Montero, Julie Robinson, Jared Tardiff, Tim Tolson, Susan Webster, Holly White


Presentation: How the USCG Protects Our Waterways

Captain Chip Lewin, Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, discussed the role the USCG plays as first responder to threats to our marine environment.


Albemarle Watershed Watch Report

Rodney Johnson advised GSG collects water samples at seven sites from November to April through an Environmental Enhancement Grant obtained by the Albemarle RC&D Council. In May, we began collecting water samples at 12 sites. We’ve been collecting and sending samples to UNC and NCDA for four years. Researchers there are monitoring nutrient trends. Salinity remains high. Last year it was in the 8-10 range. No algal blooms so far this year. Researchers believe the higher salinity does not keep algal blooms from occurring. The speculation as to why we are seeing higher salinity is because we have not had a hurricane in a while.

We are losing one of our team members. Rob Powell is moving. Rodney is looking for someone to replace him. Contact Rodney if you are interested.


Chair Report

  1. Arts of the Albemarle wants to keep the What I Saw art project on display through the end of the month. They have more than 100 entries, and people keep coming in to drop off paintings. There are a few free watercolor kits remaining at AOA, YMCA, and COA.

  2. COA is in the process of certifying the Demonstration Farm on Creek Road, and is reaching out to the nutritionist for the school system to see how farm produce can be used by the schools. They are also looking for volunteers.

  3. Elizabeth City Downtown Inc. put together in two weeks a Year of The Trail festival which was held June 3 at Waterfront Park. Members Bill and Sue Kruse and Ruth Wells created a wonderful exhibit on being a river-friendly home and featured a map of the Pasquotank watershed. Jane and Bobby Plough led guided bike rides at Dismal Swamp State Park. Nita Coleman and Jeff Carter did an exhibit at the Fenwick-Hollowell Trail showcasing the new EcoExplore program and offered free watercolor kits for the What I Saw community art project.

  4. GSG partnered with Port Discover and the Elizabeth City Historic Neighborhood Association to clean up litter on Church and Main streets and other areas in downtown, plus pull weeds in the flower beds on Main St. and Fowler Alley. We had 18 people show up and help clean up.

  5. Gavin White has done more work on the Goat Island project. He’s almost done. We’re talking about having a ribbon cutting event with Elizabeth City Chamber, and city and county officials. Only access is by boat. One idea is to use the new fast ferry.

  6. Teachers at Elizabeth City Middle and Sheep-Harney Elementary kept and used our litter kits throughout April and May. Their students did regular litter cleanups. They are teaching kids to leave their campus better than they found it. We’re considering using this model going forward rather than scheduling a day when we show up with supplies.



Environmental Outreach Report

Julie Robinson provided a summary of GSG’s successful environmental outreach so far this year, including Roots & Shoots, campus cleanups, youth water quality testing, campus tree plantings, and YMCA, Port Discover, and COA event partnerships.

GSG is considering changing how we award our environmental project grants. It’s great to have our projects on the Roots & Shoots international platform and for students to connect with an international community, but it’s an involved process. Teachers don’t have the time. Plus, we’d like to be able to offer environmental grants to students who approach GSG directly, as we did with Gavin White’s repair of the Goat Island camping platform. We’d also like to consider projects which might not meet the Roots & Shoots criteria.

The revised grant program would be for teachers, students, and other community groups. We want them to come to us and say, “This is what I want to do.”

Considerations: What type of reporting do we expect from applicants, and how will we evaluate the projects? Should there be a timeline for completion? Should we have a set amount for financial support as we did with the Roots & Shoots mini-grants, or decide on the amount based on each project? Should we limit the number of projects per year? How should we spread the word?

It was suggested we create some guidelines for applicants, perhaps include with the application.

The GSG Education Committee will meet on July 27 to discuss these and other considerations. Please send your ideas and suggestions for the new grant program to Julie.


Upcoming Events

  1. Windsor River Festival. Saturday, June 17 noon-8pm, Cashie River Center, Windsor.

  2. GSG Education Committee Meeting. Tuesday, June 27 11am at the Pasquotank Library.

  3. Girl Scout Troop Litter Cleanup. Sunday, June 25. Marlene is looking for volunteers and for a good location in South Mills that’s safe for the Scouts.


Other Business

  1. Holly White advised there is a RISE Meeting at noon on Friday. One of the projects at the top of the list in the Albemarle region is algal blooms. She is bringing together potential stakeholders for an informal discussion. Rodney Johnson and Nita Coleman will attend the meeting on behalf of GSG. She is working on outreach with the health department on where to put signage to educate people on algal blooms.

  2. Habitat for Humanity is working on replacing the roof on the home of a local veteran. Habitat needs volunteers to help remove all the fascia boards before they can put on the new roof. Contact Jane Elfring or Habitat to volunteer.

Next GSG meeting will be 5:30 p.m. Monday, August 14 at the Pasquotank County Library.