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Greetings!
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April 22 is Earth Day, and we have a whole spring's worth of Earth-friendly e-news to share with you. We hope that the articles and events listed here leave you feeling inspired and certain that spring
is
coming, contrary to what recent weather may have you believe!
We look forward to seeing you out and about!
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Introducing the New
Green & Healthy Maine Homes!
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 The spring/summer edition of
Green & Healthy Maine Homes
hit news stands last week. Created as a resource for Mainers interested in healthy, efficient and sustainable home environments, our goal is to inspire higher performing Maine homes that are as healthy for the people who live in them as they are for the planet. In this exciting issue, we explore the state and opportunity of solar; high performing Maine homes; bee-friendly landscapes; and more. Look for the magazines on newsstands statewide or check out the digital edition today! And if you'd like to be kept in the loop about sustainable services and products for your home, be sure to like Green & Healthy Maine Homes on Facebook.
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Increase Efficiency & Save Money!
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 Insulating your home well leads not only to reduced energy demand and increased comfort and noise reduction, but also cost savings for decades. Now,
Efficiency Maine is offering up to $2,100 in incentives for home insulation: $700 for the attic, $700 for exterior walls, and $700 for basement. For optimal energy efficiency, your home should be insulated from the roof down to the foundation. When insulation is properly installed, heating systems run less frequently, helping to reduce on-going energy expenses while meeting home heating needs. Check out
Efficiency Maine to learn more about how you can save money and help the environment at the same time!
If a new hot water heater is on the list, there's now a $300 federal tax credit for heat pump water heaters that can be combined with Efficiency Maine's $500 rebate. That's up to $800 off a water heater with a list price as low as $1,000. For many Mainers, they'll be cheaper to buy than an electric water heater. Plus heat pump water heaters can save up to $3,000 over their lives while providing dehumidification. Some restrictions apply so visit
efficiencymaine.com for details. The tax credit may also be applied to other energy efficient purchases.
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ecomaine 2016 ecoExcellence Award Winners Announced
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Every year,
ecomaine honors top-performing businesses and organizations at their annual ecoExcellence Awards. Congratulations to all of this year's winners, including Scarborough High School's "ECOS" Club and Portland's East Brown Cow Management.
Read on to learn who else is leading our community in sustainable initiatives.
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Crofter's and Maker's Market Coming to Portland!
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This month--as the Portland Farmer's Market winds down and moves out of its Winter location on 84 Cove Street in East Bayside and over to Deering Oaks Park--Lauren Pignatello of Swallowtail Farm and Creamery is heading the opening of a new Crofter's and Maker's Market in that space. A crofter, says Pignatello, is anyone who works the land in various ways, producing goods through cottage industries like soap-making and fiber crafts. Everything at the market will be produced by the vendor, and goods will range from goat-milk caramels to seaweed body-care to beeswax and wool craft. The market holds its grand opening this Sunday, April 10 from 10am-3pm and will be open Sundays year-round
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Click here for an article on the new market that was published by Bangor Daily News.
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"No Child Wet Behind"
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 The SunriseGuide is proud to sponsor the 1st Annual "No Child Wet Behind" Diaper Drive and 5k with Family Fun Run! Presented by the
Maine Doulas, the event brings awareness to the need for diaper donations. The event takes place on May 21, 2016 from 8-11am at the Back Cove in Portland.
Click here for volunteer information or to register.
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2016 Trek Across Maine: June 17-19
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 The SunriseGuide is also excited to be sponsoring the 2016
Trek Across Maine. The Trek is a 3-day, 180 mile cycling event from the mountains of Sunday River to the sea in Belfast. And there's still time to get involved as a cyclist or volunteer for this epic event! As the largest fundraising event of its kind in the nation for the American Lung Association, the Trek has raised more than $22 million in the past 30 years. Join more than 2,000 cyclists and 750 volunteers on this one of a kind journey on Father's Day Weekend. Registration fills quickly, so be sure to
sign up today!
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Eat-Drink-Shop for Marilyn
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 "EAT-DRINK-SHOP FOR MARILYN!" is part of "MARI-THON", a citywide 72-Hour fundraiser for our friend and Maine artist Marilyn Blinkhorn. Let's help her kick cancer in the butt. From this Friday, April 8th until Sunday, April 10th, various local businesses will be offering discounts at their establishments or donating to a silent auction to be held at the Maine Irish Heritage Center on Friday night.
Click here for more information.
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SunriseGuide Partner News
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The Natural Resources Council of Maine is hosting Aveda Earth Month. NRCM is Aveda's partner in Maine, so funds raised through their environmentally friendly salons will be donated to them in support of their work to protect Maine's beautiful clean waters.
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Sustainable Living Events
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This list is just a sampling of the many events happening around Maine. Please visit the Local Events section of our website for even more events.
April 7, 5-7pm, ThinkTank Co-working, Portland
Make Native Seed Bombs
April 7, 6:30-8:30pm, The Resilience Hub, Portland
Artist Panel on Art-making & Environmental Responsibility
April 8, 6:30-8pm, Maine College of Art, Portland
Home & Business Energy Fair
April 9, 10am-3pm, Ocean Ave Elementary School, Portland
Spring Festival
April 9, 10am-1pm, The Friends School, Cumberland
Potluck, Silent Auction & Dance for Marilyn Blinkhorn
April 9, 6-10pm, Maine Irish Heritage Center, Portland
Orono Bike Swap
April 10, 10am-1pm, UMaine New Balance Student Rec Center, Orono
Northeast Indoor Air Quality & Energy Conference
April 11-12, Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland
Wake Your Body After Winter; Good Health Starts in the Spring
April 12, 5:15-6:45pm, FARMS Community Kitchen, Damariscotta
Portland Greendrinks
April 12, 5:30-7:30pm, TBD, Portland
Portland Food Co-op Annual Meeting
April 14, 6-9pm, 72 Federal St, Portland
E2Tech Event - Endangered Species & Wildlife Protection: "Taking Care" of Business
April 14, 7:15-10am, Congregation Bet Ha'am, South Portland
Cultivating Community & Environmental Health: the 34th National Pesticide Forum
April 15-16, USM Abromson Community Center, Portland
Second Annual Farm & Fish CSA Fair
April 17, 1-5pm, Morris Farm, Wiscasset
Lewiston-Auburn Greendrinks
April 20, 5-7pm, Baxter Brewing Co., Lewiston-Auburn
"Catching the Sun" Filmscreening
April 21, 7-9pm,
Frontier Cinema, Brunswick
April 21, 6-9pm, Gisland Farm Maine Audubon, Falmouth
April 22, 3-5pm, Whole Foods Market, Portland
April 22, 10-5pm, The Children's Museum & Theater of Maine, Portland
April 23, 9-12am, Deering High School, Portland
April 23, 10-5pm,
Portland Public Library, Portland
April 24, 12-4pm,
Congress Square Park, Portland
April 25, 7-8:30, First Universalist Church, Yarmouth
April 28, 5:30-8pm, Arabica, Portland
April 30, 8:30am-5pm, Viles Arboretum, Augusta
For a complete list of events, please visit the Local Events section on our website.
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Save the Date
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Mark your calendars for these upcoming sustainable living events!
May 1, 10am-1pm, USM Sullivan Center, Portland
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