March 2024 - Organization Pending Newsroom - Upper Arlington, Ohio
Welcome to Organization Pending's Newsroom, March 2024: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Columbus edition.
Learn about a Community Recommendation for eco-friendly landscaping with Lowery's Lawn Services, take a look at how my family is Organizing Donations and Recycling in our home, and focus on celebrating Earth Day with local Columbus events, and a YouTube™ channel recommendation for all ages. Don't miss Organization Pending's Company News with an update on supporting local sustainability!
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If you have an upcoming event, resource, or professional the community should know about, contact organizationpendingllc@gmail.com.
Columbus Earth Shorts
For the 46th year, The Ohio State University's Student Life Center for Belonging and Social Change is presenting The American Heritage Festival. Join them in their mission to "promote and provide a space for community, visibility, creativity, and education, commemorating and building upon the legacy of the African and African American experience," Thursday, April 4 - Saturday, April 13. This year's festival centers around the word "Mwendo", the Swahili word for Progress, and daily events include Fest Friday: Savor the Flavor, Mahogany Moments: Rhythm of the Renaissance, Fest on the Block: Battle of the Decades and more.
Join the Upper Arlington Public Library and Sustainable UA at the library's Tremont Road Branch on Saturday, April 6, 10am-2pm for the Sustainability Fair 2024! Donate household items and books, recycle electronics and e-waste, and meet with organizations committed to a sustainable future. Stop by for the 10:30am storytime, 10am-1pm recycled paper crafts, 1pm Bugman presentation, or learn more about Franklin County resident community backyard conservation rebates at 10:30am!
April 7 is the Kick-off Event of the 2024 Native Plant Backyard Challenge at Grange Insurance Audubon Center! Since 2021, Columbus Audubon has teamed up for this annual program, with multiple workshops throughout the year. Participants in the Native Plant Backyard Challenge receive online resources and support, and in-person events include biodiversity experts, eco-educators, wildlife specialists, a native plant sale with design education, and opportunities to meet with other participants. Registration opened in January - $35 for new participating households, or $30 for households continuing their education.
Did spaces fill up before you could sign up? Check out classes offered through Columbus Garden School.
Bevelhymer Park in New Albany is hosting a Solar Eclipse Experience Monday, April 8, from 1pm-5! The first 2,000 attendees will receive free eclipse glasses - they encourage early attendance, so bring your blankets or chairs! This is a kid-friendly event, with science based activities and food trucks.
Or head over to COSI for their "full day of fun, hands-on activities!" Check out their live streaming option and Digital Solar Experience; learn more about Citizen Science Projects; purchase a Solar Connects Kit (grades K-8), or order your COSI NASA-approved solar eclipse glasses!
Puzzle Swap is happening Saturday, April 13, 2-3pm at the Upper Arlington Public Library Tremont Road! Bring your 300+ piece, gently used puzzles for adults, and swap them out for something new.
Stop by the Lane Road Branch Saturday, April 20, 10am-4pm, or Sunday the 21st, 1-3pm for the Arts and Crafts Supply Swap! Adults and teens - drop off supplies April 13-19 to receive a priority access ticket to the swap 10am-12pm on Saturday, or stop by after 12pm or on Sunday for public access.
The Miller Park Branch is hosting a Garden Swap Saturday, April 27, 10am-4pm - bring your excess healthy plants, cuttings, seeds, tools, and pottery!
Stop by Columbus Fashion Academy's new location at 218 McDowell Street on Saturday, April 20, 10am-4pm for their first International Public Mending Day event! Experience one of the ways to create sustainability in your wardrobe while "a wonderful team of skilled volunteers bring their creativity and sewing skills to the table, as we mend, sew, and rejuvenate beloved garments from our fashion community."
Unfamiliar with Columbus Fashion Academy? Last April, Organization Pending announced their partnership with Columbus Fashion Academy - with decluttering and home organizing services, Organization Pending is able to offer free donation takeaway of items the Academy uses to support sustainable fashion education and local creativity.
DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 27, 10am-2pm, at Fire Station 72, 3861 Reed Road. This drive-thru event will take your unused prescriptions, in baggies for your privacy, and expired over the counter medications. Or stop by the Kingsdale Giant Eagle Pharmacy for year-round prescription disposal!
Target will hold their annual Car Seat Trade-in Event April 14-27! They accept: infant car seats, convertible car seats, car seat bases, harness or booster car seats, and expired or damaged car seats. Check for the drop-off box near Guest Services, and receive a 20% off coupon towards your next car seat or select baby home gear item - these coupons are able to be used twice!
Organizing Donations and Recycling
Last spring, we took a closer look at a few Community Recommendations for decluttering, recycling, and donation, including a discussion on recycling household hazards, electronics, and local food composting options. But with so many donation and recycling specifics, let's discuss how to keep it all organized!
Most homes already have one or two areas where outgoing items tend to gather - usually near a door, and/or in the garage. A first step most people skip while decluttering is to establish a permanent, named zone for ongoing outgoing items. Once a home is fully decluttered once, having a zone lets everyone put donations/recycling/read library books in the right place, and allows anyone to see when the zone is getting full, indicating it's time to run an errand or two.
Working on decluttering your home for the first time in a while? Take a look at the tips below to help you keep your trash/donation/recycling piles organized!
Use black trash bags for trash - this helps us from second-guessing decisions, and from seeing broken items we might not have wanted to let go.
Many donation services offer free pickup for bulk donations. Establish a location in the home or garage to collect everything while you're decluttering, allowing the pickup to happen quickly.
Donating and recycling to specific locations yourself? Use white garbage bags for soft donations, and paper bags or boxes for other items - don't forget to label these with large print at the top, indicating their final destination.
Are you trying to sell or give away items to your community? I do this occasionally as well, allowing space for these items in my ongoing outgoing zone! Make sure to take clear, well-lit pictures from many angles, including any information about the product that's printed on it, and close-ups of any defects. Give as much relevant accurate information as possible in your description, including any defects. After a week, donate or dispose of any free items, taking down the listings for them. For unsold items, lower the cost for a week - if these items remain unsold, high priced items should take a deep cut to the listed prices, and lower priced items can be considered for donation. If items remain after three total weeks on the market, one last deep cut to pricing for an additional week before donating could make sense, but many people find by that point, they value the space in their home over the potential cash they could receive.
Lowery's Lawn Services: Community Recommendation Highlight
Many of us are searching for ways to practice sustainability in our everyday living, looking to support local companies that practice those same beliefs. I was thrilled when I learned about the company celebrating Earth Day everyday - zero emissions lawn care services, Lowery's Lawn Services - and reached out to learn more.
"I am passionate about zero emission lawncare and landscaping and using sustainable practices for a variety of reasons, the biggest being the positive impact it has on our environment. Many people don't realize how much pollution is created by using small engine gas mowers, trimmers, blowers, etcetera, ...[including] both smog/carbon dioxide and noise pollution. [...] Choosing to have a lawn care provider using zero emission equipment has an enormous impact on the quality of air we breathe and reduces your carbon footprint." -Ashley Lowery-Hauser, Owner (she/her)
1 hour of using a gas powered lawn mower is equal to driving 300 miles in a car.
1 hour of using a gas leaf blower emits smog-forming pollution comparable to driving a car 1,100 miles.
The EPA estimates that gas lawn mower emissions account for as much as 5% of the nation's total air pollution and over 17 million gallons of gasoline spilled each year just refueling.
Gas powered equipment can damage hearing and runs at approximately 95 decibels vs 75 decibels or less with electric equipment.
Find more information, statistics, and tips in Lowery's Lawn Services' FAQ.
Building on a background and passion for lawn care and landscaping, Owner Ashley Lowery-Hauser (she/her) saw the dreams of starting her own company turn into reality in 2022, hoping to expand in the future with other women passionate about the business. "I am also working towards buying an electric truck - right now the expense and limitations on tow capacity have prevented me from being able to move forward - and I am constantly researching and networking with companies about the equipment they have and what is in the works, so I can expand my services as more commercial grade zero emission equipment is available. [So far] I have invested in top grade electric mowers, trimmers, blowers and other pieces of equipment that last all day and have the equivalent power of gas." This focus on high standards ensures "there is no sacrifice in the quality of work my company provides by using zero emission equipment."
Lowery's Lawn Services doesn't only give back to the environment, but also the community, helping someone in need for free with every 20th customer, including one-time mowing, property cleanup, hauling, and "currently, I mow three properties for free for elderly/disabled individuals who are in need. It is important to me to help where I can, there are a lot of people who want to have a nicer or more presentable property and they just need a little helping hand."
"I am not only a female-owned small business, but I am also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I believe that everyone should be treated fairly and equally, no matter how they identify. I promise to provide a safe and comfortable experience for everyone."
Lowery's Lawn Services' Top Five Specialties:
Take a look at Lowery's Lawn Services' top requested specialties below, or explore additional service options, including power washing and maintenance online.
weekly mowing, trimming and blowing
seasonal cleanups & shrub trimming
mulching & edging
smaller landscaping projects (including patio pavers, flower bed creation, and demolition)
flowers and plant advisement to include native plants that are appropriate for the property
How to find Lowery's Lawn Services:
Website: loweryslawnservices.com Contact Form: loweryslawnservices.com/contact
Email: ashley@loweryslawnservices.com Call/Text: 614-313-0471
Facebook: Lowery's Lawn Services, LLC Instagram: loweryslawns
MinuteEarth: YouTube™ Recommendation
Looking to learn more about the world surrounding us this Earth Day? Since 2013, the MinuteEarth YouTube™ channel has offered a family-friendly "series of short illustrated stories about science and our awesome planet!"
Their playlists feature MinuteEarth Explains videos, climate change, evolutionary biology, animals, humans, language & culture, agriculture & food science, astronomy, technology & engineering, public policy, history of science, atmospheric sciences and more.
Learn about tree fingerprints, the weird way monkeys got to America, why most fossils are incomplete, why heart attacks cause arm pain, the worst time to die in history, how caffeine accidentally took over the world, and more Earth discussions that affect us everyday.
MinuteEarth is part of Neptune Studios, "a group of scientists, writers, and illustrators with a passion for sharing our curiosity (and where it leads!) with the world," - check out their other channels, MinutePhysics and MinuteFood, for additional learning opportunities.
MinuteEarth is also available in Spanish at Minuto da Terra, or check out the Spanish language channel about gastrophysics, Gastrofísica, by one of the creators of MinuteEarth.
Looking to connect your kids or classroom with the material? Check out their lesson plans for teachers and educators, activity pages, resources, and their book, MinuteEarth Explains: How Did Whales Get So Big?
Company News
As a commitment to greener business practices, Organization Pending announced in April 2023 that clients would be able to receive free donation takeaway of items Columbus Fashion Academy uses to support local sustainable fashion education and creativity - supporting local business and youth.
At the end of 2023, Organization Pending was Columbus Fashion Academy's top donation source, helping save over 1,653 pounds of clothing from landfills.
Do you have a closet or craft room you need help decluttering and organizing? Reach out to Organization Pending and help support Columbus Fashion Academy today!