Earth Day Florida

Using Earth Day Principles in the Real World

2009-05-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 10th, Free

The Health Chic House
12 N 5th St
Haines City, Fl 33844
863-419-8584

11am- Rain Barrels
Create and install a rain barrel from start to finish then learn learn how to attach it to a micro-irrigation system. Hands on demonstration.
Barrels are available for $30 each.

Noon- Composting
Step by step guide to starting your own compost system. Workshop starts with the basics of composting kitchen waste, then transferring it to an outside compost system.

Advanced composting topics include incorporating earthworms into your system and using compost for lawn and garden.

1pm- Aquaponics & Container Gardens
Create an edible and sustainable backyard by incorporating aquaponic and container gardening systems. See a working system in progress.

This is an outside location. Bring a lawn chair, sunscreen, and hat.

This event is possible through a grant from the Alafia and Peace River basin boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management.

Earth Day Celebration 2009- Activities for Everyone

2009-04-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

In addition to lots of great free workshops at this year's Earth Day Celebration 2009 at The Health Chic House in Haines City, Florida there are lots of great other fun things to do. The event is Saturday, April 11, 2009, 10-6.

Kid Powered Steam Train
Bottle Toss, Duck Game, Basketball
Music
Karaoke- Cafe Cabaret, 2-6pm
Happy Chappy The Clown, 12-2pm, Cafe Cabaret
Storytelling- The WAY Center, starting at 10:30, every hour
Blood Drive
Detox Footbaths- $10
Hooping Demos
Mini Iridology Sessions- $10
Chair Massage- $1.00 per minute
Paint a Dumpster

Earth Day Celebration 2009, The Health Chic House

2009-03-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

Lots of great free workshops at this years countywide Earth Day Celebration at The Health Chic House in Haines City, Florida.

There will be three classrooms set-up for this event. The outside classroom, the inside classroom and the inside front workshop. This schedule will be updated weekly, so check back for updates so that you may plan your day accordingly. Visit the Class Descriptions, Instructor Bios, and other activities for more information. All workshops are FREE unless otherwise noted. Class times and topics subject to change.

Outside Classroom- Room A
10:10am- Using Rain Barrels
11:10am- Florida Friendly Landscaping
12:10pm- The Slow Food Movement
1:10pm- Composting
2:00pm- Benefits of Earthworms
3:00pm- Organic Gardening
4:00pm- Micro Irrigation
5:00pm- Using Rain Barrels
6:00pm- Florida Friendly Landscaping

Inside Classroom-Room B
10:30am- Hidden Rivers of Florida Movie
12:00pm- Beneficial Bugs
1:00pm- The Meatrix Movie
1:05pm- Healthy Living Trivia Game
2:15pm- Hidden Dangers in Kids’ Meals Movie
3:00pm- Tips for Saving Water Inside
3:30pm- Choosing the Right Low Flow Toliet
4:30pm- Healthy Living Trivia Game

Inside Front Workshop- Room C
10:30am- Making herbal salves and oils
11:30am- Step by Step Guide to Starting a Garden
12:30pm- A Better Sip...the Buzz on Organic Wine & Coffee
2:15pm- Choosing Healthy Food: Local, Organic & In Between
3:15pm- Intro to Aquaponics

In addition to workshops, various exhibits will happen throughout the day. Visit Other Activities and our Exhibitor/Vendor page to find out what else is happening.

There are a few vendor spaces still available. Call Wendimere Reilly at 863-419-8584 for more details.

Don’t miss out on Earth Day Celebration 2010. Book your sponsorship and vendor space now for 2009 pricing.

Reduce--Reuse--Recycle
Take the Pledge Today!

Earth Day Haines City Event List

2008-04-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

Earth Day Celebration
Your Guide to a Fun & Eco-Friendly Festival!

Sunday, April 2oth, 10-5
Historic Downtown Haines City

Workshops held at either The Health Chic House (THCH) or South By Southwest (SBS)

Early risers stop at Zook’s or Doughmonde for coffee & breakfast.
9:55 a.m. - Earth Day Kick-off & Dedication by Mayor Philip Hinkle (THCH Front Porch)

Workshops
10:00 a.m. Using Rain Barrels – Free, Rain Barrels available for $20 each (THCH Outside)
10:30 a.m. Beginner’s Guide to Creating an Herb Garden – Free (SBS, Back Porch)
11:00 a.m. Introduction to Composting – Free, Supplies available for sale (THCH Outside)
Noon All About Organic Gardening – Free (THCH Outside)
1:00 p.m Intro to Using Herbs for Health – $20 (THCH Inside)
2:00 p.m. Florida-friendly Landscaping – Right Plant, Right Place, Free (THCH Outside)
2:30 p.m. Beneficial Bugs for Hire – Free (SBS, Back Porch)
3:00 p.m. Using Herbs: Plant to Oil to Salve – Free (THCH Outside)

Fun Things to Do
• Kiddie Train, Face Painting, Bath Salt Art, Coloring, Wrist Band Making (Court Street)
• Pony Rides, Bounce House, Coloring (Zook’s Café Intersection)
• Local School Performances – FFA Ag Team- 10:05am, Dance Team- 2pm
• High Noon Human Checker Game Competition- Haines City Fire vs. Police (Court)
• Music by DJ Ken Henson from Pamalicious 12 – 5 p.m., Catherine Price, 2 – 4pm (Court)
• Relaxing Chair Massage & Detox Foot Baths (THCH)

Be Eco-Conscious
• Enter to Win A Cruise or Tons of Other Prizes – Take Your Reduce Your Use Pledge (THCH)
• Recycle Your Old Electronics & Computers – The WAY Center (Under Parking Garage)
• Please Recycle Your Glass & Plastic Cups and Bottles (containers at THCH & Zook’s)

Exhibits, Vendors & Free Goodies
• Information & Kids Stamp Books- Main Street Organization
• Toilet Facilities Located next to Court Street
• Free Bio-bags & Trees- Cromer Printing
• Enter to Win a Rain Barrel and Micro Irrigation – Green Earth Expo
• Audition to be a guest co-host on a Radio Show – The Girls Gone Green
• Spinal Screenings & Kids Bean Bag Toss – 4 Corners Chiropractic
• Water Conservation Materials – Water Conservation Board
• Free Seeds & Trees – Dolphin Printing
• Coloring Station – Pre-Paid Legal
• Voter Registration
• Craft Vendors- Ozzie’s Wood Burning, Linda Kay Creations
• Cool off & Watch a Water Conservation Film 11:15am & 2:15pm (THCH)
• Plants for Sale- Polk Training Center

Shopping
• By Design – Home Décor, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Epic – Tattoo Shop, 4 – 8 p.m.
• Shoppes At Van Buren – 7 stores, upstairs, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday's Child - Children, Copperfield's Christmas, Darla & Cooper-Pets, Waltzing Matilda's-Bags
Seventh Avenue - Gift Baskets, Abigail's Cottage-Shabby Chic, The Grape & Olive-Kitchen
• South By Southwest – Western, Southwestern, & Native American home décor, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• The Health Chic House – Supplements, Shoes & Clothing, Green Cleaning, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Haines City Earth Day- Kids Events

2008-04-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Earth Day Florida is Haines City has lots of fun things for kids to do. The event is Sunday, April 20th, 10am-5pm. The event is located in Historic Dowtown Haines City. Check in at the Main Street booth on Court Street (across from The Health Chic House on 5th St) for an event day map and kids stamp book.

• Kiddie Train, Face Painting, Bath Salt Art, Coloring (Court Street)
• Pony Rides, Bounce House, Coloring (Zook’s Café Intersection)
• Local School Performances- 2pm (Dance Team, FFA AG Team)
• High Noon Human Checker Game Competition- Haines City Fire vs. Police (Court)

Also, kids can learn about how to save water and earn a free kids goodie bag. Stamp books can be picked up at the Main Street Booth and as they visit the exhbits and shops they learn a water conservation tip and get a stamp. Once they fill up the book they take it to the Shoppes of Van Buren for their gift bags.

Local artists will be painting rain barrels and once kids take a pledge to "Reduce Your Use" they get to sign a rain barrel.

For more info call 863-419-8584.

Haines City Main Street Votes to Sponsor Earth Day

2008-04-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Haines City Main Street Organization has decided to come on board as a sponsor for the Haines City Earth Day Celebration. This decision means that we will be able to close off Court Street and offer more classes, vendors and entertainment at the event, making it a truly a community wide celebration.

New additions to the event include a DJ and local musicians, thanks to a generous donation from Florida Refuse. Keep recycling!!!

A highlight of the day will be the human checker game played between our very own Haines City finest, Police Department versus Fire Department. Everyone's favorite event guy, Kelly Callihan from our own Parks and Rec Department will MC and officiate the competition. It will be an event not to be missed.

La Fiesta Mexicana has kindly donated funds towards the event and will be hosting a Mariachi Band from 6-9pm at their place. South by Southwest will be open for business and will offer free mini classes, including A Beginners Guide to Starting an Herb Garden and Beneficial Bugs for Hire. Zooks Cafe will host a post-event garden party starting at 5pm with a free movie starting at dusk.

Epic will be on-hand for Face Painting and The Health Chic Kids will teach bath salt art. (additional fees apply.)

The WAY Center will be open for business and accepting donations as well as offering on-hand electronic recycling. Cafe Cabaret will be open, so stop in for a cold latte or sample of alkalized water.

Other participants include Water & Me, Polk County Water Conservation, Global Green Alliance, and Voter Registration. All of this plus all of the previous mentioned classes at The Health Chic House.

Lee Butler to Teach at Earth Day at The Health Chic House

2008-03-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

The Health Chic House is pleased to announce that Herbalist Lee Butler will be teaching a one hour, Power Hour about about the fundamentals of taking an herbal approach to healthy living. Come learn about the traditional uses of 10 popular herbs.

The class will be held in The Health Chic House Educational Studio, 1pm, Sunday, April 20th in conjunction with our Earth Day festivities.

Lee Butler has been involved in the natural health field for over 13 years. After many health challenges at a young age and realizing that pharmaceutical drugs weren't giving her the relief she was looking for, she began to learn about taking an alternative approach. Lee began to apply what she learned about herbs and healthy lifestyle changes. She dedicated herself to overcoming these health challenges and became passionate about teaching others.

At twenty-one years old, Lee opened her first Herb Shop. She opened a second location a few years later. Lee's education grew over the years as she attended numerous workshops throughout the U.S. with some of the top herbalists in the country. Lee was fortunate enough to attend classes with Dr. Bernard Jensen, world renowned Iridologist, author and educator. One of the highlights of her career was a recent trip to China to gain a deeper understanding of chinese medicine.

After becoming an herbalist and a natural health professional, her love for natural health began to attract other women that wanted to continue what she had started . Today, she continues to inspire others and can be found in the Clermont Herb Shoppe and facilitating workshops. Lee's approach is about keeping things simple, getting to the root (whether physical or emotional), using common sense and ultimately listening to your body.
Her teaching style is fun, relaxed and welcoming.

Please RSVP by calling Lee at 407-346-1688. Class fee is $20. Please bring cash, no credit cards accepted.

Southwest Florida Water Management Announces 2008 Grant Recipients

2008-02-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

Polk County Projects Receive Community Education Grants

Four Polk County projects that are expected to reach approximately 6,000 residents were awarded Community Education Grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. These grants provide up to $5,000 to help fund projects that provide communities an opportunity to learn about water resources.

This year the District awarded 38 grants Districtwide for a total of $136,598. This is the 11th year Community Education Grants have been available.

The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation, protection and preservation. Funded by the District’s Basin Boards, the program is intended to motivate communities to get involved in watershed protection through various activities and educational formats.

The following three projects are funded by the Peace River Basin Board, which includes portions of Charlotte, Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, and Polk counties.

The Florida Yards & Neighborhoods/Polk County Extension will receive $3,105 to conduct several Florida-friendly landscaping workshops to neighborhood associations in the northeast portion of the county. This area is being targeted because of its high water use due to heavy residential development. Participants will learn how to conserve water in the landscape, use and maintain their irrigation system and reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The project will reach approximately 1,000 people.

Haines City will receive $2,327 for the “Water and Me” workshop. This project will show Haines City-area residents how to conserve water inside and outside the home. Participants who complete a survey will receive conservation kits that include water conservation products and information. Grant funds will be used to purchase faucet aerators, shower timers, drip counters, hot water gauges and water hose nozzles for participants. The program’s goal is to encourage residents to change water wasting behaviors. Approximately 2,000 people will be reached through this project.

The Health Chic, Inc. will receive $5,000 for a Haines City Earth Day event, which will feature Florida-friendly landscaping and the District’s drought messaging. The event will also demonstrate current watershed conditions and promote water conservation. Attendees will be encouraged to sign a pledge to reduce their water use. The pledge will be posted on multiple web sites to generate enthusiasm. Approximately 1,500 people will be reached through this project.

Funding for the following project comes from the Alafia River Basin Board, the Hillsborough River Basin Board and the Peace River Basin Board. The Alafia River Basin Board includes the southern half of Hillsborough County and the southwestern portion of Polk County. The Hillsborough River Basin includes portions of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.

The Polk County Board of County Commissioners will receive $3,226 for “Water, Wings and Wild Things: Polk Naturefest 2008.” The annual nature celebration in Polk County provides an age-diverse audience with the opportunity to learn about local
natural resources and nature-based recreation. The goal of the event is to educate citizens about natural resources, including water resources, with the intent on changing behavior. Grant funds would be used for rental of tables, chairs, portable toilets and hand-washing stations; site security; wildlife presentations and event fliers. Expected attendance is 1,500.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s 2009 Community Education Grant Program will begin its application process in June 2008. For more information, please call the District’s Communications Department at 1-800-423-1476 or 352-796-7211, ext. 4757.

Composting Trash to Treasure

2008-02-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

The Earth Day Celebration at The Health Chic House in historic Haines City will include a composting workshop at 11am on Sunday, April 20th. This workshop emphasizes the importance of reusing and recycling waste. You will learn the many methods of composting, and what will work best for you.

This class is free of charge, but you may purchase an Earth Machine compost bin ($40) or kitchen scrap bucket ($10). Please pre-register for this workshop and bring cash if you plan on purchasing a bin or bucket as credit cards will not be accepted. Click here to register online or call Anne at (863) 519-8677.

This event is made possible in part through a grant from the Peace River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management.

Rain Barrel Workshop

2008-02-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

The Earth Day Celebration at The Health Chic House in historic Haines City will include a rain barrel workshop at 10am on Sunday, April 20th. In this workshop you will learn the basics of water conservation, stormwater runoff and other things you can do to conserve water and preserve water quality in your landscape. This is a hands-on workshop where you will create and take home a rain barrel.

The fee for this workshop is $20 (includes a 55 gallon rain barrel and spigot). You MUST pre-register for this workshop if you would like a rain barrel. Click here to register online or call Anne at (863) 519-8677.

This event is made possible in part through a grant from the Peace River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management.

Anne Yasalonis to Teach at Earth Day

2008-02-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

Anne Yasalonis is the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Coordinator for the UF/IFAS Polk County Extension Service. She has been with the Extension Service and the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods program since May 2002. Anne attended Virginia Tech University and has a B.S. in Horticulture and has previously worked as a residential landscape designer. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Agronomy from the University of Nebraska.

The Polk County Florida Yards and Neighborhoods is a grant-funded program in cooperation with the University of Florida, Polk County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Florida Yards and Neighborhoods addresses the serious problems of pollution in stormwater runoff, water shortages, and disappearing habitats by enlisting Floridians in the battle to save our natural resources. The program, which is implemented through the UF/IFAS Polk County Extension Service, provides education and outreach activities in the community to help residents reduce pollution, conserve water and enhance their environment by improving home and landscape management.

Anne will be a special guest instructor at the Earth Day Celebration at The Health Chic House in historic downtown Haines City. The event is Sunday, April 20th, 10am-5pm. Anne will teach rainbarrels, composting, organic gardening, and florida native plants. For more info or to register for workshops, Click Here or call Anne at (863) 519-8677.

This event is made possible in part through a grant from the Peace River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management.

Earth Day Classes at The Health Chic House

2008-02-04T17:21:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that the Florida Yards & Neighborhood Program will be providing the following classes at Earth Day at The Health Chic House, Sunday, April 20th.

10am- Rainbarrels, $20 (includes rainbarrel)
11am- Composting, Free
12pm- Organic Gardening, Free
2pm- Intro to Florida Native Plants

Florida Yards & Neighborhoods will also be providing free kids craft activities. More details to follow. Please register for classes at Florida Yards.

This event is made possible in part through a grant from the Peace River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management.

The Health Chic Earth Day Celebration

2007-10-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

At The Health Chic House in Haines City, Florida we are busy getting ready for our first annual Earth Day Celebration, on Sunday, April 20th. We have already confirmed Rainbarrel and Composting workshops with Florida Yards and Neighborhoods. We will be enlisting the creativity and ingenuity of The Health Chic Kids to create a Water Conservation Display.

Mark your calendars now for this exciting event. This event is made possible in part through a grant from the Peace River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management.

Welcome to Earth Day Florida

2007-10-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

Earth Day Florida is your source for Florida Earth Day events, classes, parties and other initiatives. Our theme for 2008 is START LOCAL. Please let us know what your community is doing to make Florida greener, cleaner and stronger environmentally. Show us your Eco-Attitude Florida.