Star City Blog

Pioneers Park Nature Center Natural Play Area in Lincoln Earns National Certification as Nature Explore Classroom

Pioneers Park Nature Center, an environmental education center and wildlife sanctuary located in Lincoln, today announced that its outdoor classroom earned the national designation of a certified Nature Explore Classroom from the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation. The name of its outdoor classroom is Pioneers Park Nature Center Natural Play Area.

The national certification places Pioneers Park Nature Center in a select circle. It is the seventh certified Nature Explore Classroom in Nebraska and one of 30 that have been certified in the United States. The first Nature Explore Classroom is located in the Tree Adventure attraction at Arbor Day Farm, the Arbor Day Foundation’s interactive conservation venue in Nebraska City, Neb.

UPDATED: Blog Talk Live: Interview with W. Cecil Steward

* What is a sustainable community? 

* How can we know whether a community is making progress toward sustainability? 

* What are Lincoln's chances of becoming a sustainable community?

We will explore these questions and more on the next "Blog Talk Live", which airs this Tuesday, November 10th, from 6-7pm.  My guest will be W. Cecil Steward, professor and dean Emeritus of the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska, where he served as dean for 27 years. 

In 1996 he founded the Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities, with offices in Omaha and Lincoln.  He currently serves as the President/CEO of the JCI. Cecil is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a former national president of the American Institute of Architects (1991-92).

Blog Talk Live airs every Tuesday from 6-7pm on KZUM 89.3 FM, on Time-Warner cable channel 10, and on the web at kzum.org.

Audio for the broadcast is provided in two parts below. Note that, due to technical challenges in the studio, the sound quality is poor, but the conversation is audible.

BTL_Cecil_Steward_10NOV09_Part1 27:42

BTL_Cecil_Steward_10NOV09_Part2 24:32

Featured Business: Community CROPS

By DeMisty Bellinger


As Lincoln's gardening season nears an end, I thought activity at Community CROPS would be slowing down. My attempts to meet with Amy Brt, Community Garden Program Manager, proved that theory wrong. Though her busy schedule was challenging, we finally found some time to discuss the organization she works so hard for: Community CROPS.

What is Community CROPS?
Community CROPS (Combining Resources, Opportunities, and People for Sustainability) helps families grow food for themselves and the community. We are a non-profit organization with several programs to connect people with access to locally grown food, such as the Community Garden Program, Farm training program, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and CROPS Farmers Market.

Featured Business: Porridge Papers

By Hanna Day-Woodruff

Lincolnites with a penchant for locally-made, hand-fashioned, environmentally responsible products take heart--we have a thriving, small business in our midst, one that is worthy of your patronage.

Travel down South between 14th and 15th Streets and look to the north--you will see a freshly painted olive green and black brick facade jumping out from the ruddy red of its neighbors.  Porridge Papers, Lincoln's own letterpress and paper mill, is ready to be noticed.

Experience Nature in the Full Splendor of Fall at Arbor Day Farm

Experience the first glimpse of fall in all its splendor enjoying the wonders of nature at Arbor Day Farm. Arbor Day Farm and Lied Lodge & Conference Center offers plenty of opportunities for families to get outside and experience the sights, scents and sounds of the natural world through its season-long Harvest Celebration.

New this fall at Arbor Day Farm is the Giant Corn Maze Challenge, one of the area’s largest. The Giant Corn Maze covers 20 acres and includes more than four miles of paths. The maze is part of Arbor Day Farm’s Tree Adventure attraction, which also includes Artisan Woods, an outdoor exhibit featuring the work of nine regional artists tucked along the trails. The Corn Maze and Artisan Woods are open through Nov. 1.

Updated: Blog Talk Live: Guest Dr. Robert Hutkins

By Dennis Kornbluh

Blog Talk Live airs tonight from 6-7pm on KZUM 89.3 FM, and via Internet streaming at kzum.org. This evening's guest will be Dr. Robert Hutkins, Professor of Food Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In his lab, Dr. Hutkins studies bacteria that are important in fermented foods and in human health.  We'll talk to him about food in America, and get his impressions of the film "Food, Inc.", which is now playing at The Ross (see story on Star City Blog).

During the show we'll also get a live update via telephone from co-host Micah Leamer about the Healthcare Reform Rally that will take place at the State Capitol during this program.

Audio from tonight's show:

BTL_25AUG09_Part1 27:28

BTL_25AUG09_Part2 24:54

Get Answers at the Lincoln Electric System Educational Forum About Smart Grid

- How can Smart Grid help me manage my energy bill?

- Could I really have a system in my home that helps me track my energy use in real time?

- What will be the impact if I decide to purchase a plug-in hybrid vehicle?

- Can the Smart Grid benefit the environment?

Learn the answers to these and other questions at Lincoln Electric System’s Smart Grid Educational Forum. Join LES and other leading experts from around the country on August 13, 2009, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Grand Manse, 129 N. 10th St. in downtown Lincoln. Registration starts at 8 a.m.

"Cash for Clunkers" Popular in the Lincoln Area

By A. David Kornbluh

My son, Marc, a glass artist at Gallery 9, drives a 1998 van that developed a serious transmission problem last week. This prompted a family discussion of the alternatives: trade-in, repair, or junk the car.  Several friends suggested looking into the “Cash for Clunkers” program. 

Unfortunately, the van’s fuel efficiency rating is over 18 mpg, which made it ineligible. The program, which is detailed on the government website http://cars.gov, is designed to encourage owners of old gas guzzling cars and light trucks that get 18 mpg or less to trade them in and buy or lease a new, higher mileage, more environmentally friendly vehicle from a participating dealer and receive a rebate of $3,500-$4,500.

Arbor Day Farm Offers Year-Round Adventure and Fun for All

By Sarah F. Sullivan

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts,
as for that subtle something, that quality of air that  emanates from old trees,
that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.

-   Robert Louis Stevenson

Walking up the curving sidewalk towards the Arbor Day Farm’s Woodland Pavilion, I had a feeling deep in my stomach that it was going to be a good day. The rain that had pounded so fiercely during last evening had passed, leaving only sparing clouds and a thick humidity that hung low over the trees huddling closely near the Pavilion. The Arbor Day Farm, located in Nebraska City, rolled before me in a sprawling 260 acres that were once part of Arbor Day founder J. Sterling Morton’s estate.

Electric Cars Espoused as Key to Energy Independence

In anticipation of Earth Day, consider the energy problem. There's a lot of talk about ending our dependence on foreign oil. A company called "Better Place" has an ambitious plan to further that goal, and they are executing it. Projects are now in progress around the world, as well as here in the USA, to roll out electric vehicles manufactured by Renault-Nissan that introduce standards for batteries, charging receptacles, and charging stations. Watch the video to learn more.

Find more videos like this on Planet Better Place