The John and Mary Dahlem Environmental Education Center A Program of The Dahlem Conservancy April 2008

In this Issue

Celebrate Earth Day with JAOC pg. 1 Executive Director Message pg. 2 April/May Weekend Programs pg. 3 April Work Bee pg. 4 Summer Camp Registration pg. 4 Spring Programs Training pg. 4 Become a Stream Monitor pg. 5 Super Soil Saturday pg. 5 People for Wildlife Column pg. 6 Bring Back the Bluebirds pg. 6 Purple Martins pg. 6 Memberships/Donations pg. 7 Ask the Staff pg. 7 Tips for Green Spring Cleaning pg. 8 Dahlem Center Hours

Tuesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday Noon - 5:00 p.m. Monday Closed The trails and grounds are open from dawn to dusk every day. The entrance gate is opened at 6:30 a.m. and locked at 9:00 p.m. Contact

Phone: 517 - 782 - 3453 Fax: 517 - 782 - 3441

Website: www.dahlemcenter.org

Address: 7117 South Jackson Rd.

Jackson, MI 49201

Celebrate Earth Day with the Jackson Area Outdoor Coalition!!!

Mission Statement: The mission of The Dahlem Conservancy is to provide environ-mental education and land conservancy services to the residents of South Central Michigan.

Building Bluebird Houses Fish Printing Live Reptiles and Amphibians Kayaking & Canoeing Watershed Demonstrations Storytellers, Strolling Musicians Birding Hikes Learn Composting Techniques Tree Planting and Care GeoCaching Bicycles and Blenders And more…. JAOC consists of: Fitness Council, Friends of the Falling Water Trail, Grand River Environmental Action Team (GREAT), Jackson Audubon, Jackson Co. Conservation District, Jackson Nonprofit Support Center, Jackson Parks Commission & Parks Association, Recycle Jackson, The Dahlem Conservancy, Women’s Out-door Adventure Group, YMCA Storer Camps

The JAOC will be back at Cascades Park to hold the 2nd Annual “Celebrate Earth Day!” Join us for a day of family fun! All JAOC organizations (see below) and many other groups will be present to provide fun, interactive, hands-on nature and outdoor activities for children and adults of all ages. This year we have doubled the events and activities that folks can really get involved in.

When: Sunday, April 20 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm Where: Cascades Park, at and around the Pavilion

We’re very proud to showcase a sample of our activities including:

Paw Prints is published monthly for members of The Dahlem Conservancy. DAHLEM CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: John McLaughlin V. President: Myrna Berlet-Dutcher Treasurer: Gary Krupa

Trustees

Kathleen Clark Victor Marshall Betty Desbiens Robert Price Todd Emmons Kathy Shaw Bob Grover Kenneth Walz Robert Henning Denny DaPra - JCC Representative DAHLEM CONSERVANCY STAFF Executive Director: Brad Whaley Education Director: Randy Hill Office Coordinator: Denise Bigham Receptionist: Linda Danley Naturalist: Carrie Benham Maintenance: Mark Snedeker Weekend Clerk:: Andrea Fitzgerald People for Wildlife Coordinator: Gary Siegrist Development Coordinator: Rebecca Mehall

Message from the Executive Director... Spring is such a wonderful time of year to be out at the Dahlem Center! Though we were just hit with a March snowstorm, signs of spring are abound. Spring migrant birds are returning with a new species showing up almost every day and Chorus frogs are beginning to call. By the time you read this we’ll be wrapping up our Maple Syrup programs and moving forward with real “spring” educational programs. I dream of the day when all of our membership comes out to just walk the trails and see the changes that are going on this time of year. There are so many magical things to witness by just going outside - even if you still have to bundle up a bit! A recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey recorded that the average Ameri-can child spends 44 hours in front of an electronic screen (T.V, computer, video games, etc.) each week.

That’s over 6 hours every day! I hope this number is shocking. I know it’s not how you spent your time growing up. So here’s my call to action to us all. Find at least one thing you can do with a youngster outside in the month of April. • Bring them to Dahlem for a “Night

of the Amphibians” (page 3) • Sign them up for a week of Adven-

ture Camp this summer. • How about just a couple hours wan-

dering the trails? • Our Exhibit room has live turtles,

snakes, a salamander and frogs. And there are plenty of things for young and young-at-heart to touch and inspire wonder.

Vow to do this for yourself, your family, your community, and your world! We can’t afford to take the easy route and let “our” children spend 6 hours a day with “Screen Time.” Vow to help convert it to “Green Time!”

Brad Whaley

Are You A Dahlem Member? If not, become a member today and you will receive: • Free admission to most public programs • Advanced registration and reduced

rates for Day Camps and Goblin Walks

• 10% discount on purchases in the Nutshell Gift Shop

• Paw Prints monthly newsletter of events and information

• Access to trails for cross-country skiing.

Membership Fees: Individual Membership - $24 Family Membership - $36 Senior Membership - $12 Memberships also make great gifts for friends and family!! Help us protect nature for future generations!

Become a Member of Dahlem Today!!!

Fill out this form and send to The Dahlem Conservancy!!! Name ___________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________ City __________________________ State ______________ ZIP __________________________ Day Phone __________________________ Evening Phone _____________________ E-Mail _________________________________________________________________

I/We would like to become a member(s) of The Dahlem Conservancy

Payment: Account Number: _____________________________________Exp:________ 3 Digit Verification Code: ______________ Name: ________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _________________________________________________________

Individual Membership $24

Family Membership $36

Senior Membership $12

Check (Payable to The Dahlem Conservancy

Credit Card MasterCard Visa (circle)

Ecology & Environment Series………………………… Purple Martin Workshop 2:00 p.m. Saturday April 5: Much like the plight of the blue-bird, there has been a dramatic decline in Purple Martin population over the last 50 years...but you can help! Join Gary Siegrist, People for Wildlife Coordinator, for this informative workshop, where you will learn about Purple Martins, when and where they live and nest, and how you can help bring them back. Ask about how to become a Purple Martin Landlord.

Ecology & Environment Series…………………………………………. Backyard Habitat for Wildlife Workshop 2:00 p.m. Sunday April 13: Do you want to have the type of backyard that attracts wildlife, but aren’t sure how to do it? If so, you’ll not want to miss this educational workshop on how to transform our backyards to be-come more wildlife-friendly. Join Gary Siegrist, People for Wildlife Coordinator, as he explores methods to attract wildlife and show you how to use native species to greatly enhance your backyard.

Free to Big Brothers Big Sisters

With ID

April/May 2008 Weekend Programs:

Family Wildlife Adventure - Exciting nature programs usually involving live animals (programs that do not have animals are noted in the descrip-tion). Outdoor Travel Adventures - World Travelers share their visits to ecologically unique areas. Edu-tainers - Fun, interactive, educational programs for the whole family. Ecology & Environment Series - Informative presentations on local and national issues. Does not include live animals.

All programs presented at the Dahlem Center at 7117 S. Jackson Rd.

Advance Registration is required. To Register Call 517-782-3453

Admission is $3.00 per person Dahlem Con-servancy Members Admitted Free

These Programs are Sponsored By

Family Wildlife Adventure…………………………………………. Night of the Amphibians 8:00 p.m. Saturday April 19: It’s noisy, it’s wet, it’s fun! Come learn about the annual spring frog frenzy. Dahlem staff will introduce you to a host of amphibians, their eggs and larva. We’ll begin indoors and finish with a “stomp in the swamp” to hear, see, catch and release these spring croakers and peepers. Bring boots and a flashlight and dress for the weather. It will be a night to remember!

Family Wildlife Adventure…………………………………………. Wonderful Wildflowers 2:00 p.m. Saturday May 3: Use all of your senses as you explore the wonderful world of Michigan Wildflowers. Come to Dahlem and join us to see a slide show of Michigan wildflowers. Following the presentation, we will take a casual stroll around the trails as we search for the different wildflowers in bloom, with the help of Karen Gentry. Karen is the Education Programs Coordinator for Hidden Lake Gardens at Michigan State University.

Family Wildlife Adventure…………………………………………. Song Birds on Parade 8:00 a.m. Saturday May 24: The summer birds are back! They’re on territory and on parade. Indigo buntings, rose breasted grosbeaks, scarlet tana-gers and more. It’s nesting season so they are all singing their hearts out, making them easy to locate. Come walk with Gary Siegrist and see for yourself! Bring binoculars (we’ll sup-ply if you don’t have a pair).

Help us Improve the Dahlem Center!!!

Annual Work-Bee Spring Clean-up at the Dahlem Center. Saturday, April 26th from 9am-3pm.

Call 782-3453 to let us know you are able to join in this fun work event. Lunch is provided by the Friends of Dahlem.

Help Needed for Spring Programs! DEECAN Training for Dahlem Center Spring Programs Thursday, April 3 from 9a.m.-12p.m. at the Dahlem Center Spring 2008 Programs: • Signs of Spring Preschool, 1 hour Students discover the wonders of a world awakening to spring by using all of their senses. • Who Lives There? Kindergarten, 1.5 hours Students search for animal homes and learn why we make our homes the way we do. • Spring Birds Grade 1, 2 hours Students use binoculars to observe our feathered friends up close, and learn more about nests, singing, adaptations, and identification. • Frogs and Toads Grade 2, 2 hours Students will learn about life cycles and characteristics of these amazing amphibi-ans!

Outdoor Adventure Camp will be of-fered for two separate weeks again this summer: week of July 7-11 and week of July 14-18. Camp will begin at 8:30a.m. and end at 3:30p.m. each day and will be for those children entering first through sixth grades in the fall. Each grade level will consist of about twenty children lead by a certified elemen-tary classroom teacher, and assisted by a college student majoring in elementary education. Each grade level will be in-volved in their own unique, age appropri-ate activities during the day, but will come together at lunch and at the end of the day for camp songs, stories, and skits. Enrollment will be open to members be-ginning April 1st and to the general pub-lic on May 1st. The enrollment fee will be $85.00 per child for Conservancy members and $100.00 per child for nonmembers. Call the Dahlem Center at (517) 782-3453 for more information

Join us for a fun work day as we gather to improve the Dahlem Center. Individuals and groups are both welcome.

How healthy are the waters of the Upper Grand River Watershed???

Become a Stream Monitor and help us find out!!!!! Last fall, The Dahlem Conservancy, Jackson County Conservation District, and ASTI Environmental imple-mented the first Adopt-A-Stream monitoring program for the Upper Grand River Watershed...and it was a big success!! Over 20 volunteers donned their hip waders, grabbed their

nets, and hit the water to help assess the water quality in the watershed. This spring, we are doing it all again...and we need you!!! During the Adopt-A-Stream Event, teams of volunteers go to their respective sites where they collect macroinvertebrates (stream insects), which are great indicators of water quality. In addition, participants conduct a habitat assessment and meas-ure the dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature. Later in the week, a “Bug ID” event is held where we identify what we caught. Spring 2008 Adopt-A-Stream Dates are:

Adopt-A-Stream Training - Saturday, April 19th from 9a.m.-12 p.m. at the Dahlem Center. Adopt-A-Stream Event - Saturday, May 3rd from 9a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Dahlem Center. Bug ID Day - Wednesday, May 7th from 5:30p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Jackson Community College

If you are interested in helping us measure the water quality of the Upper Grand River Watershed (and don’t mind getting a little dirty), contact Randy Hill at 517 - 782 - 3453 or rhill@dahlemcenter.org.

Local Pak Mail Goes Green (Jackson, MI) - Pak Mail Centers around the country have joined The Peanut Hotline, a pack-ing peanut reuse program created in 1991 by the Plastic Loose Fill Council. Wayne and Kelly Sowers, owner of the Pak Mail Center located at 1737 Spring Arbor Road, says, “Our customers can now drop off unwanted plastic peanuts at our store where we reuse them and together we make a significant contribution to working to keep our planet green.” Recycling has become more than just a trendy, passing phase. According to the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA), the popularity - and necessity - of recycling everyday materials has grown dramatically in less than 20 years. The EPA reports that today, Americans recycle 32.5% of their waste. This number is almost double what it was 15 years ago, proving that consumers understand the value of recycling materials more than ever before. The Peanut Hotline, the most successful packing refuse program in the country, directs consumers to the nearest location that accepts plastic loose fill products for reuse. The program has referred over 1 million consumers to local businesses near them that help to further the recycling cause. Pak Mail centers all around the country are now part of a national database of drop-off sites giving consumers a place to take packing peanuts for reuse. For more information regarding additional Pak Mail services, call 517 - 787 - 9966 or visit www.weshipjackson.com.

Donate to Dahlem by Searching the Web Wish you could be Santa’s helper all year long and give to The Dahlem Conservancy? You can, and it won’t cost you a dime. Instead of using your normal Internet search engine, log on to www.goodsearch.com. Below the search engine bar you’ll see a space where you can allocate your donation, which on average is around one cent per search query. Once you’ve added “The Dahlem Conservancy” in place, just use the search engine above like any other. The results are powered by Yahoo!, which is considered by many to be one of the world’s top search engines. Each time you use goodsearch.com and designate The Dahlem Conservancy, one penny will be donated to Dahlem. So please help spread the word and consider using www.goodsearch.com for your Internet searching needs.

Super Soil Saturday!!

FREE Soil Tests for Upper Grand River Watershed Residents!

Saturday, April 12, 2008 from 9a.m - 3p.m.

The FREE test includes: • pH • Phosphorous • Nitrogen • Potassium Plus, pick up some informational materials on lawn care, fertilizer and pesti-cide use, native plants, rain gardens, and more! You can also purchase a more -detailed soil test kit from MSU-Extension that day for $11. For more information and where to bring samples, call the Jackson County Conservation District at 517 - 782 - 7404

People for Wildlife Column-April The Wonder of Spring Migration

What a great time of year! I am watching college basketball on television (another one of my passions) and getting ready for the NCAA tournament while I write this column. Spring migration for waterfowl is in full swing. Also in migration are the northern birds that have graced our feeders all winter but now are thinking about heading for the far north. Even though I still have Common Redpolls, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Tree Sparrows, I wonder when they will leave for their long flight, with many nesting above the Artic Circle. All I have to do is look outside to see what new birds have migrated into my feeding station. Some of the birds that have come back are Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Song Spar-rows and two species that I wish would have stayed away. They are Brown-headed Cowbirds and Euro-pean Starlings. Waterfowl are moving into any open water, which because we have so much ice on the lakes turns out to be where there is moving water. Head to the nearest impoundment on a river this time of year (Norvell Pound on the Raisin River comes to mind) and get ready to see one of natures wonders. Hundreds, even thousands of waterfowl together in breeding plumage is truly spectacular. Looking at male Hooded Mer-gansers, Northern Shovelers, Wood Ducks, and my all time favorite, the Northern Pintail are breathtak-ing. I was treated to a rare occurrence this week, I saw a life bird. What is a life bird you ask? Well some bird-ers, me included, keep a list of what birds we have seen. So, if you have never seen a particular species and then get to see it, it’s called a life bird. For me this week it was the Long-tailed Duck. I started to look for this duck a few years ago when I started to make my life list. The Long-tailed Duck is a sea duck and rarely comes to inland lakes or rivers. It can be seen in large rafts on the Great Lakes in winter and nest above the Artic Circle around the Artic Ocean in summer. I got to see this beautiful female Long-tail in Ann Arbor of all places. For about a week now re-ports have been coming in from birders that this duck was on the Huron River at Barton Pond. It took me a couple of tries but finally it popped up in front of me and what a great view. It swam back and forth and its movements were so graceful, then it stopped to preen, wow what a great look! It looks like ice cream for all, right Robyn? Boy, I love this time of year. Remember it is time to clean your nest boxes and if you are thinking about putting up Bluebird houses you need to get them up. I need your help in locating and monitoring all the Bluebird nest boxes that are in the county. Call me here at Dahlem or e-mail me at gsiegrist@dahlemcenter.org and get signed up. This program was one of Dahlem’s best volunteer pro-grams; help return it to its past prominence. Gary p.s. American Woodcock and Killdeer are being seen in increasing numbers. Yes, what a great time of year!

Bringing Back the Bluebirds “Bring Back the Bluebirds” was a conserva-tion project started in 1987, and continued until 1995. Since then, parts of the project have been sustained by a small core group of dedicated volunteers who have contin-ued to monitor nest boxes and submit data to the Center. A portion of this new grant money will be used to “revive” the bluebird project to once again be one of the premier conservation projects of the Conservancy. With over 600 bluebird nest boxes placed throughout Jackson County, it has not

been possible for staff to consistently monitor and maintain these nest boxes.

I need your help in locating Bluebird nest boxes . If you have boxes, would like to install boxes on your prop-

erty or would like to be a nest box monitor, let us know! How about helping find all the Purple Martin colonies in

Jackson County or become a landlord.

Purple Martin Recovery Project

The Purple Martin Popula-tion has declined dramati-cally in the last 50 years. This valuable insect eater also provides many hours of enjoyment for those who are fortunate enough to have a colony in their neighborhood. We need to Identify all the Purple Martin colonies currently active in Jackson County. Please help me by calling the Dahlem Center today.

Please contact me. Gary Siegrist-People for Wildlife Coordinator

Thank You to the Following For Their Generous Donations: (2/15/08 - 3/20/08)

We Welcome the Following New Members

Members Corner (Through 3/20/08)

Charles & Pat Anderson Karen Barnes Brenda & Guy Braun Renee & Clay Carroll Shane, Andrea, & Amanda Clark Ashley Crocker Bob & Carol Deaver Jon Fitzgerald Sally Harris Don Hyden Kenneth Johns Hannah Lane Allan & Deanna Malan Jane Murray Barb & Ed O’Connor Debbie Roels Tim Ross Mary & Bob Schafer Patricia Searing Judy Stevenson Jen & Troy Stuart Joe Thorrez Amanda & Peter Vincich Hugh Wygmans Cynthia York

Jessica Adams Mike & Judy Barry Dave Betz Norman Billups Gene & Judy Bills James & Mari Brunner Brad & Julie Clark Kathy & Don Clark Susan Clark Craig Dahlem Family Denise Day Joan Day Bruce Eaton & Joan Farr Margaret Eaton Diana Ebinger Bryon & Amy Ennis Reginald Fennell Al & Kay Ferry Theresa & Richard Fifelski Travis & Georgia Fojtasek Marion Fox William & Dawn Freeman Myer & Lois Franklin Amy & Todd Gale Stan Gibbs Paul & Barb Gilbert Carl & Christina Gilzow Grant & Dottie Griebenow JoJeannette Hatt John & Susan Gruel Thomas Heikkinen Bob & Allie Mae Henning

Ron & Joan Hoffman Beverly Holmes-Carpenter Frances & Joe Hubbard Marilyn Hudler Angela Johnson Gerry & Linda Johnson Sean & Carla Kennedy Paul & Diane Kenyon Susan Lovell Mildred Lower Constance Lucia & Harold Bischoff Kris Luciw Rita Ludenberg Virginia Marron & Randall Kleppe Richard McGuire Georgia McKee Doris Nadeau Sharon Norton Dr. & Mrs. Ralph Otten Gail & Coby Peterson Bob & Genny Price George & Nancy Rausch Chris & Dianne Scheele Gary & Nancy Siegrist Russell & Virginia Smith Phil & Judy Trudell Ethel Van Schoyck John & Audrey Varland Bea Warren Brian & Sarah Welton Ruth Westfall Dr. & Mrs. Wolf John & Phyllis Woodruff Diane Zimmer

In Memory of Margaret Preston Anne & William Albright Walter & Noreen Beuschel Steve & Terry Christian Betty Desbiens Cass & Wendy Gittins III Cynthia Krauz & Mike Brown Nancy Lapinski Rebecca Mehall Ron & Nancy Parzych Alice Truax Charles & Barb Wellman Many Ann White Dorris Wind & Pamela Schauffler In Memory of Dorothy Fennell A.P. & Beatrice Cook In Memory of Dr. Ted Black Carl Haussman In Memory of Natalie Emmons Margot Harris Magee In Memory of James Mitchell Dennis & Linda Maurer

In Memory of Henry Lapham Fred & Debbie Marshall In Memory of Sidney Clute Karen Smith In Memory of James Bunting Karen Smith Dave Betz Marvin & Judith Bills Craig Dahlem Denise Day Joan Day Margaret Eaton Diana Ebinger Bryon & Amy Ennis Reginald Fennell Alton & Kay Ferry Theresa & Richard Fifelski Marion Fox Myer & Lois Franklin John & Susan Gruel Robert & Allie Mae Henning Marilyn Hudler Margaret Johns Constance Lucia & Harold Bischoff

Virginia Marron & Randall Kleppe Michigan Automotive Compressor Inc. Doris Nadeau Robert & Genny Price John & Audrey Varland Bea Warren Ruth Westfall Melvyn & Ann Wolf Gary & Nancy Siegrist William Sonnett Russell & Virginia Smith Ethel Van Schoyck Virginia Vanden Broek Gift In Kind Mary & Don White - 3 ring binders Harold Mead - photos in hand made frames

Thanks to the Following for Renewing Their Memberships

Ask the Staff… Q: Is there a difference between red squirrels, fox squirrels, and gray squirrels? A. Great question! The eastern gray squirrel occupies most of eastern North America within mature mixed hardwood and conifer forests and was abundant in Michigan when the first settlers arrived. The gray squirrel has an overall silvery gray body, a generally white belly, and tail hairs that are white-tipped. Grays are eight to 10 inches long (minus the tail) and weigh up to one and a half pounds. Black squirrels are simply melanistic phases of the gray squirrels. The gray squirrel lives most of its life in and around a single nest tree moving no more than 300 yards in a season and is the least social of all tree squirrels.

At one and a half to two and a half pounds, the fox squirrel is heavier than the gray and is also longer at 10 to 15 inches (minus the tail). The fox has a buff- to orange-colored belly, a back of tawny brown, and a long plumed tail of black-brown with rust-tipped guard hairs. Fox squirrels prefer small woodlots of mature trees throughout the Lower Peninsula. Before 1850, the fox squirrel was con-centrated around grassland openings in oak forests of southwest Lower Michigan. As the forests were cleared for agriculture and timber, fox squirrels used fence rows as travel routes to expand their range. By 1925 the species was found throughout the Lower Peninsula.

Although both species eat the nuts and fruit of many trees and shrubs, rarely do fox and gray squirrels share the same habitat. Grays like dense stands of timber and will frequent river bottoms of sycamore, swamp white oak, black maple, pin oak, ironwood, and elm. Fox squirrels prefer farm coun-try and are attracted to woodlands next to farm fields. Because of their habitat preferences, they are found in different parts of the state. Today, seventy percent of Michigan's fox squirrels live in the southern Lower Peninsula. By contrast, gray squirrels mainly live in the northern Lower Penin-sula. Those that reside in southern Lower Michigan customarily do so in city parks and suburbs with mature trees. The red squirrel lives throughout the state. This small species prefers a forest of conifers or conifers mixed with hardwoods, where it can find both hardwood mast (nuts) and pine seeds. Red squirrels have a total body length of from 280 to 350 mm, with the tail making up from 95 to 150 mm of that. Fur color is highly variable. Red squirrels in differ-ent part of their range can look quite different. Color changes between summer and winter as well. The fur on their back is usually brownish or olive-red in color. During the summer, a black stripe runs along their side, between the fur color of their back and their belly. The belly is white or cream color. The tail is often edged with white. There are white bands encircling their large, black eyes. Source: Michigan DNR -www.dnr.state.mi.us

Spring cleaning can be hazardous to your health—and to the environment. Many com-mon household cleaners contain alcohol, am-monia, bleach, formaldehyde, and lye; sub-stances that can cause nausea, vomiting, in-flammation, and burning of the eyes and throat. Some of these ingredients have been linked with neurological, liver, and kidney damage, and asthma and cancer. When buying

and using cleaning products, here are some things to keep in mind: • Read labels carefully to make an informed environmental decision

regarding your purchases. If you are concerned about the safety or environmental impacts of certain products, contact the manufac-turer for more information.

• When cleaning, remember to use no more than the recommended amount.

• Use a scourer or rub harder on problem areas, rather than overusing cleaners. Try earth-friendly Bon Ami cleanser: www.bonami.com

• Do not mix products unless instructed to do so by the label direc-tions. This can cause unwanted chemical reactions that harm you.

• Make sure containers are kept dry to prevent corrosion. If a con-tainer begins to corrode, place it in a plastic bucket with a lid and clearly label it.

Source: Earthshare (www.earthshare.org)

Do it yourself Cleaners: Some of the greenest cleaners are the ones you make yourself. Here are some sample recipes for simple, effective cleaners:

Drain cleaner: Pour a half-cup of baking soda down the sink and add at least a cup of vinegar. Cover the drain and wait a few minutes, then rinse with a mixture of boiling water and salt.

Window cleaner: Mix two ounces of vinegar with a quart of water in a spray bottle.

Silver polish: Put a sheet of aluminum foil into a plastic or glass bowl. Sprinkle the foil with salt and baking soda and fill the bowl with warm water. Soak your silver in the bowl and tarnish migrates to the foil. Dry and buff.

Brass cleaner: Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt and rub the lemon on the metal. Buff with a cloth.

Rust remover: Use vinegar to remove rust on nuts and bolts and other mi n er a l d ep os i t s s u ch a s ca lc iu m d e p os i t s .

Tips for Green Spring Cleaning

The Dahlem Conservancy 7117 S. Jackson Rd. Jackson, MI 49201 www.dahlemcenter.org

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