RALEIGH, NC - On June 25th, the Greater Raleigh Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) showcased the growth of women-owned businesses in the Triangle at their 30th Anniversary Red Carpet Gala and Awards Ceremony. The black-tie event was held at Brier Creek Country Club. Kim Genardo, political reporter and host of “At Issue” on NBC 17, emceed the awards ceremony honoring the chapter’s finest.
The 2007-2008 Greater Raleigh NAWBO awards were presented to:
Rising Star Award - Debra Rezeli, owner of 2D Designs, Inc.
The Best Supporting Member (aka the Rising Star Award) recognizes the accomplishments of one new member who has joined NAWBO within 18 months of nomination and who has supported the Greater Raleigh NAWBO Chapter through active participation in meetings, events and committees, promotion, and networking.
Mary Diener Spirit Award - Leslie McMillan, owner of LSM Insurance Associates
The Mary Diener Spirit Award, named after the first Greater Raleigh NAWBO president, recognizes the accomplishments of one outstanding NAWBO member who exemplifies the spirit of NAWBO and has worked to practice, innovate, and effect changes by supporting and establishing the presence for NAWBO.
Woman Business Owner of the Year - Donna Peery, Principal of Five Star Staffing & Accounting Recruiters
The Best Business Owner of the Year Award recognizes the accomplishments of one outstanding NAWBO member who has used creative initiatives to overcome obstacles, create jobs, grow a successful business, and help her community.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
With food prices rising, consumers could be hit hardest when crops like corn experience drought. Every step possible needs to be taken to conserve water.
(NewsUSA) - Crops are struggling, and lawns are turning brown. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 36 states anticipate water shortages by 2013.
For the millions affected by drought, every drop makes a difference. Personal water consumption remains a serious issue -; the EPA states that the average American consumes the equivalent of 1,600 glasses of water a day. Extended dry spells impact consumers, who are now turning to smart products that save water without sacrificing performance. Here are some products that help conserve water:
- The Shark Steam Mop cleans a 1,000 square foot floor surface with one pint of water, compared to the four gallons used in mop-and-bucket cleaning, according to the company. By turning a small amount of water into powerful steam, the Shark Steam Mop outcleans other solutions, and because it does not use any chemicals, nothing needs to be diluted or rinsed like with traditional mopping -; saving gallons of water.
- The Energy Star-rated LG SteamWasher uses TrueSteam technology to enhance cleaning performance and conserves water usage by up to 97 percent.
- The ASKO Encore Dishwasher uses dramatically less water than hand-washing and other dishwashers. The dishwasher uses only four gallons of water per load. According to the American Water Works Association, most dishwashers use nine to 12 gallons, while hand-washing dishes consumes approximately 20 gallons.
- In general, 30 percent of water consumption goes down the toilet each year. Gerber’s Ultra Dual-Flush Toilet features a pressure-assist flushing system to save water. The toilet uses 1.1 and 1.6 gallons per flush, saving 12,000 gallons of water each year, according to its manufacturer.
The U.S. is expected to account for more than 10 percent of the world’s household water consumption by 2025, according to the 5th World Water Forum. As the situation escalates, consumers and manufacturers continue to reduce household usage with more efficient products.
In Romania, where poverty and hunger followed the breakup of the communist system, Heifer provided cows that made a difference.
(NewsUSA) - Oh, the holidays. You could prepare to wait in lengthy store lines in crowded malls to buy the same old gifts that will more than likely be returned, or you could just buy a cow.
That’s right, Heifer International offers alternative gift ideas that can help end world hunger by instituting self-sustainable communities where households receive training and livestock instead of food handouts.
Donors, while honoring friends and family members through their gifts, purchase more than just dairy cows, water buffaloes, goats or chickens. They help poor families achieve a life of dignity while also providing agricultural education for small farm initiatives.
“From Heifer’s training and the sale of our additional calves, I’ve been able to put food on my table, send my children to college and learn how to manage my finances better,” said Arthur Neal, a member of the Delta Livestock Enterprise in Tallulah, La.
The nonprofit’s Thailand program established improved agricultural techniques for families whose farming method quickly depleted the land. With starvation being a serious threat, people left home to find work that too often led to prostitution and drug addiction.
“Today we can establish ourselves as a community,” said Amui Wazu, Thai villager. “And Heifer has introduced us to kitchen gardens, which have been our savior. We have vegetables year-round!”
Founded by Dan West in 1944, Heifer International has impacted more than 45.3 million lives by providing so-called “living loans.”
Farmers prepare for the arrival of their animals through training sessions, by building sheds and by planting vegetation. The animals bring the benefits of milk, wool, draft power, eggs and offspring.
Families and communities repay their “living loans” by donating one or more of their animals’ offspring to others. This “passing on the gift” multiplies the impact of every donation-donations that support the entire Heifer mission and not just animal purchases.
So, this holiday season, give a unique gift and participate in a vision of a world without hunger.
For more information about this unique gift idea, visit http://www.heifer.org.
(ARA) – With the cost of everything so high these days, people are looking for ways to trim their budgets. Among the most obvious places to cut back, eliminating that morning cup of coffee, bringing a lunch from home instead of dining out and canceling those services you can really do without – like cable TV and that gym membership you don’t really use much anyway.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t stay active, however. Numerous studies have shown that regular exercise is a critical part of staying healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), regular exercise helps people maintain a healthy weight and delay or prevent the onset of diabetes and heart problems.
Regular activity is so important, in fact, that the Federal Government recommends American adults get at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to head down to the gym, which can be more of a chore than a fun activity, not to mention expensive.
Here are some ideas for getting that 30 minute workout anytime, anyplace:
1. Most employers offer an hour long lunch break and two 15-minute breaks throughout the day. Use some of that time to get up and get moving.
If you work in a tall building with lots of floors, use your break time to go up and down the stairs. If stair climbing is not an option, walk around the building at a brisk pace a couple of times a day, stopping occasionally to stretch.
2. If you’re a stay-at-home mom or dad, turn the baby stroller into work-out equipment.
Head on down to the park or just around the block with baby once or twice a day and as you move, use the stroller as a piece of work-out equipment. You can jog behind it, incorporate walking lunges and use bands for resistance training. Not only will you get the benefit of exercise, your baby will love it.
3. Take up sports hula hooping.
Ten minutes worth of vigorously wiggling your hips and moving around can burn off 110 calories, which is about as much as you’d burn if jogging or running an 8-minute mile. But burning calories quickly isn’t the only benefit the activity offers. It also promotes correct body alignment from the circular motions and proper posture in the upper body.
Substitute that light, plastic hula hoop your kids play with for a weighted one like the Acu Hoop offered by California’s Sports Hoop, Inc., and you can get even more health benefits.
When swiveled for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, weighted sports hoops can provide cardiovascular benefits, help tone muscles, burn calories and fat and facilitate weight loss. Do it religiously every day, and you can trim your waist two inches and lose four pounds every month until fit.
Weighted hoops come in a variety of styles and sizes, ranging from 1- to- 6-pounds in weight. No matter which one you choose to use, here’s how to get started:
1) Find enough space around you. Keep your feet one foot wide. Relax your knees, waist and body.
2) Relax your elbows. Lift the hoop and place it tightly against the back of your waist.
3) Grasp the hoop and keep it in a horizontal position before swinging out. Do not position the hoop at a tilt.
4) Horizontally swing out the hoop against your waist, fast and powerfully. Move your waist immediately.
5) Move your waist in a circular motion, all around pressing against the hoop.
6) Keep your motion fast enough to match the circulation speed of the hoop for it to stay up on your waist.
“The best thing about hula-hooping,” says personal trainer Rosemary Torres, “is it can be done anytime, anywhere.”
It is estimated there are now more than one million people throughout the United States using Sports Hoops as their major waist-trimming fitness equipment. For more information on the weighted hoops offered by California Sports Hoop, Inc., or to place an order, visit http://www.sports-hoop.com or call toll free (866) 700-5668.
(ARA) – School is out and across the country many families now face the perennial seasonal dilemma: What should the kids do with themselves this summer? For a growing number of community-minded youngsters, the answer is: “Make a difference.”
“Summer is all about fun in the sun and taking a break from the rigors of school,” says Liz Scott of Wynnewood, Pa. “But kids really benefit from doing something more with their summer, like getting involved in the community or raising funds for a cause they believe in. Not only do they stay occupied, engaged and excited throughout the summer, they gain a real sense of their own strength and worth.”
Scott should know. Her daughter, Alexandra, gained national attention for her efforts to raise money for pediatric cancer research by holding lemonade stands. What started as a simple but passionate idea inspired a worldwide grassroots fundraising effort. Sadly, Alex passed away Aug. 1, 2004. Parents Liz and Jay continue promoting Alex’s cause and raising money for pediatric cancer research through their foundation, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), which has raised more than $19 million to date.
“Numerous studies show that volunteering holds many physical and mental health benefits for volunteers, regardless of their age,” says Pam Edwards of Volvo Cars of North America. To commemorate the life of Alex Scott, Volvo created the Alexandra Scott Butterfly Award to recognize exceptional child heroes.
Zach Bonner was named the 2008 Butterfly Award winner. To help victims of Hurricane Katrina Zach, 10, collected 27 truckloads of sundry items, raised $600 in donations for the Red Cross post-Katrina efforts and secured $7,000 worth of new toys and sporting equipment for homeless children living in Red Cross shelters. He also recently founded the Little Red Wagon Foundation, Inc., which collects and donates backpacks filled with food, school items and other supplies to disadvantaged children nationwide.
Getting kids involved can be as simple – or grand – as the children and parents wish. The efforts of past Butterfly Award winners can provide a roadmap for getting started:
* Look to the Internet.
“The Web is a great resource for finding a charity or volunteer opportunity that fits your child’s needs and personality,” Edwards says. For example, this year www.lemonadestandforlife.com, hosted by Volvo, gives visitors the chance to support ALSF. By visiting the site, you can make a direct donation by purchasing a cups of virtual lemonade for just $1. You can then share those cups via e-mail with others asking them to also visit and support the site’s mission.
* Look to current events.
News accounts of the need caused by Katrina inspired Zach Bonner to get involved. When Congress designated November National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, Zach launched a marathon walk from Tampa, Fla., to the state capital 250 miles away in Tallahassee. He and his team raised money and awareness for the nation’s estimated 1.3 million homeless children.
* Draw inspiration from your own life.
Alex Scott founded her lemonade stand as she was recovering from cancer treatment. Grace Farnan, 14, of South Hamilton, Mass., decided to become involved in hospice care after her grandmother peacefully passed away in hospice care. Her work with the Hospice of the North Shore has included collecting hundreds of new picture frames for patients to keep photos of loved ones close at hand, and the creation of more than 500 guest books in which visitors, family and staff can write encouragement for patients. Grace was recognized as the 2006 Butterfly Award winner.
* Don’t be afraid to reach far.
In addition to efforts to help Florida’s hurricane-affected residents, Samita Mohanasundaram, 16, of Nashua, N.H., also helps disadvantaged children in India. When she was just 7, she visited a small, impoverished village in southern India and was moved by the local school’s need for books, supplies and materials. Upon returning home, she launched a book drive that drew support from all over New England. In 2007, Samita became the third child to win the Butterfly Award.
To learn more about the Butterfly Awards and to help raise funds to fight pediatric cancer, visit http://www.lemonadestandforlife.com .
(ARA) – Does your computer take forever to load programs or change pages when you’re surfing the Internet? Have you ever been in the middle of writing an e-mail only to have the screen freeze and force you to reboot and lose all your work? There are few things more frustrating than a slow computer, but it doesn’t need to be that way.
Having a professional look at your system can be costly and buying a new computer is often unnecessary. There are some steps that you can follow to keep your system running at its best.
1) Limit open programs and windows.
If you have too many Internet windows open or are working with a variety of computer programs at once, your computer might run slowly. Limit open programs and windows to maximize your computer speed.
2) When in doubt, reboot.
Sometimes there are things we just can’t explain with computers. If yours is running slow, try rebooting. Often this is all the system needs to begin functioning at a normal pace again. Although many programs have automatic retrieval of work, it’s a smart idea to always save what you are working on before shutting down.
3) Use a registry cleaner.
Even if you’re extremely careful about how you use your computer and never download questionable material, over time it is inevitable that your system will accumulate unwanted registry entries, errors, clutter and debris.
The most common causes of problems are the installation and removal of software, online games, application crashes and upgrades of software programs. While many errors will go unnoticed, the more errors your computer has, the greater the chance that you’ll experience trouble. But there is something proactive you can do to protect your system: install a one-click tool called Advanced Registry Optimizer 5 (ARO 5) that will safely and efficiently scan, identify and repair errors.
Advanced Registry Optimizer 5 was awarded four stars in May 2007 from CNET’s Download.com editorial staff which said, “Advanced Registry Optimizer will clean your computer’s clock and keep it ticking.” To take advantage of a free trial offer, log on to www.sammsoft.com and click on the link that says “Show Me the Product Now.”
Once you have downloaded ARO 5, just click the “Run” button to install the software to your PC. The program will then do a complete scan and diagnosis of your computer’s registry and tell you how many errors are present. It will then fix the first 20 problems completely FREE of charge.
There’s no catch. The company is confident you’ll love the personal version of ARO 5 so much you’ll consider purchasing the unlimited commercial system which retails for $29.95. To purchase ARO 5, go to http://www.sammsoft.com and click on the “Products” tab. You’ll find ARO 5 in the Product Gallery. Simply click on the “Buy Now” button to continue with your purchase.
(ARA) – Humans are not the only ones who look forward to summer. Imagine warm weather from your pet’s perspective – long walks in parks full of green grass and interesting aromas for dogs, and hours of bird-watching from a sunny window for cats. It’s also fun for pets to be part of the festivities when their human “parents” do some summer entertaining. However the definition of a party for a furry friend is very different from that of its care takers.
How do you include the furry members of the family into summer entertaining without turning a backyard barbecue into a doggie food free-for-all or the evening dinner party into a feline hissy fit? By carefully planning and managing your pet’s interactions with guests and preparing for the big day, it is possible to keep Fluffy or Fido an enjoyable part of your celebration, says Charlotte Reed, pet care expert and author of “The Miss Fido Manners Complete Book of Dog Etiquette”.
“Petiquette for summer entertaining is a fine balancing act, but one that offers significant rewards for you and your pets,” Reed says. “Your guests can enjoy the presence of a well-behaved pet and a fresh, odor-free home.”
Here are Reed’s tips for making summer entertaining as enjoyable as possible for your pets and your guests:
1. Make your pets’ presence known.
While most summer guests will likely know your pet status, some may not, especially if they are recent acquaintances or first-time visitors to your home. Be sure to alert guests to what type of pets you have at home at the time you invite them to visit. From strong allergies to pet hair aversions, there are many reasons why guests may want to know ahead of time what furry friends will be at the party.
2. Freshen and clean.
Bathe and groom your pet before the summer party. “It’s very common for pet owners to become so used to their pet’s aromas that they don’t even notice them anymore,” Reed says. “But your guests likely will, especially when they come into your home from fun in the sun outdoors.”
In addition to helping your pet clean up, be sure to freshen your home as well. Vacuum carpets, fabric upholstery and drapes just a few hours before guests arrive. Use a pet odor elimination product, like Febreze Air Effects Pet Odor Eliminator, to remove pet odors from the air. “Avoid products that simply cover up pet odors with stronger scents. Febreze actually eliminates pet odor and replaces it with a light, refreshing scent,” Reed says.
3. The ABCs of introductions and interaction.
First impressions mean a lot. “If your dog jumps up on people every time he meets them, he won’t be giving a good impression,” Reed says. If your dog has a tendency to jump, work with him for several weeks before the party to train him to sit and lay. As guests arrive, keep your pet on a leash and personally introduce him to each new guest. Encourage guests to interact with him calmly and firmly so that he doesn’t forget his manners in the excitement of meeting someone new.
Likewise, if your pet is simply not that social, don’t force her to interact with guests. Allow cats to retreat to their favorite hiding spot – few felines are into the party scene. And if your dog seems stressed by the attention and action, allow him some quiet time in a private place. “There’s no point in forcing your pet to interact with your guests if he or she doesn’t want to,” Reed says.
4. Fend off food fights.
Food discipline should start long before the party, Reed advises. “You may think your dog’s begging eyes are adorable and irresistible, but few things are more unappetizing to house guests than a pet begging for food,” she says. Train your pet not to beg at the table. And if he or she simply can’t break the habit, then confine him to quarters when the food is served.
Discourage guests from feeding pets tidbits or table treats. “The last thing you want is a pet with an upset stomach because he ate too much human food,” Reed says.
Febreze Air Effects Pet Odor Eliminator is available in grocery and drug stores nationwide. To learn more, visit http://www.febreze.com .
(ARA) – What do a recent global crackdown on Internet child pornography and the arrest of Dennis Rader, the infamous “BTK” serial killer have in common with the Sept. 11 attacks on America? All are high profile crimes investigated not only by conventional police investigators, but by those specially trained in computer forensics, a new area of crime fighting.
Computer forensics is a branch of forensic science pertaining to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage mediums. Experts in this field investigate data storage devices such as hard drives, USB drives, CD-ROMS, floppy disks, etc., identifying, preserving and analyzing documentary and other digital evidence.
While most of the attention given to people working in this field comes from the work they do with police to help solve high profile crimes, that is not the only role they play. Individual companies are hiring forensic computer experts to perform such roles as determining the root cause of a hacker attack, collecting evidence legally admissible in court, and protecting corporate assets and reputations from crimes such as white-collar fraud.
Andrew Hildebrand, CPA, CVA, JD and dean of business programs at DeVry University in Fort Washington, Penn., offers this example of just how important a computer forensics expert’s role is in a corporate investigation of financial crime. “First a CPA would be contacted by an attorney to work on proving financial fraud. The CPA would need to have financial records and data, some of which may be in electronic format,” he says.
“Many times in these types of fraud cases, the suspect has attempted to cover-up the crime by deleting various documents, such as MS Word memos and MS Excel spreadsheets,” Hildebrand adds. “Once the accountants have some idea of what they are looking for, we can work with the computer forensics professional to recover the deleted material. During every step from seizure of the computer through to court testimony, the computer forensics professional will use their expertise to ensure that the data is recovered and the laws of evidence are respected.”
Realizing the growing need for trained professionals with this area of expertise, schools such as DeVry University, one of the country’s largest, publicly held, degree-granting higher education systems in the U.S., have developed special degree programs to train the experts of tomorrow. DeVry University offers an accelerated bachelor’s degree program in Computer Information Systems with a specialized track in computer forensics that can be completed in three years. As they are pursuing their degree, students learn how to follow the trail of computer clues that are left behind when someone commits a crime of technology. They also learn how to document evidence and how to coordinate with law enforcement to track the movements of the bad guys.
“Students will be prepared for jobs such as security auditor, security specialist, security administrator, security analyst, Web security manager, security director, digital forensic investigator, privacy officer and compliance officer,” says Rajin Koonjbearry, an instructor at DeVry University in Dallas. “These jobs are in high demand and will continue to grow because of new and changing regulatory requirements.”
Among the career avenues available for students graduating with a specialization in computer forensics:
* Law Enforcement. Police departments and sheriff’s offices nationwide are looking for computer forensics professionals to help them investigate computer-related crimes.
* Corporate. Those with a computer forensics background can help companies protect their computer systems from outside attacks.
* Private Organizations. Any private organization with its own network needs computer forensics professionals to maintain surveillance on their systems.
* Software Programmers. The advice that the computer forensics degree holder can provide a software company about the stability of their programs is always welcomed.
“We are responding to the changing IT industry in order to ensure DeVry University graduates are prepared to excel in emerging industry areas,” says Eddie Wachter, Ph.D., dean of academic affairs at DeVry University Central Florida. “Professionals who know how to protect companies and consumers from cyber crime will be in great demand in our increasingly networked world, and the new specialized options give our students the edge in this evolving industry.”
To learn more about DeVry University’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) degree program, log on to http://www.DeVry.edu .
(ARA) - John is 82 and lives in Manhattan. Since the death of his brother, he regularly checks on his 87-year-old sister-in-law who lives about 90 minutes away. She has dementia and needs help with daily needs. An aide lives with her, but John is concerned the help is getting burned out. The last time John visited he noticed his sister-in-law’s condition was worsening, and he wonders what he can do to help.
John is a long-distance caregiver, one of an estimated 6.9 million Americans who care for someone living at least an hour away, according to a study by MetLife and AARP. Americans age 85 and older numbered 4.2 million in 2000, the fastest growing segment of the population according to the National Institute on Aging. By mid-century, as baby boomers transition from being the caregiver to needing care, that segment is estimated to swell to 21 million.
“This is a national problem with local solutions,” says Nora Jean Levin, executive director of Caring From a Distance (CFAD), a non-profit organization for distance caregivers. CFAD’s Web site, www.cfad.org, extends resources and advice to caregivers like John who e-mail their questions and concerns or search the site’s many resources and links. Help from CFAD is also available by telephone at (202) 895-9465. CFAD helped John consider other solutions such as assisted living, finding adult day care facilities and calling a home care agency to arrange to give the live-in help a break.
Levin understands that despite the obstacles of time and miles, distance caregivers are in a unique position to help.
“Long distance caregivers can offer perspective because they aren’t on the scene every day to really observe small changes, and that perspective is very valuable,” she says. “Sometimes if you’re in a care situation day after day, you feel overwhelmed and hopeless and you can’t see out of that box. But a person who comes in from the outside can help pinpoint a problem and recommend ways to help improve the situation.”
Levin offers these tips to buoy long-distance caregivers:
1. Offer help.
Lend a hand solving problems that daily caregivers may not have time to think about. Shop for gadgets that help with daily needs, like telephones with large buttons or “grabber” devices that help seniors reach items they need. Make arrangements for a handicapped permit. If appropriate, help manage finances and pay bills.
2. Don’t be a “swooper.”
It’s really hard when you’re the daily caregiver and the long distance caregiver swoops in and tries to change everything. Instead, plan time for listening to problems and perhaps for handling a few, and spend quality time with your loved one.
3. Make observations, but be careful how you share them.
“Retain respect for the individual who needs care, and be mindful of preserving personal dignity when every step towards dependence may be viewed as loss of control,” Levin suggests.
4. Visit and look for changes that indicate a need for more care.
Is your loved one eating regularly? Is personal hygiene slipping? Are prescriptions unfilled or forgotten? A helpful checklist, “Ten Warning Signs: Your Older Family Member May Need Help” can be found at http://www.cfad.org/library/HolidayFactSheetFinal.pdf .
5. Use the Internet to ease a transition.
“Transitions can be rough or smooth, depending on the nature of the situation, whether it’s a crisis or something that’s been coming gradually, and the nature of the person being cared for,” Levin says. Transitions to senior housing are smoothest when approached proactively, before a crisis arises.
For example, long-distance caregivers can screen more than 60,000 housing options online by visiting www.snapforseniors.com. The SNAPforSeniors online search tool is like the Multiple Listing Service for senior housing. Long-distance caregivers can narrow the search by geographic location, care needs, type of facility and personal amenities.
A new tool from SNAPforSeniors and the Alzheimer’s Association, the Caregiver Conversation Checklist, helps families discussing housing options. The checklist, which can be found on alz.org, offers tips for determining if long-term care is appropriate and explains how to broach the conversation.
“The possibilities offered by the Internet to help long distance caregivers are fabulous, and we’ve made our Web site a portal for people looking for solutions,” Levin says. “SNAPforSeniors is a site designed to help families deal with the housing part of the picture. Long-distance caregivers can also get help from CFAD when investigating other local personal and community-based resources like home care, daily money managers, eldercare lawyers, or geriatric care managers to coordinate activities or even where you can donate a wheelchair.”
How A Forest Products Company is Making a Real Environmental Impact
“Green and sustainable forestry practices are a step in the right direction. But even the most stringent standards, those certified internationally by the Forest Stewardship Council, are only a modest step away from the large-scale deforestation practices that were prevalent until recently,” says Raul Hernandez, founder of Old-Growth Again, an organization dedicated to restoring logged forestlands back to their ancient form.
Hernandez goes on to explain the problem is sustainable forestry does little in the way of restoring large and ancient trees overtime. Without these trees as a significant portion of working forests, the effects forestlands can have on global cooling are limited. Under sustainable forestry practices, lands are cut at rates of up to 30 percent per decade. At this rate of cut, a forest is “sustained,” but it’s maintained as a young forest in perpetuity with trees rarely exceeding 80 years of age.
OGA is changing this by practicing a much higher “Restoration Forestry” standard. Restoration forestry involves many practices including limiting the rate of cut to a maximum of 10 percent in any one decade. This conservative rate allows for a growth increase of standing lumber at rates of approximately 20 percent per decade, allowing the forest to mature so that a large amount of the forest canopy will once again be dominated by trees over 200 years old (the definition of old-growth).
Why is this important? “Depending on the tree species and geography, forests managed on a 200-year cycle sequester 3 to 4 times more carbon per acre than forests managed on 60 to 80 year cycles,” says Hernandez. “Restoration forestry practiced on a global scale would cause dramatic global cooling to take place while growing the highest quality lumber.”
How can you help? With the nice weather, more people are spending time outside enjoying their yards. If you are looking to add some new furniture and decor, consider Forever Redwood, OGA’s thick-timber products, which help fund the organization’s mission. Add some new lawn furniture, a gazebo or pergola, a swing or just some planter boxes. The look and design of the products is a throwback to another era when lumber was plentiful and of extremely high quality.
Besides supporting a good cause, redwood products are very long lasting and can be left outdoors for decades in elements such as harsh sun and snow, without maintenance. You can choose from three grades of redwood for Forever Redwood products — young, mature and old-growth. Half of the lumber used is from salvaged material left on the forest floor when the forest was first logged in the 40s and 50s. This wood is carefully inspected, and because of its high quality, much of it is in great shape and can be used, a testament to the longevity of the old-growth lumber. The other half comes from careful harvesting of the forest.
“One of the biggest aspects of global warming is deforestation. If forest lands are managed so they sequester carbon as they did before the high levels of harvesting, a big part of global warming equation would be eliminated,” says Hernandez.
To learn more about Forever Redwood furniture and products, and how old-growth forests are helping counteract global warming, visit http://www.OldGrowthAgain.org .
