Green Scene 2026 Summer Program Vacation

 

Green Scene June 10, 2026 Meeting Program

GREEN SCENE JUNE 10 MEETING ! One might think that after collecting 3,840 pounds of paper for shredding, and more than 26 pounds of excess pharmaceuticals, at the May 16, FHA/GREEN SCENE "3-in-1" SPRING EVENT, that we should consider taking the rest of the Summer off. NOT SO FAST !      Not when we've got an excellent and interesting speaker lined up to talk to us about a topic of considerable Fearrington Village interest ! Our Wednesday June 10 meeting, will feature Robert "Bo" Howes, Director of Conservation, West, of the Triangle Land Trust ( "TLC" ).  Bo is an 18 year veteran of work for TLC, with deep roots in the community.  He grew up in Chapel Hill, and continues to live there.   A few years ago, Bo played a major role in negotiating the transfer of a multiacre parcel of land on the Eastern border of Fearrington from Fitch Creations to the TLC  -  which will now remain forever wild.  Bo will speak to us about plans for that acreage, as well as other similar projects in our area.   All are welcome ! Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 11:00 AM till Noon at The Gathering Place.   Jason Welsch, Moderator Fearrington Green Scene 914-806-4852 ( Cell Phone ) After-Action Report:  We had 31 people in attendance, and Bo Howes did a fine job.  An interesting, informative presentation, very well supported with excellent quality visual aids.  Good ongoing questions, with lots of back and forth discussion.

This program is in keeping with the Green Scene's mission to actively encourage village residents to consider and act on major environmental issues and also to reduce their consumption of energy, water, and other resources, reuse goods and supplies, and recycle whenever possible.

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After Action Report for the May 16, 2026 Spring FHA/Green Scene “3-In-1” Recycling Event

A big thank you to all our 17amazing volunteers—Patricia Arnold, Stephen Boyd, David Brown, Neville ( TONY ) Daniels, CHERI DeROSIA, Jon Darling, Jim Fink, Bill Groeber, Randall James, JIM KASPRZAK, PATRICK McGAHAN, Mike Petruska, MARILYN RACINE, KARIN RITTER, Steve Stewart, Betty Simon-Thomas, and Maggie Tunstall.

Thanks to their efforts, we processed 186 vehicles and managed to handle an impressive 3,840 pounds of paper— just shy of 2 tons! This paper is now on its way to being recycled into toilet paper at a production facility in Georgia. I would also like to acknowledge the financial support of the FHA Board in funding the Shimar Recycling Shredding Truck.

Recycled paper is proven to save trees and other resources: For example, recycling two tons of paper ( which we came very close to doing ) has a significant positive impact on the environment. It can save 34 trees, 760 gallons of oil, 6 cubic yards of landfill space, 8,000 kWh of energy, and 14,000 gallons of water. Additionally, the 34 trees preserved can absorb about 500 lbs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, while burning that same ton of paper would release 3,000 lbs of carbon dioxide. Overall, recycled paper generates 74% less air pollution compared to paper made from raw materials.

The North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department was present with a large, impressive, shinny red truck, and four uniformed volunteers, checking extinguishers and handing out fire prevention flyers.

The Chatham County Sheriff's Department collected just over 26.6 pounds of no longer needed medications during this event, which is a lot of medicines that won't end up polluting nearby water sources including Jordan Lake—our source of drinking water. The medications go to an approved commercial incineration facility for environmentally sensitive disposal.

The numerical statistics are one measure of the success of the event.  Another, equally   -  if not MORE IMPORTANT measure   -   is the huge number of  "Thank You’s"  that I heard from our fellow residents as I greeted them upon their arrival. This is a very popular program, that our fellow residents very much appreciate.   

THANK YOU, again, for your enthusiastic participation !     

Planning ahead, consider circling the third Saturday in October ( October 17, 2026 ) on your calendar, when we will have the opportunity to replicate and perhaps expand the yield of our spring 2026 community recycling efforts.

FHA/Green Scene Wednesday May 13, 2026 Program Meeting

CHATHAM PARK IS COMING! The May 5th headline in the New York Time's Business section read:   “A 22,000-Home Community Is Being Built in a 5,000-Person Town.”  Chatham Park, a master-planned community in Pittsboro, N.C., is expected to expand the town to 60,000 people upon completion.   Since houses first went on the market six years ago, Pittsboro’s average home prices have risen steeply to roughly $550,000, up from $360,000 in 2020. With even larger, more expensive homes on the horizon, Chatham Park is becoming a sprawling town where a single company builds the homes, streets, shopping centers, and offices. This rapid growth raises significant questions: Will a new hospital be built? How will we handle the traffic? How many new schools are needed? Will Pittsboro lose its small-town atmosphere? JOHN BONITZ, a member of the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners, will join us to discuss these civic and environmental challenges. He will share his concerns regarding urban sprawl, carbon emissions, and the public funding required for such residential growth.   Meeting Details:   - When: Wednesday, May 13th, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM   - Where: The Gathering Place   - Who: All are welcome Additionally, please remember the FHA/Green Scene “3-in-1” event on Saturday, May 16th, featuring paper shredding, pharmaceutical collection, and fire prevention information. See complete details in the post just below. Best regards, Jason Welsch, Moderator 914-806-4852

FHA/GREEN SCENE 2026 Annual Spring Community Recycling Event May 16, 2026

  FOR FEARRINGTON AND GALLOWAY RIDGE RESIDENTS ONLY.

FHA In Partnership with The GREEN SCENE

Saturday, May 16, 2026  Only Between 9:00am and Noon

3 Events — 1 Day: Gathering Place Parking Lot.  

THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY THE FHA.

1. FREE SHREDDING

Have your confidential documents destroyed on-site, free of charge. Watch as Shimar Recycling Inc. shreds your documents.

Guidelines:

• Bound paper stacks one inch thick or more need to be separated 
• Remove rubber bands and heavy banker's paper clips from papers 
• Paper should not be in binders or heavy plastic.

• In addition to the bulleted items listed above, If you bring paper in Banker’s Boxes or file storage boxes (both of which are size 24x12x10) to be shredded, NOTE that there is a limit of such paper content from ONLY up to a maximum of 5 (five) such boxes that will be accepted for shredding.   

2. PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE DISPOSAL

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Department will be available to safely dispose of all your old, unused, or expired prescription medications safely and legally.

All you need to do is leave them in the original packaging and hand them to the sheriff deputy on duty at the Gathering Place. No liquid medication or "sharps" (needles) are accepted. Remember: NEVER FLUSH medicines as they cause environmental issues.  

AN ALTERNATIVE TO THROWING AWAY YOUR CURRENT UNUSED, UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES: consider donating them to Chatham Cares Community Pharmacy [CCCP] in Siler City, a non-profit community-based organization operated by a licensed pharmacist and committed to reducing health disparities by providing access to quality pharmacy services to the low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents of Chatham County. Read all about it here.

3. FIRE EXTINGUISHER CHECK Spring 2026 Information -- Stopping Fires In Your Home With Smoke Alarms And Fire Extinguishers. 

The mission of the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department is to protect lives, property and the community environment from the destructive effects of fire, disaster or other life hazards by providing public education, incident prevention and emergency response services. The department will have staff and firefighters on hand at the event to check your fire extinguisher and to advise on how to safely use it. 

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REMEMBER that we are no longer able to accept Household Hazardous Waste at our events; however, the County Will Accept Such Waste on This Same Day.

One of Chatham County’s 2026 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Events will be held on this same day (May 16, 2026) at the County’s Main Recycling Facility approximately 13 miles from Fearrington Village, at [click the address for a MAP] 28 County Services Road, (which is just 6 miles west of Pittsboro, off Hwy 64), between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm on the following schedule:

After the County's May event, there will be six more REMAINING 2026 COUNTY HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENTS scheduled for the following Saturdays 

(Chatham County Residents Only). No decal is required. Must show ID at HHW events.

• The COUNTY’S HOUSEHOLD Hazardous Waste (HHW) events for 2026 will take place on the following Saturdays:

  • March 21
  • April 18*
  • May 16 (the same day as our community recycling event)
  • June 20
  • July 18*
  • August 15
  • September 19
  • October 17
  • November 21*

  *On these three dates marked by an * the Sheriff's Office will be on-site during these HHW events to conduct a medicine take back. Learn more details below.

  Decals are now required to use HHW events, except for residents who live in the town limits of Cary, Pittsboro, and Siler City. All residents will also be asked to show a driver’s license or item with the address of where the waste is coming from.

   HHW events are from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm across from the Main Facility at 28 County Services Road, Pittsboro. 

  No business waste and no trash will be accepted.

  
  

Note that household fire extinguishers must be recycled at one of these scheduled Hazardous Waste Collection Events and cannot be recycled at the County regional Collection Centers. If it is from a business it will NOT be accepted at HHW events. Contact a private company for disposal options.

At HHW events, the county accepts such items as oil-based paints, solvents, stains, bleach, aerosols, cleaners, pesticides, brake fluid, fluorescent light bulbs, propane tanks, etc. Residents can bring 20 gallons of latex paint cans per HHW event. If you have a 1-gallon paint can that has half a gallon of paint in it, it will count as 1 gallon. Latex paint can be safely dried out and put in with your regular trash.

For a complete list, please visit the www.chathamcountync.gov/hhw or contact the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at 919-542-5516 or recycle@chathamcountync.gov.

For information on what items are accepted by the County's HHW program, be sure to visit their website.

Fearrington Green Scene March 11, 2026 Meeting Program

The RUMORS are TRUE !  !  Spring IS Coming  !  !  !! March 11, 2026 11:00-Noon at The Gathering Place And, to help you get your personal environment ready   -   with attractive, vibrant plants -that will compliment your property for months to come,  the Fearrington Village Green Scene is teaming up with Rachel's Native Plants Nursery in Pittsboro, for a  "Show-and-Tell"  at our Wednesday, March 11 meeting, at The Gathering Place, 11:00 AM until noon. Experienced, engaging nursery proprietor, Rachel Nelms, will come and speak on the subject of incorporating native plants into your personal space for fun and environmental prosperity. Rachel has been focused on native plants for a decade, and has worked in the industry, and earned degrees along the way in Sustainable Development and Sustainable Agriculture.  Next month she will celebrate the fourth anniversary of her ownership of Rachel's Native Plant Nursery in Pittsboro ( on Lorax Lane, not far from the Pittsboro Post Office ). Join us Wednesday morning, and learn how native plants might embellish YOUR personal world ! All are welcome.  Come and bring a friend.     Jason Welsch Moderator, Fearrington Village Green Scene 914-806-4852 ( Cell Phone ) Do Not Reply to This Email. Instead, Please Feel Free to Send Replies and Comments to Jason Welsch Via Phone Listed Above. Mark your calendars, and spread the word! Keep Up To Date By Visiting the Regional Green Scene Blog

This program is in keeping with the Green Scene's mission to actively encourage village residents to consider and act on major environmental issues and also to reduce their consumption of energy, water, and other resources, reuse goods and supplies, and recycle whenever possible.

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Fearrington Green Scene February 11, 2026 Program Meeting

 

View this email in your browser Share Tweet Forward to Friend FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION February 11, 2026 11:00-Noon at The Gathering Place “THE TRUE COST OF POWER: Duke Energy’s Climate Deception” Produced And Presented By NC WARN and hosted by The Fearrington Green Scene Do Not Reply to This Email. Instead, Please Feel Free to Send Replies and Jason Welsch Comments Via Phone Listed Below.   Mark your calendars, and spread the word! Jason Welsch, Moderator Fearrington Green Scene Cell Phone: 914-806-4852 Keep Up To Date By Visitin the Regional Green Scene Blog   This program is in keeping with the Green Scene's mission to actively encourage village residents to consider and act on major environmental issues and also to reduce their consumption of energy, water, and other resources, reuse goods and supplies, and recycle whenever possible. Forward to a Friend