Current Projects
Eight projects were funded in early September 2008 for fiscal year 2009.
- Brazilian Women’s Group, Allston, $15,000 grant. The Brazilian Women’s Group will implement the “Natural Cleaning in the Brazilian Community Project” to educate Brazilian house cleaners and residents about the hazards of household cleaners and help them convert to less toxic cleaners made from simple ingredients.
- Wampanoag Tribe, Martha’s Vineyard, $15,000 grant. Through their project “Lead-Free Vineyard Fishing,” the Wampanoag Tribe will promote and distribute non-lead weights made from alternative materials such as steel and natural stones. During the five week Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby from September 14th-October 19th on Martha’s Vineyard, the Wampanoag Tribe will deliver educational materials about the dangers of lead to humans, fish, and wildlife along with the alternative weights. Materials will also be available at local tackle shops.
To see photos from the derby on the Vineyard and learn more about the project, click here.
- School Disinfection Workgroup, State-wide project, $15,000 grant. The Workgroup will generate information about disinfection, sanitization, and hand hygiene options to reduce the use of unnecessary disinfectants in schools. Since overuse of disinfectants can do more harm than good, easy to understand materials will be created about when it’s appropriate to disinfect and when it’s not. Materials will also be created for policymakers to encourage long-term change in schools.
- Viet- AID, Dorchester and Springfield, $7,000 grant. TURI is funding the Viet-AID “Healthy Floor Finisher Project” for a third year. Viet-AID will expand their successful training program that raises awareness of flammable floor finishing products and safer products to the Vietnamese community in Springfield. Viet-AID will create a training video about how to apply safer water-based products to encourage more Vietnamese workers across the state to make the switch.
- Center Pond Weed Project, Becket, $5,000 grant. Rather than using hazardous chemical herbicides, the Project will manually pull invasive weeds in Center Pond, a scenic, recreational lake in Becket. Specially trained cold water divers will eliminate the weeds as well as the need for chemicals in the future. They will also educate other communities about their work and experiences so that others may reduce toxic chemical use in the same way.
- Townsend Conservation Commission, $4,000 grant. Townsend will continue their second year of the “Organic Lawn Care Project” to showcase to residents through their “green” lawns at the town library and town hall that organic lawn care methods work. In their second year of TURI funding, they will expand their reach by partnering with the Nashua River Watershed Association and other Townsend Municipal agencies to spread their message about organic lawn care.
- NOFA Scholarships to the NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course – Northeast Organic Farmers Association, Barre. NOFA offered scholarships to nine municipal employees or their contractors for the towns of Carlisle, Cohasset, Ayer, Pepperell, Orleans, Sandwich, Barnstable, Townsend & Stoneham to attend a full day Organic Lawn & Turf Course on August 19th in Dartmouth. Attendees learned about organic land management methods.
- Lowell Green Building Commission will implement the “Green Building Outreach Focusing on the Reduction of Toxics Project” to increase awareness among residents and contractors in the Lowell area of green building practices. They will develop informational materials, mailings, posters, and neighborhood group presentations focused on reducing toxics in homes.