31/31

In my last post, I wrote about 30/30 in April.
In May, we have 31/31. At least, that is what I'm calling the Commuter Challenge, because there are 30 days in April, but 31 in May.
During the Commuter Challenge, the goal is to get to work by biking, bussing, carpooling, or walking.

The program is sponsored by the Chamber's Get Downtown program and their real interest is in freeing up parking downtown, which--as you know, if you read annarbor.com or the Ann Arbor Chronicle, is a HOT topic. And personally, I find the downtown aspect of the Commuter Challenge a little short-sighted. I don't work downtown, so if it were just about getting downtown, a Commuter Challenge would not have too much meaning for me. And in my daily life, if I'm not in the habit of hopping on my bicycle or walking, I am not going to make it a habit when I do occasionally go downtown. I mean, this should be about the environment, right? And not just about parking spaces.
So I'm hoping that in coming years, the program (which is sponsored by the DDA, hence the downtown focus) will really expand the way they think about this.
BUT--those of us who don't work downtown are still invited to participate.
AND--I'm really interested in the sustainable commute. Last year, I put 500 miles on my bicycle between May and November (that's when I had the bicycle odometer tracking my mileage), and this year my goal is 1000 miles.
AND--Sustainable commuting is all about getting from Point X to Point Y. I am thinking that if I get in the habit, it will be easier to keep up the habit.
AND--if you bicycle one way, and it turns out that the weather is crummy on the way home, you can put your bicycle on the bus! Find bus routes here.
Last year I wrote about the Commuter Challenge, and I noted that only two schools were signed up for the Commuter Challenge. (Those two? Pioneer and Clague.) This, despite the fact that most of the schools have easy access to bus routes--yes, Ypsilanti High School and Tappan Middle School, I'm talking to you. I personally know teachers who live walking distance to Slauson and Pioneer, and there is even limited bus service to Rudolph Steiner School!
If you don't work at a school? I'm talking to you too--you can sign up your own workplace.
OK, so enough said about that. There is one more thing that I should mention. Every person who logs at least one sustainable commute (One. Measly. Commute. And that includes carpooling.) gets a coupon for a Washtenaw Dairy ice cream cone. That alone makes it worth it for me. Plus there are other prizes too.
I hope you sign up today. 
Here is the link to the Commuter Challenge web site. If your school or workplace has not signed up yet, then you can sign up the building--just let your coworkers know, and then they can sign themselves up.
My goal this year: one bicycle commute each week, and a couple of carpools as well. And for me, that is 24 miles round trip. I'm hoping to continue that throughout the summer. I will let you know if I make it.

By the way, if you commute Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor, well--Bike Ypsi might be able to provide you some company. They have a festival coming up on May 2nd, and Mark Maynard interviews some of the organizers here.

P.S. Riding? Wear your bicycle helmet!

Tweaks

Well, I had to turn moderation on for older comments. Yes, everyone has been very respectful, except for the spamming sexbots. (At least that's what I call them. It was annoying to have to delete bunches of spam.)

I'm contemplating a change of name, to Ann Arbor School Musings (as opposed to Schools Musings). Everyone always gets it wrong. I think you can argue that both ways are correct--originally I was thinking I was describing musings about Ann Arbor schools. Now I'm thinking that I'm musing about schools, and I'm located in Ann Arbor, so dropping the "s" may more accurately describe the blog's evolution. So I changed the title up top (but nothing in the web address has changed) and I'm trying to decide. Opinions are welcome. Right now the title looks bare, with one fewer "s," but I'm not necessarily a huge fan of change.

I've also decided it was time for a new picture. This one brings to mind the Peter, Paul and Mary song, Where have all the old schools gone" Oh wait, that's Where have all the flowers gone? No, that can't be right--the flowers are coming back. I saw in the Ann Arbor Chronicle that snow drops have been spotted. So--you will find a beautiful picture of a snowdrop below, which can be found in the original at cardsunlimited.com. Spring is almost here.

The picture above, by the way, is of the Geer School in Superior Township, and was taken off of the county web site, where there is information on local historic districts, including the Popkin School. Here is what the page has to say about the Geer School:

From 1880 to 1982, this one-room, red brick school represented an important era in Michigan education and was a center for community life. Named for William Geer, the first school director, and built by Joseph Warner of Ypsilanti, the school featured side-by-side entrances for boys and girls, a slate blackboard, a woodshed, and two outdoor privies. Water was carried in a bucket from across the road.

 

Entrance to Huron Valley Catholic

Entrance to Huron Valley Catholic School this morning

PRETTY!

Tappan Gardens, Slow Food

Have you seen the garden at Tappan Middle School? It is on the upper field, and it is beautiful. Every school needs a garden like this, a well-tended garden that kids can work on. Yes, I took this picture of the ripening strawberries there. I believe this gardening project was inspired by Alice Waters and the Slow Foods movement. Tappan is not the only Ann Arbor school with a garden. I know, for instance, that Ann Arbor Open has a garden, a mini-greenhouse, and a gardening elective for 7th/8th graders. See this older post for more information about Ann Arbor school gardens--some of them are flowers though, not vegetables.

Bike, Bus, Walk to School--Curb Your Car!

Teachers, Aides, Administrators, Parents, and yes--kids--It's

Curb Your Car Month! Time for the Commuter Challenge.

I see a lot of teachers in my neighborhood walking to school, and I've seen a few bicycling too (in other words, they are already doing the commuter challenge), but only one school is signed up so far as an "organization." That school would be Clague Middle School, which has not one, but two ambassadors--Jeff Gaynor and Bruce Geffen. If you see them, thank them for their efforts. [Clague signed up as Ann Arbor Public Schools--Clague, so I guess that's a good model to follow for those of you from other schools, if you are the first one from the school to sign up.]

This is a great way to model sustainable commuting for all the kids in your classes, or your kids at home.

You can sign up here, and set your own goals. Did I mention that even one sustainable commute gets you free ice cream from Washtenaw Dairy? (There are some prize drawings too--it didn't hurt my feelings that I won a really comfy fleece blanket last year.)

Most of the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti schools have fairly good bus service. And carpooling counts too. And--if you get to school on your bike, or on foot, and there's a thunderstorm threatening on the way home, well...you can even put the bike on the bus!

Last year, Curb Your Car Month was a great motivator to get me to start riding my bike and setting a goal to ride my bike once a week, all summer, to and from work. (I mostly made that goal--but I wouldn't have even started if not for Curb Your Car Month and the motivation of some bicycling pals--it's about 12 miles each way, and knowing I had to meet someone was a big help.)

Yes, it's good for you, good for the earth, and there are prizes--what more could you ask for?

Look Out The Window: School Nature Areas

I was at Gallup Park recently, and I started thinking about schools and natural areas. Now, Huron has both Gallup and Furstenburg parks right next door. Forsythe and Wines have Birdhills Park. Allen Elementary is next to County Farm Park.

All of which is fabulous. (Even if those parks are underutilized by the nearby schools, they could and should be used for more.) But did you know that the schools actually have some natural areas attached to the schools? Some of them are jointly owned with the city or county. And guess what? Since I couldn't find a list on a web site (say, perhaps, the school district's?), I probably missed a couple. So please, add to this list!

Are you looking for something to do over spring break? Try visiting these areas! Flowers will be budding and blooming, birds will be building nests.

Scarlett-Mitchell Woods
Read this nice description of the Scarlett-Mitchell woods.

Thurston Pond and Thurston Nature Center, described here.

Eberwhite Woods, described here.

There are more locations: Pioneer High School has Pioneer Woods, Skyline High School has 45 acres that were kept natural, but I could not find good information links for them. (Send them to me, I will post them.)

Look Out the Window: School Gardens

Three cheers for Michelle Obama, who is starting a Kitchen Garden at the White House, and involving the students at Bancroft Elementary in Washington D.C. I don't know anything about Bancroft Elementary, but I did like their Vision and Mission statement.

And--I found this very sweet, albeit outdated, web page on the AAPS web site. School gardens! Yes, many of the schools that are featured here still have them. And there may be more now. Take some pictures of the school gardens you know about, and send them to the AAPS webmaster so the site can be updated.

What can I say? Gardening is a great activity, and a lot of kids don't get outside very much, or know where their food comes from. Kudos to those schools with gardens. Keep up the good work, gardeners!