Saving Towns Thru Asset Revitalization STAR Human Dimensions of Greenspace Development

STAR Programs No Child Left Inside Can Urban Extension Help the Apple of Dad's Eye? Planting Trees and Hope Professor Wangari Muta Maathai: An International STAR The Merry Month of May at the SOD Festival Will Allen: CEO Growing Power Star Phillip Carter Urban Regional Extension Agent, Houston & Dale Counties Bee Keeping Program Objective Health Benefits Gained from Honey Honey Bees & Bee Keeping The Incredible Honey Bee Honey Bee Preservation: Learning About the Natural World in the Wiregrass Area (.doc) Bee Keeping Hidden Lakes Elementary Tree City USA Jerry Chenault Urban Regional Extension Agent, Lawrence & Morgan Counties Using Faith Gardens as a Resource for Quiet Time Faith Gardens [web site] New Faith Garden in North Alabama New Faith Garden at Salem United Methodist Church Traditional Street Games and Intergenerational Family Connections A Recipe for Healthy Living An Updated Game to get Your Family Active Egg Toss Game Fighting Against Nature Deficit Disorder In Our Children Inactivity In Kids: A National Crisis Helpful Hints for Game Leaders Hit the Stick Hopscotch Jump Rope for Life! Kick the Can Moulton Elementary School New Research Shows How to Live Longer and Happier Punchball Rat Tail Chase Red Light/Green Light Ringoleavio STAR Community Outdoor Programs STAR Team Active at Boy Scout Jamboree in Talladega, AL War Balls Why Street Games? Tree City USA A Tree Hazard Checklist: Are Your Trees Safe? Caring For Your Mature Tree Investments Correcting Construction Damaged Trees Fighting Against Nature-Deficit Disorder in Our Children Greenspace Contributes to Business Vitality How To Keep Your Trees In A Storm Keeping Your Trees Safe during Construction Old Roots To Arbor Day Trees Add Value to Our Lives The Wrong Places to Plant Trees To Prune or Not to Prine?: That is the Question Tree Trimming - Beauty In The Eye of the Beholder? Why Should Your Community Become a Tree City? Michael McIntyre Urban Regional Extension Agent, Mobile & Baldwin Counties Aquatic Impact (.doc file) A Week of Earthly Activities Erase Your Fears of High Water Bills Fishing Forever Monitoring Impact of Human Activity on the Mobile Bay Photos from Camp Challenge 2009 Photos from Growing Powers Water Conservation Initiative Tree City USA Benefits of Volunteering in Community Gardens Building a Garden Bed Celebrating Arbor Day at W.D. Robbins Elememtary School Make a Resolution to Protect the Environment Roosevelt Robinson Urban Regional Extension Agent, Montgomery, Autauga, & Elmore Counties Getting Families Outside: Promoting the Eastern Bluebird Recovery Project Eastern Bluebird (.doc) Test Your Knowledge (.ppt) Tree City USA No Child Left Inside (.pub) Plant A Tree (.mpg) Fact Sheets (.pdf files) Happy Faces, Greenspaces Human Dimensions of Urban/Rural Greenspace Development Fire Prevention (.doc files) Home Fires Booklet Coloring Book Fire Tips for Parents Video Get 'em Outside A Celebration of Environmental Education by the No Child Left Inside Coalition Websites Alabama Cooperative Extension System Urban Affairs & New Nontraditional Programs Unit Alabama A&M University Auburn University Leave NO Alabama community behind! Revitalizing neighborhoods one tree at a time... Search WWW     Search aces.edu Search Urban Site     Documents published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) are designated as such and are produced in cooperation with a subject matter specialist. Non-ACES documents are available via links to other sites. Comments regarding any documents not produced locally should be directed to their respective authors. - Disclaimer - If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader and wish to view the PDF publications on this site, click here to download:

The vision of STAR is to leave no Alabama community behind! STAR Takes Action! The goal of STAR is to strengthen nature-based opportunities for intergenerational families across the urban and rural interface in underserved communities. STAR strives to: Utilize the Tree City USA program for asset-based community development; Integrate research from social work and social sciences into green space projects; Promote greening endeavors as a "gateway" to community and economic revitalization; Develop campaigns to underwrite urban and rural green space initiatives; Identify green design features that enrich nature appreciation for families and communities; and Develop strategies to promote benefits of outdoor leisure pursuits and healthy eating habits. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS--Are You Ready? Disaster Preparedness Disaster Preparedness Are You Prepared? Make a Resolution to Protect the Environment   A new year has begun and once again we commit ourselves to new resolutions, most of which are personal such as weight control, saving more money, or trying to accomplish what we promised to do in 2009. But how often do we include the environment or make a commitment to conserve our natural resources in our annual resolutions? In 2010, let us make a promise to participate or to engage in more eco-friendly endeavors. For example, there are numerous environmental groups in Alabama's Gulf Coast region that are responsible for assessing needs, empowering and connecting communities, monitoring environmental conditions, and restoring land and wildlife habitat. These Gulf Coast conservation groups help to protect the Mobile Bay, surrounding rivers, and the wildlife that inhabit this region. However, there are similar organizations in Alabama that have comparable agendas based on their geographic terrain and purpose. Another option is to observe environmental global events in your community such as World Water Monitoring Day, World Environment Day, Arbor Day, or World Water Day just to name a few. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System's Saving Town through Asset Revitalization is a program devoted to new and exciting environmental programs as the need arises, which includes the Urban Natural Resources Fair that began in 2009. For more information on how you can be a part of these events and other activities, please contact Urban Regional Extension Agent Michael McIntyre at 251-259-1265 or mnm0001@aces.edu. By Michael McIntyre Urban Regional Extension Agent Mobile & Baldwin Counties   How STAR Works STAR accomplishes its goals and objectives by: Utilizing tree and people practice delivery approaches, including modalities from the horticulture therapy field to develop impact measures that support existing research in human and social sciences. Incorporating the interplay between expressive arts and traditional street games into greening activities that enhance neighborhood social ties. Seeking opportunities to "freeze" or institutionalize work through collaborations with civic and governmental leaders in all phases of the design process. Using Alabama Five-Year Urban and Community Forestry Plan as a key component of the data base for planned green space development activities and capacity-building initiatives. Establishing partnerships with statewide and national advocates of lifelong leisurely pursuits for intergenerational families. Establishing partnerships with local litter control, beautification, and tree boards as well as other committees, clubs, or groups involved in arbor advocacy. Utilizing culturally-sensitive outreach to intergenerational clientele through traditional and nontraditional outreach strategies. Focusing macro (organizations, neighborhoods, and municipalities) practice interventions on clientele assets for planned change. Utilizing proven fundraising tools through community training and professional development programming. Supporting integration of beautification, litter, and arbor projects with municipal economic development and tourism efforts. Staying abreast of macro-level community development, asset analysis, visioning and fundraising professional development opportunities. Emphasizing human dimensions of green space development as a quality of life issue through demonstrations, projects, training programs, and public education. Working with media to present information on human dimensions of green space on human functioning and capacity-building. Promoting arbor celebrations, Tree City USA status, greening efforts, and rekindling hope proactive projects in high-risk neighborhoods and municipalities. For more information about STAR, please contact: Marilyn Simpson-Johnson, LGSW Extension Family Welfare Specialist Co-Coordinator, Saving Towns Through Asset Revitalization, Forestry, Natural Resources & Wildlife Management Urban Affairs & New Nontraditional Programs Alabama A&M University Normal, AL 35762 (256) 372-4961 office (256) 698-1429 cell E-mail: johnsmj@aces.edu Last Updated: February 21, 2011 Copyright © 2011 by Alabama Cooperative Extension System. All rights reserved in all media.