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Below is a list of our active projects. >> For each there are Project Pages <<CHEARS projects are conceived, developed and implemented by volunteers. Jump to current CHEARS projects and/or contact their participants by selecting a link below.
Jump: Mindful Walks, GreenmanFestival, Earth Squad, Eco-Yard Co-op, Permaculture Design, Stone Soup Music, Flows 
Mindful Walks — Connecting With NatureProject Homepage — Unknown Project Coordinator — Beverly Winterscheid CHEARS is dedicated to the health of all. There is a growing body of evidence that there is an innate human need for contact with nature. Ecologists such as E.O. Wilson have formulated and found evidence for the "Biophilia Hypothesis" that those who are deprived of contact with nature (as so many of us living an urban-computer-televison based life) suffer psychologically and that this leads to a measurable loss of wellbeing (The This CHEARS project will sponsor activities and workshops designed to increase our bonding with the natural world around us, especially our own bioregion. If you are interested in working in this area, contact bwinterscheid@natureleadership.org As we did in 2006, in 2007 we are offering a series of three Mindful Walks in the months of May and June at DC area parks. Come join CHEARS & the Institute for Nature & Leadership for some early evening walks in natural areas near Washington, DC. Our emphasis will be on slowing down, breathing and letting Nature guide us, focusing on ways to deepen our relationship with the natural world and enjoying the camaraderie of others who love Nature. We will begin with a brief dialogue, setting the focus for the evening and then take some time to walk in silence and open ourselves to guidance from Nature. We will conclude with a brief conversation sharing our experience. Each theme is self-contained, but the three taken as a series will introduce you to the basic approach to experiencing Nature as healer. All walks begin promptly at 6:45 p.m. and conclude by 8:45 p.m. Cost is $10 per walk or $25 for the series of 3. Registration is required no later than the preceding Monday of each walk, with a maximum of 10 walkers. Registration and payment can be made at Nature Leadership's website or by phone at 703-795-7302. Exact meeting locations will be provided at registration.
 
GreenmanFestival — Greenbelt Greenman FestivalProject Homepage — http://greenbeltgreenmanfestival.org Project Coordinator — Jean Newcomb 4th Annual Green Man Festival
Earth Squad — Mother Jones Earth Scouts/Tutoring ProjectProject Homepage — Unknown Project Coordinator — Maggie Cahalan Partnering with a Adelphi Friends Meeting and supporting Mary Harris, Mother Jones, Elementary School in Prince Georges County, Maryland, this project combines tutoring/mentoring with an "Earth Squad," a club using the Earth Charter as a guide. Volunteer tutors, books, and used working computers are needed. Over three-fourths of the students are children of recent immigrants, the majority of whom are Spanish speaking. We tutor on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7:30 and have environmental projects one Saturday a month. Our goal is to give each participating student a personal computer, for summer project use. Contact Maggie@chears.org for more information.
Eco-Yard Co-op — One Yard at a Time Eco-Friendly Landscape Co-opProject Homepage — http://` Project Coordinator — Joan Clement On a per acre basis, urban runoff contributes twice the excess nutrient and toxic load to the Bay that agrcultural areas contribute. Aided by Permaculture principles and Chesapeake Bay friendly landscaping plans, a CHEARS strategic objective is to significantly reduce urban and suburban run off by changing our dominant monoculture lawn-based form of landscaping. Households support each other in re-designing their yards to be healthy for people and wildlife by such activities as planting diverse native and edible plants, reducing use of pesticides and fertilizers, and establishing rain gardens to help reduce toxic runoff.
As a first step, we will be sponsoring a permaculture and Bay friendly design workshop in connection with Greenbelt Maryland Green Man Festival the weekend of May 13-14 2006. Contact Maggie@chears.org for more information.
Permaculture Design — Permaculture Design CoursesProject Homepage — Unknown Project Coordinator — Carol Iverson The word "permaculture" was coined in 1978 by Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist, and one of his students, David Holmgren. It is a contraction of "permanent agriculture" or "permanent culture." While not easily defined in a few words, Mollison notes that "Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments." It has also been defined as: "the use of ecology as the basis for designing integrated systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community development. Permaculture is built upon an ethic of caring for the earth and interacting with the environment in mutually beneficial ways." (The Permaculture Drylands Institute, published in The Permaculture Activist, Autumn 1989). Some key principles of permaculture as listed by Holmgren, are:
Stone Soup Music — Stone Soup MusicProject Homepage — http://sites.google.com/a/chears.org/projects/Home/stone-soup-music Project Coordinator — Richard McMullin Music that celebrates and enlightens about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Flows — Water Quality TracingProject Homepage — Unknown Project Coordinator — Robert Cahalan Place Based Education and Research Project---Follow the water from a spring on Wild Meadows Farm near the Eastern Divide in Pennsylvania as it joins Bobs Creek, then observe its transformations as it joins successively Dunnings Creek, the Juniata River, the Susquehanna River, the Cheseapeake Bay, and finally the Atlantic Ocean.
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