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Certified Landscapers logo

This program connects homeowners, schools, businesses and others with professionals who can help them create an outdoor space that will serve as a haven for wildlife for years to come.

(PRWEB) December 18, 2013

Landscaping professionals around the country are now able to become a Certified Wildlife Landscaping Professional under National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat® program. The professional must demonstrate a commitment to supporting ecologically sound and wildlife-friendly methods of landscaping in the business. NWF and landscape professionals around the country are combining forces to address a nationwide concern for wildlife habitat loss and fragmentation.

NWF’s brand new Certified Wildlife Landscaping Professional program certifies landscaping professionals as a complement to its long-standing Certified Wildlife Habitat® program and its companion programs, Schoolyard Habitats® and Community Wildlife Habitat®. These wildlife-friendly landscapes and gardens help keep water and air resources clean, are healthier for people and the environment, and are less resource-dependent than conventional landscapes. Wildlife-friendly landscapes can serve to enrich our urban areas and give residents pride in their neighborhoods.

“We’re partnering with professional landscapers to promote sound wildlife conservation efforts through their business practices,” said Jaime Matyas, executive vice president and COO of National Wildlife Federation. “This program connects homeowners, schools, businesses and others with professionals who can help them create an outdoor space that will serve as a haven for wildlife for years to come.”

“There’s no more rewarding way of helping wildlife than by restoring habitat in our cities and towns,” said David Mizejewski, naturalist with National Wildlife Federation. “Whether it’s in our own backyards, a local schoolyard or park, or even a corporate landscape, any place that can support a garden can attract colorful birds, beautiful butterflies and other wildlife. There’s no better way of connecting with nature than stepping out the door into a wildlife-friendly garden.”

The Certified Wildlife Landscaping Professional program engages professionals who can commit to becoming more sustainable in their business practices and encourage wildlife in their communities through their services to homeowners, businesses, schools, churches, parks and other institutions. As a benefit for becoming certified, professionals receive certification, marketing resources, and promotion to the nation’s largest wildlife gardening network and more than 4 million members. Certified professionals are profiled on NWF’s growing searchable database of Certified Wildlife Landscaping Professionals as a way to assist individuals, businesses, and organizations to find a landscape professional who can help them become more wildlife-friendly in their own landscapes. For more information, please go to: http://www.nwf.org/landscapers.

For more National Wildlife Federation news, visit: http://www.nwf.org/news.

National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization, inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.

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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

By HARRISON HAMLET – Special to the Bulletin

The effort to beautify roadside landscaping in Henry County took a step forward Tuesday at the Henry County Board of Supervisors’ afternoon meeting.

The board unanimously approved a resolution to “comply with the conditions of permits for sponsor gardens and maintain adequate liability insurance for the projects,” according to the meeting’s agenda.

The board also unanimously approved an appropriation of $12,500 from the Harvest Foundation for the creation of the first sponsor garden. It will be on U.S. 220 South past the end of the bridge near the hydroelectric plant, according to board Chairman Jim Adams.

County Administrator Tim Hall said this is “part of an ongoing effort to clean up our community and make it more picturesque.”

The sponsor gardens are an initiative between the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the county. Counties identify sites they would like to see landscaped — generally gateway sites into the community. If these sites are approved by VDOT, the county seeks businesses to sponsor landscaping there, according board documents.

“My wife has been after me for years to try to stimulate development through those islands, (with) landscaping on 220 South,” Ridgeway District Supervisor H.G. Vaughn said during the meeting.

The Harvest-funded sponsor garden may be the first in a series in the county, according to board documents. Businesses have expressed interest in creating additional sponsor gardens, but those locations have not yet been announced.

Hall said he has confidence in the team in charge of the sponsor garden project.

“We have a great relationship with (the Harvest Foundation) on this project. We’re working through Gateway Streetscape and (county Refuse Director) Mike Amos’ guys. Mike is working with our special projects coordinator, so it’s a really, really good team,” Hall said.

Board of supervisors Chairman Jim Adams of the Blackberry District added that this garden will be the “first of many areas I hope we see” improved through the project.

The most underused and least dense block in downtown Lincoln will become an apartment complex for almost 600 students after unanimous City Council approval Monday.

The proposed complex, to be built on a parking lot south of the Gold’s Building, will also have first-floor retail that could include a specialty grocery store.

The developer plans to spend at least $46.5 million on the six-story building and the city would use about $8.1 million in tax increment financing for amenities that will help the public either directly or indirectly.

The developer, a partnership that includes a company that has built and operated student apartments across the country, is hoping to attract a specialty grocery store for about half the 45,000 square feet of retail space, said David Landis, director of the city’s Urban Development Department during a Monday night hearing on the redevelopment agreement with the city.

That’s enough space for a Trader Joe-type of business, said Carl Groesbeck, with Argent Group out of Chicago.

Argent and CA, which used to be called Campus Acquisitions, have formed a limited liability joint venture to develop the downtown block, between M and N streets and 10th and 11th streets. 

CA, also based in Chicago, has been successful in attracting small-scale grocery stores that work well with a student population, Groesbeck told the council. 

Campus Acquisitions has invested about $2 billion in buildings like this, including complexes at the University of Illinois, the University of Michigan and Purdue University, said Landis.

The multi-use building would include 200 two- to five-bedroom units that would have enough room for about 585 students. It would also include a second-story outdoor pool and indoor/outdoor exercise area. 

This developer is not asking the city for parking, like many other downtown developers have, said Landis.

They will be digging down in the rubble of an old building under the parking lot for pillars that will be used for the foundation of the building. That lower level will provide most of the 335 parking spots for the building, Landis said.

The developer would like to use a portion of the TIF financing for energy efficiency elements from solar panels to solar shades, according to the redevelopment agreement with the city.

The developer would be using LEED standards but not getting LEED certification, which costs $50,000, Landis said.

The developer is looking at a number of ways to have energy conservation and responsible green development, including harvesting rainwater for landscaping, said Groesbeck. They will also be using quality material on the outside and enclosing truck docks. 

“In general we have tried to be conscious of the environment and are hoping to add to it tremendously with this project,” he said.

“When you compare it to what we have now it will be a vast improvement,” said Landis.

The city plans to reserve about $811,000 in TIF funds  for projects in the city right-of-way near that block.

It might be used for protected bike lanes, for rain gardens, for the bus terminal, Landis said.  

The City Council would not vote on these specific projects, Landis said, in response to a question from Councilman Jon Camp about council control over the city projects.

TIF bonds are used for improvements that have some public benefit from widening streets to energy conservation.

The city then uses property tax revenue from growth in the property value due to the redevelopment to pay off bonds over a 15-year period.

The council approved changes in the comprehensive plan and the redevelopment agreement Monday night.

A vote to approve the TIF bond is scheduled for the council’s next meeting Jan. 6.

New landscape gardener comes to Remarkables Park Town
Centre

Vibrant summer
colours at the Remarkables Park Town
Centre

Queenstown’s vibrant town
centre at Remarkables Park is currently enjoying a burst of
summer colour courtesy of a new multi-award-winning
landscape gardener.

Mike Hawthorne, originally
from Invercargill, has an impressive resumé, having spent
five years as a curator for the Auckland Regional Botanical
Gardens.

During that time Mr Hawthorne co-designed the
Garden’s Ellerslie Flower Show exhibit in 2003 winning
multiple awards including the prestigious and highly coveted
Supreme Award.

Mr Hawthorne moved to Queenstown in April
this year and will oversee the upkeep of nearly 100 hanging
baskets, numerous flower beds, and mature trees and shrubs
at Remarkables Park already well known for its attractive
landscaping.

After an eight year stint in London he said
he was “thrilled” to be home in “clean, green New
Zealand.”

Every festive season the shopping centre
provides a vibrant display of summer flowers to add to the
stunning backdrop of The Remarkables mountain
range.

“There aren’t many shopping centres in New
Zealand that put this amount of time and effort into its
gardens, it really does make all the difference to
visitors’ experience,” Mr Hawthorne said.

“We’ve
put in the South African sun daisy in the entranceway and
I’m looking forward to getting creative and planting more
unusual and exotic plants.”

Remarkables Park managing
director Alastair Porter said the visual beauty and scents
of the flowers “added life and ambience” to the shopping
centre, making it “a joy to visit”.

“Locals and
visitors alike comment on the colourful landscaping in the
shopping centre and we pride ourselves on keeping it
pristine,” he said.

“The centre now has a wide range
of dining options so bringing a landscape gardener of
Mike’s calibre on board is designed to ensure Remarkables
Park becomes an even more beautiful place, to shop, as well
as meet friends over a coffee or a meal.”

The popular
urban-designed shopping centre now has 63 tenants, 29,000sqm
of commercial floor space and comfortably caters for more
than three million visitors every year.

Over the years,
Remarkables Park has developed its own nursery to provide
plants and trees for the centre to maintain its unique
outdoor shopping experience that proves so
popular.

ends

© Scoop Media

Judith Schafernak’s gardens were featured in national magazines, and she became a master flower show judge, landscape design critic and lecturer on floral design.

Her accomplishments defied the fact she had battled rheumatoid arthritis since she was 2.

“You never would have known that Judy had lived since childhood with a crippling, painful disability,” said Judy Cimaglio, a fellow longtime member of the Plum Grove Garden Club. “I have never known someone with the strength, willpower and stamina Judy had.”

Over the years, Mrs. Schafernak organized numerous flower shows at McCormick Place in Chicago. In 1977 she won “Best Show” nationwide from the National Council of State Garden Clubs, and she was president of Garden Clubs of Illinois from 1991 to 1993.

“She was brilliant, a multitasker, persistent, persuasive and excelled at every project took on,” Cimaglio said. “A lifelong love of flowers and interest in gardening led Judy up the garden path to the presidency of Garden Clubs of Illinois.”

Mrs. Schafernak, 72, of Palatine, died Friday, Nov. 29, at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. The cause was complications related to rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disorder that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues and also affects other organs.

“She was very positive, despite the pain she endured, and never lamented her lot in life,” said her daughter Daria Hoffman. “As a child she had to take all kinds of medicines, and as she got older she took different drugs that were still in the trial phase. She did whatever was needed to live as normal a life as possible.”

Born Judith Theresa Gron, Mrs. Schafernak grew up on Chicago’s North Side and graduated from Steinmetz High School. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she met her future husband, Dale. The couple lived in Addison before moving to Palatine in 1972.

In the early 1970s, Mrs. Schafernak and her husband joined the Plum Grove Garden Club in Palatine and began cultivating their own garden. He grew vegetables. She grew flowers and herbs. Together they worked on the landscaping.

“They were a team,” Hoffman said. “When one needed assistance, the other was right there to help out.”

The couple’s award-winning gardens were featured in magazines such as Better Homes Gardens and Traditional Home, Hoffman said.

“People would marvel at the abundance of her floral garden,” she said. “Every corner you’d turn to there’d be something beautiful and different. Her mini roses were just gorgeous.”

Mrs. Schafernak spent hours tending to her gardens, and up until a few months ago was still pruning and watering her plants.

“She was outdoors almost every day on her little garden cart making sure there wasn’t a single weed anywhere,” Hoffman said.

Mrs. Schafernak also is survived by two other daughters, Krina Koenen and Melissa Laurenson; a son, Kristian; seven grandchildren; and four stepgrandchildren.

Services were held.

Harton Quays Park, the £2.3 million waterfront park in South Shields designed by landscape architects Grant Associates for South Tyneside Council, has now opened to the public.

Harton Quays Park stretches along the River Tyne from South Shields ferry landing to the Customs House theatre and features curved embankments, lawns and colourful planting, a promenade, sheltered gardens and a dramatic pine grove viewing point shaped like the bow of a ship.

The curved ribbon wall made up of 144 precast concrete panels is another unique feature, alongside a stunning water feature and an amphitheatre suitable for open air drama and music.

The park, which was joint-funded by South Tyneside Council and the Homes and Communities Agency, is part of a wider regeneration masterplan for South Shields Riverside.

Harton Quays Park received a ‘Very Good’ commendation as part of the CEEQUAL award assessment, thanks to the collaborative efforts of designers working on the scheme, led by Grant Associates and civil engineers, Mott MacDonald.

CEEQUAL is an evidence-based Sustainability Assessment and Awards Scheme for civil engineering, infrastructure, landscaping and the public realm. The award celebrates the achievement of high environmental and social performance.

Peter Chmiel, director, Grant Associates, the landscape architects responsible for the landscape masterplanning of Harton Quays Park said: “We are delighted Harton Quays Park is now open to the local community. It has been rewarding for Grant Associates to work with South Tyneside Council who have been dedicated to ensuring the sustainable aspirations for the park were met.This scheme provides additional amenity to the area, a cultural focus and spaces for events all with an emphasis on promoting biodiversity.

“Harton Quays Park forms a key piece of the on-going regeneration strategy for the area and creates an important re-connection of South Shields town centre to the River Tyne. We are both curious and excited to see the response of the local community throughout the seasons and hope Harton Quays Park is enjoyed for many years to come.”

Councillor Michael Clare, Lead Member Regeneration and Economy at South Tyneside Council, said: “Harton Quays Park is already becoming a new Tyneside landmark. With superb design and craftsmanship, it is a fantastic facility for local people and another attraction for the millions of visitors who come to South Tyneside every year.

“The Council has an ambitious vision for regeneration of South Shields town centre, and this is another important step towards making that a reality.”

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Publication Date: Dec 16, 2013

Author/Source: Grant Associates

Presented by the city of Lakeland Beautification Board and Lakeland Parks and Recreation, a free lecture with a topic of “Landscaping for Winter Color” takes place from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Larry Jackson Branch Library, 1700 N. Florida Ave., Lakeland.

TUESDAY

The Florida Flywheelers present an antique car showcase at Pinewood Estate, Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. They are on view from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free with general admission.

WEDNESDAY

A Christmas Party on the Acoustic Stage takes place at 7 p.m. in Auburndale. There will be special music, sing-alongs, treats. Free admission at Lundyville Music Hall, 600 Lundy Road.

THURSDAY

The Bonsai Society of Lakeland meets the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Cleveland Heights Animal Hospital, 3710 Cleveland Heights Blvd., Lakeland.

FRIDAY

It’s the last day of school before Winter Break for Polk County Schools. Enjoy your time off!

SATURDAY

An open mic event takes place at 11:30 p.m. at Oasis Florida Bar and Grille in Howard Johnson, 939 W. Robson St., Lakeland.

SUNDAY

Winter Walking Tours are held at Pinewood Estate, Bok Tower Gardens. Volunteer garden guides lead visitors on an hour-long walking tour, sharing information about the winter flora and fauna. Tours are at 11:45 a.m., 1:45 p.m. daily; 1:45 p.m. Sundays; through Jan. 5. Free with general admission.

Monday, December 16, 2013

The Henry County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will present a General Assembly resolution commemorating the life of late Henry County administrator Benny Summerlin.

Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, will attend the meeting to present the resolution to Robin Summerlin, wife of the late administrator who died in August 2012.

Also at the board’s 3 p.m. meeting at the Henry County Administration building, the supervisors are scheduled to:

• Consider a resolution providing assurances to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) that the county will comply with the conditions of permits for sponsor gardens and maintain adequate liability insurance for the potential projects.

According to Jamie Smith, a spokesperson for VDOT, sponsor gardens are an initiative between VDOT and counties. Counties identify sites they would like to see landscaped, generally gateway sites into the community. If these sites are approved by VDOT, the county seeks businesses to sponsor the landscaping there.

The board also will consider approving an appropriation of $12,500 from The Harvest Foundation for the creation of the first sponsor garden at the U.S. 220 Business cloverleaf. Other businesses have expressed interest in creating additional sponsor gardens.

• Consider accounts payable.

• Consider a date for the 2014 organizational meeting when the chairman and vice chairman for the coming year will be chosen. Meeting dates for 2014 also will be set.

• Consider adopting a fiscal

2014-15 budget calendar. The calendar calls for a joint meeting with

(Continued from Page 1-A)

the school board at 5 p.m. Jan. 13; distribution of budget documents Jan. 24; budget requests due in the county administrator’s office Feb. 14; joint budget work session with the school board at 5 p.m. Feb. 25; school budget request due April 1; presentation of total county budget to board of supervisors at 5 p.m. April 2; work session on school budget and total county budget at 5 p.m. April 3; advertise public hearing April 6; public hearings on school and county budget April 22; appropriation of school budget and total county budget May 27; and other work sessions as needed.

• Receive the monthly report from County Treasurer Scott Grindstaff on delinquent tax collections. Also, a report from Taxing Authority Consulting Services (TACS) will be presented.

According to board papers, as of Nov. 29, Grindstaff’s office had collected 97 percent, or $9,584.52, of the 2012 personal property taxes. It also had collected 94 percent, or $51,358.63, of the 2012 real estate taxes.

• Hear a monthly report from Mark Heath, president/CEO of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp.

• Consider adopting a resolution to institute a first-day filing requirement for legislation with local fiscal impacts to give enough time for the Commission on Local Government to analyze the bills fully before passing them on to the General Assembly.

The Governor’s Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review, which is asking local governments to adopt the resolution, believes there are not enough resources for bills to be properly reviewed for fiscal impact within the time constraints of the General Assembly’s schedule, documents show.

A first-day filing requirement would improve the review process and result in fewer bills with local fiscal requirements making it through the legislature, according to board papers.

• Consider a request from Public Safety Director Rodney Howell to approve the transfer of $4,183 from the grant match fund to the equipment line in the EMS supplemental staff fund.

Howell wants to use the unspent funds to buy personal protective equipment for use by the supplemental EMS staff. The original budgeted funds were allocated to match a grant for five defibrillators. After a competitive bid, the prices were lower than anticipated and the required match was less.

• Consider a resolution submitted by Sheriff Lane Perry to update the signature authorization for access to the jail inmate fund. The fund is comprised of cash on jail inmates at the time of their arrest and contributions to them from family members.

• Review informational items, including reports from building inspection, parks and recreation, public safety and the sheriff’s office.

• Hear the county administrator’s report.

• Meet in closed session to discuss appointees to the Public Service Authority and Patriot Centre Advisory Board; pending legal matters; acquisition/disposal of real estate; and as-yet unannounced industries.

A Cry For Help Inc., 6216 Second NW, Albuquerque 87107, 922-8788, acryforhelpinc.org, Facebook and Twitter. Services: Provides advocacy for those experiencing any type of abuse; services the needs of all citizens suffering abuse through the domestic and judicial system. Needs: Financial contributions to help fight for the rights of victims – mail checks or money orders to 300 Homesite Lane NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114. Also needed are household goods and clothing for the opening of ACFHI Thrift Store, office supplies and equipment, volunteers and court supporters, printing company to print brochures, pro bono attorneys and paralegals for documentation review.

Albuquerque Heading Home, 215 Third SW, Albuquerque 87102. Contact Robert Nelson at 226-1700. Services: Nonprofit works to make homelessness in Albuquerque rare, short-lived and non-recurring through emergency shelter, social services and permanent housing. Needs: Gently used furniture, kitchen supplies, hygiene supplies, toiletries and blankets for homeless people moving into new homes. Also needed are volunteers to help deliver furnishings to people moving into new homes, sort donations, and help at emergency shelter.

Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, P.O. Box 25445, Albuquerque 87125, 766-5197. Services: Provides more than 7,000 men, women and children access to much-needed primary medical, dental and behavioral health care, in addition to social and street outreach service and supportive housing. Needs: A gift of $50 provides one half-hour of outreach to families with children to provide a child with medical screening and basic needs items. A gift of $500 covers the cost of eight hours at the drop-in center for up to 70 people where an individual can meet basic needs with coffee, a shower, telephone access, and other forms of individual and group support.

Albuquerque Rescue Mission, 525 Second SW, Albuquerque 87103, 346-4673. Services: A Christian ministry helping homeless and near homeless men, women and children with services including shelter, meals, clothing and blankets. Needs: Financial contributions; nonperishable food, warm clothing, underwear for men, women and children; blankets. Also needed are Christmas gifts for 700 homeless children aged 6 months to 12 years needed by Dec. 18.

All Faiths, 1709 Moon NE, Albuquerque 87112, 271-0329. Services: Provides positive change, healing and hope to children, families and individuals. Services include: prevention and intervention; psychological evaluation and management; providing support services for families by working in their homes to ensure their children’s needs are met; parenting skills classes; interviews and interagency coordination in cases of alleged abuse; support groups led by parents with the help of a trained facilitator. Needs: Monetary support, diapers, baby wipes, toiletries, household items, toys, books, non-perishable food items, and new or lightly used clothing for children up to 18 years of age.

Animal Welfare Department, City of Albuquerque: Pets spending the holidays at the shelters while awaiting adoption are in need of new or gently used blankets, dog sweaters, jackets, beds, toys and treats. Items will be distributed to each animal on Christmas Eve. Donations may be dropped off through Dec. 20 at the shelters, 8920 Lomas NE and 11800 Sunset Gardens SW, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily except Monday; Lucky Paws in Coronado Center, Monday through Saturday 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Sunday, noon-6 p.m.; or any Petco store in Albuquerque, during business hours and check the city’s website to find more drop off areas.

Barrett Foundation, 10300 Constitution NE, Albuquerque 87112, 246-9244, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Services: In its commitment to ending homelessness, the Foundation serves single women and their children, as well as disabled, chronically homeless women through shelter, transitional and permanent housing, and the structure, support and critical skills training to help them build more secure futures. Needs: Volunteers, financial contributions, gift cards in denominations of $25 and under, cash donations for $10 monthly bus passes, unexpired food sealed in original store packaging, bottled water, women’s and children’s clothing, personal hygiene and grooming items, sheets, pillows, bath and hand towels, laundry and cleaning supplies. For information and a complete wish list, visit barrettfoundation.org, click on donate.

CLNkids/Cuidando Los Niños, 1500 Walter SE, Albuquerque 87102, 843-6899. Services: Provides 5-star rated early childhood education and therapeutic services for children experiencing homelessness, ages 6 weeks to 5 years, and support services for families to become housed and self-sustaining. Needs: Gift cards from Walmart, Target, Smith’s, or similar stores to support purchases of classroom supplies and food. Diapers, sizes 3-5, baby wipes, and disposable gloves.

Casa Angelica, 5629 Isleta SW, Albuquerque 87105, 877-5763. Services: Residential facility for children and young adults with profound developmental disabilities. Needs: Laundry detergent, fabric softener, Clorox Wipes, AAA, AA, C, D 9-volt batteries, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, body wash.

Catholic Charities, 3301 Candelaria NE, Suite B, Albuquerque 87107, 724-4670, ccasfnm.org. Services: Mission is to create hope for those in need by promoting self-sufficiency, strengthening families, fighting poverty and building community. Services include housing, adult education, early childhood education, child care, senior transportation, immigrant services and refugee resettlement to individuals regardless of race, religion, country of origin, disabilities, age or gender. Needs: Financial contributions and volunteers.

Christina Kent Early Childhood Center, 423 Third SW, Albuquerque 87102, 242-0557. Services: Operates year round to provide early education, child care and two meals a day to 65 children of economically diverse working families. Needs: Hand puppets, toy train, Duplos and Legos, dress-up clothes, two twin inflatable mattresses for toddler room, riding toys for toddler outdoor play, baskets, quality art materials, commercial stroller for three or more children, overhead projector, locking two-drawer file cabinet, stereo cassette/radio player, electric skillet.

El Ranchito de los Niños, 2 Puesta del Sol, Los Lunas 87031, 565-4470, elranchitonm.org. Contact Mary Spring. Services: Provides a safe home for children from infancy to age 18, with an emphasis on keeping brothers and sisters together. Needs: Financial donations–please call, send a check or visit the website. Basic items for children, such as toiletries, clothing, educational materials, food. Please call for a list. Volunteers for mentoring, cooking, tutoring, events and committees.

Family Promise of Albuquerque, 2801 Lomas NE, B-4, Albuquerque 87106, 268-0331, familypromiseabq.org. Services: Shelter for families experiencing homelessness; provides 24-hour support and shelter through the work of three paid staff members and over 1,000 volunteers. Families may stay in the program for up to 90 days. While in the program, parents must be employed or actively looking for work. Tutors are provided to help parents improve literacy, math and computer skills, and volunteers help with resumes and online applications. The organization has about a 70 percent success rate of families graduating from the program with employment and into stable housing. Needs: Volunteers to commit to a two-hour weekday morning shift per week to help with tutoring or job searches. Certified literacy tutor training is provided. Volunteers to “adopt” a family for Christmas. Monetary donations to help replace beds.

Feeding Pets of the Homeless, New Mexico Project of the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque Animal Advocates. Services: Delivers donations to homeless shelters for distribution. Needs: Donations of dog and cat food, leashes, and collars for both cats and dogs. For information, email feedingpetsnewmexico@gmail.com.

Good Shepherd Center, 218 Iron SW, Albuquerque 87102, 243-2527. Services: Provides overnight accommodation and clothing for homeless men, a community meal for men, women and children daily, mail service for men and women, and an alcohol and drug addiction recovery program for men. Needs: Canned fruit, vegetables and soup, sleeping bags, blankets, winter coats, hats, gloves, men’s underwear, socks, travel-size soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste.

Joy Junction, 4500 Second SW, Albuquerque 87105, 877-6967, 800-924-0569, information@joyjunction.org, joyjunction.org. Services: Shelter for women and families; meals, transportation, counseling, life-skills program, thrift store and spiritual aid. Needs: Financial contributions, food, beverages, toiletries and hygiene items, clothing, diapers, baby products and blankets.

NAMI-ABQ (National Alliance on Mental Illness Albuquerque), 2501 San Pedro NE, Suite 212, Albuquerque 87110, 256-0288, nami.org/sites/albuquerque. Services: Advocates for services, treatment, support and research to benefit people affected by mental illness. Needs: Financial contributions and corporate sponsors. Volunteers specializing in nonprofit taxes and grant writing. Also needed are volunteers to maintain website, provide administrative assistance, facilitate support groups, act as family-to-family teachers, raise funds, and provide community outreach.

New Mexico Asian Family Center, 128 Quincy NE, Albuquerque 87108, 717-2877, info@nmafc.org, nmafc.org. Services: Culturally sensitive case management, counseling, legal consultation (family law), children and family programs, and resource and referrals to Asians and their families in need. Needs: Financial contributions.

Noon Day Ministries, 101 Broadway NE, Albuquerque 87102, 246-8001, noondayministries.org, Services: Provides meals and essential services to the homeless and near homeless of Albuquerque, such as rental and utility assistance, transportation assistance, school supplies for the many children Noon Day serves; also, Christian legal aid, clothing, toiletries, showers, grocery provisions, and even bicycle repair and haircuts. While meeting the basic human needs of Albuquerque’s homeless community, Noon Day provides assistance and support to encourage movement toward self-sufficiency. Needs: Monetary support, baby diapers (all sizes), baby wipes, winter coats and clothing, men’s pants sizes 32, 34 and 36, men’s and women’s white socks (all sizes), men’s and women’s underwear (all sizes), tennis shoes in all sizes for men and women, combs, sample-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion, feminine hygiene items, razors.

PBJ Family Services, 1101 Lopez SW, Albuquerque 87105, 877-7060; 209 San Pablo SE, Albuquerque 87108; and 255A Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo 87004, 867-2356; pbjfamilyservices.org. Services: Parenting education and support in the homes and at its therapeutic preschool for children (birth through 3) to attend with their parents; services for parents impacted by incarceration. Needs: Volunteers to adopt families for Christmas; donations all year to assist with utility bills and emergency needs, and volunteers.

Project PeacePal, 2340 Alamo SE, Suite 110, Albuquerque 87106, 255-2042, peacepal.org, info@peacepal.org. Services: PeacePal is a peace through education nonprofit organization with the mission of inspiring youth to become peace building leaders. Over the course of a school year, it connects middle and high school age youth in the U.S. with pen pals across the globe, providing them with essential life skills such as intercultural understanding and communication, enhanced literacy, critical thinking, confidence, and conflict management. These skills prepare youth to have a better understanding of our common humanity and become more effective and peaceful leaders. Needs: Financial contributions and volunteers.

Reading Works, 6101 Anderson SE, Albuquerque, 87108, 321-9620, reading-works.org. Services: Adult literacy program providing free one-on-one tutoring to adult residents of Bernalillo County who want to improve their reading skills, speak English as a Second Language, or prepare to take the GED exam. Needs: Gift cards from gasoline, grocery and retail stores for its clients, 90 percent of whom live below the poverty line.

Roadrunner Food Bank, 5840 Office NE, Albuquerque 87109, 247-2052, rrfb.org. Services: Distributes 90,000 pounds of food a day to hunger relief agencies and via direct service programs. Needs: Financial contributions; protein foods such as peanut butter and canned meats and other non-perishable foods, fresh produce and meats; and volunteers. Volunteers can register online at rrfb.org/volunteer.

S.A.F.E. House, P.O. Box 25363 Albuquerque, NM 87125, 247-4219, safehousenm.org. Shelter location is confidential. Services: Emergency shelter for adult survivors of domestic violence and their children provides a range of services to help survivors choose and live violence-free lives and to set up new, violence-free homes. Needs: Monetary donations. Gift cards in any amount to help provide personalized Christmas gifts and clothing for adults and children in shelter. Twin and double bed sheets, pillows, blankets towels and bath mats, high efficiency laundry soap and fabric softener, new bras and panties (any size), new children’s underwear (any size), shampoo, hair conditioner, diapers (size 4 and 5), diaper bags, umbrella strollers. Please mail monetary donations and gift cards to S.A.F.E. House. Collection of donations is being coordinated by Women Entrepreneurs. Please call Elizabeth Lucero at 342-0246 to arrange a drop off. Donations of clothing, household items and clothing may be taken to the thrift store, 1301 San Mateo NE, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday year round. Volunteers are welcomed at the thrift store and shelter to help with periodic maintenance and landscaping tasks.

St. Felix Pantry, 4020 Barbara Loop SE, Rio Rancho 87124, 891-8075. Services: Provides food and clothing for families in need. Needs: Financial contributions. Tamale ingredients, turkeys, hams, instant mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh fruits and vegetables, nonperishable food; Christmas gift bags, wrapping paper and tags; new or gently used toys, all ages; clothing; small appliances. Volunteers needed 6-9 a.m. or 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays through Saturdays. To volunteer, call for appointment to fill out application and meet with the director of operations. A background check and sexual harassment training are required for each volunteer.

St. Martin’s Hospitality Center, 1201 Third NW, Albuquerque 87102, 242-4399, ext. 238 or 254, smhc-nm.org. Services: Day shelter for men, women and children offers meals, showers, clothing, mail and telephone services, and transportation assistance. Core service agency providing comprehensive behavioral health care and housing programs. Needs: Financial donations, nonperishable food, toiletries, hygiene items, diapers, baby formula, blankets, winter jackets, hats, and gloves. Volunteers needed to work in shelter 8-11 a.m. weekdays. Computer skills preferred.

The Storehouse, 106 Broadway SE, Albuquerque 87102, 842-6491. Services: Provides food and clothing to families in need. Needs: Financial contributions, nonperishable food, gently used clothing and coats, small household items and volunteers.

Storehouse West, 1030-F Veranda Drive SE, Rio Rancho 87124, 892-2077, storehousewest.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-noon and 12:30-1:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays; noon-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Services: Provides food boxes, children’s clothing, and help with utility bills for Sandoval County residents when funds are available. Needs: Financial contributions, nonperishable food items, children’s clothing, personal hygiene products and volunteers.

WIN Ministries Inc. (Women in Need), 8401 Pan American Freeway NE, Unit 69, Albuquerque 87113, 823-9887, 715-0829, pamela_jantzen@yahoo.com. Services: Helps single mothers and their children by providing furniture, household items and clothing. Also acts as a referral service. Needs: Financial contributions, grocery store gift cards, furniture, household items, clothing for women and children, and unwrapped Christmas gifts for women and children.

Watermelon Mountain Ranch, 1512 Deborah SE, No 203, Rio Rancho 87124, 771-0140, wmranch.org. Services: New Mexico’s largest no-kill animal shelter, which has rescued and found homes for thousands of animals. Needs: Dog food, cat food, cat litter, blankets (please no feather or fiber filled), and cleaning supplies, particularly bleach. Volunteers needed at the resale store, the Ranch, and for the December Adoptathon. Dates and detail are available on the website.

The century-old sycamore on David Fleming’s El Cajon property was the focal point of his hacienda style home, with five trunks and a lush canopy of golden leaves.

It’s now ground zero of a San Diego infestation by the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle, a pernicious pest that has ravaged backyards, street trees and arbors in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. So far, there’s no solution.

Unlike other insects that target just a few species, the shot-hole borer beetle is an equal opportunity pest, infesting at least 286 tree species and posing the potential for widespread destruction.

Its hosts include California natives such as coast live oaks and sycamores, and key agricultural crops, including avocado.

“It’s extreme,” said Tom Launder, an Oceanside arborist who flagged the infestation at Fleming’s home. “It has the potential to be one of the worst (pests) that we’ve seen in decades.”

The shot-hole borer beetle injects trees with a fungus, which it them “farms” for food. It has successfully colonized 117 of its hosts with the fungus, said Akif Eskalen, a plant pathology researcher at UC Riverside, who has tracked the beetle and confirmed the infestation of Fleming’s tree

While most pests target distressed or dying trees, this one prefers healthy, vigorous hosts, and has spread swiftly through Southern California.

“That just shows how dangerous it is,” Eskalen said. “This beetle can show up any time, anywhere.”

Although there’s no dollar figure for its damage, hundreds of affected street trees in Los Angeles have been removed at a cost of at least $1,000 each, Eskalen said. And that figure is likely to rise, especially if it strikes orchards. In Israel, which has battled the pest since 2009, 40 percent of avocado groves are infested, he said.

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Just after digging it of his sycamore tree, David Fleming holds a polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle in his palm at his Dehesa Valley home , east of El Cajon, on Saturday.

The beetle originated in South East Asia and appeared in Los Angeles in 2011. It destroyed hundreds of trees at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden Huntington Botanical Gardens, according to an alert by Los Angeles Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, which described the new pest as “tinier than a sesame seed but devastating as poison.”

By 2013, it had spread to Orange County, and in fall, turned up in Fleming’s yard in El Cajon.

Fleming, a golf course architect and superintendent, has spent 40 years designing landscaping for beauty and resilience, selecting a diverse plant palette to hedge his bets against pests.

He planned his own home to showcase the towering, five-trunked sycamore, and carefully nurtured the 100-year-old tree.

In the spring, he added a new fertilizer to encourage its growth and to prevent a common fungus that causes sycamores to shed their leaves. The tree flourished after the treatment, sprouting dense foliage from May through July.

By September, however, it was failing.

“The main trunk of the tree, it just collapsed,” Fleming said.

Fleming contacted Oceanside arborist Tom Launder, who had recently given a presentation to golf course superintendents warning them about the new pest.

“From the photos alone, I saw the staining on the trunk and the dieback symptoms on the leaves didn’t look like anything we see from other pests,” Launder said.