for waste collection
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Task Force is looking for volunteers to help staff a household hazardous waste collection event on Saturday, April 26, at Settlers Cabin Park Wave Pool.
Volunteer tasks include traffic counting, directing traffic, taking surveys, handing out educational literature and checking materials in trunks. No volunteers will be asked to handle hazardous materials or unload vehicles.
Volunteers may work a full-day shift, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or half-day shifts, 7 to 11:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lunch, beverages and a T-shirt will be provided.
Every volunteer also receives a $10 gift card, free disposal of up to five gallons of household hazardous waste, and a chance to win items donated by local organizations.
The event is co-sponsored by the Allegheny County Health Department. Call or email the Health Department's Recycling Officer Joy Smallwood at 412-578-8390 or jsmallwood@ achd.net to volunteer.
Program on gardening with native wildflowers
Gardening with native flowers will be presented at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 19 at the Nature Center in South Park. The program will focus on how to plan and plant beautiful environmentally-friendly gardens.
Morel Madness focuses on mushrooms
The Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club will host Morel Madness on April 26 at Mingo Creek Park.
This is the biggest morel foray in the tristate area. Nationally known mycologist John Plischke III will give a slide show on morel mushrooms and their poisonous look alikes.
Pre-register with the Washington County Parks at 724-228-6867.
Free radon kits are available at Web site
The American Lung Association of Pennsylvania (ALAPA) is once again helping people protect their health and their family's health. In addition to their nationally recognized smoking cessation and asthma education programs, the American Lung Association announced that they would be providing free radon test kits to the public when you visit the Web site, www.lunginfo.org/freeradonkit, while supplies last.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and it is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking. The only way to know the level of radon inside your home is to test for it.
If you have a question concerning radon or would like to contact your local American Lung Association office, please call the American Lung Association HelpLine toll-free at 1-800-LUNG-US.
Conservancy sponsors nature walk
The Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy will sponsor a beginner's nature walk at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26 at the Fire Circle in Bird Park. Led by Verna McGinley as an adjunct activity of the Sunnyhill Unitarian Church's Earth Day Celebration, this hour-long walk will teach proper binocular and field guide use and help with identification of birds, plants and trees.
Bring binoculars and field guide. The Fire Circle is located on Bird Park Drive, off of Cedar Boulevard.
Magazine drive to help the needy
The Peters Township High School National Honor Society is sponsoring "A Second Look"-a magazine drive to collect unwanted magazines that are in fair condition without missing pages or torn covers. These gently used magazines will be donated to Canonsburg Hospital, local women's shelters and area nursing homes. Donation boxes will be available in all school district buildings through May 16. Remove or darken address labels before donating.
Tour to focus on landscaping details
The first Pittsburgh Stone & Waterscapes Landscape Tour will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 3. The tour, which will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, will feature 10 homes and focus on landscaping, retaining walls, ponds, waterfalls, driveways and patios.
For ticket information, contact 412-833-5838.
Think spring with interior decorating
"Interior Decorating with Ethan Allen" will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24 at the Upper St. Clair Recreation Center. A design expert will show how to use the correct size, color and proportion when decorating.
Sisters sponsor Arbor Day paper drive
The Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God will sponsor its second annual Arbor Day paper drive on Friday, April 25.
Newspapers, magazines, catalogs and other paper to be recycled an be dropped off in the green and yellow collection bins located in the parking lot adjacent to the former St. Francis Academy building at 1401 Hamilton Road, Whitehall.
In 2007, the sisters collected 109 tons of paper to be recycled by the Abitibi Paper Recyling program and generated more than $2,100 for the sisters.
For more details on the sisters' collection, call 412-885-7232.