Here's To a Toxic Free NC In 2014!

by Ileana Rodriguez, Development Director

As 2013 comes to a close, we want to say thank you for supporting our work at Toxic Free NC. You are the reason why we had such an amazing year. Thank you!

Here are some highlights from 2013:

• We traveled throughout North Carolina to train child care providers to use less-toxic pest control, helping to protect hundreds of children from exposure to toxic chemicals. 
• We worked with our national and statewide partners to try and strengthen the Chemical Safety Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation that would reform the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act of 1979.
• In the spring, Anna Jensen joined us as Community Organizer to lead our campaigns with migrant and seasonal farm workers.
• This December, Fawn Pattison moved into a new role as Senior Advocate to strengthen our efforts in advocating for environmental health and justice.
• And we welcomed Levy Schroeder, who as our new Executive Director, will lead the way for us to become an even stronger and more effective organization in 2014 and beyond.

Can we count on you to help us keep growing stronger in 2014? Make a year-end gift to Toxic Free NC today to build a toxic-free future for tomorrow! 

On behalf of all of us, thank you for supporting Toxic Free NC and making our achievements possible. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2014!

Organic & Sustainable Christmas Trees and Wreaths: North Carolina 2013 Buying Guide

by Toxic Free NC staff and Margaret Vaughn, volunteer

This holiday season, we hope you'll consider an organic or low-spray Christmas tree or wreath! Check out our updated buying guide to find a pesticide-tree near you.

Buying an sustainably-grown Christmas tree means that you will:

• Protect your family from pesticide residues being brought into your home.
• Keep Christmas tree workers and their families from being exposed to pesticides on the job.
• Support local growers who respect their workers and our environment.

Find out more about the pesticides commonly used on Christmas trees and why you should avoid them.

Toxic Free NC's 2013 Organic & Sustainable Christmas Trees and Wreaths: North Carolina Buying Guide was also recently featured in the news, along with one of the growers on our list, Doug Murphy (of Murphy's Tree Farm and Nursery).

You can also learn about other growers who use sustainable and/or organic practices, such as What Fir Tree Farm in Boone and a host of others!

Nathaniel Maram of What Fir! Tree Farm

Margaret Vaughn has a strong interest in environmental health issues and, in particular, their relationship to the food that we grow, buy, and eat.  She is excited to be back in her home state of North Carolina after completing a graduate degree in public health at New York University.