We would like to integrate cycling into our plan, but find it difficult due to inadequate infrastructure (unless you like riding down LongPoint Road inches away from cars going 50 mph). Charleston Moves was a big proponent of the pedestrian lane on the Ravenel Bridge, and is working hard to get a bike lane down Coleman Blvd. in Mount Pleasant. Major Joe dedicated the East Bay Bike and Pedestrian Path last month. These are all good things, but more work needs to be done.

Enter Brian Graham, a Clemson University graduate student who is creating a “Bicycle & Pedestrian Action Plan” for Charleston. As part of his work, he is documenting all the bicycle rack locations within the city – and needs your help. If you know of a bike rack, please add a marker to the interactive Google map. You can also add a marker to request a rack be placed at a certain location. At the close of the project, a more formal map will be created and submitted to the City of Charleston.

But your involvement doesn’t need to stop there. Brian is looking for your help in identifying places that need bike lane striping, sharrows, or bike paths. He has 5 questions for Charleston residents to answer regarding local bicycle and pedestrian issues. Check them out after the jump, and either leave your feedback in the comments section, or email them directly to Brian.

1. What roads seem ideal for re-striping to create bike lanes or should have sharrows? (These roads should be wider than others and have well maintained pavement).
2. Are there specific roads, that do not have sidewalks that, in your opinion, need them??  (Especially outside of downtown.)
3. Where would you suggest that bicycle and pedestrian activity be counted to document a demand for facilities (streets and intersections)?
4. What type of bicycle/pedestrian/motorist education programs would you like to see the City of Charleston support?
5. How should the city encourage and market bicycle and pedestrian activities be encouraged?

Last June, I wrote about local nurseries who reclaim empty plant pots for reuse or recycling. Taking in your used pots not only keeps plastics out of the landfill, but helps support a local business that has decided to care – a win/win. Here is where you can take your used plant pots, trays, and flats (they don’t take the flimsy plastic annuals come in):

• Brownswood Nursery Inc. (559-3425)
• Cloverleaf Greenhouse Growers (559-1515)
• Daniel Island Nursery (388-6636)
• Dream Gardens (744-7040)
• Lowcountry Nursery Company (849-6064)
• Middle Earth Nursery (572-4361)
• Summerville Nursery (873-3220)

We also have a map if you are having trouble finding these nurseries.

I also want to mention the 6 nurseries that flat-out said “No, we don’t accept drop-offs”. In alphabetical order, they are: Abide-a-While, Carolina Landscape Supply, Hidden Ponds Nursery and Garden Center, Lowcountry Mulch, Palm Trees & Garden Center, Three Oaks Landscape Contractors.

Happy gardening everyone!

Thanks to everyone who has helped get the map together so far. We’ll soon be adding more links and photos with each entry. In the mean time, please enjoy the map – and get out and support the local scene!

Be sure to check out our other maps too: Charleston County Recycling, Locally Grown Food, and Plant Container Recycling.

The Go Green Charleston Locally Grown Food Map features local farmers markets, growers, fruits and vegetable stands, supermarkets, and locally caught seafood. You can zoom in to get a good look, plot directions, or visit their websites. With addresses and phone numbers for 18+ locations, this map can help you practice a more sustainable, low-impact diet.

All of our maps are works in progress, so please let us know if you’d like to see something added to this local foods map. Providing free information to the community is what this site is all about, and we’re always looking for someone to lend a hand.

For more tips on how to green up your meals, check out Treehugger.com. Bon appétite!

Buying seasonal, local food is a boon for the environment for a lot of reasons. Since most food travels many miles to reach your table (1,500 miles, on average), locally sourced food cuts back on the climate-change impacts of transportation. Local food also generally uses less packaging, is fresher and tastier, and comes in more varieties. It also supports small local growers and lets them get more for their produce by not having to spend so much on packing, processing, refrigeration, marketing, and shipping.

So while adhering to the 100-mile diet might be impossible, you can certainly make an impact by visiting one of more than 10 local farmers markets, checking out a local specialty grower, or stopping by one of the regular roadside stands.

Check out our expanding list, and add to it in the comments.

• Charleston Farmer’s Market
• Mount Pleasant Farmer’s Market
• North Charleston/Hanahan Farmer’s Market
• Goose Creek Farmer’s Market
• Corners Farmer’s Market, Moncks Corner
• Summerville Farmers Market
• Walterboro Farmers Market
• Oakbrook Farmers Market (Summerville)
• James Island Presbyterian Church Farmers Market
• St. Stephens Farmers Market
• Boone Hall Plantation
• Boone Hall Farms
• Sweet Bay Farm
• Owl’s Nest Plantation
• Full Circle Organic (CSA)
• Ruke’s Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Stand, Mount Pleasant’s Holy Trinity A.M.E. Church on Mathis Ferry Road
• Brother George’s Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Rivers Avenue
• Lora Hucks Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Folly Road
• Bobby Hucks Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Ladson
• Blue Dog Farms

We will be creating a Go Green Map based on this info soon, so if you know of any additional locations where local food can be purchased, please let us know in the comments.

It’s a map that identifies, promotes, and links eco and cultural resources. It’s about everyday choices, specific ways to spend your time and money to help the planet, to support local businesses and the local environment, and enjoy what is environmentally and culturally special in the greater Charleston area.

That’s good stuff. Unfortunately, you can only get the map by purchasing it. While I do admire their efforts, I would like to see this map/project be online, free, and shareable, rather than on paper, $10, and with limited reach. Nevertheless, it’s a great idea with an important goal – to support green activities in our area.

Pickup a copy here.

I’d also like to give a shout out to the 7 nurseries and garden centers who allow green gardeners like me to return these pots. It’s good for them, good for us, and good for the planet.

So if you find yourself accumulating a bunch of non-recyclable plant containers, fear not – you have a greener option!

Check out the new map

These pots and trays are typically made from non-recyclable plastics, probably for economic reasons (I need to research this). Other then avoiding them altogether in favor of a native-species sustainable garden, I needed to find a nursery that would take them back for reuse or recycling.

So what’s a Go Green blogger to do? Crack open the phone book and call the entire list of course! I found only 7 places that allow used pots, trays, and flats to be dropped off (they don’t take the paper-thin plastics annuals come in.)

• Brownswood Nursery Inc. (559-3425)
• Cloverleaf Greenhouse Growers (559-1515)
• Daniel Island Nursery (388-6636)
• Dream Gardens (744-7040)
• Lowcountry Nursery Company (849-6064)
• Middle Earth Nursery (572-4361)
• Summerville Nursery (873-3220)

To be fair, there were 10 or so companies that I could not get in touch with. If you know a nursery who will take these items, please let me know. And yes, a Go Green Map featuring these businesses is already in the works.

I also want to mention the 6 nurseries that flat-out said “No, we don’t accept drop-offs”. In alphabetical order, they are: Abide-a-While, Carolina Landscape Supply, Hidden Ponds Nursery and Garden Center, Lowcountry Mulch, Palm Trees & Garden Center, Three Oaks Landscape Contractors.

I’m the most disappointed in Abide-a-While. They are the Microsoft of local nurseries, and charge us a ton of money for their products. Maybe this wouldn’t be the case if they could recollect some of the pots that go out their doors, instead of passing the cost of new ones onto us.

I’ve also begun work on maps that show where to buy local food, and where to drop-off used plant pots/flats/trays from nurseries.