Common Landscaping Tools for Every Landscaper

For the avid do-it-yourself landscaper, the right tools are important. After all, if one wishes to save money on the expenses associated with having a well cared for yard, it is best to make sure that he or she has all of the tools necessary to create an attractive landscape. By understanding some of the most common tools used for basic landscaping needs, you can ensure that you have everything you need to keep your lawn in the best possible shape, bringing delight and distinction to your grounds, be they large or small.

Pruners and shears. These tools are used to improve the appearance of woody plants and trees. They keep plants from encroaching in other areas, and they also promote the overall health of the plants. They help maintain a neat appearance, and if you have topiary concerns, they are indispensable in maintaining a set shape. There are hand pruners, tools that help with the smaller branches and are easier to use, loppers for getting thicker branches that are to large for pruners, and even pruning saws that can help you with the toughest of branches. Hedge shears provide a way for hedges to be trimmed more conscientiously than with electric or gas-run trimmers (although these are widely available and can make maintaining hedges much easier).Other tools of interest. Of course, there are specialty tools that may be needed depending upon on the features of your landscape. If you have a water fixture, it is important to make sure that you have the proper pumps and filters, and that you have little skimmers that can allow you to remove larger pieces of debris from the water. Automatic sprinklers can make watering the lawn and your other plants much easier, and you should have a garden hose for special watering needs. Regular household tools such as hammer and nails, levels, and drills can be helpful if you have built landscape features like patios, decks, pergolas, and trellises. They can also be useful in building things like containers and creating raised beds.Wheelbarrow. A wheelbarrow will always be of infinite use for the avid landscaper and improver. Wheelbarrows are very useful for moving debris as well as bringing needed implements to their proper places. They haul dirt and bring in plants. They make it possible to for one person to carry a load that otherwise she or he would not be able to handle. For the serious landscaper, a wheelbarrow is indeed necessary.Shovels, rakes, trowels, and hand cultivators. These are the most basic of tools when it comes to landscaping. Every home should be supplied with these basic implements. They make just about every landscaping endeavor possible. Shovels to remove sod and turn soil, as well as dig the holes necessary for fixtures like trees and hardscapes, Rakes are essential to smooth out planting beds and prepare ground for things like sod without packing the dirt. Trowels and hand cultivators allow you to perform minute work that requires more attention to detail. All of these tools are necessary to the proper functioning and care of a landscape.When you have all of the tools necessary to take care of your landscape, then you are well rewarded for your hard work. Acquiring the more common tools can also save you money in the long run, as they can be used over and over again. Additionally, many of the more common landscape tools are fairly small in size and easy to store in a garage or a shed. As long as they are kept neatly arranged in place, they are easy to get to when needed, and not hard to find. Proper maintenance of you tools is important: keep them from becoming rusty, and make sure your lawnmower and other gas or electric implements are well oiled and always have plenty of gas. Proper care of your tools ensures that you will be able to properly care for your landscape.

When you have all of the tools necessary to take care of your landscape, then you are well rewarded for your hard work. Acquiring the more common tools can also save you money in the long run, as they can be used over and over again. Additionally, many of the more common landscape tools are fairly small in size and easy to store in a garage or a shed. As long as they are kept neatly arranged in place, they are easy to get to when needed, and not hard to find. Proper maintenance of you tools is important: keep them from becoming rusty, and make sure your lawnmower and other gas or electric implements are well oiled and always have plenty of gas. Proper care of your tools ensures that you will be able to properly care for your landscape.

skips Ice star Jeremy job into labouring

HERE'S Dancing On Ice star Jeremy Edwards practising his wheelbarrow lift as he tries his hand working as a labourer.

Edwards, 40, who lives with his wife Lydia in Primrose Hill, West London, has made several attempts to resurrect his career.In 2009 he was a contestant on Dancing O n Ice, but was eliminated along with professional partner Darya Nucci after just three shows. He has also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.A passer-by told the Sunday Mirror: "I couldn't believe it when I saw him carting around a wheelbarrow.Jeremy, who starred as health care assistant Danny Shaughnessy in Holby City, has been making ends meet helping to renovate a suburban garden in North London."This is a guy who was once engaged to singer Rachel Stevens, and there was a time when he seemed to be on every other TV channel. Times must be tough if he is having to work as a labourer. But he did not seem to mind. It shows that he's a hard worker."And if they should need a hand in moving the set, they'll know who they can turn to.Earlier this year Edwards even recorded the voiceover to go with sex DVD The Lover's Guide 3D.

And if they should need a hand in moving the set, they'll know who they can turn to.

Enticing Your Kids Outside with Garden Toys

With childhood obesity becoming a growing problem, especially within western communities, getting the children to be active is the concern of many parents. When we are up against television shows, the latest consoles and games this often seems like a hopeless task but there are some clever ways to tear the children away from the screens.

So what can a parent do to promote a healthier lifestyle and get their children playing outdoors? One way is to encourage children to help their parents in the yard with toy garden tools. Many younger kids want to be like their parents and feel that they are helping out in the yard. In this article, we�ll discuss some of the best garden toys for kids including the wheelbarrow, hand tools with a garden tote, a watering can, and a splash slide.One of the best-rated miniature wheelbarrows is made by Radio Flyer. It has real wooden handles that are strong and sturdy and a moulded steel body for durability. Children love having a wheelbarrow that is just their size to feel big like their parents. It is the perfect toy for children age 2 to 5 and is priced at many places for under �30.In addition to these great toys, there are many other toys that will get children playing outdoors around the garden such as a splash slide. Kids will have a blast going down this miniature water slide in the back yard. It is the perfect size for toddlers to have many hours of water fun. Just simply connect the slide to a hose and children will enjoy sliding through the gentle water spray. When finished, adults can simply let the air out for compact storage.Another great toy to get kids active outdoors are garden hand tools that come with a tote. Most of these sets come with a trowel, rake and shovel. Younger children enjoy helping their parents out with these tools that are the perfect size for their hands. When they are finished with their job, they can put them away in the tote for storage or carry to different parts of the yard. However, there are other garden toys to consider.One of the best-rated is called the Melissa and Doug Sunny Patch Blossom Bright watering can. It can with a colourful striped base with a flower-inspired spout and top. This is a can that children will enjoy using over and over for gardening activities.Remember these garden toys when looking for a way to get children playing outdoors. Children will have many hours of fun with a wheelbarrow, hand tools, a watering can, and a splash slide. Be sure to use this information to take action and start engaging your child with activities using toys that will provide many hours of outdoor fun.First, let�s talk about the wheelbarrow. A toy wheelbarrow is a great toy to get children playing outdoors. They can use it to move toys, dirt, and other objects around the garden to help out while their parents are working in the yard. These wheelbarrows come in different colours and styles and can provide many hours of fun while playing outside.Most children know that plants need water to survive. A watering can help them care for the plants in your garden. Children enjoy playing with this fun toy that comes in many colours and shapes.

Remember these garden toys when looking for a way to get children playing outdoors. Children will have many hours of fun with a wheelbarrow, hand tools, a watering can, and a splash slide. Be sure to use this information to take action and start engaging your child with activities using toys that will provide many hours of outdoor fun.

Entry deck needs a drawbridge for a wheelbarrow

Entry deck needs a drawbridge for a wheelbarrow

The earliest descriptions of the construction of wheelbarrows are couched in coy and obscure language. For the first few centuries, wheelbarrows were of great military importance, and specifics of their construction were closely guarded secrets. Some carried men on seats, and others carried supplies. They were also used to form protective movable barriers against cavalry charges. The ingenuity of the Chinese at exploiting the wheelbarrow was limitless, and they were even given sails, with which they could achieve speeds over land or ice of 60 kilometres per hour.Photo: Wide steps end just before removable sections of entry-level deck beginOn the outside, one hinged door swings open. The door is at wheelbarrow height, making it easy to unload and transfer logs to the bin. To protect the bin from water or insect damage, its interior is lined with galvanized sheet metal.Removable sections of this entry deck allow walk-through access to the back garden. The 21-inch-high deck runs from the front door to a side fence, providing a sunny space for entertaining at the same level as the indoors.Photo: Through opening, there's plenty of room to move a wheelbarrow of wood or supplies

Photo: Through opening, there's plenty of room to move a wheelbarrow of wood or supplies

The wheelbarrow

The wheelbarrow was apparently invented in south-western China in the first century BC by a semi-legendary personage called Guo Yu.

Design was by architect Edward Carson Beall of Torrance, California.A large variety of designs existed, some with wheels in the dead centre, with the weight resting entirely on the axle, and others with wheels forward. Some had tiny wheels, some had huge ones. Additional small wheels were sometimes fitted in front to ease the passage over potholes and other obstacles. Practically all shapes and sizes and sizes of wheelbarrow existed-and still exit-in China.

A large variety of designs existed, some with wheels in the dead centre, with the weight resting entirely on the axle, and others with wheels forward. Some had tiny wheels, some had huge ones. Additional small wheels were sometimes fitted in front to ease the passage over potholes and other obstacles. Practically all shapes and sizes and sizes of wheelbarrow existed-and still exit-in China.

Handy storage and pass-through for firewood

Handy storage and pass-through for firewood Like an unobtrusive butler, this two-sided woodbin stands at the ready but literally blends into the woodwork. Built into the paneled cabinetry flanking a family room fireplace, the 4-foot-wide compartment is accessible from the inside and outside.

The oldest surviving picture of a wheelbarrow dates from about 100 AD. It is a frieze relief from a tomb-shrine excavated near Xuzhou Uiangsu) which very clearly shows a wheelbarrow with a man sitting on it. There are several other illustrations from this period, the Han Dynasty, indicating that wheelbarrows were increasingly commonplace.Along the fence, the deck has three 40- by 40-inch sections, each light enough for one person to lift out. They rest on beams that run parallel to the fence and support the rest of the 2-by-6 decking.

Design was by architect Edward Carson Beall of Torrance, California.

Railway Age plans Trans-Siberian Centennial Special - train to run original route - column

Railway Age plans Trans-Siberian Centennial Special

England Packing's distinction as one of the few companies in the country exporting broiler hatching eggs helped it to win its largest contract ever.Picture her thus, bowed down, captured for ever a woman among cabbages. Around her the landscape grins."He has a lot of insight and spends time thinking about new and innovative ways to make money," Pam Martin says of her father.There were 576,000 eggs shipped on each plane. That took 16,000 cases, or two tractor-trailer loads, to fill the plane. Over the year, England Packing was responsible for filling 70 planes of eggs to Iraq.Eyes stung with light, she blinks and vast fields of cabbage dance in her vision, like sea their colours reflect the sky bounce from her clothes spill into wood.Several years after its start, Jack England's business had grown to include contracted growers, whose chickens England sold. He bought a chicken processing plant in Pine Bluff in the late 1960s. In 1968, he sold the plant and his entire chicken processing operation to Valmac Industries Inc., which later sold it to Tyson Foods Inc.To commemorate that landmark in the world's railway history, Railway Age in May 1991 plans to sponsor a special train that will trace the route of the original Trans-Siberian Express from Vladivostok (or perhaps Nakhodka) to St. Petersburg (now Leningrad), 6,181 miles.She struggles through the gate. It is still strong, but the fence leans further palings creak from the nail, shine like bone.She is the farmer. This is her work. A cold sun turns leaves into hard silver coins.For almost 20 years, that has been the backbone of England Packing's business. And that specialty has allowed England Packing to expand its business throughout the world from little Rison (population 1,409).This 100th anniversary train will be made up of the finest equipment available. It will have the full and enthusiastic support of the Soviet Railway Ministry, which has agreed to offer extraordinary concessions in the spirit of world railway interchange of information and fellowship. While the special will follow the route of the first through train, it will run on an expedited schedule, somewhat faster than today's eastbound No. 2, the Rossiya, which takes seven days from the east coast to Moscow. Our special train will, however, make a 24-hour stopover at Irkutsk, Siberia--almost the halfway point--close by Lake Baikal.She bends into that thin soil. Dirt rasps her hands, clings like dark crescent moons under nails.

The special will be operated with a minimum of 45 passengers and a maximum of 75. It is imperative that those interested so indicate now. Write me at Railway Age, 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014. When there is sufficient positive response, the Soviet Railway Ministry will work with us on final preparations.

Author: Robert G. Lewis

A cabbage garden

From the painting by Jane Sutherland, 1896

"We've got a big map of the world with a red dot for every country where we ship eggs," she says. "It's full of dots."At least a dozen officials of the Railway Ministry will deadhead east to be aboard the westbound special at all times, and will be available in a dedicated conference car for daily briefings to describe the railway and to answer questions about operations. During our 24-hour stopover at Irkutsk we'll have a give-and-take session with area railway officials. A representative of each of the railway disciplines will be present.But England Packing already had put up a performance bond to complete the contract.Forty years later, England Packing Co., which sells broiler hatching eggs throughout the world, relies extensively on automation.Much of the company's exporting is to northern Mexico and islands in the Caribbean, but the eggs also are shipped to Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, Columbia, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, Guyana and Europe. And a big percentage of the eggs are sold in the United States, Martin says.The trip will originate at Tokyo; transportation to the USSR will be by Far Eastern Shipping Co. steamship, departing from Yokohama--a two-day, two-night journey. All sleeping accommodations and all meals are included for the 14 days Tokyo to Helsinki.("When the line was being planned, most of the landowners refused to have the railway pass through their property. The builders took their problems to the Tsar, who called for a map, ruler, and pen. He drew a straight line to determine the route. At one point, his thumb which was holding down the ruler extended over the edge and onto the map and when he drew the line he followed the outline of his thumb. Hence the kink, which I'm told exists for no obvious geographical or civil engineering reason.")The 14-day all-expense trip from Tokyo to Helsinki will be priced at $6,500. Arrangements are planned to make best possible air fares available for those flying from the U.S. West Coast and other points to Tokyo, and returning westward from Helsinki.It is also one-third owner of Diamond Lakes Poultry, an egg production center in Glenwood, Martin says. England Packing now has 200,000-250,000 hens producing eggs, Martin says.

Picture her thus, bowed down, captured for ever a woman among cabbages. Around her the landscape grins.

Author: Carolyn Morwood

Rison firm sells worldwide: England Packing ships eggs by the millions

WHEN JACK ENGLAND BEgan his chicken business in Rison in 1953, everything was done by hand. The chickens were fed from 50-pound bags poured into a wheelbarrow. Medicine for the chickens was poured into their water.

(Actually, not quite as straight as the crow flies. There's one kink, and IRJ Editor Mike Knutton reminds me of the following story purporting to explain it:She thinks of her brother planing wood into shape, hammering in long evening light, years past. He is dead now, drowned in a flashflood, rescuing stock.England Packing's own fleet of nine tractors and trailers delivers the eggs throughout the country, to the Mexican border and into Canada."With |the North American Free Trade Agreement~, we're hoping we can expand even more into Mexico and Canada," Martin says.Martin is England's oldest child. Her brother, Jay England, is president of the company and Jack England is chief executive officer.She grasps the wheelbarrow's solid shafts, hands fit the smooth places the work of years honed into wood.Among the cabbages, she is alone, again.Jack England, 72, is still involved in the business. "He's had a lot of good ideas in his lifetime," his daughter says.Those invited to join the special include all members of the rail fraternity--railroaders, transit authority personnel, suppliers, and consultants to the industry.At Vladivostok on May 19, 1891, Russia's Tsarevich Nicholas filled a wheelbarrow with earth by his own hands and emptied it onto an embankment to commence construction of the easternmost section of the great Trans-Siberian Railway.Baikal is the world's deepest lake, at 6,365 feet; it is said to contain one-sixth of the world's fresh water. When the railway was opened, trains crossed Baikal by car ferry; in winter, track was laid across the ice. Now the line arcs around the southern tip of the lake.Nothing moves in her landscape but the wind is restless, frays smoke from the fire she left burning in the hearth, thin soup for lunch.The special will be operated with a minimum of 45 passengers and a maximum of 75. It is imperative that those interested so indicate now. Write me at Railway Age, 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014. When there is sufficient positive response, the Soviet Railway Ministry will work with us on final preparations.In the 1970s, England Packing began buying and selling broiler hatching eggs."Now we have automatic feeders, automatic water, automatic lights, automatic curtains, automatic egg gatherers," says Pam Martin, vice president of the company."At the time, the |Middle Eastern~ country everyone was concerned about was Iran, not Iraq," Martin says. "My father made three trips to Baghdad and my brother and I went there once. When we went there, we could see things were not as they should have been, that the people were oppressed."The train will lay over two days at Moscow, with time allotted for a wrap-up session with members of the Railway Ministry. A final run over the October Railway will take us straight as the crow flies from Moscow to Leningrad.Martin says it's hard to estimate how many countries receive England Packing exports.Through the rough cloth of her dress her hands push at her bones She straightens her back, and turns.England Packing, with 30 employees, has grown significantly in the past several years and plans to add two new chicken houses at Rison (Cleveland County) this spring to double its total to four.

"With |the North American Free Trade Agreement~, we're hoping we can expand even more into Mexico and Canada," Martin says.

Author: David (American novelist) Smith

Wheelbarrow screener: sifting soil or compost is easier with this two-piece screener that fits into a wheelbarrow

This Gardening Tool puts screened soil and compost exactly where you need it - in your wheelbarrow. The screener has two parts: the base that fits securely over the tray of the wheelbarrow, and a shallow screener box that slides along the base. Screener boxes can be built for various uses, from a 1/4-inch mesh for fine sifting to a 2-inch inch for coarser work.

The idea evolved innocently enough from a conversation last summer with a friend named Caroline. She and her young family had recently moved into a stately old house whose gardens were in even worse shape than the gutters. All summer long the yard was in an uproar. One day, during a lull in the landscaping. I noticed a rusty old wheelbarrow filled with bushy heads of green and red leaf lettuce. The vegetable garden, it seems, was being dug up to make way for the pool.Truth told, Bud took the concept of lettuce in a wheelbarrow a whole lot more seriously than Caroline and I had. Bud's idea was to create a gourmet salad bar on wheels. Like Caroline, he considered portability a key benefit of this mobile propagation technique, although he used the wheelbarrow to roll his tender crops out of the harsh afternoon sun rather than into it. To foil slugs, he parked the wheelbarrow in a slightly different spot in the Sunset test garden each night. Gophers? No problem here, he announced with a smile. Drainage? Rust had taken care of that. And Bud knew that the short root systems of lettuces and similar plants lent themselves perfectly to the average wheelbarrow's shallow dimensions.COMPOST BINS ARE a free source of the best organic material for your garden beds. Just toss in garden clippings and kitchen scraps, and soon you'll have nutrition-rich plant food. However, to get top-quality compost, you need to separate twigs, rocks, and undecomposed vegetable matter from the good stuff.Next construct the screener box out of four lengths of 2x4 lumber. Make sure the screener box is wider than the base by at least 3 inches. This width will allow you to rest the screener box on the base as you move it back and forth while screening soil. Notch the lumber to create handles, as shown in the technical drawing.Enter Bud Stuckey, Sunset's resident horticulturist and ace gardener. Bud quickly got into the spirit of things. He filled a beat-up wheelbarrow with potting soil and compost fertilized with fish emulsion, then planted it with various kinds of lettuces as well as endive, parsley, nasturtium, basil, and chives.Sand the wood surfaces and seal the frame and tray with polyurethane. The final step is to rub a candle on the bottom of the tray and the tops of the frame's 1-by-1s so the tray slides easily.

You can use the screener to mix potting soil, then pot plants directly from the wheelbarrow. Soil or compost screened into the wheelbarrow is also easy to transport to another location.

Author: Andrew Malik

Build a compost sifter on wheels

It's easy to build and easy to use

Galvanized 14-gauge staplesCut the wood according to the dimensions in the drawings. Assemble the frame by screwing the 1-by-1s flush to the bottom of the inside face of the 2-by-4s with the 2-inch screws (predrilling will help prevent splitting). Screw the two 1-by-4 crosspieces to the bottom of the 2-by-4s.Cut a rectangle of hardware cloth larger than the screener box. Bend the edges of the wire over the screener box and fasten it to the sides with heavy-duty staples. An alternative to the staples is small finishing nails; hammer them in halfway, then bend them over and hammer them flat.Meanwhile, back at my house, the family lettuce patch was producing so much that we were buying balsamic vinegar by the gallon. Unwittingly, our older son, Sam, added the final element to this mobile gardening story. As most children do, Sam took great pride in the garden he helped plant. He enjoyed the gentle act of harvesting ("Prepare to die!" he'd bellow as he hacked at the heads). Most of all, he loved washing the newly picked greens. His method was, and is, singular--a rinse with the garden hose in a child-size plastic shopping cart. After an invigorating spin around the lawn, he would pronounce the lettuce washed--and drained. Call me indulgent, but if that's all it takes to get him to eat his greens, so be it.6 feet of 1-by-1Now, if I could just figure out a way to make eggplant fun...SandpaperYou can use the screener to mix potting soil, then pot plants directly from the wheelbarrow. Soil or compost screened into the wheelbarrow is also easy to transport to another location.LETTUCE IN A wheelbarrow? Don't look at me--it wasn't my idea. Blame it on Caroline. I didn't even plant the stuff. Blame that on Bud.8 #10 3 1/2-inch drywall screwsTo use the screener, place the base in the wheelbarrow tray and lay the screener box on the base. Place two or three shovelfuls of soil or rough compost in the screener box and sharply jerk the screener box back and forth on the base. The material will sift through the screen.The measurements shown in the technical drawing fit my wheelbarrow. Since not all wheelbarrows are the same size you should adapt the plan to fit your own wheelbarrow. The most important measurement is the width of the top rim of the wheelbarrow tray. This measurement will determine the size of the base, which should fit snugly over the top of the wheelbarrow.10 feet of 1-by-2Screw the tray's 2-by-4 side and end pieces together using 3 1/2-inch screws. Cut the screen to size with tin snips and secure it to the bottom of the 2-by-4s with galvanized staples. Screw the 1-by-2s to the tray's bottom, and screw a handle to each end.Instantly, Caroline's wheels started turning. "If you grew lettuce in a wheelbarrow," she mused, "you could move it around to catch the afternoon sun." Sun, in fact, is a problem in her yard, which is shaded by mature redwoods and oaks.5 feet of 1-by-4OKAY, BUT WHY LETTUCE? WHY A WHEELBARROW?Candle1 2- by 3-foot piece of 1/2-inch-square galvanized metal screenThe sifter consists of two parts: a frame that straddles most wheelbarrows (lengthwise or sideways), and a tray with a bottom made of metal screening. You fill the tray with material from the compost bin, slide it back and forth in the frame, and dump the leftovers from the tray after the good compost has fallen into the wheelbarrow.

Sand the wood surfaces and seal the frame and tray with polyurethane. The final step is to rub a candle on the bottom of the tray and the tops of the frame's 1-by-1s so the tray slides easily.

Author: Peter O. Whiteley

Lettuce in a wheelbarrow - gardening technique

How a crazy idea became a reality, and why it might not be so crazy after all

46 #6 2-inch drywall screwsFor tools, you'll need a handsaw, combination square, drill, hammer, screwdriver, tin snips, and paintbrush.The best way to do that is to use a sifter with a wire mesh bottom. Most sifters require you to hold them up as you shake them back and forth. The wood-framed sifter shown here gets a vigorous workout in Sunset's test garden, but, since it rests on a wheelbarrow, it puts little strain on backs and arms.The device is constructed from 2x4 lumber and a single piece of hardware cloth (or welded wire fencing). It can be assembled with nails, but for more strength, use 3-inch galvanized wood or lag screws in predrilled holes.2 sturdy metal handlesOur sifter was built with redwood, but you can use fir, cedar, or a pressure-treated wood. You'll need:Cut two pieces of 2x4 lumber to a length that will overlap the wheelbarrow by at least 1/2 inch on each end. Cut a notch in each end of both lengths of 2x4 by first sawing halfway through the lumber about 2 inches from the end, then using a wood chisel to finish the notch. Connect the two notched base pieces with shorter lengths of 2x4. Use a file to shape the notches so that the base fits snugly into the wheelbarrow tray.16 feet of 2-by-4

Now, if I could just figure out a way to make eggplant fun...

Author: Ben Marks

GUNS, BOMBS & RIOTS ..WE THOUGHT WE'D DIE

HOLIDAYMAKERS told of their terror last night after fleeing mobs armed with guns and clubs in Tunisia - as the Foreign Affairs Department insisted Irish people were safe.

She said that in December 2002 they shared a one-bedroom flat in Abington, Ouston, Chesterle-Street, before moving to a bigger two-bedroom home in nearby Milbanke Street in January 2007.He added: "The impression is that the relationship was a bit rocky and it only carried on because he was away."(c) Over what intervals is the graph of y above the x-axis, and over what intervals is the graph of y below the x-axis?(a) Find the equation that best describes the spread of the disease by plugging m and b into (2). Use this equation for the rest of this problem.(c) The graph of y is concave up at the beginning of the pandemic, and shifts to concave down by the end of the pandemic.In recent years, the calculus curriculum at Hollins University has included several interesting QR projects. For example, "Design of a Thrilling Roller Coaster" [2] and "Estimation of the Area of Virginia using Integration" [1] both use an interactive and technological approach for the application of curve sketching, optimization, and numerical integration in the solution of real-life problems. In these projects, students "collected" data by simply pointing and clicking within interactive JAVA applets. During fall 2009, students completed two livelier and more active QR projects, where they actually worked physically to create the data they were to analyze. Sharing these two projects is the purpose of this article.There are around 50 people who live in the troubled north African country.To collect data, one student kept track of the number of sharks after each minute. In each of the final two simulations, everyone had been exposed within 15 minutes. I pooled the data from these two rounds and calculated the percentage of students that were sharks after each minute. In addition, I entered 750 ordered pairs of data in the form (minute, ill) into MlNITAB. For all i e [0, 1, . . ., 14), I would enter the ordered pair (/, 0) into MINlTAB once for each student that was still a minnow after the /"' minute, and I would enter the pair (/', 1) into MlNlTAB once for each student who was already a shark after the /"' minute. I had MINITAB calculate best fit values of m and b based on these 750 ordered pairs using logistic regression, and I gave students these values along with a table of the percentage of students that were sharks after each minute.At Gatwick airport, relieved Jill Roe hugged sobbing daughter Lizzy, 18, after her return from the riot-torn nation.Ms Douglas, who was at Pauline's home when the family learned of Jacky's death, was forced to take sick leave from her job at South Tyneside Council."He was in a committed relationship and he lived with me - if he didn't, then why did he come home to me every weekend?" Mr Walling said: "The impression that's given from the statements is that he would break up with you and you would beg him to go back. He thought he was going back to the camp tomorrow and he would give in to keep the peace."(a) The graph of y is always above the x-axis.The purpose of this article is to present two very active applied modeling projects that were successfully implemented in a first semester calculus course at Hollins University. The first project uses a logistic equation to model the spread of a new disease such as swine flu. The second project is a human take on the popular article "Do Dogs Know Calculus?" [3]. These projects take interactivity to new levels in mathematics courses by actually requiring the students to engage in physical activity to generate the facts that they will analyze using calculus, while also presenting students with a life lesson to take with them after the course. The benefits that students get from these projects outweigh the loss of the small amount of lecture time required to collect the necessary data.Mary Grist, 66, of Chesterfield, arrived without any warning that the situation was deteriorating. She said: "Had I known that there was already trouble I would not have gone."CAPTION(S):

Police reportedly shot escaped prisoners and by-standers.

Author: SUSIE BONIFACE

Family dispute over Marine's pounds 300,000 will; Dead hero's partner claims she's entitled - his relatives disagree

Byline: DAN WARBURTON

But Ms Douglas claims in the years following, a loving relationship blossomed as she and Jacky set up home together.Jacky made his will on April 15, 2002, in which he left his entire estate to his mam Pauline, 62, and named Trevor executor.Sgt John Manuel, known as Jacky, was killed by a suicide bomber in December 2008 when the 13-year-old insurgent detonated an explosive-packed wheelbarrow in Afghanistan.But Jacky's family claim that cash was transferred to repay money he had lent her.(b) Are there any values of ? for which y = 0 or y is undefined? If so, find them.(d) Are there any x-intercepts'? Horizontal asymptotes? Vertical asymptotes? If so, find them.Since ethics prevent us from deliberately infecting one student with a disease and counting how many students miss class each day for the rest of the semester, some creativity in how to model the spread of a disease and collect data is essential. To generate our data, we used the children's pool game "Sharks and Minnows" which was played first across campus and then on the soccer field. For those not familiar with the game Sharks and Minnows, it is played very much like tag, where the goal of the sharks is to tag the minnows and the goal of the minnows is to avoid being tagged. However, any time a shark tags a minnow, the shark remains a shark and the minnow becomes a shark. This seemed to be a good match to how swine flu spreads; when person A who is already exposed to swine flu comes into contact with person B who hasn't been exposed, person A is still exposed and contagious, and person B may become exposed and contagious. In the real world, disease does not spread every time there is contact between a sick person and a person who hasn't been exposed, so it is quite likely that the rate of the spread of the disease will be overestimated by this simulation, though the shape of the curve modeling the spread of disease in this simulation should still be logistic.Police reportedly shot escaped prisoners and by-standers.The hearing continues today4. Explain in the context of the spread of swine flu what the following three behaviors of the graph of y mean:Weeks before his final tour, Jacky told his brother Trevor, 35, a Northern Rail engineer from Newcastle, to give Ms Douglas a pounds 10,000 package if he died.(l) Are there any inflection points on the graph of y? If so, find them.She spent pounds 149,000 on a home in Hood Street, Morpeth, using pounds 20,000 borrowed from her sister Sarah Kirk, and pounds 32,000 from her dad.2. SHARKS AND MINNOWS(k) On what intervals is the graph of y concave up? On what intervals is the graph of y concave down?HERO Royal Marine Sgt Jacky Manuel TRAGIC Pauline Manuel is comforted by her surviving sons, Jacky's brothers, James, left, and Trevor. They dispute Ms Douglas's claims she's entitled to the will(g) Over what intervals is the graph of y increasing? Over what intervals is the graph of y decreasing?Travel operators and the Foreign Office had pleaded with Tunisian authorities to reopen tourist airports closed when a state of emergency was declared.In a witness statement, Heather McAdam, who claimed to have met Jacky on one of his visits home, said the 38-year-old had tried to end his relationship with Ms Douglas.The tourists spoke of having to run a gauntlet of looters - some with wheelbarrows of petrol bombs - to make it to the airport as police fought protesters in battles which have now killed at least 60 people.But it was claimed Jacky had tried to end their "rocky" six-year relationship, but each time Ms Douglas would "cry and beg" to be taken back.But she said Ms Douglas would "not take no for an answer" and he didn't want to "hurt her feelings".And when he returned home from training ops in other parts of the country, it was said Jacky had a relationship with a number of other women.But two years after his death, his family are locked in a legal battle with the marine's partner Rachel Douglas.3. Have Maple plot a graph of the proportion of people who are sharks on the y-axis versus the number of minutes since the simulation started on the x-axis. Then, have Maple plot the equation for y on the same set of axes. (Figure 1 shows such a plot.) Does the equation for y appear to fit the data well?Keywords: Graphing, optimization, calculus, modeling, projects.(b) The graph of y is always increasing.2.2. Student AssignmentSince 2001, Hollins University has included an applied quantitative reasoning (QR) requirement as part of its general education program. This requirement involves the application of mathematics and statistics techniques in courses across the curriculum. Courses that meet this requirement must have at least two applied QR projects which involve collecting and analyzing data to solve a practical problem consistent with the content of the course. These projects must use class time, be more substantial than a daily homework assignment, and involve a technical write up with a statement of the problem, an explanation of techniques used, a summary of results, and a conclusion.Phillip Walling, for the defendants, said to Ms Douglas: "He did, over a period of months if not years, try to end the relationship and you would not accept it.""There were rioters pushing wheelbarrows full of petrol cans obviously to make bombs." Pensioner Winifred Thomas, 74, from Wigan, told how her journey to the airport was 40 minutes of stop-start terror when her bus was repeatedly surrounded by gangs with nail- studded clubs who banged on the vehicle and screamed abuse.

HERO Royal Marine Sgt Jacky Manuel TRAGIC Pauline Manuel is comforted by her surviving sons, Jacky's brothers, James, left, and Trevor. They dispute Ms Douglas's claims she's entitled to the will

Sharks, Minnows, and Wheelbarrows: Calculus Modeling Projects

Abstract:

But a Department spokesman said: "We believe there's no one in danger. We have been in contact with them all, and no-one is looking for our help."Nick, 53, among an estimated 1,000 Britons to flee Tunisia, said after flying back to Manchester: "We knew we had to get out.The following assignment is quite ambitious, and it will definitely take students longer than one night to complete it. Of course, a subset of this assignment can be used if there is a time constraint.Solicitor Robin Horner, for Ms Douglas, said: "This is not a case where my client received money from the deceased. The parties kept separate bank accounts but she herself made contributions to this household."Bank accounts, gym memberships and doctors' notes were all sent to her parents' home in Langdon Road, Westerhope, Newcastle.(h) Does the graph of y have any local extrema? If so, find them.But a complex paper trail revealed she was never officially registered at the address she claimed to have shared with Jacky, it was said.There was anger that the Foreign Office delayed advising against going to Tunisia despite a month of riots, while tour firms continued to sell holidays there.He added: "My client did come to depend on this relationship in the sense that she was living in the properties rent-free, although making payments for day-to-day expenses."2. Based on your information in Question 1 , sketch a graph of y by hand, labeling all key features.2.1. Background InformationWe ran three simulations during one class period. During the first simulation, students were allowed to run anywhere on the west half of campus. After 15 minutes, only one student had been tagged. The two sharks were out of energy, and the minnows had moved so far away that they couldn't be caught. I took this teaching moment to illustrate the logic of social distancing and isolation; if there is a lot of space and there are not a lot of sick people, then the virus will die out on its own. For the second and third simulations, all movement was restricted to the soccer field. For each simulation, a different student was designated as the "initial shark" and was given an orange bandana. The rest of us were all minnows and had to avoid being tagged by the shark(s) for as long as we could. Each time a minnow was tagged, that minnow would run to the edge of the field, tie on an orange bandana, become a shark, and start to tag other minnows. The each simulation would continue until everyone had been tagged.1. Using the values of m and b that your instructor gave you, determine the following information:Rochelle Turner of Which? Travel said the Foreign Office could have issued its warning earlier.But the 36-year-old council worker claims she's entitled to a bigger chunk of Jacky's legacy, which was valued at more than pounds 300,000. And now she has taken the matter to Sunderland County Court.An appeal is underway into whether Ms Douglas should receive a pension by the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme."We were about two hours from the airport and all the taxis had gone, so six of us got together and bribed a minibus owner to take us. Villas owned by the wealthy had been set alight and the towns we saw were like riot zones with burned-out buildings, torched cars and looted businesses." Nick, from Cumbria, who was staying at the four- star Yasmine Beach Hotel in the resort of Hammamet, added: "There were gangs everywhere. The driver managed to reason with them and they let us through.Meanwhile, Kate Oliver, said Jacky was seeing others and said his relationship with Ms Douglas was a "hit and miss affair". And Mrs Oliver claimed he would come home secretly so he could spend time with her.Retired police officer Nick Edmonds said his hotel was a target for a mob because it was owned by the family of hated ex-president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and had been surrounded by a police cordon for 48 hours.1. INTRODUCTION5. Explain in the context of the spread of swine flu what the following three features of the graph mean:She claims to have contributed to Jacky's mortgage and bills, transferring pounds 120 each month into the marine's account.And she was never listed on the electoral roll or paid council tax at either of the houses.The situation was made more difficult after the deposed President fled to Saudi Arabia and he was replaced first by the Prime Minister and then the Speaker of the Tunisian parliament.He went on: "One witness said she would cry and beg until he would give in and take her back."Mr Walling asked Ms Douglas: "Are you saying this was all a marvellous and harmonious relationship?" She replied: "What couple can say they never argue? We never broke up though." She added: "I was the last person to see him. I went to Arbroath with him and I was the last person to hold him and kiss him.In the last 12 months, the court heard Ms Douglas has run up debts of thousands as she "pre-empted" the court case.She said: "It was hell. We were surrounded by crowds trying to get at the driver. Some had guns and we were terrified. We didn't know whether they were going to drag us off and kill us."

5. Explain in the context of the spread of swine flu what the following three features of the graph mean:

Author: Smith, Michael D

Griffon Corporation Announces First Quarter Results

First Quarter 2011 Revenue $414 million

Results reflect the inclusion of Ames True Temper, Inc. (“ATT”) for the first time. On September 30, 2010, Griffon acquired ATT, a global provider of non-powered lawn and garden tools, wheelbarrows and other outdoor products to the retail and professional markets. ATT has been combined with Clopay Building Products (“CBP”), the largest manufacturer and marketer of residential garage doors and a leading manufacturer of commercial sectional doors in the United States, in a newly formed segment: Home & Building Products (“HBP”)"This new work offers more proof of why Hannah should be considered one of our greatest, most original fiction writers. It's difficult to overstate Hannah's importance, both as an influence on other fiction writers and as a chronicler of the changing mores, hopes, fears, prejudices, and self-destructive tendencies of his fellow Americans." BROCK CLARKESan Francisco Chronicle CLASSICAlso, to the front of the photograph was a pile of sand and mud washed down from the lane behind which leads up to Pole Moor. This has been happening ever since a small amount of sandstone hardcore was put on the lane a few years ago. The pile of sand and mud covers a grate and drain which is on our land, which Grahame has to dig out every few weeks. There are usually two wheelbarrow loads to remove from the drain and up to four barrow loads around it. As it is our drain that is filled with silt, the council does not clear it, we do.For the quarter, Segment adjusted EBITDA totaled $12.4 million, an increase of $3.8 million or 44%, compared to the prior year; segment operating margin increased 430 basis points compared to the prior year quarter. The improved profitability was driven by favorable program mix, as well as a decline in selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”). SG&A expenses in the prior year quarter were impacted by the timing of somewhat higher research expenditures and additional expense to support sales growth as Telephonics pursued new business in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Air Traffic Management markets.Balance Sheet and Capital ExpendituresFor the quarter, Segment adjusted EBITDA was $17.5 million, compared to $10.5 million reported in the prior year quarter; the increase was mainly driven by the inclusion of ATT results. This result excludes $11.4 million of cost related to the sale of inventory that was recorded at fair value in connection with acquisition accounting for ATT. On a pro forma basis, prepared as if ATT was purchased on October 1, 2009, current quarter Segment adjusted EBITDA decreased approximately 30% in comparison to the prior year quarter, driven by a combination of higher input costs and lower ATT receipts under the Byrd amendment (anti-dumping compensation from the US government).Plastic ProductsFor the quarter, revenue totaled $98 million, a decrease of 5% compared to the prior year quarter, primarily due to the reduced rate of production on the C-17 program.Grove. 464 pages. $27.50. ISBN: 9780802119681THE STORIES: Lovers, killers, alcoholics, soldiers, unhappy couples, whiskey, man-fights, and all manners of self-destruction abound in these tales. War is a constant theme: in "Bats Out of Hell Division," a severely maimed Civil War soldier travels around the battlefield in a wheelbarrow, and in "Testimony of Pilot," a Vietnam recruit turns into "a sneer in a helmet." There are also the wars between the sexes. In "Love Too Long," a white Southern man tries to win back his wife. "I want to sleep in her uterus with my foot hanging out," he says. Animals of all stripes also appear. In "Two Things, Dimly, Were Going At Each Other," a former drug addict (based on William Burroughs) befriends a doctor who suffers from canine possession; the semifantastical "A Creature in the Bay of St. Louis" considers monsters and tall tales. Some good--but mostly bad--things happen here.Cash and equivalents as of December 31, 2010 totaled $138 million and total debt outstanding was $539 million. Capital expenditures in the first quarter were $18 million. Griffon continues to expect capital spending in 2011 will approximate $50 - $60 million.For the quarter, consolidated revenue totaled $414 million, increasing 36% in comparison to the prior year quarter. Revenue growth was driven mainly by the HBP segment, with the addition of ATT, augmented by 5% higher revenue from garage doors, and 16% revenue growth in Plastics. Telephonics revenue declined 5% in comparison to the prior year quarter.Segment adjusted EBITDA totaled $40 million in the current quarter, increasing 59% compared to $25 million reported in the prior year quarter. On a pro forma basis, Segment adjusted EBITDA totaled $40 million in both the current and prior year quarters. Segment adjusted EBITDA is defined as income from continuing operations, excluding corporate overhead, interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, restructuring charges, acquisition-related costs and the benefit (loss) of debt extinguishment, as applicable.ALSO BY THE AUTHORWashington Post CLASSICFor the quarter, Griffon reported a net loss of $1.7 million or $0.03 per share compared to income of $4.3 million or $0.07 per share in the prior year quarter. Current results included $11.4 million ($7.4 million, net of tax, or $0.12 per share) of cost related to the sale of inventory that was recorded at fair value in connection with acquisition accounting for ATT, as well as $1.4 million ($0.9 million, net of tax, or $0.02 per share) of restructuring expenses and a discrete tax benefit of $0.3 million or $0.01 per share. The prior year quarter included $1.0 million ($0.7 million, net of tax, or $0.01 per share) of restructuring expenses and a discrete tax benefit of $0.4 million ($0.01 per share). Excluding these items from both reporting periods, current quarter income would have been $6.3 million or $0.11 per share, compared to $4.4 million or $0.07 per share in the prior year quarter, an increase of 43% and 44%, respectively. Income from discontinued operations was not material in either quarter.Ron Kramer, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are pleased to have started our new year with strong growth. We see positive trends developing in each of our business segments. Telephonics shows excellent bookings, Plastics is growing quickly with improving margins, and our Home and Buildings Products business is performing well in a continued difficult economic environment.”Segment adjusted EBITDA for the 2011 quarter increased 64% to $9.8 million compared to $6.0 million in the prior year’s first quarter, driven by the revenue growth and, in particular, by an improved operating performance in Europe."'Bats Out of Hell Division' is, quite simply, brilliant, the best ever written about the Civil War, if only because it owes more to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Night of the Living Dead than to historians Douglas Freeman or Shelby Foote. ... For years, Hannah had been the only writer willing to push the limits of language and narrative in quite the way William Faulkner did: He was willing, that is, to risk being misunderstood, to risk offending, to risk failing; he had the artistic courage to try to do more than he or prose could possibly do." NOEL POLKOn a pro forma basis, prepared as if ATT was purchased on October 1, 2009, the current quarter net loss from continuing operations of $1.7 million or $0.03 per share should be compared to income of $6.2 million or $0.10 per share in the prior year quarter. Adjusting these results for the same items discussed above, the current year income from continuing operations of $6.3 million or $0.11 per share should be compared to $6.6 million or $0.11 per share in the prior year quarter."A jazz lover, Hannah made improvisation a key component of his work. Transitions are minimal and unhelpful. We just have to hold on and ride the wave, wherever it takes us." ARIEL GONZALEZMr. Kramer continued, “In addition to maximizing the growth opportunities we have in our existing businesses, we continue to search for additional acquisition opportunities. Our operating platforms are efficient and capable and our balance sheet remains strong. We continue to expect to have opportunities to deploy additional strategic capital to leverage this position and create significant, incremental value for our shareholders.”Contract backlog totaled $424 million at December 31, 2010 compared to $376 million at December 31, 2009, with approximately 73% expected to be filled in the next twelve months.

The Company will hold a conference call today, February 3, 2011, at 4:30 PM ET.

Hardcore politics; Mailbag letters also appear online at www.examiner.co.uk/views-and-blogs/reader-letters Mailbag

THE Examiner printed a story on February 17 about people on Moor Side Lane at Pole Moor. GrahameWalker said that the pounds 60,000 being spent on sandstone hardcore for the path around Pole Moor would pay the wages of at least two council workers for a year.

"Long, Last, Happy: New and Selected Stories is a triumph: nearly faultless, every page a raging pleasure. ... The absence of [a credited editor and introduction] is conspicuous, and sometimes frustrating, but the decision to omit them was nonetheless the right one. It is better, for now, to present his work uncluttered by preface, chronology, etc." JUSTIN TAYLOR"Displayed here is the essential arc of Hannah's achievement in the realm of the short story, the realm in which his genius, finally, had most of its fun. ... My own personal darling among Hannah's works is the 1993 collection Bats Out of Hell--the first stories he published after giving up drinking--and it is well represented here." JAMES PARKER

JANET WALKER Pole Moor

Long, Last, Happy: new and Selected Stories

CLASSIC

Miami Herald EXCELLENTSegment Operating ResultsHome & Building ProductsTelephonicsAward-winning Southern writer Barry Hannah (1942-2010) published nine novels and four short story collections during his lifetime. The 31 stories in Long, Last, Happy, published posthumously, draw from his previous collections, with four new additions taken from an unpublished manuscript.New York Times EXCELLENTNY Times Book Review CLASSICFirst quarter revenue increased 16% to $118 million compared to $102 million in the prior year quarter, driven by volume growth in all geographic regions and the benefit from the pass through of higher resin costs in customer selling prices, partially offset by the negative impact from foreign currency translation.Wall Street Journal EXCELLENTCRITICAL SUMMARYThe Company will hold a conference call today, February 3, 2011, at 4:30 PM ET.There is some hardcore which is called 'clear sandstone' which has no loose sand within it. This would therefore not wash away and would stay there longer. If the hardcore must be put down this would be cheaper in the long run and would not create as much mess.Longtime fans will be thrilled to find so much of Barry Hannah's best short fiction collected here; newcomers will be gratified to discover that this Mississippi native is, indeed, a Southern gem, a fearless writer with a passion for language and an affinity for the absurd and the grotesque, "political correctness be damned" (Miami Herald). Although Hannah focuses more on ways of telling the story than on plot, readers will enjoy each tale's ribald quirkiness. Says the New York Times, Hannah is "heir to the bitter humor of Mark Twain, the Roman Catholic gothic of Flannery O'Connor and the South's outsize tradition of tall tales. ... all pureed in his own eccentric Cuisinart of hick postmodernism." All that, of course, is reason enough to delve into this Southern master's work, and there's no better place to start.JANET WALKER Pole MoorGERONIMO REX (1972): * William Faulkner Prize, Nat ional Book Awa rd Nominee. This grotesque coming-of-age story was Hannah's debut novel. Think stream-of-consciousness Catcher in the Rye, but with more misogyny and fewer likable characters.Q1 EPS: ($0.03) vs. $0.07; Adjusted EPS: $0.11 vs. $0.07Conference Call InformationOn a pro forma basis, prepared as if ATT was purchased on October 1, 2009, first quarter revenue of $414 million increased 5% in comparison to $396 million in the prior year quarter; revenue growth was driven by revenue increases of 16% and 4% in Plastics and HBP, respectively, partially offset by lower revenue at Telephonics."What [James] Joyce and [Hunter S.] Thompson offer is simply the glorious experience of the English language knocking your socks off. Barry Hannah belongs in this noble company." MICHAEL DIRDABoston Globe CLASSIC

GERONIMO REX (1972): * William Faulkner Prize, Nat ional Book Awa rd Nominee. This grotesque coming-of-age story was Hannah's debut novel. Think stream-of-consciousness Catcher in the Rye, but with more misogyny and fewer likable characters.

Author: Barry Hannah

School puts nature into its lessons

CHILDREN at Edmondsley Primary School are encouraged to respect the environment from day one.

Staff and pupils flew the flag for the North East at a special Eco Schools event in London.Personalised square planter pounds 39.99 (www.GettingPersonal.co.uk, 0845 217 6382)BENCH PRESS The Wheel Farrow's handles sit at a perfect height for benching, and the placement of the plates will focus the load squarely on your chest and triceps. Load it up, pull up a bench, and pump out reps.MONKWEARMOUTH SCHOOL This Sunderland school has made financial savings by managing waste better. Pupils are now recycling their waste so they can measure the impact in reducing their carbon footprint.A sampling of the Wheel Farrow's multitude of offerings:Phil Scott, head of environmental services at category sponsors North Tyneside Council said Edmondsley's submission was "absolutely fantastic".PRODUCT INFODirector's chair FSC 2-pack pounds 50 (www.tesco.com, 0845 600 4411)Present Time pink watering can pounds 5.55 (www.northrockgallery.co.uk, 01595 694 644)ONE-STOP SHOPGardeners' kneeling pad and gardening tools pounds 14.25 (www.toysandinteriors.co.uk, 01392 881144)MILITARY PRESS Start the handles at shoulder height and press the weight overhead, just as you would with a barbell. To eliminate lower-body involvement, you can also perform these from a kneeling position.

YOUNGSTERS STAYING GREEN Edmondsley Primary School with Trai Anfield and Phil Scott of North Tyneside Council, receive their prize at the ceremony

Garden treats TOP10

Garden herb pots pounds 3.99 (www.ethicalsuperstore.com, 0845 009 9016)

SHRUGS AND ROWS Depending on which way you face--and whether you're standing on a platform or the floor--the Wheel Farrow can be configured for several different shrug and row variations, working your upper back and traps.B&Q build-it-yourself wheelbarrow from pounds 36 (www.diy.com, 0845 850 0175)FRONT SQUAT Hold the handles at shoulder level and squat. Because of the one-wheel design, you'll need strong stabilizing muscles to keep your balance with these.Garden plant markers pounds 2.95 each (www.dotcomgiftshop.com, 020 8746 2473)The Durham school''s Environment Club spends lunch times doing things like bird watching, recycling and learning how volcanoes work.* Whether you're looking for a brutal conditioning test or an unconventional yet effective multipurpose lifting station, the Wheel Farrow is designed for a wide variety of different purposes. It's essentially a conventional one-tire wheelbarrow with four places to load plates--three in back, and one in front that acts as a counterweight to keep it from tipping over backwards.Children at Edmondsley are aware of worldwide issues and have raised funds for appeals such as the earthquakes in Haiti and the tsunami in Asia. All children and their families are encouraged to 'act local, think global'' and make small everyday changes that can have a positive impact on the world. Children wowed the audience at the awards with a special version of We've Got the Whole World In Our Hands.CAPTION(S):

Director's chair FSC 2-pack pounds 50 (www.tesco.com, 0845 600 4411)

Author: AMY SULEMAN

Hell on Wheel: press, pull, and roll your way to strength and power with this simple yet ingenious gym tool

What happens when you cross an old-school construction implement with the ingenuity of strongmen and powerlifters eager for a new training edge? The Wheel Farrow--a plate-loaded mutant wheelbarrow that's one of the most versatile pieces of gym equipment we've ever seen. With applications in strength, power, grip, and conditioning training, Wheel Farrows are showing up in world-class gyms everywhere. Westside Barbell's Louie Simmons is a serious devotee, and it's a staple in the training of former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin.

UP ST ANNE'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL The St Anne's green adventure began with a suggestion from a RUNNERS year six pupil and now caring for the planet is a priority for the whole school. The Bishop Auckland school's Keen to be Green project has four key themes: eye on the world, eco footprint, green fingers and planet protectors MONKCHESTER ROAD NURSERY SCHOOL Junior eco-warriors as young as three are helping to make this nursery a green place to be. The children are encouraged to walk or ride to school rather than arrive in cars. The nursery in Walker, Newcastle, was the first nursery school in the North East to get the Green Flag Award.Rose Fletcher, from Edmondsley Primary School, said: "We're all very pleased with the award. The children loved performing the song. It only took them about a week and a half to learn it and the youngest up there was six. Everything we do is about establishing a way of life. We start them off but then they go with it and it just builds and builds."The fun outdoor classroom used by nursery children has wheelbarrows, garden tools and binoculars to help teach three and four-year-olds about nature.FARMER'S WALK Pack on as much weight as you can handle and go for a walk. These work best for either time or distance, with incredible benefits for your grip strength, trap development, and conditioning.Spotted bird house pounds 9.99 (www.strawberryfool.com, 0845 226 9177)"If I were stranded on a desert island," says Jesse Burdick, a trainer at Re-Active Gym in Pleasanton, CA, "the Wheel Farrow would be the one piece of equipment I'd want because you can set it up for every exercise you need for an all-purpose conditioning workout."MANUFACTURER Strength Beyond AVAILABLE AT westside-barbell.com PRICE $845For three years the school has been involved with the Forestry Commission Seeds For Schools project. Children plant trees in biodegradable newspaper pouches before they go into the school grounds.YOUNGSTERS STAYING GREEN Edmondsley Primary School with Trai Anfield and Phil Scott of North Tyneside Council, receive their prize at the ceremonyThe school has been described as a national role model for its everyday teaching of sustainability, climate change and biodiversity.

MANUFACTURER Strength Beyond AVAILABLE AT westside-barbell.com PRICE $845