"If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life." Rachel Carson
Remembering to be green doesn't have to be a chore. By learning a few basic green tips at a time and making changes in your daily life, you can make a real difference in the struggle to protect our planet. One way to learn green tips the fun way is to play with Going Green Playing Cards. Each deck has 52 cards with poems on environmentally-friendly activities and tips on how to make green changes right away. And they eco-friendly to boot! The cards are made from recycled materials with vegetable based ink and include a reusable muslin bag rather than a box.
This Saturday June 14th is National Get Outdoors Day. If you and your family spend a lot of time outside then you know how great it is to spend the day, or even a few hours, exploring, digging, hiking, running or climbing in nature. But if going outside is a rare event for you and your family, this Saturday is a great opportunity to get back to nature. The event will be celebrated at more than 54 locations across the US.
Birthday parties come and go in a whirlwind of shrieking kids, inflated balloons, sugar highs, and greasy pizza. Left in their wakes are piles of plastic cups, forks, and plates topped with barely eaten birthday cake. A dozen new toys means mounds of packaging and wrapping paper will end up in the trash, along with the old toys now being tossed to make room for the new. Why is it that kids birthday parties too often turn into a frenzy of waste? Having a green party can be as easy as pie. Just incorporate all the eco-friendly changes you have made in your home while planning your party.
Here's some tips to keep it green:
-Send out evites instead of regular paper invitations. -Use real silverware, or reuse plastic ones. -Use real or biodegradeable plates and cups. -Use cloth napkins. -Instead of giving cheap plastic party favors, be more creative and give something that you made, like these homemade crayons, or that will be useful, like pencils. -Host a party outside and enjoy the day without depending on store–bought games. Go to the beach, the park, the pool or play games like tag and wiffle ball. -Prevent all the waste involved in receiving gifts. Here's a guide to turning the usually wasteful and over done gift giving aspect of a birthday party into an opportunity to help out one's community.
Here's a video with some more earth–friendly party tips:
While visiting Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, I have been enjoying the seemingly endless number of hiking trails on the island. I have gone on 5 hikes in 5 days. (Disclaimer: some were more like picnics in the woods, but others were so long that it all averages out!) I have 2 days left on the island, and I hope to do 2 more hikes. Being a country girl, living in the city, being anywhere near nature is such a thrill for me.
With the summer days winding down and cool fall days just ahead, now is a prime hiking time. Hiking can be as simple as strolling in the woods or as rigorous as scaling a mountain top. All across the country, thousands of beautiful, secluded trails are ready and waiting to be explored. When you step away from the daily sights and sounds of your life and into the woods, the desert, or the field, you will begin to notice the incredible diversity of life we have on our planet. Hiking is a fantastic way to strengthen your relationship with nature, and a rousing reminder of what is at stake if we don't take care of the environment.
For a helpful guide to hiking and information on taking a volunteer hiking vacation visit americanhiking.org. This website also has a great guide to trails across the U.S. Visit abc-of-hiking.com for a beginners guide to hiking.
We need the tonic of wildness…We can never have enough of nature…We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.
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