Little Reads: The Kid's Wildlife Book
No matter where kids live observing wildlife offers a way to learn about the natural world. The Kid’s Wildlife Book is a great companion for kids grade 2-6 with info and illustrations of common mammals and birds of the United States and Canada.
The book presents the animal world in easy to follow categories like “Home Sweet Home” (dwellings), “What’s for Dinner?” (diet), “Let’s Talk” (animal sounds), and “Family Life” (procreation). Their are ideas for activities that leave the details up to the readers imagination offering opportunity for creative problem solving.
There are maps to tell little readers where animals live, realistic illustrations and lots of animal tracks to follow. The Kid’s Wildlife Book
Available at Amazon The Kid’s Wildlife Book
Looking for more outdoor fun? Check out 10 Fun Organic Gardening Projects for Kids at Tree Hugging Family!
Kid-Friendly Fridays: Urban Ecology Institute
Green kids are everywhere and the Urban Ecology Institute knows it. For over ten years UEI has been engaging young, urban minds in the study of ecology within the city limits of Boston. Through environmental education, action and advocacy programs, the UEI helps highlight the importance of urban ecosystems for the health of people and the planet.
Programs like Greentimes encourage active “by kids, for kids” science by creating environmental education materials that are used throughout schools in Massachusetts. Kids and students from all over are invited to share stories and essays on science and environmental topics such as animals, the solar system, weather, energy, planet Earth to be published online. The Greentimes materials are distributed to over 30,000 children and 950 teachers in under-resourced public schools.
The great thing about the UEI is that by promoting an understanding of the ecosystems in cities, which include trees, rivers, wildlife and parks, urban dwellers have a better understanding of the way these resources are affected by human activity.
Cities are the final frontier, the human-nature interface. Urban ecology helps kids and adults connect to the environment and understand ways to solve issues like pollution and over-development. And, the healthier and more vibrant our cities are, the less people will encroach on wild places with development and urban sprawl. Healthy urban ecosystems promote vibrant cities and help protect undeveloped areas.
Learn more at:
The Tallest, Fattest, Largest and Oldest Trees on the Planet
The forests, particularly the Amazon, are the lungs of the planet. They are ever changing with storms, fires, gaps and succession - some caused by humans and others a part of natural processes. Within the world’s diverse flora there are a few members of the tree family that stand out.
At left this image from the US Geological Survey shows a grove of non-native sequoia in Hawaii.
But even these giants aren’t in the heavyweight categories of tallest, fattest, largest or oldest trees on the planet.
Here are the big barks (from Smithsonian Magazine):
Tallest: A towering California redwood was recorded at 379.1 feet in 2006. (Photo Via Redwoods)
Fattest: Montezuma Cypress called “El Arbol del Tule” in Oaxaca, Mexico was measured at 37 feet in diameter. That definitely deserves a parade. (Photo Wikipedia)
Largest: The “General Sherman Tree”, a sequoia in California, is the largest with a volume of 52,500 cubic feet and a weight of 2.7 million pounds. (Photo Wikipedia)
Oldest: The oldest tree on the planet is more than 4,800 years old! The old timer is a bristlecone pine in California, also known as Methuselah, similar to the one pictured below. (Photo Wikipedia)
More tall treats:
The Info You Need on Endocrine Disruptors
One of the biggest concerns these days for consumers is how to avoid endocrine disruptors. They can be found in a variety of products like plastics, pesticides and detergents. They mimic or block the body’s hormones and disrupt normal functions.
Different sources tell different stories on the safety of certain chemicals that are linked to reproductive or endocrine disorders. Some say they’re safe in small doses while others say no way in any amount. Where can you as a consumer turn for information on endocrine disruptors to help you make the right decisions?
Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
The NRDC is looking out for you and has compiled a very comprehensive quick reference including: What is the endocrine system? What is an endocrine disruptor? What are likely routes of exposure to endocrine disruptors? How do we know that endocrine disruptors are dangerous? What can I do to reduce my risk of exposure? and more answers here.
The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX):
TEDX was founded by Theo Colburn, a former senior scientist of the World Wildlife Federation. At the WWF, Dr. Colburn directed the Wildlife and Contaminants program and, back in the early 1980s, she discovered that many predators in the Great Lakes of North America were suffering from reproductive disorders. Colburn found that the industrial chemicals which were poisoning wildlife, everything from plastics to pesticides, had molecular structures that were similar to the hormone estrogen. Her research linked chemical exposure to endocrine disorders, including diabetes. She has since founded TEDX to bring endocrine disruption resources, research and news to the public at The Endocrine Disruption Exchange.
Further reading:
- Water Bottles Get Personal: BPA and hard plastics
- ‘Endocrine Disruptor’ won’t be on label
- Bottled Up at Ideal Bite - good list of safe, reusable drink containers
- My favorite, Sigg Water Bottles
- Ask TreeHugger: What is an endocrine disruptor?
Green Quotes: Ansel Adams
“It is my intention to present - through the medium of photography - intuitive observations of the natural world which may have meaning to the spectators.” - Ansel Adams
Few photographers have had the kind of influence of Ansel Adams. His black & white photographs of the American West captured the landscapes of North America and reshaped a collective appreciation for wild places.
Also a conservationist, Adams’ photography was central to the conservation and protection of America’s National Parks.
His 1930 photography book Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail
His photography was so moving that an example of his work, The Tetons and the Snake River (below), was chosen among 116 other images to be included in the Voyager Golden Record, a compilation of images and sounds meant to communicate life on earth to civilizations whom might be encountered elsewhere in the universe.
A resurgence of interest in his photographs over the last decade or so reaffirms the power of his images. They speak to anyone who has ever been transformed by a place in the natural world and remind us of all that is worth saving, even now seven decades later.
Today his name is synonymous with conservation and the spirit of his work is carried on through two distinct awards that carry his name: Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography and The Wilderness Society’s Ansel Adams Award for Conservation.
More…
Ansel Adams portrait by Jim Alinder
Little Reads: Monarch Butterfly
My brother is the kind of guy who will cancel a vacation if he finds abandoned kittens under his porch, drive birds and bunnies to the nearest wildlife rescue shelter (even if it’s not near at all) and take in injured Monarch butterflies and feed them only organic watermelon until they are ready to launch. Which brings us to Earl.
Earl was a Monarch who didn’t make it to Mexico one winter. Earl got stuck. In Boston. But luckily he got stuck to the sidewalk outside my brother’s house where he was treated like one of the family. Whenever I think about Earl and all of his fellow travelers I’m awestruck by the wonder of migration and how amazing these little creatures are.
This book is for anyone who wants to know a butterfly a little better. It describes their life through each stage of metamorphosis including physical characteristics, behavior, diet and their amazing migratory instincts. It also brings to light the celebrations that people hold along the migration route.
Available at Amazon Monarch Butterfly
Kid-Friendly Fridays: Discover the Journey North
Journey North is a website dedicated to the study of wildlife migration and all of the wonder of seasonal changes. With participants around the globe, the site allows students K-12 to share field observations about the natural world in their neck of the woods.
Patterns of migration focus on long distance travelers like monarch butterflies, robins, hummingbirds, whooping cranes, gray whales and bald eagles. As well as the seasonal changes marked by plants and the changing aspect of the sun.
It is a “citizen science” project with migration maps, pictures as well as a resource for teachers of all kinds offering lesson plans, activities and scientific information.
Participants help track the monarch butterfly to and from Mexico in fall and spring. Or follow the whooping crane from the northern latitudes to winter rests along the southern United States. Sightings help connect the animals to people and places all along the migration routes.
Students of all ages are encouraged to participate and connect with the natural world through this project. Follow the Journey North online.
Looking for more great green kid ideas? Check out 5 Easy Tips for Growing Green Kids at b5media’s Tree Hugging Family.
Global Green Indigenous Film Festival
I am a big film festival junkie, especially those based around environmental issues or outdoor recreation. My all-time favorite is the Banff Mountain Film Festival, I go every spring and even found it here in Germany. I love getting lost in the sights, sounds, adventures and gaining a new perspective.
A new film festival, just announced, looks like an inspiring, world changing project. TreeHugger carried an announcement today for the 2008 Global Green Indigenous Film Festival, a project from the Albuquerque-based non-profit National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC). The festival will be held next spring from April 18-20 at El Museo Cultural in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
What is great about this particular film festival is the perspective. NTEC welcomes all submissions but in particular films and videos that address indigenous environmental concerns and issues providing a unique vantage point that is rooted in cultural values.
NTEC was formed in 1991 with just seven tribes and input from several intertribal organizations, including the Council of Energy Resource Tribes and the Native American Rights Fund, as a membership organization dedicated to working with and assisting tribes in the protection and preservation of tribal environments. NTEC’s membership is open to any federally-recognized tribe throughout the United States, and currently has 184 member tribes. Although NTEC is a membership organization, its services are provided to all federally-recognized tribes.
Tribes have been witness to continuous and accelerated degradation of the land and resources surrounding their homelands. Our challenge is to integrate timeless traditional teachings and values into modern day practices. While strength exists in the great diversity of tribal cultures and governments, a united approach that respects tribal differences and works towards cleaner tribal environments is also critical. Thus, NTEC’s mission is to enhance each tribe’s ability to protect, preserve and promote the wise management of air, land and water for the benefit of current and future generations. (NTEC website)
I would love to see this film festival, hopefully it will tour outside of New Mexico. Although I would not turn down a trip to New Mexico and only need half a reason to go there. The other exciting thing about this announcement is that if you are a film maker, there’s still time to submit! The deadline is January 18, 2008. You can get more information at the NTEC website.
Via TreeHugger
Soapnuts Work, Really!
I was recently in line at the local grocery store when a big burlap bag marked “Waschnuss” caught my eye in the distance. It was a long line so I couldn’t investigate right away but kept it in mind.
Then while out doing a little holiday shopping, I saw them again and couldn’t resist. “Waschnuss” in German means wash nuts or soapnuts which turns out are a great alternative to chemical detergents.
I bought a small supply, about $3 worth, of soapnuts which included a small cotton drawstring bag and directions. The store in which I found this batch has a great set up for people who want to make all their own cleaning and washing supplies. Everything is available in bulk from all-natural scents, to mediums for lotions and shampoos to the reusable containers to hold everything.
For the soapnut project, I also bought a citrus oil which apparently helps maintain the washing machine components if you’ve got hard water. For the test run I used just a handful of soapnuts in the drawstring bag with a little of the citrus oil. I’m pleased to share that not only did the soapnuts work great but my clothes, which are air dried, are soft! No more scratchy towels! Hurray!
I’m very excited about this discovery. I have sensitive skin and find that when I wash my clothes with chemical detergents it irritates my skin. So how does it work? Well soapnuts shells contain a natural substance called saponin. Saponin dissolves in water to form suds and can dissolve fats and oils and help to lift grime.
And I can now say from experience that it does work, just a few nuts in a little cotton bag. I’m sold! And they are super inexpensive. One pound of soapnuts runs about $15 and can be used for several hundred washes!
The other good news is that in addition to washing clothes without chemicals, soapnuts have many other uses around the house and garden. Green Living Tips has a great article about all of the things you can do with Soapnuts - Nature’s Detergent.
In the U.S. soap nuts are available online here.
Tuesday Travels: In Scotland, Trade Your Used Cooking Oil for Reduced Bus Fare
Stagecoach, one of the UK’s largest bus and coach operators, is offering passengers in Scotland reduced bus fare in trade for their used cooking oil.
The Worldwatch Institute recently reported on the initiative which will help power eight buses that run on 100-percent biodiesel.
Stagecoach group chief executive Brian Souter told Worldwatch Institute:
“This innovative project is a great opportunity for our customers to play their part in saving the planet by recycling household products that would otherwise go to waste,” said Brian Souter, Stagecoach group chief executive. “I’m sure the idea of cheaper travel in exchange for the used contents of your chip pan will capture people’s imagination.”
The bus company will give a collection container to households along one of their routes, which serves about 15,500 passengers weekly. Bus riders can redeem the oil at a local recycling plant and receive vouchers for discounted fares.
Personally, I don’t have a ‘chip pan’ but it sounds like the target audience does so I think this is a great idea. Read the whole article here and get more scoop in the Stagecoach press release here.
*Don’t forget Transportation Tuesday over at Inhabitat - Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and GE’s Hybrid Locomotive.
Green Building 101: Indoor Environmental Quality
In the US Green Building Council’s LEED program there is a strong focus on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). This aspect of green building helps improve indoor air quality by enhancing natural daylighting, ventilation, thermal comfort and reducing toxins.
Buildings materials can be a source of pollutants and contaminants and poor building design can compound the effects of these elements to create “sick building syndrome”. Green buildings that are built to a high standard for Indoor Environmental Quality have been shown to be more pleasant and enhance occupant health, experience and performance.
Creating and maintaining a healthy indoor environment can be done by integrating a focus on IEQ with design and finish choices. Opting for low- or no-VOC paints and finishes, and formaldehyde-free products are examples of how to prevent toxins and contaminants from reaching indoor spaces. Designing for natural daylighting and natural ventilation are two more ways to increase IEQ.
There are many facets to this aspect of green building and plenty of resources where you can learn more. Here are a few good places to start:
- US EPA Indoor Air Quality VOCs
- Indoor Environmental Quality at Inhabitat
- Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality IEQ at Whole Building Design Guide
Website Wink: Neighborrow
A website called Neighborrow is enabling that concept. You can find neighborrow-hoods, look for stuff you’d like to borrow and meet other neighborrow-ers. It is a great idea and a fun way to fulfill your interests without spending money or filling up your garage with stuff you only use once in awhile.
While local sharing is the focus, you can also trade items or give them away. A website currency called neighborrow-bucks allows you to stock up some trade and get something later. Like their website says, stuff ends up where it is valued most and where someone will make use of it.
Check it out online at Neighborrow.
Green Quotes: Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson’s biography was titled “Witness for Nature”, a title earned by speaking up to protect nature and people.
“Silent Spring” focused on the toxins from insecticides, weed killers and other agricultural compounds that were finding there way into the food chain. Despite attacks from industry and government, Carson continued to speak out to protect human health and the environment. Although her life ended in 1964, her message inspired a new environmental awareness that continues to today.
Books by Rachel Carson:
Silent Spring
The Sense of Wonder
Website Wink: How Can I Recycle This?
Imagine a place where you can ask how to recycle random items and get creative, fun ideas. That’s the idea behind How Can I Recycle This? More than just paper or plastic, this site is the funnest think tank on recycling with answers to some of the most perplexing recycling quandaries.
For instance a few questions from the pre-PETA age: what to do with an old fur coat? or From the days before digital: what to do with photo negatives? Or how about what to do with old, rusty tools?
Let’s face it, although nowadays people are more aware of buying recyclable products, into every life a little recycling dilemma must fall. Like when moving and faced with a garage full of who knows what. Or the gifts that you really didn’t want or need but seem to be taking up shelf space in the cellar. Or the quirky things left behind by older family members.
How Can I Recycle This? answers these questions and more with fun ideas that you just can’t find anywhere else. More than just an place for information, the site is a forum that draws from readers ideas. Check it out at How Can I Recycle This?
Get great recycling tips with Are You Recycling? at b5media’s Tree Hugging Family - family life on the green side. And more at 33 Things you can Recycle at Simply Thrifty, another must read b5media blog!
Swap, Trade, Recycle: Making it go round
In recognition of Buy Nothing Day and in the spirit of freeing yourself from too much stuff and making it go round a little longer, here are some great reuse resources to find a new home for the things you don’t want and where to find the things you do want.
After the Turkey: Buy Nothing Day
I did my best explaining how it started which somehow rounded into a bit of cynical history lesson. Then I tried to explain the getting stuffed part - which is what Germans do all the time BTW! just kidding. The turkey hangover, the sports, the family together - all the good stuff just seemed hard to relay. I guess you just had to be there, every year, to get it. But the true meaning, to me, is to just be thankful.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d like to recognize that we have plenty to be grateful for in our lives, all of us. Tomorrow is Black Friday for shoppers but it is also Buy Nothing Day, a day meant to slow our consumerism and face the fact that we really have enough of what we need.
Sure there are enticing sales on Black Friday but the question is do you need what you’re buying or is it just a reaction to marketing and advertising? If you’ve got family visiting from out of town, wouldn’t it be nicer to spend the day together away from packed escalators and busy malls?
Today, many of us will feast. Tomorrow, on Buy Nothing Day there is an opportunity to fast that just might bring a bit of balance back into hectic lives and a little perspective on the things for which we give thanks. Going green is about consuming less and appreciating what we have, a beautiful planet.
For a little inspiration check out Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy at Zen Habits and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Daily Detox: Clean and chemical-free
There is a world of opportunity to free yourself from the chemical dependency of conventional household cleaners. And, I’ve just found this great resource to help you sort through the mess of it and make your house less toxic: 6 Household Chemicals to Avoid over at Green Living Online has a great write up of the top toxic scoundrels and the alternatives that will get your house clean without poisoning the air, water or your body.
Tuesday Travels: The 100 Mile Diet
Eating locally is one of the best ways to green you nutrition. It allows you to eat food with lower embodied energy and enables a fresher, more seasonal table. The 100 Mile Diet is a resource to help you do both, to think globally and act locally.
The idea came from two Canadian writers, Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon who woke up one day and decided to make a change - one that would that would lesson the energy intensive nature of the food they ate. They began a journey into the 100 Mile Diet determined to buy local. It was challenging at first but as their diet became more organic, non-processed and homemade the idea stuck.
Some of the perks:
Fresh, fresh, fresh. Local foods offer full flavor that is straight from the source unlike the bland hitchhikers that make their way to stores on industrial transit.
Connections. When you’re able to talk to the farmer you know what you’re eating. You could even meet the chickens who laid the eggs you eat and see how their life is on the farm.
Nature’s Back. Local means seasonal and eating local puts your body in tune with the natural cycles of the region where you live.
Resourceful. According to the 100 Mile Diet: “A study in Iowa found that a regional diet consumed 17 times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped across the country. The ingredients for a typical British meal, sourced locally, traveled 66 times fewer “food miles.” Or we can just keep burning those fossil fuels and learn to live with global climate change, the fiercest hurricane seasons in history, wars over resources…”
Delicious.
You can get started online at 100 Mile Diet or check out the book Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally
Green Building 101: What is LEED?
The program is widely accepted as a benchmark for high-performance buildings, buildings that excel in energy-efficiency, resource conservation, sustainable materials and healthy indoor environmental quality.
LEED provides independent, third-party certification of buildings at different qualifying levels. The program also provides accreditation for professional designation of individuals who have proven comprehension and understanding of LEED principles.
The program covers many aspects of the construction industry including new construction, major renovations, existing buildings, commercial interiors, schools and healthcare among other segments.
LEED promotes integrated design or whole-building approach in five areas related to human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
The standards and building certification process are rigorous. Some professionals argue that the program may be too stringent but the LEED program has had a tremendous positive impact on the industry and standardized many aspects of high-performance building.
The USGBC has just launched a wonderful redesign of their website which is now even more user-friendly. You can learn more about LEED at USGBC.
Recent highlights on LEED
Get Out, Get Green
A little different this week…
Since there is a US holiday this week (Thanksgiving), this week’s Get Out, Get Green is a little different. Not a lot of events so here’s some links to make your own outdoor outings.
Hiking Trails near US Metropolitan Areas: The Localhikes web site provides information on local hiking opportunities near both large and small metropolitan areas in the United States. You can find the perfect trail by selecting your metro area below to browse the available hikes, or by using the search feature to find the trails closest to your home or office. The hikes on this site were contributed by volunteer LocalHikes reporters from around the country.
With a name taken from the ultimate hiking companion (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts), GORP is a great resource for finding hikes, adventures, activities and guides. Everything from city guides, national parks to vacation destinations.
One Day Hikes is a good database to look for trails worldwide. You can search by region, country and state. The site offers descriptions of hikes with photos as well as helpful information like directions, location, trailhead, length, trail type, elevation change, duration, trail condition, features, climate, accommodation and trail notes.
Have fun!