Great Green Fall Activities

It's always sad to say goodbye to the relaxing warmth of summer. I love being able to head to the beach for the weekend, going canoeing with friends, the joy of spending the evening on the patio, and the freedom to grill out or go camping. Luckily, here in the MidWest summer flows rather smoothly into Fall... lots of produce to harvest, the autumn leaves, warm clothes, turning off the A/C, and of course, all of my favorite Fall activities.

Here are some ideas of how to welcome the gorgeous autumn weather by heading outside and enjoying the season the "green" way:

Build a greener tailgate. Enjoy football season (or the end of baseball season) by celebrating with organic beers, recycling all the waste, composting, and eating locally. In 2007 the College of Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University took the initiative to host/advocate for green tailgating featuring locally grown food, limiting packaging waste, and reducing energy consumption:




Go apple picking. Take kids and friends to a local orchard and enjoy the best apples the area has to offer. Enjoy local cider, caramel apples, and the fresh local pies that support your local farmers. In Michigan my favorite is Uncle John's Cider Mill on US-127 North of St. John's. Everything is SO yummy and organic:




Go hiking at the peak of autumn color. Find out when the autumn leaves will be at their peak of color and head out on an awesome hike to enjoy it firsthand. Here in Ohio the leaves are just beginning to change, so I hope that I'll get a chance to scope out a few places like the Cuyahoga River Valley (pictured below) and the National Park. The Ohio DNR also offers a navigational site that highlights Ohio's Fall foliage and peak color season.




Visit a pumpkin patch. Instead of getting your pumpkin at the grocery store, head straight to the source. Take the kids to a local pumpkin patch so they can learn where pumpkins come from and how they grow. Uncle John's (that I mentioned above) is also a great place to go:




I hope these ideas will pique your interests in seeking out an environmental-friendly autumn!

Happy Wednesday! -BA