Wanted: Additional Authors

GreenSpot-On would like to find a couple more Authors or Guest Bloggers.  Are you possibly that person?  Our goal is to make this blog a collective effort between people that have similar hobbies and interests!  Some of us have children, jobs, busy lives and unfortunately cannot post daily on a blog due to time constraints and commitments.  To keep content running constantly through GreenSpot-On we have been on a constant search for additional people to help!


Topics will be limited to Environmental & Wildlife Conservation/Education, Green Living, Recycling, Reuse and categories that lie within that range.  You can even do Do it yourself (DIY) projects and recycling/reuse art's & crafts! We are flexible!

We are looking for the following:

1. People who are interested in being a part of a collective effort on educating the public on these subjects areas.

2. Who are passionate about one or more of these subjects.

3. Who work well with others.

4. Can keep their work G-Rated (Remember the kids).

5. Can cite sources (With links if there are any sources used) for your writing.

Questions

We have received a few questions regarding a potential guest blogger or author positions on GreenSpot-On.  Please feel free to ask us questions!  Below are the questions some people had and the answers we provided:

Do I have to live in a particular place?  There are no restrictions on where you live.  Currently we have authors from Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio in the United States. It does not matter if you live outside of the U.S. because we have readers that live outside of the U.S. too!

What days are open for posting to GreenSpot-On?  What happens if I can't post on my day due to commitments?  Currently we are trying to get an author for almost every day of the week.  The days that are already taken are Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Occasionally there may be an extra post by the other authors on your day for posts like this one.  Sometimes the authors cannot post one week due to commitments and post the following week.  You can write posts ahead of time and schedule them to publish to the blog on a specific day and time if you want!

Do I have to be a mother or female?  There are no restrictions on being a male or female author.  You also do not have to be a parent but please remember that this is a family friendly blog and all authors are expected to treat it accordingly when posting.

Do you allow cross-posting?  Three of our current authors also have their own blogs, some of them do cross-posts (For those that do not know, it means that they sometimes post the same post to both blogs.  Though this is not the case every time).  It is a great way to get separate blogging communities to interact and helps drum up comments, questions and more for both blogs!  It also offers the authors a bit more flexibility and time to write.


Do I have to have my own blog to become an author on GreenSpot-On?  No, you don't have to have your own blog to become an author here.

We hope you will consider being an author or guest blogger here and can't wait to hear from you!

Please leave a comment below if you have other questions or are interested in being an author or guest blogger at GreenSpot-On and leave a way for us to contact you.

Kalamazoo River Oil Spill - Press Release for Circle D Wildlife Refuge

GreenSpot-On has been following the coverage on the Kalamazoo River Oil Spill in Michigan.  We have been in contact with the Circle D Animal Refuge which has already taken in some of the wildlife that has been affected by this environmental disaster.  The following press release was sent to me by Damon Talbot, PR for Circle D Animal Refuge.  For more information on how you can get involved please see the previous posts on GreenSpot-On.

Sincerely,

Khrysania @ GreenSpot-On

www.unhub.com/greenspoton

The Press Release:

CIRCLE D ANIMAL REFUGE	13500 E U Ave
	Vicksburg, MI 49097

Press Release

Contact: Damon Talbot; PR	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phone: (231) 903-2629	9 A.M. EDT, July 29, 2010

CIRCLE D WILDLIFE REFUGE PREPARES FOR LONG TERM RECOVERY


VICKSBURG, MI, JULY 29TH, 2010: With the ongoing animal rescue effort being coordinated by the State of Michigan and Enbridge Oil, Circle D Wildlife Refuge is transitioning to act as a rehabilitation center for animals who have been cleaned, but may have long term health risks.


The staff of Circle D Wildlife Refuge were some of the first to respond and help contaminated animals in Calhoun County. During the first few hours they were able to rescue several ducks, geese, and a muskrat.


As the situation progresses there will be a need for volunteers, and donations to help with this response. Circle D Wildlife Refuge has worked with many types of animals in the past and is ready to meet this challenge.


For further information, to schedule an interview, or for media visits to the facility please contact email us at: circledvolunteers@gmail.com

-End-

HELP SAVE MICHIGAN WILDLIFE - Updated 7-28-2010 at 2:15pm

In efforts to try and help various animals that will be/are affected by this oil leak in Michigan, they are in desperate need of supplies. If you know any businesses or anyone that would be willing to donate that would be great! Circle D Wildlife Refuge is in need of rubber gloves and aprons, dawn dish soap,etc. Cash donations would probably be great also - so they can get food supplies that they will need for the animals.

As I have said in the past, these rehabbers work on their personal time and are not paid and the supplies that we get, these are out-of-pocket expenses or by donations. For more information you can look below for Circle D Wildlife Refuge's information or check with Kalamazoo River Oil Spill Animal/Wildlife Rescue facebook page.

Contact information for Circle D Wildlife refuge:

Circle D Wildlife Refuge
13500 East U Ave.
Vicksburg, MI  49097
Phone #:  Pam Decuypere at (269) 365-5349  Please Do Not call the phone number unless you have wildlife that needs help, they need their only phone line free to field calls about animals.  They would prefer you to contact them by e-mail if you can.
E-mail:  CircleDVolunteers@gmail.com
A message on the Kalamazoo River Oil Spill Animal/Wildlife Rescue facebook page stated:  "If you are willing to answer phones on a regular basis, clean birds, or care for other animals, please send me your contact information at CircleDVolunteers@gmail.com. While I will begin calling folks from the spreadsheet list, this is in no way connected to the large scale cleanup efforts that require training. This is only to help out the small, animal refuge to prepare for the influx of animals, volunteers, media, etc. that will be coming in droves soon. I will contact you soon to get more information on how you can help".

I'll find out if there is a website or donation page for them ASAP!

Items needed by Circle D Wildlife Refuge:
- Rags or towels
- Dawn dish soap
- Rubber aprons
- Rubber gloves
- Buckets
- Vegetable oil
- Respirators
- Cash donations so they can feed the animals they are getting along with getting other supplies! 
They were also looking for volunteers!  It may take a while for them to get back to you by phone as they are very busy right now!

Remember, the best way people can help is by donating at this time.

---------------------------

Focus Wildlife is currently responding to the "Marshall Leak Incident."  To sign up with wildlife officials or to report oil-covered wildlife, call 800-306-6837.  Focus Wildlife Website:  http://www.focuswildlife.net/

---------------------------

Here is yet another place you can donate items to (As posted on Facebook):

"Senator Nofs has helped to facilitate a donation collection center to help the wildlife. Donations are being accepted at Crossroads Church and Ministries. Details are available here on specific times and what items are needed: http://www.facebook.com/l/b483dN83QzU4UbadfDdJTjlTCcQ;https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=18Ff3QTwOUBuz7Sro6nlS4Z37F6hWIlhvtd15dgZBaco&hl=en


Please do not hesitate to call me with any questions, 269-274-3220.

More information on volunteer training will be forthcoming. A volunteer seminar will take place sometime in the afternoon on Friday with authorities.

Steve Sachs
Office of Senator Mike Nofs"

WHAT: Community Animal/Wildlife Rescue Donation Drop Off Site
WHERE: CROSSROADS CHURCH AND MINISTRIES PARKING LOT
LARGE COLLETION TENT LOCATED IN NE CORNER OF PARKING LOT . 717 US Highway 27, Marshall, MI 49068 (1/2 mile S of I-94, exit 110, on west side of road)
WHEN: Today (12:00p.m.-9:00p.m.), then open daily from 9:00a.m.-9:00p.m. until further notice.
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- LINENS: non-elastic, non-fitted
- Sheets and Large Towels
- Pillow Cases
- Cardboard Boxes (Medium-Large)
- Small Whiteboards
- Duct Tape
- Firewood (Small-Medium)

Items will be transported by officials to the secure animal care center. For more information, please contact Steve Sachs at 269-274-3220.
 
More information to come!

Identifying Nature's Wonders!

Hello Readers!  I need your help!  I have some photos that I took that I have not shared due to the difficulty I am having identifying the subjects!  I would love it if our readers would help me identify these creatures so I can put the proper names for them in our slide show!  Remember that these photos were taken in Michigan in case you want to look up a species for identification.

One of my main things is to go outside and just take pictures of the interesting things I see or wildlife found.  I have hundreds of photos like this.  This first photo is of a butterfly that was resting on the trunk of a tree (Photo taken July 10, 2009), notice the coloring of the wings and the bark are similar if I hadn't seen it land I probably never would have noticed it there:

Another photo I took of a Dragonfly resting on a blade of grass in a field (Taken July 10, 2009):

Last but not least, a small turtle that was trying to cross a very busy road that we intercepted while on a walk (Photo taken on June 20, 2009):

To give you an idea of the turtle's size:

So what do you think?  Just reply to this post and let us know what species/type of wildlife you think are in these photo's.  If you have a link to a website or book you found the species in, please cite them so we can take a look and see what you came up with!  I would love to add these photo's to our slide show:)  If this Identification project is successful, maybe I'll do this again in the near future as a regular thing.  I would love to have you all join the discussion!

Thank you all!

Sincerely,

Khrys @ GreenSpot-On

P.S. Don't forget to check out our videos on YouTube!  We recently added video of an American Toad!  Become a fan or friend on Facebook, Twitter or other networking sites! Please, share us with your friends! We'd love to hear from you!

Happy Earthday Everyone!

Happy Earth Day! Just a reminder that we can practice good stewardship for our environment and earth not just today, but everyday! There are many things to do to help; plant a tree, clean up litter, educate others, and be earth conscious in your daily decisions.

A great start for kids is to learn early the importance of our environment and natural resources, so start early. There are many sites that offer program and activities to get children out and involved if anyone is interested. Here are some links to get some ideas on activities that can be done at home or with your family, to get involved with nature...

http://www.ecokids.ca/

http://www.arborday.org/explore/families/

http://www.outdoor-nature-child.com/

http://www.nurseryactivityideas.co.uk/category/outdoor-activities

I hope these sites will spark some interest, and I know for myself and my daughter we got started earlier this week and planted trees and plants earlier on in the week and enjoyed a nice bike ride today! As always we try to stay conscious about recycling, turning off lights when they aren't being used, and reducing our waste. We like to get outside as often as we can. When my nephews come to visit we often will take family hikes and little explorations, it is a very rewarding experience seeing what they take from those experiences :)

Happy Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day I wanted to tell you about an Earth Day event we had here in Grand Rapids, MI at the John Ball Zoo! April 17th was John Ball Zoo's annual Party for the Planet. There are similar celebrations that are either happening or have happened due to Earth Day falling on a weekday this year.

Party for the Planet at John Ball Zoo is organized as an event to educate families and the community about being green, get samples or see demonstrations of green products that are available in our area along with raffles being offered for items (A rain barrel was an item being raffled by Coca-Cola at the event). Last but not least, your family could see the animals at the zoo! If you are lucky enough to be able to go to one of these events locally, you should try to do so as there is a lot of great information that you can get from the many companies that have booths. There are also workshops that you can attend sprinkled throughout the day about the environment, saving energy and more.

At John Ball Zoo, they offer you entrance fee at a discounted rate for the event. Which gave you the ability to tour the entire zoo (Except for the exhibits that were closed due to cool weather). Near the parking lot at the zoo, there was recycling offered to the public done by the following:

1-800-GOT-JUNK? - They were taking electronics (no Air Conditioners or Humidifiers)
Goodwill Industries - Were taking small household electronics, good condition furniture, pots, pans, blankets, suitcases, purses, toys and bikes.  The donations also helped fund job training programs for individuals with barriers to employment in the greater Grand Rapids community.
Godwin Hardware & Plumbing - They were accepting low energy light bulbs for recycling.

Throughout the zoo were booths with information and product demonstrations or samples by the following groups or companies:
Animal Medical Center of Wyoming
City of Grand Rapids Environment Services
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Sustainability Initiative
Natural Awakenings Magazine - Had issues of their magazine there along with a representative.
The Rogue River Project
Grand Rapids Public Schools Zoo School - Where you could build bat houses!
Horizen Hydroponics - Where you could learn a new way to grow!
Connecting Families with Nature - You could get a passport for your kids and go to each of the nature centers or parks in the area and get them marked after getting so many marked, there would be a special event your child can attend towards the end of the summer.
John Ball Zoo - Information and Education
Coca-Cola - See what happens to aluminum cans and get information on how to build your own rain barrel!  Check out this story about an initiative in our area that Coca-Cola and the West Michigan Environmental Action Council has partnered up on in this article from MLive.com:  Coca-Cola Plant's Castoffs Given New Life as Rain Barrels
Clean Water Action
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel

Unique Manufacturing of Michigan - Watch the artists demonstration using recycled materials (Interesting art too)!  If Anyone knows of a website by this artist please let me know as I found nothing.

Blandford Nature Center

Kent County Agricultural Preservation

Shakelee - There was a representative from this company handing out free samples of a green cleaning product.

Also for the kids to do and see:
They could meet the recycling robot at the Recycle Kent booth
Seedling give-aways (While they lasted) by: Association of Landscape Professionals, West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science and the Girl Scouts!

Make Headbands out of recycled materials at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum booth!

Dress up at the Sierra Club booth!

Build a molecule at the Grand Valley Metro Council! (They were made out of gumdrops or marshmallows and toothpicks)

Face Painting
Volunteers with strolling animals throughout the zoo - some touchable!  My boys were able to touch a wood turtle and see a bearded dragon and a snake (My youngest would not touch the snake)!

Kohl's and a local church (Genesis United Methodist Church) that provided many of the volunteers that day!

This photo was taken by me at John Ball Zoo at the Party for the Planet.  Notice the brave duck deciding to be on the edge of a wall inside the enclosure for the Grizzly Bear and the Brown Bear.  Don't worry though, there was still a large moat for the bear to cross so the duck was perfectly safe.  This bear had been looking at him intently and the duck is oblivious and I just snapped the pic from the angle I saw when I first walked up.  The fence is to keep us humans out.  Obviously the duck thought it didn't apply to him :)

This next photo is of me at the event carrying what my friend who took this picture called "A portable forest."  Yes ladies and gentlemen for 20 bucks you can get a backpack and fill it with seedlings to make your own air!  You can take it everywhere!  For only 2 dollars more you can get the plastic cup with dirt and sunflower seeds for your side pockets and I'll throw and additional one for the other side free:)  Just kidding of course, but it got alot of laughs!

The kids and I had a wonderful time learning, information gathering and also crafting some really fun things.  We walked the entire zoo, saw some friends and were able to chat.  I found some product samples to try out, it was well worth checking it out.   If you would like to find Earth Day events that you and your family can attend, go to the Earth Day Network and enter in your zip code and state in order to find events near you!

My sister JRouse also wanted to add a fun outdoor activity that you could do with your children (if you have them) and celebrate earth day with.  Please see the link at the website "Daily Activities for Kids" for an Earth Day Nature Hunt!

JRouse is currently caring for a baby grey squirrel whose eyes haven't opened yet, so she wanted to make sure our readers had something fun to do even though she hasn't the ability to post at this time due to how much time it takes to care for an animal.  Hopefully we'll have some pictures from her for you soon!

We at GreenSpot-On would like to wish you a Happy Earth Day!  Get outside and enjoy the day!

Sincerely,
Khrys @ GreenSpot-On

Royal Ranch's First Post

Wow!  You'd think I was planning to write a piece for the Washington Post or The New York Times with as nervous as I've been about this post.  Not actually nervous, anxious is a better word I would say.  I have to give you a little background here; I am an environmental mountain hillbilly, and darn proud of it.  My very first attempts at blogging were not quite a year ago and I did not start out like most people and start reading and commenting on blogs.  No, I jumped right in and started my own.  Why, you ask?  Because I have a lot to say, of course!

No really,  I have thought and thought about what my first post to GreenSpot-On is going to be about, I mean this is a big deal.  This fantastic blog that is dedicated to everything I believe wholeheartedly in is going nationwide!  Now, I may be a little slow when it comes to the world wide web thing, I get that the internet reaches the entire world, but when a blog has authors from all over the nation, I think that's pretty cool!

So, that's where I decided to start.  Since most of the current authors are from that lakeish (spell check doesn't speak mountain hillbilly?  Odd.)  part of the country,  I want to introduce the readers to the fantastic Rocky Mountains.  I am a native Coloradan, second generation, which is quite rare.  My husband and I have a commercial llama outfitting company that gives us ample opportunities to  take some really great pictures, so I thought I'd share some of those with you.  You can read my bio, on the right side bar to learn more about me, but I'm sure we'll get much better acquainted soon, I love feedback.

Me and my llama string

Meridian Trail (our favorite)

Rocky Mtn. Big Horn Sheep

Colorado Columbine

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Looking for Additional Authors

GreenSpot-On would like to find a couple more Authors or Guest Bloggers. We are trying to make this a collective effort.

Topics will be limited to Environmental & Wildlife Conservation/Education, Green Living and categories that lie within that range.

We are looking for the following:

1. People who are interested in being a part of a collective effort on educating the public on these subjects areas.
2. Who are passionate about one or more of these subjects.
3. Who work well with others.
4. Can keep their work G-Rated (Remember the kids).
5. Can cite sources (With links if there are any sources used) for your writing.

Please leave a comment below if you are interested and leave a way for us to contact you.