Meet (or is it meat?) The Meatrix....

Go ahead, I dare you to check out this funny video about modern day meat production....no blood or gore and it really gets the point across!

Farmageddon; a great movie supporting local agriculture!

As you all know, I am very dedicated to supporting my local farmers as much as possible.  But for me, living in the mountains and not really having local farmers that is a little harder to do.  It is a learning process (one that I am very much still in the process of), Colorado may not be the biggest agricultural state, but by golly it is an agricultural state by some standards; mine included.


I am very proud to be a part of the agricultural business, I say it is in my blood.  It must have skipped a generation (my Mom is not really into the whole animal/growing thing-ha!).  See, my Grandparents were farmers in Iowa; they moved here to leave the farm life behind, I do believe.  But somehow it is just inside some of us, and I can't help myself...when I collect the eggs I am fascinated with the smooth little jewels of various colors.  And oh, my wonderful sheep that bleat for me if I am late to feed them...


And as for my packing llama string...I recently saw some pictures on Pinecam (our local gossip emag-ha!) of our ranch with Charlie Royal doing pack strings with horses...Well aren't we just going full circle?  I wish I still had that much land Charlie...But anyway, the joy that they bring me and our visitors is unparalleled; we get to teach our guests about our area, our way of life, but even better yet, how to be good stewards of the environment!


So to me, being a farmer these days is a lot more than just throwing stuff in the ground or raising organic animals.  It is about defending our rights to do so.  And teaching people about why we are doing it that way.  And why it is so important for us to raise heirloom varieties and heirloom chickens and sheep so that we don't have only one kind of corn or tomato or potato (and that there are still some nutrients in them).  No matter which way you say it; tomato or tomahto, potato or potahto, if there is no variety it would still suck.


Needless to say I was really excited to hear about this documentary:



Farmageddon - Movie Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

Made by a Mom.  Check it out, there are screenings in towns all over the USA, or you can buy the DVD.  I have to wait for the movie....bummer!

The Christmas Tree Debate...

Being an environmentalist really makes the Christmas Tree debate a personal one for me, especially living right in the middle of the forest and being as passionate about saving trees as I am.  But I know what a HUGE carbon footprint those plastic jobbies leave when they are made and placed in your home.  So where does that leave an environmental steward like me?

We looked high:

And we looked low:

And then we found the most perfect compromise ever!  We took a tree that already needed to be cut down!  This spectacular Colorado Blue Spruce was encroaching on the power lines at The Royal Roost, our "Nest in the Woods" getaway cabin for visitors.

It also was blocking some much needed sunshine from that very same cabin, so we knew it needed to go sooner or later, so I said why not use it for a Christmas Tree and firewood?

So this year, so far, my dreams are coming true.  What is your opinion on the Christmas Tree debate?  What are you doing this year to be green?  Or maybe to save some "Green"?

Recycled Roof

Yes, a recycled roof.  I was bragging on my daily (almost) blog yesterday about my environmentally, money saving, recycled roof; but I wanted to wait until today, when I could share it with all of you, even the GSO readers, because this is a pretty good one.  Wow, another sentence that would have my English teacher popping migraine (or worse) medicine!

I have to give you a little background here.  I have mentioned (groan, many times, over and over, you, my dedicated readers say?) that our little piece of heaven, The Royal Ranch, sits at almost 9,000 feet in elevation.  It also sits at the base of two almost fourteeners, Mt. Logan and Mt. Rosalie.  Now, I'm not just telling you that to brag, okay maybe a little-ha!, but we get some wicked winds up here, and I do mean wicked.  

This last winter seemed to be particularly harsh.  We had quite a bit of damage, we lost our historical sign, which I posted about here, and we had lots of little pieces of roofing come off the barn.  Well, I hadn't really noticed that those little pieces had all really added up to one big problem until we got all of this rain.  And then the other day, I went to step inside the barn and sunk six inches into the mud.   Now, I'm no genius, but when you are inside the barn, I don't think you're supposed to be slopping around in mud like that!

So, I get to thinking.  We have tried multiple kinds of regular roofing on this barn and it has not worked because of the tree limbs rubbing on it and the wind tears about anything paper like or shingle like, ie: typical roofing.  Okay what about a tarp type situation?  Now wait, I know you all are thinking, what, a tarp?  Now that's pretty hillbilly.  

But wait, these are the sides and the tops of the old hay barn that the wind took year before last.  It was one of those car port type things you buy at Costco, and it would have worked out great if it weren't for the wind picking up the whole thing, that was concreted three feet into the ground, and throwing it around like a ball of play doh (I told you we got wicked winds!).  It bent all of the poles beyond recognition and tore a few of the tarps, but for the most part the tarps were still in tact, and just awaiting a new life.  I recycled the poles, why not the tarps?

As a matter of fact the buildings themselves are recycled.  My tack shed is a six seater outhouse from a Civilian Conservation Camp from the Depression era that was moved here by Charlie Royal.  And the llama/sheep barn is an old chicken coop that old man Royal built himself.  When we first got llamas, we had our then renter, remove a wall and reinforce it for the larger animals, and voila, a loafing shed ideal for ruminants (which is what sheep and llamas are).

Well, it wasn't exactly me that did the work on the roof anyway.  I don't think any of us would want to know the outcome if clumsy old me had gotten up on that roof.  But Tom did a heck of a job.  He laid the first tarp down and nailed it around the edges, and then a second one over the top, to make sure to cover any of the seams of the first one since these were meant to be walls instead of roofing.  He then sort of wrapped the barn roof like a present, and it looks great.

He also used some wood to reinforce where the wind will catch it.  He just took a long 2x12 and nailed it over the tarps.  It will hold down the tarps and to a certain extent guide the runoff away from the front of the barn.  The great thing about this is that now it is essentially one piece, so hopefully the wind won't catch little bits of it.

While Tom did the roof, the kids and I worked on the drainage around the barn.  I dug a few trenches, not really dug, more like guided the mud, to get as much runoff away from the barn as possible.  We all worked on raking up the loose dropped hay to put in the barn to soak up the mud; so it got recycled too.  Normally I would be able to rake this up once a week and feed it, saving myself quite a bit, but it is all too soggy to use; although I did see the chickens happily scratching their way through it, so that is good.

Back to me and my brilliant ideas, thank goodness I have a husband to help implement all these crazy ideas of mine.  I'll let you know how this one holds up, but in theory it's a good one, and it didn't cost me a dime.  So far we have had some really amazing rain storms and the barn isn't any wetter, which is of course what we were going for!

Sorry folks, I am experiencing technical difficulties, and have been waiting all day to get my links together and post this, but it isn't looking like the problem (within Blogger) will be fixed anytime soon.  So, I shall go ahead and publish without the links, hoping that you will come back and check those out another time!  Thanks for your patience~Judy

Recycling in a Remote Community

As you all know by now, we live in a rather remote mountain community. There are no recycling services in our little town, which makes no sense to me, as I consider this the most beautiful place in the world and think it is most definitely worth protecting! Also, my parents travel in a converted bus many months of the year and have a hard time finding recycling facilities. So... today's blog is some ideas on how to recycle, even when recycling services are unavailable.

There are many organized groups, like the Shriner's, that have public drop off locations around the city. These are dumpster sized bins that are one stream recycling. One stream means that there is no need to separate your goods. I found this site in our great Denver community by simply googling recycling sites in Colorado.

Now, for me, this means a long trip into the city in my big diesel truck, not too green. So I make sure to combine a lot of trips and keep my recycling until I have a full truck load. This has not been too difficult to do since I take all of the recycling from our three schools. Which brings up the next point, check with your local schools, many have recycling programs that will allow you to bring your stuff in. When I started the recycling programs through the schools I was only taking a bag or so per week, by the end of last year I had a truckload each week. Once we let it be known that teachers and staff could bring their recyclables in, they were so very happy to not have to take care of it themselves! Also, most schools can earn money from cell phones and some other small electronics, even if you don't have kids, it's a great way to recycle and donate to the schools.

Another big concern of mine is to not have recyclables bring in the animals. When recycling, rinse everything out very well, this will help avoid the little (or in our case, BIG) critters coming for a free meal. I do not use recycling bins, as it seems a little silly to buy something new when I can use one of the containers that I am recycling to hold more recyclables. For instance, when I buy milk at Costco, I keep the box for under my desk, it is the perfect size for junk mail, unused copies, bill envelopes and even the "stickies" I use to communicate with my husband (I'm not too with it at 3:30 am). This also makes it easy for drop off, I am able to just toss the whole thing into the dumpster.

Plastics are the worst as far as taking up space. Rinse well and crush, this method has almost doubled the space I need for these containers. I also put containers inside containers; like the ones that strawberries come in, this stacking method is another way of making your recycling space that much more efficient. Most grocery stores will recycle your plastics, so we take a bag or box each time we go to the store. I keep the aluminum cans and steel cans separate as those we get paid for, but at different levels, so to reap the full benefit, we keep those in different containers.

Since we began recycling, we have reduced our trash by at least 80%! We used to take a bag out per day, now we take it out once a week. My point is that recycling can be done anywhere with a little bit of research, and don't forget to use what you have, whether it be your own boxes as recycling containers, or a local school that will accept your goods, use it!

Lastly, I would like to suggest if your school does not have a program-start one!!!! This has been a wonderful way for me to stay in touch with my kids, meet new people and business contacts, and has made my kids feel very proud that their Mom is making a big difference in their community.

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

Let the kids in the garden, too!

When my daughter was young, she would help me pick tomatoes. She made it harder than it needed to be; she'd come out with a tiny basket and a stuffed animal to keep her company. One tomato would fit in the basket, and then the stuffed dog would go into it, too. I didn't mind; she enjoyed the process and actually ate the tomatoes later. She learned to love fresh green beans, too, but to this day prefers them fresh off the vine and uncooked.

At age three she described a tiny bug to me and asked if I knew what it was. I thought it was a slug and said so. She came in a few minutes later with it cupped in her hands: "Look, Mommy, isn't it cute?" Well, in her eyes, it was. She cared enough to bring it back outside and into its habitat, and then washed her hands well before supper (I reminded her, believe me).

Now she's in college, age 22, and still enjoys being outside and seeing the garden grow. She's more skilled in choosing and growing flowers than she is vegetables, so I let her take over the deck and the south side of the house. Occasionally she chases a slug away from the leaves, but she won't kill it; she still thinks slugs are cute.

She also has an eye for beauty that goes beyond cute crawling creatures. The photo at the top is one of hers. I encourage parents to keep bringing their children outside and let them explore - even the creatures we might think aren't so cute. It can expand their views and stretch their horizons in ways we can't fully predict.

Grand Rapids, MI - Response to "The Answer is Blowing on the Wind"

This is a response to my fellow author BA’s post “The Answer is Blowing in the Wind” issued on August, 19, 2009. I could not put this in the comment section with her as there was too much to talk about when it comes to Grand Rapids, Michigan! Please see the links listed for more information.

An initiative by the City of Grand Rapids has been in place since 2005. Since than many things have occurred!

The newly renovated Grand Rapids Public School buildings or newly built schools have went greener (Some getting LEED certification)- Click HERE for more info. Businesses have been doing the same.
We have the nations first LEED Certified:
YMCA - Link
Art Museum - Link
Multi-modal transit center - The Rapid Link
Other Firsts - Click Here
We also has more LEED-certified buildings per capita than any other city in the U.S. and we are third overall. Grand Rapids currently has 1 Platinum, 8 Gold, 11 Silver LEED Certified buildings (49 total) and with a total Registered Project list of 101 Buildings/projects. LEED Certified Projects (Type in Grand Rapids, Michigan)



Grand Rapids ranked 20th on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) list of cities with the most ENERGY STAR qualified buildings in 2008. At last count had 42 ENERGY STAR qualified buildings within it's greater metropolitan area. More Info

Our public transit has also went green with hybrid-electric buses. HERE you can read about the Green Grand Rapids initiative.

The City of Grand Rapids, MI has also reached its goal of having a 20 percent renewable energy supply - Read More

The City of Grand Rapids is among the first municipalities in the United States to begin using a new trash can liner made with 70 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) material. The PCR content in the Greencore Can Liners™ far exceeds plastics industry goals, reducing the carbon footprint by as much as 40 percent. Link to story

Grand Rapids, MI Renewable Energy - More Info

The City of Grand Rapids Waste Water Treatment Plant (GRWWTP) is one of only 15 platinum level members nationwide of the National Biosolids Partnership in Environmental Management Systems and is currently finalizing the new dewatering system for biosolids. More

Grand Rapids is a Member EPA's Green Power Partnership The Top Rankings-Local Government

There is a lot more to Grand Rapids’ commitment to the environment, but it is time to let others shine as well! They deserve kudos for the work they have done and plan on doing!

As a side note here is a link to a Popular Science article on the 50 greenest cities in the United States. Unfortunately, Grand Rapids did not make this list.

I am proud of this city and I hope more cities will follow suit or at least set a good example for others! Again, I ask our dear readers the question that BA asked: To what extent is your own state addressing alternative energy sources such as wind energy?


Websites where this information was located:
City of Grand Rapids
Sustainable GR
Grand Rapids Public Schools
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
State of Michigan
Integrated Architecture
U.S. Green Building Council – West Michigan Chapter
My Midwest Magazine (Article was written in January of 2008)
U.S. Green Building Council – Build Green Schools
Popular Science

GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A #3

Welcome to the Third Issue of the GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A! Here are new questions recieved from a student at Beachnau Elementary in Ravenna, MI and a couple more from some of GreenSpot-On's adult readers along with my responses to them...

Question: What kind of things do you do at your job?
Name: Jenna Age: 6
Grade: N/A School-City/State: Beechnau Elementary - Ravenna, MI

JRouse’s Answer: At my job I have a variety of tasks that I do during the workday and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming...

I start off the day cleaning out the cages (kennels) that the cats are kept in and make sure they have clean litter boxes and clean towels to lay on as well as fresh food and water. Throughout the day I answer the phone and wait on customers and take care of the animals that are in the clinic. In our exam room we have mice in a cage to help distract the cats a little (so they aren't focused so much on seeing the doctor - kind of like you with lollipops), and we also have canaries that are in our boarding facility.

The boarding area is where animals stay when their owners are out of town. We try and make the area as homelike as possible; we have a fountain with large goldfish in it, the canaries and an exercise area for them to play around in. I assist the doctor with appointments - this includes; taking the cats temperature, weighing them, trimming their nails, and writing down information for the doctor regarding the cats diet and history.

I also assist the doctor and hold the cats for blood draws and vaccinations. On days that we have surgeries, I help check the cat in for surgery and then set up the treatment area in our hospital for the procedures to take place. Myself as well as a couple other co-workers do this job, and we all help the doctor with various things during these procedures, like shaving the cats that are getting lion cuts (a type of haircut for a cat), giving it a bath, or prepping for the surgeries. But, the doctor is the only one who actually can perform these - we only assist!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Question: How do you get the supplies you need to rehab an animal? Are rehabbers funded by a group or is it donation based?
Name: Kim Keller-Rouse Age: Over 40
City/State: Mount Pleasant, MI

JRouse’s Answer: The supplies that are used for rehabbing usually are purchased by the rehabber (out of pocket) and that is the case for myself, as well as most rehabbers. Sometimes if you start an organization you are able to get donations, but most rehabbers are independent, therefore, all the expenses are out-of-pocket. This is one thing that people don't understand when you are taking in an animal. You can be picky about what you take in, because you may not be able to afford the animals care it needs (depending on what you have to spend and what you have time for). When an animal is in its nursing phase it can be costly, just in milk, syringes, etc. Then when they are weaned it may be less costly, but that all depends on the type of animal you have and what it eats!

Got a question for JRouse (me) on any animals listed or pictured on the site? E-mail jr.greenspot_on@khrysania.com to ask! Please include the following information in your e-mail:

Question: (Question for JRouse)

Name: (First Name of Child) Age: (Age of Child)

Grade: (Grade Level of Child) School-City/State: (School Name - Location: City/State)

Sincerely,

JRouse

GreenSpot-On

Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979

Have Questions? Presenting GreenSpot-On's Wildlife Q & A!

Parents/Guardians, Teachers, Wildlife Enthusiasts and GreenSpot-On Readers!

As someone who has done wildlife rehabbing, JRouse has worked with many different types of animals. She would like to give children and adults/wildlife lovers the opportunity to ask her questions about the animals she has helped or even questions about what she does and how!

They include:

Fawns

Osprey

Red Fox

Canadian geese

Domestic geese

Pigeons

Pheasants

Squirrels: Red, Black, Gray Tree, Fox and Flying

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Barred Owl

Great Horned Owl

Screech Owl

Red-Tailed Hawk

Domestic Cats

Some of these animals are pictured in the slideshow on the main page. If you have children or students or if you adults would like to ask a question about any of these animals, please send an e-mail to JRouse in the following format:

Question: (Your Question)

Name: (First Name) Age: (Age)

Grade: (Child’s Grade) School/Location: (Child’s School Name and City/State or your location)

JRouse will answer up to 3 of these questions once a week as she receives them. All answers will be posted to GreenSpot-On with the original question in the format above. We at GreenSpot-On hope you will take this opportunity to teach your child something new about the wildlife around us. Thank you for joining us today!

Sincerely,

GreenSpot-On
Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979

Facebook Fan Page: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17981

Follow us on Twitter, Networked Blogs, by RSS Feed and other site by going to the mainpage of our blog and linking from there!

New Project to start on

As I was driving to pick my daughter up the other day, I was driving by Walmart and Menards. As I looked at this empty field I couldn't believe it. All this trash, not just some items scattered around, I am talking about mass quantities of trash. I plan on this week (maybe tomorrow if it's nice out), taking some pictures and forming a letter to send to those businesses - demanding that something be done. Maybe these businesses (Kohls/SamsClub/Walmart/Menards) feel no obligation to pick this trash up because it isn't in their parking lot, but this trash is due to the business that they have brought in, and in my opinion IS their responsibility. I couldn't believe how disguisted I became over this, I just couldn't believe that it even got to that point.

Anyway, if anyone would like to let me know and as soon as I form the letter and get everything together, some signtures from concerned individuals may not be a bad thing to have. Let me know, and I can email you the letter. If you don't live in this area, maybe you can take a look along your local malls, etc. I know when I go to other towns I always look around to see my new surrounding and unfortunately I usually see a lot of trash and shopping bags that have been blown and are pressed against fence lines. Also, keep logging in and you can see exactly what I mean when I post some of those pictures of what some of these "superstores" are doing to our towns environmentally.

Great Books to Read

Just a couple of books I thought I would share:

Sharing the Joy of Nature by Joseph Cornell
This book contains great nature activities for children, there are lots of activities in this book that I think would be great to share with you children or young family members!

another book by this same author is:

Sharing Nature with Children
Same concepts in this book. One nice thing also about this book is it breaks down what age groups each activity is suitable for...

I found both of these books reasonably priced online. Great material for anyone who has or works with children!

Happy Earth Day!!

Happy
Earth Day 2009
Everyone!

I am happy you could join us here at GreenSpot-On! A lot of things have been going on for the last week in West Michigan and other places in the United States to celebrate Earth Day and to educate people about helping make our planet better for our descendants.

I took my family to our local Zoo’s “Party for the Planet” and we had a great time! Not only did we get to enjoy the animals, but we were able to receive information on various conservation methods, educational information and even talk to vendors that had energy saving products. My sons and niece were able to participate in various activities, including: plant sunflowers in a cup, plant a tree that we could plant for a small donation, make hats out of scrap materials and more! If you ever get a chance to go to one of these events, you should. It is a wonderful family activity that can be an educational experience for you and your children!

Let’s face it… We live in a throw away society, but it doesn’t have to be. Some people say they do not have time or the motivation to recycle. Even the busiest people on earth can find time to do their part for the environment and wildlife. If you are one of those people, my advice to you is to start small.

New Years Resolutions made by many of us have to do with weight, money, personal lives and family.

Why not make an Earth Day Resolution instead?

Challenge yourself to find ways to reduce waste in your household or neighborhood. There are many ways you can do this. Such as:

1. Take the extra few minutes to sort & clean your recyclables. See if your city has a recycling pick-up program. Some cities offer this service for free. If your city doesn’t have a program that picks up the recycling at your home, find a recycling center in your area and just take your recyclables in every so often. You can save A LOT of money by recycling. I have personal experience in this. Instead of needing a larger trash can or trash service, I was able to opt for a smaller container which has saved my family money. All because I take the extra time to recycle our glass, plastic and papers/boxes.

2. Get frustrated at the amount of trash blowing down your street or into your lawn? Do you exercise or want to start? Go for walks with a bag and some gloves. You can even have your children help. While getting some great exercise, you could pick up the trash on your street and recycle what you can. Put it in with your trash (You could set a limit of 1 grocery bag full of trash a week so you aren’t filling your trash totally up). I have done this before and not only does it clean your neighborhood up a bit, but it will eliminate the amount of trash that blows into your yard. You could even chat with your neighbors and organize a larger scale cleanup of your street (this could greatly help your elderly neighbors too).

3. Reuse. Use second-hand sources for clothing, items you need and more! Find a local Freecycle online at http://www.freecycle.org/ There you can find items that other people are cleaning out of their garages or houses that don’t want them to go to landfills. Some things I have seen offered: Scrap Lumber, appliances, clothing, books, furniture and even electronics.

4. Maintain your home and yard which can save you in energy costs, make your neighborhood a greener space and stop erosion. Even small repairs or changes can make a big difference. It doesn’t have to cost you big money either. Find a local on-line group, or start one on Yahoo Groups that can make a flower/plant exchange or even offer them for free. There is one in my area that constantly has people posting free flowers and plants or even seeds (If you live in West Michigan, contact me for the link).

5. Donate time to a local environmental group or items for animal rescue shelters.

6. Spay and Neuter your pets!

7. Adopt pets from your local humane society or animal shelter!

These are very simple ways to get started and do your part to keep things out of landfills when they could be reused or recycled and to help wildlife and domesticated animals thrive and find homes.

Question for all of you:
After reading this, do you plan to make an Earth Day Resolution? In what way are you going to help our planet if you have not already? Those of you already doing your part, what new things are you going to try?

Any tips for people or comments you would like to make is encouraged. Please do leave a comment!

For the future

It is up to us to help make a difference. Our children learn from us and we need to start teaching them early on why we need to recycle and use our resources carefully!