Category: Fitness, Health, Happiness

  • I’m Keepin’ It Wild with Betty White

    I’m Keepin’ It Wild with Betty White

     

    jack in the pulpit
    Arisaema triphyllum aka Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Bog onion, Brown dragon, Indian turnip, Wake robin or Wild turnip

    Wilderness is a necessity… They will see what I meant in time.

    There must be places for human beings to satisfy their souls.

    Food and drink is not all. There is the spiritual.

    In some it is only a germ, of course, but the germ will grow.

    -John Muir

     

    I just told Washington DC that  I’LL KEEP IT WILD ­ WITH BETTY!

    My Pledge:

    I pledge to “Keep it Wild” for future generations.

    Beginning right now — in the face of Congressional leaders who may be ambivalent about protecting wilderness — I will become an even stronger voice and advocate for our last great wild places with Betty White and other members of The Wilderness Society.

    I will use my influence with my friends and family to keep them aware of the damage being done to our public lands and wild places. And I will use the power of my actions with The Wilderness Society to encourage elected officials in Washington DC to introduce, sponsor or support conservation efforts that come up before Congress — to establish new parks, monuments, wilderness and heritage areas, support water supply and conservation projects and protect key rivers, and improve the management of America’s public lands.

    My individual actions, when multiplied by over 500,000 active Wilderness Society supporters, will make a difference. Together, by honoring this pledge, we can make sure that future generations can grow up in a society that protects and treasures its wilderness, wildlife and waterways.

    Sincerely,

    Robin Elton
    simplegreenorganichappy.com

    ————————————————————————————————————-

    I freaking hate the idea that we have to band together to advocate for preserving wild spaces.

    I am baffled by the idea that there are people who don’t instinctively feel that wilderness is important. That we can continue to encroach upon nature, to pollute and ruin and ravage our natural resources, without consequences for future generations.

    It makes me sick that maybe some people just don’t care. How? How do you live your life? What do you love? It’s not a rhetorical question. I just don’t understand.

    I do understand that these people exist, and that they wish I and people like me would just shut up.

    Too bad.

    ————————————————————————————————————

    Help protect our wilderness for our children, and our children’s children. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can’t make wilderness.

    I’ve never seen a redwood tree. I’ve never been in the mountains. I’ve never searched for hidden treasures in a tide pool, ridden in the Grand Canyon, or camped in the Everglades. But I want to someday.

    And even if I never make it to any of those places? It does something good for my soul just to know they exist. That if I wanted, there is a place for me to get away and stand in awe of creation and the universe.

    The pledge? The pledge is nice. I like being on the same team as Betty. I like adding my voice to the chorus, and I hope there is strength in numbers. But mostly, the pledge reminds me of my commitment, and my passion; and strengthens my resolve to keep on traveling down the road and back again.

     

    Feel the same? Sign the pledge to Keep It Wild with Betty.

     

    Betty White image via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Local Family Fun This Weekend: 5/13- 5/15

    Local Family Fun This Weekend: 5/13- 5/15

    alice in wonderland

    Adventures first… explanations take such a dreadful time.

    -Lewis Carroll
    (the Gryphon, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)

    Dover Downs is this weekend, so bear that in mind for your travels.

    I’ve been told that this listing is helpful, and while I believe a large part of living green is supporting local, I want to keep simple. green. organic. happy. accessible to everybody. Sooooo for local peeps I am resurrecting Family Fun Delaware and my boys are going to shoulder most of the burden of maintaining it. It’ll be local reviews & events, plus kid reviews of movies, books, music, games, etc; also Maverick is talking about science experiments. We’ll see how it goes. At the very least, though, it’ll feature this weekly roundup of fave family friendly events.

    I’ll link to it next Friday, and keep ya’ll updated when it goes live.

     

    Drumroll please… my top picks this weekend:

     

    ProjectMUSIC Opera! presents Through the Looking Glass, a one-act version of Alice in Wonderland

    Friday (tonight!) May 13th, 7:00pm at Loudis Hall in the University of Delaware’s Amy E. DuPont Music Building. Features University of Delaware students and fourth and fifth graders from Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Admission is free and doors open at 6:30.

    Delaware Geocaching Trail

    Starts May 13th 2011. The ultimate treasure hunt in a quest to discover Delaware— hunt for a cache using GPS technology & then continue on to discover the next treasure.

    I honestly have no clue what geocaching is all about, it sounds interesting so I’m sharing, but I’m going to have to research it more. If you’ve knowledge or experience please share your expertise in the comments!

    Cecil County GreenFest

    Saturday, May 14th 10:00am- 4:00pm rain or shine at the Cecil County Fairgrounds & Ed Walls Activity Hall. Proceeds from GreenFest will support
    the Fair Hill Nature Center’s environmental education programming. This year GreenFest is highlighting the Green and Healthy movement “from the ground up!” Exhibitors will be showcasing the latest consumer products for home and garden with interactive family-friendly exhibits and demonstrations. Learn easy ways to save energy, make your home safer, and garden without harming the environment. Activities include Exhibit Hall Scavenger Hunt, Environmental Midway games, “Minute to Win It” Games, Make & Take Green Cleaners, Soil Tunnel Exploration, Salad Tables and Boxes, Rain Barrel Conservation, Backyard Water Fountains, Hayrides to the Nature Center, Stream Critter Hunt, Bug Hunt, Nature Crafts, Create a Fairy House.

    Italian Market Festival

    May 14th & 15th 10:00am- 5:00pm rain or shine. The nation’s oldest outdoor market and Philly’s largest block party. Annual Procession of Saints, live entertainment, the first-ever half-ball tournament to benefit the Mummers Fancy Brigades, and most importantly, streets lined with food vendors, including a 100ft long stuffed sausage at Esposito’s Meats (using Grandpop Esposito’s 100yr old recipe).

    Peanut Butter and Jams welcomes Joanie Leeds

    Saturday, May 14th 11:30am (doors open at 11:00am) at the Queen in Wilmington. Kid music parents can enjoy! NYC singer/songwriter Joanie Leeds, already known for her pop/soul sound in the grownup world, is now making waves in the land of kids’ music. Currently teaching music at four Manhattan schools, Joanie uses her students as inspiration for her original songs.

    World Fair Trade Day

    Saturday, May 14th from 12:00noon- 5:00pm at Village Imports Fair Trade Store, 165 East Main Street (down Traders Alley) in Newark. There will be free Fair Trade coffee and chocolate samples and door prizes. Event is free and open to the public.

    Attracting Butterflies to your Backyard

    Saturday, May 14th at 1:00pm at Bellevue Park. May is Gardening for Wildlife Month! Learn a few easy ways to attract beautiful butterflies to your own backyard, no matter the size of the yard. You will make and bring home your very own butterfly feeder to get started. This program is appropriate for all ages. Register by calling (302) 761-6963 by 4 p.m. on Friday, May 13. Meet at the Arts Center. $6 per person.

    Leonardo da Vinci’s Workshop: Inventor, Artist, Dreamer at the Franklin Institute.

    This exhibition from Milan is in its final days (running until May 29th). Hands-on interactive models of Leonardo’s inventions and machines, as well as state-of-the-art touch screen technology that recreates da Vinci’s personal notebooks (codices). All of the models were constructed according to Leonardo’s notes, drawings and designs, and were recreated using materials and techniques that would have existed in the 15th and 16th centuries. Includes a recreation of Leonardo’s workshop.

    ————————————————————————-

    We’ve got double-header football tomorrow along with two soccer games, but I’m going to make it to the da Vinci exhibition if it kills me. I’m also sorting through the kids spring/summer clothes to see what needs buying (oh, my aching wallet).

    Whatcha doin’ this weekend? Anything fun?

    ————————————————————————-

     

  • Gardening for Bees

    Gardening for Bees

    bee on flower

    The busy bee has no time for sorrow.
    -William Blake

    According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 100 crop species supply 90 percent of the world’s food, and bees pollinate more than 70 percent of those crops.

    As global population continues to grow, more pollinating bees are needed to feed more people.

    In 2006, beekeepers began reporting widespread losses of their honeybee hives: from 30-90%. Scientists are still not certain as to the cause of this bee die-off, dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), but a report released last week by the UNEP indicates the scale is worldwide and ongoing. Until a cause and remedy for Colony Collapse Disorder is found, we need to actively work to preserve and bolster our bee populations.

     

    Fight Bee Decline with a Bee Garden

     

    Plant native flowers.

    Natives help feed your native bees; they have uniquely co-adapted over long periods of time to fit their needs. Supporting native bees acts as a “bee insurance” in the event we don’t solve the mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder soon. (If you’re in the DE/ PA/ NJ region, this is an excellent guide to our native plants.)

    Skip double flowers & hybrids.

    Doubles make it harder for bees to access the pollen; hybrids generally don’t produce much pollen for collecting. Basically, stay away from those really fancy, showy flowers.

    Allow for nesting and burrowing.

    This means leaving part of your yard uncultivated or “untidy.” If you’re not into that, maybe consider this super-pretty Bee Station.

     

    Don’t use chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

    Those aren’t good for bees, butterflies, ladybugs, or the birds & small mammals that depend on bugs for food. They’re also not great for small kids or pets, or tracking onto your carpets. Just don’t.

    Buy local honey.

    Help support local beekeepers in their bee conservation efforts. LocalHarvest has a list of honey suppliers searchable by zip code in their online store, or check your local co-op or farmer’s market. We buy from a very nice man who lives less than a mile away, and our co-op has Pine Barren wildflower honey which I just think is cool. (Possible bonus: some people say that eating local honey will help fight seasonal pollen allergies. Worth a try?)

    Make it count.

    Take part in the Great Bee Count on July 16th and help researchers determine exactly how our bee populations stand. (Plant sunflowers now so that they’ll be in full bloom at the time of the count!)

    Bee the change.

    • Ask if you can plant some bee-friendly flowers alongside local roads or on public lands to help create a network of “bee roads.”
    • When your plants go to seed in the fall, collect some and scatter them in vacant lots.
    • Seed bomb (keep it legal and NATIVE, do NOT seed bomb with non-native species).
    • Educate. Teach your kids not to be afraid of bees. Encourage your friends and neighbors to garden for bees.

    green-bee

    May is Garden for Wildlife Month! To learn more about gardening for wildlife and turning your yard into a wildlife habitat, check out this post and enter to win a copy of the National Wildlife Federation’s Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Other Backyard Wildlife.

    —————————————————————————————————————————-