Find the fun in natureAs we entertain and teach our children at home there are many fun, nature activities and experiments we can do. Encourage your kids to plant something or race around the garden looking for items for a nature scavenger hunt. Check out this cool transpiration experiment and a second one that involves […]
less and green
Caring for yourself as you care for the earth
Years ago, I went to a career talk that focused less on work goals and more on self-care.One of the exercises we did that day stuck with me. We were told to illustrate each aspect of our lives (family, fun, work, health etc) as a bucket and draw a line to show how full each […]
33 easy ways to go green in Greenville
As 2020 begins it’s impossible to ignore the impact our lifestyles and consumption as humans are having on the planet we call home. We are on track to have more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050 and global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels were on course to hit a record high […]
A guide to cloth diapers
According to the EPA, around 20 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills each year in the US alone, causing 3.5 million tons of waste. If you’re considering the switch to cloth diapers, here’s everything you need to know… Confession: I didn’t cloth diaper with my son. As a first-time mother, just keeping a small […]
How to help bees
It’s World Bee Day! Let’s take a moment to appreciate the vital role of bees and other pollinator insects for our eco-systems.Caring for bees is part of the fight against world hunger. Bees allow many plants, including food crops, to reproduce. This contributes directly to food security and preserves biodiversity. Bees are actually very gentle […]
A bad bag habit
The average American home takes home 1,500 plastic bags a year, of which only about 1% are recycled. All too often, these single-use bags end up polluting the environment and being eaten by birds, sea turtles, and fish. It harms us too when the toxins from plastic make it into the food chain. By committing to […]
Why you need your nature fix
Last year I read The Nature Fix by Florence Williams and it really resonated with me.In the book, journalist Williams talks about how nature makes us happier, healthier, and more creative. She explores – with credible science from around the world – how being outside can improve your health, prevent depression, and strengthen relationships.The need […]
Could your city save monarch butterflies?
In 2017, the Illinois nature center I work with achieved something wonderful. It teamed up with the local mayor to build a pollinator garden for insect populations and to inspire a city to help monarch butterflies. You can read about it here. In good eco news, mayors and other local and tribal government chief executives […]
Why plastic straws suck
These days I like to be the weirdo who takes her own paper straws to bars and restaurants. Plastic straws are a menace. We don’t use them at home so why do we need them when we go places? Yet 500 million straws are used and discarded every day in the US with too many […]
Are your finances fossil fuel free?
Using our hard-earned cash for good is a priority for many of us. Yet you could be worried about climate change but inadvertently funding the fossil fuel industry thanks to your bank’s business interests. Sadly, the ninth annual fossil fuel finance report card shows how big banks continue to fund the climate crisis. Many big […]