What could be better than having this summer month be dedicated to parking & recreating?  Seriously, though, it is the perfect season to get out enjoy your local parks and some recreational activities. 

National Recreation and Park Association has recognized that and is encouraging local parks and community centers to promote themselves through various programs.  This year’s theme is “Celebrate, Advocate, Recreate!”  

This association has implemented several initiatives, we have just passed National Therapeutic Recreation Week.  Therapeutic recreation helps people with illnesses and disabilities through treatment, education, and recreation services to enhance their health, to be independent and their quality of life.  It isn’t too late to celebrate for yourself!  The NRPA has given 20 ways to celebrate; here are my faves:

•  Organize an inclusive bike ride, including both hand-cycle and traditional cycles.
• Develop a raised garden in your facility.  Have community members choose items to grow. 
• Partner with community health professionals to hold a leisure education class.  
• Organize an intergenerational program for seniors and children, such as a story time, reading programs to encourage reading or other programs that might enhance academic performance.

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Every year June 5th celebrates World Environment Day.

World Enviornment Day was established in 1972 as a vehicle for the United Nations to gain awareness of world issues. Each year a different city is chosen to be host city for a region, this year, Pittsburgh, PA is the host city for North America and Rwanda is the Global Host City. 

Visit the UN’s website for more information, local ways you can participate, and tips!

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Memorial Day is a day to remember. 

While its origin is for those military veterans who have sacrificed so much for our protection, and they do deserve this day, we can also take this opportunity to remember heroes of all kinds. 

That includes your neighbor who volunteers at the local animal shelter, or the people who dedicate their vacation time to preserving our national forests, even the scientists who dedicate their careers to find ways for us to be more sustainable in our day to day practices.

This video depicts the power one person has.  They are proof we all have the potential to be a hero.  On your journey to be a hero, don’t forget to thank those who already are.

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So last night I watched the Sundance acclaimed Earth Days film by Robert Stone on PBS. 

The main point I learned was that we Green Thinkers are definitely not reinventing the wheel in the new millennium.  The thought of lowering our carbon emissions started long ago, and pesticides seems to be one key factor that clued everyone in, but “green-washing” seems to be where most efforts were lost. 

Some images that remained in my mind were that pesticides were being blown on a school playground. While kids were eating their lunches, the smog of ‘cides was amidst their table, and it didn’t seem to phase them. Pesticides is a very covered topic today through the Environmental Protection Agency.  With summer just around the corner, use this resource to find the least invasive insect repellent for your outdoor gatherings.

“Green-washing” is a term to describe an effort or a person who is standing up for environmental protection, without really believing in the cause. It can also describe a product that is trying to make claims they are using all natural products or are Eco-friendly, when in fact, their whole process is not. It is because of this lack of real commitment to the cause that so many issues have been carried over from the 1960s to present day. 

Another interesting thought that came out of this movie was the idea that the rally of the first Earth Day in 1970 got all of its participation through written letters and fliers or face to face communication.  Clearly, the communication attempts did what they were intended and did not end up in the “junk” mail pile, but what a homage to pre-Internet days!  All the teamwork and time that must have went into that campaign is unfathomable this day and age, so there is no reason we can’t rally again using all available resources!

Here are a few life-changing books that were featured in the documentary, feel free to pick them up at your local library for a little enviornmental history lesson!

Silence of Spring by Rachel Carson

This book inspired the nation about the impact of pesticides, pollution, and the preservation of our environment.  Ms. Carson was given quote a bit of grief for speaking her voice, but it worked!

The Population Bomb by Dr. Paul Erlich

This book warned about overpopulation of the planet and how that would effect our resources and food.  While his exact predictions from 1968 haven’t come to fruition, the basic principles are still very relevant for today.

Whole Earth Catalog by Stewart Brand

This catalog listed products for the then-modern hippie. Everything from organic growing supplies to solar powered inventions was listed.   Prior to the catalog, Brand also inquired to the world through a button, Why haven’t we seen a photograph of the whole earth yet?  This button invoked the Nasa photo to help all mankind gauge what we were destroying – completely revolutionary.

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April 11th Facebook premiered the PBS “Earth Days” movie, an entire week before the formal preview. 

I have made arrangements to watch this movie during its television premiere, April 19th (tomorrow) at 9:00pm on where else, than PBS, and you should too!

This documentary investigates environmentalism from the first scientific experiements in the 1950s for environmental inmpacts, to the 1960s where a particular book brought the attention of the dwindling bird population, to the 1970s, the time of the environmental revolution and Earth Day’s inception. 

Check out the Earth Days Movie trailer here!

Not sure what channel PBS is on in your area?  They will help you find out, just enter your zip code. PBS is also going to ask viewers to participate in a twitter conversation during the show.

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This post is asking for your patience and dedication to assisting our fellow man who may not be as green as we.

I realized yesterday that is it very apparent that some people just have no clue about eco-friendly practices, usually for the plain fact they haven’t stepped into the 21st century.

For example, I had to take a phone message on a carbon paper pad yesterday.  I know right?  But, I later discovered it was only because it never occured to the person I took the message for that there was another way to communicate that without wasting the paper or polluting with the carbon copy, or having to eventually dispose of the spiral ring holding the pad together…So a message later in the day, was emailed.  Guess what?! It worked!  The message was delivered in a timely manner (quicker than a piece of paper on a desk) and there was no waste involved.

Sometimes it simply takes mentioning doing something a little different for the rays of enlightenment to reach someone.

So I ask you, be patient with those who may not know.  Help them by telling them.

Have a great day!

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I have recently signed up with a Health Counselor. 

What is a health counselor you ask?  Well, I will tell you.  A health counselor is a holistic health practicioner who focuses to align all areas of nutrition, soul nourishment, relationships, (the list could go on) in order to keep one healthy mentally and physically.  

I have had three sessions thus far, and I can’t tell you how beneficial it has been!  In each session I am given something that helps relate to our “lesson.”  Tonight, we touched on self-love and the idea of spoiling yourself here and there. 

My treat:  a Green & Black’s organic chocolate bar.

If you have ever seen Charlie & the Chocolate Factory  you have probably wished you could open the bar to find a golden ticket.  Tonight, I tasted it.

Inside the wrapper of the most delectable, delightful, melt-in-your mouth, 70% dark chocolate bar is the philosophy of Green & Black’s Organic.

To sum it up, “As chocolate as humanly possible.”  The company ensures their ingredients are grown by sustainable farmers in the shade under the indigenous rainforest trees of Belize and the Dominican Republic.  Imagine that, NOT tearing down the rainforest for a cocoa bean crop. 

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Bar

Check out more on Green & Black’s Organic here. 

They even share some recipes!

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We at GTB think every day should be celebrated as Earth Day.  However, there is in fact one specific day dedicated to this fabulous planet we live on, April 22.  That is right!  This Wednesday!

We just got word that one of our posts, “Activism via Walks,” was a featured writing for All Thing Eco Blog Carnival Volume 46!  What a great way to start out the week.  The Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis walk is May 16th, the day after Bike to Work Day May 15th.  I will for sure be working my buns off!

Back to Earth Day.  Is your community doing anything special to honor this day?   Have you come up with a special activity to teach your kids, or yourself about what you can do a little different each day to contribute to eco-consciousness?  If so, we wanna know!

At my day job, I am lucky enough to be part of the “Green Committee.”  We have several projects going on this week to notify our 800+ associates about earth day & what each department currently does to promote eco-friendliness in their own way. 

One of these projects was to make a video of each member demonstrating their department’s best practice.  Our hope is that other departments will be able to learn something new & take something back to expand on in their own department. For example, one of our kitchens is very  conscious about bringing food out of the freezer a couple of days in advance to thaw, vs. running (and wasting) hot water at a moment’s notice.  Another department has been able to take all paper that has been printed on only one side, otherwise thrown away, and make it into scratch pads for daily notes & phone messages.  Not only am I completely impressed with all these innovative ideas – but I am inspired to think of more!

We have also put in place a scavenger hunt to involve the employees  “hands-on.”  The scavenger hunt includes calling a phone extension to hear the history of earth day to answer two questions and to state where our company’s environmental policy is posted so that they are aware we have one in place.  The prize, a gently used, donated coffee mug filled with dirt & seeds for their very own, one of a kind, recycled plant.  This way, if they garden like I do, they have a mug to save a styrofoam cup.

Do you know why Earth Day started? When? Who did it? Well…I could write it all out here, but why not visit a website dedicated to the day all the time? Earth Day Network has the history of earth day & plenty of other resources to get you on the bandwagon!

In fact, don’t let this picture represent you

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My spring break days have long been over, but I still long for a few days off here & there.  I am sure you can relate.  Who doesn’t dream of a vacation the closer it gets to summer, or yearn to be outdoors for a few hours each day?

This year, think ahead in planning your vacation and it could pay off.  Have you ever considered taking a vacation where you can actually do good? It is true!  Instead of going to the new American Idol experience at Walt Disney World, you could do anything from restoring coral reefs and saving sea turtles and their habitats to organic farming, hiking trail preservation, or saving rhinos and manatees. 

There are several resources out there, but here are a few I found:

Charity Guide:  Provides several topics of interest to travellers and a variety of organizations that accompany those interests.  Want to help poverty-stricken communities?  Click on Poverty & you could be helping build schools in Belize through ProWorld , Honduras through Global Volunteer Network, or Vietnam through GlobeAware. 

American Hiking Society: Remember the American Hiking Society from our recent posts about Hike the Hills Trail Advocacy Week?  They too sponsor volunteer vacations to for trail preservation.  If you register before February 28th you can save $25 on your registration.  Click here for a list of locations & awesome travel destinations.

Are you worried you are too old for this?  or too young?

Transitions Abroad offers senior friendly volunteer vacations abroad helping out various communities.

If you are feeling young, skip the dead-end beach parties in Cancun make a difference on an Alternative Spring Break!  Check out Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, and BreakAway for more information about who & where you can help!

These vacations can range from $50 – $3,000, depending on your sponsor &  where you go.  Often times they are tax deductible.  A Volunteer Vacation is a guaranteed help to the Earth and community and vacations are always fun!

Have you been on a Volunteer Vacation? Are you planning one? We want to hear about it! and feature your story on GTB.  Please leave a comment to send us your experience.

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GreenThinkingBlog has a new friend!  Check out Mestew.com.  I am bias because I love their writers, but seriously, this blog is an excellent outlet for peoples’ opinions on any issue.

You may ask, how is this green?  Well, I ask you, what is peace?  Non-exisistent – but, if everyone were able to share their opinion, and have that opinion heard in a venue that would allow for reflection and understanding versus retaliation, it could make quite the difference.  

Having an opinion is a freedom that we often take for granted.  Freedoms of this form can sometimes disrupt the peace if it doesn’t agree with another.  I say, if you know what someone else’s opinion is, you understand a little more about them & a cultural revolution is born.  Of course, don’t give up your own opinion, hold on to it tight, but know that everyone has their own…like an a**, you know the rest…

Just after we were featured on Mestew, posts appeared stating a disbelief or negative viewpoint on “green” living.  Frankly, I am thankful for those the most.  These opinions have given me insight and provided a challenge to convince them it is extremely important for our health, our planet, and our relationships to practice a greener way of life. 

To our normal audience, there is no convincing to do, but we will always welcome a friendly reminder that you don’t have to be a hippie, a vegan, or an orthodox practioner to be considered green – you just have to make an effort to be mindful of what you do affects everyone and everything in the world around us and for generations to come. 

Thank you Mestew for your support, we can’t wait to see what other opinions are “Served up hot!” YEAH for friends!

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