As a mom, of course I'm proud of my children, but I love those little sparkling moments when I'm also genuinely surprised by their thoughtful words and actions. Yesterday, I experienced one of those moments, when my nine-year-old son said, rather out of the blue, "Memorial Day is not about the 50% off sales." While I'd like to think that our current non-consumerist mindset is really rubbing off on him, I have to give credit to one of his teachers, Bella Levkovich. Before school let out for the Memorial Day break, she discussed with the students the true meaning of Memorial Day and how people in some other countries literally come to a standstill for a few minutes. To pay tribute, to be mindful, to remember, to be thankful for all that we have today, to memorialize those who are no longer among us...
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2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photo and
text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
Isn't it funny how much children love dandelions? They can spend a whole afternoon blowing the seeds off into the wind, making wishes and chasing after them. For many adults, though, dandelions are The Enemy of The Perfect Lawn, and that enemy must be stopped with weed-killers. However, in our efforts to have the greenest, weed-free lawns possible, we're also releasing poisonous chemicals into the air we breathe and the water we drink. Chemicals that have already been banned in Canada and Europe because they can lead to various forms of cancer, birth defects, liver damage, kidney damage and more. There are very sobering reasons why you, your children, and your pets are not supposed to set foot on lawns with the little signs warning you they've been sprayed. The problem is that the signs warn you to stay off the lawn for 48 hours, but you are far from "in the clear" after that time period is up.
Years ago, I watched environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on TV, talking about how we all live in a closed system--how you can't just wash things down the drain and expect them to magically disappear. As Kennedy explained, if you spray chemicals on your lawn, the rain washes them into the gutters, which carries them to your local drinking water system, and guess what? Those poisons come right back to you when you turn on your tap. Every year, my town issues the required report from the EPA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection on our drinking water, and I'm always shocked by the allowable percentages of chemicals in our tap water.
I
recently interviewed Dr. Claire Gervais, Associate Professor at the
Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of
Medicine and
Public Health. Dr. Gervais co-founded the Healthy Lawn Team
in Madison, a group of
concerned citizens out to spread the word about the harmfulness of
lawn chemicals. Said Dr. Gervais, "When I was pregnant with my second child,
I couldn't help but notice
the lawn care pesticide signs that were up at the family practice
clinic, where I was getting my prenatal care. I had read about endocrine
disruptors in Theo Colborn's book,
Our Stolen Future, and was acutely aware of the contradiction between
our health care organization's mission to do no harm and the business mission to attract patients by having a weed-free lawn."
When I asked Dr. Gervais what surprised her most in her research, she replied, "First, that cumulative exposures of
very small amounts of herbicides over time increases the risk of cancers
and other diseases, therefore contradicting the theory that the dose
makes the poison. Secondly, there is no regulation for mixtures of
pesticides that have several
herbicides mixed together, increasing the efficacy and toxicity by as
much as 1000-fold!" Dr. Gervais recommends Environmental Health Perspectives and Beyond Pesticides for further reading on the web; at the latter I found this eye-opening fact: "Of the 30 most common
lawn pesticides, 17 are detected in groundwater, 23 have the ability
to leach into drinking water sources, 24 are toxic to fish and other aquatic
organisms vital to our ecosystem, 11 are toxic to bees, and 16 are toxic
to birds."
Anthony Pascale, President of Natural Turf, a green lawn care company serving Northern New Jersey since 2001 (we've been customers for the past seven years) said, "So many people aren't aware that walking barefoot on a chemically-treated lawn means they're absorbing those toxins through their feet. Even if you wear shoes, those toxins are brought indoors and then are
deposited in your carpet or rugs." Pascale told me that when breastfeeding mothers come into contact with these chemicals, the chemicals can end up in their breast milk. He also added, "Children are four to six times more likely to get leukemia after being overexposed to lawn chemicals (from Beyond Pesticides: Children and Pesticides Don't Mix). Every other country in the world has banned these chemicals. Even Kuwait banned them in 1984."
It's easy to prevent these toxins from entering your home: Stop spraying your lawn with them. Just google "safe lawn care" or "green lawn companies" in your area--you have more options than you might think. And by the way, if you need any proof that chemical-free lawn care works, that's our 100% organic lawn pictured below. Green and clean!
How do you keep your lawn and garden green? (No lawn? Please pass on the safety risks to your suburban friends!)
UPDATE: After I posted, Natural Turf sent me a kind thank-you for highlighting this important health issue. They are offering Joyfully Green readers in Northern New Jersey $25 off their first service. If you're ready to ditch the chemicals and go organic (do you really need further convincing?), follow this link and enter "JOYGREEN" in the Promo Code box. Offer expires 8/31/13. Disclosure: No money was received for this promotion. As I've been a long-time, satisfied customer and am fully committed to organic lawn care, I agreed to post their offer.
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text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
Most of us will never have the
opportunity to travel to Antarctica, although we are seeing more and
more images of it with the urgent message of climate change. I was happy to make the acquaintance--across the blogosphere--of photographer Tatiana Botton (raised in Barcelona, now based in Los Angeles and Maui, with work that has appeared in Vogue and GQ, among other international publications), who traveled to Antarctica on a photographic expedition. Tatiana was kind enough to grant me an exclusive interview about her amazing experience there and to share some images with us here at Joyfully Green.
Tatiana, what
was your personal inspiration for making the trip to Antarctica?
A
few years back, my partner and I were watching the news and saw a boat
with passengers being rescued off the coast of Antarctica by the National
Geographic Expedition boat. Instead of being freaked out by what we saw,
we were actually inspired to go there! Once we had decided to organize
the trip, it is quite a long process, as you are planning a year in
advance. This gave us plenty of time to plan, and for me to make this a
photo expedition.
Can you tell me about the logisitcs
of getting to and staying in Antarctica?
So we planned about a
year in advance and decided to use the National Geographic Expedition
boat. That selection was based on what the boat had to offer--not in
amenities but in scientists on board. We departed out of Santiago de
Chile and took a chartered flight to Ushuaia, Argentina. We were able to
spend the day visiting Ushuaia prior to boarding. Once we boarded, the
journey began. We had to cross the Drake Passage. This is the roughest
sea in the world! It is a body of water located between the Southern tip of South America at Cape Horn and the South Shetland Island of
Antarctica. The passage can take anywhere from 48 hours to over 72 hours, depending on if you get the "Drake Lake" or the "Drake Quake." Well, they said we got the
"Drake Lake" on our way down there, but I can assure you that the next
morning, the dining room was pretty empty! Everyone stayed inside and hoped
for the best, with the help of Dramamine, ginger, or any other natural remedy
you could find. Once we got to the Antarctic Peninsula, things were a lot
calmer. We spent about 12 days total on the boat, including the passage
there and back.
What was the temperature range while
you were there, and what were you told to bring to be ready for it?
The temperatures were very frigid. National Geographic
provides a list of required items to wear and bring for the trip, like
special arctic boots, waterproof pants, under layers, and so on. My partner and I
were some of the few to bring ski goggles--they came very much in handy for
hanging out on the deck of the boat while moving and being hit by a
full snow blizzard!
How close could you get to
the penguins to photograph them?
We
were able to get respectfully close to them. You do not want to disturb
their habits and routine, but you can place yourself close enough to
photograph them and allow them to come to you if they are interested. We
were able to see a variety of different penguins in their natural
habitat. Our trip was in the beginning of the season, so the snow around
the penguins was still very white. We have been told that a later trip
would not be as pleasant--there would be a lot of very fishy, smelly, red
snow around them--as the penguins eat krill and they are not very clean! But our experience was fantastic. I have included here some of the
penguins shots I took where I try to give the penguins some human
personality.
You have an interesting photograph called "Taking Control" in which the
penguins are marching up the hill where humans have set up some sort of
operation. What business is happening at this location?
This is an old Argentinian
abandoned base in Antarctica. As you can see in the image, the Argentinian
Flag is on the left side of the image. This was very interesting to me, as we
are talking about the Antarctic Peninsula, so there is actually soil under
the ice! The coloring for this image is completely different than the
usual Antarctica or blue iceberg images. I was very pleased to see Nature
taking things back. It is a very warm image and the penguins feel right at home.
What sort
of sounds do you hear in Antarctica? The way you have photographed the
icebergs, it seems like it would be either eerily silent or a
mysterious, chilling wind would be howling.
Yes, there is a sound while traveling through Antarctica. First when
you are on the boat, there is for sure the sound of the wind and the
large snowflakes falling. Then there is the sound of the ice when
travelling through passages where the ice is still thick and not melted.
Then, when you do go on land, usually there are penguins, so it can be
quite noisy!
I noticed
that for one of your gallery showings, you donated the proceeds to
"non-profit nature organizations." Which nature organizations do you
personally support and why?
I
think it is important to get involved. Locally, I like to donate proceeds
from sales to Heal the Bay. Cleaning our local ocean is very necessary
and Heal the Bay also provides a good deal of ocean education to local schools. I
am also active in the The Nature Conservancy in trying to protect our
parks. Lastly, the World Wildlife Fund--I have been a supporter
since childhood and I continue to donate to their efforts to protect
endangered animals around the world.
Your icebergs
reminded me of rare jewels. But sometimes they seemed like portraits of
lonely, regal, elderly people with many wrinkles. I can see how you have a
history with portrait photography! What is your own artistic
impression of the icebergs?
This
is an interesting commentary people have been doing with the icebergs.
It has come to my attention and I now call them the "Portraits of
Icebergs." Each one seems to have an identity and people are attracted
to them depending on what they represent: contentment, danger, sexiness,
old age. I was just trying to show what was in front of me and while
processing the work--it took me more than 6 months--they just appeared in
front of me. There is very little retouching in my work and there is
absolutely no cropping. This is how I shot them. I was given the
opportunity to show the work for the first time at a solo show in Santa
Monica, California, and since then, there has been a lot of interest in them.
I loved what you said in your biography of unstable ice sculptures and
moving sand dunes: "They are here now, always changing, like the
continuous passage of time and our human influence on nature." Do you
think you'll ever go back to these places (desert or polar regions) in
the future to see how they have changed with time since you last saw
them? For me, they are magical. This is
what attracted me the most to the trip to Antarctica. I would go again
and will never be able to shoot the same iceberg ever. This is a direct
representation of the passage of time. Same thing with the sand dunes I
shot in the Namibian Desert. These are two places in the world I need to
go back to. Though the Drake Passage to get to Antarctica really makes
be doubt I will do it again!
What's next for you to photograph? Any travel planned?
Well,
I have a few "secret" projects planned! They are secret because I am
not sure when I will be able to do them, but I can assure you there will
be a bit more ice involved in them. I am looking for representation in
New York, and in the meantime, I am busy promoting other artists as I have
created an event: WOMEN MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND, where we showcase women
artists based in Los Angeles with a fun, multi-art event twice a year. I
am also about to open a small gallery in Paia, Maui, where I spend part
of the year.
Tatiana, I just want to say that I've really enjoyed studying your mesmerizing
photographs--they are so beautiful and evocative. Thank you for the
privilege of interviewing you and sharing your work with
the readers of Joyfully Green!
Please show your appreciation to Tatiana for giving her time so thoughtfully to this exclusive interview--kindly leave a comment for her below, and also share her interview on Facebook and beyond. Also, I'd love to hear from readers with recommendations for other nature photographers and artists to interview for Joyfully Green.
To see more of Tatiana Botton's extraordinary work (available for purchase), please visit www.tatianabotton.com
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you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe to this blog via RSS reader (bottom of right column) or email (under "Categories").
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2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Photographs within this post are exclusively the property of Tatiana Botton; please contact the photographer at her website above for permission to use or reproduce her work in any way. This site licensed by Creative Commons.
This morning--sunny outside but hazy in my brain, which even the mighty powers of caffeine could not clear up--I just could not write. It wasn't that I was at a loss for ideas; it was exactly the opposite. All kinds of ideas were begging for my attention, sort of like when each of your family members has something "very important" to tell you ("I just drew a mouse!"; "Evan threw up during class today!"; "I can't find the receipt for the underpants!"), but they're all within inches of your face and telling you at once.
Then, just by chance, I gazed out the window and saw the weeds. They were calling to me, too. So, out I went, Delilah (darling dog) trotting along behind me. I fetched my gardening gloves and a big bucket, and I began to yank out the weeds. Almost instantly, my mind began to clear, and I knew exactly what to write about today: Pulling up the weeds. Because when you're mentally stuck, sometimes the best therapy is to go outside and do something that's simultaneously productive and mindless.
Before long, my bucket was full. Delilah was blissed-out in the grass after running high-speed laps around the yard. I was happy to have aerated my brain. As we headed back inside together, we were refreshed and ready to face the day.
Have you ever found that gardening heals your state of mind? What other outdoor activities help you with "mental weeding"?
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2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photo and
text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
On principle alone, let me say that I have never watched (nor will I ever watch) "Jersey Shore" or "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." I like to think that I have a good sense of humor, but when it comes to New Jersey, I just can't join the pile-up. Even before Joe Piscopo made it a running joke years ago on SNL, New Jersey has been the punchline of countless jokes, and at the risk of sounding overly defensive, I'm here to tell you that after living here for nearly seven years, New Jersey's bad rap is largely undeserved.
I've spent more years of my life in Connecticut, New York (the long-time "enemy" of New Jersey), and Pennsylvania (like any other state, they all have their good and bad points), but as it looks like I'm here to stay, I'm going to defend my adopted home state. Every state has its negative stereotype, and yes, there may be slivers of truth in them. However, here are 10 things about New Jersey to celebrate:
1. Farms like Sun High Orchards. We live within 15 minutes of (at least) five really wonderful farms that spare us the generic blandness of supermarkets.
3. We get all four seasons distinctly, in pretty equal measure. Not too hot in spring, not too cold in fall, and the quiet beauty of snow when it's supposed to snow (for the most part).
6. Meryl
Streep (Summit and Bernardsville), Anne Hathaway (Millburn), and Jack
Nicholson (Neptune City and Spring Lake) all grew up here. Snooki did not.
7. Quaint towns with smart, un-Snooki-ish people, like Princeton, Mendham, and Chester.
8. Summertime means the very fattest blueberries, juiciest peaches, and super-sweet corn, grown at the local farms I mentioned in point #1.
9. Coming across deer, sheep, horses, goats, wild turkeys, pheasants, cows, llamas, and more wildlife than you can shake a stick at is a routine occurrence--as is going to a bustling town like Montclair or Morristown.
10. That's my back yard in the opening shot. Although I loved many things about my 11 years in New York City, having no yard and waking up to barred gates on my windows weren't two of them. So yes, I'm very grateful to have a beautiful, spacious yard with this view.
New Jersey pleasantly surprises me almost every day with its grace and beauty, and on that note, I just joined Pinterest last night, so I can continue to share images of "The Real New Jersey." To join me on Pinterest, click here. If the link doesn't work for you, you can search Pinterest for "JoyfullyGreener." (Joyfully Green was already taken...grrrr...) As a Pinterest newbie, I'm on a steep learning curve, but I hope to add my very favorite nature images there and I hope you'll join me. (And see links below for Facebook and Twitter. I'm all over the place, it seems!)
What do you really love about your home state? Is there something special about it that is not widely known? What about your state's stereotypes--are they true or false? Please share in the comments section. (Especially you, New Jerseyans!)
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2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photos and
text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
Although my little Italian grandmother died decades ago when I was fourteen, I still remember her vividly: always scurrying about, cleaning every nook and cranny, with the scent of chlorine bleach wafting along behind her. (To this day, whenever I'm near a swimming pool, I think of her.) And whenever I find myself scrubbing away in my house (a lot lately, due to Spring Cleaning Fever), she comes to mind.
Since you're reading a green blog right now, you've probably guessed that I try to choose household cleaners that are the most environmentally responsible, but because I'm asthmatic, I also choose ones that are sensitive to people with respiratory issues (i.e., no bleach--sorry, Grandma). These ten products fit the bill:
1) Apple cider vinegar. Great for disinfecting stainless steel sinks and kids' thermoses (with those pesky straws and caps). Until recently, I used distilled white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar smells so much better. (My long-time friend Alex gave me the tip for soaking thermoses in a vinegar/water solution--thanks, A the K!)
2) Baking soda. Mix it with water for mildly abrasive cleaning (for example, on stovetops and teakettles that have built-up grease).
3) Microfiber cloths(or even regular facecloths, in a pinch) for dusting. No extra products needed--most of them just add waxy build-up to your furniture. The cloths are also absorbent and can scrub, so they can really cut down on your paper towel consumption.
4) Murphy's Oil Soap. For cleaning wooden kitchen tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture that have food or grit on them, not just dust.
5) Seventh Generation Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner (Lemongrass Citrus Scent). Spray it on, let it sit, wipe it away later. Doesn't smell like heavy chemicals--just fresh and clean.
8) Citrus Magic Veggie Wash. Not technically a house cleaner, but essential in our home for removing dirt, waxes, and pesticides from any produce. (Yes, we try to buy organic whenever possible.) Unlike other produce sprays, we can't taste it, and that's crucial.
9) Natural Choices Orange 100 Cleaner/Degreaser. Best counter cleaner ever--smells amazing and lasts for ages because you add just a splash of it to your own spray bottle filled with water.
10) ECOS Magnolia & Lily Laundry Detergent. This is expensive, so we don't buy it all the time, but it's my favorite scent for a laundry detergent and works great to freshen up clothes.
And one more of my favorite green cleaning methods:
Open all of the windows in the house regularly for cross-ventilation. How free and easy is that? No room sprays necessary, and now that it's spring, the fresh air is blossom-scented!
What earth-friendly cleaning products and methods do you usein your home? Please share in the comments section.
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2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photos and
text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
Three weekends ago, to officially kick off the spring cleaning season, we had a multi-house yard sale with two of our neighbors. Whenever friends hear that we had a yard sale, the first thing all of them invariably ask is, "Did you make a lot of money?" Frankly, they're missing the point. It wasn't a get-rich-quick scheme; it was a get-rid-of-the-clutter plan (and an environmentally responsible plan, instead of sending the stuff to a landfill, which is my big pet peeve). Guess what? The plan worked. (But yes, we made a good chunk of change, especially considering that we were selling things we didn't want, use, or need anymore.) Even better, we learned some valuable lessons:
Just let it go already. I'm all for clearing out and cleaning up, but letting go of some things was harder than others. In particular, I had to part with the crib both of my babies (now 9 and almost 6) had taken their turns sleeping in. I'm already at the point where I can pass on their baby clothes to Goodwill or a consignment shop without dissolving into tears (that's a future post), but the crib? That was HARD. In fact, even though nobody had slept in the crib for years, I'd been using it in our guestroom to store extra blankets, just so I wouldn't have to part with it. (See below--this is not what a crib is intended for.)
So,
yes, I let it go (sniffle, sniff...). I will admit that the guestroom
looks a lot more welcoming now, with a bistro table and a couple of
chairs in place of the crib. (No, I didn't buy those items--they were hold-outs from one of my old apartments, just sitting in our basement until the yard sale weekend.)
"The Thing is not the Person." This lesson comes courtesy of the organizing genius Peter Walsh, from his old days on the TLC show "Clean Sweep." When he told his clients, "The Thing is NOT the Person", he meant "take a long, hard look at the sentimental thing you won't part with, and decide if you really need it to remind you of the person. Also, if you really, truly value something that reminds you of someone, its place is not in the attic, the basement, or the back of a closet. If you can't use it, can't frame or display it, or can't otherwise pay worthy tribute to it, let it go to somebody who actually will use it and appreciate it on a daily basis." Chances are pretty good that you have other, much better ways of remembering the person, such as photos, which brings me to the next point...
Take a picture of it. Especially in the digital age, a photo takes up virtually no space, so you can still gaze at the thing you got rid of and sigh dramatically at it.
Get the kids on-board. At first, our children were a bit skeptical about thinning out their toy collections, so we had to resort to offering them one special new toy each if they would part with all of the toys they'd outgrown (which was A LOT). However, they're at the stage now when they want to be viewed as "big kids", so getting rid of "baby stuff" turned out to be easier for them than for us. A couple of weeks before the sale, we gave them an empty box for yard sale items, and we were surprised at how quickly they filled it up.
One sticking point was that my daughter didn't want to part with her teddy bear toddler bed, because she "wanted to save it for her own kids someday." She was in tears about it, so I told her she could keep it. (I may be on a minimalism jag, but I do have a heart.) She soon realized, all on her own, that the bed was just gathering cobwebs in the basement (and she does NOT like spiders). It gave her comfort to think the bed would go to a good home with a child who would sleep in it again.
Never underestimate the power of "free"-dom. We had a whole table of stuff with a big "FREE" sign on it, and it was the most popular spot at the sale. If people weren't going to buy anything, at least they were still going to take something away with them. Good items for a "free" table: cheap party favors and prizes, plastic toys of poor quality, and items a bit too worn-out to sell. I even put out a few products that I used once and didn't like (hair products, household cleaners), and they disappeared in a flash.
Don't let anything back into the house. If somebody is interested in something, he or she might be the only one who will be interested in it. Strike a fair deal and let it go. Anything you can't sell, donate.
Enjoy the fringe benefits. Aside from earning a little cash and a lot of space, our whole family was outdoors for an entire weekend, enjoying fresh air and sunshine. All of the kids from each of the three participating households were running from yard to yard, thoroughly happy and engaged with each other. As for us parents, we enjoyed a few cold beers together afterwards and some "decompression therapy."
Relish the new space. I'm not talking about NASA here. Once you get rid of stuff, don't fill the space back up. Let it breathe. Our basement and garage have never been cleaner. Ever. It's mentally and physically liberating. And that leads me to my last point--something I'm always telling my children when they ask me, yet again, "Mommy, whyyyyyyyy do we need to clean up?"
"Clean House, Clear Mind." Enough said.
When you see a yard sale, do you stop to shop or keep on driving? Have you ever had a yard sale of your own? If so, what did you learn from it?
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2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photos and
text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
In our front yard, there's a pear tree that has battled through harsh Northeastern winters, a hurricane that uprooted mighty oaks like a giant pulling up dandelions, an October snowstorm that felled its leaf-laden branches, and even the freakish loss of one of its longest limbs on a perfectly windless summer day. From time to time, landscapers or a tree removal company will see us out in the yard and stop their truck to ask if we'd like them to take down the tree. We always answer, "No, thanks." This beleaguered tree is positively inspiring. Fragile and vulnerable, yet strong and resilient. Right now, it looks like a big, lopsided Valentine.
Because I lived for many years in Manhattan, from time to time, my path would cross with a movie star or world-famous model. I still remember briefly meeting Paulina Porizkova at a department store appearance when she was the spokesmodel for Estee Lauder, at the height of her career, and thinking she was like an alien from a distant planet--stunningly beautiful beyond description, in a way not quite real. As she was representing a major cosmetics company, of course she was in full make-up, but I'm sure she would have been just as beautiful, if not more so, without the "mask." I see photos of her now, at age 48, and find her beautiful in an entirely different way. Not alien, but of this earth.
It's funny how we say we like things to be "100% natural", but then we bristle if they're not "perfect." People often like their trees shaped like gigantic lollipops, their lawns a uniform green, and their gardens meticulously manicured. My dentist was complaining to me recently that too many of his patients want their teeth to look like perfect picket fences, and how he has to convince them to go for a more natural look. "Natural" comes from "nature", of course, and nature is not perfect--yet it's beautiful nonetheless.
At this very moment, I can hear the loud buzzing of industrial-strength
saws mowing down other trees in the neighborhood--still cleaning up from a hurricane seven months ago--and I'm gazing out the window at our
pear tree. It's standing tall in the sunlight, in full, glorious bloom.
Do you find yourself striving for perfection or are you able to embrace how things really are? Do you routinely look for beauty in the everyday world? What's the last beautiful, 100-percent natural thing you remember seeing? Please share!
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2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photos and
text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
While Earth Day 2013 has come and gone, I'm one of those people who believes that every day should be Earth Day. In the true spirit of being greener every day, here is a post about greening my children's school, and how you can green your school, too. In fact, many of the suggestions are also applicable to offices.
About three years ago, a casual dinner out with my good friends, Mike and Brenda, changed the whole direction of my life. We were discussing juice boxes, which might not seem very life-changing! But here was the point: Our children go to a small school with under 300 students, yet just one
child whose parent packs a juice box every day for school throws
out approximately 175 juice boxes in one school year. So in our own small
school, we were getting into the thousands for juice boxes thrown out by
our kindergarten class alone. And that's just in one school year! Juice boxes take hundreds of years to disintegrate (if ever), so for one little box that
gets a couple of sips and squirts, it has a disproportionately long life on earth. Why couldn't our school be more environmentally responsible and encourage the use of thermoses and reusable water bottles instead? Turns out that we could do it--and much, much more.
Brenda encouraged me to start a "green team" at the school, and she offered to assist. (She and Mike both joined the team.) While she was enlisting members, I was researching the best ways to green our school, and came upon the enormously helpful templates at Green Schools Initiative. Before long, I was meeting with the school
administrators, all of whom were incredibly supportive and enthusiastic
about greening the school to a much larger extent. We had the momentum of a snowball rolling down a hill, and within a year, we became the first school in New Jersey to be named to the Green Schools Honor Roll. How did we do that? Here are just some of our initiatives:
We instituted a comprehensive recycling
program at our school, with separate bins in each classroom for
mixed paper and garbage, as well as bottle/can recycling in the cafeteria and staff rooms.
We further reduced waste by ordering biodegradable, compostable cups,
plates, trays, and utensils (all plant-based) from World Centric for school lunches that are
delivered to the classrooms of the younger students.
The school uses non-disposable plates, glasses, and utensils for the older students'
lunches in the cafeteria and washes those items in an energy-efficient dishwasher.
We purchased an industrial-sized composter for kitchen and cafeteria food scraps.
No styrofoam cups or plates are allowed at any school events.
The school has a greenhouse and the science teachers incorporate hands-on growing lessons.
The school increased its paperless communications, favoring
emails and encouraging visits to the school website for parent
information.
We held a year-long crayon recycling program that encouraged students to donate their old, broken crayons to a local business that melts them down and reuses them.
For the educational component of greening the school, we brought in
outside experts to present musical shows for the younger
students and interactive discussions for the older students.
We set up a "No Idling Zone" at the pick-up line--especially important because it's right next to our playground and we didn't want our little ones breathing in noxious fumes from tailpipes.
We use green cleaners to avoid toxicity issues and provide cleaner air.
We have annual banner or poster contests for the students to celebrate Earth Day, with eco-themed prizes, such as Earthopoly games.
Our green team fundraisers encourage even less waste at lunchtimes. Currently, we're working with Snackaby reusable sandwich and snack pouches.
How can you incorporate a similar program at your school (or office)? Outline
your agenda and take it in small steps, with the awareness that it may not be
easy or even possible to have 100% enthusiasm or compliance. However, each change you can make is important and builds on itself. The easiest things to accomplish are the ones
that are free (like setting up No Idling Zones). The second easiest are the ones that save money as well as resources in the not-so-long run (like using paperless communications and energy-efficient bulbs). Also, anything that decreases health hazards or increases safety measures for children and staff is hard to argue with (green cleaners, No Idling Zones).
So,
how did the juice box conversation change my life? I've been chairing
our school's green team for three years running. I was elected to the
Board of Trustees at the school as a result of my green team involvement. I've met many like-minded friends along the way. And
you're reading an environmental blog right now that has its roots in
that dinner conversation. So thank you, Mike and Brenda, for urging me
to begin the journey, and thank you, Hebrew Academy of Morris County,
for always rising to the many challenges of greening our school.
Is your school or office a green facility? In what ways? If it's not, why not? Please share in the Comments section.
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2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photos and
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Here is my confession of the day: I am an absolutely terrible relaxer. It takes me a good two days into any vacation to really disconnect and unwind, and even then, it can be sketchy at best. This is entirely my fault--saying "yes" to far too many commitments, and being mad at myself later for over-committing. If I'm being honest about it, I accepted too many responsibilities this year because I felt flattered to be asked. So when a friend sent me an op-ed piece in The New York Times by the brilliant and hilarious Tim Kreider called The Busy Trap, I had to answer: "Guilty as charged." (Really, it's essential reading--especially for any of you who think you are waaaaay too busy to read it.)
Perhaps
because I lived in Manhattan for eleven years, I'm still a very fast
walker--I remember thinking on more than one occasion during my New York days that it was impossible to stop and admire the clouds because I
most certainly would be mowed down by other pedestrians hurrying on
their way to something "much more important to do." I quickly became one of them, and there's a big part of me that still feels like a New Yorker rushing from one thing to another.
Technology in the 21st century has made it possible to do many things at once (even the AT&T guy and those cute little kids are touting the benefits of doing two things at once), but why exactly is this desirable? I think we can all tell from a distance which drivers are also texting. Why has it become our collective goal to NOT focus on doing one thing at a time really well? All of this technological multi-tasking is purportedly to make our lives easier, but actually, it can have the exact opposite effect. We pile on the tasks, and simplicity goes out the window.
Of course, since this is essentially a nature blog, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the obvious: All of this technological multi-tasking chips away at any chance of immersing ourselves in the peacefulness of the outdoors. Sure, we can check our iPhone while reclining in the hammock, but why exactly are we scrolling and trolling the headlines so often? (Answer: FOMO.) I've quoted Henry David Thoreau before in this blog, but his wise words bear repeating here: "If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer; but if he spends his whole day as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is esteemed an industrious and enterprising citizen." I need to figure out how to "loaf" better--to feel less guilt about taking time out to relax, and to take pride in recharging instead of multi-tasking.
Because I'm a bad relaxer, I'm also really bad at meditation. Sitting still for long periods of time is a tall order for me. So, I'm trying a new thing lately: Walking Meditations. When I go outdoors multiple times a day with the dog, I don't allow myself to run through my mental to-do lists. I listen--to the birds, to the wind, to the dog's claws clicking along on the pavement--whatever is going on outside of my head. I look around and really see. I focus on how my body feels--the breeze in my hair, the sun on my nose, even a twitch in my back. This is my compromise to being a bad relaxer: I'm still going somewhere and doing something, but my mind is staying in the "here and now", focusing on my environment instead of business (or more precisely, "busy-ness").
I am just beginning, but at least I have begun.
Are you more of a multi-tasker or a relaxer? Do you find yourself saying "yes" to more and more commitments--overscheduling yourself or your family--when you want to say "no"? Do you make outdoor activities a priority? Are you just too busy to answer any one of these questions? I hope not--please take time out to comment!
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you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe to this blog via RSS reader (bottom of right column) or email (under "Categories").
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section at the end of the post. Thanks for reading Joyfully Green!
(c)
2013 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. Photos and
text digitally fingerprinted and protected by MyFreeCopyright.com. Site licensed by Creative Commons.
Alison Inches: I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (Little Green Books) "One little monster learns to reduce, reuse, and recycle." That's all good, of course, but my own children laugh out loud every time they read how Max the Little Monster (before his attitude adjustment) clogs up the toilet with too much toilet paper, yelling "Hungry Toilet!" Kids...they just love the potty humor. Made from 100% recycled paper.
Julia Rawlinson: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves This book is incredibly sweet. A sensitive, little fox named Fletcher cannot understand what is happening to his beloved tree at the onset of autumn, and he tries everything in his power to keep the leaves on the tree. When he wakes up one winter morning to find his tree covered in dazzlingly beautiful snow crystals, it chokes me up every time. Although it's not about saving the earth, the book is a lovely tribute to nature and its seasons.
Diane Muldrow: We Planted a Tree I love how this relatively new book (published in 2010) is charmingly illustrated in the same style as those Little Golden Books from the 1960's. In simple prose, the book explains what happens when you plant a tree and watch it grow, while enjoying the benefits of fruit, shade, budding flowers, and cleaner air.
Dr. Seuss: The Lorax (Classic Seuss) This book is a classic for a reason. As I was reading it for the first time to my children, I could see the shock and sadness on their faces when the very first Truffula Tree was chopped down. Unlike the progression of The Curious Garden (see below), things just keep getting worse--all in the name of "progress." It ends with a powerful message: "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Great for generating conversations with young children about caring for and protecting natural resources. Printed on recycled paper.
Peter Brown: The Curious Garden First, I have to admit it: As a mom, I'm *slightly* bothered that a little boy is walking around a creepy city all by himself, and "stumbles upon a dark stairwell" which he decides to head up. However, this book is simply magical, so I'll chalk it up to "willing suspension of disbelief" and let it go. With each page, as Liam grows from a novice gardener into a Green Thumb Extraordinaire, the dreary city in which everybody stays inside becomes a green utopia that everybody enjoys. Liam helps the whole city to bloom, and changes the mindsets of its citizens, simply by taking the first steps and sticking to his mission--without any preaching whatsoever. My favorite parts are the multiple spreads with no words at all, which depict how the gray, dirty city is growing greener and cleaner with the passage of time, thanks to our hero. Printed on recycled paper.
Lewis Blackwell: The Life & Love of Trees Hands-down, this is my favorite photography book of all time. The collection of photographs, from close-ups of leaves to forest vistas, is simply breath-taking. It sits on my coffee table at home, and whenever I need a breather, it's there for me with its exquisite portraits of trees, accompanied by some poetic food for thought. I do find it odd that this, of all books, wasn't printed on recycled paper, but perhaps the publisher felt the photographic quality would be diminished? In any case, I forgive the transgression, because this book is a heart-breakingly beautiful ode to trees.
Richard Louv: Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder I feel like I grew up with Richard Louv. His childhood was so similar to mine, with a neighborhood full of children all outside, playing together, and exploring from morning until our parents called us home for dinner (and then back outside again after we ate). Louv makes some very compelling arguments for limiting technology and reintroducing your children to the powerful, healing effects of nature.
Henry D. Thoreau: Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition Like many other Americans, I read this book in high school English class, but it means much more to me now, as an adult. Living in our "More! More! More!" society, it's always a good reminder that you can, indeed, exist quite happily with just the basics. I chose this edition for the interesting annotations, but also because the cover photograph of a small house in the woods is so tranquil, simple, and pretty--it sits on my coffee table to inspire me.
Ed Begley Jr.: Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life Ed Begley, Jr. is a pioneer in the green movement (he's been eco-conscious since 1970), and he's one of my heroes. I can't live exactly like Ed (which I'll detail in another blog post in the future), but I love his approach: "You don't climb Mount Everest in a single day." He groups all of his suggestions into "Easy Changes" (which he calls "the low-hanging fruit"), "Not-So-Big Changes" and "Big Changes" (in which the biggest pay-offs require some up-front investments). You can pick and choose what you want to try. Have I mentioned that Ed is one of my heroes? Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
