Return of the Beaver

An article in Monday's New York Times titled "Return of the Once-Rare Beaver? Not in My Yard." highlights another instance of humans butting heads with Nature.

Hunting and habitat loss lead to huge declines in the beaver population during the 18th and 19th centuries. However the return of woodlands to the Northeast and the dramatic reduction in beaver hunting have lead to a resurgence in their population. Residents now complain of problems caused by local beavers such as flooded yards and clogged septic systems, many without realizing the positive impacts that they can have on the local environment. Similar stories have arisen around the country about other animals like mountain lions, bears, alligators, and coyotes.

As human populations swell, will the environmental movement continue to be successful if people aren't willing to have the real Mother Nature in their backyard--one that could be slightly inconvenient (yet also beautiful and awe-inspiring) at times?


In an unrelated note, how awesome would it be to track Echidnas for your day job?

Granola Recipe

Granola Recipe from Food Matters:

• 5 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant) or other rolled grains
• 3 cups mixed nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, and sesame seeds)
• 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon, or other spices to taste
• .5 to 1 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 to 1.5 cups raisins or chopped dried fruit

1. Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cinnamon, sweetener, and vanilla. Toss well to thoroughly distribute the ingredients. Spread the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally. The granola should brown evenly; the darker it gets without burning, the crunchier it will be.

2. Remove pan from oven and add fruit. Cool on a rack, stirring now and then until the granola reaches room temperature. Put in a sealed container and store in refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely.

Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Hey guys,
Diane and I were talking about water bottles and here is what I came up with--basically bottles with recyc symbols 2, 4 or 5 are okay--best is Kleen Kanteen Stainless Steel (not SIGG). I am going to look at what we have and consider....
Here's where I got the info.
http://gogreentravelgreen.com/green-environmentally-friendly-products-travel-gear/how-to-choose-a-healthy-water-bottle-and-34-resources/

Planet Stewards: Green Cleaning

It’s almost spring, Planet Stewards, and our thoughts turn to SPRING CLEANING! Well, perhaps this is an outdated thought but the concept of “greening” our cleaning methods, is very current. Have you looked recently under your kitchen sink, in your laundry area, in the bathroom, and out in the garage at the number of cleaning products you have purchased? Some may be your regular products, some purchased for a one time use, and a few bought due to an ad or coupon offer that appealed to your desire to have the cleanest, brightest or most germ-free home. My home was no different, until I began to learn more about the impact of some of these products not only on the health of our environment, but also on our own health and that of our families.

First, please keep reading. I know it can be overwhelming to consider “greening” your cleaning routine and you may have concerns about expense. When you consider both the long and short term benefits to your family and the planet, the small amount of time involved in making a gradual shift should seem negligible.

Second, it’s not necessary to discard your current cleaners. Use them up as you normally would and recycle the containers if appropriate. If you no longer have use for an item, you can consult the following Fairfax County website regarding the disposal of cleaning and other household products to be sure that they don’t require special handling: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trash/disphhw.htm.

Third, it’s not necessary to make the switch all at once. As you use up each product, for example, your laundry detergent, consult one of the many websites that can advise you as to a healthy choice for your family. One of my favorites is www.goodguide.com, a well-organized site that rates personal-care and household products. Seventh Generation’s laundry detergent, a top rated choice, is available at our local Giant Food stores. It is important to note that just because a product lists “green” or “natural” in its product name or description, does not automatically mean it is a good choice. I discovered that a “greenworks” product I had purchased without taking the time to do my five minutes of research was actually rated as “terrible” from a health perspective due to a known carcinogen among its ingredients. As you use up each of your current cleaning products, also consider whether it is truly necessary to replace it. In our “fear” of household odors, we purchase air fresheners and deodorizers that introduce chemicals, including possible carcinogens, to our household air unnecessarily. Use of fans, better air circulation or homemade options such as a box of baking soda are usually sufficient to solve the problem. We have also gone through a period of obsession with anti-bacterial cleansers, only to discover that we are breeding super germs by our excessive use of these products. Most experts seem to be recommending that use of these products should be limited to hospitals and similar environments.

Fourth, consider saving money on some of your household products by making your own. A huge bottle of distilled white vinegar, an enormous box of Arm and Hammer baking soda (much bigger than what’s needed for my homemade chocolate chip cookie habit), an old fashioned looking box of 20 Mule Team borax/washing soda, all from my local big box store (for me, Costco or Wal-mart) go a long way for kitchen and bathroom cleaning, window washing and laundry stains and they are very very cheap. Most of the time you don’t need the added chemicals and fragrances in more expensive products. A great website for DIY recipes and other information is www.biggreenpurse.com; you can find many other websites through your search engine. If you get into this is a big way, Green Clean, the Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home is an excellent reference available through Amazon and elsewhere. A chart entitled “Your Under-sink Makeover” from the excellent book, Healthy Child, Healthy World, compares the contents of a cabinet full of conventional cleaners with a greener, healthier cabinet. The cost of the latter much shorter list of cleaning ingredients was only one-fourth as large. The website for the national non-profit Healthy Child, Healthy World is www.healthychild.org.

Fifth, now that you are slowly replacing your more toxic cleaning products with more family friendly alternatives, it may be safe to get the kids involved in more of the household cleaning routines. Tell them about the changes you are making. You may be able to enlist their help with internet research or mixing the vinegar and water for window washing. We know that when our children go out in the world, they often maintain many of the same household routines they learned growing up. While the products may change, an alertness to choices that are healthy for their bodies and their planet will be a great legacy from you. Happy cleaning!

Planet Stewards: Greening the Holidays

Happy Holidays Planet Stewards! Sometimes we wonder if the little things we do can really make the world a better place and hopefully, you believe the answer to be yes! Most importantly, with children in your lives, you are setting an example. Doing a little almost always leads to a desire to do a little more. Reducing our negative impact on the planet is a powerful and lasting gift to our children. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Holiday greetings: Consider sending a computer greeting—saving paper, transportation and postage. There are many e-card websites to help or you can even turn to a photo-sharing website and send the latest family shots. If you’re not quite ready to eliminate cards on the mantle, perhaps buy only cards with recycled content and avoid glitter, fuzz or special coatings which are not recyclable. Another technique is to cut up the cards you do receive and use them as gift tags or postcards. While you’re at it, be sure to recycle catalogs, junk mail and envelopes; move toward paperless bill paying; and visit proquo.com to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive as you enter the New Year.

Wrappings and Ribbons: Americans discard an inordinate amount of additional trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, much of it holiday gift wrapping and packaging. Fortunately, finding an alternative to standard gift wrap is no longer a challenge. Holiday gift bags can be used over and over; maps, comics or children’s art work make fun free wrapping. You can even buy discounted holiday fabric as wrap after the holidays and reuse it year after year. Many gifts don’t need wrapping—cookies in a reusable tin; a potted plant for décor and improved indoor air quality; tickets and gift certificates; just for starters. Ribbons and bows are very reusable and when they wear out, consider eliminating or reducing their use.

Gift-giving: Observe the amount of packaging that your prospective gifts come with and when possible, choose those with less. Step out of your comfort zone and mention to store management those products you are unhappy with. In addition to the ideas mentioned above, consider gifts with the environment in mind—an organic food gift basket, free trade coffee or cocoa, a stainless steel water bottle, a battery recharger—you get the idea. You can encourage a lifetime of conservation mindedness, particularly in families with children, by giving a bird feeder or house and a backyard bird guide. Donations to charity in your relative’s name, a service performed, free childcare—all of these may be as or more valuable than a material item. When choosing flowers and plants as gifts, opt for organic—these are no longer difficult to find.

Trees: If a real tree is in your holiday decorating plan, consider a local grower. When the season is over, you have multiple options. Stand the tree near bird feeders as a perch or create a wildlife habitat. Assuming local ordinances don’t prohibit it, lay the tree in the background of your garden and let it collect leaf litter and debris—many creatures count on this type of protected area to hide from predators and for nesting. With a little more effort, you might even be able to have your yard certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Habitat (www.nwf.org). If you can’t keep your tree for wildlife, be sure it goes out to the curb on yard refuse day to be composted.

Lights: When replacing old light sets, seriously consider LEDs (light-emitting diodes) in place of incandescent bulbs. They use 80-90% less energy, cutting your electric bill, and last up to 20 years. Their price has come down substantially as well. Think carefully about investing in additional decorations that require electricity.

I hope you come up with many more ideas for your own “green” holiday season! Next month, we’ll look at some New Year’s resolutions we can implement to make our homes and environment safer for our children.