Wednesday, July 29, 2009

One Person Making a Difference

Have you ever wondered what one person can do to change the world? Do all those little actions really add up? It's an important question and one that children may

One local woman is ready to test that theory. Carol Schillios, owner of the non-profit Fabric of Life, begins her quest on Friday to raises $1 million, one dollar at a time, from one million people. She is literally "shouting it from the rooftop" by camping out on the rooftop of her boutique in Edmonds, Washington until one million people donate to the cause. Normally, one would worry about her in the rainy Northwest, but with temperatures soaring to 100 this week, I'm going to be hoping she has a solar-powered fan.

Fabric of Life helps young women in developing countries develop small businesses to support themselves. Much of the work is done in Mali, one of the poorest countries in Africa. Women are targeted at a young age (before they are forced to turn to prostitution) and trained in business, literacy, and health issues. They also get access to micro-loans to become entrepreneurs. The boutique in Edmonds sells their crafts - including baskets, purses, jewelry - and will be the site of Carol Schillios' new rooftop home.

Want to help?
  • If you're local, check out the launch of her event - Friday July 31st from 4 to 6 pm. Dancers and drummers will be on hand to entertain the kids. It should be hard to miss. The Edmonds Fire Department will be hoisting her up by ladder at 5:00!
  • Donate $1 - better yet, donate $1 from each member of your family. You can follow her progress at upontheroofwithcarol.org.
  • Find your own way to make a difference in the world. Along with the $1 donation, Ms. Schillios is asking how you plan to make a difference. The small steps make a difference when they're multiplied by a million!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Future of Glass Recycling

I had a recent experience that made me question the future of glass recycling. We have curbside recycling at our home, but I try to recycle when we're away as well, so occasionally I'll drive my glass, paper, cans, etc. to the local recycling plant.

On my last visit, I discovered that glass is no longer accepted. They said there wasn't a market to sell it to anymore so they had to stop. The local paper, The Wenatchee World, reported that not only were they no longer recycling the glass, but they hadn't been for a long time - they had been quietly dumping it with the rest of the trash. I'm so glad I was driving my recyclables to them so they could throw them in the dump.
The problem is that, we've gotten to be so good at recycling that the supply is surpassing the demand. The work involved in recycling glass back into its raw state is expensive. I get that, but does that mean that we should just throw it all into a landfill?

I think the idea might be radical in the United States, but I would like to see reusable bottles. I first heard about this long ago on the Heineken brewery tour in Amsterdam - back then the brewery was a must-see for all studying-abroad students because of the free beer at the end, but I digress. They had a 99% return rate on bottles - basically, everyone did it because the bottles were sold with a cash deposit that would make it much more expensive to buy brand-new bottles.

I don't know of any companies doing this right now, but I'm going to write a few local ones and see what response I get back. It can't hurt to ask...

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

A Day at the Zoo

My kids and I spent the day at the Akron Zoo last week and enjoyed seeing all the animals including the jaguar cubs, jellyfish, lions, sloth bears and tortoises (oddly enough one was stolen that night, but I swear we didn't do it). The picture at right proves he was still there when we visited!

Every time I go to the zoo, I can't help but revisit the debate over whether keeping animals behind cages is helpful or harmful to animals. Having done research in the past about orca captivity makes me particularly aware of how bad some situations can be.

Overall, though, I think zoos are lots of fun and an excellent way to teach children about conservation and the world around them. The first zoo I ever took my son to was the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska and I loved a quote they had on the wall. I can't find the exact words (amazingly, not everything seems to be available on the Internet), but the gist of it was that you had to see the animals to learn about them, you had to learn about them to understand them, and you had to understand them to want to protect them. I think that sums up my feelings. Ideally, I wish all animals were out roaming the wild, but if you consider the impact that humans have on the animal kingdom, I think zoos go a long way in helping us understand and appreciate the enviornment around us.

There are some ways to make sure that the zoo that you visit is working in the best interests of the animals. Here are a few things to consider before you head off for a day with the wild animals.
  • Check to see if they are a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This group gives accreditation to zoos that meet their rigid standards. Only 10% of animal exhibits in the US meet these standards. Fortunately, most major zoos and aquariums do make the cut.
  • Pay attention to what other activities the zoo takes part in. Do they support conservation efforts in other parts of the world? Are they breeding endangered species? My favorite zoo for helping the endangered species is the San Diego Wild Animal Park which is making great strides with endangered animals including rhinos and giraffes.
  • Check out the staff. Are the animals being cared for by trained staff?
  • Look at the exhibits themselves. Are they trying to put the animals in something similar to their natural habitat or do they just have one lone animal sitting on a slab of concrete?
Once you've checked out where you're headed, pack some snacks and suncreen and enjoy the animals. Maybe, for once, the wild animals on your outing won't be your own!

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Saving the Endangered Animals' DNA

Many organizations are taking actions every day to save the endangered species, but I happened

From source: Two mammal-eating Image via Wikipedia

to see a new one step in - the American Museum of Natural History. You know the one - famous in your kids eyes from Night at the Museum.

They have entered into an agreement with the National Parks Service to save DNA for all endangered and threatened species. Their goal is "to better manage existing animal populations." They also specifically state that they are not intending to get into the business of cloning. Seems like a good idea to have as much information as possible about these species while they're still here.

Grizzly Bear CloseImage by DJMcCrady via Flickr


All the talk about endangered species made me wonder how many really are currently listed. The US Fish and Wildlife Service actually keeps track on a daily basis. In the United States, there are 409 endangered and 162 threatened animal species. There are also an additional 570 foreign species and over 1000 plants on the list as well. The list covers the large (grizzly bears and orca whales) to the small (clams and beetles).

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has an interesting line on their site - Endangered means there is still time. There is also a Kids Corner that talks about what kids can do to help. I think an easy way to bring it to our kids level is to see what's endangered around them by looking at a state-by-state endangered species list. What's endangered in your area?
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Monday, July 6, 2009

Logging Trees for Kids Sake??

In the last week, I've chopped down over 10 trees (okay, while I have been known to chop a few myself, these were beyond my handsaw capabilities, so it was not actually me doing the work). What good reason could I possibly have for cutting down these trees? Is there some remote way to justify this as "for the kids"? Well, actually, yes...

Cutting down dead trees may not be environmentally-correct in the forest, but when the tree is next to your house, it most definitely is the right thing to do. We have a cabin in the woods near the Cascade Mountains with tons of trees. We watched a tall white fir die over the past few years and then spent a year worrying that it may fall through the house one day. Bad idea. Never wait to remove a dead 140 foot tall tree! I hired the best logger in town (that's him in the tree, if you look closely) and even he was quaking in his boots after climbing the tree. If you have never seen a major tree taken down, let me tell you, it's an event. After watching the top 50 or so feet fall and literally shatter because it was so rotten, he started sawing small chunks off the top. The kids were duly impressed as he threw them to the ground. Eventually, we were down to a manageable 70 foot tree that he expertly felled right between two houses. Just feeling the ground shake was amazing. The picture below shows it on its way down.



Back at home, I had even more tree removal projects... First, let's start with the prickly tree. My kids have begged me to take this tree down for years. It is a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and I've been told it is a very nice tree. The problem is that it also happens to be second base in our very narrow kickball field in the backyard. On top of that, it seems to eat balls of all sizes - baseballs, basketballs, tennis balls. This is generally followed by a "I'm not going in the prickly tree. You go get it." exchange between my children that never ends up well. Out went the tree.


Next up, the three aspens. I love the sound of their leaves blowing in the wind, but I've also discovered they are responsible for the large number of insanely tall vines growing in my yard. I've since learned that these are called "suckers" which should really be the name for people like me that hold on to these trees. Truly, they are just weeds and not good for the environment. Out went three more trees.

The front yard was the last area to tackle. The problem here was that it was planted nearly 20 years ago by someone who clearly never contemplated the full-grown size of trees and shrubs. Ideally, I would like to be able to see my kids playing in front of the house when I look out the window or step out onto the front porch. All, I could see was an evergreen forest (and our pug). Out went a half-dozen more trees and various overgrown shrubs.
So what have I learned? 1) Remove dead trees before they become dangerous trees. 2) Don't plant prickly trees where kids want to play. 3) Always plan ahead for the maximum size of the tree. 4) No matter how much you like the plant, don't keep it if it is an invasive weed. Look out, English Ivy- you're next on my list!
And, finally, 5) chain-saws, stump grinders, and tree-climbers can provide great entertainment for kids on a summer day!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Veggie Video Game?

veggiesImage by dboy via Flickr

I know there are children who love veggies, but I do not live in that family. I'm always looking for new ways to get them to eat their veggies so I was intrigued when I heard about Hidden Valley's new video game Love Your Veggies.

Can a video game featuring a water hose to scare away critters and a truck driving around obstacles to get to market (your typical shooting and dodging video game) actually encourage a child to eat veggies? Well, no probably not, but it intrigued me because ranch drip is the one thing that actually does encourage my youngest son.

Hidden Valley says that the game is based on a study that showed that kids "consumed more vegetables when paired with a moderate amount of ranch dressing." Personally, I believe them, although I would change the phrase to kids consumed more vegetables when drowned in gallons of ranch dressing. At least that's how it works in our house.

My theory of the moment is that having our own garden will help my kids learn to eat their veggies. The garden is not exactly thriving--I'm learning it really is all about location--but my kids have chomped on fresh basil, lettuce, cherries, and a day lily in the past few days. The last one was prompted by a gardener who told them that particular flower was edible. (Don't take my word for it though as some lilies are poisonous. If you want more info, here's an edible flower list to check out.)

The funny thing was that the carrot had so much yummy flavor compared to the typical store-bought carrots that they really noticed the taste difference. One of my kids loved it, while the other wasn't so sure, but I still view it as progress. Besides, he's the one that usually drowns his veggies in ranch dip!

By the way, Stephen and I played the video game together. He'll still probably pick Webkinz over Hidden Valley next time he's on the computer, but he did manage to grow 43 veggies in a minute. I played the next level and managed to spill 27 of those veggies out of the truck, but ah well, I never claimed to be a gamer.
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