Inspired...

I wrote an article this week on Packing a Green Lunch for Summer (I'll post the link here when it gets published in June).

One of the topics I focused on was packing zero-waste lunches. While I think I actually do fairly well with the lunches, I have a long way to go in other areas. A friend passed on a link to The Zero Waste Home blog that truly amazed me. I think what struck me is the way this family equates zero waste with simplifying their lives. And they are definitely not your average granola family.

While I'm nowhere close to where they are, I am inspired!

Check it out.

What Are You Doing for Earth Day?

Earth Day - actually the whole month of April - is great for learning more about the environmental issues in your own local region. To find a local event, check out Earth Day Network and their Billion Acts of Green campaign.

I found something close to home when I was invited to the 2011 Community Benefit for the Japanese Gulch Group. This group is working to save this urban forest in the Mukilteo/Everett area of Washington. While portions of the forest are city owned, nearly 100 acres of this space are privately owned and up for sale for industrial development. The natural space is currently home to wildlife (pileated woodpecker, great blue heron, and black-tailed deer) as well as wildlife-lovers (runners, mountain bikers, and trail walkers).

The Community Benefit is on Saturday, April 23rd. If you're local and interested in a night of jazz music, dancing, and learning more about the Gulch, tickets are only $20 - and kids are free!

There is also an Earth Day event being lead by the Japanese Gulch Youth that kicks off with a 2:00pm Nature Walk and finishes with a tree planting at 3:00pm.