Break time can be outdoor time with friends. It was cold but we had a blast! get outside, it's awesome!
December 30, 2008
Hanging with Friends
Break time can be outdoor time with friends. It was cold but we had a blast! get outside, it's awesome!
December 9, 2008
November 14, 2008
November 13, 2008
How about recycling some food today?!
Yes, you read the title right. Today we did a craft using nuts and berries from our pantry. Last year's holiday baking supplies were on the verge of being, well, stale. So instead of throwing it all out, we decided to share with our backyard buddies.
For a couple of days we have been saving milkweed pods in a baggie all in anticipation of our bird craft. We filled plates with our various mixtures, thread a thin wire through the pods, and then loaded them with peanut butter. After they were filled with the PB we pressed the pods into the nuts and berries. Voila! Gourmet bird snacks. Here are pictures of the Ecosavvykid and his trusty (cute too) side-kick baby-sister, Jamie. Thanks to Colin for letting me write an article on his blog too! The Ecosavvykids' Mommy
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ Cool site to check out too!
For a couple of days we have been saving milkweed pods in a baggie all in anticipation of our bird craft. We filled plates with our various mixtures, thread a thin wire through the pods, and then loaded them with peanut butter. After they were filled with the PB we pressed the pods into the nuts and berries. Voila! Gourmet bird snacks. Here are pictures of the Ecosavvykid and his trusty (cute too) side-kick baby-sister, Jamie. Thanks to Colin for letting me write an article on his blog too! The Ecosavvykids' Mommy
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ Cool site to check out too!
October 20, 2008
Solar Energy the New Frontier!
Solar energy is power from the sun. You probably have seen a solar panel once or twice, but never knew how important they really are. They produce renewable energy. The difference between renewable and non-renewable energy is very simple: renewable energy (sun,wind and water) can be used over and over, without being used up! But non-renewable energy (wood, coal, oil and natural gas) are resources, that if used too much, will be gone forever. Solar energy is a renewable energy source. Solar panel prices are dropping, so they will be more affordable (note from ecosavvymom: tell your parents they can get special tax credits for this!) You might have one someday too! Last week I interviewed Jon Budreski from Solar Works Inc (www.solar-works.com). Here are some of the questions I asked him:
Q. How long have solar panels been around?
A. Well over 50/75 years. The first solar electric cells were in the 1950's.
Q. Do solar panels have to be a certain size?
A. No, they can be any size. If you are putting panels on your house they are usually 2 x 4 feet. You can put on as many as you roof line can hold.
Q. How much energy can a solar panel provide a house?
A. Solar panels make up a solar ray of about 10 to 20 panels. This can produce about 80-100% of your electrical needs! WOW! Most systems produce 50-75% of the energy needed in your home and you can get a state rebate too! (find out more about your state here: http://www.dsireusa.org/)
Q.Will a solar panel still work if it is cloudy?
A. Yes. Some of the solar cells catch the low-band wavelengths even on a cloudy day! They can still produce energy.
Q How did you get involved in solar energy?
A. I have an environmental background and did research in water quality. My degree is in Natural Resouces Management.
QUIZ: Guess which state in New England has more solar panels per capita than any state in the nation? Hint...Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and some awesome skiing! Yep...Vermont!
Thanks again Jon! You were awesome!! I hope all of you found this interesting and maybe, in the future, everybody will have solar energy. Then we will all be green! Check out this cool stuff to learn more:
Neat sites:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/index.html
http://www.planete-energies.com/content/renewable-energies.html
http://www.think-energy.com
Cool Videos!
http://www.planete-energies.com/FrontOffice/Players/PopupPlayerAnim.aspx?contentId=692a8073-0a2f-4154-98dc-6f3b2c714baf&pageFrom=Encyclo
http://www.planete-energies.com/FrontOffice/Players/PopupPlayerAnim.aspx?contentId=e633361b-b54f-4b12-83f6-a824baad198d&pageFrom=Encyclo
October 14, 2008
New Blog to Share With You
Save The Bay
Donna DeForbes, Save The Bay’s resident Communications and Graphics Manager, offers insights on raising kids with a sense of ecological consciousness. Check it out!http://www.savebay.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=898&srcid=898
Donna DeForbes, Save The Bay’s resident Communications and Graphics Manager, offers insights on raising kids with a sense of ecological consciousness. Check it out!http://www.savebay.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=898&srcid=898
September 12, 2008
School Days, Love Mom
Getting ready to go back to school can be stressful...and I mean for the parents! Trying to pack healthy snacks and lunches, doing homework, practices, etc. However, adding in the eco-friendly piece to going back to school was easy this year.
Thanks to Reusablebags.com and Wrap-N-Mat. Both kids use Kleen Kanteens, so no more little water bottles to buy and a savings of $100 for the school year: .28 a bottle x 180 school days x 2 = $100. Sandwiches go to school in Wrap-N-Mats and a savings of $108.00: .30 per bag x 3 times = .90 a week x 60 days in a school year x 2 = $108!
Right there I saved $208.00...YEAH!
Jamie's adorable lunch bag is a 100% lead free, by Mimi the Sardine. Mimi the Sardine bags are made of acrylic coated cotton and nylon fabrics that meet the Oeko-Tex 100 Standard. Coating is plastic & PVC free. The Oeko-Tex 100 Standard is an ecological certification. It is a declaration to consumers that the cloth does not contain chemicals & components harmful to health. Highly regarded in Europe & now gaining recognition in the U.S. Read more about the Oeko-Tex 100 Standard.
Colin's lunch bag is made from next generation PET fabric that is as beautiful & strong as it is sustainable. Helps divert disposable plastic containers from our landfills. Unlike cheaper versions of recycled PET that are scratchy and have a tendency to pile badly over time. Colors have a cool sheen and hide dirt well. For occasional cleaning, just toss in washing machine and drip dry. How awesome is that! Go to our What's New page for Colin's views on what you can do in September to be eco-friendly this school season.
www.ecosavvykid.com
Eco-Easy at School
You're at Staples and there are 2 packs of Post-it Notes. One is the regular package and it's $22.00 for the pack but the other package is made of recycled paper and its $25.00. Which to choose? I am sure everybody has had one of those moments. Buy regular or eco-friendly and pay more. Kids and adults alike need supplies, either for school or work. Sometimes the best thing to do is to spend a little extra money to help save the planet (click on the logo above and see Staples eco-easy products). Other things you can do this year is you and your classmates can start a recycling program at school. The more everybody buys green items, the better! Also, kids are easier to teach new stuff too. So if kids learn about being green they will tell their parents about how important it is to make smart buying choices. Then our world will live happily with Mother Nature again!
September 4, 2008
August 30, 2008
August 15, 2008
Eating Locally--like my backyard!
This year we decided to go green by planting our very own vegetables. We planted: string beans, two kinds of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers--so many we are giving them away. We put our garden in a very small space but we have been getting a lot of food from it. All my dad did was plant the seeds, lean a trellis against the house, water them and that was it. Here is picture of the cucumbers on our vines. We also planted herbs: basil, oregano, parsley and thyme and lemon thyme. I love to go out in the garden and get some parsley and basil and give them to my mom for my pizza and pasta. I also like just eating the herbs plain. I go in the garden and pick them and sneak a taste…my mom always says “COLIN STOP PICKNG THE HERBS!”
Here is one of my favorite herb pasta recipes my mom makes:
My mom makes spaghetti (my favorite is from Trader Joes) and she tosses it in 2 tbs. butter and 1 tbs. olive oil, adds some salt and lots of fresh chopped basil and parsley. Then she sprinkles a tiny bit of parmesan on top. YUMMY!
Here is one of my favorite herb pasta recipes my mom makes:
My mom makes spaghetti (my favorite is from Trader Joes) and she tosses it in 2 tbs. butter and 1 tbs. olive oil, adds some salt and lots of fresh chopped basil and parsley. Then she sprinkles a tiny bit of parmesan on top. YUMMY!
July 28, 2008
June 26, 2008
June 21, 2008
Orleans Elementary School: Being Green Presentation
Thanks so much to all of you! What a awesome welcome sign. Thank you for being so nice to me during my visit. The students at OES sure are smart, eco-freindly kids. I hope the students learned something about being green and I really enjoyed visiting their school. June 1, 2008
Let It Rain!!!
On May 31st we got our very own rain barrel for our house. A rain barrel is a device used to hold and store water, that has a hose attached to a nozzle so that you can use the water for your garden. Now we are going to be able to water our plants the eco-friendly way!
May 12, 2008
Endangered Species Day!
Hey kids, On May 16th, 2008, America celebrates Endangered Species Day! The U.S. Senate has created Endangered Species Day as a national celebration of America’s commitment to protecting our country’s wildlife fish and plants on the brink of extinction. This is a great day for evefyone to lean more about the importance of protecting wildlife!Click here for a list of endangered species: ENDANGERED SPECIES and the ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT .
April 27, 2008
Earth Day at Earthbound farms
This year we spent Earth Day at Earthbound Farms in Carmel Valley, CA. There we got to see organic farmland and took a farm tour with farmer, Mark Marino. Then we planted lettuce in homemade pots from newspapers. I played Earthbound Bingo 3 times and finally the last game I won and got a chocolate bar!
April 15, 2008
Composting
My dad and I went to a composting class at Country Gardens in Hyannis and we learned a lot! Here is some of the information we got from the class:
Put all fruit and vegetable garbage in your compost. You can also add coffee (plus filters) tea bags, paper towels and even shredded newspaper. Don't add meat, dairy or animal waste.
Leaves can be composted separately--pile them in after they fall and empty the bin the next fall. Partly composted leaves are what British call "leaf mold" and they make perfect soil amendments and mulch.
You can compost right in your garden! Dig a hole and place your kitchen garbage right into the soil. Cover with dirt and dig another hole for tomorrow's garbage. This is especially successful in vegetable gardens, but you should also use the same method in the space around shrubs or perennials.
Once we have our compost bin up and running I'll share pictures with you!
April 13, 2008
Napkins and Paper Plates and Paper Towels..Oh My!
Back in the 19th century people would never have guessed that there would be a napkin that would only be used once. Instead they used a cloth to pick up spills and messes. Today people use paper towels to pick up spills and throw them away without even thinking about it. Using paper towels without thinking about it isn’t smart. Using a reusable rag saves paper (trees) and keeps stuff out of the dump. We found a web site, Ecoproducts, which sells napkins made from recycled paper. They also sell forks, spoons and knives made from potato starch, which makes them compostable. And plates made from sugarcane fibers which are also biodegradable. For your next barbeque make it more eco-friendly and use these utensils and plates instead of what you always use. This is one way you can make a difference. Eco-products web site is: http://www.ecoproducts.com/.
Did you know…..Only 13% of water bottles are recycled by being made into other materials? (info from NRDC-Natural Resources Defense Council) We suggest using your local tap water and fill a reusable bottle. We found a web site, http://www.reusablebags.com/, where you can buy fun and funky bottles for kids.
March 29, 2008
Garden of the Gods
Garden of The Gods
By the Ecosavvykid
The Kissing Camels glow
Within the springs morning light
Where snow was once a king
And gave the skiers quite a fright.
Wet imprints, I touch carefully
Where there was once mounds of snow
I quickly turn to see a snake
That no one's ever known.
I see flowers, their roots
Deep in a tiny hole
And digging in the dirt
Is an old and tired mole.
I touch the Siamese Twins
Their sandstone hard as rock
I found a leaf on the ground
Torn to look like a sock.
I hear the robins, chirping loud
I taste the misty morning air
I realize that there is a fern
No one knew was there.
I look at the view, so large and
Ever more
I cry all the way home
And as I walk through my bedroom door.
I check again, but still, oh my
Nothing has changed at all
But now I found a passage
The trees have made a hall.
The Rocky Mountain Columbine
So beautiful and blue
I think I see some water
But it's only some Spring dew.
This park is such a pleasure
Even for pesky dogs
I love this park so much
That Garden of the Gods.
February 29, 2008
February 14, 2008
OCEAN
The ocean churns, the ocean sprays,
Birds shall ride her wild waves.
The ocean splashes the wild shore
And then pulls back and splashes some more.
The ocean takes a sailor named Kip,
And drags him away from his seaborne ship.
The rudder makes the water spray
As the ocean takes its’ prisoner away.
The ocean whips the rocks in the bay,
Please excuse me, but by the way;
All of thee, please come to see,
The enormous power of the sea।
Birds shall ride her wild waves.
The ocean splashes the wild shore
And then pulls back and splashes some more.
The ocean takes a sailor named Kip,
And drags him away from his seaborne ship.
The rudder makes the water spray
As the ocean takes its’ prisoner away.
The ocean whips the rocks in the bay,
Please excuse me, but by the way;
All of thee, please come to see,
The enormous power of the sea।
February 12, 2008, Colin Caton
January 29, 2008
Birding At Green Briar
This weekend mom signed us up for a birding trip at Green Briar Nature center to look and learn about birds. We found some very interesting birds like: Carolina Wren, Chickadee, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow and more! Our teacher was Phil and he is one of the naturalists at Green Briar. He let us do the class even though we were the only family that signed up for the class.
Jamie says...Phil is the best person at Green Briar! I had a very good time! Pretty soon I will be making my own bird web site. Check back soon for the address!
Thanks Phil! Fill those feeders and check out the cool birds you can see at your own house!
January 20, 2008
Skunknett River
Today we went to Skunknett River Wildlife Sanctuary. It was cold! We went to find birds for Jamie's new bird web site, which we plan to start this weekend. We were also out walking to enjoy the beauty of the outside and we needed fresh air. Our pledge is to hike as many trails on the Cape and off Cape as possible. Here are some pictures from our trip today from our staff photographer, mommy.
Remember check out Naturefind.com and find a trail near your house to discover!
Remember check out Naturefind.com and find a trail near your house to discover!
January 12, 2008
New Year's Resolution
This year our family agreed to walk as many nature trails we could on Cape Cod. We are going to keep a nature trails journal and write what types of birds we saw and animals and plants. We will take pictures of all the places we go and I promise to share them with you! Here we are near Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, MA. It was a 3.5 mile walk! My sister complained a little bit but not much. Get out there and walk!
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