If we continue the previous evolution of thought regarding the effects of going ‘off-trail’, we come to several other notable impacts.  Once the non-native plant is established due to soil compaction, it propagates seeds in order to spread its genome.  Seeds are dispersed by several ingeniously evolved methods:  grasses are dispersed by wind; scotch broom seed disperses via a spring loaded spiral seed-coat that literally cracks and explodes in the late summer heat and catapults the seeds 10-15 feet, other seeds pass through the digestive tracts of birds which are then deposited far from the mother plant.  

Once the seeds are dispersed they await the right environmental conditions to germinate and grow.  Seeds can lie in wait for decades and even thousands of years, for the right environmental cues. See:  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/12/international/middleeast/12palm.html. One of those environmental cues is unfiltered sunlight, a result of trampled plants and soil compaction, referred to as a ‘disturbed’ habitat.  A typical disturbed habitat is the edges of roads, lots of ‘weedy’ species grow there.
Going off-trail creates a disturbed habitat ready for weedy species.  

If we all play are parts to preserve areas from disturbance we will serve many generations to come, so continue to enjoy the gifts of Mother Nature by respectfully understanding the consequences of our collective behavior.

This is post is courtesy of an EverGreen Escape Artist -
Gretchen Graber - her bio can be found on our website:
http://evergreenescapes.com/our_knwledgeable_guides.asp More...

Here's the concept.

Now, I recently wrote about how there are no recycling programs in the Pacific Northwest that will take used carseats. But what I hadn’t begun to think of was all the environmental impacts that carseats actually have on our planet and our lives.

I found this excellent report called The Healthy Carseat Guide from The Ecology Center, an environmental non-profit in Michigan. The guide looks at the dangerous components that can be found in carseats including stuff like: bromine (used as fire retardant), chlorine (in the form of PVC), lead (as an additive to PVC) and heavy metals- including arsenic, chromium, cobalt, copper, nickel, mercury and tin. YIKES. If that isn’t enough to send you screaming to the hills, I don’t know what is. Luckily for us, the people at The Ecology Center tested over 60 different carseats for these possible chemicals and then did a ranking. More...

As my little one is quickly approaching the weight limit for his infant carseat, I began to think about these gigantic masses of plastic, foam and fabric that are taking up the entire backseat in my car. Until recently, carseats, if you happened to have one, were made of fabric and metal and could be placed anywhere in the car, front seat, back seat, no one really cared. I have plenty of friends who don’t even recall riding in them at all.

These days carseats weigh 10lbs or more, are usually tethered to the frame of the car and every state has some pretty tough laws enforcing their use. In Washington state, all kids under eight or under 4’9” must be in a child restraint system or the driver faces a fine of $112. Now, I am all for child safety, but I started to wonder, where do used carseats go? More...

With all the toy recalls of late and a drooling infant screaming in pain as his teeth come in, I have begun my search for a non-toxic, preferably non-plastic, teether. According to an article in Consumer Reports, I am in search of a teether that has...

“ ...polyvinyl chloride (PVC), commonly known as vinyl. PVC's soft texture is imparted by "plasticizing" chemicals. The plasticizer most widely used in teethers is DINP, a member of the phthalate family of chemicals. Administered to lab animals at high doses, DINP has caused cancer and damaged the liver, kidneys, and other organs.”
                       

But since most teethers, alas most baby items don’t list specific ingredients, I am going to avoid plastic all together, if I can. As usual, the local stores aren't of much help, so it's on to the web for some help. I found quite a few options, you just have to be prepared to pay upwards of $10, compared to the old plastic teether from the drug store that runs $3. Anyhow, here are some options. More...

Remember Ranger Rick? I sure do. I remember waiting each month for it to arrive and enjoying glossy pictures of animals that I had never seen before. I also loved the fact that I had a magazine just for me, well, for me and my brother.

Last year we set out to find a suitable magazine for our daughter, Star. Since Star had shown an affinity for animals and enjoyed our trips to our local nature center as well as the great classes for little kids at Tahoma Audubon, we thought it would be a nice monthly reminder for us all to take in a little more of the natural world.

The best magazine out there for the young set is published by the National Wildlife Federation- Your Big Backyard for ages 3-7. We enjoy Your Big Backyard because it has great pictures as well as stories and activities for kids and families. The magazine’s environmental messages are gentle, but they foster a love of nature that is really the seed to becoming aware of concepts like conservation and environmentalism. They also publish Animal Baby (ages 0-4) and Ranger Rick (ages 7 and up).

I also recommend our own Woodland Park Zoo’s @ the Zoo. It’s free with a membership and full of great stories about animals from around the world. If the cold weather keeps you away from the zoo (although winter is a great time to visit), you can always flip through your copies of @ the Zoo and plan your next visit.

You might also want to look at Zootles (ages 2-6) and Zoobooks (ages 5 and up). Each issue focuses on one animal and provides a variety of activities, stories and beautiful pictures.
 
There are some other potentially good magazines out there, but I have yet to get my hands on copies. Specifically, Cousteau Kids looks promising and what a great opportunity to revisit all those 70s Jaques Cousteau documentaries about aquatic life. And from the editors of Ladybug comes the magazine Click about the sciences, nature and the environment. Ladybug is a well-known, popular kid’s magazine so I would guess Click is a good bet too.

I’d also like to note that I plan on staying away from National Geographic publications for kids. I love the yellow-bordered glossy magazine for adults, but National Geographic Kids is full of advertisements for products like Pop Tarts and Fruit Loops, which don’t really belong in a kids’ nature magazine anyway.

If you are looking for a last minute waste-free gift, a subscription to one of these magazines would make a little one happy all year long.


Happy Reading More...

Over the last year, my husband and I have had the great fortune of participating in our first Northwest Earth Institute discussion group.  Over nine months we met with about ten other adults to work through the readings and discussions relating to their course called- Healthy Children, Healthy Planet. More...

I’ve always been a bit curious about these new gDiapers (Chinook Book coupon $2 off Starter Kit). No one I know uses them, so I decided to give them a trial run.  Using my five-month-old bambino as my tester, we picked up a Starter Pack from the local Fred Meyer.

Opening the box, you’ll find 2 outer covers, 4 inner diaper holders, a package of 10 diapers, dunk stick with suction hook and instruction book. So first off, let me say that the packaging is tidy. You don’t get extra plastic wrapping, just the basics, so as far as that goes, the product is super green. More...

Review by ecometro blogger Hillary Ryan. Read her blog Baby Greens at Seattle ecometro.com.

Eco-Me specialized in 100% do-it-yourself cleaning kits. They carry a line of cleaning kits to help people make their own natural, non-toxic, chemical-free products including: Eco-Me Home, Body, Baby, Dog and Cat. I was drawn to the product concept of 100% natural baby products made at home since so many baby items aren't as gentle on the skin as they could be. More...

With the holiday season rapidly approaching the number of catalogs arriving at our house seems to have tripled. I don’t know exactly what list we got on once we had kids, but despite our move those catalogs seem to find us. Recently my husband enrolled us in a service that will hopefully cut down on the pointless trip from mailbox to recycling bin 95% of our mail seems to take. More...