Sweet Greens

As part of the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas program – tomorrow, Eben and I, along with his middle school classmates and families, will be participating in the Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup. (Which we participate in every year!) This year’s Cleanup will have even greater significance with the anticipation of possible Japan tsunami debris on the West Coast.

Ocean Conservancy hopes to compare data collected this year to historical numbers – adding efforts from various sectors – including NOAA and other federal and state agencies, the military, local businesses and nonprofit organizations.

I will snap photos and share the data that we collect tomorrow with you early next week. The statistics from the 2011 International Coastal Cleanup is startling – “Nearly 600,000 people (598,076) picked up more than nine million pounds of trash (9,184,427) along over 20,000 miles of coastlines (20,775).”

Will you be joining us for the coastal cleanup? What area will you be cleaning up?

— The photo was taken on our last trip to the Florida Keys!

It’s back to school time, which means you have a list of essentials that your child will need for the upcoming school year. If you hit the big box store with your school supply list in hand, you may feel overwhelmed considering the environmental and health impact that items such as; bleach disinfectant wipes, plastic binders and petroleum based crayons. Don’t fret – you can find a fantastic selection of eco-friendly back to school essentials that are good for the environment and your children. Jump over to Applegate to learn my 7 favorite eco-friendly back to school essentials and get shopping!

photo credit mDrX via Applegate

Living a green lifestyle isn’t just something my family does on the home front. We carry our eco ideals throughout every facet of our lives, which includes school and the office. My family is very passionate about recycling, composting, buying organics, making our own cleaning supplies, and upcycling. However, since many places we frequent don’t share our eco-values, it can be difficult to remain sustainably-minded when we venture outside of our home.

Now that kids are spending the bulk of their time in school, I’m highlighting several ways to encourage your children to incorporate their sustainable lifestyle into their daily routine in the classroom and on campus. Their efforts will inspire others to examine their carbon footprint, and they’ll make a large impact on preserving the environment. Jump over to Inhabitots for my five great ways for your children to go green at school.

photo credit via Inhabitots

Eben is finishing up his third week of middle school! And I just remembered that I never told you about circus training. The first week of school, Eben’s teacher focuses on bonding the class through conversations, group activities, and closes the week with a bonding trip. This year, the bonding trip was circus training at the South Florida Circus Arts School. The children spent the day learning performing acts – both aerial and ground. I think the trip was really fantastic for Eben – he even tried the trapeze!

I love the idea of bonding with my classmates and teachers in middle school – especially if it involves circus training.

Does your child’s school take bonding trips?

photo via South Florida Circus Art School