Jane Goodall felt a strong bond to the animal world and Africa long before she traveled there as a young woman. Working hard as a secretary in England, Jane saved enough money to fund her first trip to Kenya. There she met the husband-and-wife team of Mary and Louis Leaky who were studying apes in the wild. In 1960, the Leaky’s gave Jane the opportunity of a lifetime: to go into the Gombe National Park, a remote jungle in Tanzania for a long term project to study chimpanzees. She was perfect for the job because she had no training as a scientist and would not make assumptions about the animals she would observe. Jane’s years spent in the jungle led to many ground breaking discoveries about chimps, and our relationship to nature. She was the first to observe chimpanzees using branches to dig termites out of their nest. This shattered the basic assumption that only humans made tools and used them for specific purposes, which was thought to be the great divide between us and animal world. She also discovered that chimps make plans that showed that they were aware of their actions and consequences. Like humans, chimps go to war, can experience awe, use certain plants for medicine, adopt orphaned infants, and are not vegetarian. She even discovered that chimpanzees use different sounds to speak a certain type of language. Before Jane’s discoveries, scientists did not believe animals had emotions or personalities. Jane’s research showed how closely related we are to the other animals on Earth and to the planet we share.

From the very beginning of her work in Africa, Jane realized that chimpanzees and other species were in danger. When she began her work in Tanzania in 1960, there were an estimated 2 million chimpanzees across Africa. By 2005, that number plummeted to 125,000, making them an endangered species. Very early in her work, Jane began campaign of speeches and writings to raise awareness of the threat we humans are to the animals of our planet. She has traveled all over the world raising awareness for the plight of the chimpanzees and has written more than thirty books. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which emphasizes the power of individuals to make a difference for all living things, and the Chimpanzee Guardian Project in Tanzania, which protects chimpanzees and their habitats. In 1991, Jane founded a grassroots organization for youth called Roots and Shoots that has grown to more than eight thousand groups in one hundred countries. The organization was founded on the belief that knowledge leads to compassion and that compassion leads to action. Jane also believes that people acting together are stronger than individuals working alone. Click here to learn more about Roots and Shoots and to see if their is a group in your community.

You’re always nagging your kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, but with our increasing understanding of the harmful health effects of pesticides it’s harder to do so with out some trepidation. Scientists now believe that even small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can be especially damaging during fetal development and early childhood. While the health benefits of eating a diet rich of fruits and veggies outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure, we all want to keep our kids as safe as possible. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a great Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides that makes for a handy list of which produce are low in pesticides and which to stay clear of, or better yet, buy organic.

You can download the guide here and be sure to check out the full list here.

What could be more fun than spending hours swinging outside on a tire swing? How about swinging on a tire swing the shape of a horse or a dragon!  Check out these very creative ways of recycling tires into all sort of fun shapes, like horses, dragons, reindeer, T-Rex, longhorn bulls, elephants, motorcycles, kangaroos, airplanes and even sharks!

If you are feeling creative, you can even make your own! Click here for a tutorial.

As the leaves turns from green to gold to crimson, and we pull out our sweaters to embrace the crisp fall air, we might not take notice of all the ways the world outside our window is also preparing for the cold months ahead. There are very obvious changes many of us do see, like leaves falling from trees or birds flying in formation overhead on their journey south, but what do you think you might see if you looked even closer?

A great way to really take notice of the season in transition is to select one square foot of nature to observe. Mark your little plot with a few sticks in the ground and string if you would like. Seek out the plant or animal life living within this world, and track the changes you notice over several weeks or months as fall turns into winter.

Somethings to keep your eye out for:

• What colors did you observe when you first looked at your tiny realm, and how did they change?
• What creatures did you find living there? Have any left or any come in?
• If there are any plants in your plot, how are they changing?
• What is the temperature of the ground when you started and when you finished your observation?

Bonus: Draw or take a few pictures of your little plot to document its transformation.

“I’ll give you my tuna fish sandwich if you give me your fruit roll-up.” Sound familiar? The old cafeteria game of swapperoo enters the virtual realm on a host of new swap websites where one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Websites such as Swap Tree, Swap Ace and Swap Bot help eco-minded people looking to give their things another chance at life while simultaneously reducing their own footprint by not buying new items. Reducing consumption is an great way to cut down on the use of raw materials and the energy used to manufacture them…not to mention lightening the load on landfills.

Let’s get swapping!

With the heat of the summer fully upon us, those of us lucky enough to have a garden or live near a farmer’s market are reaping the rewards of the summer harvest. Making snacks from fruit and veggies fresh from the garden is a great way to teach kids about where their food comes from…and may also be just the trick to get picky eaters to try new foods! Bring your kids along to the farmer’s market or the garden and discuss how vegetables and fruit are grown as you make your selection.

Try out these fresh from the garden recipes that your kids will not be able to resist!

Mini Pizzas

1 Tomato chopped

Several leaves of basil chopped

1 Tbsp Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Mozzarella or parmesan cheese

Several slices of toasted bread

Combine chopped tomatoes, basil and olive oil in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Place one spoonful of mixture on each slice of toast. Top with cheese and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbly.

Tip: Add any additional veggies as toppings to make your pizza even more nutritous!

Smoothies

Making smoothies is a great way of using up those items in your fridge that are in what I call the “use it or loose it” category. Creative combinations of fruit (frozen or fresh), juices, veggies, yogurt, milk, grains such as oat bran or wheat germ, sugar or honey, nuts and even peanut butter can make delicious blends of smoothies. If getting your child to eat vegetables is like negotiating peace in the middle east, try sneaking in some carrot or celery and chances are they will drink it up without batting an eye.

Try some of these recipes from KidsCookingActivities.com or simply invent your own!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 cups orange juice

1 banana, cut in pieces

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Add ingredients together in blender and blend until smooth.

Kiwi and Raspberry Smoothie

2 kiwis peeled and cut in half

1 cup raspberries

1 cup yogurt

½ cup milk

1/2 cup ice cubes

Add all together and blend until smooth.

Mango smoothie

2 soft mangoes

1 cup of milk

2 bananas

1/2 cup of strawberries

1/4 cup coconut (optional)

Add to blender and mix till smooth

Rachel Carson Wildlife Reserve

Hey Green Parents!

Summer vacation is here at last! As your kids embark on their three months of freedom, you can keep their minds, bodies and souls engaged by taking them to visit a wildlife refuge. Across the country, tucked away in Bayous and canyons, estuaries and marshes, hundreds of wildlife refuges are open to the public. These pristine sanctuaries are living and breathing classrooms of ecology and are a rare opportunity to see ecosystems in there unadulterated state.

I recently ventured to the southern Maine coast and visited the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is scattered along 50 miles of coastline, but accessible in the town of Wells. A well maintained trail guides visitors through woods and along the periphery of estuaries and salt marshes. Young visitors can observe migratory birds species nesting and listen to the reeds rustle along the banks of the salt marshes. This is a great opportunity to write and draw in a nature journal, play “I Spy” with native flora and fauna or learn about the local ecosystem.

To find a wildlife refuge in your area, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services website, and be sure to check out their ideas for visiting with kids.

Most food travels more than 1500 miles to get to you plate. That means a typical three–course meal, with each course containing at least one ingredient—plus cooking oils, herbs and spices—travels almost half way around the world before it ends up in your mouth. The ships, trucks, trains and planes that transport our food burn tremendous amounts of fossil fuels all along the way. The typical American meal contains, on average, ingredients from five or more countries outside the United States. Asparagus makes it’s way to your plate all the way from Peru. Bell peppers often come from The Netherlands, Clementines from Spain, and blueberries hail from as far way as Chile, Argentina and New Zealand!

Green Challenge: Become a localvore and eat locally

When you go to the supermarket, check the label to see where your food comes from. If it says that it comes from your state or a state that borders yours, that’s a great first step. But if you really want to make a difference, shop at a farmer’s market, where you will find fresh, healthy, locally grown food. And, chances are, you’ll get to meet the farmer who grew the food and have the added satisfaction of knowing you are supporting the families and farms in your community.

Check out this Seasonal Ingredient Map to see what’s fresh in your area.

Green Tip: You can really eat locally by growing a garden right at home. All you need is a little plot of land, a terrace, or even a windowsill will do.

Here are some tips for keeping your family protected from harmful rays all summer long:

• Avoid products with bug repellent. Mosquitos aren’t usually out in the heat of the day, and the mixture of the ingredients leads to greater amounts of the pesticide soaking through the skin.
• Check the bottle for an expiration date. Sunscreens that have been sitting around in your medicine cabinet for years won’t protect you from the sun’s rays.
• Avoid powder and spray sunscreens. Those nano-particles are more easily absorbed through your lungs than your skin.
• Avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone. In laboratory tests, oxybenzone has been shown to disrupt the endocrine system and release reactive oxygen species that could contribute to skin cancer. Up to 9% of oxybenzone applied to the skin absorbs into living tissues and blood vessels below the surface.
• Stay out of the midday sun. Summer sun is more intense between 10 AM and 4 PM.

EWG’s Top 3 rated beach and sport sunscreens:

• Soleo Organics Sunscreen Organic chemical free sunscreen, SPF 30+
• Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30
• Purple Prairie Botanicals Sun Stuff, SPF 30

To read more about sunscreens and to see how your favorite brand stacks up, visit EWG’s sunscreen guide.

On Earth Hour 2009, hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support for strong action on global warming by turning off their lights for one hour.

Earth Hour 2010 will take place on Saturday March 27th at 8:30 pm local time, and you are officially invited to take part! Join the global call to action and stand up and take responsibility with millions of individuals, businesses and communities around the globe. Iconic landmarks from Europe to Asia and across the Americas will be blanketed in darkness.

Click here to learn more and to sign up.

Little Green Blog Tip: Make Earth Hour a community event! Organize your school, classroom, church or community group to hunker down together for an hour by candlelight. This is also a great excuse for a sleepover with friends…imagine all the fun stories and games you and your friends can share in the dark!