Tag Archive: Conservation

Importance and Benefit of Tree Surveys

An integral part of our flora and fauna, trees are an element in nature that is important for us to understand well. The best way to understand the trees that surround us is to hire professionals to come and conduct a tree survey. In this article we not only explore the reasons behind the
importance of tree surveys, but also the tangible benefits of them.

So why conduct a tree survey? If you’re in town planning or property development, looking for a mortgage approval, concerned with health and safety issues, or even environmental issues, tree surveys are a must.

TreeResearch

Those looking to buy property may not think initially to conduct a survey, but the truth is that anyone who doesn’t may soon wish they had.

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Travel Green to BlogHer ’10

In less than two weeks more than one-thousand bloggers of all ages, races and yes, sexes will descend on New York City. Ushered in on a cloud of anticipation, excitement and social media they will spend two days learning, connecting and yes, partying.

This year, as in years past, BlogHer is working to implement important green initiatives conference wide — an exciting development in and of itself — and paired with the cooperation of individual attendees and the coordinated efforts of every blogger who travels to the conference we can have an even greater impact on the environment for the better!

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On Saving Energy. And Bats.

Bats are an ongoing issue in our horse barn. It’s old and as such has numerous nooks and crannies through which they find their way in. So much so that the hay loft may as well be officially dubbed a bat hotel. As much as I loathe their presence, shudder when I hear their high-pitched squeals from above when I do chores I also appreciate their service. And so far, their keeping themselves confined to the loft and the great out doors and not venturing into my tack room.

Bats, as creepy as they may be, are a vital component in insect population control and living near a river and flood plain in a state known for it’s killer mosquito population I can readily appreciate their value.

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Freecycling Into 2009

The holidays are behind us, and we’re moving into the time of year when lots of people are facing the daunting twin tasks of finding places to put all the Christmas presents and getting ready to do some serious Spring cleaning.

If you’re like me, you may even have made a New Year’s resolution that seemed like a good idea at the time, but now seems a bit daunting: “Take care of the clutter problem.”

I suspect de-cluttering is harder for those of us who hate to add things to the waste stream. The thought of putting something into a landfill that someone else might get use out of is bothersome, but how do we find someone who needs or wants our old stuff?

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Around The Greenosphere: Weekly Link Roundup

Here are some favorite posts from elsewhere that had us thinking this week, to help start your weekend a bit greener.

Monday Doreen at Mom Goes Green posted on ridding our respective mailboxes of copious amounts of junk mail, and her post features multiple organizations who will help you do that easily and affordably.

Tuesday EcoGeek published an article on a new and unusual use for cocunut husks.

Is this really practical on a large scale? For those of us living in parts of the world where coconuts are limited to the grocery store, it’s hard to imagine. But in more equatorially located countries, coconuts are everywhere.

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Around The Greenosphere: Weekly Link Roundup

First things first! Don’t forget that you still have until 7pm EST on Sunday (December 7th) to enter the Home Depot Programmable Thermostat Giveway if you haven’t already. Don’t miss out!

It’s definitely the Giveway Season and Michelle has a handy-dandy way for you to stay a leg up on all the giveaway goodness with her Giveway Message Board, where there are myriad green products being offered for the winning.

One of the giveaways showcased on the aforementioned message board features clothing items for Wildlife Works, a San Francisco based company committed to animal conservation:

Founded in San Francisco in 1997, we are the world’s first business designed from the ground up around a consumer brand that stands for wildlife conservation.

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Does Anyone Want My Lexus? IGO Car Sharing!

Car payments, leases, insurance, gas, parking, washes, maintenance, I-Pass… it all adds up. Before you know it, you are in over your head. When I look at all the extras in owning our car, I always come back to the basic philosophy our family recently adopted. We want less.

However, this simple life strategy isn’t quick or easy to achieve. Take for example, the 2007 Lexus parked in our garage. Thank heavens it is leased so that in a couple months (don’t say years, it sounds too long) we can happily hand it back to the dealership and politely say no thank you to their pitch for the newest model.

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Is Walking Becoming Obsolete?

While I walked 20 miles each day for the Michigan Breast Cancer 3 day this weekend, I had a lot of time to look around and just think. One of my big realizations over the weekend was that we were the only ones walking around in the downtown, neighborhood and nature areas along our path.

Coming from living in downtown Chicago where we all walk around like crazy, it made me wonder. Let me clarify that I don’t think it has anything to do with Michigan suburbs. I actually think it has more to do with our country than anything. Take for example, the new campaign I saw for the first time last night as I cozied on the couch to rest my weary gams.

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I Jam, Therefore, I Am

If you happen to live in a place that has one solid outdoor growing season like I do, then the harvest is fast approaching. Here and there you’ve probably begun to pick a few things out of your garden already. Soon, though, your garden will be overflowing with produce and it will be a good idea to have your food preservation methods ready to go.

What? Preservation methods? I can’t just eat it all fresh?

You’re going find out quick that you cannot eat everything fresh out of your garden, and your friends might get tired of you popping by with baskets of offerings.

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We Are All Connected: The PlayStation War

Mountain Gorilla with babyWhile I certainly know that we are all connected, sometimes I forget. Not today. I was shaken out of my complacency today. I usually think I’m doing my best to go green and save the world, making solid choices, trying to consume less, and teaching my children to do the same. But, sometimes some story or event comes along and smacks you in the face, jolting you so much that you have to go out and do something. And thus, an advocate is born. Or hatched. Or created.

A story this week on Yahoo! Games regarding The Playstation War shook me out of my complacent, I’m-mostly-doing-good-in-the-world, minivan mom bliss.

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