Eco-Active Family

This piece originally appeared in my Green and Simple column on the Old Town Alexandria Patch. How pushing through an irrational fear of bugs led me to become a naturalist and connect on a deeper level with the natural world. For the past several weeks I have been taking weekly classes as part of the Arlington Regional [...]

This piece originally appeared in my Green and Simple column on the Old Town Alexandria Patch.   Although Halloween is less than two weeks away, it is not too late to green your Halloween. Here are a few tips and resources for Eco-friendly fall fun. COSTUMES When I was a kid, our family always made Halloween costumes [...]

This piece originally appeared in my Green and Simple column on the Old Town Alexandria Patch. School is almost out for my girls and my son will likely have an abbreviated summer schedule at his year-round preschool. We have been getting ready for summer fun and recently upgraded our water-toting gear. We have been using reusable water [...]

This piece originally appeared in my Green and Simple column on the Old Town Alexandria Patch. When I was a kid growing up in Massachusetts, my parents always planted a garden. Because we lived in a rural area, we had a sizable yard and a generously sized garden with rows and rows of plantings. We grew tomatoes, [...]

A decrease in the amount of trash being discarded in landfills was an early indicator of the recession. ‘The trash man is the first to know …’

How do you involve your kids your efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle?

In our never-ending quest to have a more positive planetary impact, I’m constantly looking for ways to reduce waste, especially on the front end, before stuff even comes into our home. And, often, it isn’t until after the stuff has come in that it shows up on our radar. Cheap plastic toys and games from fast food restaurants are a prime example.