2012: Days to Remember

We are almost in our 3rd month of 2012! I can't believe it's almost March. Earlier today I was thinking about what "Peace" means and realized I should mark my calendar for the International Day of Peace.

On that note I thought I should make a list of all important dates for the year to make sure I remember them. So I hope this helps you too!

World Read Aloud Day: Wednesday, March 7th, 2012
World Water Day: Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
Earth Hour: Saturday, March 31st, 2012 8:30pm
Earth Day: Sunday, April 22nd, 2012
World Turtle Day: Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
International Day of Peace: Friday, September 21st, 2012
Green Halloween: Varies - Include National Costume Swap.
Food Day: Sunday, October 14th, 2012
America Recycles Day: Thursday, November 15th, 2012
End of the World: Friday, December 21st, 2012 (THAT IS JUST A JOKE!)

This should keep you on your toes. Now you can look for an event to join or share in the celebration, or plan your own event. Have a great year! I look forward to sharing with you and hearing about yours.

Alexandra Gnoske is a writer, blogger, author and nature lover. You can email her at agnoske@gmail.com

We helped 404 on our first day - OneSight in India

We helped 404 on our first day - North America

Click the link to read the blog post from OneSight - on their first day in India :)

What is OneSight?

I posted earlier this month about the amazing opportunity I received to go on a 2 week global clinic to The Gambia this May with OneSight.

What is OneSight anyway? They are a charitable organization (through the Luxxotica Foundation) that travels all over the world and the continental United States helping people see. They do this through their well trained volunteers and the regional and global clinics they have been hosting for several years. Since 1988, these charitable efforts have provided free vision care and eyewear to more than eight million people and have granted millions of dollars towards optical research and education.

OneSight provides several temporary global and regional clinics a year, as well as helping patients through local community outreach programs. You can help by donating money, new frames or gently used glasses.

Unfortunately what is considered used and then thrown away in the United States is often in quite good shape for other people around the world. I always try to find a way to extend the life of the things we buy. Last year I found Soles for Jesus, a great organization up in Milwuakee, WI., and was able to collect about 500 pairs of shoes for them to take to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They are there now and you can see many wonderful pictures on their facebook page.

You can also find out more about what people are doing at the OneSight clinics by visiting the OneSight blog.

I will be posting as much as I can about the experience. I hope you follow.

Alexandra Gnoske is a writer, author, blogger and nature lover.

The Great Outdoors 2012

I know there's a blizzard outside - at least in Chicago there is.

Female American Kestrel, our smallest falcon

But I can't help thinking about the great outdoors today. Because of the unusual weather this winter the bulbs are already popping through the soil and the birds are singing (well they were singing a couple of days ago). I even saw a female Kestrel setting up her nest by the church on Thursday. So I'm all worked up about getting ready for Spring - from planting seeds in the window box, to fixing up the strawberry patch, getting the outdoor compost going again, and planning my birding excursions for Spring Migration. Spring is on my mind...and getting outdoors!

(I had my hands in the worm compost the other day too - there's nothing like fresh soil to get your head into the mindset of Spring.)

I just finished this great book - "To See Every Bird on Earth" by Dan Koppel about his father's birding obsession. He was a big lister and saw over 7,000 different species of birds. Then I watched "The Big Year" with Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson all competing to see the most birds in one calendar year...I am so excited for Spring! If you you love birds and are all bundled up this weekend, pick up the book or movie, for some great entertainment and inspiration.

Me, I could never be a big lister - or competitive about birding. I love being outside so much but it puts me in a peaceful mood and I slow down for the moment. I can't imagine racing around and turning away from a bird once identified to chase another...although I do like seeing as many birds as I can. I enjoy a stillness, a oneness with nature.

Whether you can feel it or not, Spring is around the corner. So clean those trowels and get those starter seeds ready. The birds are already preparing! Get ready for the Great Outdoors.

The Kim and Alix Show: now on Facebook

I've had this friend for over 25 years. You may have seen her or heard about her in some of my posts. Kim, Kimberly, eco Vampire. She started out as my friend some time in 7th grade. Since then we've shared friendship, love, loss, births, weddings, failure, food, business, success and parenthood. 

Alix and Kim and kids at Montrose Harbor, bird-watching.

Now we are sharing the other side of 40.  We decided to start a Facebook page to share with others what we've learned and are still learning. It's called "The Kim and Alix Show" - which comes from the fun we have and how we share that fun with others where ever we go...(just ask anyone who had a booth next to us at any green event we attended over the last four years).

Life is joyous, constantly changing, and hopefully we are creating and growing as we all go along. Kim and I are learning new things almost everyday from life and each other. We really wanted to share that.

Just this past week we attended a mediation class at Solay Wellness in Skokie, hosted by Maggie Wilkins of One Heart. It was so much fun and we learned a lot so we are going back, February 12th for Maggie's workshop. What will we discover? I am so curious to find out. I'm sure you will be able to find out through our Facebook page.

What a grand adventure life is. Join us for some fun...and I'm sure some amazing recipes that are wonderfully healthy (as Kim is a total foodie!)...as we like to say "Think and Grow Happy!"

99 Days to The Gambia

When my employer at Spitfire Sunglass Design (USA) Inc. (Spitfire) told me I was invited to join OneSight at one of their global clinics this year I was in a state of disbelief. Their clinics for 2012 are in Chile, India, Thailand, The Gambia, South Africa, and Mexico.

OneSight Patient

If you knew me as a child, teenager, or college student you would know how much I wanted to go to Africa, how much I wanted to be like Jane Goodall and study wildlife in Africa. That was my plan in general since 4th grade - I thought I'd get a PhD. in Wildlife Biology and work in Africa.

Well, for those who knew me after college (and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology), it's possible Africa and a PhD. in Wildlife Biology wasn't something they'd associate with me. After working on an amazing field study in the Great Plains, collecting prairie plants and counting prairie-dogs, I felt I was almost wasting my time, playing, enjoying myself as a scientist - and I couldn't see how I'd really be able to conserve wildlife and the places I loved.

Malachite Kingfisher in The Gambia

So I moved on to law school, where I thought I'd find a path with more power to help wildlife. I received a Juris Doctorate in Law with a focus on Environmental Law, but came directly back to Chicago after graduation for a sick family member. What happened next was unexpected - marriage to my 3rd grade crush and three children.

I don't regret any of my decisions. I let go of Africa. I never thought of it as a place to visit. I only wanted to go there as a scientist.  I've been working for four years at Spitfire, enjoying the challenges of running a business, and enjoying the flexible hours (did I mention I have 3 kids?).

Some people ask, why aren't you doing something else, something bigger, something where you can use your degrees? (I have published a children's book, ran a small business for 3 years, and I do some writing and speaking - but I guess they mean a full time job).

Now I've received the coolest opportunity - not because of what I did personally either. My employer donated over 4,000 sunglasses/frames to OneSight in 2011. But she knows how I feel about Africa. And now I'm joining OneSight at a clinic in Africa. I'm scheduled to go to The Gambia in 99 days. I've applied for my first passport and already found out that The Gambia has some of the best birding anywhere (did I mention I love birding?).

Serekunda Market

What's amazing is this opportunity, not only to go to Africa, but to go with a purpose, to work, to help. That's very similar to my original goal I came up with decades ago. It's only for two weeks, but it's so much more. It's more than fulfilling a dream. It is, I feel, the very beginning of a dream being realized.

While I may continue to post on other green events, issues, and funny stories, my focus has turned to Africa and I hope you will join me over the next several months - on my journey as I prepare and then learn what I discover when I get there.

Alexandra Gnoske is a writer, blogger, author, and lover of nature.