What's Around the Corner?

I usually don't like to think about the new school year until about 24 hours before it starts, as my children are usually the first to go back - well before Labor Day - in the sweltering, humid days of August in Chicago.

But I've been thinking about the next school year for weeks now, for a few reasons, but  mostly because I am determined this will be the greenest school year ever, not only for my family, but also for our school.

When my children started attending elementary school there was no Earth Day celebration and every once in a while someone would ask me, "what are you planning for Earth Day?" Of course, as a Green Business Owner that's usually my busiest time of year and I am no where near the school or available.

However, this past year we held our first Earth Day Celebration with the help of the 7th grade science class. It was a great event and I was really honored to work with and talk with all the students.

This year I am determined to have multiple events. And as these events take planning, I am thinking about them and about school.

I think the following events are great learning opportunities for children, and I thought I would share them with you as maybe you don't know about these special days and would at least want them on your calendar, so you can attend an event or plan one yourself!

Green Halloween (Sept/Oct)
Food Day (October 24)
America Recycles Day (November 15)
World Water Day (March 22)
Earth Day (April 22)

Beyond these events, I'm also interested in having a green school year. That inspired me to write a small article for the August issue of Mindful Metropolis on some simple ways to have a greener school year.

Do you know any other events everyone should know about? Please leave them in the comments.

Thanks for caring about the environment and each other!

Green Business Owners You Should Know

Last month RECYCLE ME joined many other local green business and organizations at the North Lake Shore Community Earth Day 2010 event on the Loyola Campus.

We were fortunate enough to run into two of our favorite Green Business Owners: Marilyn Jones with Consolidated Printing from Chicago and Kathleen H. of Distinctive Green Interiors and Local Green Connect from Elgin.

Both woman are doing, and have been doing, wonderful things for the environment for years. Marilyn is the owner of the award winning Consolidated Printing who has been pioneering green printing since the 1970s. Check out their recent interview with NBC5 here.

Kathleen has got to be one of the busiest environmental proponents I know. Just this week she planted a 400 oak tree forest in Elgin. She heads up Distinctive Green Interiors helping people create eco responsible homes. She's amazing at connecting people and developing eco programs for businesses, schools, you name it!

So glad to know them both. And I hope you can check them both out as they are true (local) Green Business Owners making a difference in their communities and for the planet!

Earth Day Sales and Promotions from Green Businesses!

Here is a list of ongoing promotions for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day from Green Businesses approved by Green America:




Green Goddess Earth Day promotion for Face Care Sampler Kits - Code: ED2010
www.gardenofeve.com

Organic Grace has several items for the home on sale this month. For a full listing see:
www.organicgrace.com

Eco Options Ltd. is have a 15% off sale all month. For more information on their products see:
http://www.greeniscool.biz

For 15% off organic skin care options, April 19 - 21st please visit:
http://www.auroranova.com

For a great sale on healthy cleaning products visit Liz Amason's website

For the BEST price ever on wood drying racks, APRIL 17TH ONLY visit Real Green Goods at
www.realgreengoods.com

For organic and eco friendly baked goods visit: Trulywize.com

Please join in the April Auction for Charity with the EcoEtsy Team

Nurture Your Body for 22% off all week long with Patty and Rich at Nurture My Body

And Lovely Bums is have some lovely promotions on their website.

And remember your friends at Recycle Me, with free shipping and 10% off all items!

RECYCLE ME Trivia Challenge and T-Shirt Giveaway! Test your EQ.

Week 7 and our final trivia challenge to test your environmental knowledge or EQ. Answer correctly and you can win a 100% organic cotton I AM GREEN shirt from RECYCLE ME.

This week's Trivia Challenge is focused on Earth Day!

QUESTIONS:

1. When was the first Earth Day celebrated, day, month, and year?

2. Who founded the original Earth Day and why?

3. When do we celebrate Earth Day in the United States and who chose this date?

RULES:

1. Send answers to contact@recyclemeorganictees.com Monday through Thursday (CST) with the heading "contest entry."

2. No entries will be accepted after Thursday.

3. Only one entry per person will be accepted.

4. Entrents who answer correctly will be entered into a drawing for a free shirt.

5. No Rainchecks. Winner is allowed to choose from any I AM GREEN shirt in stock.

6. Must be over 18 and a resident of the U.S. or Canada.

7. Relatives of RECYCLE ME partners/employees are not elligible. This includes parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, first cousins, nieces and nephews.

The winner will receive a 100% organic cotton "I AM GREEN" t-shirt, preshrunk, USA grown and sewn, with water based dyes and inks. A t-shirt you can be proud to wear on Earth Day and every day. A t-shirt you can feel good about!

Books for Earth Day

Here is a list of books for different ages that are good to read anytime, but especially around Earth Day:

1. Silent Spring, Rachel Carson. 1962. Called the leader of the modern environmental movement, Rachel Carson was a Biologist and a Writer who was driven to write Silent Spring because of her concern of the overuse of pesticides. A must read.

2. A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold. 1949. Considered by many as the father of wildlife management and of the United States’ wilderness system, Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer, and outdoor enthusiast.

3. Anything by E. O. Wilson.

4. The Green Thoreau. 1992. And Walden, Henry David Thoreau. 1854. Thoreau was an American author, poet, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher, and leading transcendentalist.

5. What's It Like Living Green? Kids Teaching Kids, by the Way They Live, Jill Ammon Vanderwood. 2009. Everyone's talking about being green but who's really living it? Find out in this brand new book that highlights kids from around the country and the things they do for the environment.

6. Green Sugar Press: Environmental Books for Kids. An Environmental Guide from A to Z (8 - 13); Earl the Earthworm Digs for His Life (5 - 9); N is for Nature: An Environmental Alphabet Book (2 - 6). 2009. Green Sugar Press’ children’s books deliver words and images to spark instincts already in kids—that desire to get outside and wander, wonder, dig and climb. They encourage kids to be kids: exploring, examining and investigating the natural world around them. For lifelong dividends, get your kids hooked on nature.

7. There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story, Gary Larson. 1999. Just a humorous classic for a little science and fun as always.

I can't pick a favorite, but I will say that for over a decade I've been carrying The Green Thoreau out into nature on April 22nd to reflect. We all have our traditions. If you have any other essentials please comment and let us know what else we should be reading!