Memorial Day Events: How to Be a Superhero for Planet Earth!

This Monday kids can find inspiration and empowerment at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum at the FREE workshop, "How to Be a Superhero for Planet Earth!" Register Here.

For kids from Kindergarten to 3rd grade, this workshop is a fun and interactive way to teach kids how they can make a difference for the planet through their everyday actions. They listen to a story, play games, and take home their own Action Plan to remind them how many ways they can make a difference and help the planet.

What's unique about this program is it focuses on what the children can do themselves. This isn't a project for parents with plans to create compost centers, rain gardens, or renewable energy systems at home.

Alexandra Gnoske, mother of three and Environmental Expert, designed "How to Be a Superhero for Planet Earth," so kids could be environmentalists with or without their parents. "We live in a busy time and parents aren't always available," says Gnoske. "I certainly can't do everything with my kids or have time for them to do all the things they are interested in."

So Gnoske devised a way for kids to do it on their own. Empower and inspire them. She shows them that no matter how young they are, their actions make a difference to the planet and wildlife and there are many things they can do without help. To reinforce this, she sends them home with an Action Plan and has them sign up for CLUB LOUI, a monthly newsletter aimed at kids and their families with an eco-tip of the month and information on eco friendly activities and sales in the Chicagoland area.

Well, admittedly most Kindergartners don't have email accounts and aren't tech savvy. But it's a start. We need this generation to get it, whether their parents do or not.

World Turtle Day - 2011

You may not know it, but Monday, May 23rd, is World Turtle Day. And this isn't even the first year!

World Turtle Day began in 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue in an effort to bring attention to and educate people about turtles and tortoises. It is also a day to encourage people to help turtles and tortoises thrive and survive.

So how can you help? 

No matter where in the world you live, your everyday actions are affecting turtles and tortoises. Everything you put on the land ends up in the water. So here are a few simple things you can do to help them "thrive and survive":

1. Cut up anything and everything with a circle or hole, before it goes in the recycling or garbage. Example; nets and bags for fruit, handles on plastic bags, six pack and multi pack plastic rings. We don't want these items to get caught on and hurt our turtles.

2. Recycle. Find a way to get your plastic into a recycling facility and out of the landfill where it is more likely to end up in a waterway.

3. Use reusable bags wherever you go! Don't just bring them to the grocery store, take them everywhere. In other words, give up the plastic bag. Even when you cut up plastic so it doesn't get caught on turtles, they still may eat plastic. It looks a lot like their food - jelly fish and squid.

4. Don't Litter! Most litter ends up in the water, and it eventually flows into the ocean.

5. Pick up litter. This can be messy so it's best to have some gloves. But sometimes you find yourself facing litter when it's not a planned pick up. Make sure you wash your hands. You are doing everyone a favor when you pick up litter.

Some Local Celebrations

1. Meet 14 different species of turtles at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago on Sunday, May 22nd.

2. Enjoy a discount on organic cotton produce bags at Peaceful Parlour in Geneva, IL to celebrate World Turtle Day!

Thank you for caring about turtles, tortoises, and everyone on the planet! You are a great example and more people will care because they see you care.