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Greener Valentine’s Gifts

note

Saturday is Valentine’s day. Have you come up with a great gift idea?  It is a good time to remind those you love to live greener by giving them a greener gift.  Below are some are eleven gift ideas for your greener Valentine’s day. Include some information from your Cooperative Extension office…
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A Greener Valentine’s Day

valentine crica 1950

What can you do this year to show your love for both your “Valentine” and the earth? The first thing I think of is to REDUCE consumption. Just don’t give anyone anything this Valentine’s Day.  Of course, if you choose this way to green your Valentine’s Day you may end…
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Stopping Drafts in Your Home

cat door

Is your cat watching the warm air in your home leak out around the front door?  This infrared photo shows air leakage around the front door of my home. Does this look like your house? You don’t need an infrared camera to check to see if you have air leaking…
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Green Gift Giving Ideas

antler artwork

Is your house like mine and filled with stuff?  Lately I have been cleaning and trying to downsize.  I am finding things that I no longer use, but they are still in good condition and could be useful to someone else. Yes, I know I can donate things, but what…
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Living Greener here in the U.S.

We have been back from Australia for a little over a month now and time has flown by.  It is well past time for a new blog posting.   Our goal is to add something new about living greener at least once a month. There are several things we can all…
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How a Community Garden Preserves Local History

St Johns community garden sign

Lenah Links brings together community members from Lenah Valley, New Town and the surrounding communities to share their ideas on sustainability, transportation, local food production, and community dialog. The community members say the most important part of Lenah Links is that people are getting to know their neighbors. Lenah Links is a subgroup of Lenah…
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Chicken Barons

cohousing chicken barons

At the Hobart cohousing development there were designated “chicken barons.” What this means is that a single family was in charge of taking care of the chickens – everything from feeding them to gathering the eggs. Residents are encouraged to bring vegetable matter to feed to the chickens, and the…
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Tasmanian Honey Farm

Tasmanian honey farm

While in Tasmania, we visited a honey-making family from Huan Valley, outside of Hobart. Their farm is near Huonville and they have a little store called The Honey Pot. The Honey Pot is owned and run by local Huon Valley beekeepers and it has a wonderful range of delicious Tasmanian…
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University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne: Pet watering

While visiting with four colleagues (Kate Archdeacon, Che Biggs, Jessica Bird, and Kes McCormick) from the University of Melbourne we were able to learn about their efforts to achieve sustainability at the University. Their goal is to develop guiding principals, which will frame the Environmental Policy and outline environmental sustainability strategies for the University –…
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World’s Smallest Trashcan

Holding smallest trash

What happens when you produce such little waste that the majority of what you no longer need is recyclable or compostable? This trashcan: This is the trash can employees at the University of Melbourne have for all things that are not recyclable or compostable. Now that’s something to be proud of!
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Can I Recycle That?

Earth911 sign

You probably can! I recently discovered this great article outlining “10 Things You Never Knew Were Recyclable” on Earth911.com, and there are some great options listed: -Crayons -Keys And, yes -Hair! How else do you think they clean up dangerous oil spills? And it’s great for composting! Give it a…
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Biophilic Design

Biophilic Design suggests that suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems. We heard much at the Healthy Building Conference about the need to rethink our living spaces – beyond community gardens, bike paths, and public transport – though each idea is important it…
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St. Kilda’s Community Garden

Melbourne St Kilda garden

St. Kilda’s “Veg Out” Community Garden is built on the site of the old St. Kilda Bowling Club in the Port Phillip Council area. The facilities are also home to artist studios, rented on a month to month basis, with garden plots are rented for a $100 annually. The site…
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Northey Street Permaculture Garden

Northey Street City Farm is a non-profit community organisation situated on the banks of Brisbane’s Breakfast Creek in Windsor. More than 1500 exotic and native fruit trees, bushtucker plants, shrubs and ground covers have been planted on the four hectare farm site since its inception in April 1994. The farm…
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A Hotel that Turns the Lights Off when You Leave

Pam turns the light off

The hotel where we are staying is very interesting! Single beds, low to the ground and a compact shower. I do think folks in the US could look at using one idea that this hotel employs: liquid toiletry dispensers! Not constantly giving out little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and…
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