Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category

Young Environmentalists Network

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Today’s post comes from Charles Orgbon, a junior in high school and founder of Greening Forward.

I grew up in a rural community where I spent much of my time on my family’s farm until I moved to the suburban community of Gwinnett County. However, I brought much of my appreciation for nature with me during this move. Troubled by my school’s littering problem and lack of environmental concern, I formed a student action team. Although we made a difference, I soon wanted to do more. I wanted to empower other youth to start their own environmental groups.

This was the brainstorm behind Greening Forward, an organization that I founded that now offers mini-grants, recognition, civic engagement curricula, skill-building workshops and an online platform for idea sharing for other young environmental changemakers. I started with just a few friends, a few people who agreed that litter wasn’t OK. We picked up trash and planted a garden. We hosted pep rallies and soon other young people at other schools noticed. Today, the network has grown to more than 500 youth in three countries who have recycled more than 20 tons of waste, saved 86,000 gallons of water, and planted 72 trees thanks to Greening Forward’s help.

Our latest project involves creating the Young Environmentalists Network on Facebook. The shows how young people’s (ages 5-25) captivating energy and intrinsic creativity power movements for environmental protection. As these young environmental leaders connect with one another they create an online network full of professional and personal resources. This networking allows youth to develop connections, explore opportunities, reflect on experiences and spread new ideas that each member can add to their arsenal of changemaking resources.

The Young Environmentalists Network especially highlights the unique challenges that the 21st century environmentalist has to face. Unlike many sectors, environmentalism is an interdisciplinary field. The Young Environmentalists Network combines people from all of these areas in the environmental sector into one forum. The experts in policy, education, science and communications come together to learn how can we support the global environmental movement together. That’s what’s most inspiring about the network.

I hope that our movement will be recognized for helping to change the culture of our society. As young people, our voice needs to be heard. It needs to serve as an authentic voice in the decision-making process. I challenge you to go out into your community and find the issues, bring light to them and let your voice be heard. No matter who you are and where you have come from, you can make your mark on the world. You can be a Community Action Hero.

I invite you to and become an environmental community action hero and connect with me on Twitter .

This summer you can make your mark on the world and inspire others to do the same through generationOn’s Community Action Heroes summer program! Visit communityactionheroes.generationon.org to find out more about how you can become a community action hero the range of youth service projects you can get involved in, as well as the national recognition and prizes that you can win for your creativity and effort.

Charles is a junior at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Ga. Charles founded an international movement of Earth Savers Clubs through his nonprofit, Greening Forward. Charles is a member of the 2011 PARADE All-America High School Service Team, an award recognizing outstanding young service leaders in association with Parade Magazine and in partnership with generationOn, the global youth enterprise of Points of Light. Charles invites readers to connect with Greening Forward or via . Charles champions the environment making him a hero for planet earth.

Action Heroes Needed!

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Today is a BIG day for youth service! “Why?” you ask. July 2nd is the beginning of generationOn’s summer youth service campaign, Community Action Heroes. In partnership with Hasbro, generationOn wants parents to teach their kids or teens the importance of serving their communities.

Summer is the perfect time to get kids involved in volunteerism with all the extra time they have on their hands! GenerationOn will rally thousands of youth volunteers to become active heroes within their community.

How does it work? Interested parents and youth can access the Community Action Hero application through the generationOn website. Kids can choose a challenge team and project ideas. Once a pledge is made, kids can also challenge their friends to be heroes through the use of social media. Once the challenge is met, kids can share their projects through video, essays, or pictures to inspire other youth. All participants will receive a certificate of completion after the project as well!

What issues can your kid pledge to volunteer for?

  • Animals: Five to seven million animals are rescued by shelters annually. Your child can help animals in the community by donating cat or dog food, bathing and playing with shelter animals, cleaning a dog park, raising money for guide dog training, creating emergency preparedness packs for pets, raising money for animal shelters, etc.
  • Literacy: Although summer is a great time to catch up on a new book, many kids do not have access to reading materials in their community. Kids can make a big difference for their neighbors by writing letters to policy makers asking to make education a priority, reading to other children, holding a book drive, organizing a book fair benefit, etc.
  • Health: Summer is a great time to be active outside, but unfortunately not all kids are healthy enough to play outside. Your child or teen can be a hero for sick children by making a lemonade stand, making books to make a smile, bingo at a senior home, anti-bullying posters, toy drives, etc.
  • Environment: No matter your age or size, we all have the power to improve our environment. Your child or teen can learn the value of helping the environment by getting his or her household to use eco-friendly cleaner, cleaning up a park or nature walk, hosting a green thumb party, cleaning up a lake or river, starting a recycling program, etc.
  • Homelessness: 770,000 homeless children are currently enrolled in United States public schools; the summer time is even harder because they do not have the safety of a school. Your child or teen can get involved in solving this important problem by making a work of art for a shelter, making a pillow buddy, hosting a princess party to collect fairytale books, making health kits, collecting school supplies boxes, advocating for the homeless, etc.
  • Hunger: Although summer is a special time for certain seasonal meal favorites, many kids do not receive their proper nutrients because they do not get school lunches in the summer. Your child or teen can be a hero for hungry children by participating in meals on wheels, making lunches, sharing extra food from their garden, hosting a fundraiser event to tackle hunger, etc.
  • Military: Our military men and women volunteer their lives daily to better our country, Your child or teen can show his or her gratitude to military servicemen  and veterans by making care packages, sending letters, sending them fun items to bring a smile, hosting a veterans’ dinner, interviewing and sharing a veteran’s story with the Library or Congress, etc.
  • Emergency prep: Summer is a time to relax, but is also a time for many heat related disasters and emergencies. Be a hero in your community and get others prepared by providing hurricane victims with essential items, collecting smoke detector batteries, making and delivering first aid kits, raise awareness about summer emergencies, providing homeless shelters with evacuation plans, etc.

The world needs more action heroes, are you up to the challenge? We hope that your children will make the pledge to accept one of these eight hero challenges to better his or her community!

Check out generationOn, the youth volunteer enterprise of Point of Light, to learn more about the Community Action Hero Challenge.

Colorado Needs Our Time, Talent, and Donations

Friday, June 29th, 2012

This past week has been a difficult one for Colorado residents. Large wildfires and high temperatures have destroyed thousands of homes, forcing residents to evacuate their communities to find safe shelter. Although many people and organizations are helping the relief efforts, they still need more help!

How can you get involved in helping Colorado and the rest of the Rocky Mountain region during this hard time? Volunteer your time and efforts to helping neighbors!

  • Have some spare change? Any monetary amount will be greatly appreciated by the volunteer organizations that are currently assisting emergency efforts. Financial donations allow organizations to purchase exactly what they need to ensure proper assistance. No organization is preferred over another; choose one that you are particularly drawn to.
  • Donate your time to a volunteer organization: Organizations such as the Red Cross, the Humane Society, and the Salvation Army are already stationed in the Colorado Springs area. Do not come unexpectedly to these areas for safety reasons. Sign up to help efforts when volunteers are needed.
  • Material donations are a great way to help! The surrounding county volunteer organizations are asking for very specific donations at this time. The list includes:
    • Meal donations from restaurants
    • Donations from rental properties for displaced individuals
    • New batteries
    • New underwear and socks
    • Furniture
    • Water bottles
    • Chain saws
    • New pots and pans
    • Generators
    • Work boots

More ideas for donation needs can be found here.

  • Hold a yard sale or charitable event: Either event is a great way to get your local community involved in relief efforts. Get your neighbors together for a yard sale to help raise money for the victims and Colorado. A charitable event is a fun way to raid awareness for the disaster, while getting much needed donations for voluntary efforts.
  • Hold a blood drive: It’s easy! Contact the Red Cross about holding a blood drive at your workplace, school, church, or other community center. Donating blood is a great way to give the much needed gift of life to your neighbors!

Colorado needs our help at this time. Come together with your community and help support them in their efforts.

Do you want to learn more about The High Park Fire? Check out Help Colorado Now for up-to-date volunteer information and residential needs. Our Colorado Action Center, United Way of Larimer County is a great resource for interested volunteers, as well.

Plan A Serve-A-Thon for the Earth!

Friday, June 15th, 2012

Are you looking for creative ways to engage volunteers, respond to community needs, and raise money for a good cause? Consider a serve-a-thon!

Similar to walk-a-thons, serve-a-thons use a team-based approach to raise money for a designated cause. Participants secure sponsors who pledge to support their service, usually based on the number of hours served.

Here are a few steps to guide you in planning an environmentally based serve-a-thon.

Develop a plan. Form a committee you help manage the neighborhood cleanup project. State a specific purpose (i.e., clean up the local park, raise money for a specific cause/organization). Create a timeline and plan for implementing your ideas, and get the word out.

Build your teams. Team leaders recruit 6-12 friends, family members, coworkers, or others for their teams. They can even create team names to be included on the event t-shirt. Each member will be responsible for a minimum donation.

Set a location. Identify an area to clean up – a road, a series of roads, a park, a school, etc. Check the area for appropriateness before assigning teams to serve in that area. Ask your local government for recommendations of roads/areas that need to be cleaned. Don’t be afraid to ask if they will pick up the trash and recyclables you collect!

Secure resources. Buy or get in-kind donations of needed supplies, including trash bags, gloves, and hand sanitizer.

Keep your fundraising goal in mind. Make sure all teams are well informed, empowered, and equipped to fundraise. You want them to feel comfortable asking for pledges. Remind team members that they are giving people an opportunity to support a specific cause while beautifying the community, You can also take advantage of online fundraising tools such as Crowdrise or First Giving.

Review last minute details and communicate with volunteers. Ensure volunteers have project details, such as time and location, and that materials are ready. Educate volunteers about acceptable recyclable items (click here for a project playbook that includes an environmental service learning activity for youth!), and encourage them to be aware of safety at all times.

Collect donations and trash! Have teams collect all donations so they can be compiled and given to the cause or organization of choice. Lead your team in a safe and fun environmental project. Remember to separate trash from recyclables!

Recognize volunteers and celebrate. Thank volunteers for their work and for the donations collected. You may want to recognize the top fundraisers and/or the team that collects the most trash/recyclables.

Reflect and learn. As with any service project, take time to reflect on the experience, the impact of the project on the community, and what you learned about yourself, the issue, or the community.

Give your dad the gift of volunteering this Father’s Day!

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

Give your dad the gift of volunteering this Father’s Day! This Sunday is Father’s Day, and what better way to spend time with your father than by volunteering with your dad! Here are 5 ways to volunteer with your dad on father’s day!

 

  1. Celebrate Father’s Day by volunteering with your kids at a community garden. This is a great way to spend the day outdoors doing community service while bonding with your friends & family. You and your dad ca plant seeds, turn compost, and dig in the dirt.  Remember to bring all your banana peels, apple cores, any rotting lettuce you forgot was in the refrigerator, tops of carrots or peppers that you cut from your dinner preparations, and coffee grounds from your breakfast to also help feed the compost system.
  2. Celebrate all the fathers in your community by delivering donuts! That’s right, donuts are the ultimate comfort food and a pleasant way to say thank you to all the dads in your neighborhood. I’m pretty sure they’ll love this simple treat this father’s day.
  3. Looking for a way to have fun and do good at the same time? Do a Father’s Day 5K and 10K race. Volunteer opportunities include: Registration,  Split Timers – calling out times to runners as they pass by your assigned mile marker, Water Stop – fill cups of water, hand to runners, clap and cheer, clean up dropped cups after race, be race course marshalls by providing clear directions to keep runners on course, clap and cheer. At the finish line, you and your father can decorate, keep runners moving across the finish line, clap and cheer! Or you all can volunteer at the refreshment table by setting up food and drinks at the finish line for runners.
  4. Volunteer at a sports event! Many organizations are throwing Father’s Day fundraisers in the form of sports tournaments and events. Whether it’s a softball tournament, golf tournament, baseball tournament, etc, volunteer opportunities include, help with decorations,  distributing materials, providing decorations, or simply donating money to the organization and participating in the actual event. Volunteering at sporting events is a fun way to spend time with your father on his special day!
  5. Do something out of the ordinary! This father’s day, volunteer to just do something out of the ordinary to spend quality time with your dad to remind your dad that he is special to you and your family!

Celebrate National Preparedness Month!

Friday, June 8th, 2012

June is not only the month for summer fun; it is also a month to get prepared! June is National Safety Month. The summer hosts a number of fun activities for warm weather, but it is also important that you are safe about these activities. From the pool to the lake it is important to not only have fun, but also to be safe.

Summer time is also a host to weather emergencies such as hurricanes and high temperatures that can cause injuries. How will you prepare yourself and your family for these various natural emergencies? Below are 10 simple ways that you can prepare your family for any summer related emergency that may come your way!

  1. Make an emergency kit: Build an emergency kit so that you can survive after a disaster. Your kit should include enough food, water, and supplies to last you at least 72 hours.
  2. Learn your surroundings: Make sure that you have a safe place to go in times of emergency.
  3. Locate your lifeguards: If you are not a strong swimmer or you have small children at the pool, make sure you know where the lifeguards are located. Locating lifeguards ensure you will be able to find them when needed.
  4. Time for lawn upkeep: Hurricanes mean strong winds! Make sure that your trees and shrubs are trimmed to prevent house damage.
  5. Stay inside: Summer weather means high temperatures causing such things as smog. When the air quality is poor it is important to stay inside. Ensure your safety by monitoring your local weather report.
  6. Never leave your car unattended: High temperatures mean increased chance of heat related injuries. Never leave your children or pets in the car unattended!
  7. Become CPR certified: Have little kids? No lifeguard at your neighborhood pool? Take a CPR class with your local Red Cross chapter. Your breath could mean life or death for your child.
  8. Keep an eye out: Drowning is one of the top 5 factors of death in your children. Know where your child is at all times. Seconds can mean life or death.
  9. Life vests vs. water wings: Although water wings are typically marketed to protect your child. Most pools outlaw them due to their low safety rating. Purchase a life vest to ensure your young swimmer’s safety in the water.
  10. Stay hydrated: Spending a long day outside? Ensure your overall health and prevent yourself from a heat-related injury by drinking lots of fluids while outside.

Summer time is such a great time of year. By following these tips, you will ensure a care-free season for your entire family!

How are you preparing your family for the summer? We would love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Celebrate World Environment Day, Go Green!

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

June 5 is the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Environment Day. World Environment Day is an annual event aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated day of environmental impact across the world. The United Nations mission is to empower individuals to become global agents of change for environmental issues through global action.

Since 1972, World Environment Day has been celebrated on or around June 5.

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Green Economy, does it include you?”

The United Nations would love for all communities to get involved in their environment initiative. How can your community become active today? Check out our 30 ideas below to help make your community a more green economy!

1. Change your light bulbs. If every household changed one bulb to a compact fluorescent bulb, it would be equivalent to removing 1 million cars from the environment.
2. Turn off your computer. By turning your computer off, instead of leaving it in sleep mode, you can save up to 40 watts of electricity per day.
3. Recycle glass. By recycling your glassware, you reduce air pollution by 20 percent and water pollution by 50 percent.
4. Hang dry those clothes. Get a clothesline to hang your wet clothes. Not only will you save energy, your clothes will last longer!
5. Wash in cold or warm cycle. If every household in the United States switched to the warm-cold or cold-cold washing cycle, we could save enough energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
6. Recycle newspaper. Recycling just the Sunday paper could save up to half a million trees annually.
7. Get rid of your bottled water. Nearly 90% of bottled water is not recycled, bottle take thousands of years to decompose. Reduce, reuse, and recycle!
8. Brush your teeth without running water. You will conserve up to 5 gallons per day, if you do not run water while brushing your teeth.
9. Plant a tree. Get your neighbors together and plant a tree in the community. It will not only provide shade and a fun bonding experience, but will also improve your community’s air quality.
10. Use cruise control. By using cruise control, you can save up to 15% in gas mileage. Judging by today’s gas prices, this is a win-win situation!
11.  Buy local. Greenhouse gas pollution is created when food is flown from the farm to your table. You will not only help your community’s economy, but also cut pollution when you choose to buy local!
12. Adjust your thermostat. One degree warmer in the summer or one degree cooler in the winter will save your 10% in energy.
13. Turn off the lights. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room!
14. Get green with your lawn care. Choose natural ways for lawn upkeep instead of using pesticides and artificial fertilizers.
15. Recycle your old cell phone. Trying to keep up with cell phone trends? Make sure your recycle your old one to reduce landfill waste.
16. Donate. Before you just throw your unwanted items away, decide if someone else could benefit from your things.
17. Get rid of plastic bags. Plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose and they pollute our oceans. Make the decision to switch to durable, reusable bags.
18. Pay your bills online. If every American household paid their bills online, we would save 18.5 million trees, and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste.
19.  Go veggie once a week. Not only will you be saving the animals, but you will save water and destroy less land.
20. Choose a better diaper. Whether you choose cloth or a more environmentally friendly disposable diaper, you will help save 3.5 million tons of waste in landfills.

 

Whether you decide to do a small or big act today, choosing a greener lifestyle will not only benefit your community, but also your wallet. Choose today to be the first day of the rest of your green life.

Are you making the choice to be part of the green economy? Share your story with the United Nations Environment Programme!

How are you volunteering to be greener in your community? We would love for you to share in the comments section below!

Why I Choose to Ride

Friday, May 18th, 2012

Today’s blog post comes from Frank Miller, a civil engineer. In honor of National Ride Your Bike to Work Day, he shares his story. Since choosing to ride his bike 11 years ago, Frank has ridden over 50,000 miles.

National Bike Month and Bike to Work Week give us an opportunity to examine our commuting habits, question the automobile lifestyle and make positive changes to benefit our health and the environment.

Real and permanent change begins at the “grassroots” level.  We should ask ourselves, must I submit to the automobile lifestyle?  Are there alternatives to automobile commuting that are more healthy, enjoyable and sustainable?

Unfortunately, we in the United States have built a society and culture heavily dependent on the automobile.  So pursuing alternatives to the automobile are difficult with the “deck stacked” so much in favor of the automobile lifestyle.  There are a few communities, however, that have made a commitment to cycling, and transit alternatives in general.  These communities are examples that change is possible.

We should take this time to consider the harm that the automobile has done to our health and our environment.  I contend that automobile commuting is as harmful to our bodies as smoking.  Then there is the economic toil on people, the depletion of natural resources, and the pollution of air and water.

Cycling offers an alternative to the automobile lifestyle and the benefits are enormous.  It is good for our bodies.  It is economical and it is sustainable.

I have been an avid bike commuter for the past 11 years, and before that, an avid rider of mass transit.  In the summer of 2001, I was looking for an exercise to replace running.  A coworker (who was an avid cyclist) suggested that I consider cycling to work.  He reasoned I could “kill two birds with one stone” – cycle to work for the exercise and avoid the bus ride too.  I tried it and I have been a bike commuter ever since.

Commuting by bicycle was not easy at first.  It took nearly a month for me to become conditioned to it, even though I was in good running shape.  I stayed at it and worked it into my daily routine.  Now after 11 years, I wouldn’t think of commuting any other way.

There are many people now days opting for an alternative to the automobile and who are choosing cycling for their commuting.  These people and the communities promoting cycling and alternative transit are the examples showing us that it is possible to change our habits; change that is good for ourselves and our planet.

Bike to Work Day is an annual event held across the county to raise awareness to the benefits of clean commuting. To find out how to get started check out the League of American Bicyclists.

May is National Bike Month- Time to Pedal for a Better Community!

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

League of American BicyclistsDo you choose to ride a bike instead of commuting in a car? If your answer is “yes,” this month is for you. May is National Bike Month!

The League of American Bicyclists established May as National Bike Month to spread awareness about the many benefits of choosing a bicycle over an automobile. Whether you choose to ride a bike to cut costs, benefit your health, or protect the environment get involved in Bike Month to spread the message to your community!

Why should you choose to ride a bike over a car? The following are just a few reasons:

  • Gas prices are high, biking is free! You no longer have to pay parking fees either.
  • Car exhaust dramatically increases environmental pollution, bikes emit no air pollution. Cars emit 3.6 pounds of pollutants into the atmosphere every minute; you can completely cut that out!
  • You can greatly improve your health. A ten mile bike ride can burn up to 400 calories.
  • Traffic is horrible, speed right through it on your bike.
  • All the cool kids are doing it, why aren’t you?
  • The Federal Highway Association is installing safer bike lanes for commuters, making your commute even easier!
  • It is a nice little energy boost in the morning, biking gets your heart rate up allowing you to tackle the day with ease.
  • Increase your balance and strength
  • Proven stress reliever
  • Bicycles get cars off the road. Up to 10 bikes can park in one car spot.

Although we only cited 10 reasons why you should get out on your bicycle, the benefits are infinite. How do you start a bicycle transportation campaign? Just follow these ideas to promote biking within your household, your workplace, school, or community. Check out The League of American Bicyclists for more ideas and steps to help plan your bike ride!

  1. Provide maps with routes to work and dispense them to your coworkers so they can plan their trips.
  2. Provide bicycle mentors for new bike riders. These mentors can share their expertise with beginners to help them get started.
  3. Make arrangements for neighbors to ride together.
  4. Ask restaurants or grocery stores for breakfast item donations for rider incentives. Bikers can meet at a central location to eat breakfast together.
  5. Ask companies to get involved. Companies can compete to have the largest number or bike commuters. Incentives can be gift certificates to restaurants or movie theaters. Companies can also receive recognition for their clean commuting habits.
  6. Provide incentives for participants too. Those commuters who log the largest amount of hours will win prizes such as T-shirts, gift certificates, water bottles, etc.
  7. Ask your community to develop a commuter challenge such as Georgia’s Clean Air Campaign.
  8. Ask your local politician, such as your city’s mayor, to get involved in a bike ride. The event will be more meaningful to your community members if they can attach a face to the event.
  9. Ask you local newspaper editor to promote biking events within the community.
  10. Plan bicycling events for kids, as well. Whether kids take their bikes to the park or participate in Ride Your Bike to School Day, get them involved in the fun, as well!

As you can see, bicycling has many benefits for the community. It is an easy way to volunteer to improve the environment and your community’s overall health.

Do you choose to ride your bike over your car? We would love to hear your suggestions in the comments section below!

April Showers Will Bring May Flowers!

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Happy May Day! It is a day to celebrate the beautiful flowers blooming in our communities and the last weeks of spring before the heat of summer rolls around. Take this opportunity to beautify your community by planting a flower garden in your neighborhood, home, or community center!

Flowers can beautify any dreary space. Have a park that could use some beauty? Clean it up and plant some flowers! Need to restore an old school? Add a school garden! Want to teach your kids about the environment? Teach them about the ecosystem through a garden. A garden can be the source of so many things from knowledge to food it is a wonderful way to get out and beautify your community, while celebrating an international holiday, as well!

Are you clueless when it comes to planting a flower garden? Check out our step-by-step guide that will get your project started with ease!

  1. Identify partners and leaders: Call on friends, family, schoolteachers, etc. to be volunteer leaders or to donate materials for the project. You will need rocks, hand towels, and flowers such as yellow, white, or light pink flowers. These flowers will bring butterflies to your garden.
  2. Set a location: Contact your local community organizations or centers about space they could donate to the project. Arrange a site visit with your team leaders to review the project plan before the volunteers arrive. Make sure you choose a location that receives a high amount of sunlight and a low amount of wind for plants at this time of year!
  3. Establish goals: Goals will help you plan the actual project and the outcome you wish to achieve. Make a goal and plan the project around that.
  4. Develop your plan: Ask yourself the following questions when developing your garden project:
    • Where can I get funding for the plants and the supplies?
    • What resources are available for use?
    • Where can I find enthusiastic green thumb volunteers?
    • How do I get the message out about the project?
    • Do I want to attach a learning aspect to the project?
    • Do I need help from volunteer leaders? What kind of leaders do I need?
    • How will we maintain the garden after the project is finished?
  5. Define a timeline: Set a timeline for the project: how long it will take to plant the flowers, obtain the supplies, and maintain the garden.
  6. Promote: Recruit volunteers through fliers, newspaper articles, or social media. You can do this yourself or recruit the help of volunteers depending on the size of your project.
  7. Empower youth leaders: Allow young people to suggest ideas and contribute to the overall project planning. Their voice and ideas are vital to ensuring a successful project.
  8. Reflect and recognize: After the project, reflect on the work that was accomplished. Thank your volunteers for their contribution to the project.

Your garden will be a great way to celebrate the month of May while improving your community’s overall well being. Gardens contribute to a better ecosystem, overall.

Have fun getting your hands dirty with your neighbors and happy May Day!

Have you started a flower garden in your community? We would love to hear your comments and suggestions in the comment section below!