Demeter's Garden

The descendants of Geronimo want his bones back. Evidently the law they cited in their lawsuit wasn’t the right one. What if we all stopped being jerks and just gave them back to be decent human beings, so his decedents could bury him, all in one piece, where they want?

In more jerk news, what if we just stopped hunting whales? Y’know, I like biodiversity, I know large mammals don’t bounce back as easy as some species, and I don’t want to explain to my grandkids why the world agreed that whale conservation was important but totally let whale hunting go on anyway.

So this dude wants to unearth a locomotive that is supposidly sealed in an old tunnel in New York. The city doesn’t want to shut down a busy intersection to excavate. I hope they can find some way to excavate that the city will allow because that would be such a cool find! Evidently there are all sorts of urban legends about what is down there. I mean, if you read that story, don’t you just want to know what’s down there? Is it a tunnel of pink slime? Is it?!?

I am so freakin’ excited to tell you about our first event, hosted by DemetersGarden.com and TheModernista.com! I’ve been working on this idea for a little while, and it’s finally here!

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN POTLUCK!

Saturday, April 18 2009 1:30-4:30 PM

Bunten Road Park, Duluth GA

Vegetarians, vegans, veggie-curious, and foodies are all welcome! We would love if you brought a dish to pass, just make sure to label it as vegetarian or vegan so those of us who can’t digest milk know! Can’t cook to save your life? We’ll need beverages and some eco-friendly utensils too! Send me an email at mia@demetersgarden.com to RSVP so I know how many to expect. I’ve rented a pavilion that holds about 35-40 people, but there is a whole park to explore (and a playground right next to the pavilion for the wee ones).

So excited! Maybe I’ll make some vegan pound cake!

I love to read Vegetarian Times and VegNews, and I always see ads for cool conferences and expos going on all over the country. I knew there had to be some cool events in the Atlanta area, so I looked around and found some green events. Thanks to Jennae at Green Your Decor for letting me know about a bunch of these!

March 25-26   Greenprints 2009

April 4   Urban Forestry Family Festival

May 16-17   Alive! Expo

May 29-31   Atlanta Green Expo

June 3-5    Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities

June 27-28    Go Green Expo

Sept 2-3   Green Business Works Expo

Fall 2009   Organic Life Expo

I really hope I make it to a few of these events! I’m also hoping that I will get to go to the Vegetarian Food Fair in Toronto in September! Toronto is my favorite place to be and I haven’t been since May 2007, I am so overdue!

I’ve been reading a great book, Mixed Media Nature Journals, today and now I want to create a nature journal. It got me thinking though, what do you put into a nature journal? I like to go for short hikes when the weather is nice, but it is good hiking etiquette is to “take only photographs, leave only footprints.” So, where would be a good place to collect (ever so gently) specimens for a nature journal? Besides my own backyard, of course, because I live in a condo and I haven’t got a backyard! Or is it always better to leave such things alone, and create a nature journal simply from photographs and other art, but not materials you’ve found in nature? I’m torn between wanting to use natural materials to create things and not wanting to disturb nature!

Hobbits. Ewoks. Tumnus. Elves. The seven dwarves.

What do they all have in common? Adorable woodland houses! I’ve always wanted to live in a little enchanted cabin in the woods. I’d like something out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, perhaps, or maybe The Lord of the Rings. So when I saw this house, naturally I had to learn more.  This is a house in Britain that is not only beautiful, but very eco-friendly.  It has reclaimed wood floors, solar panels to provide electricity and a compost toilet! This type of building has a lot less impact on the environment around it. If all that wasn’t enough, it’s also a much more affordable way to build a house. It’s green, it’s right out of a fantasy movie, AND it’s affordable; it’s my dream house! Check out the website for lots more pictures and info about the building materials and pictures of other back-to-nature homes.

Before the summer got very, very hot here in Georgia, my husband and I had started going on some short hikes.  It’s great exercise and a good way to get out into nature. Here are some ways to find green spaces near you!

• I’m a member of The Nature Conservancy, and I’m also a big fan of Google Maps mashups, so I love this interactive map that helps you find nature preserves near you!
• Find a national park on the National Park Service website, or check with your local state to find a state park near you. Here’s a guide to state parks here in Georgia.
• Looking for a place to hike? Try LocalHikes.com, The Backpacker.com, TrailDatabase.org (lots of international links), or OuterQuest (for adventure travel).
• Check your local library for books about hiking for beginners. Check the travel books to find hikes near you. I really enjoyed 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Atlanta. There are books in this series for many major metropolitan areas.
• Worried your kids aren’t spending enough time in nature? Try the National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour website, a new initiative to encourage parents to get their kids outdoors (found via Green Mom Finds).

Don’t forget to check your local parks department, you’ll be surprised to find how many opportunities to get out into nature are right in your own neighborhood!