Organic Myths

Source: Organic.org

Myth: Organic food is too expensive.

Fact: In general, organic food costs more than conventional food because of the laborious and time-intensive systems used by the typically smaller organic farms. You may find that the benefits of organic agriculture off-set this additional cost. At the same time, there are ways to purchase organic while sticking to your budget. Consider the following when questioning the price of organic:

• Organic farmers don’t receive federal subsidies like conventional farmers do. Therefore, the price of organic food reflects the true cost of growing.
• The price of conventional food does not reflect the cost of environmental cleanups that we pay for through our tax dollars.
• Organic farming is more labor and management intensive.

Myth: Eating organic food is the same as eating natural food.

Fact: Natural foods do not contain additives or preservatives, but they may contain ingredients that have been grown with pesticides or are genetically modified. In other words, the ingredients in the ingredient panel will look familiar, but they have not been produced organically. Natural foods are not regulated and do not meet the same criteria that organic foods do.

Myth: Organic food tastes like cardboard.

Fact: This may have been true of processed foods at one time—take crackers or pretzels for example—but this stereotype is as outdated as the hippie connotations that follow it. Today many organic snack foods taste the same as their conventional counterparts, while most people agree that fresh, locally grown organic produce does not compare to the alternative. Even organic produce that is not in season and has been shipped thousands of miles to reach our grocer’s shelves cannot compare to the produce found in our own back yard or at farmers markets. Taste is certainly an individual matter, so give organic a try and see what you think!

Try baking a couple batches of cookies or prepare a couple of bowls of fruit or vegetable salad; use organic ingredients in one and conventional ingredients in the other.

Recycled Flower Pot

This green project keeps plastic milk jugs out of the landfill and provides and pretty and useful pot to plant flowers in.

What you'll need:

Plastic milk or juice jugs
Fabric or scrapbook paper scraps
Felt in coordinating colors
Scissors or a craft knife
Soil
White craft glue
Water
Bowl
Paintbrush
Potted flower

How to make it:

Cut the top off of the plastic jug, just under the handle. Save the handle to make our Bouquet Holder craft.

Turn bottom of jug upside down and have an adult poke 4 small drain holes in the bottom. (See photo.)

Cut fabric or tear paper into 1” squares. (See photo.)

Mix 2 parts glue and 1 part water in a bowl.

Paint glue mixture onto one side of the outside of the milk jug. (See photo.)
Decoupage the fabric or paper all over the sides of the jug, applying glue onto the jug first, then over the fabric or

paper to adhere. (See photo.)

Cut 1.5” wide strips from felt, enough to go around the opening of the pot. (See photo.)

Glue the strip onto the lip of the pot, overlapping both sides, inside and out. (See photo.)

Add a handful of gravel or small rocks to the bottom of the pot.

Add a small amount of soil then add the potted flower.

Fill pot with soil, carefully but firmly patting down the soil around the flower.

Water your flower and place near a sunny window.

Tips:

This pot makes a lovely accent to a patio table; however the decoupage will be ruined should it rain. To avoid this, before adding gravel, soil and flower, place the pot inside a clear plastic bag. Insert the overlap of the bag inside the pot, roll up the side if needed, you don’t want the plastic blocking the drain holes.
Place your pot on a plate before watering to catch any water that may drain out the holes.
These make great pots for herbs as well!

This craft was originally posted by Amanda Formaro on http://crafts.kaboose.com/recycled-flower-pot.html

Update!

I want to apologize to all my loyal readers that I have not posted on here in several days. I am dealing with a major illness in the family and will post when I can! For those of you I have reviews to finish I will finish them asap. Thank you all for your understanding!!

Store Review: Goddess Gear

Goddess Gear is an outstanding store. All of there products are eco friendly but not boring. All of their products come in great earth tones and they have an assortment of materials they are made with. As the name implies Goddess Gear caries all woman's clothing and it's very high quality.

I tried the Corduroy Cargo Pant and the Scoop Neck French Terry Top before I even put them on I discovered they were top of the line. Both of the items are constructed to last made with strong durable fabric. Goddess Gear's apparel also washes very well. Some clothes tend to fade or just not have that new look to them but this didn't happen with the corduroy pants or the scoop neck.

I loved the feel of the clothing as well. I expected it to be a little stiff like some eco friendly clothing can be but Goddess Gear's clothing is very soft and feels great to wear. I also got a lot of complements on the clothing.

Goddess Gear has clothing for all area's of your life I would defiantly recommend them to anyone that cares not only about the environment but how they look.

Toxic Beauty

This article was originally posted on care2.com posted by Natieka Samuels Jan 13, 2010 3:18 pm

It all started with vanity: I hadn’t meant to change my purchasing practices or become a “label-reader,” that’s just how it turned out.

One day I decided that I wanted to have my dream hair: long, full, and healthily growing out of my own scalp. I did some research and joined an online community of women interested in growing longer and healthier hair. Naturally, much of the discussion on these forums is about the various products and concoctions that have worked or not worked on each person’s “hair journey.”

There was always a new ingredient to look for, or rather look out for, and soon a list of products containing said ingredient would be compiled. Soon I began to notice that women were looking for “paraben free” products. Not knowing what a paraben was, but assuming it couldn’t be good, I did a quick Google search and found that parabens are cheap preservatives used in cosmetics and personal care products, and that exposure to its various forms have been linked to breast cancer. Taking a look at the commercial hair products I already owned, not a single one was free of parabens.

The search for “sulfate free” shampoos was another common source of discussion on the hair boards. Sulfates, such as the popular sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), and ammonium laureth sulfate, are detergents: they create that satisfying foam and lather you get when you brush your teeth, use soap, do laundry, or wash your hair.

Most disturbing, the power of SLS as a detergent is so strong that it is also used as an engine degreaser. In addition to being very harsh, drying, and sometimes irritating to the hair and skin, sulfates have been linked to some pretty scary health effects.

SLS is in a class of chemicals called endocrine disruptors, which are chemicals that mimic the activity of sex hormones, such as estrogen. These chemicals interfere with the sex hormones in your body and are associated with male and female infertility, male sex organ abnormalities, early onset of puberty in females, and increased rates of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

Of course, it doesn’t stop there.

Many nail polish brands contain formaldehyde, and many shampoos and conditioners contain formaldehyde-releasing chemicals. Even many products labeled “botanical” or “natural” contain toxic or irritating chemicals, usually in the form of detergents, preservatives, or the mysterious “fragrance,” which can refer to a myriad of different compounds and chemicals not required to be disclosed as they are considered a trade secret.

Furthermore, there are toxic chemicals that can affect your reproductive health and fertility hiding in the things that you use almost every day, such as your plastic tupperware, water bottles, canned foods and beverages, vinyl shower curtains, and disturbingly, even in your wine. Yes, your wine. Plastic stoppers in wine bottles can contain BPA, but also, wine ferments in vats that are often lined with resin or epoxy.

Epoxy (and the resin that lines metal cans) contains a toxic chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA), which is also an endocrine disruptor. Just as with canned foods, BPA leaches into the contents, but the acidic nature of wine allows toxins to leach into the liquid more rapidly than if water were in the same container.

Upon discovering this information, my first thought was, how can this be? If these chemicals are known to cause harm, why are they allowed to be used in the products I use every single day? Surely, I thought, the government had rules about this kind of thing.

It turns out the current law, known as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), has not been updated in 33 years and does not give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority it needs to oversee the safety of chemicals in everyday products or to hold industry accountable for testing the chemicals they manufacture. The result: many of the chemicals used in our everyday products have not been tested for safety and continue to remain on the market.

TSCA reform is desperately needed because, as you’ll discover when you take a look at the ingredients lists in your bathroom and kitchen cabinets, you can’t shop your way out of exposure to toxic chemicals, especially since manufacturers aren’t required to tell you what’s in their products in the first place.

Since the FDA, not the EPA, regulates cosmetics, regulation of many of our personal care products would not be improved by TSCA reform alone. In order to have more comprehensive reform, we need to also ask Congress to give the FDA the authority to ensure that our cosmetics are safe. More regulation from both the EPA and FDA is needed to ensure that consumers are safe when using all products, whether they are necessities, for personal hygiene, or purely cosmetic.

Change needs to come from the companies themselves, and they aren’t going to make any changes unless the government or your absent dollars tell them to.

To give credit where credit is due, there are a few companies that dedicate themselves to natural, non-toxic ingredients, such as Giovanni Cosmetics, Aubrey Organics, and Dr. Bronners. To find out more about the safety of your cosmetics and personal care products check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, or the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. For more information about the movement to strengthen chemical policy, check out Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.

It’s hard to believe that the search for the perfect conditioner led me to so much information about the dangers of everyday products or to changes in my personal life. These days I try to be as conscientious about my purchases and practices as I can. This means seeking out more natural (and often inexpensive) alternatives to commercial products, such as using apple cider vinegar to prevent razor bumps, using extra virgin pure coconut oil as a skin and hair moisturizer, or using concentrated castile soaps to create my own shampoos, body washes, or even laundry soap.

When possible, I make sure not to reheat my food in plastic tupperware, and I keep a reusable stainless steel/BPA free water bottle with me in my purse. When I do buy new products, I always check the label first. I’m not perfect, and every now and then I do purchase products that contain some not-so-great ingredients because I haven’t found safer replacements for them.

But I shouldn’t have to be an amateur chemist to buy laundry detergent: chemicals that are thought to be harmful should not be able to make it to our grocery store shelves. Stronger chemical laws will keep me, you and our families safer. So, together, let’s send a message to Washington and demand chemical policy reform.

And in the meantime, take action to protect yourself by banning these seven ingredients from your bathroom.

Natieka Samuels is a recent graduate of Princeton University and intern at the Reproductive Health Technologies Project in Washington, D.C. Her other interests include social taboos surrounding sexuality, and how messaging in the media can reinforce or change social norms.

Blue Dominoes Activity Dough Winner

I want to congratulate Crystal V. on winning our first contest! I look forward to many more winners in the future!

If you didn't win this contest enter our OBOE contest!

Press Release: Feds agree endangered Florida manatees need more habitat protection

For Immediate Release

• Defenders of Wildlife • Center for Biological Diversity • Wildlife Advocacy Project • Save the Manatee Club
January 12, 2010
Contact(s) Elizabeth Fleming, Defenders of Wildlife, (727) 410-0455 Miyoko Sakashita, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 436-9682 x 308 Eric Glitzenstein, Wildlife Advocacy Project, (202) 588-5206 Pat Rose, Save the Manatee Club, (407) 539-0990

Feds agree endangered Florida manatees need more habitat protection
Despite finding, protection is indefinitely delayed

FLORIDA – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that new critical habitat protections are warranted for Florida’s endangered manatee, but the agency will wait for increased funding before it takes action. The notice, published in today’s Federal Register, is in response to a petition to revise the manatee’s critical habitat filed by Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity, Save the Manatee Club, and the Wildlife Advocacy Project. According to the petition, revised habitat protections are warranted based on a vast body of science developed over the past three decades, which has better identified the areas essential to the survival and recovery of manatees, as well as the important features of each area.

“While we are pleased that the Service has again acknowledged the Florida manatee’s need for updated protections, the fact remains that this acknowledgment won’t actually help the species,” said Patti Thompson, a leading manatee biologist and co-author of the petition for the Wildlife Advocacy project. “We stand by the science in our petition and we stand by our call for prompt action to protect this iconic Florida animal."

The Florida manatee was one of the first species listed under the Endangered Species Act and among the first to have critical habitat designated for protection. These protections have helped slow the decline of manatees and promoted their conservation, but manatees still face a host of threats, and new habitat protections are urgently needed.
"Today's decision to withhold critical habitat protections puts the Florida manatee in an administrative purgatory," said Miyoko Sakashita oceans director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Endangered species don't have much time to wait for bureaucracy, and the last stand of precious habitat may be developed or destroyed while manatees await needed protections."

Manatee habitat is threatened by a variety of factors, such as: Coastal development, propeller scarring and seagrass damage, dams and other water control structures, and pollution and marine debris, including derelict fishing gear. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than seven times the sustainable level of Florida’s manatees are killed each year by human activities, including vessel collisions. This past year was an especially deadly one for the Florida manatee – setting a new record with 429 manatee deaths in state waters. Records were set for cold stress-related deaths (56), watercraft-related fatalities (97) and 114 newborn deaths.

“With this year’s record deaths and looming threats, the species clearly needs all the help it can get,” said Elizabeth Fleming, Florida representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “Despite the Service’s determination on critical habitat, we will continue to work for any and all protections that will stop these tragedies and ultimately help the species recover.”

“Much is at stake regarding the appropriate designation and protection of the endangered manatee’s critical habitat, upon which countless other sensitive aquatic species also depend for their very existence,” said Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Club Executive Director and manatee expert. “We are committed to working with the USFWS to ensure that the money is found to both update the designation and to reduce the out of control, record breaking watercraft and total mortality that manatees endured during 2009.”

Today’s announcement means that the Fish and Wildlife Service, despite recognizing that critical habitat designation would benefit the conservation of Florida’s endangered manatee, will most likely put off any action indefinitely.
“With manatee deaths at an all-time high, it is unfortunate that the Service has relegated this vitally important rulemaking to the backburner indefinitely, said Eric Glitzenstein, President for Wildlife Advocacy Project. “The Service should instead be embracing it as an important opportunity to stem the ever-increasing tide of manatee moralities and injuries.”

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 225,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. For more information, visit http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/.

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.orgSave the Manatee Club was established in 1981 to protect manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations and today, it is the world’s leading manatee conservation organization. The Club is a membership-based, national nonprofit organization that promotes public awareness and education; sponsors local and international scientific research and rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts; and advocates for the conservation of manatees and their essential habitat based on the best available scientific data. For more information, please visit http://www.savethemanatee.org/

The Wildlife Advocacy Project is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to complement and supplement the efforts of grassroots wildlife protection activists to win long-lasting conservation benefits for animals and the planet. It pursues its mission through publication education and science-based advocacy, and urges recognition and respect for the innate wild nature of all wildlife, whether in the wild or held in captivity. For more information, visit www.wildlifeadvocacy.org.

Request for Indigo Snake Sightings

Kevin M. Enge is collaborating on a paper on the status of the federally threatened eastern indigo snake in Florida and Georgia. I am interested in any sightings of indigo snakes on public lands, particularly those since 2000. I will also accept sightings on private lands, as long as a latitude and longitude or directions are included. The private-land sightings can be used to test our GIS-based potential habitat map. The minimum data required are the name of the public land, the year of the sighting, and the name of the observer and his/her affiliation. If you are unsure whether the snake was an indigo, please don't send me the sighting. However, if you have a photo of the snake, I would be happy to identify it for you. I have attached a montage of indigo snake photos to help with identification. Sightings from the Keys or the Panhandle are particularly critical. Please contact me if you have any questions. Thanks.

Kevin M. Enge

Associate Research Scientist
Reptile and Amphibian Research Subsection

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

1105 SW Williston Road
Gainesville, FL 32601-9044
352-955-2081 ext. 121 (office)

352-955-2183 (fax)

Visit us at MyFWC.com

Press Release: Blue Dominoes Finger Paint

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS!
ECO-FRIENDLY, GLUTEN-FREE, ALL-NATURAL FINGER PAINTS ARE HERE!

No harmful chemicals, free of the eight most common allergens and thoroughly tested – perfect for all the little children in
your life!

January 11, 2010 – San Diego, CA – Finger painting is a wonderful and therapeutic way for people, particularly children to express themselves and have fun. However, if children are sensitive to the ingredients being used in some finger paints
such as: gluten, wheat, toluene, synthetic chemicals and dyes – they
cannot participate in the activity and that is NOT fun.

Bluedominoes Safe Art™ Finger Paints are made from food grade ingredients,
free of the eight most common allergens including gluten, wheat
and soy, made with all natural colors, laboratory-tested to be free of
heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic and is free of chemicals
such as toluene. In addition, the Finger Paints have been certified by the
Celiac Sprue Association and accepted by the Feingold association assuring
the products are free of gluten and do not use artificial colors.

Debbie Lindgren and Linda Manaster founded bluedominoes after Lindgren’s
younger son reacted to art supplies being used in his Kindergarten
class. “His teacher realized he reacted to art supplies with yellow and red pigments –
particularly modeling products and paints. We together took steps to make his environment
and those of the other children in the classroom safer by identifying and
providing alternative options,” states Lindgren, who brought in her own formulations
for the classroom. Lindgren and Manaster eventually assembled an expert team who
aid in the identification of ingredients and product development. The team previously
developed Safe Art™ Activity Dough, which was recognized in Dr. Toy’s Best Picks
Children’s Products – 2009, and was selected as Most Innovative Product by the San
Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“Since children are tempted to taste art supply products, we felt it was necessary to use food grade ingredients in our art supply products aimed at younger children. In addition, toxins such as toluene and lead are both absorbed through the skin as well as through ingestion, so we took steps to use ingredients that do not contain these substances and to have our products independently tested by highly respected U.S. laboratories.” Though not legally required, bluedominoes lists all of its Safe Art™ Finger Paints ingredients on the package.
By complying with rigorous standards, bluedominoes Safe Art™ products are the first to receive certification from the Celiac Sprue Association and acceptance by the Feingold Association. Bluedominoes has a complete line of Safe Art™ products in the pipeline, and the company is committed to the same level of purity, safety and integrity for all of its products. All
bluedominoes Safe Art™ products are developed in San Diego, and all of its patent-pending formulas are manufactured in the USA. Products can be ordered by visiting www.bluedominoes.com.

About bluedominoes, inc: bluedominoes, with its highly informative website and safe children’s art supply products, is the go-to resource for parents and teachers to keep their children safe and the Safe Art™ brand manufacturer that parents and teachers trust. For more information about bluedominoes green children’s art supplies, including our award-winning Safe Art™ Activity Dough and trusted resources to keep your family safe, visit www.bluedominoes.com.

Butterfly Gardening

A butterfly garden can be as simple or elaborate as you want to make it. Size or complexity will not bring success or failure. Good planning and research play heavily in determining the number and species of butterflies you attract to your garden.

Start with selecting a butterfly field guide specific to your geographic region. Your geographic region if you lived in North America could be, for instance, the United States or Canada. Confining your search to within a specific state or province would be a better choice, increasing your chances for success. Pay particular attention to species requirements for both nectar and host plants. Planting you garden with only nectar-rich plants will definitely attract butterflies. Adding host plants to your plan will provide you with a peak into the entire lifecycle of butterflies.

Choose plants from the list that you, as well as the butterflies, are attracted to. If you don’t like the flowers you have selected, even though the butterflies do, chances are you won’t spend much time in your garden. Plan on cutting some of the flowers. There are plenty to go around, and it in a good way to ensure continuous flowering over the blooming season.

An ideal location for your butterfly garden is in an area that receives at least six hours of full sunlight daily. This is generally listed as one of the requirements for most annuals and perennials that butterflies prefer as a nectar source. The butterflies also favor sunny locations. Please don’t be discouraged if your garden does not meet this requirement. I have personally found that success is possible with as little as two hours of direct sunlight a day.

Consider cultural requirements of the plants you select. Having your soil tested is a great way to determine if you can meet them. Adequately preparing you soil and adding the prescribed elements will be well worth the effort. Native wildflowers, or cultivars of the native species don’t require a lot of special care if you have properly prepared your soil. Seldom bothered by pests or diseases, they are an excellent choice for your garden.

If you make an effort to attract beautiful butterflies to your garden, then please don’t poison them with pesticides. A weed is merely an unwanted flower. Try pulling them by hand. What better excuse for spending more time in the garden. Insect pests seldom pick on healthy plants. Keep yours that way by picking up plant litter on a regular basis. Water your garden only when flowers and plants are showing signs of stress. Over watering causes many plant diseases, and it is not good for the plant’s root system. The rest is out of your control so leave it to the birds and beneficial insects to rid your garden of unwanted pests.

Consider adding a birdbath or butterfly hibernation box to your butterfly garden. These are additions that are both useful and pleasing to the eye. Butterflies need water, especially on hot summer days. A flat rock placed in the middle of a birdbath gives butterflies a place to drink. Hibernation boxes provide some shelter from the elements even though very few species of butterflies actually hibernate. Popular also among butterflies are large, dark, flat rocks placed about the garden for sunning.

All else is up to the garden’s creator. One last word “take time to smell the flowers”. Enjoy your garden and get the camera!

For a list of plants that are easy to grow and care for that you can include in your butterfly garden Click Here!

This article was taken from http://www.backyardwildlifehabitat.info/butterflygardening.htm

Brighten Up Your Winter Garden With Colorful Berries

Just because the trees are bare and there is snow on the ground doesn't mean that your garden has to become a winter wasteland. A well-planned garden will provide year-round interest and visual treats. Many evergreens and hardy ornamental grasses can be quite stunning in the colder months.

But perhaps nothing can compare to the vibrant color of berries during the winter. Berry palates range from bright red to yellow to pale blue and white, so there is something sure to please your eye. Many berries will also attract a variety of birds to your garden. Here are a few suggestions for hardy berry-bearing beauties that can provide a bit of pizzazz to the drab winter landscape.

American Cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum)
Berry: Red

Height: 10 to 12 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This shrub bears clusters of white flowers in the spring. Some cultivars produce yellow berries. The European Cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus) has similar properties.

American Holly (Ilex opaca)
Berry: Red
Height: 20 to 25 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 5
Partial Sun
Notes: This evergreen tree bears small white flowers in the spring. It has many cultivars, such as “Xanthocarpa,” which bears golden-yellow berries.

Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
Berry: Bluish-Black
Height: 6 to10 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This shrub bears clusters of dark berries that are very popular with birds and bears clusters of small white flowers in the spring.

Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Berry: Dark Purple
Height: 4 to 6 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 4
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: The berries of the “Autumn Magic” cultivar last an especially long time into the winter. Although the Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) bears attractive red berries, it is considered invasive in many areas and should be avoided.

Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
Berry: White
Height: 3 to 5 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Full Shade to Full Sun
Notes: This hardy shrub grows well in shade as well as sun and tolerates almost every soil type.

Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus)
Berry: Reddish-Purple
Height: 3 to 5 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Full Shade to Full Sun
Notes: Like Snowberry, this shrub likes shade as well as sun and is very easy to grow. It is also know as Indian Currant.

Cranberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculatus)
Berry: Red
Height: 1 to 3 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 4
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: Great for ground cover, this shrub bears tiny pink flowers in the spring. Other low-growing cotoneasters include Bearberry Cotoneaster (C. dammeri) and Rockspray Cotoneaster (C. horizontalis).

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Berry: Powdery Periwinkle Blue
Height: 40 to 50 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Full Sun
Notes: The female trees bear these lovely berries (they are actually cones that look like berries) which are very popular with the birds.

Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)
Berry: Pale Blue-Gray
Height: 4 to 10 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This shrub is extremely hardy and easy to grow in most conditions. It is also salt tolerant.

Tea Viburnum (Viburnum setigerum)
Berry: Bright Red
Height: 8 to10 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 5
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This shrub bears clusters of red berries in the fall and clusters of small white flowers in the spring.

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Berry: Red or Yellow
Height: 8 to 10 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 3
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: Birds love these berries, so there is a risk that the berries will all be eaten before the winter is over. If you love having birds in your garden, however, this will do the trick.

Winter King Hawthorne (Crataegus viridis)
Berry: Bright Red
Height: 20 to 30 ft. tall
Hardy to Zone 4
Partial to Full Sun
Notes: This tree bears clusters off white flowers in the spring. The Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) has similar properties to the Winter King.

The above list, of course, is just meant to get you started. There are many more varieties of berry and winter fruit bearing plants. Many roses, for example, will develop colorful rose hips if the faded blooms are not pruned back. Likewise, some flowering plants, such as clematis, produce beautiful seed heads that can add interest to your garden through the winter months.

The important thing is to keep in mind that winter does not have to mean dreary for your garden. With just a little bit of planning berries can bring color and vibrancy to the winter garden and give you (and the birds) something to enjoy during the cold weather months.

This article was originally published on http://www.helpfulgardener.com

Craft: Coffee Ground "Fossils"

Create your own fossils to display. These would work as visual aids for Science Projects.

What you'll need:

1 cup of used coffee grounds
1/2 cup of cold coffee
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of salt
Wax paper
Mixing bowl
Some small objects to make impressions in the dough
Empty can or a butter knife
Toothpicks, optional
String to hang your fossil, optional

How to make it:

Stir the together the coffee grounds, cold coffee, flour, and salt until well mixed.

Knead the dough together and then flatten it out onto the waxed paper.

Use the can to cut out circles of the dough or use the dull knife to cut slabs large enough to fit your "fossil" objects.

Press your objects firmly into the dough. When you take the object out, you have your "fossil". If you want to hang the fossil, poke holes into the edge to hold the string.

Let the fossil dry overnight and then hang it if you wish.

Tips:

Annmarie Shafer wrote: We made these with my preschool class and had to bake them for a short period to get the "dough" to harden , but we loved the resulting "Rocks" which really resembled fossils (we pressed a shell into the dough). The kids (ages 5-6) LOVED THEM!!!

Note from the Craft Exchange Editor: We were never able to get these fossils to turn "rock hard". They are fun to make and the children enjoy them.

This craft was originally found at http://crafts.kaboose.com

Contest: OBOE Bag or Sac

The winner will win one OBOE bag or Sac in your choice of color! Value $10.

To enter contest all you need to do is send an email to ravensecoplanet@gmail.com with your name, address, and favorite OBOE style and color. With OBOE Contest in the subject!

Contest Rules:

1 Entry per Email

Open to all ages

Contest ends Febuary 12,2010 at midnight

Bag Reviews: One Bag One Earth Bags and Sacs

OBOE has an amazing product. I know everyone is buying those cheap unstylish reusable bags at all the stores, OBOE offers you an alternative to those.

OBOE's bags and sacs are slightly more expensive then those store bought ones but well worth the money. These bags are made out of a strong fabric that is able to carry your purchase. Other great thing about these bags is they have little sacks sown into the side of the bag so that you never lose the storage pouch for your bag. The pouch also makes them very easy to transport.

Another thing I love about OBOE is they come in an array of stylish colors and prints that will fit in with anyone's busy lifestyle. You can also get custom bags made for family reunions or any other event you might need some gifts. OBOE's bags are very well made this nice tight stitching to ensure they will last you a while, so you wont have to worry about them breaking like the cheap grocery store ones.

I also discovered while using my OBOE bags that I received a lot of complements on my bags. These are defiantly the next thing big thing in shopping! I love mine and I think they would make great gifts. OBOE offers 2 different types of bags, the bag and the sac. Now my personal favorite is the Bag. I use it for everything from shopping to traveling back and forth from work.

I strongly recommend OBOE!!

Tea Review: Mighty Leaf Organic Tea

Mighty Leaf Tea is amazing it is some of the best tea I've had lately! Make no mistake I know good tea I drink gallons of it a week. One of the main things that I think sets Mighty Leaf Tea apart from other tea companies is the tea bags. Mighty Leaf's bags are a silk bag not the normal coffee filter style bag.

Mighty Leaf's Tea is also not a chopped up mess tea in a fancy bag. The tea has nice big pieces of tea in the bags. Which gives the tea a very full bodied taste.

Mighty Leaf Tea is very aromatic. All of the tea's I tried were very aromatic but the most aromatic tea was the Organic Spring Jasmine once I opened the pouch the entire room was filled with the aroma of fresh jasmine. It also had a very floral and fresh taste. Mighty Leaf's Organic Earl Grey is another excellent tea that is very full bodied with a wonderful bergamot flavor.

If Jasmine or Earl Grey aren't they type of teas you like to drink that is ok because Mighty Leaf has tea for everyone. Such as African Nectar is a rooibos with a hint of mango to give it an exotic full bodied flavor. They also carry an Organic Mint Melange that has a scene popping mint flavor that awakens all your senses.

So next time you want to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book check out Mighty Leaf for your tea.

Interior Department's decision imperils wolves, Endangered Species Act

By Jamie Rappaport Clark Friday, January 1, 2010

"[T]oday, I've signed a memorandum that will help restore the scientific process to its rightful place at the heart of the Endangered Species Act, a process undermined by past administrations. . . . For more than three decades, the Endangered Species Act has successfully protected our nation's most threatened wildlife, and we should be looking for ways to improve it -- not weaken it."
-- President Obama, March 3

I felt distinct relief upon hearing those words. I was at the Interior Department in March when President Obama made this promise to an audience of conservationists on the 160th anniversary of the agency's founding. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was by his side.

After eight years of conservation groups fighting tooth and nail to protect America's imperiled wildlife against the plans and rulings of the Bush administration, it looked as though the Obama administration would renew our commitment to conserving endangered species and biodiversity for future generations.
But this relief was short-lived.

Just three days after the president pledged to strengthen and restore scientific integrity to implementation of the Endangered Species Act, Secretary Salazar removed federal protection from gray wolves in the Northern Rockies. In making this decision, he adopted the plan developed by the Bush administration, relying on a flawed legal opinion crafted by that administration. His decision has undermined the protection of the gray wolf and countless other threatened and endangered species.

This misguided action places wolves squarely in the cross hairs of their opponents across the Northern Rockies, allowing as many as 1,050 of Idaho and Montana's estimated 1,350 wolves to be legally killed and jeopardizing the 30-year recovery effort to restore wild wolves to the region. As a result of Secretary Salazar's action, wolves in the Northern Rockies are being hunted prematurely. Already, 210 have been killed, and there are still three months left in the Idaho hunting season.

I work with an organization that is among the 13 conservation groups that have taken this issue to court. In September, a federal judge indicated our case is likely to succeed on its merits, although a final ruling will not come until later this year.

As a former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I find it hard to understand why the Obama administration made this decision and why it justified it by relying on a legal opinion that has been criticized by a range of people, including academics and members of Congress. Worse, this decision affects more than the Northern Rockies wolf population. It also sets an alarming precedent for future listing and delisting decisions.

The Bush administration's legal opinion overturned more than 30 years of interpretation of the Endangered Species Act. By this reasoning, protection of species can now be determined by political boundaries and manipulation, not biology. Adjusting populations in this unscientific way -- carving out areas along state lines, as Salazar did in exempting Wyoming from the areas in which wolves were no longer to be considered endangered -- makes the act subject to political manipulation. This legal sleight of hand is in direct contrast to Obama's pledge to restore scientific integrity to decisions about endangered-species conservation.

Salazar should not have allowed the gray wolf to be delisted without first engaging in a clear and transparent public process and without exploring the ramifications of relying on this flawed legal opinion. Defenders of Wildlife reached out several times to work with the Interior Department to craft a plan that would ensure continued wolf recovery while returning management of wolves to state fish and wildlife agencies. Our efforts were ignored.

Because of my intimate involvement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, I was very much looking forward to the day when the wolf population would no longer need federal protections. But wolves and endangered-species conservation now face an uncertain future. If the president's pledge to restore scientific integrity to the Endangered Species Act, and to improve the law, is to be fulfilled, action must be taken immediately. The interior secretary should withdraw the flawed legal opinion on which his delisting relied, restore federal protection to gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and engage all stakeholders in developing a plan to ensure that one of our nation's greatest conservation successes, the restoration of gray wolves to Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies, will not be lost.

The writer is executive vice president for Defenders of Wildlife, which has worked on wolf conservation for more than three decades. She directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1997 to 2001.

Craft: Trying to Get Organized? Try Tiled Tin Cans for Storage

Tile tin cans for personalized decor.Credit: L.Sikes

We've already shown you plenty of ways to makeover tin cans for reuse as organizers, chic storage, and other one-of-a-kind decor, but this Instructables tutorial gives cans an even more intricate look by repurposing another material you might have too much of: styrofoam.

The trick is turning the styrofoam into colored "tiles"—and since you don't want them to look too perfect, you don't have to stress about them being the same shade, size, or shape (stick with squares and rectangles to keep it simple, or add letters for a custom look). Glue the squares onto the can, keeping them 1/8-inch apart (or less), and then spread them with grout—just as if you were using regular tiles. After the grout is dry (this should take about 30 minutes), use a slightly damp sponge to take off the extra grout; then let your artwork dry fully overnight, and apply a layer of sealant the next morning for added shine.

When your work is totally dry, you'll have personalized containers that are perfect for any room of your home: for organizing utensils in the kitchen, keeping pens and pencils close at hand in your office, or separating toys and blocks in the kids' playroom. Make them for your coworker's birthday, your anniversary (with a bouquet of flowers, of course), or for a housewarming gift—and put your otherwise unwanted materials to good use.

This craft was found on http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/organized-tiled-cans-storage.html