Pet fish

Click on Photo to enlarge.

Last month as I was wading in a shallow river looking for dragonflies, I noticed that there were a lot of snails clinging to the rocks. I mean a lot. I’m not sure what species they were but it just didn’t look right. There were very few fish.

Click on photo to enlarge.

I was reminded of the aquarium I had as a young girl, when after all the fish had died only the snails and murky water remained. Unfortunately, I am probably not the only one to have pet fish that died. Their death was acceptable and the floating fish were flushed down the toilet and forgotten. I think some of us were not good stewards as children and we don’t seem to be doing much better as adults. I wonder if we teach our children to take better care and responsibity for aquariums will they then take better care of the rivers and streams we love to photograph? Might be worth a try.

Visit more Watery Wednesday here.

Leftovers when eating out.

A friend of mine told me about her coworker who takes a container with her when she goes out for dinner. That way when she has leftovers she just puts them in her container rather than in the styrofoam provided by the restaurant. I thought that was a splendid tip worth passing on. Do you have any good tips when eating out or carryout?


See more good tips at Think Green Thursday.

Old Cell Phones

Here is a direct quote from a message to me, at work from our AGU Green Team.  I thought it was worthy of passing along.  Each week we receive a message from our own Green Team. 

"Did you know that millions of cell phones reach the end of their life each year? Many of these cell phones are sitting in a drawer gathering dust or are thrown in the trash. Most of these phones can be refurbished and used again especially by soldiers. AT&T, Staples, Fedex, and other electronics companies accept cell phones and usually have drop off boxes in their stores.


Why is this important? Cell phones contain toxic metals and chemicals that are harmful to ground water if not disposed of properly. Recycling phones keeps these chemicals out of the landfill as well as reducing the need for mining and processing of precious metals. For more information on where and how to recycle see http://www.epa.gov/waste/partnerships/plugin/cellphone/index.htm For information on cell phones for soldiers see http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/"


See more green tips from Think Green Thursday

Change the World Wednesday

I have joined the Change the World Wednesday challenge in an effort to do more than just talk. Kate's blog The Holdfast Seeker lead me to this site and to her I am grateful. Trillium has also inspired and challenged me to do more. You can visit her wonderful blog called Trillium Travels.

The challenge this week is to plant something. I lucked out on this one because on Saturday I planted a fall crop of leaf lettuce. My goal is to have food without chemicals and to have it just outside my door so I don't have to get in my car and drive to the store. As a side benefit this spring I ate more fresh salads than I normally do. You see, it was always fresh and never spoiled in the fridge. I plan on doing the same this fall. So I challenge all of you to plant something, for yourself and the environment.

Deer population control

We control the deer population growth so they do not overgraze, use up the resources, destroy the ecosystem and place their own population at risk. Shouldn’t we do the same for ourselves?

For more Green Thursday ideas look here.

Wildness

Have I been tamed like the House Sparrows in the park that eat the droppings and leftovers of lunches, popcorn and cheetos? Has it been cheated out of the blackberries free on the vine? Would it even recognize its own local supply of fruits or the seeds growing at the edge of the city park?

Would I know if I had lost my wildness?

See more ABC Wednesday posts here.