Pre-Earth Day Clean-Up at the National Zoo and e-Recycling

Saturday, April 18, 8 a.m.–12 p.m.

Come to the National Zoo for a pre-Earth Day cleanup.

Zoo staff and visitors will work together to keep our ecosystem healthy, by picking up litter, aluminum cans, snack food wrappers, and other litter that will be sorted into recyclables and trash.

Members of the Zoo’s Green Team will be on hand to talk to visitors about sustainability initiatives, and representatives from other organizations will share information about what ordinary people—working individually, collectively, and professionally—can do to build solutions to global issues such as pollution and climate change. Participating organizations include the D.C. Department of the Environment, Friends of Rock Creek's Environment, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, and Casey Trees. Children will have the opportunity to participate in fun and educational activities.

Registration, talks, and activities will be in the Picnic Pavilion, next to the Mane Restaurant.

Want to Help With the Cleanup?

Volunteers, please sign in by 8 a.m. No advance RSVP is necessary. We encourage you to bring a reusable water bottle (we'll provide the water), sunblock, and comfortable shoes.

Children under age 13 who want to participate in the cleanup must be at least kindergarten age and accompanied by an adult.

Recycle at the Zoo

We invite you to bring any of the following to the Picnic Pavilion on April 18 for recycling:

• Cell phones and accessories
• Batteries, including those for cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys
• Printer cartridges
• Corks (made from cork, not plastic)
• Compact fluorescent bulbs
• Brita filters (dried)

You can bring everything on this list besides corks and bulbs to the Zoo's Visitor Center throughout the year.

Eco-Furniture, Like Tables Made from Skateboards

Excerpts from post on Tree Hugger. For full article click title above. 

These pieces of furniture are the work of Brazilian designer Zanini de Zanine Caldas, who uses reclaimed and sustainable materials to build modern, hip pieces folloring the steps of father Jose Zanine Caldas, a prominent architect and artist from Brazil. "I follow my father's philosophy, he always worked with natural materials and reuse: in his house projects in Rio de Janeiro he used lots of doors and windows from demolition," says Zanine Caldas. 

The designer created 2Z Moveis for his own products in 2006, and since then has been turning to environmental responsible materials.The pieces are sold via 2Z Moveis website and at stores Noho Modern in Los Angeles and Habitart in Porto Alegre.

Organic to Go Offers Cheap Eats to Help the Homeless

Save $3 on a Small Soup and help feed those in need!. Delicious Deal meets good causes this week with Organic To Go's 99 cent soups benefiting Martha’s Table.

Weekdays through April 3, visit one of Organic To Go's area locations and order a small soup, including organic basil chicken chili, fire roasted tomato and vegan Thai vegetable soup. The full 99 cents goes to Martha's Table, which provides food, clothing and education to at-risk, children, youth and families in DC.

Green Your Life Workshops – FREE Starting Next Tuesday

Join me next Tuesday, March 24 as I provide an eco-education on simple, practical green living!

As people who envision a sustainable future, PRIZIM, Inc is committed to providing practical knowledge to individuals and organizations so they can share and contribute to that vision. To do this, they are offering opportunities to learn from their experience and to share ideas on wise choices that are good for the Earth and your budget. Sustainable choices you can feel good about that don’t require hardship or discomfort. 

Monthly, Tuesday workshops are scheduled for 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM on March 24, April 21 and May 19

Location:  317 East Diamond avenue, Olde Towne Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Seating limited to 24.

For workshops that are focused on individual green practices (March and May), some topics covered may include:

• Gastronomically Green: Relying on nontoxic, natural, and healthy food and products for all your culinary needs
  
• Don’t be Neutral About Carbon: Strategies for reducing carbon emissions and embracing changed climate lifestyles
  
• Watts Up?: Renew your energy management program at home
  
• Go with the Flow: Integrate water- and energy- conserving devices into your interior design
  
• Breathe Easy: Improve indoor air quality by reducing exposure to harmful toxins
  
• Little Green Being: Healthful strategies for protecting our vulnerable young ones from toxins; Eco-parenting techniques for teaching respect for the environment and; Swaddling your young ones with eco-trendy kitsch
  

And, for workshops that are focused on organizational green practices (April and June), some topics covered may be:

• Ecological Footprint: Assessing your organization’s environmental impact
  
• Leading the Green Revolution… with a Plan: Developing strategies that address your biggest environmental impacts
  
• Boost Your Eco-Advantage: Being green and saving green for your organization
  
• Watts Up?: Renew your energy management program at the workplace
  
• Go with the Flow: Integrate water- and energy- conserving devices into your building design
  
• The Green-Gold Standard: Being recognized for successes and efforts and being transparent about your benchmarks
  

TO REGISTER: Please email Green.Horizon@PRIZIM-inc.com or by phone at 301.840.2222, x171

Green Drinks Networking Event March 10

Green Drinks DC and the Emerging Green Builders of DC

Green Networking Event

Urbana Restaurant and Bar

March 10, 2009

6:30-9:30pm

Event Details

Urbana is extending their Happy Hour pricing until 9pm for the Green Drinks event. This event falls on the same night that Urbana is the featured "Artini" host with a special drink inspired by a student at the Corcoran College of Art + Design (artini info and pricing below). Our co-host, Emerging Green Builders (EGB), under the U.S. Green Building Council, is also our Featured Guest for this event (see details below). EGB representatives will be available throughout the evening to let you know more about their group and how to get involved. Since this venue does not easily accommodate speakers, we'll be encouraging networking with our featured guest in a creative new format with opportunities to win a green gift to take home.

Location: Urbana Restaurant and Bar (Located in the Palomar Hotel), 2121 P St NW, Washington, DC 20037, (202) 448-1800

Metro: Dupont Circle Red Line, Exit Q Street (walk South to P street and turn R. About 2 blocks on right hand side of street)

Co-Host/Featured Guest - Emerging Green Builders (EGB) - US Green Building Council

EGB's mission is to build a network of students and young professionals to advocate for environmental awareness and sustainable development in and around the DC region, community & building industry. EGB has a diverse group of architects, engineers, urban planners, interior designers, real estate developers, etc. EGB is hosting a design competition for young professional who have graduated in the last 5 years. There is more info on the website: http://www.usgbcncr.org/egb.  You can also join the group on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51011275184.

Location Green Practice Highlights

Urbana Restaurant offers organic food as well as organic wines by the glass (the happy hour wines are organic). Other green operations practices include: recycling, use of soy based inks, use of recycled paper supplies, office pencils made from recycled news paper. They are also beginning a filtered water program with reusable bottles for less waste and shipping.

The Kimpton Hotel, where Urbana is housed, has an Earth Care program that promotes green hotel practices and products. For details go to http://www.kimptonhotels.com/programs/earthcare.aspx.

MARCH IS ARTINI MONTH: Urbana is part of a DC-wide event where 12 of the city's best mixologists will compete to create the most artistic martini, inspired by the work of students attending the Corcoran College of Art + Design.  Urbana's Artini Cocktail is $10 and is called "Communal Optimism." For more information on the Corcoran Artini, visit: http://www.corcoran.org/artini/

We look forward to seeing you on March 10!

Be well, think big, live small!

Green Drinks DC Committee, 2009

Matthew Caplins

Patricia Charles

Marianne Drowne

Ami Greener

Sam Salyer

Tina Schneider

Adrienne Spahr

Neil Takemoto