There are 391 National Park areas  comprising over 84 MILLION acres in the U.S.   A meaningful summer vacation is closer than you think!  Our National Parks are your tax dollars at work.  If you want your kids to experience the wilderness, explore it, be amazed by it, develop a sense of stewardship and a passion to protect it, you might be surprised by all the ways our National Parks can help make that happen!

For example, do you know about the Passport?  I know a five-year old who is crazy for maps.  When I met him, he announced, “I’m five, and I’ve been to 8 states!”  He could point to them on a map and was quite proud of his geographical accomplishment.  I couldn’t help but wonder if he had been exposed to much more than Turnpike rest stops in these states.  This is the kind of kid that would thrive on chronicling his National Park visits by stamping a his “own official passport!”  Here is complete list of parks where you can get your passport officially stamped!

When you visit a National Park, your children can experience the pride of becoming a Junior Ranger!  Imagine what the outdoors will mean to child who spent their formative years learning about the land and collecting Junior Ranger patches! 

High gas prices hindering your summer travel? No problem!  Web Rangers is a fantastic site that allows your kids to explore from their computer AND inspires them to get out and explore their own backyard! There are games and activities involving the night sky, pumas, baby turtles, map reading, dinosaurs, water quality, history, geology and code breaking; just to name a few.  Your kids can earn their patches from home and get inspired to hit the road at a later date.

When you are ready to explore our National Parks, consider a National Parks Land Pass.  Discounts and free passes are available to seniors, persons with disabilities and volunteers.

Our wilderness is out there, waiting for you and your family to explore. If you have had great experiences in a National Park, let us know! 

The UK’s Paul Curtis, also known as the "Moose," and Brazil’s Alexandre Orion are taking a new approach to graffiti to convey a sense of "clean," and to inspire pedestrians to keep it that way. Their cue comes from the "Wash Me" message commonly wiped away from the back of dirty semi trucks. They call this reverse graffiti, and they create their work by removing soot, sludge, carbon from exhaust, etc., from the wall to reveal a message.

Moose generated a message in a transport tunnel that reads "Go Gently" to remind drivers of the impact their cars have on the planet. "Once you do this, you make people confront whether or not they like people cleaning walls or if they really have a problem with personal expression."

15. We spend as much effort packaging our food as finding and eating it. So much of our food these days comes pre-packaged that we don’t think twice about it. In order to package food in plastic, we spend billions of dollars and lots of time locating and drilling oil around the world; we then extract a chemical feedstock from the oil; we refine the chemical feedstock into plastic and mould the plastic into packaging; we take the shells off of things like peanuts and then put the peanuts in plastic packaging.

Squirrel says: “How backward! I spend all day getting rid of my food’s natural packaging: the shells. Plus, the shells biodegrade before next year’s nuts ripen. Be more like the rest of the animals by eating food in its original packaging.”

14. We drink the lactation of other animals. We farm animals of other species—like cows, goats, and sheep—to harvest and drink their lactation. We even sometimes ferment this lactation (cheese and yogurt, for example) and occasionally go as far as to let mold grow on it before eating it (blue cheese, for example).

Squirrel says: “EW! Be more like the rest of the rest of the animals by drinking water and eating juice-filled fruits and veggies.”

13. We’ll eat just about anything. Don’t believe me? Look here. Most animals have a pretty good idea of what foods they like and so they stick to eating one type of food. Sharks eat fish, cows and horses eat grass, most birds eat insects, fruit, or grain, and so on. We humans will eat fruit, grain, insects, birds, vegetation, horses, cows, fish, sharks, and more. Some people even eat cars! Our stomachs must truly be one of a kind on this planet. I can just see Mother Nature’s horrified expression, “what do you have in your mouth, child?!?”

Squirrel says: “That’s nuts! Or rather it would be nuts if I were eating it. Pick a diet, you crazy species. You can be more like your ancestors and relatives by eating more vegetables, nuts, and fruit and fewer weird things like octopus, oysters, and buffaloes.”

12. We travel without actually moving. Camels walk to find water, birds fly to find grub, and fish swim to get their food too. We say “I’m going to run to the store to get food,” but what we actually mean is “I’m going to sit down in my car and hardly move a muscle while decomposed dino-gas pushes me to the store.” Weird, huh?

Squirrel says: “Wouldn’t you get out of shape this way? Plus, who would want to avoid walking and running? I love to run and jump! I even have a cousin who flies. Be more like the rest of the rest of the animals and try actually walking or jogging to get food. You can even try wildcrafting, like me.”

Continued from Greening Your Groove.

The environmental movement has been rolling along fast this year, and rocking to boot. A green rhythm is beating in the heart of today's music scene and music lovers young and old have their fingers on its pulse.

This summer, the SOS Live Earth Concert brought together musicians to stages around the world for one glorious day of music and festivities. The message: take personal action to reduce our species' impact on the environment, and encourage governments and business leaders to follow. These round-the-world concerts were not an isolated, one-time event. Many of the artists who performed, as well as others, are making a concerted effort to help the environment, and grow concern for the well-being of the planet.

Some environmentally in-tune musicians hold benefit concerts; some even tour by bicycle or biofueled bus. Most incorporate environmental messages into their lyrics. When you buy music from the following artists or go to their concerts, you'll be supporting the work they do for the environment. Whether you're looking for green concerts or music festivals, discovering new bands, wondering what issues musicians care about, or looking for music with a message about the Earth for your children, you'll find it in the list and links below.

The Weather Makers

The Future of Nature: Writing on a Human Ecology from Orion Magazine (Milkweed Editions, $18.00), just might be that book. A collection of thought-provoking essays selected and introduced by Barry Lopez, The Future of Nature includes writings by such heavy-hitters as Wendell Berry, Bill McKibben, and Derrick Jensen, all originally published in Orion, the seminal magazine covering the intersection of culture, nature, and the environment.

GO and ENN news articles have reported on Ecuador's high-minded decision to leave its largest oil reserve untapped. The unexploited oil fields lie in Yasuni National Park, home to at least two indigenous tribes. Drilling them would add a pretty penny to the country's purse. However, under the YasunÌ-ITT Initiative, President Rafael Correa has vowed to leave the oil in the ground. The initiative also sets the lofty goals of developing greater renewable energy, building greater mass transit, and stimulating eco-tourism.

How can the average person reading this article encourage Ecuador to do the right thing by the Earth and its indigenous people? Is it enough to say "good job, well done?" With the rest of the world fumbling to look busy over addressing climate change, it is our opportunity and perhaps our obligation to stand up and support Ecuador for its brave move.

Ecuador hopes to receive some compensation from other governments for the unexploited oil due to the benign effect on the global climate of leaving it in the ground. But for the average person in a country that exports 420,600 barrels of oil a day, President Correa's decision may seem like a risky one. Ecuador's official unemployment is 10.6% and an estimated 47% are underemployed, estimates the CIA World Factbook.

I'm still walking home after school: this time, from the high school where I teach in St. Louis. Hopefully, I'm not alone. October is International Walk To School Month, and schools around the world are joining in. In 1969, 42% of children walked or biked to school; in 2001, less than 16% did. Interestingly enough, more than 1/3 of children live within a mile of school, but less than half of those students walk or bike even one day per week. Among 9 to 13 year-old children, 61.5% do not engage in organized physical activity during non-school hours, and 22.6% do not participate in any free-time physical activity.

Ditching the car and walking to school (or work) is not just good for the environment; it increases your activity level, a huge benefit during a time when childhood obesity rates are skyrocketing. Walking also reduces congestion in traffic, creates social time for neighborhood kids, raises awareness and analysis of walkability of neighborhoods, and reduces crime by taking back neighborhoods for foot traffic.

This year, the event gained necessary traction to make it recognizable and eventful. People remembered it from the year before, and were less hesitant to step out of their shell and visit with strangers, and many even took the day off or a few hours off to set up their own parks. As a statement of activism, the event stands to highlight how much public municipal space is designated for private vehicular parking. "Why can't we park a bench instead of a car?" Well, that is exactly what many did.

According to the New York Times, the event's irony lies in the fact that "This, after all, is the city where people, surrounded by 3,500 pounds of metal, have fought duels over who is entitled to park a 189-inch-long vehicle at 190 inches of curb space." But on National Park(ing) Day, participants are able to forget that, and see parking spaces as something new. Not only do they take a new form but also the scale of the 190 inches is put into a new perspective, and the space is used in a new, interesting, and appreciated way. In a space where one would park a vehicle that on a regular basis only transports a single passenger, up to 10 people can relax and visit.

Photo courtesy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program office.

I’m a Minnesota Public Radio member, and so I choose to receive a magazine called Minnesota Monthly as my thank you gift (I know I could save them $15 more a year but it's a really good magazine). This month, I was at first pleased to find an article on global warming, then disturbed to learn about the rapid changes going on in Lake Superior because of the steadily increasing temperatures.

For starters, the lake's rapidly warming water temperature has baffled scientists. Although they knew it has been slowly heating up, "it went bananas" beginning 30 years ago: about 75 percent of the 6-degree increase in water temperature has happened since 1980.

Scientists at the Large Lakes Observatory in Duluth, MN thought they had made a mistake: How could the lake be warming up twice as fast as the climate around it?

I'll admit it, I was one of those little kids who patrolled gutters during rainstorms to save drowning worms. All these years later, I have a new appreciation for them. Honestly, what's not to love about critters that reduce global warming, help you garden, and will eat most things that you toss their way? As pets, they may not be much to look at, and they're decidedly bad at playing fetch. But compare them with other kinds of pets and you'll see that they do hold a certain charm. For instance, they'll never defile your furniture or your leg, they're good with kids, and they'll circulate your kitchen scraps back into the garden faster than you can say "vermicomposting."

Vermicomposting, also called vermiculture, is a method of home composting in which "red wiggler worms" quickly digest yard waste and kitchen scraps. Perhaps the most ingenious use of vermicomposting I’ve ever come across was in a Santa Barbara, California, elementary school. Over the course of her career, a teacher at the school developed a program in which the students would vermicompost scraps from their school lunches. They would then use the compost in the schools sunflower and vegetable garden. Students also kept a journal of the gardening project. Food from the garden was used in the school lunches, and the lunch scraps were then composted once again. Students sold excess garden goods at a farmer's market. Cleverly, this gave students the chance to practice writing, journalism, math at the market, biology, and a host of other subjects—all while playing with worms. Now that's a great reason to love worms. But it's just a start.

Whether it is Portland, Burlington or San Francisco, some cities just seem to give out that green vibe. So, what exactly makes a city green? Is it the number of farmers markets? Is it the quality of public transportation? Does it have something to do with the number of residents and businesses who recycle? Sometimes it is difficult to tell weather or not a city is truly green, or just gives out that crunchy, eco-friendly feeling.

Well, thanks to the United Nations, cities worldwide have a guide on how to become more authentically sustainable places. Drafted in 2005 and endorsed by the UN, the Urban Environmental Accords serve as a set of 21 principals by which to make an urban center more eco-friendly. Originally promoted by a group of mayors at the 2005 World Environment Day, the Accords have now been enacted in over 100 cities worldwide.

Acting as a manual for urban sustainability, The Accords outline a 21-point program that guides cities on both small and large things they can do to green their spaces. The 21 points are broken down into seven categories: Water, Transportation, Waste Reduction, Urban Design, Environmental Health, Energy and Urban Nature. An example of an action under the category of "Urban Nature" is "Ensure that there is an accessible public park or recreational open space within half-a-kilometer of every city resident by 2015." Further, cities earn stars for the number of actions, or points, they achieve, and the actual sustainability of a city can be judged based on how many stars they have received.

"Our eco-sensitive offerings are the next step in our journey to reduce REI's overall company environmental footprint," added Kelly Stone, REI Gear & Apparel director of sales and marketing. "As with every offering that carries our brand, REI's eco-sensitive items deliver on our promise of functionality, quality and great style that our members and customers expect."

Utilizing organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, recycled PET, and organic wool, REI has created both men's and women's apparel that they believe meet standards for improved environmental performance. Men's items range from organic cotton/recycled PET polyester cargo pants and t-shirts, to organic cotton hoodies, to recycled PET fleece parkas, jackets, and vests. The women's line includes recycled PET fleece jackets, hemp/recycled PET skirts and pants, and organic cotton t-shirts & hats. REI plans to increase the amount of "eco-senstive" products offered in coming seasons.

This November 7-9, Chicago will host the largest GreenBuild Expo in history. Put on by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council), this year over 18,000 attendees will gather to learn about the trends in green construction and get inspired about future projects. In a city aiming to be the greenest, this is a monumental event. On top of it all, GreenBuild will be held in one of Chicago’s LEED certified facilities, the McCormick Place West Building.

According to the USGBC, "Chicago mayor Richard Daley has pledged to make Chicago the most environmentally friendly city in the world. Building on its legacy as a center of American architecture, Chicago was one of the first cities to adopt LEED. Today it has the most LEED projects of any city in the world."

Included in the Expo is an international conference with headlining speakers such as Paul Hawken (author), Sadhu Johnston (Chicago Commissioner of the Department of Environment),  Thom Mayne (Founder and Principal of Morphosis), Maria Atkinson (Global Head of Sustainability at Lend Lease), and former US President Bill Clinton. USGBC President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi on is especially excited about Clinton's planned appearance:

"This is an unprecedented opportunity for our green building community to hear from one of the greatest philanthropic and environmental leaders of this century. The William J. Clinton Foundation is facilitating a series of global action plans that are addressing some of the most intractable problems of our times -- AIDS, economic sustainability as a way to eradicate poverty, the elimination of childhood obesity. His framework has shown the power that groups of individuals have to effect real change."

But what happens when the going gets wet? With autumn and winter just around the corner, it's easy to let the wet weather dampen the excitement of the ride. As the days contract and sunshine turns to rain, do we trade in our bazillion-mile-to-the-gallon peddling machine and our great summer biking legs for a piddly twenty-five miles to the gallon? Not a chance.

It turns out that year-round bikers have a second theme song: "Riders On The Storm." Feel free to hum along as we look at some fairly easy ways to bike safely and arrive dry, even in the rain.

1. Always use front and rear bike lights for early morning, evening, and wet weather rides. You may be able to see without a headlight, but drivers have a more difficult time seeing you. A flashing taillight makes you more visible from behind as well.

2. Reduce your speed for greater control of your vehicle. Most times, we have fewer than 10 miles to go on our daily rides, so going slower will only add a few minutes onto the time of our ride.

3. Give yourself more time to stop. Wet brakes need to burn off water before they can grip properly. This translates into a greater stopping distance.

When Amy wrote about green magazines, she mentioned GOOD as being one of her favorites. I, too, a self-described magazine junkie, am a big fan of GOOD since it's inception last year. With all the depressing news out there on any given day, GOOD always reaffirms my faith in humanity. Its focus is, like its name implies, good stuff: those things that are making our world a little bit better, and when I'm feeling down about what's going on around me, GOOD usually perks me up. It's a rare magazine that doesn't need an annual "green" issue: sustainabilit