Alicia's Eyes On... A Top Ten

Hey everyone. Alicia here again. We got such great feedback on my 46-day challenge, that we decided to start different series on our blog where the What You Can Doers can talk about various issues and ideas that matter most to each of us.

Starting today, we're going to launch my series corner called, Alicia's Eyes. To kick off the blog, I've decided to write about my love of lists! I love a list. I love a count down. Basically, I love anything that I can scratch off after completion. The satisfaction is wholly rewarding to me. Last year, my dad and I completed our goal of setting foot in all 50 states and I savored the feeling of crossing each state off that to-do list as we went. This year we're starting a new list: Visit all the National Parks.

List lovers usually enjoy hearing about other people's checklists and I'm no exception. I especially love reading other people's top ten lists. When a viewer wrote in mentioning his Top 10 Zoos to Visit, I knew it would be a fun thing to share. Part of the joy of list making is getting people talking - did we include the right things? Is there a random addition on there? Was something outrageously excluded? Not all people agree on what should be on a top 10 list, so let's get talking.

I thought this was a great list to start with because it involves one of our favorite things over here - Wildlife Conservation. I have visited 4 of the zoos mentioned: The Bronx Zoo, The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Animal Kingdom and The Phoenix Zoo. I have always wanted to get to the San Diego Zoo (especially since now they have the Safari Park , but I haven't made it out there yet). No worries - it's on a list of places to visit, so I'll get there someday.

Though it's not a huge zoo, as I mentioned in my Earth Day Blog, one of my favorite things to do in New York is to visit the Central Park Zoo and watch the sea lions while sharing an ice cream with Jack. I just love watching the animals. I also love the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I could sit and watch the sea otters for hours. Jack and I are planning to make a trip up to the Bronx Zoo soon. I haven't been there for a few years, so that'll be fun to visit and I promise to report my adventures after I go.

So what do you think? What makes a good zoo? What would be included in your top ten zoo list?

Please let us know!

Thanks!
Alicia
more to come....

The 46 Day Action Plan - Numbers 11-20

Okay here's part 2 that lists my 46 day challenges. If you came a bit late to the party, don't worry - I'm recapping it for you. We're all about simplifying stuff over here, so if you want to follow my lead, just look at this list and pick what you want to do.

Without further ado, here are numbers 11 - 20.

11. Help Support Women and Children
Donate to your local women's shelter. I visited the wish list for Doorways for Women and Families and donated a baby monitor and some diapers.

12. Magazine Swap
Instead of throwing out your magazine, use them for craft projects, donate them to schools or office waiting rooms. If no one wants them, be sure to recycle them.

13. Spread the Word about Clean Water
Post a photo from charity:water's website to your social networking page to let your friends know that people all over the world are in desperate need of clean water.

14. Erase Hate
If you want to help erase hate in this world, consider signing up for Kindness Cards through Rachel's Challenge or purchase anErase Hate T-shirt from The Matthew Shepard Foundation.

15. Test Your Fridge
Put a piece of paper in the door to your fridge and shut it. Pull it out. If it comes out easily, there's probably something wrong with your seal and you may need to replace it to help save energy.

16. Wear Your Seat Belt
In one of my most moving actions, I shared Christopher McDonough's story and ask you to join me and making any passenger in your car (either with you driving or riding) vow to wear his/her seat belt.

17. Help Someone's Dream Come True
Through Dream Foundation's Adopt a Dream Program, you can help grant a wish to someone who is suffering from a terminal illness.

18. Help Your Car Save Gas
By removing excess weight from your trunk and following these tips from US Department of Energy, you can help save gas.

19. Stop Getting Junk Mail
Interested? Visit - The Do Not Mail List and get rid of the junk! The trees will thank you

20. Spread the Word about Human Trafficking
Consider joining The UNODC's Blue Heart Campaign to help raise awareness for this issue.

Come back tomorrow for items 21 - 30.
Thanks!
Alicia

The 46 Day Action Plan - Numbers 1-10

For those of you have come late to my 46 day Challenge posts, I figured I'd take the work out of it for you. After all, we're all about the one-minute movement here. This way you can see what ideas I took on, and how you could follow my lead. One stop action if you will. Since 46 is a rather large number in list form, I'm breaking it down in groups of ten.

So here you go...Numbers 1 - 10

1. Turn down the heat to 68〫
I still can't believe I hadn't done this one sooner.

2. Set your internet browser page to load onto the GreaterGood's click sites, and click every day.
The Animal Rescue Site, The Hunger Site, The Breast Cancer Site, The Veterans Site, The Child Health Site, The Literacy Site, The Rainforest Site

3. Spring Clean Clothing Swap
Instead of throwing out old clothes, accessories or household items - consider swapping them with your friends. It's a green tip that gives you a new wardrobe!

4. Give the Gift of Sight
If you have old eyeglasses lying around - donate them to Lions' Club International's Recycle for Sight Program.

5. Share Coupons
When you're doing your weekly coupon clipping, look for coupons for local shelters. For instance, you can send a local shelter coupons for pet supplies. Just remember to check with your local shelter first. You can also do this with women and children's shelters.

6. Show someone you care
Take a minute to write an elderly friend or family a letter to let them know you are thinking of them.

7. Symbolically Adopt an Animal through Defenders of Wildlife
Simply visit the Wildlife Adoption Center to pick an animal that you would like to adopt. Remember these make great gifts for the person that has everything.

8. Support After School Programs
Contact your local representatives to tell them to keep funding After School Programs. Let them know this issue is important to you. Click Here to find out how to find your representative and to view a sample letter.

9. Become a Micro Mentor
Ever want to give back a bit of the knowledge you've learned through the years. Mercy Corps has a program that teams you up with someone who is starting out in your field of expertise. You can offer your advice to someone when they need it most. Visit Micromentor.org to find out how to get started.

10. Turn off your power strip
Another one I can't believe I didn't do regularly. The Department of Energy estimates that 75% of the energy used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.

That's it for now. Check back tomorrow for numbers 11 - 20.

Thanks!
Alicia

The Past 46 Days - What I've Learned

To be honest, when I started this challenge, I wasn't sure I would complete it. Not that I didn't believe in what I was doing, far from it. But I'm the person who, in the past, had a built-in back up system for falling off the Lent wagon. For every slip up, I would charge myself $10 in the past and donate that money to charity. So, did that mean I would donate $10 to charity for every day I missed in this challenge? What if my challenge was already donating to a charity? Hmmm, my backup system might not have worked...

Well, surprisingly, I've made it. It's Easter which means the end of Lent and the end of this 46-day experiment. Honestly, the hardest part of the whole thing, was picking which programs I wanted to participate in. We've teamed up with close to 90 organizations and from that list, we have featured several different programs within those organizations. How could I narrow it down to 46?

Here's how I did it. I picked issues that meant the most to me. From animal extinction to cancer awareness, these are issues that I support wholeheartedly. If I was going to commit one minute every day to an idea, I wanted it to be something that I'm passionate about. I also was particular about not picking ideas that I already implement in my life. For instance, we've done a number of videos highlighting green ideas. If it was an idea that I already do, like using the back of paper as scrap paper, or using my left over water to feed my plants, I didn't want those actions to count. This left room for other ideas.

So what did I learn?

#1 I have more time than I thought I had. When you break down this challenge into one minute actions over a long period of time, it becomes attainable. It's not as overwhelming and harder to put off or avoid.

#2 I have finally crossed things off my to do list. For instance, I wanted to adopt a soldier since we filmed our video about the program, but always had a host of reasons why right now wasn't the right time. Now I'm signed up and have already written three letters. I look forward to continuing the correspondance as her deployment continues.

#3 My sister was right. Shhh, don't tell her that - as her little sister, I have to retain a certain amount of resistance to her ways. But her advice was true. As I mentioned in my exchange on Ode Magazine Commit to Making an Impact, Jess said to me - "Lent is a great time for a busy person (i.e. me) to slow down and reflect on life." It was more meaningful and important to me to take on this challenge than to withhold chocolate, caffeine or sugar from my diet. She is very wise, and I'm very grateful to her every day. This picture (taken by accident I may add) - encapsulates how I think of her. She is the captain of this What You Can Do Ship, and I'm honored to hold the camera.

She's my parents' greatest gift to me ♥. (Don't tell her I told you that either).

#4 Like George McFly says in the greatest movie of all time, Back to the Future. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. And that's how I'm going to think of this project from now on. If we want to make a difference, we can.

Even if you only have one minute, there is something you can do about it. Be the change you want to see in the world, come on let's show them What We Can Do!

~Alicia

I'm Crazy about Manatees!

So, as I mentioned in my blog Adopting an Animal - a dilemma, I'm a big fan of helping endangered species. I don't think that any creature on this earth should go extinct because of the selfishness of humans.

Growing up my favorite animal was the elephant. I was infatuated with them. To this day I still find them incredibly fascinating. For instance, did you know that the only known predator for a healthy adult elephant is humans?

Did anyone see that 60 Minutes episode focusing on American scientist, Angela Turkalo's research into a Secret Language of Elephants? If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend clicking the link right now. Ms. Turkalo has been studying a group of wild African elephants for twenty years. While observing their behavior, she has learned about how they communicate, and is beginning to compile a "dictionary of sounds." No joke - check it out. These animals are just INCREDIBLE.

My love of wildlife continued with age. As I got older, I became more and more fascinated with our oceans and the rich life living there. One animal really stood out to me - the Manatee. From the moment I saw these strange looking creatures, I was fascinated. I fell in love. Would it surprise you to learn that they're related to elephants? No, cause they're awesome. My love has a focus!

My family has been going to Sarasota, Florida for over twenty years. While we were down there, my parents learned about the Parker Manatee Aquarium, home to Snooty the Manatee. You can help support Snooty and visit this fascinating animal. Can't make it down to Florida? Check out the Snooty Live Cam. This is definitely a time sucker. I'm obsessed.

Last year, we teamed up with Save the Manatee Club. Through this organization, you can Adopt a Manatee and help protect manatees and their habitat. This program allows you to choose between a bunch of manatees that you want to symbolically adopt. You can read a little bit about them and see which one calls out to you. They have manatees from a number of different places one of which is Homosassa Springs State Park in Florida. And like Snooty, if you're near Homosassa Springs - you can visit the very manatee that you adopted.

So join me and adopt a manatee today. I'm choosing Brutus cause he reminds me of Atticus (my pooch is the biggest poodle I have ever seen). (***This photo isn't actually of Brutus. His photo was too small, but I thought this one was too cute!)

A symbolic adoption is a great addition to an Easter Basket. Who wouldn't want a manatee with their chocolate bunnies?

Help save these amazing creatures! Let's get them off the endangered list. Let's show them What We Can Do.

Alicia

In Honor of Earth Day - Support Your Parks!

Living in New York City has its downsides. We don't get to spend a lot of time in nature. Since moving to the city, I have lived on the Upper West Side, and there is a very good reason for that. I love Central Park. I can't imagine living in this city without having walking access to it. When you're in Central Park, it's so big, you can almost convince yourself that you're in the country for the day. Almost.

My favorite spot in the park is Bethesda Fountain. It's pretty close to my apartment, so I can walk there easily. I love seeing the statue change throughout the seasons. I find myself there on every walk. I just like to check in and say hi, she's become a familiar face and one of my favorite landmarks in the entire city. But there are so many gems. The Zoo is amazing. The Alice in Wonderland statue? Amazing. And who can forget the Turtle pond?

When I was growing up, the first sign of spring was always seeing a Robin on our lawn at home. Now the first sign of spring is seeing snowdrops and daffodils poke their heads above the dirt in the park.

Since today is Earth Day, if you find yourself in NYC, consider visiting the Spring Flowers in bloom in the park. On a Central Park blog, I found this bit of info on the Top 10 place to see Spring Flowers. Definitely worth visiting. In the park right now you can see Magnolias in bloom, tulips and of course daffodils.

This blog also features the Top 10 Romantic Spots in park. So if you want a romantic respite with your honey, think of doing it in this lovely park. And you don't have to be ooey-gooey either. Jack and I just like to walk in the park, share an ice cream cone and watch the sea lions swim at the zoo.

To kick off this day, I'll take a walk in the park and just take in the beauty that is abundant. I've visited the park so many times for fun and for work. We shoot in the park often (it's our favorite location to shoot in the city), and each time I visit, I find something new.

So support your parks! Remember that they are a gift and we have to take care of them. Leave them cleaner than you found them, so that they can last for generations to come.

Donate Your Miles to Service Members and Their Families

Do you have a credit card that accrues mileage on an airline? Do you use those miles? Well I can safely say yes to the first question and sort of to the second one. Seems I'm never using the miles properly. Airlines have black out dates which cause problems and sometimes I forget that I have miles available (which is crazy but it happens). Other times the airline is having a great deal, so I think I'd rather save my miles (for what, I don't know, but I save away). These companies love me. Basically I sign up for a program and don't use it. I'm a dream!

HOWEVER, after producing our video with Fisher House, I now know what I can do with those miles I have sitting around. They have a program that allows you to donate your frequent flyer miles to wounded service members and their families. Specifically, Fisher House Foundation provides free airline tickets to military men and women who are undergoing treatment at a military or VA medical center incident to their service in Iraq or Afghanistan, and their families.

Brilliant!

I feel good about signing up for a free miles program because I can use it to give back to the people who are giving up so much to protect me and my family. Really, the balance still feels skewed in my favor, but at least I'm doing something to help.

So today I'm going to donate a few miles to this amazing organization. It's a pretty simple process. Just click here. Click on the airline that has your miles, and then follow the steps for where to email or fax your request. It's super simple and definitely takes less than a minute!

If you have a few extra miles lying around, why don't you join me?

Thanks!

Alicia

Help Brighten the Day of a Child Living with Chronic Illness

One of the first organizations that Jess ever volunteered with was AIDS Project Worcester . Through working at this organization, Jess learned a lot about giving back to her community and it helped instill a lifelong passion of helping people in need.

Cut to many years later, when we were looking to sign on organizations for What You Can Do. We came across Angelwish, an organization helping children living with chronic illness. They were one of the first organizations to join on to this project and were part of our initial 21 videos. Angelwish has developed over the years from focusing on children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS to reaching out to children living with or affected by chronic illness (such as diabetes, asthma or kidney disease).

At the heart of Angelwish is their Wish Program. Simply click on the country and then state where you want to help. You can select a program in your community to get started. Angelwish also has an Amazon Wishlist where you can purchase gifts that they will get into the hands of children in need. On the right hand side of the wishlist, you will see where the gift is going.

For today's challenge, I will grant a wish and hope that it helps brighten a child's day.
Will you join me?
Thanks

Darkness is Important

I love the stars, am fascinated with NASA and watch every show on NOVA about the universe. One thing I really hate about living in New York is the fact that I can't see the night sky anymore. The black out of 2003 was terrible, but it did give us one of the coolest gifts ever - stars behind the Empire State Building. It made up for the oppressive heat (at least in hindsight).


Last May, my family visited Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. When we got there, we went to the visitor center, and Jess saw a notice about Dark Ranger Kevin Poe's Live Events. We were instantly curious. We all thought it would be amazing to look at the night sky through a telescope. Ranger Poe said we would see Saturn (which we did - AMAZING!) We were excited about it - thinking it would be an astronomy show. We didn't realize that it would be a presentation about protecting the night sky.

During the presentation, Ranger Poe talked about the effects of the vanishing night sky; what it does to our health by affecting our melatonin. What it's doing to our wildlife by confusing migrating birds. If you're interested in any of these studies, you can visit The International Dark Sky Association's resource page.

Since this is an issue that I didn't realize even existed, I'm guessing some of you may be unaware too. I'm using my minute today to share these 4 print outs - 1. Wildlife, 2. Energy, 3. Safety, and 4. Human Health.

Take a minute to read them over and let know what you think.
Thanks!
Alicia

Support a Native American Family

I have always loved Native American textiles. I love their weavings as well as their pottery and jewelry. Ever since my first trip to Arizona when I was 13, I've been in love with the region, the culture and the people. After visiting a number of reservations, I was disheartened by how this amazing heritage has been forgotten in our country. They are mostly forgotten and over looked, and it's alarming.

When we worked with The Adopt-a-Native Elder Program last year, I knew that this would be a program that I would want to participate in. As their website states: The “adoption” program is the heart of Adopt-A-Native-Elder. Each spring and fall the program makes a series of “food runs” to the reservation to deliver food and medical supplies purchased for the elders by their sponsors.

If you are interested in helping this amazing organization, but do not want to participate in the adopt-an-elder program, they also have a variety of other ways you can get involved. You can sign up for their newsletter or, if you're interested in buying a weaving, you can visit their Annual Rug Show. And if you're interested in helping children instead, ANE has a number of programs that help support children. Please click here for more information.

If you are interested, please consider helping this important organization.

Thanks,
Alicia

Help Your Favorite Animal Shelter!

For today's challenge, I'm opting to vote for an animal shelter through The Animal Rescue Site.

The Animal Rescue Site and Petfinder.com have teamed up for this $300,000 challenge. After your "daily click" follow the link to vote now. Then you follow the instructions to vote for your favorite Petfinder.com shelter.

Each week they select a winner to receive a $1,000 grant to help animals!

Please take a minute to help your local shelter! The animals will thank you:)

Thanks!

Alicia

Text for Domestic Violence

So many of us want to do something to help fight Domestic Violence but where do we start? This issue seems so overwhelming and so threatening that it easily induces Jess's phrase - "Impending Sense of Doom."

Well we have had the pleasure to work with The National Domestic Violence Hotline on a number of their campaigns. As the leading organization on the front lines of this issue, The NDVH provides crisis intervention, information and referral to victims of domestic violence, perpetrators, friends and families.The Hotline answers a variety of calls and is a resource for domestic violence advocates government officials, law enforcement agencies and the general public.

Through working with NDVH, we have learned that there are a variety of things that you can do to help fight this issue in one minute. Please Click here for a variety of ways that you can help NDVH, or click here for ways to get involved with Love is Respect, the teen dating abuse hotline.

Today I chose to take part in their text to give campaign. All you have to do is Text “HOTLINE” to 85944 and you donate $10 to this amazing organization. If you aren't able to donate financially, please check consider alternate programs related to DV and teen abuse that don't require financial contribution.

Will you join me in support of this wonderful organization?
Alicia

Double Duty Gifts

Ever wonder what to buy someone? Sometimes it's hard to pick especially when you know that person has everything they want. I try to make gifts personal. If I see something throughout the year, I'll pick it up and put it away until that person's birthday or Christmas arrives. However, even with all of this planning, sometimes I get stumped and am left with the question - do you buy a generic gift? What do you do?

Well, The Breast Cancer Site has a section called Gifts that Give More. On this page, you will find a variety of gifts that help a person struggling with cancer, that provide food and care to hungry animals or that give support to children in need. It's a great resource to visit if you are looking for gifts or even if you just want to help.

I went on the site today deciding what I wanted to get (for Jess's birthday - shhhh, don't tell her), and I saw a new tab to help with Japanese earthquake relief.

On the page, it said the following: 100% of your donation will go to emergency assistance and recovery for victims of the Japan earthquake, tsunami, and aftermath as a grant through GreaterGood.org. GreaterGood Network stores do not receive any profit from donations through this Gift That Gives More™; we bring it to you in the spirit of the greater good. We even pay the credit card transaction fee, so every cent of your donation goes to charity.

I thought this would be a win-win for Jess. So please check out the page, and think about a double duty gift.
Let me know what you decide.

Thanks!
Alicia

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We are producing a video with Mercy Corps targeting how you can help this disaster, but until that time - please see our video below about the Gifts that Give More program.

Get Yourself Fire Safe!

Even before I found myself dating a firefighter, I was concerned with fire safety. It probably stemmed from being raised by a woman who had a healthy sense of fear based preparation. I still remember the meeting places that we decided at each of my houses growing up. If, god forbid, there was a fire -we were to meet at the lamp post (dog in tow).

To that end, I know the meeting place at my dad's and my own apartment. I've got it covered.

I have given my sister a notice for her door alerting the FDNY to Scout's (her dog) presence in case of a fire.

I change my smoke detector's (the one that's not hard wired) batteries when I change the clock. Smokey the Bear would be so proud. Wait isn't he just for forest fires? I bet he's anti-unwanted fire of any kind.

We keep a fire extinguisher in our kitchen just in case my cooking becomes an issue. I have ruined two pans on two separate occasions (oddly making applesauce both times. And its so easy!).

So I guess today is a good day to practice my 911 call. A year ago I took a CPR class. I was interested in taking one for years and never got around to it. I think it's an important skill that we all should have, but I procrastinated. However, after reading a book about Columbine, I was astounded by the fact that no one knew how to administer CPR. This was the impetus. As I mentioned, fear based preparation is big with the Arinellas.

In my class, we practiced talking to 911 about an accident but not a fire. So today, I'll practice speaking clearly, stating my address and location and the nature of the emergency. Practicing this will help me stay calm if an emergency ever occurs.

A very important bit of info we learned is that even though you're still delivering the information, help is already on the way. That's a reassuring thought when time is of the essence.

Will you take on a fire safe one-minute challenge? Hopefully you won't have to thank me for it, but as the Boy Scouts say - always be prepared!
Thanks
Alicia

An Interview with Jessica & Alicia on Shoestring Venture

Hey there everyone, Julie here.

I wanted to let all of you know about a recent interview that Jessica and Alicia did for shoestringventure.com about social entrepreneurship. I may be biased about the quality of the article seeing as how it not only profiles two of my favorite people, but I also happened to be the interviewer! Check the interview out here: http://bit.ly/hTYHxu.

And as always, let us know what you think!

Thanks!

Julie

What You Can Do and Ecoseed.org

What You Can Do was recently introduced to the site: ecoseed.org. According to their website, ecoseed.org is: the leading source for global green news, finance, and other resources in delivering green and renewable energy to mainstream business.

Occassionally, we'll be cross-posting articles that we think you guys might like and you'll be able to find some of our videos on their site (in their multimedia section) as well.

In honor of this new relationship, we thought we'd highlight an interview we recently read on their site that highlights an organization called 1% for the Planet. We thought this was a great compliment to our 1-minute movement! Check out the interview here: http://bit.ly/g0z1hX.

Give Cancer the Bird!

I hate cancer. I think it's stupid, mean and useless. I mean what do you gain from having cancer? Headaches, stress and hair loss. It's not fun! I know there are people out there who say cancer is a blessing. I am not one of them.

I asked our facebook fans how many of them have been affected by this disease. Though I wasn't surprised by the number of responses, it still made me take pause.

Hare are a few of the responses we got:

"I lost my Mother in law April 15.2010 to Breast Cancer .. My Mom also had Bladder cancer and it's been in remission for 6 years now..."

"lost my mum nearly a year ago to pancreatic cancer"

"i lost my mom to lung cancer"

"I lost my dad 4 years ago at age 62 to kidney cancer that spread to his brain"

"I lost two aunts one to cervical cancer the other to breast cancer...."

"Lost sister to Ovarian cancer, Aunt to lung, husband living with Prostate cancer..."

"my dad pass away with liver cancer. my daughter robyn has ovaian cancer its bad also she has 2 spots on her left breast. ... i had curvical, aslo had lung cancer, i'm cancer free... my daughter amanda had ovarian cancer she is cancer free"

"my mom has breast cancer for the second time"

"My dad is currently fighting lymphoma. Fortunately it is going really well and is expected to be done with chemo after two more rounds. My wife's aunt died this week due to cancer in the liver and bone... My wife had skin cancer on her nose...Fortunately all of her check-ups have been clear since."

And as for me? I lost both my grandfathers and my mother. My cousin is in recovery for Breast Cancer and doing well. Recently a very good friend of Jack's (my boyfriend) was diagnosed with the disease, so she's now in our thoughts and prayers.

What You Can Do has teamed up with The Lung Cancer Alliance, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, SHARE, TheBreastCancerSite.com, The Colon Cancer Alliance, and The Skin Cancer Foundation. All of these organizations offer great programs and support for people and families struggling with this disease.

When I took on this 46 day challenge, I knew that I would have to address cancer, but how? I wanted to get people talking so we that we could get motivated and do something about this issue. It seems that there is no one that cancer doesn't touch. It doesn't discriminate by age, gender, race or religion. There is no one target. So I'm really not sure what to do about it. I guess I wanted to get our community talking. To share stories, to offer support and guidance on where to turn for help. I knew I wanted to take time to reflect on this disease, so that's what I'm going to do with my minute today.

Hopefully in the future people's posts will be different. They'll say, "I'm cured!" but for now, all of those affected are in my thoughts - especially today.

Thanks
Alicia

Offset Your footprint; Plant a Tree

We've heard it many times. Trees are important. They're vital to our ecosystem, weather, and help combat global warming. Trees are great, yet, it seems they are cut down all the time. Sometimes they're chopped down because they're sick, sometimes they're cut down to make room for something else. But what happens when all those trees are gone? Do we plant others to take their place?

We did a video last year with American Forests. Their Global ReLeaf program has planted trees in every state in the nation, and in more than 20 countries around the world. For every $1 donated, a tree is planted in one of their projects. They have planted 33 million trees since the program began in 1990, and have set a goal to bring that total to 100 million by the year 2020.

Today I've decided to donate to American Forests, because in plain sight on their page it lists TEN REASONS (THEY) PLANT TREES. I've included them here, so you can see what motivated me.

1. Trees save energy and money. Just three trees strategically planted around your home can cut your air conditioning bill in half.

2. Trees save tax dollars. Trees in a city slow stormwater runoff and reduce the need for storm sewers. Tree shade also help cool municipal buildings, lowering electricity bills.

3. Trees cool our cities. Urban "heat islands" are directly related to massive tree-cutting for development.

4. Trees clean our water and air. From low level ozone in our cities to pesticide and fertilizer runoff from our farms, trees absorb harmful pollutants.

5. Trees help community life. Tree planting and community based forestry can add significantly to a local community's sustainable economy while restoring the environment.

6. Trees protect soil. By holding soil in place with their root systems, by deflecting pounding rain with their canopies, and by adding nutrients each fall with their leaves, trees are crucial to keeping and improving our soil.

7. Trees provide habitat for species of many kinds -- including endangered species. Our projects have gone to protect habitats of such species as the Siberian tiger, monarch butterfly, grizzly bear, bald eagle, and more.

8. Trees can pay your "carbon debt". Planting just 30 Global ReLeaf trees will absorb the amount of carbon dioxide that is generated in the production of energy for the average American lifestyle each year.

9. Trees provide clean water and natural flood control. Forests act as natural reservoirs, and they protect watersheds, providing clean water for cities, bays and rivers.

10. Trees are a beautiful part of our lives. From striking individual trees that are of historic significance or are simply large and majestic, to a grove of trees in a city park, trees enrich our lives by simply being there. Trees are not just a key to the natural ecosystem -- trees are an essential part of community life.

Will You Join Me?

Alicia

Diary of An American Shopper goes Green

So last year, I wrote the blogs Diary of an American Shopper. In November 2009, Julie challenged the On the Leeshers to take on an idea that we wanted to commit to for thirty days. I decided that I wanted to buy American. And I was committed. I was so impassioned that I continued this goal for many months. I did slip up, but to this day, I try to buy things that are made here. It's something I believe in.

Well, as this 46 day challenge has progressed, I knew that taking on the idea of shopping would come up. One video that we produced was with Green Pages. The National Green Pages™ is a directory listing nearly 3,000 businesses that have made firm commitments to sustainable, socially just principles, including the support of sweatshop-free labor, organic farms, fair trade, and cruelty-free products.

Through Green America's green pages program, I can order a catalogue or search on line for companies that have sustainable practices. Say I want to buy eco-friendly party goods...I just search for them online. Or maybe I want to find eco-friendly craft supplies (not that far fetched), no problem. I thought this was great, and will add it to my bookmark bar on my computer so I remember to use it for searches.

Will you check it out?
Let me know
Alicia

Give Hunger the Boot

I'm lucky. I have never experienced hunger. Sure my stomach has grumbled, but I don't know what it's like to wonder where my next meal is coming from. As I mentioned previously in No one should be hungry I love food. We all do in the office, so helping to erradicated hunger was something we took very seriously.

My sister has long been a proponent of the no waste idea of food shopping. She would rather go to the store or farmer's market ever other day than having to throw the food out. To that end, she HATES food eating contests. She thinks they send such a bad message with all the food that is wasted because people try to eat more than they know they can. I tend to agree with her.

Last year we teamed up with The Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and Acadian. They are a wonderful organization fighting to eliminate the issues of hunger in the Greater New Orleans area. One of the programs they offer is something that will apply to anyone regardless of where you live.


Through their Hunger 101 program, you can play an online game that gives you a "crash course on living with hunger." Through this game, "you take on the role of someone who doesn't have enough to eat."

You first pick a person by reading backstory on four different "characters." I chose Karen Jackson - a 27 year old single mother who lives with her five year old daughter and two year old son. Next up, you are given a budget for your characters expenses and asked to choose how you are going to buy food - at the grocery store, through applying for food stamps or at a soup kitchen. I choose food stamps and after going through the process was rejected because my income was too high. Now I'm out a day of work and still need food. So, I try the supermarket where I have to choose between items that will reach my calorie count for the week while staying in my budget.

As the game goes on, I have greater appreciation for what this must be like. This online tool is so well crafted that you get frustrated, depressed, confused and concerned while playing. I highly recommend that you try it and pass it along so others can do the same. It will help you think before you buy food you may not eat.

What do you think?

Let me know - Alicia

Dishwasher = ♥

I, Alicia Arinella, have an unnatural attachment to my dishwasher. I love it. Having grown up with a dishwasher, I took it for granted. I never knew how wonderful this invention was until I moved into an apartment with NO DISHWASHER. It almost sounds like a swear. No Dishwasher. It makes me shudder.

I want to take a moment and give a big old shout out to Josephine Cochran. That's right - a pretty savvy lady invented the dishwasher and unveiled it at the 1893 World's Fair. Even though restaurants and hotels bought her invention, it didn't take off for home use until the 1950's.

Now, no offense to people who like the rhythm of hand washing dishes. I have plenty of dishes that have to be washed by hand, but for most of my things, I use the dishwasher. I'm pretty attached. Sometimes I feel like Donna Reed, so happy that I have an appliance in my home.

But lately, I think my dishwasher is sick. She's not cleaning as she used to, and that makes me worried. I know that she works hard. We like to go through dishes around here. With upwards of four people eating lunch here every day and two eating breakfast and dinner, she has her work cut out for her. I know that a dishwasher can use less water than washing dishes by hand if you run it when it's full. But what if it's not running properly?

I'll tell you. If it's not running properly, you have to rewash dishes and that's unacceptable! To wash things twice? Not only is that ridiculous but I'm wasting water. So I pledge to get a new one. I have found some pretty inexpensive ones that are Energy Star Certified. Even though the process of researching, buying and installing a new dishwasher takes more than a minute, I think that it's important to save the water, so I'm taking in on.

How about yours?
Let me know - Alicia

Show Shelter Animals some Love

We're an office full of dog lovers. Through the years, we have produced videos on dog grooming, dog training and city living with your dog. Both Julie and Melissa have adopted rescue animals and we find ourselves talking about our pets for at least part of every day. It was no surprise that we wanted to do videos highlighting issues surrounding animal cruelty.

Needless to say, we were so happy to partner with The Petfinder.com Foundation. They help homeless pets through adoptions, helping shelters prepare for and recover from disaster and work to make shelters across the country more sustainable. If you're interested in adopting a new pet, they are a great resource.

We produced several videos with them - and you should check them out. But I took on this challenge to do one-minute-a-day, so I had to pick one of their programs. Today, I'm going to contribute to their Vaccination Fund. You can contribute money to vaccinate a dog from Kennel Cough or a cat from FVRCP. I wanted to choose this program because every year 6 to 8 million dogs and cats will enter U.S. shelters. Vaccinations are critical to help these animals fend off highly contagious diseases prevalent in crowded shelters. Because keeping shelter animals healthy greatly increases their chances of being adopted, vaccination programs help reduce the number of shelter animals euthanized for lack of a home. Not bad for a minute's work.

Will you join me?
Thanks - Alicia

Gardening Tips: An Interview

The basis of the "What You Can Do" series is to offer the average person actionable ideas to make a difference about whatever issues speaks to them most. Alicia and I met Andrew Spilberg while producing a corporate video for PRG. He's a master at his job and travels all around the world working to make some of the biggest events, concerts and award shows awe-inspiring. In chatting with Andrew we discovered that not only is he some kind of technical genius, he, along with his wife, is becoming a master gardener. Essentially, he's a "What You Can Do" All-Star. He's changed some of his carbon footprints into earth-friendly tracks that lead to a backyard organic garden. Since I myself have been known to kill a cactus, I thought he'd be a great person to talk to.

Read on for some tips and some inspiration on how you too can create your own produce garden!


What made you want to begin gardening at home? Was it just because you were interested in the experience of gardening, or was it so that you could reduce the cost of your produce and control how it was grown?

Andrew: My inspiration for gardening at home as two fold. First we, my wife deserves credit as well, had a side yard that we just finished terracing. Previously it was an area that was about a 3' tall slope that was about 10' deep and 50' long. It was covered with a flowering ground cover seen along major highways here in California. It had to go. By terracing the area we were able to create two flat areas that were 100% useable. Once complete we quickly decided that some raised planting beds would be nice. In turn we built four 5' square redwood box frames. I made them stackable so we could either have four that were 1' tall or one that was 4' tall. However in the 12+ years that we have had the garden we have always had four.

Secondly we had a need to landscape the backyard. When it came time to buy plants and trees we started out slow with the ornamental variety. They looked nice but they were very expensive. One day I saw a "Citrus Fruit Salad" tree at our local garden center. It had lemon, lime, two varieties of oranges, and a tangerine grafted to one tree. How cool was this! A tree to fill an area and it produced fruit that I liked. SOLD! From then on no matter what we planted in the back yard we decided that it had to produce something that could be eaten. Over the years we added a grapes, blueberry, artichoke, rosemary, Fuji Apple, Asian Pear, and Cherry trees. They have all done a wonderful job in helping to landscape the yard as well as produce fantastic fruits and vegetables.

In the raised planters and the terraced areas we plant seasonal vegetables including; Lettuce, Beet, Corn, Peas, Beans, Peppers, Sunflower, Eggplant, Pumpkin, Watermelon, Zucchini, Radish, and whatever we find that looks interesting. We especially like the heirloom varieties that are next to impossible to find in any store.


Why did you choose to create an organic garden?

A: There was a point in the first year of our garden when I was standing in the garden center of our local home improvement store trying to decide what chemical solution I should buy. I was reading the labels to make sure that the bug or weed was included on the list of things that it would kill. I began to question what happened to those chemicals after they were applied and were done doing their job. Did I really want to apply something that had more warnings about its use then a chainsaw? I put the chemicals down and started to walk out the store when I noticed some tubs of Lady Bugs at the register. I picked one up and low and behold those little guys would eat my problems away. That is where it began. That container led me to a website where I was able to see benefits of using lady bugs and my personal favorite praying mantis. While we didn't intentionally set out to produce an organic garden it just sort of turned out that way.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start their own garden? Any lessons learned?

A: Even if you don't have a back yard there are other alternatives. A community garden area, a window box, or just a single plant in a pot. Not too much of an investment can lead to big rewards.

Fertilize with compost. Not only will you be sending less material to the landfill it will improve the soil and your plants will reward you.

Would you advise someone to start with one vegetable or fruit only, or would you tell someone to just go for it?

A: If you aren't ready to jump in with both feet, that's ok. Start with a single plant in a pot, something that you like. I would suggest a tomato or a strawberry. Do a little research and ask for help if you think you are running into problems. The internet, "farmer's almanac" and your neighbors are good sources of information. Don't get discouraged if you don't end up with a crop of fruits a vegetables that will feed the neighborhood. My cherry tree is not a big producer. In the first five years it produced a grand total of two cherries. Two years ago it produced one cherry. Last year it produced twelve. That was a 1200% increase over the previous year. I wish I could do that with the stock market. Admittedly twelve cherries isn't much but progress is progress.


Do you find that the produce you grow in your backyard tastes different than supermarket produce?

A. I do find that what we grow in our garden has more intense flavors and are sweeter. I think we can attribute that to the fact that we control when something is picked. Just one extra day can make all the difference in a strawberry. There isn't anything to get in the way from the time something is picked until it is being served in a salad, made into a pie, or grilled.

Anything else you'd like to share?

A. My dad likes the results of our efforts as well. He calls it "Andrews Victory Garden." He was born in the '30s and says that our garden reminds him of the victory gardens that his parents, friends and neighbors planted during WWII.

My dwarf citrus fruit salad tree produces more lemons and limes twice a year than our family of four can consume. Share what you grow with your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and local food bank.

Here are a few links to some resources that I think are great:
Gardens Alive: http://www.gardensalive.com/
Beneficial Insects 101: http://www.beneficialinsects101.com
Farmers' Almanac: http://www.farmersalmanac.com/
Composting info: http://www.howtocompost.org or http://earthmatter.org/
Victory Garden info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden

Thanks again to Andrew for his insight!

Signing off,
Julie

Help Protect Our Fishies

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Choose Wisely, our oceans are threatened by overfishing. Preventing overfishing has long been a passion of mine. When swordfish was on the threatened list - I used to pitch a fit to anyone who would try to order it around me. My passion for our oceans began at a young age, which gets me thinking...

Last year, we visited kids at a school in Brooklyn on Earth Day to talk to them about ideas for going green. Almost all of them said to shut off the lights and recycle. This lingo has become so ingrained in our kids, it's now the new "wash your hands" and "brush your teeth." Which leads me to believe that if we can get kids to start paying attention to the world's problems at a young age, there's no telling what they can do with our planet.

The Ocean Conservancy has a great program called Go Fish. It's an online game that teaches people about the state of fish in our oceans. Though it's not great for really little kids (it includes some pretty advanced concepts), it would be great for anyone age 10+. And there are incentives to play: if you answer all five questions, $1 will be donated to help the Ocean Conservancy's efforts to make overfishing a thing of the past.

Even though it's a game, it's not just for kids. I urge you to join me today and play this game to see what you know and don't know about the state of our oceans. The more people we get to play, the more $1 donations will be made. Oh and don't feel bad about your score - I got 2 right the first time I played.

If you have a little one at home, play the game with him/her. Instill your kids with the love of our oceans. This love will grow with them and there's no telling what the outcome will be. I hope that these problems won't face our grandkids, but it starts today. And it starts with you.

Will you join me?
Thanks - Alicia

Help At-Risk Youth

While we were working on What You Can Do last year, my father suggested we team up with The Home for Little Wanderers. My father grew up in Boston and though he moved away years ago, he has stayed very involved in the community. The Home for Little Wanderers has been part of the Boston landscape for over 200 years, making it the oldest agency of its kind in the nation, and one of the largest in New England. Their mission is to: ensure the healthy behavioral, emotional, social and educational development of children and families living in at-risk circumstances.

We produced the video below that suggested ways to get your children involved with organizations like this. Today, however, I decided to do another one-minute action featured on their website. The Home for Little Wanderers is involved with the OneCause program. OneCause is an online community that helps you raise money for the participating organization of your choice while shopping at over 750 well-known merchants (from Amazon to Lands’ End).

Even though Father's Day is a few months away, I figured I'd double my gifts by buying a few books for my dad through this program. It's win win. Just click your favorite online store and automatically contribute a percentage of every eligible purchase to The Home.

And OneCause features a variety of organizations, so check them out, look for your favorite organization and give the gift that keeps giving. Visit Onecause.org to find out more information.

Thanks!
Alicia

Update from Doorways

As many of you know, I donated some goods to Doorways for Women and Families as part of my 46 day challenge.

Well I just got a note from them. On the card it says:
"Without in-kind contributions like your, Doorways would spend over $1,000 every month on groceries, household and personal items."

So if you are thinking of giving to your local shelter, hopefully these words will help motivate you to action!

Thanks,
Alicia

Help Haiti's Children

It's been over a year since the tragic earthquake in Haiti. When we first started What You Can Do, we knew there might be a tragedy during the year that we'd have to address. We hoped that it wouldn't happen, but only a few months later, we woke up to the devastating news.

We scrambled in the office trying to post up-to-the-minute information from Mercy Corps and Action Against Hunger on our facebook page. We wanted to get ideas on how to help into the hands of our community.

Throughout the year, more tragedies hit, but the stories from Haiti continued to affect us. To this day, the people of Haiti are still trying to rebuild, and they still need our support. That's why today, I've decided to Plant a Tree through Mercy Corps. They no longer feature the comfort kit featured in our videos, but this gift will: help restore beauty and pride to the degraded and disaster-stricken neighborhoods while giving fruit and wood to help families make a living.

If you continue to be haunted by the images we saw, and continue to see from Haiti, consider planting a tree as well.
Thanks!
Alicia

Make Sting Proud - Adopt an Acre of Rainforest!

When I was growing up, campaigns to help protect the rainforest were everywhere. Every other report seemed to be about the depletion of the rainforest or our ozone layer, but these days, I don't hear as much about this anymore. Turns out though, the threats that faced the rainforest all those years ago are still there; we just don't talk about them as much. Except for Sting, who is the Bono of the rainforest.

Last year, we teamed up with The Rainforest Alliance on videos to help these precious ecosystems. They feature various kid-friendly programs on their site. They have online games that will educate you and your little one on how goods like bananas, chocolate and coffee get on your plate. You can also find coloring book pages and fact sheets that can help your mini-me's get passionate about protecting these resources.

I, however, opted to adopt an acre of rainforest as part of my challenge. Through Adopt-A-Rainforest, you can contribute funding to small conservation groups in tropical countries that work to stop rainforest destruction. Donations to the Adopt-A-Rainforest projects support the purchase and sustainable management of tropical forest lands. Pretty cool. I could choose to support a particular project in a country of interest, or ask the Rainforest Alliance to select one in need. I'm a little indecisive and felt bad singling one out, so I broke my donation up between the 9 options.

And next time you go to the supermarket to stock up on coffee, chocolate or fruit, be sure to purchase Rainforest Alliance Certified products. You can use your buying power to help enact change. There are a lot of options out there. And believe me, they're just as delicious.

Thanks!
Alicia

No one should be hungry

Unfortunately, I have a migraine today, so i am going to keep this blog short.

I love food, love it. Plan my day around what deliciousness I will find next. And that makes me so upset for those who have to go without food. It makes me want to give back.

In New York City, we have a wonderful organization called City Harvest. Through them, you can donate food as well as money. However, you can also frequent restaurants that assist City Harvest in their fight to end hunger. Definitely something to check out if you're a native to the city or in town for a visit.

More tomorrow!
Thanks!
Alicia

Choose Wisely

The Knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade said it best - you must choose, but choose wisely, for as the real choice brings eternal ocean life, the false choice brings death. Okay, I'm paraphrasing. But you get the drift. We are overfishing and most of us don't know what to do.

One of the first phone calls that I made for What You Can Do was to the Monterey Bay Aquarium because of their Seafood Watch Program. The Aquarium has broken down ocean-friendly seafood choices by region. You can download these pocket guides on their website and carry them with you, or if you have an iphone, you can download the free app. These guides help us be better Seafood Consumers, helping us make smarter choices and teaching us to ask the right questions.

My dad says that when he grew up the coasts of New England had some of the richest seafood beds in the world. Unfortunately, we have overfished these waters and what was abundant is now damaged.

Tonight I'm going to a Seafood restaurant with my family and I plan on using my Seafood Watch guide. This will help me make an ocean friendly choice. I'm gonna download a copy to Jack's Droid Then it's always with us.

I recommend that you visit the website, download your own guide and start using them at your restaurants and supermarkets. Better yet, download a few and pass them out to friends. Whenever I see that a friend has an iphone, I swipe it and download the app for them. They thank me for it. So does the ocean and so will you:)

~Alicia

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My guide for tonight:

Support Green Energy

I still remember the Exxon Valdez oil spill. I remember watching the nightly news in our kitchen, seeing the footage of animals covered in oil, getting beached on the shore, and struggling to move. Those images were haunting and they stay with me to today. It was at this time that I first fell in love with sea otters and my lifelong interest in marine wildlife began in earnest. I remember thinking at the time, there is no way that the powers that be would allow another disaster like this to happen.

Cut to 21 years later, almost to the month, and another disaster struck. We watched it in the office and wondered how far the impact would spread. For almost six months, the oil flow was continuous and we sat horrified - worried that it wouldn't end and that we were powerless to stop it. Now, however, it's been almost a year, and I don't hear much about it anymore.

How can things be so powerful and then lose their impact? Do we become desensitized when no longer faced with the immediacy of the threat. Or perhaps, if the threat isn't in our backyard, it's easier to forget? Well I for one, don't want to see this happen again.

We worked on a video with Defenders of Wildlife last summer. If you visit Defenders of Wildlife's Gulf Page you can sign a petition urging President Obama to reinstate the ban on offshore drilling. Defenders still needs 75,000 signatures, so please consider signing up. It takes less than a minute.

Thanks!
Alicia

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From the Defenders website -

Experts say that the spill threatens at least 400 species, at least 19 vital wildlife refuges and communities dependent on the Gulf’s multibillion dollar commercial and recreational fishing and tourist industries.

President Obama has ordered a temporary moratorium on offshore drilling in new areas, but Big Oil and their political allies remain committed to industrializing our coasts… even at the cost of another ecological disaster.

Help save the lives of the whales, sea turtles and other wildlife that could be lost to the next drilling disaster. Urge President Obama to reinstate the moratorium on drilling off our coasts.

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