Prospect Park Zoo is celebrating its 15th birthday this year, but its history is pretty rich. It started as a menagerie in the late 1800s, housing various animals, probably not in the most humane way.
[Image: Prospect Park, Menagerie c.1900]
In 1935, following the Central Park Zoo's example, it reopened as a zoo.
Sadly, the Prospect Park Zoo closed in 1987 after a tragic incident.
The zoo reopened in 1993 under the management of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and has been thriving ever since. I'm lucky enough to have the zoo right in my backyard (well, close enough).
So the zoo is celebrating their birthday in some unique ways. Like giving presents to baboons. Maybe it's a bit ridiculous to give baboons gifts, but they seem mildly entertained. (This video is from last year, but the same shenanigans went on this year for the zoo's birthday.)
Read more about the 15th birthday here.
Visit the Prospect Park Zoo.
Become a member of the WCS and enjoy access to all of the city's zoos and aquarium, and more!
07 October 2008
happy re-birthday prospect park zoo!
silly fun: are you id, ego, or superego?
I'm getting distracted by silly things online. I just found this quiz and thought it would be amusing. Surprise, surprise, I'm superego.
You Are the Superego |
 While some people may think first and act later... you often don't act at all. You rather be safe than sorry, and you take ethics pretty seriously. Like everyone, you have some pretty crazy desires. But unlike everyone, you restrain yourself. You have high standards for your own behavior. And you happily exceed them. |
plastic chicken inspiration
It resembles one of those cheap plastic Hawaiian leis that are handed out by DJs at Bar Mitzvahs and children's birthday parties. But really, what inspired designer Ryan Frank to make this recycled plastic chair was "Inkuku" here:
Read more at Gizmodo.
06 October 2008
mind your beeswax!
Most candles on the market are made from a non-renewable resource: paraffin wax, a petroleum by-product. Traditional paraffin candles may also burn off unhealthy fumes, especially if they are scented with synthetic fragrances or have a lead-containing wick (scary stuff!).
The good news is, there are plenty of clean-burning alternatives to paraffin candles. I recently picked up this 100% beeswax candle from Big Dipper Wax Works ($18 at 3R Living in Brooklyn). It was well worth the price, as it burns for 60 hours -- much longer than a hot-burning paraffin candle.
Beeswax candles have a delicately sweet scent, and naturally clean the air by emitting purifying negative ions.
Beeswax is the purest material for candle making. It's a renewable resource and its production requires no chemicals and very little energy (except for that of the bees!).
You can get Big Dipper candles at their site or at 3R Living.
Other beeswax candles are available at Amazon
Read more about the dangers of air fresheners, including paraffin wax candles, at The Green Guide.
frugal = green
I just read a post from Treehugger that compliments one I wrote about how green living means more green in your pocket. They estimate that you can save $1000 over the next year if you follow 6 simple tips.
Read my post: you don't need green to be green.
an eco-friendly halloween
It's October, which means one of my favorite holidays is almost here. While Halloween is by tradition a day of spooky festivities, one of the scariest things about it is the amount of resources spent on cheap plastic costumes and decorations. So instead of being freaked out over all the petroleum-laden junk associated with the holiday, I've rounded up a few tips for having a more green Halloween.
Costumes
Instead of breathing in toxic fumes from that George W. mask you were thinking of wearing, try one of these thrifty and eco-friendly costume ideas (adapted from Halloween on the Web):
- Pair o' dice lost: This one requires a partner. Each of you wear a cubical cardboard box painted white with black dots to match a pair of dice. Carry a road map and look confused
- A work of art: Recreate a famous painting on a big piece of cardboard (such as Munch's The
Scream, the Mona Lisa, or American Gothic). Cut out a hole where the face would be, then put your face through it - Two heads are better than one: Get an XXXL sweatshirt and a friend. Get inside -- et voila! -- you're conjoined twins
- Hari, Hari: Cover your hair with pantyhose (yeah, this is usually petroleum based) and cut a hole in the top. Bring your hair out of the hole (this even works with short -- but not buzzed -- hair). Wear a toga and carry a tambourine
- Cartoon flashback: Get a bunch of friends together and go as characters from your favorite cartoon. Scooby Doo is a good example... some of my friends did this last year. You can probably find all the clothes you'll need at the local consignment shop or on eBay
For thrift stores in your area, check here.
If you're not feeling creative, you can also get used costumes on eBay.
DIY Makeup
- General face paint: 1 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp water, 1/2 tsp cold cream, 2 drops food coloring. Mix well
- Blood: Combine red food coloring and corn syrup. Drip the blood where you'd like, but don't let the edges smear and give it plenty of time to dry
- Blood and gore: Use red food coloring, corn syrup, and chunky peanut butter
[via Halloween on the Web]
(Side note: I'm normally not an advocate of corn syrup, but well, it's Halloween, it may be the least toxic makeup option, and you're not ingesting it!)
Find more DIY Halloween makeup tips here.
Want to do it like a pro? According to Make mag's blog, Etsy will be giving a Halloween makeup how-to in Brooklyn, 10/27 and 10/28 (a testament to the level of professionalism at right)
Please, I beg you, don't buy one of those giant blow-up lawn ornaments made from PVC. Try one of these ideas instead:
- Jack o' Lantern (no kidding!). But how 'bout a solar powered one?
- Make a scarecrow from old jeans, flannel shirt, t-shirt, and pillowcase (another version here)
- Cut a piece of cardboard into a tombstone, paint it grey and decorate as you wish
- Cut shapes of bats, spiders, or cats from cardboard and black paint. Set up lights behind them to cast creepy shadows
- Use an old sheet as a backdrop. Paint a scary scene or cut and sew felt or other scrap fabric onto it to create a unique Halloween scene
- If you want to get fancy, rent a fog machine which uses non-toxic, water-based fog fluid. OR make one yourself! (If you end up buying one, and don't think you'll use it again, donate it to a school or local theater when you're done).
And for the kids...
Discover Halloween tricks and treats for kids at NatureMoms.
One last note. Be sure to recycle all the elements of your costume and decor. Compost your pumpkin guts and toast the seeds. Have fun and Happy Halloween!
kaight loves fall -- sale!
Save on some great eco-friendly fashion for Fall.
Visit www.kaightshop.com and enter coupon code "fall" at checkout to receive 25% off your purchase. Valid through Oct. 15.
03 October 2008
fish lips support breast cancer research
Fish Lips, purveyor of eco-friendly gift wrap, is donating $2 of every purchase of pink paper from their site to breast cancer research -- in honor of Breast Cancer awareness month. Help a worthy cause while shopping for wrapping paper by clicking below:
caps off to aveda
Did you know that the caps of plastic bottles are not recyclable? When you're tossing your #1 or #2 plastics in the recycling bin, those little plastic caps are supposed to go in the trash, because their plastic composition is usually mixed or unknown.
We probably all know by now that there's more plastic than plankton in parts of the Pacific (and elsewhere). So instead of adding to the problem, now, thanks to Aveda, we can be part of the solution. You can bring your caps to an Aveda store or mail them in. Get the full scoop here.
[via EcoSalon]
3 books i want to read now
Two topics are on everyone's mind right now: the economy and energy. These 3 books offer insights into their critical link, offering solutions on how America can rise above while simultaneously saving the planet.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman
The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems
by Van Jones
Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins
public transport breathes life into endangered species
What are the positive consequences of choosing public transportation? This street art demo offers one answer.
[via Climate 411]
please read: the future of energy
We Can't Drill Our Way Out of This Mess.
It's true. There are sustainable, sensible solutions to the energy (and economic) crisis. Please read this common sense article from Robert Redford (via NRDC's newsletter Nature's Voice) about the future of energy in this country.
Seldom do politics get this cynical. Seldom is the real pain of real people so cravenlyexploited. Many of our fellow Americans now choose between buying gas to get to work and buying food to feed their families. Meanwhile, President Bush is trading on that desperation to peddle a lie: that sacrificing our coastlines and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Big Oil will solve our problems at the pump. He's already lifted the executive ban on drilling off our coasts and challenged Congress to do the same. The president knows very well that we cannot drill our way to lower gas prices. We cannot for the simple reason that America has only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. The rate at which we extract that small share is all but meaningless to the vast world oil market where we buy and sell the stuff like everyone else.
Read the rest.
Read even more about why drilling is not the solution.
Oh, and here, too.
