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[My friend Anne took this last week when we were in the park.]

exploring, gathering

With no immediate intentions other than eating our lunch, my bf and I went to Prospect Park yesterday afternoon. The weather was amazing -- sunny but not too hot, perfectly comfortable in the shade -- it was like the storm of Saturday hadn't happened.

After polishing off some rigatoni (with heirloom tomatoes, goat gouda, basil, chives, and fresh chili pepper, yum!) we sat for a bit. We noticed an unusual amount of little children in the park, as if the rain had sprouted them like mushrooms out of the ground. We watched as dogs pranced by, commenting on their coats and gaits, and guessing their breeds, one of our favorite past times.

Then we got up and went over to dog beach for some more canine commentary. Despite recent reports of contamination by rat excrement (more here and here), the little section of the pond that's cordoned off for doggy frolicking was jam packed with puppies.

[Image: Lane Johnson, AM New York]

Aside from the pups, some rose hips poking out from behind a fence caught our attention. Knowing exactly what they were by their leaves, thorns, and telltale fuzzy tops, we picked a bunch.

[The rosehips we picked]

This little discovery-in-plain-sight sparked my newfound fire for finding wild edibles. So we headed into "the woods." Right on cue, as we passed to the right of the pond, we saw a cute little rat feasting on some hawthorne or some other apple-like fruit. Another passerby labeled him "local fauna."

We took a trail we usually don't go down, towards the Center Drive and Nethermead. We walked along the drive, to the southwest, eyes peeled to the ground. Burdock, pokeweed (poisonous at this time of year), jewelweed, and goldenrod -- we identified them and walked on by. Along the drive is a bridle path, and we ended up walking in it (paying heed to horsey landmines). Then we spotted a seemingly less traveled mulch- and leaf-covered path. As close as we were to the road (which generally isn't open to car traffic), I felt strangely transported. It was so serene, apart from the rustling of leaves by robins, squirrels, and a couple of speedy chipmunks.

To the right of this path ran a chainlink fence which I didn't think much of until we came across this sign (on the other side of the fence):

[Image: Noelle D'Arrigo, Brooklyn Paper]

I thought I remembered hearing about a cemetery in the park where Montgomery Clift was buried. For some odd reason, I forgot about this fascinating info. The Quaker Friends Cemetery isn't open to the public, except on rare special occasions or on volunteer clean-up days. But I just love knowing it's there, the little bit of it we could see from the trail. (Learn more about the cemetery.)


[Image: Rikomatic]

We continued up the trail, now heading north-northwest. Caught another view of the cemetery (though not as revealing as the one above) and continued on.

At the bottom of the trail we collected spicebush berries, more to add to last week's collection which have been drying on the countertop (I just put the dried ones in the fridge).


[Fresh vs week-old picked spicebush berries]

Under the spicebush we saw what at first we thought were potatoes, then pears. After further inspection we realized they were some kind of nut. We looked up and realized that high up in the trees there were many more (Please don't fall on my head!). After an inquiry to my go-to foraging expert, Leda Meredith, I learned these were probably horse chestnuts, and therefore not edible.

[Most likely poisonous horse chestnuts]

At this point we were by the baseball fields, behind a big pile of mulch. We walked back to more familiar territory and found some more tree nuts, this time (potentially) edible ones, black walnut.


[Hopefully black walnut... gotta crack it open to find out]

I've lived here for over 5 years and have been to this park countless times, yet there are still new things to discover. (I'm sure the woman who writes A Year in the Park would whole-heartedly agree.) I just have to remember to take a step off the usual path to find them.

world of good (shopping)

When I spend my hard-earned dough I'd like to know where it's going. Who is it benefiting (or harming)? What kinds of resources were used? Is it really worth the price (in terms of labor, effort, materials, etc)?

So in recent years, I've become really selective about where I shop. As I've said before, I avoid the big box and big name retailers (whenever possible) in favor of local, indie biz. Think Etsy vs Banana Republic, eBay vs Crate and Barrel. Of course there are times when it's really difficult to completely ignore the big boys, like when you need a paper towel holder or new toilet seat.

Thankfully it's getting easier and easier to find alternative sources for goods. Like the new responsible marketplace by eBay, World of Good. They've got a pretty big range of fair trade and/or eco-friendly stuff, from clothing and jewelry to furniture and toys. What's really great is that they break it down in terms of the impact your purchase has. They call this a Goodprint and these are the categories: people positive, eco positive, animal friendly, and supports a cause.

It's feel-good shopping, certified by third parties with their Trustology verification system. Many of their verifiers and sellers have been in the fair trade game for years, including Co-op America and Ten Thousand Villages.

Here's a random selection of fun things you can get from World of Good:

PeaceKeeper Nail Polish
Proceeds go to people positive charities


Telephone Wire Bracelet
Eco-friendly repurposed wire, benefits South African artisans

Baby Llama Toy
Benefits Peruvian artisans, made with energy conservation in mind


Where does your hard-earned dough go?

feel-good farming

EcoSalon reports on sustainable family-run farms, specifically 3rd generation Tramar Farms in Iowa.

They clearly state that they are stewards of the land (and they intend to leave it better than they found it) and that their animals are to be raised ethically and humanely, with access to fresh air, green grass and clean water.

Contrast that to a typical factory farm, which treat animals like unfeeling meat-producing machines, routinely use chemicals and cruelty, and leave the surrounding lands destroyed by huge polluting pools of manure.

It may cost a little more to get your meat, milk and eggs from a healthy family farm, but you are what you eat, and your money supports whatever you spend it on. What’s it worth to you?

I couldn't have said it better myself.

where is everybody?

Today's farmer's market run was rather unsuccessful. Hanna (downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm) kept most of the farmers away. I don't blame them, it looks pretty menacing out there.

We wanted to get eggs from Flying Pig Farm. They had none, in fact, nobody had them. The mushroom guy wasn't there. Our favorite meat suppliers weren't either. We grabbed what we could -- some squash, radishes, a couple heirloom tomatoes, micro-greens, and bread. Looks like we'll have to rely on the supermarket a little more heavily this week.

The looming storm also kept us from going to a friend's barbecue, her house a little over an hour north. It's really coming down now. I think we made the right choice.

timbuk2 sale

If you're in the market for a new bag, Timbuk2 (known for their durable messenger bags) is having a big sale. Their eco-friendly "grown" line is made from hemp and recycled PET (plastic). All of their bags -- even the conventional ones -- are PVC-free.

Wiki Laptop Case
Was $55, Now $35.75

Classic Messenger (x-small)
Was $110, Now $55

Classic Messenger (small)
Was $130, Now $84.50

Classic Cargo Tote
Was $100, Now $65

you don't need green to be green

The other day, a friend of mine brought up the common misconception that in order to be eco-friendly, one needs money. There's really just one thing that I practice to live a sustainable lifestyle: mindfulness. And I think mindfulness in this case can be broken down into 3 actions: a) plan ahead, b) consume less, and c) do your research. Here are a few guidelines that I live by...


Plan ahead
(or, be prepared)

1. BYOE: Bring your own everything, everywhere

• This includes, but isn't limited to: reusable utensils, reusable drinking containers, shopping bags, and lunch
  
• You don't have to go out and buy special portable utensils, just borrow some from home
• Buying a $20 reusable water bottle and filling it at home or at a water fountain is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a $1 bottle everyday (or even every week if you're one of those people who refill disposable bottles).
  
• Same goes for coffee and tea -- brew it at home or at the office and drink it in a mug
  
• Your shopping bags don't have to be anything fancy, most of our bags were giveaway totes. Even just reusing plastic grocery bags will keep the garbage out of the waste stream for a little longer

2. Plan meals

• If you know what you're going to eat ahead of time, you'll buy only what you need
• If you go to the supermarket on a full stomach, you'll be less likely to buy stuff you don't need
  
• Plus you'll keep food out of the landfill where it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change (according to the EPA, methane is 20 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide)
  

3. If you can grow it yourself, do

• You'll save money, fuel, and carbon output
• Plus, you'll know where your food is coming from
• If you don't have your own garden, try a community garden

4. Compost if you can

• You'll keep food out of the landfill (see item number 2) and create rich food for your vegetable garden
• Learn how here
  

5. Keep your car maintained, and hypermile

• If you have a car, keep it clean and the tires full -- both of these simple things can help save gas
• Hypermiling is a tactic people use to save fuel. Find out more here
  

Consume less, live more

1. Buy less stuff

• Especially new stuff, or stuff made overseas
• I promise, life will be just as fulfilling without that 5th pair of sneakers or giant flatscreen TV or beauty product, or whatever it is you're thinking of buying. I know, I'm a recovering shoe addict and impulse buyer myself
• Of course there are times when you need stuff, or maybe you like collecting stuff as a hobby. Just use your judgment and buy used whenever you can. Shop at eBay, craigslist, or FreeCycle (this one's free!)
  

2. Eat less meat

• It's pricey, has a huge impact on the planet, and isn't all that healthy in large quantities
• Greens and grains are healthier and generally cost a lot less (they also taste good once you get used to them -- especially the fresh ones)
  

3. Eat and drink less junk

• Junk food is highly processed, so a lot of energy and resources go into making it
  
• And it's full of bad stuff
  
• Trust me, you'll feel better in the morning if you don't reach for that jumbo bag of Doritos and 32 oz Gatorade. It may seem cheap and tasty now, but just wait 'til you get those medical bills in 20 years

4. Think before you...

• Print or copy: Can you read it on the computer? Can you copy double-sided?
  
• Purchase: See number 1
  
• Toss: Can that thing you're about to throw away be reused or recycled? Maybe somebody else could use it if you don't want it anymore. If it's toxic, dispose of it properly (find out how at Earth 911)
  
• Drive: Can you walk, bike, or take public transportation instead?

5. Use less water and energy

• You'll end up saving money if you conserve
• Find 100 ways to save water, specific to your region, here
• See my tips for summer energy saving
  

Do your research
(Find out where stuff comes from and what it's made of. Here are a few things I've learned...)

1. Health and hygiene

• Ingredients to avoid: parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-), synthetic fragrance, petrolatum, diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), sodium laurel sulfate (read more about ingredients to avoid)
• Not sure if your products are harmful? Check the Cosmetics Database

2. Cleaning products

• You can make your own non-toxic cleaning supplies with inexpensive household products, like white vinegar, washing soda, hydrogen peroxide, lemon, and oil (learn more at The Green Guide)
• Use rags (old t-shirts and towels work well) instead of paper towels

3. Food

• Eat whole, minimally processed foods
• Read the label -- avoid ingredients that you can't pronounce or that have many qualifiers, like high-fructose corn syrup or enriched bleached white flour

4. Furniture and homegoods

• Avoid furniture and paint made with off-gassing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals like formaldehyde
• Skip products made with PVC, like shower curtain liners -- opt for cloth instead
• Choose napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues made from paper, not from trees. Go with these brands that are both high quality and environmentally friendly (Marcal, Seventh Generation, Green Forest). AVOID: Bounty, Scott, Viva, Kleenex, Puffs, Charmin, Cottonelle (they're all made from trees!)
• Buy in bulk to save money and packaging
  

Keep it simple...
Another simple way to live green is to heed the 3 Rs: reduce consumption, reuse what you can, and recycle what you can't.

Find more eco on a budget tips at The Budget Ecoist

Why bother?

what the HFCS?!!!

Oh sweet propaganda. I love the qualification of "it's fine in moderation." Yeah, so is cyanide. Problem is, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is in a lot of foods which you wouldn't expect. It's not just sugary drinks and ice pops. HFCS is in most commercially available bread, even "whole wheat" and "multi-grain" varieties. It's in that all-American condiment, ketchup.

HFCS isn't just bad for your health, it's terribly unsustainable:

Most corn is grown as a monoculture, meaning that the land is used solely for corn, not rotated among crops. This maximizes yields, but at a price: It depletes soil nutrients, requiring more pesticides and fertilizer while weakening topsoil.

"The environmental footprint of HFCS is deep and wide," writes [Michael] Pollan, a prominent critic of industrial agriculture. "Look no farther than the dead zone in the Gulf [of Mexico], an area the size of New Jersey where virtually nothing will live because it has been starved of oxygen by the fertilizer runoff coming down the Mississippi from the Corn Belt. Then there is the atrazine in the water in farm country -- a nasty herbicide that, at concentrations as little as 0.1 part per billion, has been shown to turn male frogs into hermaphrodites."

Plus...

Milling and chemically altering corn to form high-fructose corn syrup also is energy-intensive. That's not to say that corn is evil and other foods aren't; all crops require energy to grow and transport. What makes corn a target is that federal subsidies -- and tariffs on imported sugar -- keep prices low, paving the way for widespread use of high-fructose corn syrup and, in the process, keeping the American palate accustomed to the sweetness it provides.

Read the rest of the Washington Post article here.

Oh, and it's not surprising, the commercial was brought to you by the Corn Refiners Association.

see the forest for the trees

What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.

~Mahatma Gandhi

They are the lungs of the Earth, and they fill our lungs with oxygen. They nourish the soil and provide us with fresh water. They regulate climate. They are home to diverse and increasingly endangered life forms. They hold secrets we have yet to discover.

Forests aren't just the stuff of fairy tales, but they are heading that way. Deforestation continues at a rate of 32 million acres per year. But you can help stop it.

Protect an acre
Through Conservation International, you can protect an acre of forest for $15

Adopt an acre
Through the Nature Conservancy, you can adopt an acre for $50

Buy certified wood and paper products
Check to see if the product you're about to purchase is certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Their logo looks like this:

our next car?

It's not the Prius. But it kinda looks like that beloved hybrid. Maybe it's a little cuter (at least my bf thinks so, I happen to like the Prius).

Regardless, it's the new Honda Insight 3 and it's being publicly revealed at the Paris Motor Show next month. The one shown above is a concept, but Honda plans on having it in showrooms on Earth Day next year (that's April 22nd to those who haven't been paying attention for the last 38 years), so it shouldn't change all that much.

If the looks don't get 'em, the price tag should have Prius-lovers changing their minds -- the Insight 3 starts at $19,000 and is said to get 60 mpg.

[Via Wired Honda's Got Prius Envy. Great title, no?]

cozy up to a cup

I love alliteration. I also really like multi-functioning things. The coffee cup cozy cuff fits both categories. It saves paper, it keeps your paws from getting scorched, and you can wear it. So simple, yet so brilliant.

I've seen knit or crocheted versions, quilty fabric versions, even pricey $70 wooden ones. You can make one with your own little hands if you're so inclined.


Try it!
Here are some patterns in various media:

• Knit
  
• Crochet
  
• Felt
  
• Fabric

Buy it!
If you're not crafty, or just don't have time to make one for yourself, here are some you can purchase with money:

The Cozy Corset Cuff
(available in many patterns and colors)


Frowny Joe Cozy by Monkey Travel Club
(this one's for you, Amy! It's also available in a happier mood)


Cable Knit Cozy by Pink Petal Designs
(also available in other colors)


Bacon Buddy Cuff by Ity Bity Bags
(sizzle, sizzle!)


...And a whole lot more on Etsy.

[Sources: Swap-bot, Etsy, About.com, MK Carroll, PoppyTalk, Pink Milk and Fairycakes]

foraging find: spicebush berries

My friend Anne and I went for a nice walk in the park yesterday and I couldn't help but point out all of the plants I learned about during my recent foraging class. Sassafras, lady's thumb, pokeweed, bishop's elder, hawthorne, rosehips, jewelweed, and mugwort -- we stopped to observe them all. We sampled some clover-leafed wood sorrel (see below), so bright and lemony delicious.


And we happened upon a spicebush. I was so excited to be able to identify the plant by its appearance and the scent of the berry (a sweet, spicy aroma). So we collected a few berries. I'm going to dry them out and grind them up for seasoning. You can also use the leaves, twigs, and bark for tea.

Spicebush, the berries not all quite ripe yet

I later rubbed some plantain (plantago) on the mosquito bites I acquired at our friends' barbecue. It just so happens we ate purslane salad at that shindig -- they bought theirs at the market, but we could have found some in the park, to make a Brooklyn salad as they called it.

I've been bitten by the foraging bug (I'm not talking mosquitos anymore). In a couple of weeks my boyfriend, some friends, and I are heading out with Wildman Steve Brill to get our hands dirty in Prospect Park.

It's so great to be able to identify plants, and whether they're edible, medicinal, or neither. It just gives you a different perspective on the world around you. About a month ago I couldn't tell you what any of these things were, save clover. And I can't wait to learn more.