EcoHearth Environmental Website - Best ecology websites, environmental blogs, news, activism, green jobs, green products

I love to do projects around my neighborhood to better it. And I always try to make them into fun activities that include all of the children in the family. In this regard, I’ve devised an ongoing ritual known to many as “Eco Ninja.” These are stealth projects that are undertaken by only the bravest and craftiest among us… usually the children. They’re fearless. Being small and quick doesn't hurt either. Read on…

As a child, I used to plant everything from pepper seeds to ash keys (winged seeds from ash trees) in pots in the disused greenhouse at the end of our garden. I’d water them every day, waiting for the thrill of spotting the first green shoots pushing up through the soil. Any failures were part of the experimentation—the unpredictability fascinated me. Do children have the time, space and patience to plant seeds in the technological age? If we want future generations to care about the environment and look after it, we must involve them in its creation. Read on…

“What's the deal with this potty training before she is even one?”

A dear friend of mine responded with this question when I emailed her pictures of my daughter, Asa. Included in the set were shots of her sitting on the potty reading a book. I figured people would comment on Asa reading, not on the fact that she was using a potty at what I’ve since learned is a controversial age for potty training in the United States.

Before my daughter was born, I decided without question that I would use cloth diapers. I believed it was the environmentally responsible choice, and being well aware of the toxic lifespan of the disposable diaper, I went ahead and stocked up on cotton pre-folds and Velcro diaper covers that I would wash at home myself. Read on…

One summer afternoon, when my nephew Michael was 3 or 4, he came for a visit. We were going to camp out in the backyard that night, but had made no plans for earlier in the day.

I lived in a huge house with a mini TV studio, office, organic vegetable garden, flower garden, an attic full of stuff left by the previous owner, as well as piano, cat, old silent films, antique car, oil paints and canvases, etc., so there was plenty of fun to be had. When he arrived, I reminded him that he'd been there before and knew most of the options. "So, what do you want to do?," I asked. Read on…

One of my favorite things to do is incorporate old and new into baby shower gifts. I like to inspire new parents with existing green products that are on the market (new) while at the same time tucking in some of my favorite homemade baby-food recipes. I also tend to add something into the package that’s for mom and dad exclusively to chronicle their birth journey. Read on…