EcoHearth: Come Home to the Earth

Having a baby can be an amazing time. Full of ups and downs, preparations and discoveries. It is also a time when we call to mind our basic values and decide what should be passed on and what can be left behind.

I wanted to perpetuate a greener environment and a greener nursery with the birth of my child. The best way I saw fit to follow these principles was through a simple nursery design with elements that reflected what was reasonable for our economic bracket and conservationist values. Read on…

When I was 16, I spent the summer barefoot. I was exploring my hippie heritage and it really worked for me.

It helped me channel my younger self—running through summer showers and mud extravaganzas, the warmth of my bare feet touching the cool Earth.

I am not a mom who insists on making my baby wear shoes. I think it’s kind of neat to see his feet twist and curl up as they make contact with the breeze, as he pushes his toes into the ground attempting to crawl. Read on…

Know any new parents out there? Got extra baby stuff lying around? Make a care package for your favorite expectant mom or dad. They’ll thank you in the months to come and it won’t cost you a dime.

Sure, you can peddle your wares at the local resale shop, always a nice way to make ice-cream money on a hot day and a trick that I’ve been known to use. That being said, the generosity component of giving it away to someone in need might rock your world a little more than participating in a little capitalism, as financially rewarding as that may be. Read on…

Here's a fun music video of children singing along with singer-songwriter Jack Johnson about reducing, reusing and recycling. Johnson is a long-time environmentalist. Check out EcoHearth's Eco Hero profile of Jack Johnson and see other Eco Tube videos.

See more Eco Tube videos.

Written by Anthony Coccia. Illustrated by Alison Lopez. Joseph Publications. (Ages 4 to 8)

In search of litter-free waters, a family of turtles leaves their home in the swamp, but their journey is prolonged when they find that each of their once-clean destinations has been made uninhabitable by humans. This is the plot of The Turtle Story, a lovely tale that engages children in memorable lessons of environmental conservation through the Turtle family’s search for “the most beautiful place” to live. Read on…