Resources for Eco-Conscious, Natural-Minded Families in the Orlando Area (green living, organic foods, holistic health, instinctive parenting, and more)
Help Set President Obama’s Conservation Priorities. Sign Up for the America’s Great Outdoor Initiative!
The Obama administration launched the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation agenda for the 21st century. As part of this initiative, administration officials will be holding public meetings across the country for us to share our concerns and our priorities for land use. You can see ideas already submitted online at http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/
Now is the time to tell the Administration why it is so important to you, personally, that the federal government does more to protect endangered species like the Florida panther, manatee, scrub jay and many others. You can tell the Administration to halt plans to expand off shore oil drilling to Florida. You can share ideas on how to engage our nation’s youth in conservation. With global climate change on the horizon, it’s time to make conserving Florida’s land, water and coastlines a national priority.
On August 26, administration officials will be in Kissimmee, Florida (the only stop in our state) to hear about the special places that need protection.
Event Details:
WHO: You and your friends
WHAT: America’s Great Outdoors listening session
WHEN: Thursday, August 26, 3:30-6:30 pm
WHERE: Osceola Heritage Park Exhibition Building
1901 Chief Osceola Trail
Kissimmee, Florida 34744
Questions: Contact Jon at 305-860-9888 or jonathan.ullman@sierraclub.org
The next “Walmart $5 Day” at the Orlando Science Center will be Sunday, August 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission fees will be $5 per person. Standard admission is usually $17 per adult and $12 per child.
Overlooking Lake Ivanhoe in the heart of Orlando lies a gem of a restaurant serving 100% Vegan food – Ethos Vegan Kitchen.
I stopped in and had lunch at this great eatery on N. Orange Avenue. Located along a busy thoroughfare, it’s a great stop for a quick lunch or a destination in itself for the Sunday brunch.
I had a Hippie Wrap, which was incredibly good and incredibly filling! In fact, it became two lunches for me – not bad for a $5.95 meal!
My friend Ana had the Samson Burger, a grilled black bean burger that came with a side of fruit – which happened to be a huge piece of watermelon.
The portions are large and the food is delicious. What I especially liked is the menu specifies whether a food is Gluten Free, Soy Free or can be prepared as such.
Additional offerings include pizzas made to order, salads, a philly sandwich, a calzone, sheep’s pie, pecan encrustede eggplant and pumpkin seed and pesto penne pasta.
Whether you eat a vegan diet or are just looking for some great food, Ethos Vegan Kitchen is a great place to dine in Orlando.
SeaWorld Orlando is always hard at work rescuing and rehabilitating injured marine life in central Florida and throughout the state and country, but this year has been especially hard. Between the harsh cold winter and the recent BP oil spill, SeaWorld’s sea turtle rescue program has already helped 10 times more sea turtles than last year – and the year isn’t even done.
Watch this video for just a quick glimpse into SeaWorld Orlando’s Conservation efforts and interviews with some of the individuals in charge of rehabilitating the marine life.
WHAT: Sustainable Living Workshop- Organic Gardening for Beginners
WHEN: August 4 · 6:30pm – 8:30pm
WHERE: Florida School of Holistic Living Education Annex, 1109 E Concord St, Orlando, Florida
MORE INFO:
Discover easy and effective ways to garden in Florida organically. Great for Northern transplants and new gardeners. Discover personalized tips for your Florida garden and all you need to know to grow organically.
$25-15 tuition sliding scale includes all handouts and materials
Instructor: Trina Hofreiter, Central Florida Community and School Garden Coordinator
The 2010 Homespun Chic Marketplace will be here soon! Come join the 1st installment of the chicest indie craft show in Central Florida. This free show will be at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market in downtown Winter Park and will showcase designers from across Central Florida selling high quality, original handmade goods.
A portion of this year’s event sales will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central Florida and Northern Florida®
The Orlando Science Center is taking its commitment to the environment seriously and all of OSC’s guests can benefit by learning about green technologies during their visit.
The ceilings of the Orlando Science Center are draped with a variety of signs, quickly and easily telling guests about environmental threats and easy ways to prevent them.
In the restaurant, the Orlando Science Center has converted to disposable cutlery made from sugar cane pulp.
These compostable items easily break down into the environment. And when you’re ready to throw away your trash from the quick-serve restaurant, there are plenty of recycling bins.
One of the displays in the Orlando Science Center is hydrogen fueled technology, and Progress Energy has a hydrogen fuel cell car on display.
There’s even a hydrogen fueling interactive center which helps guests to understand the ways that hydrogen fuel cells work.
And on the fourth floor, you can try your hand at solar powered testing stations, where you can use a robotic arm to maneuver a solar panel cell outside and see how exposure to sunlight or shade affects the energy needed to run a lightbulb or a miniature fan.
You can even see the amount of energy and carbon dioxide saved from using solar panels, at the computer kiosk which gives real-time results of the OSC’s solar panel usage.
If you’re looking for fun information about ways to go green in Orlando that actually work, the Orlando Science Center is a great learning tool!
Kimberly Button is a green living consultant with greenWell, focusing on health and wellness topics, as well as a freelance journalist specializing in sustainability and green living topics.
On Sunday, July 25th 2010, Jambando and the Plaza Theatre invite you to join us for the Wildlife Jambando, a benefit for the Wildlife Foundation of Florida to assist in the relief of the current Gulf Oil Spill. Featuring: Sam Rivers and the Rivbea Orchestra, Thomas Wynn & The Believers, Junkie Rush, Shak Nasti, funkUs, The Michael Leasure Quartet, The Windham Group, Large Marge, The Flat Mountain Band, and the Jambando All-stars…. Plus, a special Kids Jambando with The Outer Toons and Papa Kalapa…
All for only $5 with ALL proceeds going to the Wildlife Foundation of Florida’s Gulf Restoration Fund.
The Wildlife Foundation of Florida is the citizen-support organization of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and supports the efforts of FWC staff to assist in the relief of the current Gulf Oil Spill.
@Camilla Room, Harry P Leu Gardens (free!)
1920 Forest Ave.
Orlando, FL
Learn about the role that Florida Native Wildflowers play in your organic garden and our eco-system. Bring a small plant for the largely successful raffle table and sample the delicious foods our tasting table has to offer.
We will also have a brief discussion about our next Seed Exchange (August 18th); Send your seed requests & suggestions to info@simplelivinginstitute.org.
Read about last month’s Organic Growers Meeting here,
Geologist and outdoorsman Mark Mulligan organizes the 2nd Annual Exotic Invasive Cleanup on the Econ Farm! We will be removing trash and exotic invasive plants such as water hyacinth and alligatorweed from the pristine Econlochkatchee River. Come prepared for the Florida wilderne…ss and to get wet! Volunteer appreciation potluck to follow after the clean-up. Bring a dish to share.
RSVP to reserve your spot in a boat. Facebook event page is here.
Jan Zeiger
Gretchen Goel
Cat
Lisa Holt, RN, MS
Kimberly ~ greenWell
Carrie Boyko
midwiferobyn
