Save Water while Gardening

source image courtesy of Maria Starzyk

Its gardening season! It is great to finally be outdoors, growing flowers and cultivating your own food. Here are a few quick ways to make your gardening practices water efficient.

1. Do you use a dehumidifier? Use the water the machine collects to hydrate your garden!

2. Collect rain water in a rain barrel for later use in your yard. 

3. Water your garden in the early morning or late evening to prevent excess evaporation.

4. Use an efficient hose attachment, or hose water meter. 

5. Plant hardy crops that require less water.

6. Take a bucket in the shower with you to collect water - if its not too soapy, you can use it on your plants!

Eco Events Happening this Week

source image courtesy of Hannasroom

MONDAY

• Weathering the Storm: Boston's Future Climate

TUESDAY

• Heading to a bunch of weddings this summer? Brush up on how to be an eco-friendly wedding guest.

WEDNESDAY

• Have a picnic!

THURSDAY

• Brookline Complete Streets Forum

FRIDAY

• Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest

SATURDAY

• Screening of A Will for the Woods

SUNDAY

• Plan a car-free trip to the beach

Event: Boston's Future Climate on June 9, 2014

WHERE:
Calderwood Pavilion
Boston Center for the Arts, Wimberly Theatre
527 Tremont Street, Boston

WHEN
June 9, 2014
Reception 5:30 p.m.; panel 6:30 to 8 p.m.

WHAT
What will climate change mean for Boston and other coastal cities? How can we adapt to the impacts of climate change, even as we work to mitigate greenhouse gases emissions in the future? How can New England be more resilient in the face of sea level rise and stronger storms?

Speakers will include: Adam Freed of The Nature Conservancy; Vivien Li, president of the Boston Harbor Association; Brian Swett of the City of Boston; and Vicki Arroyo of the Georgetown Climate Center.

Click here to buy tickets to our June 9 event

Boston's New Trash and Recycling Program

Starting on July 1, Boston will have different trash and recycling pickup days and will be serviced by a new collection company. Mayor Walsh announced the new program last week, saying

“I’m concerned for the environment and we have to do our part by protecting our City. This new contract has been implemented with the goal of encouraging more recycling and trash collection with keeping our current financial climate in mind.”

Below is a Listing of New Vendors, affected Districts, and Collection Days:

Back Bay will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Thursday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Thursday.

Bay Village will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Friday.

Beacon Hill will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Friday.

Chinatown will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Friday.

Downtown will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Friday.

Fenway will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Tuesday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Tuesday and Friday.

Financial District will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Friday.

Leather District will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Friday.

Mission Hill will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Tuesday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Tuesday and Friday.

North End will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Friday.

Roxbury will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Thursday, and recycling collection will take place on Monday and Thursday.

South End will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Tuesday and Friday, and recycling collection will take place on Tuesday and Friday.

West End will be serviced by Sunrise Scavenger. Trash collection will take place on Monday and Friday, and recycling collection will also take place on Monday and Friday.

Spotlight: Sustainable Business Network

SBN MA is one of the most important organizations helping Boston's economy grow while becoming more sustainable, ethical, and vibrant. For over 25 years, the Cambridge-based non profit has helped 1,000+ local companies develop responsible business models. Plus, they host great networking and social events around the city - making it easy for anyone to get involved in the conversation on our local, sustainable economy. Check out their calendar for upcoming events, and be sure to check back at Boston Green Blog.

Harvesting Aloe for Soothing Sunburns

source image courtesy of Design Sponge

It is sunburn season! No matter your natural skintone, you should wear sunscreen everyday, but should you find yourself with a burn, here is how you can use a common houseplant, aloe vera, to treat your burns. By treating your skin with aloe rather than drugstore solutions, you can easily avoid unnecessary chemicals, artificial fragrances, and save money!

If you have an aloe plant at home, follow these easy steps for harvesting your own aloe gel:

1. Using a knife, cut one leaf, while limiting damage to the plant. Slice close to the base of the leaf and away from the center of the plant.

2. Once you've cut the aloe leaf, rinse the outer skin in under cool water.


3. Remove the serrated edges of the leaf and skin. Aloe Vera leaves are slightly curved, so put the concave side down on a cutting board. Next, slice around the perimeter. This will leave  the top and bottom layer of skin, exposing the Aloe gel between. The top layer of skin comes off next. Run the knife just under the surface and peel it away. Now flip the leaf over and do the same on the other side.

4. Next squees the Aloe gel to a storage container - I prefer a glass bottle with a pump. Fresh Aloe gel will keep for about a week, but you can increase its shelf time by storing it in the fridge. If you wind up with more than you can use in that time, stick your leftovers in the freezer. It can be stored there for up to 8 months. HINT - mix with a bit of water and use ice cube trays to make sunburn soothing frozen cubes!

Eco Happenings for the First Week of June

MONDAY

• Enjoy the beautiful warm weather! 

TUESDAY

• Squeaky Leaks Fundraising Mixer
• The Eternal Life of Nitrogen Lecture at NEAQ

WEDNESDAY

• Read up on Boston's new recycling policy

THURSDAY

• Plan a meat and dairy-free dinner

FRIDAY

• Going away for the weekend? Grab these eco travel essentials

SATURDAY

• Do an un-plugged workout, like running outside, kayaking, or a machine-free fitness class

SUNDAY

• Make a list of "green goals" for the upcoming week