That's the Chap

I've used considerably less lip balm this year.

As you might recall, last summer, I posted about buying Badger Balm sunscreen and unscented lip balm. In that post, I reviewed my experience with the sunscreen and promised to talk about the lip balm later.

After almost a year with the lip balm, I am quite happy with my purchase. It has been part of a systematic decrease in lip balm usage. First, I stopped using my other brand and decided to wait a while before applying the Badger Balm (theoretically giving a clean break between products). That was during the summer, so I didn't need it as much anyway. In the meantime, I realized I'd become accustomed to using lip balm at the slightest hint of dryness. I also realized this habit was unnecessary. Sometimes, my lips would feel dry one day but return to better shape on their own the next.

Second, when I finally used the Badger Balm, I only applied a small amount. That was all I needed to give my lips the moisture they required.

Third, even during the winter (and this winter was windy and cold and had long dry spells), I would go weeks without using the lip balm. I had a tube of medicated Blistex on hand just in case things got bad. (I've had to use medicated lip balm during the winter for at least 13 years.) To my surprise, I only had to use the medicated lip balm once this year. I virtually made it through the entire winter with just periodic applications of my organic, non-medicated Badger Balm.

It feels nice to rely less on lip balm, and I know that when I do need it, I've got an organic option with fewer chemicals.

As bonuses, Badger Balm does not test on animals, and the tube is recyclable.

You can buy the lip balm directly from Badger Balm or at Amazon.com.

Garden Native

If you're a gardener or have some yard space you'd like to fill with plants, consider choosing native species.

Using native plants helps maintain or restore a bit of the natural ecosystem, and it actually makes gardening easier because the native species are more suited to living in your area and can usually get the water and nutrients they need through the natural conditions. This means less work for you, and it also cuts down on the resources and money needed to sustain these plants. Plus, there is beauty in the natural fit between the plants and the environment.

For lists of native plants in your region and directories of nurseries that sell plants from your area, visit PlantNative. Washington state residents can find a wide variety of information resources by going to the Web site of the Washington Native Plant Society. Information at this site includes a list of plants native to Washington specifically and descriptions of invasive species. You can also check in to see when and where the latest workshops on native plants will occur. Finally, American Beauties: Native Plants provides additional information and resources. Those in the Northeast of the US will find this site particularly tailored for their needs, but the information and plant search can benefit most American gardeners.

Collision Prevention

The last entry provided information on birdhouses. This one deals with birds and houses (our houses), particularly the windows on our houses.

Birds often hit windows because they can't tell the difference between the glass surface and open air. If they're lucky, they fly off; some are severely dazed; and others don't survive. Any way you look at it though, this is an encounter with nature that you'd rather not have, and every time you hear that familiar bonk on the glass, you cringe a bit.

It's been tough to find ways of preventing these collisions, but today, I came across some interesting tips from the American Bird Conservancy. Check out the PDF of the info here. Along with the tips, the guide includes information on where to get the things you'll need to put the strategies to work. I haven't tried any of these yet, but the use of decorative Tempora paint definitely looks interesting.

Cozy Quarters

We're right in the middle of the season in which birds are looking for nests.

If you've always wanted to put up a birdhouse but were unsure about how to get started, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology can help. Click here and here for information. You'll learn what houses work for which birds, how to place the house, how to make your own, and many other useful ideas.

Birdhouses are a great way to make friends in the animal kingdom, and they can bring you entertainment and fun.

Not-So-Lonesome Prairie

As spring takes hold, the opportunities for connecting with nature increase. Hopefully, some of you had the chance to visit the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival this weekend. In two weeks, on May 14, you can take part in the Glacial Heritage Prairie Appreciation Day.

The Glacial Heritage Preserve is 1000+ acres of land south of Olympia, Washington, where people have worked to remove invasive plants such as Scotch broom and plant native species like the Indian paintbrush. (The camas you see in the picture doesn't need much help as far as planting goes, but it appreciates the cleared ground.) Although it is usually closed to visitors, once a year, the preserve opens to the public to celebrate the work being done there.

Plenty of activities are planned. If you want, you can walk one of the two paths that cut through the preserve. This will give you a chance to take in the native flowers that are beginning to open. You can also spend some time pulling Scotch broom, learning to garden with native plants, and getting information about the plants, animals, and history of the Puget Sound prairies, which are dwindling away because of development. Plenty of other activities will take place as well.

The event goes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a similar event will happen just up the road at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Mima Mounds Natural Area.

For more information, click here and here.

This Common Ground is Green

The other day, I happened across an interesting idea on The Nature Conservancy's Web site. A group of young Seattleites has formed to bring together people who share an interest in conserving and connecting with the natural world.

Washington's Next Generation caught my eye for a number of reasons. First, I thought it was cool that the group, which is for people in their 20s and 30s, was getting ready to pick up the baton as a new generation of environmental advocates in a state where the environment is a major focus.

Second, I liked the idea of using The Nature Conservancy's superstructure to form a local group that can further develop the organization's relationship with people. Such an extension contains the promise of fostering greater engagement.

Finally, it's a great example of centering oneself around the environment. The group helps make the environment a common cause and gives people additional opportunities to connect with the natural world.

The message: Regardless of your age, reach out to those around you who share your interest in the environment. Together, you can share resources, information, and encouragement that lets you strengthen your relationship with nature.

Faulty Connections

A documentary, The Elephant in the Living Room, is exploring the ramifications of allowing people to keep exotic pets. Check out the trailer below.



The issue of exotic pets certainly has plenty of angles to make it interesting: human safety, environmental destruction, animal welfare. Along with these aspects, I have always been interested in what the phenomenon says about our connection to the environment.

To me, the popularity of such pets indicates that people seek to maintain or reestablish a connection with the natural world. In other words, having these animals as pets fills a void left by a general disconnection from nature. However, attempting to domesticate the wild represents a distorted connection, one that puts animals in circumstances that shackle their spirits and places people in danger.

The best indication of the problems in this connection is that most people end up having to give up their exotics because they can no longer control them. In the best case scenario, the animal finds a home behind the fence at some facility that houses and cares for it at a considerable expense. Many times, however, the animals are released into the wild or destroyed.

Some part of us feels a need to affirm our links to the environment, so we should definitely explore healthy ways of doings so. We must remember though that we don't have to lock up nature to experience it, and there is power in even little connections such as going to a park.

Watch the Birdie

Those of you who will be in the Grays Harbor region of Washington state next weekend should consider attending the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival, April 29-May1.

The festival takes place at various locations, including the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Ocean Shores, Westport, and Lake Quinault. Events include lectures, guided walks, and, of course, bird-watching (birding), and they range in focus for skill level from beginning to advanced. Even those who are just curious about the possibility of becoming birders will find activities fit for them.

At the very least, it's a great opportunity to get out and experience nature and see some cool birds.

For more information about the festival, click here.

A Day of Reconnecting

Last month, we had Earth Hour. Friday, April 22, is Earth Day.

Because it began as an attempt to produce actions that help improve the environment, Earth Day can sometimes be seen as a time that is just about "saving the planet." After reading some ideas for things to do on Earth Day, I realized that, indeed, I was carrying this faulty assumption.

While it's great if you can turn the day into a chance to limit your carbon footprint (walk or take the bus instead of your car), improve wildlife habitat, or support environmentally friendly policies, you can also make it about relaxing and reconnecting with the natural world. For you, maybe it's a 15 minute stroll outside to get some fresh air, an hourlong walk near the river, a quest to photograph as many different bird species as you can in three hours, or a day at a state park.

Whatever you choose, you can turn this year's Earth Day activity into an initial step, one that you might possibly expand upon next year.

You don't have to be an environmental activist to observe Earth Day. It's about strengthening the connection between people and their environment, and there is no reason you can't reap the benefits of that, so think about setting aside some time (no matter how much) on Friday for an "environmental experience."

Ideas from Finland

I couldn't continue to use the envirofinn title for this blog if I didn't mention the following story.

Finland's capital city, Helsinki, is developing some new ideas about how to live in the environment.



I think what strikes me most is how the Finns have accounted for and responded to their environment instead of trying to override or conquer it. Another key element is their ability to maximize the use of energy, tapping into the entire cycle and turning the byproducts into additional resources.

Overall, the message is not that this is only feasible because of Helsinki's particular situation; rather, it's a lesson in looking around one's own situation, determining what is possible given the constraints, and committing to the best system for both people and their environment. That's sustainability.