Nature's Bucket List, Part 2

• Rocky Mountain National Park – Topping out at over 12,000 feet, Colorado’s mountains will take your breath away.  With 416 square miles to explore, you’ll find alpine meadows, show-stopping peaks, and crystal-clear rivers and lakes.


• Zion National Park – The red cliffs of Utah are home to a variety of wildlife, including 271 different species of birds.  The park is a sanctuary for adventurers too, with hiking trails, mountain biking, and equestrian trails throughout.


• Grand Teton National Park – This 484-square mile swath of Wyoming’s Rocky Mountains includes nine peaks over 12,000 feet, glacial lakes, and sweeping grasslands.


• Cuyahoga Valley National Park – The Erie Canal and 60-foot-tall Brandywine Falls provide the backdrop for one of the youngest national parks (founded in 2000).  An unlikely sight is an old junkyard, which has been turned into a refuge for beavers.


• Acadia National Park – The first area of protected land that would become a national park, Maine’s vast forests, rocky Atlantic shoreline, and old carriage roads provide a beautiful backdrop for the state’s famous fall foliage.

Source: The Daily Green

Nature's Bucket List, Part 1

Did you know that over 5% of the land in the United States is preserved and protected from development?  Don’t be the last to see these top ten most visited parks – they’re on this list for good reason!

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park – In the heart of Appalachia on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, the park boasts 800 miles of hiking trails, countless waterfalls, and a wide variety of recreation opportunities.


• The Grand Canyon – You can see a million photos, but the Arizona canyon will still make your jaw drop when you see it in person.  The Colorado River not only created this natural wonder, it also guarantees an exciting experience with whitewater rafting and hiking opportunities.


• Yosemite National Park – Located in central California, the granite cliffs, giant sequoia trees, and breathtaking scenery make this park a must for adventurous climbers and sightseeing families alike.


• Yellowstone National Park – Home to the geyser called Old Faithful, free-roaming bison, elk, and bears, and a spectacular western landscape, Yellowstone is one of the best-known parks in the country.


• Olympic National Park – Nature abounds on the Washington peninsula; rocky beaches, rainforest valleys, glacier-capped mountains, all within one park.

Source: The Daily Green

Harvest Time!

Fall is finally here, and it’s time to start bringing in the spoils from your vegetable gardens.  But even if you don’t have your own garden, you can celebrate this fall at any one of these local events!

• Pack the Parks – Swan Creek and Wildwood Metroparks, September 19 – www.metroparkstoledo.com


• Woodland Indian Celebration – Buttonwood Park, Perrysburg, September 26-27 – www.woodcountyparksdistrict.org


• Roche de Boeuf Festival – Waterville, September 26 – www.watervillechamber.com


• Fall on the Farm – Bittersweet Farms, Whitehouse, October 10 – www.bittersweetfarms.org


• Fall Family Festival – Toledo Botanical Garden, October 11 – www.toledogarden.org


• Apple Butter Festival – Grand Rapids, October 11 – www.applebutterfest.org

Turn Your Free Time from Boring to Meaningful

If you find yourself wondering what to do on the weekends, or if your kids are bugging you for something new to do, why not donate your time?  Volunteering with a local non-profit, church, hospital or facility can be a rewarding way to spend an hour, a day, or even a vacation.

• The United Way of Monroe County and Toledo are always looking for help with a wide range of programs.  Spend an afternoon reading to kids, or commit to a few days of delivering meals to the elderly.  Visit their websites for more information.
• Animal shelters and rescue groups are also desperate for help.  The number of adoptable animals has skyrocketed during these difficult financial times, and shelters are overwhelmed.  You can volunteer to work at the shelters by walking dogs, cleaning, or helping at events. You can even foster-care for pets until they can find permanent homes.  Read about how you can help at the Humane Society of Monroe County or Humane Society of Toledo.  To find a list of rescues nearby, visit Petfinder.com.
• The Nature Conservancy has on-going studies and restorations across the country.  From removing invasive plants to counting butterflies, the opportunities abound.  Click on “Where We Work” to find out more.
• Consider a Volunteer Vacation for your next trip.  Organizations like EarthWatch, GoPhilanthropic, and EcoVolunteer all offer a variety of opportunities to make your vacation a little more than just a trip to the beach.

Source: The Daily Green

Citizen Science - Volunteer to Learn

Trying to think of ways to keep your kids busy this summer?  Look beyond summer camp – how many woven bracelets or birdhouses do you need anyway? – and check out some great interactive citizen science programs.  Citizen science is a network of volunteers recruited to observe and collect data to help the scientific community learn more about environmental and ecological subjects.  Many citizen science programs are geared towards children and are easy to participate in.  Here are a few worth checking out:

• FrogWatch USA


• Project BudBurst


• Firefly Watch


• Monarch Larvae Monitoring Project


• Celebrate Urban Birds


• The Great Sunflower Project


• Spider WebWatch


• NestWatch


• Cooperative Weather Observer Program


• MonarchWatch


• Journey North


• Project Roadkill

Other citizen science projects can also be found at Citizen Science Projects.

Source: The Daily Green