The Earth Sanctuary is a pretty special place on Whidbey Island. It is a place of refuge, protection and for us humans a place to wander and be in the arms of Nature. This week I spoke with Chuck Pettis the founder and owner of Earth Sanctuary. The Earth Sanctuary is a 72-acre nature reserve and meditation parkland here on Whidbey Island. I wanted to post some photos and talk about the sanctuary and Chuck thought the idea was a good one!

This month and next would be a great time to have a “Good Cheer Visit” to the sanctuary. Chuck will contribute 50% of the fees collected at the Earth Sanctuary in February and March if you simple write “Good Cheer” on the registration form.

You can reclaim your spirit in its beautiful forests looking out at its many reflective ponds. The reserve has a number of paths and there always seems to be something to catch your attention.

The Earth Sanctuary is open to visitors every day of the year during daylight hours. There is a fee of $7 per person to visit Earth Sanctuary. You’ll find a registration box on the bulletin board by the parking area with registration envelopes. REMEMBER to write “Good Cheer”on the registration form or envelope to benefit the food bank.

The Earth Sanctuary is a great place to give renewed birth to your soul and truly spend time with nature and the Universe. The forest is a living soul and the ponds and wetlands provide a wonderful backdrop for reflecting on life.

Only love is real and you can experience that feeling anytime and any day you choose.

Chuck Pettis is a dedicated practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism and recently I read from a book named “Peace in Every Step” by Thich Nhat Hanh. Here is an excerpt “From time to time, when we see something beautiful, we may want to stop and look at it…a tree, a flower, some children playing. As we look, we continue to follow our breathing, lest we lose the beautiful flower and get caught up in our thoughts. When we want to resume walking, we just start again. Each step we take will create a cool breeze, refreshing our body and mind. Every step makes a flower bloom under our feet. We can do it only if we do not think of the future or the past, if we know that life can only be found in the present moment.”

Kind of a nice pleasant way to think of mindfulness and being in touch with nature.

Earth Sanctuary has installed two Tibetan prayer wheels that each contain 1.3 trillion prayers, more prayers than any other prayer wheel ever created. The prayer wheels are located near the Dolmen and the Cottonwood Stone Circle.

There is a lot going on in the reserve. Craig & Joy Johnson monitored a Rufous Hummingbird nest at Earth Sanctuary for 34 days and created a slide show entitled Hummingbird Birth-to-Flight. Click on the two eggs above and you can watch the transformation.

Chuck Pettis is the founder and owner of Earth Sanctuary and he deeply believes in the value of meditation. He says “I don’t know anyone who meditates or prays too much. With Earth Sanctuary I’ve tried to create an environment that motivates and facilitates spiritual practice.”

You can visit the Earth Sanctuary website by clicking here.

Good Cheer!

The Good Cheer Food Bank is unique, it is supported to a large degree through our community thrift stores in Langley and Clinton.

Thrifting and thrifter are terms that are being used to describe those who shop (sometimes exclusively) at thrift or second-hand stores, flea markets, garage sales and charity shops.

You may ask though, why bother thrifting?

Thrift stores are easy on your wallet and actually help lessen the strain on the environment.

There is a lot of truth in the notion that one person’s junk might be another’s treasure. In these frugal times, thrifting makes economic and environmental sense. Purchasing reusable items at a thrift store prolongs a products life and keeps it out our landfills.

Organic is more than buying from our local farmers……………

Organic can be buying local and creating an environment within the community that sustains its charities and non-profits. Local business and community support has helped Good Cheer and the HELP Network on South Whidbey Island to a degree that is unimaginable.

Thrifting is fun!

It is a time when you can use your sharp eye and uncany knack of finding that one-of-a-kind bargain. That great pair of blue jeans or maybe the sunglass frame that you bought for a dollar and you find out, on the internet, that it orginally sold for $100!

It appears as though modern-day thrifting has come of age, thrifting, like the do-it-yourself mentality, is definitely the new chic.

In many cases the goods are in better condition than you might think. I’ve found once-worn sweaters and seen designer bags in our thrift stores. You’ll find things there that you can’t find anywhere else. Great finds are just sitting out there waiting for you, come on in and take a look around.

Have you ever been down to Double Bluff Beach?

Maybe this wet suit from the Langley Thrift Store might make it a more unique experience.

Supporting our thrift stores can be fun and it is a part of a program that is creating a hunger free community.

Good Cheer and Happy New Year!

I’m trying to be your eyes and ears about going green and sustainable practices. The Nature Conservancy has some rather simple ideas on building sustainable fisheries; simple ideas to complex problems always get my attention. Kate Frazer, senior writer for The Nature Conservancy, is getting the word out and I’m spreading her words. There is a video at this link that you should watch (top right). The video is excellent and talks about the fisheries in Maine.

We, as a nation, take so much for granted and that may originate from the vast natural resources that we were endowed with.

The reality is that we are depleting every single resource that has been a part of our culture for so many years. When you have everything you don’t think of ways to keep it around; you just expect it to continue.

People talk about organic and buying local and there is a reason for that. There is a cost to the environment; transportation of products means that we use other natural resources to bring the products to the market.

Kate points out that  “An average meal in the United States travels at least 1,500 miles before it reaches consumers, but when it comes to seafood in Port Clyde, Maine, the distance from ocean to plate is often just a few miles. Connections between coastal Mainers and the food they eat have always been easy to trace — long before eating locally became a hot idea.”

The hot idea is green and sustainable living. All good ideas originate from one thought; the thoughts of many create successful results!

Now here is a novel idea; why not subsidize fisherman to learn good sustainable practices?

The Nature Conservancy is “purchasing fishing permits and allowing fishermen to use those permits to develop more sustainable harvesting practices — like using more selective gear and avoiding sensitive habitats.”

“When I first started fishing, we’d go to the same places we go to now,” says fisherman Glen Libby, his breath disappearing into the fog as the first slivers of light appear on the Port Clyde waterfront. “An average steam might be an hour and a half out and you’d catch all the fish you’d need: 3,000 to 4,000 pounds.”
“But last spring, some of the guys had to steam 100 miles out and couldn’t even catch 1,000 pounds in 24 hours.”

Geoff Smith, The Nature Conservancy’s marine program director in Maine, says the situation in the gulf surfaced from a combination of factors:

He says that there was a lack of robust information about the gulf’s species and habitats. Fisheries regulations were allowing over fishing and discouraging good stewardship. The results ware depressed prices and that forced fishermen to catch more and more fish to make ends meet. The dominos start to fall; just look at the chart of the condition of the world’s fisheries above.

The new research sponsored by The Conservancy and with the help of The Island Institute and Penobscot East Resource Center will research ways to modify fishing gear to minimize the catch of juvenile fish and unintended species and reduce impacts on bottom habitats that provide shelter for young fish.

“This program will give these fishermen additional time on the water to develop more sustainable fishing methods,” Smith explains. “If the cost to underwrite these changes fell solely on fishermen, it’d drive them closer to bankruptcy. Instead, we believe conservation organizations should share some of the cost.”

But true sustainability also depends on what happens on shore when these fish are brought to market. That’s where consumers have an important role to play.

“Developing markets that allow fishermen to make ends meet catching fewer fish while depleted populations are recovering is an essential part of this plan,” says Smith. “We envision communities up and down the coast where fishermen can land their fish and get a premium for their catch because customers know it was caught locally and in a responsible way. Identifying more sustainable practices is the first step.”

A fantasy world?

The big question is whether the consumer will be willing to take those first steps and be a partner in the stewardship of our Oceans.

Good Cheer!

Earth Hour 2010 is happening on Whidbey Island! Prima Bistro is moving to candlelight from 8:30 – 9:30 pm for Earth Hour. Maybe, we will have a spontaneous event right here in Langley.

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday, the 27th  March, at 8:30 pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future.

Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights, for one hour, and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common –

Our Planet.

For a brief, but significant period of time, we can join the Universe of People on this Planet and have our voices heard. Gary Zukav wrote in his book, The Seat of the Soul, that “millions of individuals are awakening  sometimes to their surprise  to a hunger for harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life. Their challenge is to create those things in a world of discord, competition, hoarding, and exploitation, a world in which life is a cheap commodity.”

In Paul Hawken’s book “Blessed Unrest” he identifies one to two million organizations working toward ecological sustainability and social justice. This social movement is decentralized and has no specific leaders; hence no media following. “This is the largest social movement in all of human history. No one knows it’s scope, and how it functions is more mysterious than what meets the eye.”

Art by saleire

Perhaps there is a Universal Energy that can make the world right; our political leaders don’t seem to get it.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change.

Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

It’s Showtime! Let’s all turn our lights off on Whidbey Island and visit our town centers. This is a time to be together and join hands to help the Planet. We need to be true stewards of the world that we all share.

You can click on the above photo to view the Earth Hour Video. Be sure to view in the full screen mode; you will not be disappointed!

Earth Hour is organized by World Wildlife Fund. With almost 5 million supporters and a global network in over 100 countries, it’s one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature. You can visit the WWF website by clicking on the Panda photo above.

It’s all about giving people a voice on the future of our planet and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future for our planet.

Technologies and sustainable energy resources known or available today are sufficient to meet the growing demand for energy, and protect the world from dangerous climatic change.

The first steps must be taken by governments currently in power. The future depends on them making critical decisions in the next five years. Scary thought? That’s why we need to turn out the lights – Earth Hour 2010.

Maybe a Billion or more people will be heard!

Our Sustainability and Green Living Links starts with a look at the clean energy economy. Climate Progress brings us a report from the Center for American Progress entitled “Out of the Running?”  American Progress’s Kate Gordon , Julian L. Wong, and JT McLain explain how Germany, Spain, and China are seizing the clean energy opportunity and why the United States risks getting left behind.

There are a number of charts and a good video that explains why the U.S. needs to make much more progress in this area.  You can follow this link.

Here is a little bit of science fiction for you. Mike Chino writing for inhabitat shows us the “Underwater Skyscraper”; with ocean levels rising who knows?

Zachary Shahan at Planetsave makes the following comment.  “The bottom line is, people inform themselves of the environmental problems in the world much more than they act. And even for those deeply concerned about the environment, it is very likely there is more they could be doing in their own lives to live a cleaner or greener life.”

Click here for the full article.

You might ask what sustainability looks like? Treehugger has a slideshow that you might enjoy.

Here is the link.

Good Cheer! Have a great weekend!

I’m sure that most of you are aware of the Good Cheer Food Garden. The point that strikes me is the depth of what is being done and the variety of the volunteers that we find working at the garden site. This last month we saw the first harvest of the year and the planting of some of the first seeds for later harvesting.

The starts were donated by Molly Peterson and they were planted in the greenhouse in mid-February; they’ve been growing and should be moved outside under protection around mid-March.

Here is a photo of our volunteers harvesting the kale and collards. You can read more about the harvesting and the planting of starts by clicking here.

Molly Zeiger, as you may know, is our Americorp volunteer. She began her tour with Good Cheer and the garden last September and we are lucky to have her around through this July.

“While I am here, I hope to help implement a sustainable and efficient system to turn healthy harvest from the garden into appreciated meals on the table. So far it has been a humbling learning experience.” Molly is a great role model for our younger volunteers and adds an energy that is certainly welcome at Good Cheer.

Last year local chefs Kristian Bentsen, V Smiley and Damien Cortez shared some delicious and easy recipes for garden veggies in their summer series of cooking classes in the Good Cheer Garden. They used produce from the Good Cheer Garden to create tasty and nutritious meals that are simple to prepare. Hopefully, we can do this again!

Last year we had the help of a number of youth organizations from our communities here on Whidbey Island.  You can read more be clicking on this link to the garden blog.

This is what the site looked like in January of 2009. There are so many people to thank and so many organizations who have been involved. Their time and efforts are very much appreciated.

The Langley Middle School garden came into being in 2007 and in their first harvest year they donated over 250 pounds of produce to the Good Cheer Food Bank. This is a wonderful story and a way of  building a great tradition at the school. Each year they have new classes, new kids,  and new crops to go along with all of the shared memories that they have created.

You can see what they are doing at the LMS Community Garden by clicking here.

Even the White House is getting it’s own vegetable garden!

Good Cheer!

Photo by Paulo Brandao – Flickr

The Nature Conservancy has presented us with a simple list of things that we can do to help our oceans. Our oceans should not be taken for granted. The oceans provide food and economic opportunities. The barrier beaches, coral reefs, and wetlands provide protection from storms.

You’ll find that many of the suggestions are about going green.  This is all about setting roots in our culture and about the importance of being good stewards of our Planet. Taking action creates a domino effect; it can inspire others to take action.

Reduce your plastic consumption

Our beaches are littered with items made of plastic; so buy reusable shopping bags and water bottles.

Photo by por2able – Flickr

Make informed seafood choices

This is about choosing sustainable seafood. We have to stop overfishing certain species so that they have a chance to increase their numbers. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a seafood guide that helps you support ocean friendly seafood.

Photo by AngelaEngel – Flickr

Dispose of chemicals properly

Never pour chemicals, pharmaceuticals, oils or paints into your drains or toilets.

Photo by Vanessa Pike-Russell’s – Flickr

Choose green detergents and household cleaners

Photo by Eustaquio Santimano’s – Flickr

Get the dirt on your beachside retreat

Before you stay in a hotel on the coast, ask the staff what happens to their sewage and swimming pool water, and if they source their restaurant fish from sustainable sources. It doesn’t hurt to ask; you might get them to move in the right direction, if they haven’t already.

Photo by worldsurfer – Flickr

Find out the source of your food

Buying local and organic food reduces your carbon footprint. This action supports the local economy and reduces the amount of pesticides and fertilizers that end up not just in your stomach, but as run-off in rivers and oceans, too.

Fill your yard with native species

Reducing the amount of grass in your lawn by planting native shrubs and flower beds will provide a better habitat for birds and other wildlife and require far less water and fertilizer, which can seep into the oceans. This is not as large of an issue as you would find in the desert southwest. Green fertilizers would be a helpful move.

Keep your beach visit clean

When visiting the beach, stay off fragile sand dunes, take your trash with you and leave plants, birds and wildlife for everyone to enjoy.

Photo by Sam and Ian – Flickr

Choose alternatives to coral

Whether shopping for jewelry, household décor or accessories for your fish tank, do your part to leave fragile coral reef habitats untouched by buying products that aren’t made of real coral.

Photo by Michael Dawes’ – Flickr

Celebrate our oceans

Whether you live inland or on the coast, we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to organize or participate in activities that restore and celebrate the ocean, and help support The Nature Conservancy’s ocean conservation work.

This weeks look at green living and sustainability begins with Bridgette Meinhold writing for inhabitat. She has a great article on new sugar based plastics. This could be a huge breakthrough; imagine composting your plastic bottles!!!  If you haven’t read my post on Plastics and Our Oceans you can click here as well.

Turning nuclear waste into fuel; if we’re going in that direction again this is a better solution.  Ariel Schwartz writing for inhabitat discusses the issues of nuclear fuel and a better alternative.

In the last piece we have Zachary Shahan talking about 7 Myths about Climate Change Science. This Platesave post has some very good videos. You have Rachel Madow and the Science Guy and two very knowledgeable climate scientists. Climate change is a global event and must be considered in that vein. The last video is filled with good information; if you are short on time; it’s the one to watch.

The Good Cheer Thrift Stores work because you make it possible. Without your donations the whole premise behind the Good Cheer Food Bank evaporates. We are currently running a little short on donations so keep that in mind as you start your spring cleaning.

The whole process starts with your donations. You should know that the items in high demand are housewares, linens, tools, books, men’s clothing, children’s clothing, antiques, jewelry, small appliances, and furniture.

When considering donating items to Good Cheer, please ask yourself; “Is this something that I would buy. Are my donations clean, complete, usable and saleable?”

If an item is donated and it is soiled; the expense of cleaning is just too much for Good Cheer. Some volunteers, in the past, actually would take the soiled clothing home and clean them. Obviously, that was not the answer.

Just a heads up on the issue.

This is where it starts as Good Cheer turns old furniture, clothes, appliances and knick-knacks into food for hungry families and individuals on South Whidbey.

To find out more about where to bring your donations and a list of items that we cannot accept click here.

The items are then sorted, placed into labeled boxes and put into storage.  The volunteers  then pull the boxes and  the items are priced and placed in plastic containers. The truck drivers then deliver the merchandise to the two thrift stores where it is merchandised and ready for sale.

Rita  Burns the Operations Manager at Good Cheer clearly states the importance of the volunteers at Good Cheer. Don Roan is her right hand man and has been around for as long as she can remember. His experience in pricing is an integral part of the operation. Sean McLaughlin spends 6-8 hours a day six days a week volunteering. He specializes in electronics and tests merchandise to make sure that it works.

If you find that the merchandise isn’t working; Good Cheer has a 3 day return policy. You can return the merchandise and receive a store credit.

Max the Good Cheer Guard Dog. Yikes!

Each sales ticket is marked with a date and after a period of time the item will repriced. There are a number of sales that take place and we will try to keep you informed on this blog. Remember, the Bag Sale, it happens on the first Tuesday of every month. You should note that some sales may exclude new merchandise. Be sure to check with the salesperson if you have any questions. They will be happy to help you out.

You can write a comment by clicking comments or no responses at the top right corner of this article.

Good Cheer!

Our oceans are being threatened by “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” This is a phenomenon that has many scientists concerned. The debris field of this massive vortex of floating plastic trash is said to be twice the size of Texas.

An article written by Paul Rogers from the San Jose Mercury News highlights some of the issues that are involved. For the full article you can click here.

“The bobbing debris field, where currents swirl everything from discarded fishing line to plastic bottles into one soupy mess, is about 1,000 miles west of California,” Rogers writes.

On Whidbey Island it is not uncommon to find plastic bottles or debris that is washed on to our shores.

It may be impossible to clean up this mess. The larger pieces can be pulled from the ocean; however, we are dealing with an area that is just too large.

Rogers says “First, most of the plastic is broken into tiny fragments. Plastic becomes brittle from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and eventually breaks up into minuscule pieces like confetti. Billions float just below the surface in the garbage patch, which is located north of Hawaii but shifts in size and location depending on the season and the currents.”

Holly Bamford, director of marine-debris program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, Md. has these comments.“Albatrosses and other sea birds die from ingesting plastic, which fills their stomachs without providing nutrition. The plastic pieces also can absorb toxic chemicals, which then migrate up the food chain, even potentially contaminating fish that humans eat.”

This issue is an “out of sight out of mind” issue according to Rogers. We can be thankful that scientists are looking into the problem. However, we must be more vigilant in protecting our planet. We need to be disciplined and create habits that are friendlier to the environment.

This is all about setting roots in our culture; about the importance of being good stewards of our Planet. Taking action creates a domino effect; it can inspire others to take action. Our beaches and oceans are littered with items made of plastic; so buy reusable shopping bags and water bottles. Whidbey Island residents seem to be ahead of the times.