Under the Sustainability Tent

The 2011 Hummingbird Migration & Nature Festival

The weekend after Labor Day, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrating south aren’t the only ones drawn to Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Northeast Mississippi nearest Memphis.  Last year, 9000 visitors attended the annual festival during the height of migration to see, and sometimes touch, the small wonders, and, enjoy three-days of programming led by nationally recognized authors and specialists.

Near the center of the festival grounds, one tent looks a little different.  The Low Impact Living Tent (or Sustainability Tent on the festival map) includes a large round table that looks like one you might find in your grandmother’s kitchen along with self-guided displays and lists of regional resources.  Topic leaders talk with participants on a one-to-one basis about subjects ranging from Lasagna Gardening to native plants in urban landscapes. That's Dr. Heineke talking about the steps in establishing your Lasagna Garden during the 2010 Hummingbird Migration & Nature Festival.

It’s my pleasure to host the tent for the third year beginning this Friday, September 9^th through Sunday, September 11^th.  Now that SeineLiving.blogspot.com is up and running, I hope to provide updates on our:

∙        Focus on Pets

∙        Focus on Home, and

∙        DIY Focus

Once again, we welcome Dr. Tom Heineke,  botanist, who will share his experience with Lasagna Gardening.  Kristin Lamberson, interpretive gardener at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center will provide great tips on incorporating native plants in urban landscapes. Chelius Carter and Jennifer Eggleston, president and board member of, respectively, of Preserve Marshall County and Holly Springs, will share the basics of sustaining historic structures and sites. We’ll introduce you to MyLittleBuddy Pet Shampoo and bring new meaning to mixology by putting together DIY cleaning products in addition to other activities. We always have surprise guests so check by the tent for updates.

The tent schedule follows.  Feel free to send along your questions in advance for the the round table discussion you’re interested in and look for your answer in the daily blog post.

Speaker led discussions:

Friday (Focus on pets)

10 a.m.            Incorporating pets in lower impact lifestyle

Noon               Native plants in urban yards including pet-friendly designs

2 p.m.              Safe, clean homes for pets and family

Saturday (Focus on home)

10 a.m.            Are you a Localvore? Resources for locally produced food

11 a.m.            Lasagna Gardening

1 p.m.              How Low Can you Go? Reducing Waste to Landfill

3 p.m.              ABCs of historic home and site preservation

Sunday (DIY focus)

9 a.m.              Make your own cleaning products

10 a.m.            Calculating, managing your carbon footprint

11 a.m.            Online resources for low impact living

Materials shared by speakers will be posted on www.seinecommunications.com.

SPECIAL NOTE: Congratulations to Gaining Ground Sustainability Institute of Mississippi for their new online resource directory.

My that's a large footprint you have (continued)

Part Two of Two

At least every other year I head west during the month of October.  Somehow I never make it past the Santa Fe/Albuquerque area, in large part because there are almost limitless opportunities to be outdoors*.  And, because of other reasons including that in the heart of one of the country’s most impoverished states, you can fly into Albuquerque, step off the plane and step onto a train to Santa Fe (http://nmrailrunner.com/route_map.asp).

Two years ago, I drove west with my sister in crime and conservation (we specialize in laughing) for a week.  We tested Starbuck’s discount for providing your own cup, sought out fast food options that did not include Styrofoam and stopped for recycling opportunities.  Some retailers offer recycling for most routine waste generated during travel: Target offers bins near store entrances for aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers, plastic bags, MP3 players, cell phones and ink cartridges; some WalMart stores may collect more than plastic bags at the entrance in a partnership with Terracycle. And, some communities have easily accessible recycle stations like the one pictured here in Amarillo, Texas.

There are resources to assist you in understanding your impact through travel and specifically on locations you visit.  A UK-based company, Responsible Travel offers destination guides to venues.  Sustainable Travel International offers information on a mindful approach in your travel and by location.  One of my longtime favorites, National Geographic lists sustainable travel destinations.  Look for true sustainable travel opportunities and avoid “greenwashing.” A recent visit to Tennesee’s Sustainable Travel web page was filled with great marketing copy, but digging deeper I was able to find that Chattanooga is actually walking the walk through a certification program that includes long term goals.

Travel is one of my favorite topics, so we’ll talk more.  But before closing, let me introduce you to another way of travel.  It’s so easy to rent a room and check off a destination that’s been on your top 100 places that I believe we have lost the sense of adventure and relaxation that created the travel industry.  John Ruskey of Quapaw Canoe Company reminds us that below that massive bridge we’re driving over and down the riverbank we’re walking beside flows one of our forgotten natural treasures.  John specializes in the Lower Mississippi River and is part of a small network of river guides in the U.S. who can lead you on truly life-changing travel experiences.  Now that’s the way to go!

*Beginning in 1981 the Santa Fe Group of The Sierra Club has published a very thorough guide "Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area."  Last time I spoke with the author, he was close to retirement.  Hopefully someone in the organization has picked up this project and continued the updates.