Final Blog of the semester

I have had an amazing time this semester getting to know everyone and being involved in a wonderfully informative class that I will be talking away so much knowledge from. Being a Interior Design major, taking Environmental Biology will most definitely be important to me when I become LEED certified and will give me the ability to help my clients pick out the best environmentally sound way to finish there renovation or design.
The final project, I would have to say, was my favorite part of the semester..aside from all the great biking excursions ;)
Creating the 'I Heart BIKE' design will hopefully generate curiosity and awareness, and be used for fundraisers and other community projects to come is a really great feeling!
Thanks everyone for helping in the whole process, and a special thanks to Kristen for sticking it out with me!!
Hope to see you girls in the future!!
Heather

Upcycling Everywhere

My media article this week is taken from the Tehran Times. The writer shares several ideas on reusing grocery packaging. I learned so much from this article. For example, I had never thought of sticking glass bottles in my garden to collect heat and warm my plants. What a great idea! I hope everyone finds some useful tips here.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=240000

Ratatouille...French for Delicious Veggies

Okay, so ratatouille is not really French for delicious veggies, but when prepared this way I suggest this be the translation. It's so good, and so easy, and so easily manipulated that anyone can find a way to adjust this recipe to her taste. Here's what I started with, but have found more garlic, more black pepper and less salt to be to my liking. If you prepare it this way, know that you are treating yourself to two full servings of vegetables with only one 1 cup serving of ratatouille...that's if you can stop eating at 1 cup :).

1 medium eggplant (I prefer it peeled, but that's up to you), cut into 1 inch cubes
2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 medium green bell pepper (again, I peel it. I know that sounds weird but it changes the texture completely), chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped (here's where a food processor is handy)
2 medium tomatoes, cut into fourths
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (sounds like a lot, right?)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (sounds like not enough, right?)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (definitely not enough, I use at least 3)

Cook all ingredients in 12-inch skillet over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until zucchini is tender.

Bon Apetit!

Just Read This Headline...

I haven't had a chance to read the article yet, but it ties in to what we were discussing in class on Monday:


http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/20/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

Media Article: Chernobyl 25 Years Later

This article is the product of a journalist who lived in the Ukraine for two years, photographing and interviewing those who have chosen to remain in or return to the affected area. After reading Lane's article, I felt compelled to seek out any information about others covering this disaster. As stated in the article, Japan will be forced to set up a 25 mile exclusion zone.

I am interested in this event because I once met a young woman who emigrated to the US with her grandmother after the explosion. I heard her talk of the aftermath, and how the government attempted to treat survivors. She said she was given a glass of something to drink, and her grandmother slapped it out of her hand, saying, "Don't drink that!" After this her grandmother was able to bring her here. I believe she was about ten years old when this happened. Hearing her speak of it has stayed with me; I can't even imagine what that must have been like.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ik-YGS3iJwX6tE8j0bR5GK77ORNQ?docId=ce32d4fdf3e242c3ad22489996802596

Tucson Bike Week

http://tucsonvelo.com/blog/star-highlights-bike-commuter-stagnation-in-bike-to-work-week-story/6914

Hey Everybody,

Here's a link to my media article from Monday. It wasn't the best choice, but I googled environmental health bicycling and this was the first news article, so I grabbed it. Every year, the bicycling community in Tucson, AZ enjoys a bike week which encourages commuters to bike to and from work everyday to support the idea of biking as a viable alternative to motorized transport. Apparently Tucson has a thriving bike community, so it's typically a successful event. However, for some reason this year the number of bike commuters during bike week was down. Some commenters suggested that the weather was bad, hence a lack of participation. I hope this was the cause. It sounds like Tucson is a model city for communities to emulate when trying to establish themselves as bike-friendly.

Local Food

Hey All,

I hope my link works. This is another media article about local food, but it focuses on Connecticut and New England farms. I'm a New Englander and it's been a struggle for the agriculture industry up there. After talking with one of my friends about the differences between buying local in the south versus buying local in the north, he shot me a link to this article which I found so interesting. My friend and I hail from a now defunct punk rock community in New Haven. One of the tenets of punk is to not rely on corporations for anything, so farmer's markets, knitting, do-it-yourself projects that are fashionable nowadays actually were a way of life for most of my friends from that community. We love that this mentality is catching on, although we will always be suspicious of corporate industry; hence my distrust of Whole Foods. :) Anyway, as stated in the article, the northeast is at the end of the national shipping chain and 95% of the goods are shipped in. Yikes! Sounds horrible! But since the price of energy has skyrocketed, creating very expensive food prices, people in the New England region have turned to local food once again.

I've been at a loss of ideas to share about my own local food experience this week. Usually I have a small garden going by now with herbs, vegetables, flowers and what would have been the third generation of pumpkins we've grown from seeds. However, we're moving at the end of the school year so I've skipped the garden. I do always buy local, usually picking veggies up from the Reynolda Farm Market Louise visited this week. It's close to where I live and I drive by at least twice a day, so stopping is pretty convenient. I guess I'll share a recipe that is easy and delicious, using most ingredients from the market. I'm a big fan of roasted vegetables, so here's a recipe suggestion for roasted eggplant:

Peel and thinly slice an eggplant, layering the slices in a roasting pan that's been drizzled with olive oil.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs and olive oil between each layer of eggplant
Place in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 min, and then flip the whole mess with a spatula.
Put it back in the oven until the eggplant is soft and the breadcrumbs are crispy and toasted.

From here I like to make delicious sandwiches with the roasted eggplant, usually with some of the yummy goat cheese made locally by the Goat Lady, which can be purchased at the Reynolda Market or at Krankee's Farmer's Market.

If you feel like making your own pesto, which is very easy, just blend a few cups of fresh basil, cloves of garlic, olive oil, some grated parmesan cheese and pine nuts until it looks like algae.

Spread some of your fresh pesto on a chunk of warm Italian bread, add some roasted eggplant and some goat cheese, and maybe a roasted pepper or two and I promise you there isn't an easier-achieved gastronomic delight!

I'll be adding a picture of my roasted eggplant shortly.

Addendum: My photo (why is it sideways?) is of my roasted eggplant on Italian bread with roasted red pepper humus and my re-potted lettuce plant. Do you think it's going to survive?

Media Article -- "Home Green Home"

I was happy to find this little gem in April's issue of Working Mother magazine. "Home Green Home", written by Theresa Gonzalez, is chock full of information on how to adapt your living space into a more energy efficient dwelling. What I found most informative was that Ms. Gonzalez chose to highlight the most effective solutions for all income-levels, so even if you're not rolling in the dough you can still make some simple, inexpensive changes that will have a great impact.
Some of Ms. Gonzalez's suggestions include wrapping your water heater in insulation, blocking drafts with weather stripping and replacing your thermostat with a programmable model. These are inexpensive changes that even renters (like me) can employ without worrying about making permanent structural changes that can be time-consuming and costly.
However, if you do own your own home and are looking to implement those larger structural changes, among the typical upgrades of adding solar panels or an overhaul of your HVAC system, Ms. Gonzalez offers the idea of hiring a home energy auditor. The one-time fee can range between $250 and $600, but they can pinpoint exactly where your home is wasting energy. Gonzalez claims that fee is recouped within the first year, post-repairs.

http://www.workingmother.com/BestCompanies/green-mom/2011/03/home-green-home

Coasting into Spring

As we go through the arduous last days of classes before Spring Break, with everyone overworked, stressed-out and sleep deprived, I have to say taking a stroll or ride out on the greenway on Wednesday was such a refreshing release, and I'm hoping my classmates felt the same. As the weeks progress out of the icky darkness of winter's clutches into that uplifting stretching of daylight we are graced with thanks to the time change, it occurs to me that I am in good company this spring semester. How many of us commented that we had no idea we'd been walking so long on Wednesday that not even halfway down the trail we'd have to turn back in order to make it to our next class on time?

As the ideas for our project (I'm in the CDI group) begin to coalesce into something (we hope) that is of significance and presentable, I am happy to realize the good company I am in on this journey into spring. My group, my classmates, all appear to be embracing the challenges of understanding the information and making simple lifestyle changes with open minds and hardy senses of humor. Basically I'm taking this blog post to thank everyone for making the work of this semester as enjoyable as it can be - hey, it's still work after all! I've enjoyed getting to know my group and classmates and feel grateful to Dr. Allen for tossing us out into the sunshine when we probably need it most.

Happy Spring Break! See you at the end of March :)

Beautiful Saturday

I hope everyone enjoyed the extraordinary day today, it was so lovely outside. Too lovely, in fact. I woke up early and did some brainstorming for my group's project (I'm with the CDI folks), and intended to spend the rest of the day knocking out some papers. However, the sunshine was way too alluring and I found myself blowing everything off to take my kids and dog on a terrific hike/bike ride/scooter ride throughout our neighborhood. It was an excellent stress relief, I realized. For when we made it back home a few hours later I was so much more relaxed and able to focus on some of the assignments that had been set aside when Miles (my son) was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago.

I feel really excited, more excited than I had initially thought I would be, about the bike project with my group. Since meeting yesterday to nail down some specifics I feel like I have something concrete to start working on. It's also been fun getting to know members of my group and hearing about their different experiences biking and hiking and what have you.

Roller Skating on the Greenway

Taking advantage of the sunshine on Friday afternoon, I packed up my roller skates and drove to the greenway across from Jefferson Elementary on Robinhood Road. This greenway is near my home and I often walk my dog here, so I knew that it is a primarily flat, straight path winding behind several new neighborhoods beside a stream. This greenway is so peaceful, with no noise from the parkway like the other greenway near my home. There are also horses grazing alongside part of this path, which makes it a little more unique than some of the areas in town.
Although the weather was crisp, I warmed up quickly as I skated up and down the path. It felt so good to be out in the fresh air after being cooped up inside the last few weeks, and I was very happy I decided to roller skate. Bicycling is fun, but for me it's not as enjoyable as roller skating. Hopefully the temps will rise a bit and my ride will be a little more fluid without so many bulky layers, yet I am happy to be out and active on the greenway now.
I know I visit these paths at a time when most people are working, but I prefer having little traffic to compete with other than some seniors walking the path. I have noticed as the days grow longer that the parking lot for this particular greenway is often packed now when I pick my daughter up from Jefferson in the late afternoon. I'm not sure if more people are cycling than walking in the afternoon, but it is a popular spot that has attracted many locals.

Profile of Cycling Community in Ann Arbor, MI

When Bicycle Magazine compiled their list of the top 50 bike friendly cities in the US, they helpfully supplied some criteria for what makes a top 50 city. Some of the aspects are: the city must support a vibrant and diverse bike culture with smart, savvy bike shops; segregated bike lanes; municipal bike racks; bike boulevards; and cyclists from the city have the ear of the local government. In researching the bicycle culture in Ann Arbor,MI, I was able to identify all of those qualities. The city website, a2gov.org/government/publicservices/systems_planning/Transportation/Pages/Bike.aspx offers cycling enthusiasts a plethora of information regarding the bike culture in Ann Arbor. One is able to find information on bicycle routes, parking, planned community events and clubs involving cycling and what the plans are to improve the infrastructure of the cycling routes throughout the city. There are also many links to other organizations in the community servicing those who partake in cycling.
It is obvious the bicycle community in Ann Arbor is very organized. The Alternative Transportation Committee, an organization comprised of city staff, county staff, citizen advocates and the DDA meet monthly or bi-monthly to review information pertinent to the cycling community. Because the members of this organization are culled from all areas of Ann Arbor, the needs of cyclists throughout the community are made known and addressed in a timely manner. To support these endeavors financially, Ann Arbor reserves 5% of gas and weight taxes for non-motorized transportation projects.
Ann Arbor exhibits such a strong commitment from the local citizens and government to stress the importance of utilizing non-motorized transportation and it has become a model city for communities looking to implement an alternative transportation system. The following is a list of accomplishments the city has been recognized for as it strives to embrace and strengthen the bicycling community:
Ann Arbor
-designates funding used for cycling infrastructure improvements, promoting awareness of cycling opportunities and resources throughout
-in 2009 received Silver Ranking from League of American Bicyclists for being a bicycle friendly community
-in 2008 received a Gold Level Award in Promoting Active Communities Assessment, a state initiative to promote active living in Michigan. AA “can document achievements in making it easy for people to be active”, boasts the AA city website
-the City of AA is adding over 10 miles of on-road bike lanes this summer, bringing the total to nearly 60 miles, 140 bike hoops, 32 secure bike lockers, on-street bike parking downtown (2010)
-many scheduled community biking events
-laws: helmet, headlights and rear reflectors after sunset, keep to the right of the road, any cyclists on sidewalk must yield to right of way of pedestrians
-bicycle parking must be included in all new construction projects: protected storage lockers, bike racks

I'm Still Here!

Hey Classmates,

I figured this may be the best way to reach everyone at once to let you know that I am still here and part of the class. I've been dealing with some pretty severe illness in my family but it seems that everyone is on the mend and I'll be back in the classroom tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing you all again!

My cycling has not been going very well, to be honest. The first week was fun riding around my neighborhood and having a picnic with my kids, but my next cycling session I opted to try the stationary bike in the fitness center. My dance class is above the fitness center, and since I have a good chunk of time between that class and our bio I figured I'd cycle away the time. However, I have to say I was so bored by the lack of mobility and change of scenery. I fully expect the outdoor experience on one of the greenways to be much more thrilling. I was only able to stay on the bike for about twenty minutes, even with adjusting the resistance and the difficulty levels mechanically. I suppose if one is looking to cycle primarily as a work out then the stationary bike might be a better option, but I am interested in an experience that includes fresh air in a peaceful setting.

This Friday, since everyone in my home is recovered and heading back to school, I will have some time to take a ride out on one of the greenways. I will bring my camera and hope that the sun continues to peek through. I haven't decided if I'm going to bike or roller skate but I'll probably bring both options and make a game time decision.

First Bike Ride

I decided to take my bike ride on Sunday since it was such a beautiful day. My children, Sophia (7) and Miles (5), love to ride their bikes around our neighborhood. We live in a cul-de-sac bay of townhouses off of a very busy road, so usually I don't allow them to leave the bay. On Sunday we rode together up to the park near our home. It was exciting for them to leave the neighborhood, yet too nerve wracking for me, I have to admit! Although we had fun and they did fine, the traffic is intense on Robinhood Road, which is the road the park near our home is on. I was too focused on the children's safety to feel relaxed and enjoy the ride, and I was very happy to return to our neighborhood.
Not willing to give up on the experience because of the high volume of traffic near our home, we road around our cul-de-sac and had a picnic lunch. I let Sophia and Miles practice riding their bikes in the parking lot around our neighbors' cars, which will help them become more proficient riders. Hopefully by the end of the semester we will be able to take our bikes out onto one of the trails in Winston. It is certainly something we enjoyed doing together on Sunday, and I look forward to making time for more frequently rides as a family.