Go Green Kids & Parents Magazine August 2023

Go green kids and parents magazine August

3 easy ways to make a positive impact on our food ecosystem

Savor and save: 5 benefits of growing your own produce

Little heroes, big impact

You Need To Know This Month

Energy Conservation

How to keep 1.4 billion bottles out of landfills every year

3 ways to prepare children for jobs of the future

The simplest and least expensive way consumers can help the environment

(BPT) - Our ecosystem consists of many important elements, from plants to insects and animals to water sources. One of the crucial components of our food ecosystem are the honey bees, as they are responsible for the pollination of more than a third of the foods we eat, as well as the production of the honey we enjoy. Whether you're a fearless foodie or just trying to prepare meals the whole family can enjoy, all of us can play a role in protecting honey bees and the beekeepers that care for them.

The National Honey Board is sharing easy ways everyone can do their part in supporting honey bees by incorporating all-natural honey into their day-to-day lives during National Honey Month this September and beyond:

1. Eat honey and pollinator foods all day long

As an all-natural sweetener, honey can transform and elevate any recipe, from a smoothie made with yogurt, honey and berries (which are pollinated by honey bees), salad dressings to top off your kale salad (also pollinated by honey bees!), to marinades for fish or chicken. There are so many ways to use honey in every meal of the day.

For the occasions you don't have time to cook, you can still support honey bees by purchasing products that are made with honey, like foods, snacks and beverages from likeminded brands such as Justin's, Mary's Gone Crackers, TEAKOE, This Saves Lives, Sprecher Brewery and Tillamook Country Smoker.

3 easy ways to make a positive impact on our food ecosystem

2. Make your yard honey bee friendly

There are many easy ways to make your home a haven for honey bees. One easy way is to plant pollinator plants in your backyard - like lavender, poppies or other wildflowers common in your area. This will attract honey bees and keep your backyard looking beautiful. Additionally, DIY your own bee watering hole with a small pot filled with stones and water to help hydrate honey bees - they need water just like humans do!

3. Spread the buzz on supporting honey bees

It is never too early for someone to learn about how they can help support our planet, and make it fun at the same time! Host your own honey bee-themed party for National Honey Month and share with your friends and family all the benefits honey bees have in our lives. Incorporate honey-themed and sustainable décor, like beeswax candles, or create a signature drink that incorporates honey for your guests to enjoy. Lastly, send them home with some sweet honey-infused treats so they can continue supporting pollinators from the comfort of their own home. All of this will sure make for a meaningful and purposeful soiree.

By incorporating these tips into your daily routines, people from all over can help to support these mighty pollinators. The National Honey Board is initiating "Honey Saves Hives," an educational program aimed to bring awareness to the importance of honey bees and their crucial role in the ecosystem at large and global food supply. Consider partaking in these small but mighty initiatives to help support the bees, and as a result, our planet.

Savor and save: 5 benefits of growing your own produce

(BPT) - If you appreciate the taste and experience of fresh produce, it may be time to consider cultivating your own home garden. Whether you have a spacious backyard or a small balcony, you can grow your own fruits and vegetables and enjoy unparalleled taste, texture and freshness without driving to the grocery store.

1. Freshness that can't be beat

Produce can't get fresher than what you grow and pick in your own backyard! Grocery store produce is chosen for its hardiness because it has to endure long journeys and handling before it reaches the store, where it may sit on display for days. On the other hand, when you grow your own fruits, vegetables and herbs, you control the harvest, so you can pick them at the peak ripeness and enjoy that fresh-off-the-vine taste.

2. Nutritious and delicious

Homegrown fruits and vegetables are also more nutritious than their store-bought counterparts. That's because crops begin to deteriorate as soon as they're picked. The farther it needs to travel, the more nutritional content is lost. At home, you can harvest your fresh ingredients as needed, ensuring your meal is made with the crispest and most nutritious produce possible.

3. Boosted taste and flavor

If you did a side-by-side taste test of a homegrown tomato compared to a store-bought one, chances are you'll notice the one from your backyard tastes better and is more flavorful. You'll enjoy a bolder flavor when fruit and vegetables are allowed to fully ripen on the vine. Homegrown produce allows you to experience a crop's true essence and provides a culinary experience that is sure to delight your senses.

4. A feast that won't empty your wallet

By growing your own, you'll save quite a bit of money. While there are initial expenses when setting up your garden for the first time, according to Better Homes & Gardens, the average home garden yields $677 worth of produce. Once you set up a garden, you'll have the necessary tools to nurture it season after season, creating a self-sustaining food cycle.

Making the initial investment in live plants and seeds will benefit you in the long run, as you won't have to spend your dollars on store-bought produce that can rise in cost throughout the seasons. To get started, find a reputable brand like Ferry-Morse that delivers live baby Plantlings directly from their nursery to your door. For first-time gardeners, check out their Garden Starter Kits, which include 12 baby plants to get your garden going. There are over 40 kits to choose from, covering a wide range of culinary and floral themes to fit your taste and lifestyle preferences.

5. Connect with nature and reap the rewards

Gardening is a fantastic stress reliever that allows you to connect with nature and discover the joy of maintaining your own little patch of Eden. You can escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life, get

One of the many joys of summer is fresh, sweet corn on the cob, and growing it yourself makes it even

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(BPT) - The world is changing fast and in ways it never has before, and although kids remain optimistic about their futures, research shows they don't know how they can actively be participants in positive changemaking.

According to a 2022 survey by Nickelodeon, 46% of children felt that they didn't have the power to change today's issues. This isn't necessarily because of a lack of confidence. The survey also found that 69% of kids said they didn't know how to get involved in their communities. What it boils down to is that kids need to gain the skills to deal with the change around them. Even though they can't vote, kids have a voice and can positively impact the world locally and globally.

To give kids a platform and avenues to effect change in their neighborhoods, Nickelodeon has launched the Our World campaign. This global initiative aims to inspire kids and provide the necessary tools so they can make a difference in their communities through actions big and small.

The campaign underscores that kids can exercise their individual and collective agency to address pressing issues in their neighborhoods. Through strategic partnerships, including Ashoka and Aspen Institute, Nickelodeon provides kids access to age-appropriate opportunities to be the change they want to see.

Little heroes, big impact: How a new campaign is empowering kids to make a difference

Pathways to participation

In partnership with ChangeX, a fundraising platform, Nickelodeon has set up the Our World US Community Fund to provide resources and support to community projects that would otherwise go unfunded. From the arts to STEM to environmental sustainability, funded projects will be actively led by kids - with the guidance of a grown-up co-leader, to shape their communities for the better.

Nickelodeon and ChangeX have provided project ideas for kids to get started, such as recycling, composting, coding, environmental cleanups and community food pantries and gardens. However, children aren't limited to these ideas. They can apply for funding of an original or existing project for consideration.

Funded projects will receive a free resource pack, mentorship and technology tools to get started. There are also opportunities for additional impact funding. In funding these projects, the Our World campaign hopes to help children realize their agency and become the change-makers their communities, and the world, needs.

Another Our World partnership is with 4-H - America's largest youth development organization - which offers kids opportunities to improve the world around them. Children can join a local 4-H chapter and find like-minded peers and mentors while participating in hands-on service activities like an environmental cleanup of a park or highway, collecting and distributing essential items to those in need, planting and tending a community garden or reading to younger kids after school.

Creating a culture of kindness

Beyond working together on local initiatives, Our World also encourages children to take simple actions in their daily lives that can profoundly impact the people they meet and, by extension, their community. For example, an easy way to create change is to be kind to those around you. According to research by Nickelodeon, kids of all ages and demographics believe that kindness is one of the most important factors that help someone make a difference.

For example, at school, kids can look for peers sitting alone at lunch and ask them to join their table. During a sports game, they can compliment their teammates on their skills or offer to play with them after practice to improve. These small actions can have a big impact on someone's day and foster a positive and inclusive community. Also, acts of kindness may inspire others to be kind, too, creating a culture of kindness at their school and beyond.

Getting started is easy

Nickelodeon believes that through actions big and small, kids of all ages have the power to make a positive impact on the world and wants to help them unlock their potential. The Our World campaign will be rolling out more ideas and opportunities to support and encourage children's civic engagement locally and globally. To learn more and get started, kids can visit OurWorld.com today.

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School bells are ringing, loud and clear; Vacation's over, school is here. We hunt our pencils and our books, And say goodbye to fields and brooks, To carefree days of sunny hours, To birds and butterflies and flowers. But we are glad school has begun. For work is always mixed with fun. When autumn comes and the weather is cool, Nothing can take the place of school.

~winfred c. marshal

FRUIT

Lemon

You Need To Know

This Month

Lemons, botanically classified as Citrus limon, are actually a hybrid fruit, not a naturally-occurring fruit. This means they are the result of a genetic cross between two other fruits. Specifically, lemons are a hybrid between the bitter orange and citron fruit.

Medical Uses

Lemon is also used for the common cold and flu, H1N1 (swine) flu, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), Meniere's disease, and kidney stones. It is also used to aid digestion, reduce pain and swelling (inflammation), improve the function of blood vessels, and increase urination to reduce fluid retention.

Benefits

Lemon contains antioxidants called bioflavonoids. These bioflavonoids might be responsible for the health benefits of lemon. People use lemon for hay fever, high blood pressure, obesity, morning sickness, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

FLOWER Plubago Plant

You Need To Know This Month

Plumbago auriculata, It is sometimes called Cape Plumbago, leadwort, or sky flower. The names Plumbago and Leadwort have been passed down through history from an ancient Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder,. Something about the ethereal bluish hue of the plant reminded him of the lead, thus plumbago. Latin for “resembling lead.” is the classic blue plumbago, native to South Africa. Though non-native, this species is considered a Florida-Friendly plant.

Flower Facts

Plumbago is used extensively as a magical plant and for treating wounds, skin disorders, and headaches. It is a popular eco-garden plant that attracts birds and butterflies.

Plumbago’s tendency to cause rashes gives the plant one of its common names, blister leaf. It gets its toxic properties from the chemical compound Plumbagin, which it produces in its roots. Plumbagin is currently being studied as a cancer treatment. Although most Plumbago varieties have blue flowers, some cultivars may have white or even pinkish flowers.

ANIMAL

You Need To Know This Month

Mountain Yellow Legged Frog

Lesser Prairie Chicken

California Tiger Salamander

Energy Conservation

To reduce energy consumption in your home, you do not necessarily need to go out and purchase energy efficient products. Energy conservation can be as simple as turning off lights or appliances when you do not need them. Every time you open the fridge door, approximately 30% of the cold air escapes! This basically leads to more power consume and a higher electricity bill.

• According to the ubiquitous Google, they themselves, use 0.0003 of energy to answer an average search query and gives out about 0.2g of carbon dioxide. Yes, REALLY.

• A microwave uses about 50% less energy as compared to an oven. Conserve energy, have Pizzas!

• Home electronics consume energy even when switched off

• LEDs are very energy efficient and cheap too. Lights in our homes and offices should be replaced with LEDs to conserve energy.

Recycling Rules

• Recycle all bottles, cans and paper.

• Keep items clean and dry.

• Do not put plastic bags in the recycling cart.

• Do not place non-recyclables in the recycling cart. Printed label on cart lid identi es acceptable material.

Did you Know…

• Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for two hours?

• Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a 14-watt CFL bulb for 20 hours?

• Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a computer for three hours?

When you think of the difference just one person can make, imagine the positive image the City of Sparks can have by recycling.

Acceptable Recyclables:

Unacceptable Recyclables:

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City & County of Dania, Florida

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Dania & Wilton Manor Library

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3 ways to prepare children for jobs of the future

(BPT) - Today's technology evolves so rapidly, it's impossible to predict what new inventions are coming. How can parents and educators today prepare children for technology and jobs that may not even exist yet? A recent education study by Harris Poll reveals that hands-on, collaborative learning experiences increase children's confidence and ability to learn new things. The study showed that children worldwide who are confident learning STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) feel more confident about their ability to learn overall. And that confidence translates into a willingness to try new things - an essential trait in education and business, where changes occur at a rapid pace.

LEGO Education Master Educator Aaron Maurer provides tips for teachers and parents on fostering confidence in STEAM subjects, drawing on his many years of experience using LEGO Education solutions and as a FIRST LEGO League robotics coach.

1. Let children try - and fail

Children build confidence when they're given the opportunity to try new things, even if they feel unsure of themselves. Experiencing trial and error, and learning from setbacks, means children can also fully own their successes. If kids are free from the pressure of needing to achieve constant success, they are more willing to learn from their failures.

2. Encourage hands-on experiences

While the study found that the vast majority of educators worldwide (95%) highly value hands-on learning, teachers said their schools did not provide enough hands-on learning experiences, due to time limitations and curriculum constraints.

What do children gain by engaging in concrete learning experiences, as opposed to passive activities like listening to a teacher or reading a book?

Maurer explains, "Hands-on learning - learning through building, through trial and error, through collaboration - has the power to engage kids in a way that lectures and worksheets simply don't. Getting hands-on with a challenge or a task allows them to explore and realize there isn't just one answer. It allows them to experience failure in a healthy way and realize that failing at a task is a natural part of the learning process and does not mean a subject is out of their reach."

Parents wanting their children to experience more hands-on learning may want to seek after-school classes and clubs, or games and activities to do at home that foster more hands-on experiences in a variety of subjects.

For example, parents can find after-school clubs such as a FIRST LEGO League, which lets kids of all ages work out solutions to real-world problems in a fun team environment.

3. Encourage development of soft skills

While we can't anticipate every technological advance that may occur in our children's lifetimes, one thing doesn't change: Communicating and collaborating with others is a vital part of any job, in any field.

How can you help children develop these skills? Provide opportunities where kids work together to solve problems, create - or just play together. Try a sports team, music group or social club. Any opportunity to interact with others positively, working toward common goals, can boost their confidence and ability to be part of a team.

Future jobs may be hard to predict, but helping kids develop confidence and their ability in STEAM skills - and soft skills - will provide a strong foundation to tackle future challenges. For more ways to boost your children's confidence in learning, visit LEGOeducation.com. Celebrate National Computer Literacy Month this October by helping children learn skills for the future.

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How to keep 1.4 billion bottles out of landfills every year

(BPT) - No one enjoys seeing plastic floating in lakes and streams. No one likes seeing it crushed and filthy on the roadside. Almost everywhere it ends up, plastic waste is unwelcome. Even at the recycling plant.

The EPA reports less than 10% of plastics in the United States get recycled. Some plastics get incinerated, but the majority winds up in a landfill. Frustratingly, the bulk of this is from single-use items that were destined, from the start, to be wasted.

Case in point: Liquid hand soap bottles

According to statista.com, more than 300 million U.S. consumers use liquid hand soap. Estimates of the number of discarded bottles this results in vary. Some place it around 600 million a year. Others estimate as high as 1.4 billion. Regardless, the result is thousands upon thousands of pounds of discarded plastic.

"We've found that most people are trying to be responsible and recycle," says Christopher Gill, vice president of eco-friendly soap tablet brand Nature Lake. "Unfortunately, once those plastic bottles have been made, they're unlikely to get through the recycling process and actually be repurposed."

Consumer choices can make a difference

The best way to keep 1.4 billion plastic dispenser bottles out of landfills is to not make them in the first place. Consumers have power around this, particularly when purchasing habits change en masse. But selection and availability are key to making change possible.

Fortunately, there are multiple high-quality, easy-to-access alternatives available for liquid hand soap.

Option 1: Tablet-based liquid hand soap

This might be surprising, but the truth is, you don't need to give up liquid hand soap to stop consuming it in single-use plastic bottles.

The Nature Lake foaming hand soap kit includes two reusable glass dispenser bottles with non-slip silicone sleeves and four tablets. To turn a tablet into soap, you simply

disposable bottles of liquid hand soap are available. As movement toward conscientious, earth-friendly consumption grows, it seems more than plausible that tablet-based hand soap could be the way of the future.

Recycling is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to help the environment. Although many people understand the significance of recycling, there is still room to improve participation and recycling rates. The Carton Council, which works to increase the recycling of food and beverage cartons, has several tips to help consumers become more diligent recyclers.

1. Make a game plan: Develop a strategy for hassle-free recycling by keeping containers within easy reach in areas where recyclable packages are consumed. Know your community's collection schedule and have enough space to store your recyclables until the designated collection day.

2. Know what to recycle and what to throw: Keep in mind that acceptable materials vary based on the recycling program and community. Turn to your community's website to determine what can and can't be recycled where you live.

3. Stick it to your memory: To help stick to your recycling plan, create reminders throughout your home. Try placing notes in visible locations, such as on your refrigerator or where you place your keys, to keep recycling top of mind. Make sure to note your collection day.

4. Make a difference by being a recycling influencer: Be the change you wish to see by inspiring others to recycle. Share your recycling efforts on social media and tag your local recycling program, homeowner's association, and even the Carton Council to inspire others to join the recycling movement.

The simplest and least expensive way consumers can help the environment

5. Don't judge a book by its cover: Dirty, misshapen or dented packages can still be recycled. Unless the item is covered in food, such as peanut butter or melted cheese, place it in your recycling container.

6. Own your role in the power of recycling: Take pride in your efforts and recognize the positive impact your recycling makes. Without recycling, there would be no recycled materials available to create new products. For example, 30 food and beverage cartons can be recycled to produce a sustainable ceiling tile. A ton of paper made from recycled fiber conserves 7,000 gallons of water and 17-31 trees.

Recycling is an easy way everyone can play a role in helping the environment.

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