Shayne Magdoff

It's seems so logical to me to reach out and find out what our world/place was before we got here.  I am not only speaking of our native Americans but those in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Alaska or where ever we roam. The native and indigenous peoples all over the world were always connected to our earth, found ways to use what was there and live life.  Our ways are NOT necessarily the right ways.  We are the ones that have a lot to learn from the people who came before us. Kind of like looking to the past at your family roots and the like.
We are all connected and important. When we allow ourselves to learn and live with others, we truly enhance to world we live in - and move toward a peaceful existence

Sustainable NCW just launched it's Waste Wizard:
sustainablencw.org/wastewizard and it is awesome.  Just search for want to want to recycle or dispose of and the answer is at your fingertips.  Not only where - but the address, directions, phone number etc.  Really a one stop shop.  
I know we allow medical sharps etc. to be brought to city hall and we have noticed how many more people are using that service.   We also take expired medicines.

An invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to an area. 
Invasive species can cause great economic and environmental harm to the new area, but not all non-native species are invasive. Most of the food crops grown in the United States, including popular varieties of wheat, tomatoes, and rice, are not native to the region.
  To be invasive, a species must adapt to the new area easily. It must reproduce quickly. It must harm property, the economy, or the native plants and animals of the region.
Sometimes this may be done inadvertently.
 Zebra mussels arrived in the Great Lakes of North America stuck to large ships that traveled between the two regions. There are now so many zebra mussels in the Great Lakes that they have threatened native species. Small zebra mussels clog the cooling systems in boat engines, while larger ones have damaged water pipes at power plants throughout the Great Lakes region.
 Some species are brought on purpose maybe in the form of pest control. Other times, introduced species are brought in as pets or decorative displays.  
 Introduced species multiply too quickly and become invasive. 
 Other invasive species came from pets that escaped or were released into the wild. We have all heard about Burmese pythons in the Everglades, a swampy area of south Florida. The huge snakes have no natural predators in The Everglades as they do in Asia.  The eat  many local species like white ibis and limpkin, two types of wading birds.
 Invasive species can thrive as  they outcompete native species for food. Bighead and silver carp are two large species of fish that escaped from fish farms in the 1990s and are now common in the Missouri River of North America. These fish feed on plankton, tiny organisms floating in the water. Many native fish species, such as paddlefish, also feed on plankton. The feeding cycle of the paddlefish is slower than that of the carp. There are now so many carp in the lower Missouri River that paddlefish do not have enough food.
 
Sometimes invasive species can destroy habitat, places where other plants and animals naturally live. Nutria are large rodents native to South America. Ranchers brought them to North America in the 1900s, hoping to raise them for their fur.  When unsuccessful, nutria were released into the wild . Today, they are a major pest in the Gulf Coast and Chesapeake Bay regions of the United States. Nutria eat tall grasses and rushes. These plants are vital to the regions' marshy wetlands. They provide food, nesting sites, and shelter for many organisms. They also help secure sediment and soil, preventing the erosion of land. Nutria destroy the area’s food web and habitat by consuming the wetland grasses. 

There is a lot to learn about invasive species, the kinds of species, where they have currently been brought and caused damage and how best to understand the repercussions if you do decide to introduce them. 

Pollinators are vital to creating and maintaining the habitats and ecosystems that many animals rely on for food and shelter. Worldwide, over half the diet of fats and oils comes from crops pollinated by animals. They facilitate the reproduction in 90% of the world’s flowering plants.  They are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat. I am lucky as I seem to have plants that bees love so my garden always does well.  And my yard seems to supply lots of birds with food.
And it’s not just bees that are doing all the work. Butterflies, birds, beetles, bats, wasps and even flies are important in the pollination process. But despite the importance of pollinators, they are taken for granted all too often. 

I had heard about the list before but never really investigated.
We eat all the allowable fruits and veggies and most of the dirty dozen accept spinach and kale.
While I was researching about the dirty dozen I came across a site Taste of Home that tells you how to clean the dirty dozen.  Quite interesting.  I have attached the file below.  Not sure you will be able to read it but there's a chance. 

Years ago, before I moved to Washington, I belonged to a group "Women's Club of New Iberia."  It was when Reading Is Fundamental just began taking hold.  We would go to various elementary school classes and read stories - generally dressing in character.  It was so fun.
Another volunteer experience was when I was Youth Group Advisor for 12 teenage kids.  We had meetings, we pulled together for various helpful projects, traveled the southeast for conferences - kids are so great.  I was always so impressed with each of them.
I currently volunteer for several non- profits, but in the future I would either like to volunteer in some way with kids or the elderly.  I believe it builds connectiveness in community

That aspect of no meat meals is easy.  We always use the skin and peel on apples, cucumbers, celery etc.  
Another aspect to zero waste - is my compost and my chickens (who eat just about anything.