07/26/2009 11:44 Filed in:
recycle | MinaSo since many people have dogs, I thought that this would be an appropriate topic. While you’re taking your adorable companion for a stroll in the park, he decides to make a pit stop to relieve itself. What do you do with his steaming pile? You should have answered, pick it up and put it in a plastic bag! But why use a regular plastic bag when you could get a biodegradable one instead! These great bags require no ‘pooper-scooper’ and they are also flushable! The price is not unbelievable either, only about $20 for over 100 bags, they don’t charge shipping fees either! Plus, their motto is “Save our plant one poop at a time”. Another reason to use them is that 10% of all sales are donated to help puppies in need. Check their site out, to get free samples. What a great way to help puppies and save our planet!
Tags: Dogs
07/18/2009 12:21 Filed in:
rethink | MinaOkay, I know that we all have our cereal faves. Whether it’s Cocoa-Pebbles, Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Wheaties, Frosted Flakes, or Rice Crispies they are over packaged and they don’t even keep fresh for that long since they have poor sealing qualities. First you have your cardboard box, which has your fun and exciting graphics that are a total necessity. (By the way, that was sarcasm) Then you have the plastic bag that keeps your cereal somewhat fresh. That plastic bag is actually necessary since it holds your food and helps prevent a stale breakfast, but the cardboard box? What does it do? I mean besides looking fabulous on the shelves of your cupboard. Nothing at all! Did you know that about 44% of all cereal boxes end up in landfills? If all of the cereal brands in the U.S. lost their cardboard packaging, we could annually save 375 million
Tags: food
07/13/2009 12:02 Filed in:
recycleWe recently had a prep day for the Harrisville Old Home Days event on July 9th. Lucy and I went to Price Chopper at around 9:30 to get granola bar ingredients, then we went to Walmart to get earring hooks and links. I couldn’t believe how cheap they were! Using the shrinky dink method of recycling certain types of plastics we could make adorable earrings (very chic and summer-ish) at a minimal cost. Then, if we were to sell them for at least $5, we would be making a huge profit! I love when we recycle and profit from it, it’s so exciting!
On this day, Laura brought templates for making envelopes from magazines or any kind of paper. Although at first I thought it was a great creative idea, I had doubts on whether we could sell it or not. I had often used an envelope template myself to make original ones out of scrap booking paper, but I didn’t think they would be much of a hit… BUT IT WAS! I guess people liked the abstract idea and they just go for the creativeness of them. Another hit item created that day was the cards. We had previously made beautiful paper from sheets lying about the house, and with those we made cards. They could be greeting cards, birthday cards, get well cards, or anything else you can think of. They were waiting to be bought and written on. We made so many and only a handful were left over from Saturday, they are definitely worth making again. So, the moral of this blog is that when you can recycle (whether for a fundraiser or not) do it!
Tags: Harrisville Old Home Days
07/12/2009 20:39 Filed in:
events | LauraYesterday we had a booth at Harrisville Old Home Days. Located in the small town of Harrisville, this craft fair-like gathering is an annual celebration of the historic community. There we sold our homemade eco-friendly laundry soap, homemade bread, greenciles, shrinky-dink earrings(recycled plastic shrunk down in the oven - Mina wrote a blog about the process), wire and crystal pendants, cards made from homemade paper, and envelopes made of magazine pages. It was a great experience - everyone was so friendly and interested, the weather was amazing (sunny but not too hot) and we sold a lot of items. The rural setting - many trees and a picturesque stream (or river) - enhanced the overall atmosphere. Booths sold everything from jelly and lotion to jewelry and scarfs. There were lovely paintings - both on canvas and on glass, and the local library put on a used book sale. Other activities the town ran included a cake walk, local musicians, and crafts for the children. It seemed well-organized with the whole town pitching in. I hope it continues to be a tradition and look forward to participating next year! And GKT made over $150 altogether - some from selling, and some from the awesome people who donated to our club! Thanks!!
Tags: Harrisville Old Home Days
07/10/2009 20:28 Filed in:
events | LucyThis last Tuesday my Dad and I hosted a “Learn how to make Bread Day” at our house. GKT had needed another thing to sell at Harrisville Old Home Days, and Dad had thought of bread, because well that seems to be what he makes a lot of now.
The bread recipe we used was very simple and quick. See the jist of it below. I did get a workout from all the kneading I had to do. But all of our loafs turned out really good.
3 cups regular flour (or "bread" flour)
1 cup warm (100 to 120 degree) water
1tbsp sugar
1tbsp yeast
1tsp salt (NOT 1 tbsp!!)
2 tbsp oil or room temperature unsalted butter
Remember to use 1/2 the water to start your yeast, and the other half goes directly into the flour. Yeast should rise for 5-10 minutes, until doubled in size. Put the salt in the flour, not in the yeast starter. Knead for 10-15 minutes. Let rise till doubled (about 1/2 hour), then punch down. Flatten, fold, and put in pan, then "proof" (final rise) for about 25 minutes (cut the top at about 20 minutes, to let it rise a little after that). Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until crust is uniformly brown. Good luck.
In between our cooking (when the dough needed to rise and proof) the girls and I worked on our other items we sold at the fair. We made: earrings, necklace pendants, magazine envelopes, and recycled paper cards.
Tags: Harrisville Old Home Days
07/07/2009 09:49 Filed in:
reduce | reuse | recycle | LucyFinally school is out! Summer is here! Woot, woot! Last week I had the urge to clean all of my binders and folders. I had saved all of my work throughout the year (just in case), and complied a huge pile of paper in the corner of my room. As I dumped the rest of my papers on the pile I realized I could make a blog out of how much paper we get and use in school.
The sad part of it is, about half of the paper I got I didn’t even look at after it got passed around the room in school because it didn’t really help me learn or study. But of course I recycled everything I could. The folders and the binders that are trashed of still sitting in my room, maybe I’ll try to doctor them up for more use…?
For next year I’m going to try to get school supplies that are recycled or will be able to be recycled after use (binders). Here is a site to check out some of the products out there, that was just the first site that came up when I googled.
Tags: School
07/07/2009 09:32 Filed in:
Local | LucyAbout 30 miles away from Keene NH across the Connecticut River in VT is an awesome town called Brattleboro. Not only is Brattleboro a cool place to shop (thrift stores and cute shops), get a good scone or cup of joe, or purchase a great CD or record, but it also has an amazing coop.
Last week I went to the coop with my friend. Even though my family doesn’t purchase many items from there, nor do we get the opportunity to go often the Brattleboro coop is store I would shop from if I had all the time in the world, and the choice.
Here is their website: http://www.brattleborofoodcoop.com/
If you have no idea what a coop is let me explain it a little. The Free Online Dictionary describes a coop as a jointly owned commercial enterprise (usually organized by farmers or consumers) that produces and distributes goods and services and is run for the benefit of its owners. The coop in Brattleboro has organic and local products along with some regular goods.
To find a coop near you visit here.
Tags: Coop
07/07/2009 09:26 Filed in:
rethink | LucyIt’s a Thursday morning––– actually more like afternoon. You tramp down the stairs noisily, still groggy from the coma it seems you just woke up from. It’s the lazy days of summer so you don’t worry about your parents berating you about sleeping in so late. They are at work or running errands and won’t be home for another couple of hours. You head straight to the kitchen because you are in a desperate need for some cereal, since you haven’t eaten since about seven o’clock the night before. You settle yourself on the couch and turn on the TV to find soaps and infomercials playing on every channel. Turning off the TV you walk slowly back to your room. Maybe something more interesting is happening on Facebook. I’m sure you’ve spent a day or two like this. I know I have.
We’ve all had those days, months, or years (for some people) where all we do is sit around the house doing nothing. It’s nice to have a break after all the end of the year tests and obligations are over. It’s nice to just relax and take a load off. But after a week or two of using the TV, video games, and the computer for your entertainment and staying up late, you start to resemble a zombie. At least that’s how I looked, with huge bags under my eyes. I bet my parents have expected me to raise my arms and charge them, moaning and moving very slowly.
It is not time to be cooped up inside. That is what we have to deal with during the school year; we don’t need to do it now. Go out and have a morning coffee with a friend downtown, in the afternoon go to the beach or the pool, and in the evening stroll around at the Swampbats game or get crazy at one of the contra dances in Nelson. This is the time of year that we get to break. Don’t waste it! Make this summer one to remember. Then when people ask you what you did last summer on the first day of school you’ll be able to say you did something rather than saying, “I didn’t do anything. Summer sucked.” You have to make things happen.
Tags: Summer
07/01/2009 09:46 Filed in:
volunteering | LucyOn June 13th Green Keene Teens volunteered at Stonewall Farm (again)! The farm, on this spectacular Saturday, was hosting Big Trucks Day. They had a bunch of antique tractors on the lawn for kids to climb on, and the ones the farmers use to work in the back by the barns. The families that came could enjoy the tractors, scavenger hunts around the farm, feeding the animals, and homemade ice cream that my friend Gabby did a great job scooping. Mina, Alishia and I volunteered by handing out the scavenger hunts and collecting money for parking. At the end of the hot, sticky day we got a reward, free ice cream, and a gift certificate for the Farmstand!!!
07/01/2009 09:38 Filed in:
volunteering | LucyOn a cloudy Sunday at the end of June (the 28th to be exact), GKT volunteered with Antioch University and planted trees, bushes, and plants in the Woodlawn cemetery in Keene. The girls that chose to come out and get down and dirty were Allie, Carolynn, Mina, Laura, myself, and Alishia (who planned the volunteering, yay Leesh!). We planted I’d say about 30 different green leafy things. They ranged from blueberry bushes, to different types of small trees. At first it was really hard to get the shovels in the ground because the ground was somewhat hard. Be warned: digging holes does have a learning curve! Anyway, we managed and laughed about it all the way till we got picked up by our parents.
This volunteering event was the most fulfilling volunteering I’ve done with the group. Maybe because I knew and got to see my impact right away when I planted the tree into the ground. And I’ll get to visit and see my trees grow! It was a really cool, and I hope I get to do it again soon!
Tags: Planting
06/30/2009 09:19 Filed in:
rethink | LucyThis morning I was watching PBS with my little brother while eating granola (locally made). I hadn’t watched PBS in a couple of months. To my surprise The Electric Company had come back! Anyway, I’m really writing this blog because of the show that came on after it. This kids show called Biz Kid$ was airing an episode called “The Green Economy and You”. The show featured a bunch of stories about what you and others can do to make the world and your pocket a little greener. Hunter, one of the kids featured in the episode has started a business selling reusable tote and lunch bags.
I think it is awesome that teenagers are outwardly expressing an interest in how to save money and save the planet. The younger generation needs role models like the Biz Kid$ to get excited about the environment. That’s why I think this show is so great! The kids on the show were cool, fun and inspiring.
http://www.bizkids.com/default.aspx
Check out BizKid$ on Youtube too! http://www.youtube.com/user/BizKidsTV
Tags: media
05/25/2009 08:48 Filed in:
rethink | recycle | AllieSo here's just something I thought was really cool. There is a completely biodegradable pen MADE OF CORN. How awesome is that? It's exactly like a regular pen with blue ink, and mine is actually green (color-wise)! And this pen will disintegrate in about 12 months after being discarded. What an awesome option for when you need a pen, because this isn't that much harder to get a hold of than a regular pen. I found this on a website that makes a lot of green products, some made of PLA, an alternative to plastic that is just as durable, but is biodegradable and MADE FROM CORN, which makes it extra awesome. You can use it for cups, cutlery, trash bags, combs, razors and more, and it only takes 30-45 days to compost. To find out more, check out this website: 2wplastic.com.
So I was listening to this Harry Potter podcast the other day (I know, I'm such a nerd!), and I heard this story about these two guys who are going to try to go two months (I think) without buying anything new. Obviously, there are a few exceptions, like they're allowed to buy food or other necessary/emergency items. But the basic idea is for them to go a little bit to an extreme in order for them to appreciate more what they do have. I thought this was a really cool way to learn to cut back on unnecessary items and be more eco-friendly, because we live in a consumer culture, and really, it isn't necessary for us to buy every new thing we see on t.v. This was a cool way to put things into perspective.Tags: BUY NOTHING, Corn Plastic
05/24/2009 08:37 Filed in:
volunteering | LucyOn Saturday Laura, Allie, and I volunteered at Stonewall Farm in a different way than usual. This weekend was the opening of the Farm Stand (GKT laundry soap is now for sale there). Stonewall also put on a big family event for Memorial weekend. There were many activities to do: milking cows, tractor rides, crafts, and a lunch! So instead of asking us to do gardening or yard work we got to help out with the crafts for the kids and hand out flyers.
The two crafts we advised were painting rocks, and making caterpillars out clothes pins and pomp-poms. The kids were really polite and had great creative imaginations.
05/17/2009 19:38 Filed in:
meetings | LucyAt today’s meeting the focus was on fundraising and summer events.
I reiterated myself again telling everyone what Punta Mona was and I wanted the club to go there, and that the trip fundraising was going on. I urged them to start really making an effort so we can make the money for everyone who wants to go. It was suggested that we ask each member to pay for an amount of the trip on their own. This would help the club be not have a terribly big amount to raise.
Laura talked to the group about scheduling a day that Green Keene Teens would be at the Farmer’s Market here in Keene. She suggested that we plan a Saturday in June to do it. Scheduling the specific day will happen in the next week or so.
Brea told us a little bit about Harrisville’s Old Home Days that is scheduled around the second week of July. The event sounds like it would be a great place for GKT to sell products and promote being green! We talked about making things for raffles and maybe doing a kids game or craft.
We also brainstormed fundraising ideas. Many good ideas were thrown up in the air, such as making recycled cards and flowers, the plant-able paper, pine needle bags, potpourri, and the hanging oranges that smell good.
Tags: fundraising, Punta Mona
05/17/2009 07:02 Filed in:
rethink | MinaI made a wicked cool charm thing a while ago, it can be a necklace charm, earrings, or a keychain… basically whatever you want it to be! The best thing about it is that it’s made of natural pressed flowers, newspaper, and recycled plastics! Although since mine was the first one I’ve ever made, it doesn’t look quite as good as I expected, but I know what went wrong and next time it should come out perfect. This takes little effort (no strains) but it does consume time and you’re going to need patience, a lot of it. Especially reading this looooong blog! Good luck!
This charm consists of 3 main parts; the sheets of plastic, the background newspaper, and the pressed and dried flowers. Read each section carefully before trying them out.
THE PLASTIC SHEETS
This is made from the clear plastic of fast-food salad lids. I mean the lids on top of those take out salad boxes from Burger King or Wendy’s. I’m not exactly sure but I think that plastic soda bottles work too. Now get out two of those (unless you are making really small ones). One rule to remember is that a 1/2 inch diameter circle will shrink to about a 1/16 inch diameter circle after heating. So knowing this, cut out a size that you want in any shape. I suggest starting with a circle or rectangular shape practically the size of the lid. Cut out two that are exactly the same and put one in the toaster oven. You should definitely use the tray that sits on top of the oven rack (it should have come with the toaster oven). I covered it with tin foil just incase things get messy. Set the heat on toast and set it for about 5 minutes. BUT YOU NEED TO WATCH IT UNDERGO THE HEATING PROCESS!!!! Over heating it will cause the plastic to burn and get melty. After the first minute or so, the plastic will start to curl in on itself and it will look like you messed up, but don’t panic it’s supposed to do that. It will eventually become thicker, smaller, and flatter. You need to get it out of the oven immediately when it stops moving and it looks flat. After taking it out of the oven, it’s crucial that you remove it from the pan and flatten it while it’s still hot. I placed it on my counter top and pressed it with the bottom of a kettle. Be careful, it will be hot. If you couldn’t flatten it because it cooled too fast, you can warm it up in the toaster oven and try it again. Do the same with the other sheet of plastic.
This depends solely on you. All you do for this is cut out a size of newspaper a bit smaller than the plastic sheets you made, and color it. I suggest you clip a piece with lots of fine writing on it because it looks the best. Use highlighters to color on the newspapers since markers tend to be too dark and the letters on the paper will not show.
THE PRESSED FLOWERS
Pick out a few small flowers and some stems with small leaves on them. None of these should be bulky. The key to pressing flowers is drying them as quickly as possible to maintain the radiant colors. So just pressing them in a book will cause them to lose most of their color, that’s why we are going to use a microwave. Prepare two sheets of coffee filter paper and two heavy ceramic tiles. Put a sheet of filter paper on top of one tile. Orient the flowers and stems so that they are not touching each other on a sheet of filter paper and place the other on top. Put the other tile on top of the whole thing and microwave it for a minute. Then take it out immediately and remove the tiles. Separate the filter papers carefully, the flowers will stick to the papers so peel them off. Use toothpicks, tweezers, or whatever you need to fix your flowers so they are positioned the way you want. The flowers 
Now that you have all the parts, you can put it all together. Just use a clear drying glue to glue the newspaper on one sheet of plastic, then glue the flowers in an artistic fashion. Finally, put glue on the edges of the flower side of the plastic and use the second sheet of plastic like a cover glass.Tags: Charms, make-your-own
05/14/2009 19:55 Filed in:
reuse | MinaThis Father‘s Day, get your beloved parent a funny and environ-friendly gift. Like the “I Am Not A Paper Cup” -- it looks like a paper coffee cup (like the paper or Styrofoam ones you get at Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks) but it’s actually made of porcelain and it’s reusable! Imagine the amount of paper and Styrofoam we could save per year if all the moms in the world used one of these. It’s really cool because it comes with one of those classic keep-your-coffee-warm lids too!Tags: gift ideas
05/13/2009 19:16 Filed in:
volunteering | LucyGiving back to the community is a big part of Green Keene Teens and what we stand for. We are regularly volunteering at Stonewall Farm in Keene. Each of our volunteers usually spends about two hours working.
Last Saturday, May 9th, Alishia, Lily, Carolynn and I went to volunteer at Stonewall farm. This was our second (non-event) volunteering as Green Keene Teens. We prepared the garden for Stonewall’s art auction that evening, raked, and stacked wood.
The first Saturday Green Keene Teens volunteered was April 11th. The three girls that joined me on that day were Olivia, Jackie, and Laura. On that occasion we raked huge piles of leaves and brought them to the compost.
By volunteering we not only want to benefit ourselves but also help others. We give back for what we take. Helping others is not only good karma but it is good way to connect with the people who give and receive the help.
Tags: Stonewall Farm
05/11/2009 19:20 Filed in:
reduce | LucyThis week, May 11-15, is New Hampshire Green Commute week. In order to clean up the air quality, try to walk, ride, or carpool to work or school. In Concord, you can register in a contest at the Program of Alternative Transportation and Health’s table downtown to see how “green at commuting” you really are.
There are many prizes to be won if you are willing to pursue helping the environment in this way. Prizes and incentives include tickets to a Manchester Wolves game, to tickets on Amtrak. This week long event can also stimulate you to spend time riding with people you usually don’t. Try to work out your schedule to fit the needs of those that are heading in the same direction as you. If we all did that, we’d save gas!
To find out more about the special week and how you can get involved visit PATH’s website. Hope to see you out there not driving alone!
Tags: Commute
05/03/2009 19:32 Filed in:
Pollution | OliviaThree of us in the club got together and entered a video contest as a way to fundraise for our trip to Punta Mona. The video was for the EPA Water Quality Contest, and would be used to let people know about some of the water pollution problems. Allie, Olivia and I spent an afternoon deciding what to do for the video and filming it. This being the first time we had entered a video contest, we weren't exactly sure what we were doing, but we had a lot of fun and ended up with an amusing little clip. Our video featured Allie as an ignorant car washer, and Olivia as the superhero Enviro-Girl who stopped Allie from dumping her soapy wash water. The filming was done by yours truly. After it was filmed, Olivia took the time to edit and upload it. Interested in seeing it? Check it out on YouTube - it's the one by user graciegirl625 with the description: "The tale of a Green Super Hero...". With an "overwhelming number of entries" (EPA website), we may not win, but it was a great experience!Tags: Enviro-Girl, video
05/01/2009 20:12 Filed in:
green people | LucyLast week, Keene State College had their Earth Week in celebration of Earth Day. The environmental group there, Campus Ecology, put on a wonderful solar-powered music festival on Saturday April 25th.
I got emails from some of the members of Campus Ecology asking us if we would like to have a table to sell products. I immediately responded saying I would be there and I’d pass the word along to the others. I didn’t even take a second to second guess going to Solarfest, because I knew that this was a fantastic opportunity to get Green Keene Teens out there more. I also love the college atmosphere and thought my friends should experience it!
I got to Fiske Quad with Laura, Mina and Azzi, and Laura’s dad (who was our driver) at 10:30 to set up. Becky, the president of Campus Ecology greeted us right away with a smile. We got ourselves in order and watched the bands and crews getting ready to start the entertainment. The bands featured at Solarfest included Funknut, Birdfeeder, Hot Day at the Zoo, and Garaj Mahal. As the day progressed Carolynn, Lily, and Beth came to help out.
I don’t know if you have ever gone to an enviro music fest, but I have to say you need to go to one! The atmosphere of the event was tangibly happy and care free, it was amazing. Campus Ecology did a great job getting businesses, clubs, and volunteers to participate. There were free booths and crafts such as tie-dye, plant-a-plant, make your own trail mix, jewelry making, and hair wraps. People brought blankets and sat on the grass listening and dancing to the music. The music and weather were beautiful.
GKT did some selling of pencils, cupcakes and cookies, but we mostly networked and met many cool people who were interested and inspired in what we had started. I cannot wait until next year, because I can bet you that Solarfest will be bigger and better than ever!
Tags: KSC, Campus Ecology, fun!, Earth Day, Solarfest
04/25/2009 20:05 Filed in:
reduce | BreaAlright, so I just went to the country of Belize. Where's that? you say. Well, Belize is a small country about the size of New Hampshire that is located in Central America. This country was the first place to have a jaguar reserve, it has a beautiful landscape with many Mayan temples and history, most of the citrus of Florida Orange Juice comes from here, there are islands all around its shoreline, and it has the second largest coral reef in the world. What does this have to do with reducing? I guess I can tell you my story.
The group I was with arrived later in the afternoon by boat on the island of South Water Caye. We were tired, sticky and encrusted with salt from the boat trip, and we wanted showers. We soon found out that this was not a luxury they had. This island gets all of its power through generators and solar panels. It gets its water from rainfall and a small well under the island. The dry season in this place lasts for almost five months, and we were in it. Our showers were military style; you get in, wet your hair and body, turn off the water, scrub, turn the shower back on, rinse, turn off the water and you’re done. These showers also had nobs that you had to hold in place if you wanted more water and if you let go the water would turn off. The reason for this is because they need to reserve water for the months to come.
For energy they turn off all electricity at 10 o'clock sharp, so you have no lights and no water pressure (except the toilets and sink). The people on this island cut down on luxuries to elongate the amount of time they have water and power. Just think, if parts of the world started doing the same, how much energy and water could we save? This trip to the island taught me that not everyone is as fortunate as I and that cutting down on luxuries could help elongate our time on this planet.
Tags: Belize
04/21/2009 19:24 Filed in:
volunteering | MinaOn Saturday, GKT participated in Green Up Keene Day, an event that called for the citizens of Keene to “Green Up” the city, or in other words, make our city cleaner. Although only six of us (including me and Alisha‘s father) showed up, I would say that we got a lot of work done, and we definitely made a difference.
The participating GKT members ended up picking up garbage from around 8:00 to 11:00 near Beaver Brook. First, we went to Carpenter St. and the field there. That wasn’t too bad, just a lot of broken beer bottles (as well as some whole ones with mysterious fluid inside) and small articles of trash. But WOW! The sheer number of cigarette butts disturbed me. They were everywhere! So many people smoke, and though it’s a disgusting habit, it’s tolerable if they care for the butts properly. Put the cigarette out on the ground, and then stick it back in the package until you get home! I also think it would be great if we had more trash-can-ash-tray-things.
Tags: Green Up, local
04/21/2009 10:49 Filed in:
thanks | MinaIt makes me so happy when someone tells me that what I’m doing is great or inspirational! Being in this club is so rewarding and self-fufilling. I am very grateful to know all the members and the people that support us. If it weren’t for them, there wouldn’t be a Green Keene Teens at all.
I wanted to take a little time to thank everyone that has help me and the GKT team to start this club. There are so many people that helped in some many ways. So this blog is a pat on the back to them. Thank you for all you have done!
My parents are I think the most important people that have helped me personally pursue this club. They have been so supportive of me taking all these risks. They believe in me and that I’m very thankful for. They have both lent GKT money to get the fundraisers and the projects like the t-shirts going. We are keeping a tally of all that we owe them so we can pay back every cent. Without their giving-ness it would have been a lot harder to get the club started as well. My mom, Steph, has thought of many possible fundraising ideas with her creative mind. She has opened her home to all these girls to come over to her house and raid her space. But she never gets overwhelmed, and she is always ready to offer us a place to work if needed. My dad, Dan, has helped us purchase products for fundraising, and start and manage the website. Without their encouragement I don’t think I would have really had the guts to start what I did.
Barbara and Michael from 24 Carrots are still spreading the word about our team to everyone that puts a toe over their front door. They also got us an ad in the Shopper News and a contact to do a press release. I’m unbelievably happy the have them as friends and mentors - I can’t even explain it. They keep on the flow of orders for our laundry soap. The soap is currently being sold at the Farmstand. Since they are spreading the word about my club I’m trying to spread the word about their store. So if you live in the Keene area, check out there store, it is amazing!
Megan and Jennifer from Hannah Grimes have helped in many ways from having a sale in front of their store on a Saturday in early April and selling our Easter themed products in the store to advertising in their newsletter about the event and a little blurb in the Keene Sentinel on the Environmental page. They have opened the Hannah Grimes Center to supply us a meeting place in the last few months of the school year. They are so open to trying to help people to do the best they can do (like GKT)! Next time you are in downtown Keene stop by Hannah Grimes. They have products from many different artists, companies, and places in the local area. You might even find some GKT products!
As a result to all these people more and more people and groups are getting in contact with me about Green Keene Teens because they are curious about what we are up to. Campus Ecology at Keene State College has offered a place for us at their last event of their Earth Week happening this coming week. Holly Gowdy, who works for UNH and oversees the 4-H clubs in this part of the state stopped by our last to offer any help to our club that we might need or get us more information about anything we are researching on our projects. Jason Etheridge also sat in on the meeting and told us we could have articles published in one of the Keene Public Library’s Teen Advisory Council’s issues if we wanted.
The little things one person can do as I’ve said before, have made a big difference in our world. It’s amazing how one act can snowball into a bigger act or idea. If you are interested in helping or supporting Green Keene Teens please contact me at lucy@greenkeeneteens.com or talk to one of our members. We need your help to become bigger and better than ever!
Anyone who is interested in learning more about us (especially members parents) please come to an event or a meeting, grown-ups that have showed support tell me that we are well put together, mature, and motivated group. So don’t doubt what we are capable of. Because we have just gotten started! Tags: Green Up
04/19/2009 19:38 Filed in:
membership | MinaI talked to a few people today and got them to consider joining the Green Keene Teens! I got Azzi to join a while ago by inviting her to come to a meeting and a volunteer event. I’m pretty sure she didn’t really have any interest in the environment before joining, and that’s okay! Even if she had no interest or knowledge on it, she can just start learning about it while volunteering and attending meetings! I’m sure that if she learns about how to be green and the benefits it has she would become more and more interested. I think that everyone should talk to someone about joining the GKT or a local Sierra Club or something today. Even if they join because of friends, college resumes, or various other reasons, they’re sure to have a good time and help out the environment! Just remember, every effort of every person counts towards the greater goal. 04/18/2009 19:41 Filed in:
meetings | OliviaThe last meeting we had was filled with new and exciting information. We talked about Green Up Keene Day which is taking place on Saturday starting at 8 so hopefully a lot of peope will be able to come. We also talked about Solarfest. Solarfest is a program that KSC is organizing and putting on. Laura and Lucy said that they would love to have a booth there so I think that’s the plan for that. We also talked a bit about this video contest that we are participating in. Laura, Olivia and Allie were planning on taping the video on Friday after school and then editing sometime over vacation, so if anyone is interested in helping that'd be great. We also had a guest speaker, Holly Gowdy. She is the 4H program coordinator for this part of NH. Holly heard about us from Barb at 24 Carrots, so she came to see what we were all about and volunteered to help with anything that we need.Tags: Solarfest, video
04/13/2009 18:35 Filed in:
green people | LucyWhen GKT started to think about fundraising, my Mom sent out a bunch of emails to local business around the greater Keene area, in hopes that they would consider supporting our club. Megan at Hannah Grimes (the local artisan shop on Main St. in Keene) emailed saying she and the store would love to host a fundraiser. So we met with her and worked out when the fundraiser would be and what products we should sell. Green Keene Teens ended making Woolly Eggs, bunnies, and baskets for the event, Saturday the 4th of April. We also sold our homemade laundry soap, Greenciles, and baked goods.
Before the sale, Megan and Jennifer from Hannah Grimes met with Laura, Alishia, and me, to talk about writing up a press release that would go in their newsletter and maybe even the paper informing the readers about the club and the sale. Laura and Alishia wrote a really great press release. And the day of the sale came fast.
The sale started at about 11:30 on that Saturday morning. The team was prepared for the rainy weather, setting up with a table under an umbrella. The covered table was greatly appreciated when it started to pour! But the girls stayed positive about selling, and I believe we sold at least $100 worth of goods. It ended up being a good day as the remaining members snuggled together as we tried to get rid of our cookies.
For the remainder of the days leading up to Easter, Woolly Eggs, bunnies and baskets were sold at the store. I’m very glad Hannah Grimes has opened their doors to Green Keene Teens. We appreciate all the support they have given us thus far! Please visit the Hannah Grimes website and store for great gift ideas and even GKT products that might be there in the future!
Tags: fundraising
04/09/2009 19:06 Filed in:
rethink | Laura
For some great tips on how to save and other green news, check out:
Consumers Power
The Daily Green
Power House
Energy RefugeTags: Energy
04/04/2009 19:47 Filed in:
volunteering | LucyGreen Keene Teens volunteered at Stonewall Farm March 28th, for their Sap Gathering event. All twelve of our members volunteered! (Allie & Brea)
(Mina & Lucy & Beth)
We directed cars to the parking areas, from 8:50 to 2:00. A few of us were bucket fillers, from 12:00 to 4:00. There were hundreds of people at the event, and we were happy to be able to help out.
Tags: Stonewall Farm
04/03/2009 14:29 Filed in:
meetings | OliviaIn meeting number 4 we were able to get a lot of things done and talked about. An update about the Recycling Center was announced: we will be making further plans to volunteer there over the weekends about twice a month and we will still be helping with taking book covers off old books and recycling them. We also talked about Green Up Keene Day, which is going to be happening on April 18th. The person in charge of the event will be giving us a route that we will be taking and we will be picking up trash along that route. Lucy also mentioned that we will be having our first bake/products sale in front of Hannah Grimes this Saturday starting at 11:30, so please come! One of the last things we talked about was the movie contests. We have already missed one but we have one that we would love to enter in. The deadline is April 22 and Olivia is planning on getting that organized, so please talk to her more about that if you are interested in participting!Tags: Hannah Grimes, Green Up
03/29/2009 15:31 Filed in:
green people | LucyThings are really starting to fly with GKT! We are now selling our laundry soap at 24 Carrots Farm Stand in Swanzey—well, actually Barbara is selling it for us. We make it and she puts it out on the shelves of 24 Carrots Farm Stand and tells her customers about us. This is really unbelievably cool for our club! Barbara and Michael are the owners of this cute new store. 24 Carrots Farm Stand is housed in a little building located on Homestead Highway in Swanzey. The store sells a small variety of products with a focus on local producers. Their food consists of fresh veggies, cheese (the best stilton cheese in the world according to my mom), meat (elk, buffalo, venison, and beef), gourmet chocolates, and much more! They have quite a wine and beer selection also. Some brands they have are Rogue, Unibourne, Pennichuck, Ommegang, and Belgians. If you are not such a drinker (or can’t drink yet) they also have soda like Izzie, and Jones. Barbara is selling our soap just to help us out, without even taking a percentage! They are all about helping farmers, local producers and the community.
When I stepped inside the store I immediately thought, “This is the coolest place!” It really reminded me of the Brattleboro Coop but on a smaller scale. Someday (I hope a day that comes very soon), I believe 24 Carrots will grow to be just as big and great! Barbara and Michael are so warm and compassionate in their store, that anyone who walks into 24 Carrots feels like they are welcome. I like coming back to the store because they are so openly nice that you immediately get into a friendly relationship with them.
Barbara was so quick to jump on board to support GKT that she ordered 10 gallons of Green Keene Teens Laundry Soap from us on Wednesday—when we had just come by to give her a sample and say hello. We were hoping she would use the soap and spread the word. But she wanted to go further and provide a place to sell it!!! Barbara seems super excited about the club. She said, “Lucy, there are some people that just talk about doing things. You actually do them! You’re a do-er and that’s why I’m going to support you!” I couldn’t believe someone would be that quick to jump on the bandwagon without any persuasion. Barbara was so open to supporting us that I feel like she is a long lost aunt that wants her niece to do well. They have even put an ad in the Shopper News about our soap being sold at their store. And they’re talking to the newspaper about doing a bio on our club! I have to say, I’m the happiest girl in the world right now!
We chatted with both Michael and Barbara for a while and got on to the subject of our trip to Costa Rica. Michael lit up because he spent a year in Costa Rica after college and loved it. He wanted to know more about Punta Mona and where it was. After looking the website up really fast, he told us that the island is in the best and most beautiful region of the country. They want to be kept updated on the trip. I’m hoping they might want to chaperone??
I really encourage everyone to go and visit 24 Carrots. Buy what you can there. It is such an amazing place! They are open Tuesday-Saturday from10-7, Sunday from10-4, and closed on Mondays.
Check out their website here: http://www.24cfs.com/
Tags: local, organic, cleaners
03/28/2009 12:54 Filed in:
recycle | MinaMy friend had a rice bag heating pad at her house the other day when I went over, and since my hands were cold we stuck the bag in the microwave for about 2 minutes to warm it up and ta-dah! Instant moist heat radiating from a reusable heating pad! She bought hers somewhere, but I figured I could just make one out of old clothes I don‘t ever wear anymore. So I made 4 small bags to stick into your pockets and slippers, and 2 larger ones for warming up my feet when I go to sleep. (Which, by the way, is working wonderfully. Both my mom and I use them every night because it‘s quite relaxing and our beds are always cold when we first get in.) This is much more versatile than a disposable one-time heating pad sold at Walmart, it’s fun and easy to make, and definitely better than throwing your clothes away. Apparently, these make amazingly cute last minute gifts too.
Here’s how to make it:
Get an old T-shirt (any kind of clothing you don’t wear anymore, but preferably stretchy and soft, but NO METALLIC - remember it‘s going into the microwave!)
Cut out rectangles twice the size of however large you want the bag to be (for instance, if you want a medium sized bag, cut out a rectangle the size of a sheet of paper 8x11 inches)
Fold it in half and sew (either by hand or sewing machine) two short sides of the rectangle together with the inside of the shirt facing outwards
Now, the bag should look like an inside-out tube. It should be a rectangle (or square) half the size of what you started out with when it’s lying flat on the table
Sew the bottom of the bag together (still inside-out)
Turn the bag inside-out so that the outside of the shirt is facing out and the inside facing inwards
Fold about an inch of the top of the bag into itself so that the frayed edges are now inside the bag
Pin that part you just folded so it wont spring back out
Put some white long grain (NOT INSTANT) rice in the bag (I suggest that it’s full but not too full so the bag can conform to your feet or hand shape)
Sew up the top. You’re all done!
DO NOT WASH IT!!
Microwave it for only a minute the first time you use it so you don’t smell a burning scent then add a minute or two depending on how hot you want it (the length of time you microwave it for depends on the amount of rice you have in it, so until you know how hot you want it and how long it takes to make it that hot, do it in one minute intervals)
It stays warm for quite a while
Don’t over-do it or you will scald (maybe even burn) yourself
Tags: make-your-own
03/23/2009 14:23 Filed in:
meetings | OliviaToday we talked about many new oppurtunities that are opening to us. Alishia talked to the recycling center and they said that they could use help with recycling books, so that will be something that we can help out with over the weekends. Lucy also mentioned that there were 3 possible online contests that we could apply for. All of the contests involve making a one minute-long movie talking about why its important to be green and keep our planet safe and healthy. We also have a new product-making idea that Lucy and her mother came up with. We are going to be creating what are called Woolly Eggs. They are fun, creative music makers, but they can be used for many other purposes.Tags: Woolly Eggs
03/22/2009 19:29 Filed in:
rethink | LucyDoes it seem like being green is spendy sometimes? Well, Target is trying to help us environmentalists by making organic clothes affordable! (I know, exciting!!) Target will be launching a line of Loomstate organic clothing on April 19th, just in time for Earth Day. The clothes are priced from $14.99- 49.99. So everyone will be able to find something that fits his or her budget. In my opinion the clothes are super cute. Check out TreeHugger’s pictures of them.
Why is buying organic clothes better? Think of it this way: buying organic clothes is kind of like buying organic produce and food. Organic clothes are made without chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, and defoliants. By buying these goods instead of the regular, average, chemically processed clothes we are supporting the earth to be used the right way- without killing it- and not hurting ourselves. The more people buy organic clothes (like the ones found at Target) the faster we can stop the production of non-organic products. As more and more people catch on, the price will go lower and lower because more companies will offer organic clothes to meet the demand!
Tags: organic, clothes
03/20/2009 19:39 Filed in:
reuse | MinaThis is kinda cool! All you need is an empty beer bottle, super glue, a gas burner (or just something that melts glass), and a saw to cut through the glass with! Okay, they’re not typical everyday objects that might be lying around the house, although if you have the stuff it would be REALLY awesome to make. Actually, you can use a glass-cutter to score the bottle, and a flame and ice-water will give you a good clean cut.
You just cut the bottom of the bottle off. Then fire the edges that you cut (so you don’t hurt yourself). Next, glue the bottom to the top of the bottle, and fire the places where they connect to insure it’s leak proof. They don’t look half bad and it’s a great way to use a beer bottle again if you’re not recycling it (though I gotta say, you should recycle it). You can actually drink out of this, or use it as a decoration. Did you know that glasses like this are actually sold online!? They’re priced at £12.95 each (in the U.K.) and come in different beer brands. Imagine if you made a bunch of these and sold them as a fundraiser! They are extremely cheap to make so even if you sold it for only $3 each you could make a HUGE profit! Personally, if I saw this being sold, I would get one to give to my brother. He would get an artistic recycled kick out of it.
Tags: crafts, gift ideas
03/20/2009 19:18 Filed in:
reduce | OliviaWith new technology spreading rapidly everywhere, some people might think that it is impossible to save energy technology-wise. Well, I've found something that can help us to get greener with just the click of a mouse. It's called Blackle.com. You know how so many people use Google.com to search for pictures and information? Did you ever wonder how much engery that uses just to load the webpage? A lot.
Thats why they’ve invented Blackle. Blackle.com is a website that was created by the same people who came up with Google. It is pretty much the exact same system, it just uses less energy because it doesn’t fill your screen with white. Pretty cool right? It's really easy to use too. You just go to Blackle.com to access the website. It's that easy! So if you are looking for a way to save energy but don't really have time, then how about changing the way we use energy and check out Blackle.com.Tags: Saving Energy, technology
03/15/2009 17:59 Filed in:
cleaners | LucyMina and Olivia came over at 11 a.m. yesterday to get the laundry soap fundraising really started. I was really ready to get the process moving so that we would be able to acquire some money to pay off our T-shirts in the near future. We got started right away. The first step was getting all the sticky labels off the milk jugs we’re re-using.
Mina grated the bars of soap while Olivia and I transported the milk jugs from the barn into the kitchen and peeled them. It took us a couple trips for us to get all the jugs from the barn. But we had managed to scrape up 29 milk jugs from our friends, family, and the other members of GKT.
While we were making the trips back and forth to the barn, my Mom and Dad were heating water on the stove to bring it to a boil. At the same time I was washing the jugs to make sure that there wasn’t any milk scum inside. After the water had boiled they turned each burner off and mixed the ingredients together in the water. Then we added all the liquids together into a 5 gallon bucket and stirred them gently. Making sure not to make too many bubbles.
It really helps to mix the ingredients in their own pots of hot water, and then mix them together in the big bucket after they’re completely dissolved. We’ve been using this laundry soap for a couple of months. When we made it before, we added the soap, washing soda and borax together in one pot of hot water. This earlier batch worked just fine, but it was much clumpier than the soap we made yesterday. If you’re making it yourself, keep this in mind.
After we had finished making one batch we would fill the jugs full and place them on the dining room table to be labeled. Once we had finished filling the 29 jugs, Mina, Olivia and I sat down and started attaching the logos and information to the jugs, while the parents started to clean up the kitchen. This was the hardest part of the whole process because the labels and the contact paper didn’t stick well to the milk bottle. We ended up putting the contact paper all the way around the bottle so the labels would not get wet and they wouldn’t fall off.
In all it took 5 people about 4 hours to create 29 gallons of laundry soap. Today Emily and Laura went out with Mom and sold 10 jugs! Some people asked how it works on clothes, so it was a good thing we’ve been using it. We made extra jugs for each of the GKT members, so they can try it themselves. It cleans well, and the borax and washing soda are both whitening agents. Some people use borax with their regular detergent, instead of bleach. If you have a really dirty load, use a little more (just like you would with regular detergent).
Tags: make-your-own, rethink, cleaners, fundraising
03/10/2009 17:13 Filed in:
meetings | LucyAt second GKT meeting everyone was a lot more comfortable with getting her voice heard. It was a little hectic, but we got some good ideas throughout the hour. Here is a brief summary of what we did.
Volunteering: We are currently getting ready to volunteer at Stonewall Farm. I handed out the volunteer packets to the members. We also talked about trying to volunteer and the Recycling Center. One of the men there offered to get us involved with a Green Up Keene Day. We will have more info about that soon.
Punta Mona: Briefly we went over the trip to Costa Rica that is planned for next February.
Fundraising: We planned when some of the members could make it over to my house to make laundry detergent. Mina, and Olivia helped me make 29 jugs of detergent yesterday. And today Emily and Laura went out and sold ten jugs and got donations. At the meeting we also talked about other potential fundraising ideas.
Logo/T-shirts: Everyone was pretty excited to make Brea’s logo our club’s official sign. Mom recreated the idea in Photoshop, in time to send it to the t-shirt people. It was great to get that planned out. Recently I have been in the process of getting Gemini Screen Printing to make our shirts. Because you know, buying locally is the best!
Earth Day: There were some ideas for doing some kind of event for Earth Day, but we decided against it because we have too many things to do right now. With getting the club started and yourselves well know. Big events will have to come in time.
Green Magazine: Laura had the idea of making a Green Magazine after the club got more settled. We decided if we pursue this idea, that we will have four issues a year corresponding with the seasons.
Bank Account: After we get our Non-profit Certificate we will be getting a bank account at one of the banks in town, so we can keep our money in perfect order. Laura and Katelyn are going to collaborating together to get an account.
Blog Ideas: I encourage everyone to try to write a blog entry or two. I provided them with ideas and prompts of what they could write about. Soon we will have more content on the site!
Tags: logo, fundraising, volunteering, Punta Mona, Earth Day
02/21/2009 14:25 Filed in:
meetings | LucyMeeting #1
I was curious to see who would show up at my first meeting of Green Keene Teens on Thursday Feb. 19th. I was overjoyed at how many people came and were enthusiastic about the club. We had an amazing meeting! When it was over and everyone was leaving Olivia said, “No offense, but I didn’t think it was going to be this fun!” It made me smile to see she was excited about what we’d been talking about. I was also very pleased at the energized response I got from everyone at the meeting. When I got home I already had emails with more ideas for fundraising and a blog waiting for me to read! I was impressed at the swiftness of my friends who really wanted to get things rolling.
If you happen to miss any meetings or are just wondering what we are talking about and planning check back here to see what we’ve done. I will be putting up a blog each time we have a meeting with the major things we have gone over and talked about.
First I explained why I had made Green Keene Teens. I wasn’t very happy with the Sierra Club at school because not everyone in the club would show up to every meeting because of other commitments or they just weren’t excited about what we were doing. We weren’t really doing anything interesting. And I wasn’t satisfied with it. I wanted something more. I created GKT so I could actually make a difference in the community. I wanted to bring bright, intelligent teens together who all were committed to saving the earth.
To become a member of Green Keene Teens, you have to do some volunteering. Anyone can come to meetings, but to be truly involved you need to become a member. Volunteering will make us seem more like an established club that will become well known and liked in the community. Plus it’s just a nice thing to do. We have already been in contact with Stone Wall Farm to try and arrange volunteering. I explained that you don’t only have to be caring for the animals, you can help with gardens, work on projects and much more. I also emailed the Humane Society because my mom had mentioned that they needed someone to sort their recyclables. They haven’t gotten back to me yet about it. I told the members I would let them know when I heard something. We are also going to be making T-shirts for the club so we are easily identifiable when we are out and about. This will help promote the club and let people know who we are.
Most every club at our high school has some kind of club trip. We will have a club trip to Punta Mona, a sustainable living community on an island off of Costa Rica. We are going to fundraise all of the money to cover the expenses, so stay tuned to see what cool ideas we come up with. Check out Punta Mona’s website to see more information. Or see their Youtube video here.
In order to make all the money to go on the trip, GKT will be fundraising like crazy. We have come up with a few ideas already like: selling home-made, earth-friendly laundry detergent, felted soap bars, beeswax candles, drawings and paintings of nature scenes, recycled and earth-friendly school supplies, having car washes, healthy/organic bake sales, and much more!
I explained that I had created this blog and wanted everyone to try to contribute to it. This helps make it clear that Green Keene Teens are excited and ready to talk about the environment to anyone. We aren’t the typical ‘teenagers’ who don’t care about anything. We are ready to show people what we do and lead by example. Giving ourselves and the community tips on how to become a little ‘greener’ everyday.
Like any other organization we will need to have a logo to represent us. I challenged the creative energy in the club to think up ideas for our logo. Once we have come up with our logo it will be on this website, our T-shirts, and the things we make.
Tags: logo, fundraising, volunteering, Punta Mona
02/20/2009 18:51 Filed in:
energy | OliviaToday I helped the environment, and it wasn't even that hard. When I was in my house I noticed that there were many lights on that didn't need to be, so I turned the ones off that didn't need to be on. By turning off some lights in my house I was conserving energy.
A lot of people make the assumption that by 'going green' you have to sacrifice a lot and it is very difficult to do. But in reality it really isn't. Sometimes you do have to sacrifce things, but thats a part of life.
So next time you're at home think about turning off an extra light that isn't being used, think about taking shorter showers, think about ways that you can help save our planet. Cause it only takes one person to make a huge impact in the world.
Tags: reduce, lights
01/28/2009 14:17 Filed in:
reduce | LucyWhy homemade you might ask? It is true that you can get every cleaner in existence at a local grocery store. Why should I take the time to make my own cleaner when it is already done for me? Well here are the answers I thought of off the top of my head: Many manufactured household cleaners iritate the earth and even you. In the long run making your own cleaners will save you cash. And what might surprise you, is making your own cleaners is very easy and doesn’t take much time at all.
You might be thinking ‘How is making cleaners better than buying them at the store?’ Yes, store bought cleaners are easy to get. But are they really the better choice? Homemade cleaners have less impact on the earth. You have to remember that before the cleaners you buy get to your store they have to be made in a factory, put into those nifty spray bottles that usually only get used once, then they have to be shipped to your store. Having all the things you need to make your cleaner already at home would save all that energy that gets used to make package, and ship the cleaners. Cleaners you make at home (like mine) may not be a completely environmental. I’m not sure how you classify things as 100% environmental because usually any cleaning product has to have something in it like phosphate that will clean well (which usually hurt the earth). But homemade cleaners don’t have any chemicals that are made in a lab. You make them yourself. Also there isn’t a need to keep buying new bottles with the new cleaner in it. You can use the same bottle over and over again. Which saves plastic. Homemade cleaners are definitely better for the earth than store bought cleaners.
The recipe I have been using is Alice’s Wonder All-Purpose Cleaner. If you want to check it out here is the link. Homemade cleaners work just as well as manufactured cleaners. You may have your doubts about them, but just because they don’t have that harsh chemical smell doesn’t mean they aren’t working. If you’re interested, but still not convinced, join us at a “cleaner-making party” sometime soon. Stay tuned for dates and times.
Tags: reduce, cleaners, make-your-own
01/23/2009 16:19 Filed in:
general | LucyMany of us just throw things into the trash bin because we are done using them. All that ‘trash’ will get taken away and you’ll never see it again, right? At some point we won’t have any place to put the trash anymore. The landfills will be in our backyards. We should Rethink what we’re throwing away. Can it be Reused? Can it be Recylced? Can we Reduce the amount we use? This will stop the landfill from filling, and it will put money in your pocket when you don’t have to pay for those extra bags not being thrown away.
Tags: reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink
