Isn't this picture great?! I took this shot while on a family vacation this past summer, in Florida. Since we live in the desert, we absolutely love our time at the shore and in the ocean. My son had the best time on this trip, and this picture will tell you exactly why, he lived in the warm surf. I was lucky to catch his face in this wave, as I think it catches his feelings so well. My concerns, as a mother, are that one day my children may not be able to enjoy days like these. Lets each do our part to keep our beaches and the oceans clean. Do your share to keep your footprint on the planet, as small as possible. One day, I hope to take my grandchildren to the beach, and to catch each of them in a smiling, happy shot, just like this!

Lightbulbs

Ok, If you haven't done it yet, its time to change out those light bulbs with the energy efficient kind. You have probably seen pictures of them in magazines, or you may have even passed them by in the aisles of your local grocery store. I bought some to replace burned out bulbs through out the house and then bought more to use as the rest of the bulbs blew. You can do the same! Remember, the bulbs DO cost more, but they also LAST LONGER! The package says they will work for up to 5 YEARS! Crazy, right? These energy efficient bulbs do give off a different kind of light, more of a yellow color than the clear, bright light we are used to, but they work well and HELP THE ENVIRONMENT!! So, next time you walk by those funny looking bulbs in your neighborhood Wal Mart, stop and buy a package. Every little bit helps.

The Green Squad

Hey Kids! Join the Green Squad, and make your school and environmentally safe place. On this web site you can download and print a poster to hang in your classroom with tips and things to remember on how to be " green". There are also easy suggestions that any one of you can do to help your school become more green. Print out the checklist and encourage your teacher and your classmates to help you! Have fun with it, make it a school wide project and see what a difference you can make!

http://www.nrdc.org/greensquad/intro/intro_1.asp

Global Dimming

Ever hear of global dimming? No? Me either, until yesterday. An old friend sent me a link to a web page about a show he'd watched on pbs. Check this one out, I'm sure you'll be amazed. I was. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/

Desert Changes

When I first moved to the desert 9 years ago, I was amazed by the intense summer heat and the beautiful summer storms. I used to go for walks every night with my husband and we pulled the kids in their wagon. It was the only time of the day, unless you were swimming, that we could actually be outdoors and not cook in the sun.

On our walks we would watch the night sky and the show mother nature would put on for us. There were incredible lightning storms every night produced by the heat of the day. The lightning flashed across the sky, never coming down to strike the ground. The bolts were large and bright and constant, they never seemed to end. We loved watching it and considered ourselves lucky to live in such an amazing place.

During the summer afternoons, we used to watch huge storms blow in. We could literally see the wall of a storm approaching and would cheer about the incoming rain. Living in the desert sun, we grew to love the rains. Out here, these storms are called monsoons. We loved the monsoons and they came frequently. Once our back yard had flooded with more than 4 inches of rain water. We had to dig small trenches to the street to drain the yard and we loved it. The roads would flood and we would watch the desert washes fill with water and run hard.

Now, 9 years later, we see little if any of these old storms anymore. Many other families and businesses also decided that living in the desert was the place for them. There has been a huge population growth and building in the area hasn't stopped. We never have lightning storms, rarely have monsoons, and the washes are dry.

I realize that my family and I are part of the problem, we chose to live here too. How do I do my part to change what we have lost?

Tip of the Day:
Did you know that keeping your tires inflated will help the environment? When the tires on your car are low, your vehicle is less efficient and uses more gas. Keep a tire gauge in your glove box and check the pressure periodically, you'll not only increase the life of your car's tires, but also help the environment!

What Is Global Warming?

Global warming is an increase in the average temperature of the Earth's lower atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution, that temperature has gone up by an average of 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit.

Get Moving!

You know, not too long ago, I was a stay at home mom who didn't have a clue what I was going to do when my kids went to school. I loved staying home with my kids when they were small, but I was excited about getting back out into the work force. I had been at home for a good 8 years though, and I seriously didn't even know what my own favorite food was anymore. So, before I put myself out there, I worked with a friend over coffee a few mornings each week, at trying to "find myself" again.

I know that sounds kind of corny to some people, but if you've ever been at home with small children for an extended period of time, you understand! I started out small by starting to write a list of things I wanted to do. They included: visiting Paris (still haven't done), learning to surf (haven't done that yet either), and making a difference. Shortly after I created my list, which I eventually added many other things to, I went back to teaching. Since then I like to think I have made a difference in the lives of some of my students. And now, I am working on making a difference in another way, through my blog. I realized that not only could I teach 10 year olds about the American Revolution and how to memorize their times tables, but I could also teach them how to leave a big impression on the world, but leave a small footprint. I hope to use this blog to inspire other moms and kids around the world to get up, make a change, write a letter, plant a garden...be someone special.

I had to find out before I could make a difference in others, what was important to me. It wasn't an easy task at first. Through the help of my friend's support, I found my way and she is still both inspiring and encouraging me to do more. Now its your turn to get moving!

http://allisonwincabral.blogspot.com
http://allisoncabral.com

Where Do I Begin?

I was talking with a friend, Allison, yesterday over coffee, about my concerns for the planet, and how I wasn't sure what to do with all of my thoughts and ideas. She suggested that I start a blog just to put things out there. Who knows, maybe someone else will read what I have to say and actually have some ideas for me. So... here I am!

My name is Emily and I am a mother of two. My son, Connor, is 11. My daughter, Cami, is nearly 9. I am also a wife and a 5th grade teacher. I am starting this blog without any prior blogging experience, so please excuse, in advance, my lack of knowledge on this whole thing. I am simply a concerned person who, after several recent events, wants to do her part in changing and helping the world.

Let me explain... a few weeks ago our family was on a vacation in Florida. We were enjoying the beach and having a wonderful time when my son noticed some trash rolling up on the beach with the waves. He was truly bewildered at how, exactly, someone's garbage ended up in "our" ocean. We then had a chat about how, exactly, that happens and how upsetting it is to us. He also talked about how awful it would be to be one of the many fish we had been watching while snorkeling, and have that trash floating around in our home. For some reason this conversation really stuck with me. I don't know if it was how Connor said things, or if it was the look on his face, but I couldn't let it go.

After we got home, I finally watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Wow, what a film! First let me say, if you haven't seen this documentary yet, please see it right away. It is incredible. It truly changed my way of viewing the planet. It also made me realize that what my son realized on that beach in Florida, was that we are NOT taking care of our Earth.

Since then I have come up with an idea for a children's book about how they can be more active in being environmentally aware in the area where they live. How even the smallest of us, can be a big part in changing the world for the better.

I guess my concerns now lie in the fact that I have these ideas, and I don't really know where to begin or what to do with them. I think as a parent and a teacher, it is my responsibility to get out there and make a difference. How can I expect my kids to change, if I don't show them how its done? I am going to start here at home and try to implement some new ideas at my school. We don't even have a recycling program there yet!

So, if you are reading this, I hope you'll join me on my journey to learning more about how to be a better environmental mom and teacher. How will I do it?