COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL April 20, 2016
11A
Go green with your pet
E
nvironmentally conscious
lifestyles are a way of life
for many people. But while men
and women may look to hybrid
cars or energy-saving applianc-
es to reduce their carbon foot-
prints, few may know they can
go green with their pets, too.
Pet care is likely not the fi rst
thing pet owners think of when
they look to tweak their life-
styles to make them more envi-
ronmentally friendly. But there
are many ways pet owners can
take a more eco-friendly ap-
proach to caring for their pets.
• Buy environmentally friend-
ly toys and supplies. Many
businesses now produce prod-
ucts with the environment in
mind, and manufacturers of
pet products are no exception.
When buying toys and supplies
for your furry friends, look for
products made from recycled
materials or natural fi bers. Such
products may even be packaged
in post-consumer materials like
recycled paper.
• Buy in bulk. Buying pet
items in bulk can be both eco-
friendly and convenient. Buying
in bulk means less frequent trips
to the store, which conserves
fuel and saves you time. Buying
in bulk also means less packag-
ing, which conserves resources
and leads to less plastic and
cardboard fi nding its way into
landfi lls.
• Keep a watchful on your
pets. Pets that are allowed to
roam free can have an adverse
impact on local wildlife. For ex-
ample, cats that are allowed out
to roam your yard and the yards
of your neighbors may be on
the prowl for birds, and killing
birds can have a negative impact
on local ecosystems. Each bird
death caused by a cat is pre-
ventable if pet owners simply
keep their feline friends inside,
which veterinarians note is good
for the average cat’s life expec-
tancy. In addition, keep your
dog on a leash when taking Fido
for a walk or to the park, as dogs
also are prone to some question-
able behavior when off the leash
and out from under the watchful
eyes of their owners.
• Embrace organic foods.
Many humans are turning to
organic-only diets, and there is
no reason why pet owners can’t
let their four-legged friends in
on the fun. Certifi ed organic pet
foods are created without the
use of any harmful pesticides,
hormones and artifi cial ingre-
dients, making them healthier
for both the family dog and the
planet on which he roams and
chases his frisbee.
• Clean up in an eco-friendly
way. Cleaning up after your pet
has done his business is perhaps
the least enjoyable part of pet
ownership. But dog owners can
make picking up their pooches’
poop more eco-friendly by using
biodegradable poop bags in lieu
of plastic bags from the grocery
store or elsewhere. Plastic bags
will sit in landfi lls for years to
come, while biodegradable bags
will decompose over time. Cat
owners can also make cleaning
up after their pets more eco-
friendly and healthy for their
furry friends by using envi-
Eight ways that kids can go green
R
aising eco-friendly children is less
complicated than it once was. From
very early ages, today’s kids are exposed to
environmental topics and how they can do
their part to maintain and protect the plan-
et’s resources. Between activities at daycare
and lessons at school to information they re-
ceive from educational television program-
ming, some kids are taking their own envi-
ronmental initiatives — and involving their
parents along the way.
Inspiring children to be eco-friendly can
be enjoyable and get those creative juices
fl owing. The following are eight ways chil-
dren and their families can work together to
protect the environment.
1. Precycle. Kids can attempt to reduce
waste by recognizing products that could be
wasteful and then avoiding those items. Toys
or everyday items with excessive packaging
that we use without thinking are just some
examples of items that can be precycled.
2. Repurpose. Look at items that nor-
mally end up in the trash and fi nd new and
fun ways to repurpose them. Children can
make crafts out of junk mail, catalogs and
old newspapers. Juice boxes or plastic con-
tainers can be turned into boats or accesso-
ries for dolls and action fi gures. Use natural
materials found in the yard or on a nature
walk to make a fairy garden or imaginative
world for small toys.
3. Reuse. Toting lunch or snacks around
can be more eco-friendly when reusable
containers are part of the equation. Explore
the many lunch bags, beverage cups, ther-
moses, Bento boxes, and other packaging
available. Many are made from recycled
materials as well.
4. Walk. Encourage getting around with-
out fi ring up the car. Walking, jogging, bik-
ing, or scootering around the neighborhood
is more eco-friendly than driving. Many ad-
ventures can unfold when seeing the world
from a pedestrian’s vantage point, but things
are easily missed when riding inside cars or
trucks.
5. Conserve water. Lessons learned in
conservation are important. Water is one
resource that is crucial to human life. Kids
can explore ways to cut down on water con-
sumption or use water more effi ciently. The
environmental resource Green Lifestyle
Changes says that a 10-minute shower with
a standard shower head can use upward of
80 gallons of water and generate up to four
pounds of CO2 emissions. Simply reduc-
ing shower time can save energy and water.
There are other ways to conserve as well.
Make it a family project to collect rain water
to use for washing cars or watering plants.
6. Rent rather than buy. From toys to
video games to movies, people have more
entertainment options than ever before. And
nowadays it’s easy to access a fresh supply
of entertainment without making purchases
that require the manufacturing of new items.
Streaming rented content rather than buying
packaged versions can reduce waste in a
number of ways.
ronmentally friendly cat litters
that don’t contain strip-mined
clay or clay sediment that can
contribute to feline respiratory
problems.
There are many ways eco-
conscious pet owners can reduce
their carbon footprints without
expending much effort at all.
Science Pub to
feature dragonfl ies,
damselfl ies
7. Turn off/turn down. Turn off lights, ap-
pliances, electronics, and much more when
they’re not in use. Also, encourage children
(of an appropriate age) to unplug certain
electronics so appliances aren’t consuming
electricity while in standby mode, which is
called vampire power.
8. Change body care products. Introduce
kids to earth-friendly soaps, shampoos, toi-
letries, and cleaning supplies.
On Tuesday, April 26, the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed
Council welcomes Cary Kerst, naturalist and co-author of the
beautiful "Dragonfl ies and Damselfl ies of Oregon: A Field
Guide," to Cottage Grove for our April 2016 Science Pub
presentation. His talk entitled Dragonfl ies and Damselfl ies of
Oregon will inform on these unique insects in whose ances-
tors were here before the dinosaurs, can live for fi ve years, fl y
35 miles per hour, and truly eat “on the fl y.” Learn from an
expert about the life history, habitats, and behavior of these
fascinating insects along with a photographic introduction to
the Oregon species.
Dragonfl ies and Damselfl ies comprise the insect order
Odonata, and are some of the most beautiful of insects, rival-
ing butterfl ies and moths for their amazing colors and behav-
iors. Dragonfl ies fl ying abilities rival anything in nature and
continue to be studied by scientists and aeronautical engineers
to learn how they accomplish their incredible feats of fl ight.
Come and discover more about Dragonfl ies and Damselfl ies
in Oregon!
The Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council hosts a free
monthly public meeting series called the Coast Fork Sci-
ence Pub on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 5-7pm
at the Axe & Fiddle, 657 E. Main Street in Cottage Grove.
The event begins with informal socializing, trivia, prizes and
updates about the watershed and watershed council during the
fi rst hour. Then our formal science pub presentation begins at
6 p.m.
T EACHING
Continued from page 10A
R ECYCLE ! R EUSE !
E
R
O
T
S
R E
h e Habitat Donation Trailer will be at the
COTTAGE GROVE
EARTH DAY
CELEBRATION
Saturday, April 23, 10am-4pm.
Bring your items to donate!
And visit the ReStore to shop ...
T HURSDAY , F RIDAY & S ATURDAY
10 AM -4 PM
For Drop-off appointments, after hours, call the offi ce
Preserve our earth.
Keep items out of the landfi lls.
Donate to the ReStore.
Habitat Offi ce and Warehouse
2155 Getty Circle ~ Unit #1
in the Cottage Grove Industrial Park
South on Hwy 99 past the High h School
Call 541.767.0358
for more information
Email
info@habitatcg.org
stead of keeping the faucet run-
ning while brushing your teeth,
turn the faucet off and encour-
age kids to do the same. When
they ask why, explain that this
helps conserve water, and show
them how it's just as easy and
effective to clean teeth without
the water running as it is when
the faucet is on. This teaches
kids that conservation is simple
and often just requires minimal
effort to make a big difference.
There are additional lessons
about conservation that parents
can impart. For instance, when
grocery shopping, always make
a list before leaving the house
and explain to kids that you do
this so you don't have to make
two trips to the store and waste
the gas that the second trip
would require. In addition, en-
courage kids to turn the lights
off when they leave a room to
better conserve energy.
Purchase Recycled
Products
Recycling is a practice that
many of today's kids grew up
with, and as a result, many of
them might take it for grant-
ed, failing to fully realize the
positive impact they're making
whenever they recycle. If re-
cycling is as natural to kids as
breathing, then it's no surprise
they might not recognize its im-
pact.
One way parents can address
this issue is to purchase products
made from recycled materials. A
host of products are made from
recycled materials, from the pa-
per you put in the printer to the
toys under the tree on Christmas
morning. Explain to kids why
you're choosing these products,
and let them know such prod-
ucts wouldn't be possible with-
out their own recycling efforts.
Another way to help kids re-
alize the value of recycling is to
make crafts from recycled prod-
ucts. For instance, make a papier
mache globe to celebrate Earth
Day by using old newspapers
as your primary material. Such
lessons show kids their efforts
make an impact and increase
the likelihood they'll continue
this eco-friendly lifestyle well
into adulthood.
Earth Day
Celebration
Saturday, April 23 • Coiner Park • 10:00-4:00
Free fun for the whole family!
Live Music all day - Demonstrations
Local Vendors - Food
Kids Activities-Free Prizes
Contact 541-942-1185 or 541-767-9793 for information
Urban
Forestry
Committee
First Presbyterian Church
Earth & Social Justice
Committee