An update from our planting partner SHI

Our planting partner Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) has released their update for February 2009 and it's a good opportunity to get updated in the wonderful work they're doing in Central America.

Founded in 1997 by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Florence Reed, Sustainable Harvest International addresses the tropical deforestation crisis in Central America by providing farmers with sustainable alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture. SHI facilitates long-term collaboration among trained local agricultural staff, farmers and communities to implement sustainable land-use practices that alleviate poverty by restoring ecological stability. You can find the assessment of our first year of collaboration with SHI on this link.

So what you can find on the update?

Seed Loans Make An Impact -Testimony From The Field (Nicaragua): An interesting testimony of Alejandro Gutierrez of El Asentamiento, Kukra Hill in Nicaragua about his experience with SHI.

Here's a part of it: "Sustainable Harvest is not an organization that just gives over everything, but rather they teach mutual collaboration. They give us knowledge and we must put it into practice. They lend us grain but we return it so that it can serve other producers, like the loans of seeds and beans. Thank you for helping us so that we can have a little more."

First-Hand in the Field - SHI Board Chair, Tony Barrington, visits Panama:

Tony Barriganton reports on a visit that a group of SHI board members, spouses, friends and staff made to SHI's field program in Panama on January.

You can find there also links with details on SHI's Sustainable Chocolate Tour, Annie's Homegrown collaboration with SHI supporting village schools and more.

You can find February update on this link - http://sustainableharvest.org/mailings/2009/february/SHI_2009_02_Update.html

You're also invited to check out SHI's website, where you can find much more information (and great photos) on their work.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

* Photo above: Some SHI Board members with Panamanian staff and program participants in January 2009 (courtesy of SHI)

And the winner of the Little Green Books' giveaway is...

Thank you for all the participants in our giveaway of Simon & Schuster's Little Green Books in our blog following our interview with Alison Inches, author of "I Can Save the Earth!".

We got many great comments about your kids' monsters, and the most popular one is no other than Elmo chosen by many of you. Our winning monster though was slightly different and very creative if I might add. So the winner in our giveaway is the reader sunflourchic, who wrote the following:

My daughter's favorite monster is the "Green Goofus." This is a monster that we made up when she was scared to sleep in her big girl bed. The Green Goofus is a funny little monster that sits by the door to make sure that only nice monsters come into play.

Congrats to the winner (and please send us your mailing address to info@ecolibris.net)! You will receive the 4 books published so far in the Little Green Books line: Little Panda, Little Monkey, I Can Save the Earth! and The Polar Bears' Home. Thanks again to all the participants who shared with us their favorite monster!

Update (3/9/09): Since we haven't heard from the original winner, the prize is going to Patricia who wrote the following: "We have TWO favorite monsters in this house. 1. Bernard from Where the Wild Things Are. He is the one with the human feet and yes, all the monsters have names! My son always thought it was so funny that a monster had feet just like him! 2. The Typhoonagator from Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Rhymes. My daughter loves to point out when it is windy and my son will always remind her that the Typhonnagator must be around-this always makes them laugh."

Yours,

Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

3 reading recommendations for Presidents Day

Tomorrow is Presidents Day and it's holiday for many people who will enjoy the long weekend. This is also a great opportunity to get to read something and especially things you put aside waiting for some free time..

I just had that with three articles that waited for me and I wanted to share with you and recommend them for tomorrow (or any other given day..). We got here two articles on green issues and one about books, and all of them are really interesting, so you're welcome to check it all!

Praise the Lord and Green the Roof / Joseph Huff-Hannon (New York Times, February 1, 2009)

A story about an order of Episcopal nuns who are building what will be the first "eco-convent" in New York City. This is a great example of how religion and ecology goes hand in hand, nurturing each other. Here's a part of the article that refers to this issue:

Then, about 10 years ago, the sisters began to discuss a mission to care for the environment. They may embrace environmental concerns more tightly than do many other religious orders, but it is their religion, they say, that was their bridge to a green life.

“We began talking more deeply amongst ourselves about how spirituality and ecology are linked, how we could more fully appreciate that the universe is a creation of God,” Sister Faith Margaret said, speaking in the hallways near the front door, which is lined on both sides with ferns, philodendron and other plants. “Some days I get up in the morning when the trees are about to pop, and I think, ‘How did God decide all of this?’ ”

Original URL

If you don't have a subscription to the NYT, you can find a copy of the article on this link.

Books Gone Wild: The Digital Age Reshapes Literature / Chris Jackson/Getty (Time, January 21, 2009)

How technology is changing the book market? this interesting article (thanks to Publishing Talk for the link) is analyzing the current trends in the publishing industry and tries to envision the future of this industry, where digital content and self publishing will make it a whole lot different from what we know today.

Here's a little look at the future from the article:

Not that Old Publishing will disappear--for now, at least, it's certainly the best way for authors to get the money and status they need to survive--but it will live on in a radically altered, symbiotic form as the small, pointy peak of a mighty pyramid. If readers want to pay for the old-school premium package, they can get their literature the old-fashioned way: carefully selected and edited, and presented in a bespoke, art-directed paper package. But below that there will be a vast continuum of other options: quickie print-on-demand editions and electronic editions for digital devices, with a corresponding hierarchy of professional and amateur editorial selectiveness.

The article is available at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1873122,00.html

In Beverage Industry, Sustainability Sells / Bill Roth (Entrepreneur.com, February 4, 2009)

Bill Roth (who is also collaborating with Eco-Libris) writes on the green trends in the beverage industry and where you can find green entrepreneurial opportunities there. Here's one of my favorite parts in this article about green coffees, which benefits both the coffee growers and the environment:

Here's why I have such hope for the green economic revolution: The sales for these green coffees are exploding.Rainforest Alliance Certifiedcoffee had average sales growth of 106 percent each year from 2003 through 2006. In 2007, more than 91 million pounds of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee was sold worldwide. In the U.S., these coffees are sold by Mars Drinks, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Pom Wonderful and Caribou Coffee, and can be found in more than 50,000 supermarkets, convenience stores, cafes, restaurants, hotels and corporate offices worldwide.

The article can be found at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29016166

Enjoy!
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Announcing the winners of "I Can Save The Earth Sweepstakes"

We are big fans of Simon & Schuster's Little Green Books. This is a great line of eco-friendly children's books and we had the pleasure of partnering with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing in an educational contest in celebration of the first new books in this line that were published last fall.

And now we have the WINNERS!

I Can Save The Earth Sweepstakes, asked children to tell us how you’re helping to save the environment and provided them with an opportunity to share their personal green stories and ideas. We got wonderful replies and we wish to thank all the kids who took part in the contest.

And it's not only for kids! If you look for inspiration and you want to feel a little bit more optimistic about the future, go ahead and read the letters of Lillie (age 7) of Arizona, Madison (age 7) of Connecticut, and Owen (age 6) of Florida, who are the winners of the contest. Congrats to all of you!

You can find their stories at http://www.simonlittlegreen.com/downloads/LGB_Sweepstakes_Winners_Small.pdf

The winners won a selection of Little Green Books and trees will be planted in their name with Eco-Libris.

This is also a good opportunity to update you that Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing launched last month www.SimonLittleGreen.com, their updated website devoted to our Little Green and Big Green Help titles. The site includes a family-friendly blog, interactive games, earth-friendly downloadable activities, green tips (including tips of Eco-Libris), a green glossary, a partner page and more!

Thanks again to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and all the kids that took part in the contest. We hope many kids and especially adults will be inspired from your enthusiasm and determination to make our world a better place.

More relevant links:

An interview with Alison Inches, the author of "I Can Save the Earth"

Review of 'Little Monkey' and 'Little Panda'

An interview with Lara Bergen, the author of 'The Polar Bears' Home'

I CAN SAVE THE EARTH! contest web page

On Eco-Libris website: http://www.ecolibris.net/littlegreenbooks.asp


Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Tell us what's your favorite monster and get a chance to win four Little Green Books!

Just one more day for our Little Green Books giveaway, so if you haven't think yet of your favorite monster, you still got time :-)

Here is a reminder of the details:

Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing are giving away one package of the 4 books published so far in the Little Green Books line: Little Panda, Little Monkey, I Can Save the Earth! and The Polar Bears' Home.

This is a great prize and firstly we thank Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for it! How do you get a chance to win this prize? please add a comment below with an answer for the following question: what's your (or your kid's) favorite monster? don't forget to share with us the story/reason for the monster you picked..

Submissions are accepted until Sunday, February 15, 12PM EST. We will pick the comment we liked best and the winner will be announced the following day.

[You can add your comment to this post or to the original post, where you can also read the interview with Alison Inches, the author of I Can Save the Earth!]

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Ten tips from RecycleBank on how to green your Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is almost here and everywhere you look you can find tips for the perfect gift or dish (my favorite: Mark Bittman's Chocolate Souffle) for your loved one.

We want to join the rest, but from our green point of view, and with the help of our friends at RecycleBank, that sent us great tips for greening your Valentine's Day. So here we go:

Valentine’s Day is all about flowers, chocolates and cards, but how can you spoil the special someone in your life and be eco-conscious at the same time? RecycleBank has come up with 10 tips for greening your Valentine’s Day that will help set the mood while saving the planet!

Here are RecycleBank’s 10 romantic ways to “green” your Valentine’s Day:

1. Set your morning in motion by sharing a pot of fairly traded and organically grown coffee. After all, you will want to keep the night young.

2. Since Valentine’s Day lands on Saturday, skip the power shower and enjoy a soak for two… and save water that way.

3. Get enlightened this year with his and hers, or hers and hers, or his and his (well you get the point) CFL’s. While saving tons of energy, they last up to 8 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

4. A rose is a rose is a rose…but is it fairly traded—and how far did it travel to get to your door? There is an abundance of organic, veriflora certified and fairly traded floral options, all perfect gifts.

5. Sweets for your sweetie? Organic and fairly traded cocoa options are sure to send that extra message of sincerity.

6. On this holiday, over one billion cards are sent worldwide. Translation: Save the Trees! Create your own card from recycled goods in your home. After all, it’s not the card, but the sentiment that counts.

7. Enjoy the outdoors. Make a snow-person together. Walk on the beach. Take a hike. Picnic in front of a gorgeous sunset. Or just lie on your backs and count the stars. It’s totally carbonRaz,Raz, free, healthy and romantic.

8. Make a candlelit homemade dinner for two. There is nothing greener than going local, so stop at your local farmers’ market and buy fresh and organic goodies.

9. Forget red or white; go for a bottle of “green” wine. There’s organic wine for whatever kind of mood you’re in… from Shiraz to chardonnay.

10. To end the night, choose organic cotton, bamboo and linen sheets, towels, duvets and comforters.

RecycleBank is a rewards program that motivates people to recycle by quickly and easily measuring the amount of material each home recycles and then converting that activity into RecycleBank Points that can be used at hundreds of local and national rewards partners. You can find more about RecycleBank on their website - www.recyclebank.com

Thank you to our friends at RecycleBank for these great tips!

Happy (green) Valentine's Day,

Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Eco-Libris is available now at Hooray for Books! in Old Alexandria, VA

Did you have the chance to visit Old Alexandria? This beautiful old town just outside Washington DC has now another exciting thing to offer: a bookstore where you can balance out your new books with Eco-Libris!

We're very happy to announce on a new bookstore from Old Alexandria: Hooray for Books!

Hooray for Books! is an independent bookstore, owned by Ellen Klein and Trish Brown, who worked at A Likely Story, and after that store closed, decided to re-open a children's bookstore at the same location in Old Town Alexandria. You can read more about them here, and here. The Washington Post ran an article about them on June 23 that you can find here.

Hooray For Books!, which is the only independent children's bookstore in Alexandria, VA, opened its doors in June 2008. They're committed to serving their community, not only by providing extraordinary customer service but also by being environmentally responsible. They believe that partnering with Eco-Libris helps us achieve both these goals.

Customers at Hooray For Books! will have the opportunity to pay $1 to plant a tree to balance each book they purchase in the store. They will also receive an Eco-Libris sticker (made of recycled paper) at the counter for each book they balance out, saying 'One tree planted for this book'.

We're very happy that our first collaboration in Virginia with such a great bookstore, and we invite everyone to visit the store and their website to learn more about them.

Store's address and contact details:

Hooray For Books!
1555 King St., Ste 101, Alexandria, VA 22314
phone: 703-548-4092
fax: 703-548-4094
e-mail: info@hooray4books.com
Web site: www.hooray4books.com

Website and blog:
Website: http://www.hooray4books.com
Blog: http://hooray4books.wordpress.com

The full list of bookstores that participate in Eco-Libris bookstores' program can be found at
http://www.ecolibris.net/bookstores.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!