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It’s finally time to graduate. No more teachers, no more books, and more recycled presents and green networking ideas for the South Florida grad in your life. They’ve worked hard, studied for countless tests, and paved the way for a bright future. Support their green lifestyle with these meaningful green networking ideas and gifts.

Gifts for High School Grads

This plantable journal is made from 100% recyclable paper and wildflower seeds. When your grad is done planning the future, he or she can plant the journal in the garden and watch flowers grow from their plans. Take advantage of South Florida’s many water sports and treat your grad to snorkeling lessons or a meal at South Florida’s Sublime.

Networking for High School Grads

Checking out a Broward-based Sierra Club group might be fun for just-graduated teens looking to make a difference. Young adults curious about eco-involvement at their future alma matter can search schools and types of networking/school clubs here. Florida schools are all listed here, as are national and international colleges and universities. Your high school grad can also choose from different kinds of eco-based activism and explore the kinds of clubs or groups hosted by each school.

Gifts for College Grads

Gifts for South Florida college grads can vary from a trip to the Keys to a glamour-filled day checking out what’s hot on South Beach.

Networking for College Grads

Networking for South Florida college grads is the next step in building a career they’ll be passionate about. Networking with like-minded people is a key way to create business connections. Direct them to South Florida Green Drinks. SFGD is a thriving network of young professionals who meet once a month in Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, or West Palm Beach. Their mission is simple – to provide a way for green/eco-aware professionals to connect in a laid-back, informal setting. This group would be perfect for the new grad looking to make business connections. The president is internationally recognized public speaker and entrepreneur Marci Zaroff. Zaroff serves on several industry boards, such as the Organic Exchange. She is the recipient of several awards for green business, including the Natural Product Industry’s Socially Responsible Business Award. South Florida Green Drink sponsors include Whole Foods and Aubrey Organics. Click here to find a South Florida Green Drink meetup.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Donostweets

South Florida natives often seem to be a little bit blase´ about all the beauty that surrounds us. Maybe we’re used to it. Some of us can’t imagine why the words “snow” and “plow” would ever need to be next to each other in a sentence, and if we’ve always called South Florida home, we can’t conceive of ever being more than forty minutes from the beach. The idea of people having to board planes to enjoy the beauty and serenity of our tropical state can be, admittedly, a little hard to grasp. But when people come from all over the world to visit South Florida’s beaches, there are many, many health and wellness benefits to be had.

Relaxation

Experts believe that listening to the sounds of the ocean can greatly decrease your stress levels. So, the next time you visit one of these beaches, take a moment to close your eyes and relax by hearing the lapping of the waves. Plus, the blue-green shades of the ocean will naturally allow you to relax, letting the stress of the day flow right into the sand.

Wellness

Ample chances for exercise surround South Florida beachgoers. Why not take a jog or walk on the sand? If you visit the famous Hollywood Boardwalk, you’ll be able to rent a bike or go roller blading along the 2.5-mile stretch of this paved promenade. (And people watching may not actually support physical wellness, but it could be considered a sport here.) Want a more spiritual side to your wellness? Consider taking a peaceful beachside yoga class and calm your mind while taking care of your body.

Beauty

If you’re a daytime beachgoer, take a moment to really notice the shifting colors of the Atlantic against the bright blue South Florida sky. However, there’s nothing more breathtaking than the fiery red and orange of a South Florida sunset to make you appreciate all that these beaches have to offer. The sunsets on Hollywood Beach or Fort Lauderdale beach (just a short ride from the Desoto) are truly awe-inspiring.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By epitomized1

Since the start of March, I’ve been on a quest to find the perfect juice recipe, thanks to my new obsession with juicing. Even some of my favorite farmer’s markets were getting a little bit pricy, so when a friend of mine tipped me off about Stiles Farmer’s Market in Pembroke Pines (209 North Hiatus Road) I went over to check it out.

I was delighted. As a Floridian, I’ve started to despair that truly fresh produce will always cost an arm and a leg. Whether I’m going to standard grocery stores or organic health food stores, even most farmers markets seem to cause me to dig a little deeper into my wallet then I’m comfortable. However, Stiles is amazing. It’s tucked away in the Home Depot shopping center on Hiatus just before Pines (if you’re coming from the North), and only a short drive from the Desoto.

Locally Grown

While there were several organic and locally grown veggies and fruits, the majority of their stock seemed to be locally grown, as opposed to organic and locally grown, even though there were a few organic veggies and fruits here and there. Even for those who eat strictly organic produce, Stiles is worth a drive.

Produce and Prices

My personal indicator of whether or not I’ll like a farmer’s market is the price of ginger. In traditional grocery stores, I’ve seen ginger as high as $4 a pound. At Stiles, you can load up a plastic bag with ginger and one pound is only $1. Plus, there were rosemary stalks as big as my forearm. Not to draw a tight comparison, but in traditional grocery stores, herbs may be a low price but they are rarely if ever this large or this fresh.

A Lot For a Little

The veggie glee continued. I purchased huge cucumbers as large as my forearm for a fraction of the cost elsewhere, about three for a dollar.By the time I finally left Stiles, I had a mountain of produce for a mere $25. If I’d gone to a high end organic store, I probably would have spent twice that on vegetables.

Homemade Bread

Plus, on the weekends, Stiles sells homemade bread. There are several different kinds of loaves, from olive to wheat, all at a very reasonable price. Bring cash if you plan on taking the bread home with you.

If You Go

This place is a gem if you’re looking for farmer’s markets with a wide range of produce at reasonable prices. Find them at 209 North Hiatus Road, Pembroke Pines, FL 33026 or call 954-437-4852.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Strikkelise

Earth Day officially began on April 22, 1970 and was founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. I urge you to take advantage of the fact that Earth Day falls on a Sunday this year – go out and celebrate it, don’t just hear about it second-hand.

My first memory of an Earth Day celebration was in 1990. I was eleven and I was running wild with some friends on the Ridge, a patch of land in-between Pine Island Road and Nob Hill Road in Plantation, Florida. All I remember of that day is a lot of talks about recycling and soda cans. I stacked old soda cans and then my friends and I excitedly put them into big red bins marked for that purpose. There were balloons. My cousin rolled down a hill, narrowly missing an anthill, but this was just another excuse for the sweaty, curious lot of us to poke at some insects. Not bad for a first earth day: soda, tin cans, and a lot of bugs.

When I was growing up, a best friend of mine lived in walking distance from the Ridge, and we’d go there all the time. We didn’t care about what danger might exist. All that mattered for us was to be free in nature. We’d stay in the woods so long that her parents yelled themselves hoarse trying to get us to come inside. But we – especially I – couldn’t be distracted. Light changes in the woods, blazing forth when you walk out of a cluster of trees. Those times represented freedom and joy, independence and adventure. I wish everyone that feeling at least once in their lives, especially the kids of today, who are growing up in a world where technology may one day entirely eclipse the natural world. Let’s make it up to us – and use this Earth Day to renew our commitment to protecting the environment.

Here are some things to do on Earth Day.

Picnic

Make the kids turn off their electronic devices and go on a picnic. Enjoy being outside.

Pretend to be Ansel Adams

Got junior explorers? Feel like being an explorer yourself? Pay attention to what’s around you. Take pictures of bugs and of the natural world.

Take the Time

Find a local celebration or simply make the time to go for a walk. Make this a perfect time to celebrate the value of the present and our hopes for the future.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By ax2groin

I’m a little bit obsessed right now; let’s just get that out of the way. Over the weekend, I purchased a juicer, largely inspired by the film Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Right now, I’m full of juicer love, and I’ll be the first to admit that when I try something new, I usually go a tad overboard. I literally rushed home from work with two bags of produce, eager to start juicing in earnest. For the last few days, I’ve been drinking two to four large cups of veggie juice a day, interspersed with salads and other greens. I feel almost freakishly clearheaded and my clothes are starting to fit differently.

I’m Missing You, Juicer

I’m also preparing for a trip next month, and already I’m brainstorming. I feel like a juice junkie. How can I take my juice with me on the plane? Travel food is seldom, if ever, healthy, so of course, I can have the option of bringing some snacks and homemade sandwiches on the plane. But what about my juice? I thought. I’m already picturing my juicer, sad and alone, sitting on the countertop while I’m 3,000 miles away.

That’s right. I’m becoming a big, green juice junkie. I admit it.

Have Juice, Will Travel (Maybe)

What if alternative travelers want to travel with homemade juice? Sadly, airplanes seem to be low on the list of juice-friendly transportation. However, according to the TSA guidelines, I could bring salsa, jam, or dip on the plane with me – if I packed it in a three-ounce container and put it in a zip-top plastic baggie. Moms will probably be able to bring juice in a baby food container, but those of us without little ones may need to brave the plane without juice, depending on the TSA.

If you want to take homemade juice on trains or buses (or any other non-plane mode of transportation), go for it. Just remember that fresh juice contains the most nutrients if you consume it immediately after you make it. Plus, fresh homemade juice has a tendency to separate slightly, with the top part becoming a sort of juicy foam and the bottom part taking on a more liquid appearance. Adding some ice or putting it in a cooler might preserve the freshness as well, or at least keep it cold.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By cronewynd

It seems that marriage is everywhere on the national stage. Everyone has an opinion on marriage, freedom, and what the legal right to love will do to our country. (Pay attention, Religious Right. Gay marriage won’t destroy America!)

Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement or A Very Long Plane Ride?

Recently, I saw a wonderful 2009 documentary called Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement, about the 42 year-long romantic partnership between Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer. The documentary explores their remarkable relationship and focuses on Edie and Thea (then in their 70s) flying to Canada to get married  because they want to be legal wives before Thea succumbs to fatal multiple sclerosis. There’s a scene in Edie and Thea when the women are leaving for Canada and getting into a van…and there’s wheelchair-bound Thea,  brave and amazing and frail, preparing to fly to Toronto in the dead of winter, miles from her homestate, to get married.

What does this documentary of two elderly women getting married have to do with green principles?

Everything.

Edie and Thea traveled to Canada because gay marriage is legal in Toronto. When this generation is in our seventies and eighties, hopefully things will be different and easier. But what if you want to get married in your home state, right now? What if you want to have a “staycation” wedding – a real, legal wedding – and save some money?

260,000 Plane Tickets?

Well, with the way things currently stand in America, chances are you may not live in one of the handful of states in which gay marriage is legal. If that’s the case, you won’t really have that option to have a legal wedding in your homestate, not if you want to be legally married.

According to a recent article, there are approximately 130,000 same-sex couples in America. What if all of them – at some point – had to travel to another state (or to Canada) to get married? That’s approximately 260,000 individuals who must travel across state lines in order to be legally married. Now think about all the friends and relatives who deserve to be there with them. I shutter to think of the gas mileage, the plane fare, and the carbon credits needed to offset such a journey. Flat out, it’s not fair to LGBT couples or their families. All that travel – unless it’s offset – is bad for the earth. Plus, it’s expensive.

Discrimination Is Not Green Or Kind

Needing to travel to get married while other people don’t have to is also a gross discrimination. I remember 70-something Thea teetering in her wheelchair on her way to Canada because she had no other legal way to marry her beloved Edie. (When my grandparents were in their 70s, they couldn’t be bothered to shut the bathroom door, let alone board a plane to Canada.) Wouldn’t it have been nice and less expensive for Edie and Thea if they could have simply gotten married ten minutes from their home in a nice, little park or house of worship? I think so. That would have been the greener, easier choice. But anti-gay discrimination didn’t give them that option.

Discrimination is not a green choice. Not by a long shot, America.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By MightyBoyBrian

Spring is here, or so we hear. (In Florida our weather is pretty much the same – gorgeous – all year round.) I understand that in other parts of the world, the cold is giving way to flowers and warmth. Spring means renewal: as the earth wakes up from ice and cold, so do we. Renew your eco-joy with these springtime steps.

Eco-Bags in Light Colors

Ditch the dull black and brown travel bags for fun and funky luggage in light, festive colors. Crisp white eco-friendly luggage can put a spring in your step. So can eco-friendly purses and backpacks in hues of pinks, greens, or yellows.

Declutter Before You Depart

Before you leave town, give your house a fresh sense of renewal by cleaning the clutter out of closets and garages. Go through what you find. Contact Goodwill or your local shelter and give away any old clothes, dishes, or furniture that have seen better days. Have an upcycle party and invite friends to trade their old stuff. One green traveler’s trash is another green traveler’s treasure – and if money is tight, trading items is a thrifty way to save your green.

Before You Leave, Clean

I like to tidy up before I leave town. There’s nothing more annoying to me than coming back to a dirty house, so before I leave I make sure that counters are scrubbed and bedsheets are changed. Ditch the toxic house cleaning products as well! Instead of glass cleaner or disinfectant, use vinegar. Instead of toxic scrubbing powders, use baking soda.

Spring Showers

Not only does spring bring color and renewal – it also brings the rain. If you’re hitting the road, protect yourself from blustery days and surprise showers with cute, non-toxic raingear. This umbrella is made of recycled steel and aluminum and has a bamboo handle.

Spring Friendly Travel Apps

If you need to track the ever-changing weather, check out The Weather Channel’s app – perfect for road travel. Going to be on the road? Try Roadninja – a travel app that lets you know what’s coming up off the next highway exit. You can look up exits from anywhere on the road and it’s handy if you need to find a potty or a vegetarian restaurant in a hurry.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By notamaiar

The overlap between the eco-friendly population and the queer community just got a little cozier. Certain green and gay associations are getting ready for Earth Gay, the LGBT version of earth day. It’s a celebration of all things gay and green, and it’s the brainchild of Out For Sustainability, a Seattle-based LGBTQ organization that is all about the many ways to combine being gay with being green.

Last year’s Seattle-based Earth Gay was a huge success, with support from Seattle’s mayor and representatives from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and other groups. Out for Sustainability is planning another Earth Gay later this year on April 22 in Seattle .

But that’s almost a month away. If you don’t want to wait to celebrate the perfect marriage of the green community with gay culture (or don’t want to get on a plane to Seattle), start your own celebration of all things gay and green with these eco-friendly tips.

Get Friends for a Small Celebration

Gather a bunch of your favorite gay friends together and go on a beach cleanup or have a recycling party. Bring used clothes or small items and swap them. Make it an UpCycle party! If you’re having a small get together, make sure there are appropriate bins for recycling. When preparing for your small eco-friendly hangout, have organic munchies on hand.

Get the Community Together for a Big Celebration

If a small get together just isn’t enough to contain the green/gay fun, consider getting your community involved for a full-scale celebration of being gay and green. Contact the local Pride center or other LGBT organizations and advertise through them. Consider having awareness workshops.

You Are the 55%

According to a much-cited poll by Harris Interactive, 55% of LGBT adults stated they cared deeply about green issues as compared to 33% of straight adults. Are you one of the 55%? Spread the word through local newspapers or market your green/gay event on Facebook or Twitter. Seek out like-minded eco-maniacs to help you foster a sense of queer, green community. After all, both movements have a lot in common, from a sense of local responsibility to the fact that both the green movement and the LGBT movement for equal rights are slowly becoming more and more mainstream.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By kenschneiderusa

You don’t have to be Irish to experience the luck that going green can bring. (There’s our one “green” joke. We’re done now, we promise.) There are many ways to be eco-friendly on Saint Patty’s Day.

The History of Green Rivers: Are Dyes Safe?

Ever since 1962, it’s been a tradition in some cities to dye the river waters green in celebration. This tradition started in Chicago and at first, city officials dyed the waters of the Charles River green with oil-based dye – not very environmentally friendly. The good news is that most cities that want to create green rivers do so with environmentally friendly or plant-based dyes. While there still exists some concern about the dyed water, most cities claim the dye is safe.

Make Your Own Shamrocks

Americans spend over an estimated 4 billion dollars on Saint Patrick’s Day. That’s a lot of plastic shamrocks. If you want to make your own decorations, settle in with a stack of green construction paper, scissors, and glue. Let the kids help out as well – they’ll love it.

Clothes

According to the American Retail Federation, about 86% of us will wear green to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. But beware! All green items are not created equal, nor are they lucky for the environment. Check out these cute and eco-friendly items like this organic tee shirt  or simply wear something green that’s already in your closet. Everyone has a random green hat, scarf, or funky pair of socks tucked away somewhere. If you’ve got the money, buy organic clothing; if not, have fun with something old-made-new or hit a thrift store to hunt up some cute upcycled green duds.

Food

For some of us, nothing represents Saint Patrick’s Day more than a heaping platter of corned beef and cabbage. Others, however, may not be all about the meat. There are some fantastic, Irish-themed vegan or vegetarian friendly recipes out there. One of my all time favorites is a veggie-heavy, meat-free version of a sheppard’s pie, which can be made with either beans or tofu in place of lamb.

Beer

Drink organic or local brews to really make your Saint Patrick’s Day truly green. Of course, remember to recycle the beer or wine bottles. Want to dye your booze green? Make sure to use an organic food dye.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By tibbygirl

Each March since 1978, America has celebrated the diverse accomplishments of women. These three women have been agents of change in the environmental landscape. Our three Women’s History Month heroes are Laurie David, the American producer of award-winning documentaries, Frances Beinecke, the president and one-time executive director of the National Resources Defense Council, and Dame Jane Goodall, world-famous subject of the film Gorillas in the Mist.

Laurie David

An American producer, writer, and activist, Laurie David‘s passion has brought global warming into the public eye. Called the “Bono of climate change” by Vanity Fair, David has made numerous appearances on Oprah and was a three-time guest editor of Elle Magazine. David has been the recipient of several awards, including the Audubon Society’s Rachel Carson Award, and the U.S. EPA Climate Protection Award. Not only is she a trustee of the National Resources Defense Council, she has produced numerous shows that deal with global warming awareness, including the Academy Award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and HBO’s documentary Too Hot to Handle. David is also the author of several books, including the bestselling Stop Global Warming: The Solution is You!, and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

Frances Beinecke

Beinecke became president of the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 2006 and is also active on the boards of the World Resources Institute and the Energy Future Coalition, to name a few. She is the co-author of the book Clean Energy Common Sense: An American Call to Action. Her history with the NRDC is long and varied; for almost a decade, she served as the executive director. Under her leadership, the organization saw a dramatic increase in both membership and staff. With Beinecke at the helm, the NRDC focuses on everything from the future of energy to protecting endangered places.

Jane Goodall

Played by actress Sigourney Weaver in 1986’s Gorillas in the Mist, British anthropologist Dame Jane Goodall is considered to be the world’s expert on chimpanzees and is best known for her four-decade-long study of their social and family patterns. She is the author of books such as 40 Years at Gombe and Through a Window. She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Medill DC