Articles Written by Julie Hancher

I pledged to go local for 40 days. When I came up with the idea, I didn't prepare nor think of how to execute the strategy. Confession: (Find out how I fared as a locavore after the jump!)

Today Sunday, April 22nd marks a very important day (besides my lovely sister-in-law & mother of my nephew Colleen's birthday): Earth Day! Earth Day started on April 22, 1970, was credited with launching the modern environmental movement, and passed the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act & Endangered Species Act. Take some time today to (find out more, after the jump!)

Earth Day is this Sunday (obviously.). Philadelphia had a city-wide cleanup effort this past weekend, but that doesn't mean you should wait for a city-wide initiative to volunteer. Instead of hosting a birthday or holiday party at home, organize a volunteer outing to a local park or community garden. Philadelphia has a lot of green space (and litter), so start with a community park or number of blocks. Read on!

Philadelphia hosted its 5th Annual Philly Spring Cleanup this past Saturday, April 14th from 9 AM - 2 PM.  Over 350 projects across the city encouraged citizens to volunteer to make our city a prettier place. The theme of the Cleanup is "Keep Up the Sweep Up", which emphasizes residents and organizations to sustain the effort towards a cleaner & brighter Philly year-round. Although we haven't received the exact stats from this past weekend yet, the past 4 cleanups have boasted 45,000 volunteers, collected over 5.8 MILLION pounds of trash - which is enough to fill Lincoln Financial Field up to 17.4 feet high. As we mentioned, we hosted a Philly Spring Cleanup Day site at 8th & Poplar this past weekend.  The fields are a host to many PSSC leagues, and many local residents use the fields for soccer games, taking kids & pets. At first glance, the fields didn't seem too bad. But when we started looking around, there was a lot of litter: (See more pics & stats from the day, after the jump!)

This past Tuesday, April 10th, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Mayor Michael Nutter & city officials signed an official agreement at the Fairmount Water Works that recognized Philadelphia's Green City Clean Waters Plan as an innovative approach to storm water management.  This is huge - basically, Philly's setting the standard as a national model for green infrastructure. Sooo what does this mean to me? Does it sound like spanish to you? It means this: Philly's #1 again! I'm quite excited to share

When I stop home at my parents house, I try to give them some hints of what they're not recycling (and should) as the self-appointed 'recycle police'.  But then I see it... No paper, but a lonely tube, surrounded by tissues. Good news: Paper tubes from paper towels, TP, tape, etc., can go into your Single Stream Recycling! No extra effort. Recycle on!  (And try to use dishtowels instead of paper...) ;-)

Besides the temps creeping up, another exciting season is upon us: Music festivals. Yet, with hundreds of people rocking out to everything from the biggest bands to indie acts, I get a little scared about how thousands of people make so much music... and love... and waste. Be not afraid, music-loving environmentalists. The Sweetlife Food & Music Festival is coming to

One of the biggest challenges in the corporate world is convincing leaders or owners to incorporate sustainability habits into the workplace.  For the eco-minded individual, it can be a headache.  Finding out my prior employer took the 'recycle bins' and emptied them into the garbage frustrated myself and a colleague beyond belief (which inspired the birth of this very blog you're reading...) Luckily, local college students are trying to change

Hope you had a chance to prepare for a sustainable Easter this weekend!  Here's what you missed this week on the green front, as well some Photo Friday fun below: