Philadelphia

We hear you: readers, friends and acquaintances have said one of their goals for 2010 is to do (more?) volunteer work… UC Green - non profit organization that plants and maintains trees- is an excellent organization to get involved in! At the end of November UC Green held their annual community tree-planting event - they planted one hundred and fifty bare root trees in several blocks throughout West Philadelphia. Close to three hundred volunteers chipped in. Another event, the New Year Limb-Up,

Arcadia Boutique is every fashionable green girl's heaven (aka mine). Selling anything from fashionable dresses and tops, jeans, shoes/boots, bags, belts, accessories, vintage, gifts and much more - You'll definitely find something for your wardrobe. Arcadia offers a variety of sustainable finds from designers around Philadelphia and beyond. Want to 'green' the men or babies in your life?

Hungry for some local & fresh produce? Good news - The Piazza at Schmidt’s has an annual Saturday afternoon Farmers Market! The Piazza Farmer’s Market imports local farmers to Northern Liberties to showcase the best local produce, meats, poultry and dairy products available in the city of Philadelphia. Kicking off last Saturday the Piazza Farmer’s Market has

Introducing : Philadelphia Recycling Rewards Last week, Mayor Michael Nutter announced the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program that will be citywide by July 2010. Philadelphia Recycling Rewards is a partnership between the Streets Department & RecycleBank that allows residents to earn points for discounts, full-value gift cards or charitable contributions at participating merchants and non-profits. Previous RecycleBank's partnerships have proven to increase recycling efforts & aid the local economy. According to Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski, this program is Philly's biggest Greenworks initiative to date in helping the City become the Greenest City in America. Philadelphia is now the largest City in the US to reward residents for recycling efforts. The program is anticipated to bring the City’s recycling diversion rate- the amount of recyclable materials that are diverted away from landfills—to record levels. $$ talks - Every ton of waste diverted from landfills saves the city about $65. City residents will be notified when Philadelphia Recycling Rewards will launch:

Every day we're exposed to tons of chemicals - whether in our food, in products we're using, and putting in OR on our bodies. Gross to think about, right? Luckily, you don't have to worry about your nails being toxic - A green innovation has landed right in Philadelphia! Tierra Mia Organic Nail Spa is the nation’s first truly organic nail spa located at 328 South 17th street in Rittenhouse. Reinventing the traditional nail experience, Tierra Mia Organic Nail Spa is

Interested in perusing a different and playful fashion display? Philadelphia's Moore College of Art & Design is currently displaying their Jumpstart Fashion Exhibit, selected pieces from their 14th annual Runway Show that ran at the end of September. Moore partnered with Penn's Veterinary School for the 'Fashion Faux Paw' theme to be creative and keep our four-legged friends out of our attire. Junior & senior students used recycled & reused "lying around unused" materials such as toothpicks, nails, sponges, bobby pins, Brillo pads, dusters, mops, plastic bags and cotton balls to create an intriguing collection of vests, skirts, leg warmers, and more. Another cool aspect of this exhibit is

To me few things taste better than a fresh summer peach or a crisp fall apple. I love buying seasonal produce because I know I’m getting the best quality, and here in Philadelphia most grocers offer locally grown produce. While shopping for fruits and veggies do you ever feel unsure of what to buy during certain times of the year? Here’s a quick guide to what fruits and vegetables are in top form each season:

The Big Green Earth Store, located at 934 South St. is perfect for your green needs. They offer everything from recycled handbags to cool eco-shirts like this very timely "Stop Animal Abuse" shirt - plus a selection of of reusable water bottles, eco-friendly pet care products, and many other fun and practical green items.

I officially live in the coolest neighborhood in Philly. Northern Liberties (so hot right now!) is featured in National Geographic Traveler. What's cooler (and GPB-approp) is the number of green 'sites' on the interactive map such as: