Wrapping it up

I need ideas of "green" wrapping paper for the holidays!!! I refuse to recycle bags of wrapping paper once again come December 26th.

Nathan and Kathryn recently wrapped a present in blueprints, which was fun, but most of have limited access to them. I have definitely thought about newspaper, of course, but we don't get the paper delivered anymore (just read online), and I really hate the look. What kinds of things can be used that are charming, and dare I say, pretty, as well?

Ideas...ideas?

Heritage Turkeys

This Thanksgiving we decided to buy heritage turkeys--"old" breeds of turkeys that are being raised. The Slow Food movement has gotten behind this trend as a way to "save" these breeds of turkeys. A few different local stores offered this choice (albeit high-end food boutiques and butchers), but I was pleased to see it as prevalent as it was.
So for the real question--how did it taste? DELICIOUS. Not at all gamey, much more dark meat than usual because these turkeys aren't bred to have abnormally huge breasts, like the widespread, commercially available ones are. (Don't think that I didn't pause to make a joke here, but decided to keep to the high ground...) The meat was moist, very flavorful, and a huge success. It will be what I will be purchasing for years to come.

Locavore is the word of the year

Oxford American Dictionary just announced the winner of its Word of the Year competition, and it's locavore! The word describing the act of cooking with local, fresh, and seasonal ingredients narrowly beat out contenders such as tase (to stun with a taser), colony collapse disorder, and the recently redefined "cougar."

Mangrove Tree Planting

The Planting

On the 27th October 2007, 51 members and 5 teacher advisors of the Sung Siew Secondary School Nature Lovers Club, Scouts and Green or Been went to the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary for a mangrove trees replanting project. The team had planted 500 young trees successfully and this broke the Labuk Bay Proboscis Money Sanctuary’s record.

Many mangrove forests which are not protected were destroyed for development purposes. The proboscis monkeys will lose their habitat if the deforestation of mangrove trees continues without control. Thus, we hope the public will have the initiative to conserve the nature by participating in these kinds of meaningful activities.

They went to the replanting site and started with the clearing of ferns at mangrove forest followed by replanting project. All members were very co-operative when planting the 500 young mangrove trees and all had a great time and experiences.

Awareness among students should be raised so that the young generations will learn how to conserve nature in their early ages for a better tomorrow.

About Proboscis Monkey

Proboscis monkeys have large prominent noses. They have large, extended bellies, giving them the appearance of being permanently pregnant. The color of upper bodies of the monkeys are generally in pale grayish-yellow to reddish brown. The fur on their upper back tends to be darker while the lower section of their body re paler. Adult males have much larger nose than the female, the monkeys’ nose will swell and turns red when the monkey is excited or angry. Proboscis monkeys are also known as the “Dutchman Monkey”. Locals thought the monkeys and Kalimantan’s farmer colonial rulers.