Easy Actions You Can Do To Tend Our Planet

"What can one person do?"

An environmental question for the ages. If you find yourself asking these same questions, here's a compilation I created from the visuals I found on 1 Million Women's Facebook page. Just as titled, they are "10 easy actions you can do to look after the planet this week." Click through to see all the slides.

Easy to do, and necessary to share. 

As you are going into the week ahead, which of the 10 can you do? 

1. Be a flexitarian 
2. Rethink your modes of transportation
3. Chill out your laundry
4. Go LED
5. Take action with your local/national leaders
6. Shop & use less
7. Eat why you buy--fridge-wise
8. Push away plastic
9. Eco-invest when it comes to your banking
10. Come up with your own solutions and share!

10 Easy Actions You Can Do to Look After the Planet this Week by Vicki Dabrowka--Slideshow created on Canva.com using the visual slides created using the social media visuals from the“1 Million Women” Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1MillionWomen/posts/pfbid01T91VUhM715k5WQswHhVHJ7XawfKgSoUdeUZCiJiSXVjEuokxD1G2MEZwApiBfu1l

Sunday Drive

Last week I went for a Sunday drive. Well, actually, it was a solo bike ride on a beautiful day.

But much like that old image of the Sunday drive to nowhere that I remember my granddad or mom telling me about, it had the same feel. Actually, it also is reminiscent of some of my solo ventures in my Mom's car after getting my driver's license. Just being out in the world, with no where to go, just seeing the sights. Time was a non-entity!

As I was meandering down neighborhoods I'd not ever been to on my 11 mile bike ride, I was reminded of simpler days. Days of my childhood. A time before bike helmets, when the wind whipped through my hair. When I had free reign to bike all over the place to go to my friends' houses. I can see in my mind's eye the stack of bikes that landed in my friends' yards as we ran all around the neighborhoods, jaunting down secret sidewalks, prancing in the sprinkler, or going inside for popsicles and air-conditioning. A time when we were all "unplugged."

It has an overwhelming body-feeling of both summertime and "freedom."

Sadly my kids don't have that kind of neighborhood to freely ride about in. We're a small 2 street neighborhood that backs into some crowded roads. As they're older, they can navigate this better, or we just throw the bikes in the truck and go to a park with trails and that satisfies the biking bill well. But the freedom isn't the same.

But, I guess the times aren't the same either. Which is both good and bad... and definitely worth pondering on a bike ride.

Speaking of which, the wind is blowing through my hair as I write this outside on a gorgeous day. I think I hear my bike calling me. I think that means it's time to close my computer and head for a Sunday drive, here on a Saturday!


Images from https://www.caranddriver.com/features/columns/a31817529/with-no-particular-place-to-go/ and Kennedy quote created at Canva.com

Trailforks: Making It Easy to Trailblaze

In the attempt to unplug and get more hours out in the great outdoors, hiking and biking are two great ways to go about that. State or National Parks make sense for that, but sometimes you just want a little something closer to home. With that though, sometimes you don't know where to begin that quest. Trailforks makes it easy!

Trailforks is a trail management system that ties with its own app to help you find where to go and what level of difficulty the trail holds. It's crowd-sourced with the help of GPS to create a common community. This means that users can update the information to help you know about the condition and other user-data that may be helpful. It gives recommended rides, notes the popularity of the trail, and reviews. You can also check out trail-specific photos and videos other people have uploaded to the database. You can also use GPS to map your trail while traversing on it. Not only does it accommodate the hikers or bikers out there, but it provides information for skiers, snowshoe'ers, snowmobile'ers, ATV'ers, horseback riders, dirt bikers, and electric bikers too.

Makes you want to go forth and plan some outdoor adventures!



Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNPkKe3U6I4; logo from https://www.trailforks.com

Unseasonably Warm

I'm writing this outside* in 65° weather, wearing only capri yoga pants and a long sleeve t-shirt. Did I mention it's mid-January? I've just returned from an hour-long bike ride in the county park, making it 2 bike rides in 2 days. Sitting back, I take a minute to bask in the warmth of the sun on my face. This is my ideal weather, it's just odd given we had a late start day due to snow just 4 days ago. Plus it's January.

As much as I love the outdoor activities this weekend and the major dose of Vitamin D to go with that Vitamin N (Nature), it's disconcerting weather for January. A Google search of "unseasonably warm weather January" brought up a bounty of news articles discussing the weather for the weekend of January 10--12 from Boston to Cleveland to NYC to DC. In fact, according to AccuWeather, record highs were likely to happen in over 100 locations in the eastern US. Yet, strikingly, Texas got snow this same weekend.

Blips on the radar screens happen all the time, as do fronts coming in and out. But with wildfires in Australia, and earthquakes strike the already hurricane-damaged Puerto Rico, It feels like reason #7,542 as to why the climate deniers need to sit up and start paying attention to science!! It feels like it's all screaming climate change. Insert eco-rant here!!

So what's a girl supposed to do when it seems like the signs are all around??

For now, what I think I need to do is take a deep breath, before climate panic sets in! I'm going to pause. I'm going to go enjoy the day and take advantage of the gift of the unseasonably warm weather. Along the way, I'm going to embrace some climate optimism. I'm going to start here:

• From Eco-Business.com: "Got Eco Anxiety? Here Are 10 Reasons for Climate Optimism" by Robin Hicks (12-9-2019)
• Climate Reality Project's ""The 5 Stages of Climate Optimism" (1-4-2019)
• GTG's "Climate Optimism" (10-2-2019)

*It was Sunday, June 12th, 2020 when I was wrote this post.


Images from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezAZ5WVAOyI and my camera.

A Golden Experience, Biking the Bridge

We've just returned from a whirlwind trip to California. We packed about as much into a week as we possibly could in the Silicon Valley area, including San Francisco area & a hop over to Napa. When your days are numbered, your days are full! During our week (because this summer I am counting), we spent at least 52 hours outdoors. Odds are high, we spent at least that same amount of time engaged in techie activities as well. Given all of that, you can imagine the number of blog posts waiting to be written!

One of our highlights of the trip was our day of greatest outdoor adventure: we rented bikes and pedaled 14.6 miles in San Francisco. Not bad for a girl with bad knees who hasn't been on a bike in over 2 years. Remarkably, the bike was far kinder to the knees than all our walking had been! (Many a day we cranked out over 15,000 steps...one day totaling over 20,000 with the hills of San Francisco!)

Our sights that we saw: Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Angel Island (the West Coast Immigration entry point from 1910–1940), Crissy Field, The Presidio, and Fort Point (at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge). We then biked across the Golden Gate Bridge (despite the huge number of bikers and pedestrians that were often in the way)! I'm still a little in awe as I write it again here. It was a pretty amazing adventure indeed.

Not only was it so good to be outside all day (oh my, the weather was perfect!)... but the wealth of sights that we saw and the ground that we covered in the city. It was remarkable watching the fog roll in—especially while we were on the bridge. It would go from clear to foggy and back again. At one point it was almost like a white curtain wall came down next to the fence, blocking our sight of the water of San Francisco Bay! The same fog made the towers ahead of us on the bridge completely disappear for 7 minutes or so.

After crossing the bridge, we then trekked down to Sausalito for lunch, ducked into a shop or two, and took the ferry back across the Bay--with Alcatraz on one side of us and Angel Island on the other. (After the bit of a bike ride back to the bike rental shop--which of course was just over that one last hill-- an Über ride back to the hotel and a nap were both well-placed!)

Prone to being a thinker anyway, I spent a lot of time in mental meanderings during the ride and given the view. A large goal of my trip (which is why it started in Silicon Valley) was to be in the innovation center. The bridge was known as an engineering feat when it was created--the longest bridge span at the time. Likewise, I was struck by the innovative history of the cable cars, historic streetcars, and electric trolleys. Fast forward to their Muni metro system, their electric buses, and even our Über. The dichotomy of all was something I found fascinating. Naturally, San Francisco is a city ripe with history as well as known for its forward thinking. All of it adding richness to my whole experience!

To learn more on the history of each of these, check out the following links:

• History of the Design & Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge
• 5 Minute "Explore Engineering" Video: Golden Gate Bridge - Engineering Marvel
• Golden Gate Teacher & Student Resources:
• Kindergarten to 5th Grade
• 6th Through 8th Grades
• High School & College
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Via National Park Foundation)
• Golden Gate Going Green (environmentally speaking)
• Muni History
• Cable Cars
• Historic Streetcars
• Electric Trolley Buses
• Muni Metro & Light Rail

Images: from my camera, compiled in the LiPix app. Map from Map My Run app.

GTG Summer Quest 2013

Anyone who has been following along for a few years knows that I am a big fan of Maryland Park Quest. I have written about it several times in the past.

(In fact, to do any tripping down the GTG memory lane, click here for past Park Quest posts.)

With the annual motto being "Where a family becomes a team," Park Quest promotes fun-filled outdoor adventure--a concept that is great in our over-teched world. It is a great way to keep "No Child Left Inside." Richard Louv would love it!!


This year is our family's 4th year of taking part in Maryland Park Quests. Of the 24 annual quests of the 24 participating Maryland State Parks, every year prior to this, we have met the 10 park minimum to take part in the "Park Quest Rendezvous," typically at the end of September. This year stands out in a notable way that has been quite different than previous years: this year, in a way, we failed miserably. This year, we completed only 2 of the minimum 10.

But even while I say that we failed, I've gotta say, I don't truly believe it. Yes, we only participated in/ completed 2 quests this year. Rain got in the way of a few, canceling out plans. But I think the real reason we fell short was BECAUSE of all our "a family becomes a team" adventures that fell outside of our Park Quest passport:

• Our daughter graduated from 5th grade which brought about festivities, fêtes, and out-of-town family.

• We replaced our defunct and rusted backyard pool with a bright shiny new one, and we spent time near-daily out there, splashing about.

• We bought bikes this summer and went romping about a number of places.

• We read boatloads of "Magic Treehouse" books with our 2nd grader, and even more books by ourselves, yet together.

• We camped with friends at the start of the summer and had a number of backyard bonfires at home.

• We had multiple day trips with old friends we haven't seen since last summer, and even more good old-fashioned chatty phone calls with other long time pals.

• My 6th grader and I spent a week working through Jeff Kinney's online writing camp over at Boomwriter.com.

• My kids and I drove 13 hours to IL to visit my original homeland and far-away family.

• We had our own family vacation which landed us on the beach in Atlantic City...then later found us on hiking trails, biking routes, swimming holes, and the back yard of a team of 18 sled dogs in Massachusetts. Essentially, during that week, we created our own virtual "Massachusetts Park Quest."

• We wrapped up the summer in St. Mary's City, at water's edge--romping through the 4th oldest English settlement (seeing archaeology at work) and kayaking in the Patuxent River.

These were just the biggies.  (Not to mention, the puppy!)

So although we may not have triumphed in the Maryland Park Quest arena, I think we had a pretty full and adventurous summer. In looking at the overall end goal (= to turn our family into a team), I think we accomplished our mission. Yes, sometimes we hit some bumps along the way (sometimes multiple bumps in the same day)... but that's all part of the adventure too.

So while we may wind up missing the fun, culminating extravaganza at the wrap up PQ Rendezvous (which I whole-heartedly support and love), this year, I have to say that we are going forward richer based on our summer experiences. We may not have completed Maryland's Park Quest, but I do believe we successfully completed our own "Dabrowka 2013 Summer Quest" after all.

Pictures from our summer family adventures.

Great Day For an Eco Fair

This past weekend I went to an Eco Fair at Bodkin Elementary School in my hometown.  Kids, parents, teachers, vendors, musicians, and community members all gathered together for a fun day o'green.

The goal:  to raise environmental awareness at this Maryland Green School since 2007.

Here are just a few of the folks who were there:  Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Anne Arundel County Recycling, Eagle Cove School, the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards, and some community business.  There were crafts, raffles, yummy stuff, music, and more.

One of my favorite highlights:  my son working up a sweat on the "Smoothie Bicycle."  His muscle power is what blended the ice, banana, and strawberries! A neat treat indeed!!

Pictures from my camera from Bodkin's Eco Fair.

Saving the Earth: One Step at a Time

On the flip side of a full week, the FIRST week of school, I've got that deep kind of tired that seems only applicable to teachers on the tail end of their first full week of school.  Given that, an infographic seemed to be just what the doctor ordered on a Friday night.  This is a great one to help yourself darken your own shade of green!



Infographic from http://www.neontommy.com/news/2011/04/make-earth-day-everyday

Nat'l Bike Month * Bike to Work Week * Bike to Work Day

May is National Bike Safety Month...so it makes sense that it'd be Nat'l Bike Month.  Closer to the here and now, this week is Bike to Work Week, with Friday being the big official Bike to Work Day.  Now, given that I take a laptop, 3 children, and multiple bags of "stuff" (whether it's papers to grade, a bin of a hundred or so Capri Suns I've washed, or my compost and the occasional lacrosse stick), I'm not a real stellar example of practicing what I preach.  But, on days of glorious weather, our science teacher and our art teacher have been seen en route to school on their bikes!  It's a great way to not only soak in the beauty that surrounds you, but also get good exercise and lower your carbon footprint.  See what you can do this Bike Month!

To learn more about Bike Month and Bike to Work, click the link above or go to http://www.bikeleague.org/ (where you'll also find the logo'ed-image above).  Be sure to scroll down to the bottom right hand orange "Education" corner to the link labeled "Watch our Education Videos."

For a listing on bike safety for kids, go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) site:    http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/kidsandbikesafetyweb/index.htm.

You can also appreciate the whole "bike" theme in a stationary position by checking out the list of " bike" books at The BOOKS Program ("Books Open Opportunities for Kids to Succeed), a partnership program with Senator Libous and the Morrisville State College in New York  at http://www.booksprogram.com/themes/index.htm.