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5 Maine Hikes To Do With Your Dog(s)
If you’re like me, you might have adopted a dog with the expectation of hiking together. And…if you’re like me, maybe you adopted a second dog shortly after and was overwhelmed by the prospect of hiking solo with two dogs. In this blog post I’m going to share my experience, tips, and top 5 hikes in Maine you and your furry hiking buddy can do together. Prepping For The Hike Are Dogs Allowed Where You’re Going? Dogs can be a great hiking companion but there are some considerations to make before you hit the trail. Always confirm that dogs are allowed. Some places, like bird sanctuaries or preserves, don’t allow…
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What You Need To Know About “Natural” Products
What Are “Natural” Products To get right to the point, no one really knows. And that’s because there’s no regulatory definition for what “natural” is, which also means there’s no certification process or standardization for products claiming to be natural. Compare this with organic products, which must meet a certain set of criteria in order to receive USDA certification. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the agency responsible for “ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.” And while there are still tens of…
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Let’s Talk About: Feeding Wildlife
I think we all have an innate connection with wildlife. Whether you’re a city slicker who visits the zoo, an avid sportsman who hunts and fishes to feed your family, or you’re like me and you’re somewhere in between, we all have a desire to see our wild counterparts. Many people feed wildlife in some capacity as a way to engage with nature. But is feeding wildlife an ethical thing to do? In this blog post I’m going to explore the various components of this question in regards to the individual or household. Government agencies at both the state and federal level may engage in feeding wildlife for certain population…
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What I Wear For Field Work
Last post I talked about how to get an environmental job, now I’m going to give my top clothing recommendations for field work! As a woman in a male dominated industry, it can be hard to find clothing for field work that is actually durable and functional. Nothing in this post is sponsored or commissioned, just tried and trusted items I’ve used for my own field work. Shirts/Tops To be fair, I haven’t purchased a field work top in a few years, so I don’t have a link for this first item. I found my favorite dry fit, long sleeve, neon quarter zip at Walmart and haven’t seen another like…
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My 3 Go-To Unintentionally Vegan Meals
I follow an intuitive eating approach to fueling my body and don’t abide by any food rules. This means, I’m not vegan. But a vegan diet is a choice people make for a variety of reasons, with the most common being for ethical and environmental reasons. If you’re like me and don’t adhere to a strict diet, but are looking to incorporate tasty and effortlessly vegan meals to your rotation, then try my three go-to unintentionally vegan meals! Breakfast Inspired by one of my favorite food bloggers and Food Network hosts, this vegan breakfast is an adaptation of a Pioneer Woman recipe. Apples and Peanut Butter on Toast sprinkled with…
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6 Eco-Friendly Winter Activities
Winter is arguably my favorite season because there are so many ways to get outside and enjoy nature, without dealing with bugs, heat, and humidity. In this blog post I’ll go over six different eco-friendly winter activities for you to try this season. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that I’m not just all about sustainability when it comes to the environment, but also when it comes to finances! Being in a debt free journey myself, I’m always looking for ways to have fun and adventure at a low cost, while also being environmentally friendly. I evaluate these activities based on three criteria: Cost, Accessibility, and…
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Let’s Talk About: Volunteering
Welcome back to another “Let’s Talk About” series post, where I dive a little deeper into topics and provide supporting research. Today’s topic is all about volunteering, its benefits, and my experience. Storytime: My History With Volunteering I first began volunteering in college. Midway through my second year, I discovered that I could graduate an entire year early, and as exciting as that was, it was also a terrifying reality check. I was coming to the realization that my classwork alone wouldn’t differentiate me enough as a job applicant, and with only one and a half years of school left, I needed to get more experience, and fast. I already…
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10 Small Sustainable Swaps for 2021
I’m not big on new year’s resolutions. Don’t get me wrong, I love goal setting, and have vision boards and lists galore. But I prefer to tackle things in smaller increments whether that be scale or time frame for what I’m trying to accomplish. So I’ve decided to share my top 10 small yet attainable, sustainable swaps I’ll be continuing or adding in 2021. Reusable produce bags (continued) I started using reusable produce bags in 2019 after buying some on amazon. They worked pretty well but I had misplaced most of them and recently rediscovered my bags last month. It’s so fun to whip out my reusable produce bags at…
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Let’s Talk About: Leaving the Leaves
What’s all the fuss about? A beautiful yard full of luscious green grass with a white picket fence is often included in the description of the American Dream, a little piece of land to call your own. And to many, having a meticulously manicured lawn is still important to them. Personally, I can never figure out how to mow in a way that creates the baseball field patterns, and our grass grows so fast that at peak times, mowing it twice a week is a challenge enough. It boggles my grandmother’s mind that I don’t bag my grass clippings. And how many times have I heard other’s lament on a…
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California: Let It Burn?
As we all know, social media is both a blessing and a curse. One of the negatives of social media has been the propagation of misinformation and catchy sayings or infographics that just don’t hold any truth. The biggest one of these has been regarding the wild fires of 2020, specifically of those in California and the Western United States. I’ve seen tweets comparing 2019 wildfire statistics to those of 2020, and posts like “I don’t need a time machine to see climate change, all I have to do is look outside my window,” set to scenes of red smoky skies. As you can imagine, these and other similar posts…
