The Audubon Society conducts an annual bird count across the country. Tens of thousands of volunteers help collect data and assess the health of various bird populations. This year the 115th Christmas Bird Count will be taking place between December 14th and January 5th. To find out about a bird count near you, go to:
http://birds.audubon.org/get-involved-christmas-bird-count-find-count-near-you
Turning your thermostat down by just 1% can save you approximately 3% on your heating bill. If you lower it by 3%, you can save up to 10% – now that should help with all those Christmas presents you have to buy! And, if you are traveling for the holidays, be sure to unplug your appliances and electronic devises. Even when they are switched off, they still use “phantom” energy (which can account for up to 10% of your electric bill).
According to the EPA, about 40% of all battery sales occur during the holidays. Give rechargeable batteries with your electronic gifts and throw in a battery charger as well. Using rechargeable batteries reduces the amount of potentially harmful materials that often reach our watersheds and landfills. Consider giving naturally-powered toys like the wind-powered science kit from eartheasy.com, or dancing solar-powered flowers, bugs, birds…that you can find almost anywhere!
Cut down your own Christmas tree this year. Not only will you be getting the entire family out for some fresh air and exercise – you will also be supporting a local farmer vs. buying trees that have been shipped in from all over the country. We literally have dozens of tree farms in and around the Santa Cruz Mountains, just a short drive away from most of us. Many of them have picnic areas so you can enjoy a home-made brunch in the trees!
Support a local school by letting them pick up and recycle your trees after the holidays, most will do so for a small donation.
If you haven’t already switched all your indoor and outdoor Christmas lights to LEDs, you might want to do it this year. With electricity rates rising – they can save you money since they use up to 95% less energy than traditional bulbs and last 10-25 times longer! Pay attention to the length of the strings you are buying since 100-lights strings can vary from only 8’ to 100’. Also, put them on timers so you don’t leave them on overnight by mistake.
If, like most of us, you ended up cooking way more than you could eat – don’t forget that you can donate leftovers to a local food bank or safety net organization. If you have extra produce that is beyond its prime, make sure you compost it and add it to your garden – your cool-season crops will “give thanks” for that!
Being an avid gardener, born and raised in Indiana, I feel incredible blessed to live in sunny California & be able to grow my own food all year-round! I write a monthly garden column for the San Jose Mercury News & am constantly striving for tips & ideas on how to live a little more gently in regards to ourselves, our planet & each other – basically sustainability we can live with! As a fulltime realtor here in the Bay Area, I help my clients “Go Green” in & around their homes & communities.
January 12th, 2021
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