Through our search for understanding the process of recycling, we came across this company in Austin that recycles restaurant waste. Pretty awesome concept, right?? Especially, when you think about just how much useful material comes out of a restaurant.

Think of it like a cycle… the foods and products come into the restaurant, get consumed or used, then the waste that is left over; boxes, cans, broccoli heads, day-old foods, garnishes, get picked up and used to create more products or even to create produce that come back into the restaurant…

As we are learning, used materials are not used up at all and there is still some life in them!

The company is called Restaurant Recyclers. It is owned and was founded by a guy named Jimmy Mitchell. We got the opportunity to hang out with Jimmy and his business partner, Nathan to see how the whole operation works.

Here is how business rolls…

First, Jimmy makes contact with a client and evaluates the amount of waste that comes out.

Then, Jimmy will assign barrels to the business. He will have barrels for plastic, cardboard, metals, glass, and… oh, here is my favorite part… FOOD!!

Austin has a million restaurants. Well ok, I lie, but I do know that Austin is giving San Fran a run for 1^st place as the city with the most restaurants per capita.

With that many restaurants putting out waste, the only smart thing to do is to find ways to reduce that massive output!

Now, what does he do with all of that waste? The cardboard, plastics, glass, and metals go to Ecology Action (we’ll be writing about them later). EA is a local not for profit company that provides recycling drop offs in the city. 

What about the food? The food is taken back to his gardens. He has a few within Austin that he can take the food to, but his main site is a 5-acre garden in Spicewood, Texas.

The food waste is comprised of most foods but never meats or bones and preferably not dairy products, however egg whites and shells are ok. Even coffee grounds are encouraged to wind up in the ‘food’ barrels.

Now, this food’s eventual purpose is as compost for the gardens where Jimmy grows vegetables and fruits for other restaurants to use as produce.

Here’s the decomposition process, a tried and true method of windrows: Jimmy sets the food waste up in rows of mounds, then covers it up with a tarp to start decomposition. I was privileged to get a look at these rows. You can see the different levels the waste goes through. In some mounds I could make out different types of foods and in other mounds the process was complete and left behind was a uniform brown mulch. What became of the food was this beautiful composition of nutrients that looked like high grade dirt compost bought at a store. Hmm… forget buying fertilizer and dirt for your garden, use your leftovers!

Be surprised, but there was no smell! Now, I only got to see a smaller garden, so it may be possible that the huge lot in Spicewood stinks of rotting vegetables, but then maybe not.

So, that’s it. It’s very simple! The unused foods in restaurants like cabbage hearts, or carrot heads, or discarded limes and lemons, are thrown out into the barrels by an educated staff and are collected, instead of being thrown into landfills.  Then, Jimmy takes the waste and uses it to grow more veggies and fruits that eventually come back to your plate.

Jimmy currently works with over 30 businesses and he took us on a typical tour of his daily pick up. Restaurant recycling business is booming and Jimmy is having to upgrade more and more as bars and restaurants jump on the bandwagon to a more green and less wasteful way of running.

It’s baby steps. No one person or business can absolutely change over night. It is a matter of changing old habits and educating others.

It’s hard for some people to see the benefit of recycling. It’s costly, it’s obtrusive, and the process is pretty vague. So, why recycle? Why, as a business should you even remotely consider coming to the “green side”?

Well, it depends on how much you care about your reputation. Recycling and reusing are practices that are here to stay. It’s not a trend, it’s a new way of living and a new way of thinking and the best thing a business can do to keep its head above the competitive water is to be revolutionary.

Consumers, other companies, and the media, will notice the restaurants efforts and go there before any other consideration. Going green is a collective effort and society is naturally going that way.

Some of the restaurants that are currently part of this change are Opal Divine’s, Green Pastures, The Alamo Drafthouse, The Highball, Vespiao, Guero’s, Fonda San Miguel, and many others. I wish I could list them all but these are the only ones we could make it to that Saturday afternoon.

“From the Earth to the Table and back to the Earth” -Jimmy Mitchell

… 11/15/09

As ‘oxymoronic‘ as it seems, yes, vegetarians get to eat chili too.

It’s the 21st annual Lonestar Vegetarian Chili Cook-off.

Come out to the old Historic Travis County Farmer’s Market on Burnet Rd on Sunday the 15th. It’s right next to the new pub, The Pour House. There will be competition for the best veggie chili and the best booth. There will be exhibits, live entertainment, and giveaways.

Not only that, but the awesome 512 brewery will be out there supplying delicious beer who, just recently, celebrated their 1 year anniversary with a batch of an awesome Belgium strong ale that blew up in popularity in Austin.

This should be pretty fun. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We have a couple of friends who will be out there with their chili and we will definitely be there to eat their chili!

It’s $7 for adults and $3 for kiddos and goes on from 11:30am to 4pm.

Hope to see you out there!!

These are public records. Anyone can obtain a report like this one about their own water supply.

2009 1st quarter water report from The City of Austin.

I was having a conversation with a friend today and we were discussing the scary nature of our drinking water. I’ve heard of the supposed substances in the Austin water which comes from the Colorado River, but I’ve never actually read a full report.
Today I did.
Not only did I find what I thought was possibly present, but i also found Cadmium, E.Coli, Coliform, Mercury, Beryllium, Arsenic, Antimony, Aluminum other crazy stuff.
People argue that trace amounts will do no harm and actually build your immunity. I believe that to be a way to create calm among the people; to give the reassurance that so many are looking for.

A lot of this stuff is naturally occurring, but in large part the percentages are increased by human waste products being released into the water.

I have linked to the .pdf file for your viewing pleasure, so make sure you have Adobe Reader. Click on the link above.

If there is any element you are unaware of, please do a quick Wikipedia search. You will be very surprised just how dangerous they are.

In fact, take a sample of your water to your local water company and have them analyze it. They are required and you can get a report of all of the chemicals, bacterium, and radioactive elements in your water.

Also, you can read a little more about recent studies done on tap water.

www.envrioblog.com

www.trendsupdates.com

Here is the really scary thing… You can’t escape it! You will find the same materials in bottled water. The EPA has set a national standard for bottlers to meet the maximum requirements of the percentages of certain elements. So, most bottled water is nothing more than tap water.

Actually, thanks to Pen and Teller, I learned this a few years ago.

You can watch the video here:

Search about your own water. What is the source of your drinking water? What recent news is there about your drinking water? What’s in your water?

Looking for ways to save energy in your home and get a little workout at the same time?  I give you the Pedal-A-Watt Stationary Bike Power Generator.  According to this company’s website, this little gadget hooks up to your existing bike and as you begin to pedal, it can either power a device or store energy in a battery to be used later.  You can also use it with whatever type of bike you own – either street bikes or mountain bikes will work – and it doesn’t have to stay permanently hooked up.  You can remove the bike at any time and take it out on the road or trail.  The website claims that the average pedaler will create between 125 – 200 watts of energy and here is the list of Power Consumption of Typical Appliances from the EcoConvergence website:

Small TV                             100 watts
Large TV                             200 watts
Laptop PC                             10 watts
Desktop PC                           75 watts
Stereo                                    20 watts
Charging a cellphone            5 watts
Hi Effic Desk lamp                15 watts

Even though you will only be able to create enough energy to power small objects (unless you are really hardcore!) it’s nice to know that all this energy is clean energy and that there will have been no pollution created in the process.  For a lot more information and a good FAQs page, check out the website and see what you think!

Convergence Tech, Inc.

Yesterday I wrote a post regarding the efforts of 350.org, a group dedicated to promoting awareness of the climate change that is occurring globally as a result of carbon emissions exceeding 350 parts per million.

The International Day of Climate Action is intended as a grassroots movement to bring awareness to this issue because there is a big conference in Copenhagen in December.  The has been talk that the participants will consider setting the accepted limit at 450 parts per million rather than trying to contain the damage that has already been done.

Austin is part of this movement – how could it not be? – and the local group, austin350.org, is planning their event for October 24.  According to their website, the austin350 members will be participating in an “unconference” on sustainability.  Location is yet to be announced.  The week before the International Day of Climate Action, they are asking for people to participate in some form of alternative transportation at least once.

So take a moment and see what you can do to be involved!

And just because I like the videos…

“If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm, but likely less than that.” ~ James Hansen

I came across this in my internet perusing and I don’t think I can really summarize it in a way that does it justice, so instead I am going to post the opening letter directly from 350.org and encourage you to visit their website.

Dear World—This is an invitation to build a movement—to take one day and use it to stop the climate crisis.

We are a group of people from around the planet—young and old, scientists and writers and activists—who have one thing in common. We know the most important number on earth: 350. And we know how to use that number to finally get global action on the worst crisis humans have ever faced. But we can only do it if you help.

A year ago, our greatest climatologist—NASA’s James Hansen—and his team produced a landmark series of studies. They showed that if we let the amount of carbon in the atmosphere top 350 parts per million, we can’t have a planet “similar to the one on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted.”

The bad news is we’re already past that number—we’re at 390 parts per million, which is why the Arctic is melting, why drought is spreading across the planet, why people are already dying from diseases like dengue fever and malaria occurring in places where they’ve never been seen before.

The good news: that number gives us a target to aim for. When the world’s leaders meet in Copenhagen in December to reach agreement on a new climate treaty, we need them to go farther than they’ve planned to go: we need to make sure they’ll pay attention to the latest science and put forward a plan that gets us back to safety.

So here’s the plan. On October 24, we need you to organize an action in the place where you live, something that will make that most important number visible to everyone. People in more than 1000 communities around the globe have already announced plans—they’ll be school children planting 350 trees in Bangledesh, scientists hanging banners saying 350 on the statues on Easter Island, 350 scuba divers diving underwater at the Great Barrier Reef, and a thousand more creative actions like these. At each event, people will gather for a big group photo that somehow depicts 350–and upload that photo to the web 350.org. As actions take place around the world, we’ll link all the pictures together electronically via the web–by the end of the day, we’ll have a powerful visual petition linking together the entire planet that we can deliver to the media and world leaders.

So far more than 100 nations are taking part—it’s shaping up to be to be the biggest day of grassroots action on global warming ever. But we need it to be much larger—we need you, in your village or town or city, to take part. It’s not hard—we can help you with materials and ideas. But you need to take the first step, by registering an action and starting to let your friends and neighbors know about it.

Involve groups that you’re in—everything from your church, mosque or synagogue to your local bicycle group. People want to help, especially if they see the chance for something that might actually matter. This is even more important than changing your lightbulb—this is your chance to help change the way the whole world operates. October 24 comes six weeks before those crucial UN meetings in Copenhagen. It’s a great chance to take a stand—maybe the last great chance, given what the scientists tell us about the momentum of global warming.

But it can only happen with the help of a global movement—and it’s starting to bubble up everywhere. Farmers in Cameroon, students in China, even World Cup skiers have already helped spread the word about 350. Churches have rung their bells 350 times; Buddhist monks have formed a huge 350 with their bodies against the backdrop of Himalayas. 350 translates across every boundary of language and culture. It’s clear and direct, cutting through the static and laying down a firm scientific line.

This is like a final exam for human beings. Can we muster the courage, the commitment, and the creativity to set this earth on a steady course before it’s too late? October 24 will be the joyful, powerful day when we prove it’s possible.

Please join us and register your local action today.

Onwards,
Bill McKibben – Author and Activist- USA Vandana Shiva – Physicist, Activist, Author – India David Suzuki – Scientist, Author, Activist – Canada Bianca Jagger – Chair of the World Future Council – UK Tim Flannery – Scientist, Author, Explorer -Australia Bittu Sahgal – Editor of Sanctuary magazine – India Andrew Simmons – Environmental Advocate, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Christine Loh – Environmental Advocate and Legislator – Hong Kong

P.S.—We need you to do something else, right away, that’s pretty easy. Please forward this message to anyone you know who is even remotely appropriate.

This website has everything from factsheets to stencils and art projects.  They are asking for people to take a picture of whatever they decide to do and share it with the global community.  Eco-Monkeys will be sure to take part in this event and take our picture.  I’m not quite sure what we will do yet – it may be something as simple as riding our bikes or taking a hike and spending the day appreciating nature and contemplating our role in protecting the environment.

Here is a 350 slideshow:

Even if you are not an activist with an army of followers, please take some time to think about the peril our planet is in and what you can do to make your world a better place.

Eco-monkeys will explore alternative housing in another installment of the What Is… series of articles.

A yurt is a Mongolian home that is becoming popular in the western world because of the low impact it has on the environment. Yurts can be quickly constructed for a low building and very little cost for the upkeep of the house.

Rammed earth homes are made from materials from the earth that it is constructed on. The walls of the structure are made from the dirt in the area and eliminate shipping building materials long distance.

Recycled Structures are a very creative way to reuse larger objects for housing. Using old large boats for housing on land is one way to preserve the boat and keep it in use for years to come after it has been retired from the sea. Shipping containers also make for a solid structure to live in.

Any creative home building and green additions to homes will be covered through this on going series, so stay tuned.

Here are a couple of places for alternatives to the suburban home blues.

http://www.yurts.com/

http://www.diyrammedearth.com/

Several friends have asked me how Project Plarn is going, so I thought I would do a quick update even though it is not finished.

Currently, I only have the bottom of the bag done as well as one row that will eventually be part of the sides.  Josh asked me to keep track of how long it has taken me to get this far so here is the count:

Folding and cutting up the plastic bags: 2 hours

Creating the Ball of Plarn: 2 hours

Crocheting the bottom of the bag: 3 hours (this is because I restarted several times until I got the hang of working with plastic)

TOTAL: 7 hours

I think that this time would be reduced on future bags.  It took me a little while to develop an efficient method of cutting the plastic bags as well as a method of putting the plastic loops together to form the actual Plarn.  I also had trouble working with the plastic at first.  Regular yarn does not have too much give, but if you pull too hard on the plastic strips, they stretch and become thinner.  So, it took quite a while to discern the right amount of pressure to use while working with the plarn.

Job, scuba lessons, and moutain bike scouting withstanding, I should be able to find some time this week to continue working on this project and will hopefully be able to finish soon so that I can take it to the grocery store and see what happens!

If you want to see my original post, check it out

Currently Austin is undergoing one of the worst droughts in over 100 years!  We are under water restrictions at the moment that are designed to reduce the city’s water usage by 25%, but the Lower Colorado River Authority is considering implementing even stricter regulations.  Besides following the city’s guidelines, there are many ways that people can reduce their water use without much effort.  These may seem like common sense,  but it never hurts to hear them again.  Here are a few ideas:

1.  Only run the dishwasher when it is full.  Scraping food off dishes is okay, but it is not necessary to use extra water to rinse your dishes off before putting them in the washer.

2.  If you would rather wash your dishes by hand, then don’t leave the water on during this process.  Instead, fill one side of the sink up with wash water, and the other with rinse water.

3.  Use mulch around your plants.  This is especially needed in Texas where the high heat can leave our plants dry and thirsty!  Covering the area around them with some form of mulch will help lesson evaporation and lead to less frequent watering.

4.  Don’t wash clothes unless they need it.  It may simply be habit to throw clothes in the washer after one wearing.  Use your judgement to determine if you can wear those jeans a second time, or hang your towel up in the bathroom and use it again before washing.

5.  Put a bucket or a tub in the shower to catch water if you let it run while you wait for it to warm up.  You can then use this water for your plants or to wash your dishes.

6.  You can also install a water-efficient shower head in your bathroom to reduce the amount of water used while bathing.  This one is hard for me to accept, but the sacrifice is well worth it and it’s not too expensive.  You can usually find them for $20-$30.

7.  If you do not have a low flow toilet, consider putting something in the tank to take up space and reduce the amount of water used for each flush.  This could be something like a small milk jug or other container filled with water.

8.  Don’t let the water in your sink run while washing your face, shaving, or brushing your teeth.

9.  Use a broom instead of a hose to clear debris off your driveway or sidewalk.

10.  Use a bottle or keep one glass out for drinking water to reduce the number of dishes that need washing.

Happy Saving!

Was roaming around the internet today and found an article put out by the U.S. Department of Energy with all the information (and more) you need in order to determine when to turn the lights off and when it’s more energy cost-effective to keep them on. The general rule seems to be to turn the lights off every time you leave a room if your light bulbs are incandescent. However, if you are using flourescent bulbs, they suggest to only turn the lights off if you will be gone for more than fifteen minutes.

The website has many tools for calculating energy savings and as much information on how light bulbs use energy as anyone could possibly want. Here is the link: When to Turn Off Your Lights

And because I seem to be in a video mood this week, here is a bizarre but amusing commercial from Thailand done by Sylvania lightbulbs:

Oh yeah, totally!

How gross? Hey, it’s no more disgusting than using public restrooms and actually, urine is sterile! It may smell funny or look strange, and definitely NEVER invite anyone to shower with you until after you have peed, but going in the shower can save our water. It can also save you money on energy and money on your water bill. 

If it seems strange to you at first, just grab a bottle of bodywash or conditioner, open the lid, and pump the bottle a few times in front of your face to get a good whiff of flowers while you do your deed.

After a few times of this water conservation practice your body will become conditioned to relieve itself anytime you get in the shower. Like clockwork.

Do I sound like I have experience in this? That’s because I do.

Little known secret (maybe well known), I have used this technique for years now. Only now that I have been focused on water conservation has it become apparent to me that this is used and encouraged by many enviro groups.  

Think of the gallons you can save! Think of the trees you save by using less T.P.!

In Brazil, an environmental group urges people to use this technique. They suggest to “Pee in the shower! Save the Atlantic rainforest!”

I’m sure this is new to many people and can seem extreme, but if you have ever peed in the woods then you will see that this is the same thing! Only difference is; you can rinse.

Remember: yellow is the new green!

So, if it’s yellow keep it mellow. But, if it’s brown, flush it down!

See? Saving water can be fun and adventurous!

Oh, and if you need more encouragement, check out this video:

GIves a new meaning to the term ‘golden showers’.

Tuesday, September 22 is Benefit Day for Health Alliance For Austin Musicians (HAAM).

Austin, Texas is the live music capitol of the World. No matter what your musical tastes are you can be assured you will get your fill any night of the week. People living in Austin or just passing through know that live music is a true blessing and we owe a great deal of gratitude to the many musicians that provide this service. Sadly most musicians cannot afford many services such as health care. HAAM makes these services a reality to underpaid musicians in Austin, Texas. Musicians can apply with HAAM through their website and will be able to see if they are eligible for services. For the application click here.

HAAM provides professional musicians in greater Austin access to health services. These services cover mental health, dental care, and primary health care. Seton Family of Hospitals provides the services for the primary health of musicians registered with HAAM. St. David’s Community Health provides dental care and mental health counseling is handled by SIMS Foundation. I knew Sims Ellison personally and I have a special place in my heart for the work SIMS Foundation does. I am grateful for the joined efforts with HAAM and the SIMS Foundation.

How can you participate in Benefit Day?

1)    Go support some of these musicians directly by going out and supporting live music. HAAM has a huge line up of performances to celebrate HAAM Benefit Day. Look here for the performance list.

2)    Go shopping at participating stores that will give 5% of the days proceeds to the cause. (For a list of those contributors look here)

3)    Become a HAAMbassador by volunteering! Your time and effort working with HAAM is greatly appreciated.

4)    Donating money directly to HAAM is available online through their website donation or mail in your donation to:

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians

PO Box 301496

Austin, Texas 78703-0025

I am a local musician and I appreciate HAAM for everything that they do. I encourage you to support live music and HAAM.

For more information about HAAM please visit their website here.

For more information about SIMS Foundation please visit their website here.

Today the Monkeys began their adventure into SCUBA (hence the short post – I am tired!).  We completed the classroom portion of the class and did some of our confined work in the swimming pool at Scubaland Adventures here in Austin, Texas.  Our instructor, Dave McBee, was excellent!  It feels very unnatural the first time you go down underwater and breathe through a regulator.  Dave made sure that we were all comfortable and led us through each skill with calming competence, ensuring that we each understood what was going on.  I highly recommend him to any of you who may be considering undertaking SCUBA lessons here in Austin.

While Hans, Tasha, and I went through the course, our fellow monkey Josh, who is already Open Water Certified, took some great video of us maneuvering around.  Be sure to look for it sometime in the future at www.rushmonkeys.com.  Next Sunday we are headed to Aquarena Springs in San Marcos to continue our training!

As part of the classroom experience, I asked Dave what the environmental impacts of scuba diving were and he enlightened me on the following issues:

1. Divers vs. The Coral Reef

The simple act of touching a peice of coral can have a devastating effect.  Oils in human skin destroys the thin membrane that protects the animals of a coral reef colony.  Also, using the reef as a steadying device while you adjust equipment or take pictures can break off pieces of the reef itself – pieces which take hundreds of years to form in the first place!  So, best advice – look, but don’t touch! I found a nice article discussing the Hawaiian coral reefs in particular and Coral Reef Etiquette.

2. Dropping Your Weights

All divers carry weights of some sort to help control their buoyancy.  The weights are attached to the scuba gear in such a way that they can be quickly released in an emergency.  I suddenly had this image of hundreds of weights cluttering the bottom of the ocean floor and proposed this scenario to our instructor.  Dave informed me that weights are only released as a final option and so it doesn’t occur very often.  He also said that if there is a recovery team with the group, then the weights are generally retrieved.   I looked around the internet a bit to see if I could find more information on this, but didn’t really come up with anything.  If anybody else has more information, please let me know!

3. Sunscreen

In our discussion of the environmental impact of scuba diving, one thing Dave mentioned that I had not previously considered was the use of sunscreen.  He said that there are reports that the toxicity of some sunscreens has proven to be environmentally hazardous to certain types of aquatic life and that many places now require the use of non-toxic sunscreens.  Good to know!  Here is an article from the New York Times Blog, Lede, if you are interested in more information on that topic: Suncreen in Sea Water May Harm Coral

Environmental Scuba Opportunities Around the Austin Area:

Lake Travis Underwater (&Shoreline) Cleanup – Part of Keep Austin Beautiful and our friends at Scubaland Adventures helped organize the divers for this event!

TrashFest – Cleaning the Comal River

Also, just because Josh and I were laughing about building a scuba diving bubble for my dog, Chloe, here is a little video of a scuba diving cat and dog:

Plastic bags cut into strips for Plarn

Plarn is my new favorite word.  It’s also my new favorite thing.  Ever.  Quite a while ago, I switched to using reusable bags when I go to the grocery store.  However, I still had this stash of plastic bags under my kitchen sink.  I’ve been trying to find something creative to do with them, and finally…I found it!

I’ve been submitting stories from this website to the All Things Eco blog carnival.  In reading through this past week’s newsletter, I found a website dedicated to taking materials like plastic bags and tape from cassette and VHS tapes and…wait for it…crocheting them!  It is awesome.  The website is called My Recycled Bags.com and the project I have decided to embark upon is the Ultimate Grocery Bag.  In this project, you take plastic bags, cut them up to create Plarn (plastic yarn) and then crochet it to create a reusable grocery tote.

Ball of Plarn!

So far, I have successfully created the ball of plarn – next step is to begin the crocheting process.  Stay tuned!

As most of you know, the Eco-Monkeys site runs in tandem with Rushmonkeys.com.  Rushmonkeys is dedicated more to athletic adventuring while Eco-Monkeys examines our environmental impact, we hope to find many ways to bring the two sites together and one of our upcoming projects may do just that!  The Monkeys will be starting the process of our SCUBA certification through the month of September, culminating in a series of dives out in San Marcos, Texas at Aquarena Springs.  We will be working with the folks at Scubaland Adventures in Austin, Texas and will document the entire process from equipment purchasing, to the class procedure, to the actual dives themselves, including some neat underwater filming!

Apart from the obvious coolness of getting certified, one of the things we hope to do is find ways to use this new skill to help the environment.  We are going to learn how to be environmentally  responsible divers and see what sort of clean-up efforts we can participate in under the water.  We also know that there is a huge hub for conservation at Aquarena Springs and we will be posting more about that as we progress.  Since Josh already has his Open Water certification, he will be acting as the camera man through most of this adventure, so be on the lookout on both the Eco-Monkeys and the Rushmonkeys sites for lots of video and follow us as we embark on the next step of our journey!  Knowing the inevitable clumsiness of myself (Hans and Tasha are both epitomes of grace, of course) I am sure that plenty of laughs will abound.

So after my post about the WaterSmart carwash product and washing days located here in Austin Texas, we got an invitation to see what its all about.

So, tomorrow around the afternoon time, we will meet up with a wonderful lady named Sarah who will educate us further about the WaterSmart product then give us an example of how it works. We will finally get our grungy cars sparkling! I do look forward to understanding further how the product keeps the dirt from scratching the paint as you clean it.

But you know us, and a rushmonkey couldn’t go out there without getting our hands dirty (or clean, in this case) so we are going to get involved and wash cars ourselves. Probably each others!

The weather is great here in A-town. A little overcast, but when considering how hot it’s been all summer, cooler temperatures are welcome. And since my post about the drought, we have gotten some heavy rainfall! Oooh, I do have powers!

So after tomorrows excursion, we will put up the videos of us washing and being washed. 8-o

So stay tuned. thanks guys!

The best way to begin describing this particular phenomenon is to take the explanation directly from www.geocaching.com:

“Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.”

Back in 2002, a friend of mine in college invited myself and a few friends to do something called ‘geocaching’.  My friend, a geography major, explained that people all over the country would hide things in containers on public property, upload the gps coordinates onto a website, and then fellow geocachers could go and find it.

As it was the day before finals, we were up for anything that took us off campus, and we gamely got in a car and drove out to a nearby town where the coordinates were located.  What we didn’t know is that when you find a cache, one tradition is to take one item from the cash and to leave one of your own.  I believe I traded a pen from my purse for one of those little toothpick umbrellas.

I never really thought about it after that until several years later when my mother and grandmother began to talk about going geocaching together.  Since my sole geocaching adventure, things have really changed.

I’ve heard stories of people creating coins with their geocaching alias on them to leave in caches.  There are items that you can track as they move from place to place, so people can literally race items around the world.  My own mother has even placed two “Travel bugs” on her car.  These are stickers with serial numbers on them.  When a geocacher spots them, they can log into the geocaching.com and claim that they have found that cache.

Not all caches involve physical items.  Some are ‘virtual’ caches.  On a trip to Disneyland a few years back, my mother had us take a picture of ourselves in the aloe garden and then she posted on the web.  This too counted as finding a cache.

This is one of those rare activities that I believe makes the world a little smaller and brings the human race closer together as a team regardless of age, religion, ethnicity…the list goes on.  These caches exist all over the world and finding their location can be as simple as finding a film can stuck in a tree stump.

One of the things I like most about geocachers is their attitude of respect towards their environment.  One of their programs is called Cache In Trash Out (CITO).  This is where geocachers band together and go into their local parks to clean out the trash.  Some of these events are coordinated so that they occur around the same time all over the world, but there are local events that happen all the time.

Anyone with a GPS tracking device can download coordinates and after familiarizing themselves with a few guidelines can be on their way!  This is great for people who like to work alone, or travel in groups.  There are even regionally organized geocaching events where people can meet up and try to log several cache finds in a short amount of time.

For more information on getting started, please visit the Getting Started page on the geocaching website.

I also borrowed this nifty little video from that page that is the trailer for an upcoming movie named Splinterheads that has a geocaching explanation:

So if you’re looking for something that you and your family and friends can do that takes you out into nature and will enable you to make a whole new international circle of friends, and eco-allies, this might be the place for you!  On your mark, get set, geocache!