Trantwood Sustainability Ideas
Valentine Green Tips
Hopeless romantics love it. Cynics despise it. No one can avoid it -- Valentine’s Day is firmly established as a cultural happening!
Whatever your feelings are about the holiday, make it your own by taking the opportunity to show appreciation for the one who loves you unconditionally: Mother Nature.
Give Eco-Friendly Chocolate. Not only does the Rainforest Alliance certify chocolate that’s better for the environment, “shopping the frog” ensures that cocoa farmers have good living and working conditions. Find Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolate (and other products) here. The Arbor Day Foundation also sells a line of shade grown organic chocolates in their online shop.
Send an eCard. Love wildlife? Check out these free Valentine e-cards from World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International.
Buy Local Flowers. If flowers are your style, swing by your local farmers’ market for a fresh bouquet of your favorites. It beats buying imported flowers that have often been doused in pesticides. Check out Local Harvest to find a sustainable florist near you.
Continue supporting our local farmers and purchase seasonal produce even in Winter
When you buy vegetables and fruit out of season, not only are they being shipped longer distances, burning more fuel than usual to get to your grocer, but they also ripen during transport instead of being picked ripe. Season-appropriate produce requires less energy for transport, is less expensive and often tastes better. According to healthyeating.org, eating fresh fruits and vegetables provides the body with more nutrients, easier digestion and a boost to the immune system.
Examples of produce in season from October through the winter months includes apples, pears, beets, pumpkins, cranberries, blackberries, cabbage, celery, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, potatoes, beans, winter squash, sprouts, leeks and spinach. I’m sure you can find something you love in this list!
Email: Hope.twine@vbschools.com
Website: http://www.trantwoodes.vbschools.com/
Location: 2433 Inlynnview Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-4000
Twitter: @trantwoodES