The Sebago Elementary School students had a very special Maine harvest lunch. The wonderful kitchen staff prepared roasted root vegetables made from locally sourced beets, carrots, and potatoes. For dessert, apples from Douglas Hill Orchard, owned by the Lucy family, were made into a delicious apple crisp. The most special part of this fantastic meal Read More
sustainability
5 Reasons Why We’re Not Crazy About Compostable Food Ware
When considering how to reduce plastic pollution, many people find compostable cups, containers, and utensils (“compostables”) to be an appealing option. We understand why: these products often claim to be “earth-friendly,” and ultimately that is what we all deeply desire. Unfortunately, the environmental impact of disposable compostable containers is not as simple and straightforward as Read More
Timeless Lessons from a Native Garden in Uncertain Times
When we purchased our home, the first thing we did was designate a portion of our yard that we would allow to grow wild with native plants. Like most offices, the Natural Resources Council of Maine started working remotely as a result of the pandemic. Because of that, I’ve had the opportunity to pay closer attention to the changes in my native wildflower garden. There are a Read More
Participate in Plastic-free July to Help Curb Plastic Pollution
Plastic is polluting our environment, killing birds and sea creatures, and contributing to our climate crisis. But, did you know that reducing plastic is something you can do to support public health, the local economy, and human rights, too? We need to work together to turn off the tidal wave of single-use plastic waste. Plastic-free Read More
What Will Our Streets Look Like in the Future?
As the world grapples with the impact of COVID-19, bicycle and pedestrian advocates across the globe have a tremendous opportunity to prove that clean, human-powered transportation is a viable aspect of an environmentally and economically sustainable future. The age-old argument against closing streets down to vehicular traffic is “business will suffer if customers are unable Read More
Four Ways to Improve Our Worsening Waste and Recycling Crisis
Even eternally optimistic people struggle to remain positive sometimes. I know because I am one of them. And as someone who has thought about recycling and waste policy daily for the past decade, my positivity has never had a greater test than in 2020. Most people understand that reducing waste and recycling is an environmentally Read More
Earth Week 2020 Daily Resources
April 22, 2020, marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. To celebrate how far we have come in protecting our environment, staff at the Natural Resources Council of Maine created daily digital care packages from across our program areas that we provided to our members for each day of Earth Week. These resources—informative webinars, inspiration Read More
50 Ideas to Celebrate 50 Years of Earth Day
These are challenging times and it’s important to celebrate when we can, even if we cannot do so in person. For example, April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. That’s something to celebrate, for sure! The Natural Resources Council of Maine had been in the process of creating events with our members and Read More
5 Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home While Practicing Social Distancing
Chances are that you went to the grocery store (at least once) recently and impulsively bought way more food than usual. And I suspect that may have led to an unanticipated consequence: food waste. (Or perhaps you just guilt-ate way more than you should to prevent your food from going bad!) Reducing food waste is Read More
