10 megapixel digital slr cameras

“There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm.”

— Theodore Roosevelt

The benefits of recycling are far-reaching. It is easy not to participate in a movement when you are not aware that a movement (or problem) exists. But ignorance is not an excuse. Signs are presented to us every day. The forces in the world we live in speak to us in mysterious and beautiful ways.

The communication may start out gently, but the longer we continue to pretend we haven’t heard a message, the communication will become more aggressive.

So remember the next time the wind, a bird or a crack in the road tries to get your attention – listen. It’s always a choice. Choose well and wake up feeling more alive.

Kim McGinnis
Be Like Nature

P.S. If you like this blog, please click the icons below (i.e. Stumble it!). And please subscribe – I am deeply and sincerely appreciative of your support.

photo by ichiro kishimi

Earth Day has come and gone, but the planet we inhabit still remains with its beauty and with its issues and challenges.

It is easy to appreciate our lush surroundings and majestic scenery, but do you ever stop to think what needs to be done to protect it?

If you are like most people, you do sometimes. You understand about the whole responsibility issue. So, I won’t even go there.

I will just leave you with a related quote…

“Let every individual and institution now think and act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seeking choices in ecology, economics and ethics that will provide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, awaken the wonder of life and foster peaceful progress in the human adventure.”

— John McConnell, founder of International Earth Day

And for those of you that would like more information on the benefits of recycling, visit benefits-of-recycling.com.

Kim McGinnis
Be Like Nature

P.S. If you like this blog, please click the icons below (i.e. Stumble it!). And please subscribe – I am deeply and sincerely appreciative of your support.

photo by, sylko


I discovered something I was not aware of the other day. On a drive in Boulder, Colorado my brother-in-law (James) and sister-in-law (Lura), and Mark and I were talking about traffic and cars. We were buzzing along during rush hour because we were on a toll road. I wished that we had this option when we lived in California. Pay an extra 2, 3 or 4dolllars, and get an open highway…you betcha.


So, the topic of hybrids came up – the Prius to be exact. I remember right before we left to move to Colorado, our Tax Accountant, John, just brought a brand new Prius. He seemed very happy with his purchase. I am not so sure if it was because he was being kind to the earth, or more that he was frugal, and was excited about not spending so much at the gas station. Either way, “good for him”, I thought at the time.


So, the other day, James and Lura point out that the Prius is not such a green or economical car, after all. Apparently the battery that runs this car only last a certain amount of time, and after that you need to buy a new one, in order to run on the open road. The cost of one of these economical car batteries? About $15,000.


Apparently no one is sure how long these batteries last, so I guess, you just better hope you get lucky, and hope you have the energizer bunny on your side. And then what do you do with these batteries, and how long will mother earth have to carry them in her belly?


I get a stomach ache just thinking about it. Hey, but I hate to be one of those people that complains about companies that are at least trying to make a difference, and come up with alternative solutions. And who knows if the information I gleaned was accurate. I love James and Lura, and they are very intelligent people, but I did not ask for their sources…maybe I will the next time I see them. And I promise to get back to you when I get the scoop.


P.S. If you like this blog, please click the icons below (i.e. Stumble it!). And please subscribe – I am deeply and sincerely appreciative of your support.

Kim McGinnis, Be Like Nature

photo by david9wong

I am sure most of you are familiar with the various ways we humans can be more green. Here are a few common ways most of us are aware of: recycling, using energy efficient light bulbs, purchasing Seventh Generation products (tissue, toilet paper, dish soap, etc.), using a water filter and forgoing the plastic water bottles, and using canvas shopping bags. We may use a combination of some of these, and some of us (me included), could do alot better…we do the best we can.

But I think there is a great way to conserve our precious natural resources that many people have not considered – working from home. Not only is this a great green alternative to driving to work, it allows you more freedom to do the things that make your life more enjoyable. If your place of employment does not offer this option, do no let this stop you.

There is a way to make more money (green) from home by working online, than you can make in your present job. Then you will have the time to do those other things that are good to the earth, like growing your own organic vegetable garden, washing your clothes in cold water, then hanging your clothes out to dry. They will smell lovely, save your energy dollars by not running the dryer, and the clothes themselves will last longer as the dryer will not make them shed wispy fibers.

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photo by ecstaticist

Since I have been living in Erie, Colorado I have noticed how much attention green living is getting. You would think California (where I used to live) would be all over the green lifestyle…and some places were. But you would usually have to go quite a ways to a place like the neighborhood Whole Foods.

My husband and I live in a very rural part of Colorado, and although we do have commercial places like Starbucks and Blockbuster (thank Heaven!), the closest Whole Foods we came by was driving by one from a distance while we traveling along the freeway.

But, the thing is , Colorado’s “normal” every day places have this kind of healthy offering. It is more mainstream to promote the canvas shopping bags, and the bamboo cutting boards, and a large variety of organic fruits and veggies.

And, I don’t know about you, but I can pick up on a higher consciousness when I am in certain places (CO) as opposed to other(CA). At the risk of getting all airy-fairy I can pick up a certain awareness that we, as citizens of the earth, should be more responsible for our present state of affairs now that I live here.

It made me curious how the cities in Colorado stacked up against the rest of the cities in the U.S. This is what I found on Efficient Energy Organization website:

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photo by Miradise

These past few years there have been more natural disasters than ever before. Floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes are killing at alarming rates all over the world. Those not killed are left displaced, feeling utterly lost and alone.

Some may say global warming is to blame. Green house gases cause the temperature to rise, the ocean is affected, weather patterns change, etc, etc. Some say global warming is a myth. I don’t agree. Instead I would say it is a symptom of a much deeper problem.

When you think about the world, how do you see it? Do you see individual things and individual people? Do you compare yourself to others and what they have? Does it make you want what they have and more?

Or do you see energy? Do you see that everything is moving and changing from moment to moment? Does that make you understand that holding on to something is not natural? Do you see yourself in other people? Does your compassionate nature come out when you see them struggle? When you are out in nature do you feel like it is your responsibility to protect it? Do you feel grateful at the sight of natural beauty, like it is a zen gift from the Universe?

When we ask ourselves questions it helps to uncover the way to make ourselves, and our world a better place. If we are disgusted when we learn that corporations dump gallons of toxic waste into our oceans everyday, it might make us think of what we may do on a much smaller scale. From there we are in a position to do something…something other than complain.

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photo by Shayan USA

Do we need to get angry to defend nature? Imagine you are an individual who has the utmost respect for nature-you recycle, take nature hikes, donate to Greenpeace, and work in your garden as a daily ritual. Your neighbor on the other hand has litter strewn about their front lawn, weeds are creeping from their side of the fence and mixing with your cherished rose vines. Pots with neglected water-starved plants adorn their entry way-reminiscent of a time that some attempt was made to beautify the entryway.

You feel a twinge of remorse for these misguided folks, but then the next moment you see someone stepping out the front door and dumping a dirty oily stew of some kind on one the hedges.
What is wrong with these people? You want to ignore their utter disrespect of God’s gifts, but your attention is always turned in the direction of all the injustices. If a child was even thought to have been mistreated you could call Child Welfare services. If a puppy were being beaten on the doorstop you could call animal control – but who is going to protect Mother Nature?

Environmentalists handle the crusades which touch the masses – the vanishing endangered species, global warming, the destruction of the rainforests, etc. – but what about the day to day disregard we witness in our neighborhoods. Ever see someone throw a cigarette or a soda out a car window? Remember that hopeless twinge you felt in your chest. Did it tick you off? Did you want to follow them? Did you ever want to leave a suggestive note on your neighbor’s front gate or in their mailbox?

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photo by, mitwalter

There has been a lot of not-so-pleasant talk about how the country (and the world) is headed for a recession. Personally, I do not like to get caught up in depressing theories (the world coming you an end in 2012?) or negative thinking in general.

That is why I was pleased to come across a recent article on a UK website, 10 Ways Recession Can Help the Environment, by Fion MacCloud. Now I’m still not convinced we are in a recession, but if we were, it is good to know there is always a silver lining to any situation.

I have taken his headings and recapped what Mr. MacCloud came up with:

1.” Reduction in Landfills”

When folks have less money, they buy less stuff, so less crap gets disposed of. The United States (according to MacCloud) produces 25% of this waste even though we make up 5% of the world’s population. Capitalism can produce greedy ways.

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photo by, Lucian Badea

Naturalists and humanitarians have a respect for nature and humans, respectively – and, in most cases (I suspect), for each other. I was contemplating on all the ways in which nature and humans are alike, and decided to put them in a list. It becomes more difficult to take things for granted when you expose your deeper thoughts, and put them on paper (or on a computer screen). In the end the process evokes a genuine gratitude.

Once I started writing, more thoughts came. I could write a series of books on this subject. So below is a partial list (more to come) of the human-nature connection that I am sincerely grateful for:

Our Desire To Communicate

I read an article in the BBC magazine, Wildlife, about how certain plants communicate. It was discovered after a bit of observation that some plants (including strawberries and clover), communicate through a vegetable-based phone line. This living cable is created from these plants and grows and spreads over the ground in a neighborhood network. Messages can be spread about enemies in their mist. Their friends and relatives will be warned about intrusive insects, caterpillars, etc. – a natural alarm system at work.

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photo by, Simon T

Linus Pauling was an extraordinary man – his dualistic expression was admired by those who knew him. He was enthusiastic yet humble, simple and complex, and a gentle rebel.

Pauling was also known as a force of nature. A physicist/chemist/biologist, this brilliant scientist was not content with his research into the nature of the chemical bond (for which he won his first Nobel Prize in 1954).

Pauling then became fascinated in the movement of molecules. He was able to concoct enough experiments to reach the achievement of developing a substitute to blood plasma and then of understanding the living cell. Pretty heavy stuff…

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