The Green Parent

Q & A with Santiago Dunn, President of Ecoventura The Galapagos, known for its wealth of highly visible living creatures, is also one of the most fragile and endangered ecosystems in the world.  Following are questions many potential visitors ask before traveling to these islands. The answers are provided by a leader in creating sustainable [...]

Thirty years ago when Walt Disney was planning his Florida theme park, he set aside more than one-third of the park property to be dedicated conservation habitat. That adds up to 10,000 acres of conservation area that is integrated throughout Walt Disney World property. And I found the the Mouseketeers that work at Walt Disney [...]

If you’re looking for Disney World attractions that teach your kids about conservation, then you are headed to Animal Kingdom.  At over 500 acres, Animal Kingdom is the largest of all of Disney’s “kingdoms.”  In fact, all of the other parks combined could fit in to Animal Kingdom.  The park offers silly, playful, and sometimes [...]

Anytime you venture out on vacation, you put yourself at the mercy of the food selections that will be available  to your family at your destination.  Things get even more complicated at Disney because its not like you can just dash out of the park to pick up something else if you don’t like the [...]

OK, so your kids have finally worn you down with their incessant pleas for a Disney vacation and now you find yourself wondering how you can possibly plan a trip to Disney World without abandoning your green ideals. Well, you’ll be happy to know that it can be done! All this week I’m going to [...]

the full the green hornet movie Last week, I took my family to Disney World.  Not the greenest of ventures you say?  Well, while Disney may not be the first destination that comes to mind on the eco-parent vacation list, I found that with a little planning and preparation, you can have an amazing vacation [...]

I think it’s safe to say that I’m a big fan of nature.  On any given day, I can usually find beauty (and even a little peace) by checking out a shadowy patch of trees or listening to the crickets chirp outside my window. But all of that pales in comparison to the enjoyment I [...]

speed-dating movie music Do lower gas prices have you dusting the cobwebs off of your camper or RV this Labor Day Weekend? RVs tend to get a bad rap in the green scene because of their propensity to guzzle gas as they veer precariously down the road. But Janet Groene, a self-described green “maverick” says [...]

Labor Day Weekend, the last official hurrah of the summer season is finally upon us and Green Parents across the U.S. are gearing up for one final fling before the school year begins in earnest. Cooler weather, lower gas prices, and school-wary kids combine to make Labor Day weekend a truly great time to hang [...]

Ahhhh…you’re finally on vacation! Whether you’re on the slopes, at the beach, or on the couch, here’s how to go green on the go: At The Hotel Turn off lights, air conditioning units, TVs, and other appliances before you leave for the day. Most hotels have a policy in place to limit unnecessary bedding and [...]

Make It Green: Look for gently used luggage (either from around your house or from your local thrift store) to pack up your gear. If you do need to purchase new, try a daypack or courier bag from Osprey that’s made from 100% recycled PET plastic. Keep It Light: Save you back and save the [...]

Before you head off on your eco-friendly vacation, take these steps to make sure that things stay green back home: Adjust your hot water heater and heating and air conditioning units to use the minimum amount of energy necessary while you’re gone. (If you have pets that are staying behind…be sure to leave the house [...]

If you’re going to fork over the cash to stay at a hotel on your trip, look for one that makes an effort to go green. Most hotels have jumped on the “green” bandwagon by asking folks to pass on the daily linen and towel service to conserve water and energy. That’s a good start…but [...]

Think a green vacation means trekking through the wilderness or surviving on nothing but granola and berries? Think again! Green vacations come in as many shapes and sizes as American families. In fact, with a little preparation, you can turn almost any vacation into an “eco-vacation.” As a general rule, the closer you stay to [...]

Feeling the sting at the pump lately? You can alleviate some of this misery by making sure your car is properly tuned. Your car should receive a professional tune-up every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first, in order to run at its maximum fuel efficiency. But there are a number of things you [...]