A View From Space: an Astronaut's Enthusiasm for Our Planet

Canadian astronaut and Commander Chris Hadfield captured the world's attention and hearts during his 5-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).  While on board the ISS, he had been snapping photos of Earth and sharing them in real time with the rest of the world. 

Through his lens, we were able to see the vastness of Earth's beauty.  Yet through his lens, we were also reminded of a planet with bountiful but limited resources.  It is a reminder of the only home we have, and of a planet that we should respect and cherish.

Though not the first astronaut to take photos from space, his use of social media, and his ability to engage with the world made him stand out.  He connected to us from space through his breathtaking photos and poetic tweets.

As of this posting, Chris Hadfield has over 1 million Twitter followers and is still tweeting and sharing photos even after his return to Earth.  Though his mission had ended, and his retirement just around the corner, we could only hope that we'll see more of his enthusiasm for space and of our planet Earth.

You can check Chris Hadfield's photos here:

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AstronautChrisHadfield
• Tumblr:  http://colchrishadfield.tumblr.com

A Key to Identifying Flowers

I first heard of Newcomb's Wildflower Guide while studying biology in university.  It was a highly recommended book and used widely by field biologists. 

Newcomb's is a plant identification book that uses a logical key system to identify flowering plants, shrubs, and vines of Northeastern and North-central North America.  Other plant identification books may group plants by the colour of the flower, which will inevitably have you flipping through the pages until you identify your plant in question.  This book on the other hand, provides a key system that will help you identify your plant according to its structural features.  This is how the identification process works:

• answer 5 questions, which are grouped according to flower type, plant type, and leaf type, and determine the corresponding 3 digit number
• find the 3 digit number in the locator key
• turn to the page where the plant is described, and confirm your plant by the text description and illustration

This book provides a key system that is systematic and efficient, and is accompanied by detailed illustrations of plants.  As a student studying biology, I have used this book in the field and found it to be an indispensable reference tool.  Though no longer a student, I still continue to use it during my pastime nature walks.  I highly recommend this book, for amateurs, experts, and nature lovers alike.

Volunteering in Canada

Many organizations throughout Canada rely heavily on the contribution of volunteers.  The work that volunteers do are diverse, ranging from hands-on field work such as planting trees and collecting donations, to office work such as managing the reception desk and sitting on the board of directors.  Many programs and services may not exist without the ongoing support and commitment of volunteers.

Appreciating the vital role that volunteers play in supporting communities locally and around the world, they are officially recognized in Canada through National Volunteer Week.  National Volunteer Week is celebrated annually, and this year it takes place from April 21 to 27.  It is a chance to give thanks to those who have given back to the community.

If you're not currently a volunteer, and are looking for volunteer opportunities, Volunteer Canada has tools to help you locate volunteer positions in your area that matches your skills and interests.

Whether you're currently a volunteer, or are looking for volunteer work, you are helping to make the world a better place with your generosity, time, and dedication.

Happy National Volunteer Week!

The CWF Africa to the Americas Expedition

On January 23, 2013, four rowers left Dakar, Senegal to row unassisted across the Atlantic Ocean to Miami, United States on an estimated 60-100 day voyage.  This is the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) Africa to the Americas Expedition, and the rowers participating in this journey are:  Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Adam Kreek, Canadian Filmmaker Markus Pukonen, American Adventurer Pat Fleming, and American Author Jordan Hanssen.  Armed with scientific and communications equipment, they are collecting ocean data for scientific research.  Additionally, they have been actively documenting and sharing with the world their first hand experiences of their expedition.

The crew have successfully passed their halfway mark earlier this month.  You can follow along with their expedition through the OAR Northwest website, as well as the sponsoring organization, Canadian Wildlife Federation, website.  Between their alternating rowing and sleeping shifts, the crew have been busy collecting data, blogging, uploading photos and videos, as well as taken time to participate in media interviews.  There is a map that tracks their voyage, educational resources that can be used for the classroom, as well as data they’ve collected that can be accessed and reviewed.

This is an incredible expedition, combining science and adventure.  It’s also incredible that with today’s technology, they're able to provide to the world, a glimpse in real time, of what life is like out in the ocean.

Green Living Tips from the Queen of Green

Last month I wrote about the 3 Rs, and how following this can help lessen one's impact on the environment.  To integrate more green activities into our daily lives, David Suzuki's Queen of Green is here to help.

Affiliated with the David Suzuki Foundation, the Queen of Green provides practical information to help people lead greener lives.  On this website, she provides information on everyday household dilemmas, product recipes, and how-to videos.  The topics are varied, from cleaning and composting, to recipes for creating your own cleaning products, to videos demonstrating how to create your own cosmetics products.  If what you're looking for is not here, you can submit your questions, where they will be answered on her blog, FAQ page, and Metro News column.

The Queen of Green's motto is to adopt a green lifestyle that is easy for everyone.  Through these practical guides, we can all take that step and transition ourselves towards green living.

The 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Helping out the environment can be easy as 1, 2, and 3, and it is by following the 3 Rs:  reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Reduce is listed first, and this is because of all the 3 Rs, this one has the most impact -- reducing our consumption of products and the waste that we produce will help decrease the amount of items we throw away to the landfill.  Reuse follows next because whatever we cannot reduce, we can try to give it a second life by reusing them again.  For whatever we cannot reruse again, we recycle them so they can be made into new things.  Finally, if we simply cannot recycle them, the last alternative is to send them to the landfill.

In Toronto, there is a website that helps residents with exactly all this.  The city's Solid Waste Management website provides information and news about its collection services.  There is also an online tool, Waste Wizard where you can search for items to see how you can properly dispose of them.  This includes information about items that are safe and can be picked up at the curbside or apartment (such as recyclables, organics, and garbage), as well as items that are hazardous or cannot be picked up, and need to be dropped off at specific depots located within the city for disposal.  To help with reuse, the Solid Waste Management website provides a list of some charities that accepts donated items.

Helping out the environment doesn't always mean to do one huge thing in order to make an impact.  But if everyone can do small things consistently, like following the 3 Rs, the combined efforts of all our actions do make an impact.

A Gift That Keeps on Giving: Charitable Giving

'Tis the season of giving!  With the holidays just around the corner, one of the best ways to give is by making a donation to a charitable organization.  Supporting charities financially will ensure they have the resources to help those in need.  Charities support a diverse range of causes including social services, health, the arts, education, and the environment.

To find out more about a charity's cause, their activities, and how they allocate people's donated contributions, check out their website, and their annual and financial reports.  If you're looking for a cause in which to donate, in Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) maintains the "Charities Listings" resource where you can search for registered Canadian charities.  Information listed here includes the charity name, their charitable business registration number, and contact information.  This resource also provides information on the charity's activities, revenues, and expenditures.  The basic search and advanced search functions of this resource currently do not have a field for keyword searching, nor does it have a section for 'environment' under 'Charity Type' in the advanced search to browse through.  So if you're looking for anything environment related, you may have to browse through all the results.  For more information on what constitutes a registered charity, check the “Registered charity” page on the CRA website.

Regardless of which charity you decide to support, donating to a charity helps the cause go a long way.  It really is a gift that keeps on giving.