"Green" Endeavours

Up until this year, I have done the typical, easy steps to be more environmentally friendly. I will admit that I was talking the talk and not really walking the walk.  This idea of being green started in college while pursuing my interior design degree. Our focus was on the products themselves and very little else, however, being environmentally friendly encompasses so much more.

Today, I realize just how much deeper being a sustainable person goes. I made it one of my goals for this year (2011) to walk the walk to becoming more "green." It all really started with watching "No Impact Man" and finding The Zero Waste Home blog. These blogs are very disciplined examples of being sustainable. The two things that I find fascinating about these blogs are how they see the problem from so many angles and how  for these families it was a process with small, accomplish-able steps.  I believe that every little bit helps in what you are doing so this year my boyfriend and I are starting the process. I do not know if we will ever be equal to those two families, but we are making better choices because of it.

Prior to this year, I was recycling, turning lights off, and trying to use reusable bags. Already this year we have implemented a worm composter at our apartment, buying more bulk, going to farmer's markets to support our local farmers and economy, started gardens (my next blog post) and really started looking at how our items are packaged.

Our farmer's market that is within
walking distance!

Problems are numerous in our world today, but for me all I can control is what is right in front of me.  Great changes do not happen over night, they take time and dedication.  In just under six months, my boyfriend and I have made a difference that we can see.

What's in a name?

To give a little background, I will start with the name of my blog. Since I was young, I have always had a fascination with trees and turtles.

Trees bring to mind a plethora of wonderful memories. As a child, on the farm that I grew up on in Alabama, we use to play in the trees, gather the leaves and play with them, and ride horses and bikes among them. Beautiful old trees have always been awe-inspiring to me.

I also have many fond memories of turtles.  Collected in the local lake where I grew up, I have owned many painted turtles. I also owned a tortoise for a short time. My friends and family realized my passion and gave me many turtle figurines of all shapes and sizes.  Turtles represent a home and a continual presence of patience one should have in one's life. A simplistic lifestyle that we could all learn from, turtles carry their home with them wherever they travel.

A small sampling of my collection

Trees and Turtles represents my appreciation of balance with nature and urban surroundings. This blog is my place to bring these two areas together in a way that corresponds with a few industrial passions: healthy places to live and more community oriented societies. I realize that these ideas encompass a great deal of topics, but in my mind all of these components (Design, Health, Sustainability and Community) can and should work together.