This Plastic Alligator Cleans Florida Beaches!

Fun green and Eco friendly project! 

It's the clever idea from Artist Donald Gialanella and his first time participating with it at the Clearwater Beach festival. He’s responsible for bringing one of his unfinished “Allie-Gator” with him for guests to enjoy and even participate in.

He has done similar projects at other Beaches, such as Fort Myers, Florida.

“The piece is made for bringing awareness to recycling. It’s an audience participation piece, an interactive piece, if you will, where people come and they complete the sculpture by adding their single-use water bottles to the ‘skin’ of this sculpture,” said Gialanella.

One Green Thing A Day Pledge Earthday and Everyday

The one-a-day-pledge.  A vitamin for a better world.

Any day is a good time to make a new resolution to be green! 

At Planetpals we think it's never to late to start the pledge to be greener.

Do One Green Thing A Day!

Help Yourself Help the Planet by doing one green thing a day. Planetpals One A Day Pledge makes it easier for you to be green at home, at school, at work and in your little and big world. 

And, just like a one-a-day vitamin, it will make you healthier and happier all around. In fact it will make you and your world better!

Learn how you can be greener everyday and take the pledge. Then, send it to a friend!  Let's color the world green (:)

An Eco friendly Prescription for all of Earth's citizens.

Get this activity free!

Want more activities for Earthday? Check out 

Planetpals Teacher Activities 

What to do with UGLY RUST stains outside your house or on your sidewalk

We are all about making our world more beautiful, so here's another handy tip.

When just getting rid of RUST is a MUST:

One very common problem, particularly in the South, is the rust causeD by sprinklers and our irrigation systems. It’s a result of calcium and lime deposits. What are the best remedies and how do you prevent in the future? Check out these tips below:

Prevention:

Let these simple prevention techniques save you needless frustration and time cleaning

in the future:

• Use a Rust Shield! Purchase this simple plastic device in several variations that anyone can install in no time available at any hardware store, even Walmart.
• Use 1/2 or 3/4 directional sprinklers
• Use one of many Rust Prevention liquids available to help out, too. Products such as UNrust Rust Preventers.

Removal Options:

There are a few products available and they are all quite simple and not very costly. Many people swear by the product “SNOWCAP” mentioned below, there are other products out there, plus natural options, too.

Simply spray that built up rust away with products like SnowCap, Iron out, Por-15. The natural solutions suggested online include white vinegar, etc.

Check out the links and videos below for more detailed information and how to's.

Rust splash guards available at hardware stores:

VIDEOS: How to Power Wash, Repaint,  Remove rust:

HOW TO Remove Rust Stains & Iron Stains from Sidewalk 

Best Method to REMOVE RUST STAINS from Concrete!! (Cheap & Easy) Sidewalk

& Driveway 

Rust Remover Challenge: What Removes Rust Stains Off Concrete?

Link to Natural Remedies:

The 5 Best Rust Removal Products of 2023

Help keep your world beautiful

 

What Are Those Unsightly Meters In Our Yards?

Utility Boxes: Wondering what they are, what you can do about them, and who cares for them? They vary among telephone, cable and water meters. Some are obsolete, some still in use. 

They can be eyesores because many of them are leaning, rusty, and broken!  It depends on the type of box or "post" it is and which utility: cable, electric, water, etc, what we can do to it. Sometimes you can call the town utility company and they will replace them. 

Recently, A village of my neighbors tackled the utility box issue together. They paid for the paint and a very generous resident painted them in "Trailing Vine" green that blended in with lawns...and with all painted the same color they disappeared! NIce idea!

There are other solutions such as decorative items sold to cover them, even fake rocks.

Options to update posts:

• Call the provider see if they will replace it with a new one-sometimes they do.
• Landscape and plant around them. If they are a meter (electric) someone has to get at, leave one side open.
• Buy fake rock covers, available in various sizes 
• Buy decorative covers like light posts (for small ones)
• Paint them
• If you are not sure do your research!

*Notes:

On specific meters, If you are in question, check with your HOA, your utility companies: Electric or Water or Cable or town.

1. You can cover boxes and posts as long as you make sure that they are still accessible to workers who may need to enter them.

2. Water meters are flat in the ground and have blue pipes - the Utility Dept usually replaces these.

3. Large boxes (like the one shown) are for multiple units like condos, townhouses, neighborhoods.

4. Check with neighbors who have done theirs, they may have the info.

Let's keep our world beautiful! 

Some fun ideas: 

https://www.pinterest.com/planetpals/utility-box-upcycle-covers

Don't Be Seedless! Find Or Make A Plant Seed Library

Fun Fab Earth Day And Everyday Garden Idea

To Make Your World Greener!

 

What Is A Seed Library?

It's a "Seed Share" idea similar to neighborhood and beach libraries used for books.  

You can sometimes find them at your local library and in a community or neighborhood library box. Seeds are often provided by agricultural colleges, garden clubs and seed share groups. Sometimes there are plant swaps, at your town swap or in your neighborhood, too.

You don't have it? Create it! 

Here are some simple ideas to help you get started:

The Neighborhood Box:

The Library Box

The Garden Group Box

The Plant Swap 

Be creative, if your neighborhood, community, or town doesn't have it. You can always suggest it or make one! All you need is to upcycle a container such as a file cabinet, file box or book shelf. Of course if you are handy you can make a little library house box. 

What  do you share? For seeds you can share flower and plant seeds, seedlings, even cuttings depending on your means. Some people bring extra gardening tools and no longer needed plant pots to plant swaps. Besides the all year swap, you can hold a one day swap, a porch swap or an ongoing seasonal swap. 

The sky is the limit...or is it the Earth? Happy Gardening!

Teach Kids To Be A Planetpal This Earth Hour

Let An Hour Without Power Last A Lifetime!

Watch Planetpals Earth Hour Video:

Here, at Planetpals, we believe that Earth Hour should be just the beginning. We want you to think about the energy you use every day after that.

When Is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour is held on the last Saturday of March each year, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.  This year it is being held worldwide on March 27.

What Is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change.

Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global conservation movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. The numbers have increased every year! Soon the whole world will participate.

Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

What Can You And Your Kids Do?

We suggest you involve the kids in Earth Hour by attending an event or doing it at home.  Plan it ahead of time.  Make it an annual event that you all look forward to. We suggest No DSS, leapfrogs or Ipods...just good old fashioned entertainment. Let them learn a little about what life was like without energy.

• Hold an annual "Earth Hour Party"!
• If it's warm enough cook out
• Plan a Cold dinner and get everyone involved in planning and making it
• Try playing board games by lantern and radio
• Do an Earth craft
• Teach them about energy, how we use it, discuss how to use it more wisely
• Have them research life before "lights" and talk about what they learned
• Discuss modern inventions effected by energy and talk about the inventors
• Talk about how energy changed society
• Talk about the beautiful things on Earth so that they can appreciate what they do have.  Then give them the tools to learn to care for it!
• For ideas, activities and fun facts go to Planetpals Earthday Pages.

Above all, show them Planetpals Hour Without Power Video (below), so that they will get the message!

© JAG Planetpals.com

Date And Time of Full Moons for 2023

Did you know?  Most of the time, the full moon isn't perfectly full. 

We always see the same side of the moon, but part of it is in shadow, due to the moon's rotation. Only when the moon, Earth and the sun are perfectly aligned is the moon 100% full, and that alignment produces a lunar eclipse.  

And sometimes — once in a blue moon — the moon is full twice in a month (or four times in a season, depending on which definition you prefer). 

You can learn more about moon phases at Planetpals.com.

Well, January 6,  we are looking at a full moon in the astrological sign of Cancer, and January moon is commonly called a WOLF Moon. There are many other ancient moon names for every month.

When are the FULL MOONS in 2023?

This is when full moons will occur in 2023, according to NASA:

Date	Name	U.S. Eastern Time	GMT
January 6	Wolf Moon	6:08 p.m.	23:48
February 6	Snow Moon	1:29 p.m.	18:29
March 7	Worm Moon	7:40 a.m.	12:40
April 6	Pink Moon	12:34 a.m.	04:34
May 5	Flower Moon	1:34 p.m.	17:34
June 3	Strawberry Moon	11:42 p.m.	03:42 on June 4
July 3	Buck Moon	7:39 a.m.	11:39
August 1	Sturgeon Moon	2:31 p.m.	18:31
August 30	Blue Moon	9:35 p.m.	01:35 Aug. 31
September 29	Harvest Moon	5:57 a.m.	09:57
October 28	Hunter's Moon	4:24 p.m.	20:24
November 27	Beaver Moon	4:16 a.m.	09:16
December 26	Cold Moon	10:33 p.m.	03:33 GMT on Dec. 27

What To Do With Outdated Calendars

Eco Friendly ideas for re-purposing old calendars

It's the end of the end of the year and that means that your calendar is now outdated! Unless, of course, you are using a perpetual calendar, it's time to let go.

If you are like many people, you probably hate to just toss your beloved calendar in the trash.  Perhaps it was given to you by someone special or on a topic you really adore. Yes, you enjoyed it for a whole year and now there must be something you can do with it!

Whether your calendar was on vintage posters, 50's cars, or travel to a favorite destination,  there are actually a few things you can do to save it from the trash heap: 

• Frame it. Save your favorite images as wall art
• Make a collage or decoupage using many images 
• Make recycle ART.  Try rolled frames, mirror frames, beads, more
• Make a book or journal
• Make a picture morgue (library)
• Use it for crafts such as bookmarks, gift tags, wrap and note cards
• Save for scrapbooking projects
• Use it as a birthday calendar to record friends and families birthdays
• Donate it to freecycle, your book swap or your town swap shop (one man's trash is another's treasure)
• If you are a teacher or program leader, collect them from parents, they are perfect for class projects
• Use it another year . These years have the same calendars as 2023 (the selected year is highlighted): 1933, 1939, 1950, 1961, 1967, 1978, 1989, 1995, 2006, 2017, 2023, 2034, 2045 and 2051 Check any year: Visit this site and find out!
• Put it in the recycle bin if all else fails.  Recycle

NOTE: There used to be an organization called "Calendars for Kids Recycle Project" but as far as I can see, it no longer exists.  If you know of another, let me know!  I am happy to pass it on.

And remember, if you get too many calendars as gifts  this year, pass them on to a friend or give them to a thrift.  Someone will be happy to use a new one! 

Speaking of calendars, Have a GREEN  Year!