Recycling: The Reverse Pepsi in Fort Worth!

A little over a week ago, we moved our young'un into a TCU dorm. It was one of those crazy days with people directing traffic and orienting others with where to park and where to get this key and that permit and...and...and... There were lots of pillows and Ikea boxes and only one screwdriver, and it fell apart.

Let's go back to the young'un. She has been fairly gracious about putting up with all the tree hugging and organic foods and all that, but she has never really embraced recycling. She made a cursory effort here and there, but just as much ended up in the trash can as in the recycle bin. A little frustrating to be sure.

So we moved her into the dorm on Saturday morning, and by Saturday afternoon, she had become a dedicated and hard-core recycler! Pepsico accomplished with one big, blue, tardis-like box in the dorm lobby what we had not accomplished over several years.

You get a recycling card and swipe it each time you go to recycle. You get points for each item you recycle, and you can redeem those points for stuff. That's where we messed up - we should have paid her to recycle! Thank you, Pepsico, for encouraging our little horned frog to develop recycling as a habit!

From what I can glean from their website, TCU is the only school in Texas participating in this program.

If you want to learn more, check out the program at this website.

If you are a K-12 educator, be sure to check out Pepsi's program for your little learners to become engaged in this very worthwhile effort.

And, if you want to learn about programs to start or encourage more recycling in your community, check this one out.

May you find a way to teach your young'uns to recycle - if they have not already taught you!

Last-Minute Mesquite Hugger Gifts - Texas Wildlife Conservation

Does anyone else see a resemblance to Smaug?

For those of you looking for a last-minute gift for the nature-loving mesquite-hugging wonderful people in your life, here are some suggestions.

Donate money in their name or buy a membership to one of their favorite wildlife conservation groups. Below are some of my faves:

Attwater Prairie Chickens

Bat Sanctuary in Texas

Horned Lizard Conservation Society

Texas Land Conservation

Now, some of you are thinking, "That's great and all, but I want to give a REAL gift, something they can hold in their hands. Come on, Mesquite Hugger, man, be for real!" (My inner voice has a some strange speech patterns.) Well, you are in luck, many of these organizations actually sell tangible gifts. One of my favorite gifts from last Christmas is a black t-shirt from the Horned Lizard Conservation Society. I love to wear that shirt because people ask about it often and I have a chance to talk to others about the ongoing struggle to save these wonderful creatures.

Horned Lizards Store

Or let's say that you share an office with someone who talks about wine all the time. Wine, wine, whine! What better way to let them know they are driving you batty than a bottle of Bat Wine! (Just kidding, JG!)

Bat World Wines

May this list help you in your shopping dilemmas, and may your purchase help to create a better world.