Father's Day Wrap Up

Traditional wrapping paper is colorful and attractive, but often made entirely from virgin resources. With Father’s Day coming up here are some ideas for eco-friendly wraps:

Reuse newspapers and magazines. The comics section is a personal favorite. The travel section or the Diversions page with Suduko and Crossword puzzles also work well. Or try magazines with high-quality photos to coordinate wrapping with the gift.

Go Natural: Wrap with reused brown paper bags and adorn the gift with pine cones, acorns, twigs and/ or other natural elements found in your own backyard.

Get kids involved: Get the kids to draw, color or paint onto recycled paper shopping bags to create a unique and meaningful wrap.

Get creative with remnants: Fabric, cut-up shopping bags or scraps of wallpaper.

Get Nostalgic: Try old maps, sheet music, play bills or concert posters....

You get the idea, get creative!

GO Native!

Native plants are those that existed within your state or local area prior to the arrival of settlers.

Why should you GO Native? Here are the top four reasons!

• Native plants provide for low maintenance, chemical-free landscapes, because they are adapted to local weather conditions, soils and are resistant to local pests.


• Native plants attract a great diversity of wildlife by providing food, shelter and nesting sites.


• An incredible diversity of native plants provides beautiful flowers and interesting foliage and provides a variety of heights, shapes, textures and colors to the landscape.


• Using native plants in the landscape not only benefits the ecosystem, but can start the educational process for people of all ages, leading to a better understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of our natural environment.