High Mesa Happenings

2012 Ruidoso Earth Week Celebration Apr. 14-22

 It’s a Hoedown!  

 Free workshops, a clean-up and a picnic!

www.Ruidosoearthday.com   937-2725

Earth Week Opportunities brought to you by: Common Ground, Dr. Jim Miller, EcoServants, ENMU –Ruidoso, Healthy Life Initiative,   Johnny Appleseed, Keep Ruidoso Beautiful, PNM, Ruidoso Parks and Recreation,       Ruidoso Public Library, Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce, Team Apple Core, Village of Ruidoso , &

many wonderful volunteers!!!

FREE opportunities geared towards greener living and stewardship hosted by local experts                                                              

Sat 14^th 10am-11am- Rain Water Harvesting– Ruidoso Public Library, 258-3704      

Sun 15^th - Any time - Plan your own event, meet with friends/neighbors for your own power out, plant indoor seedlings,  invite others to picnic or events    

Mon 16^th, 11:30-12:30pm – Water for Thought– ENMU Rm 112 , 257-2120 hosted by Science Guys                 

Tue Apr 17^th, Noon-1:00pm – How to Start a Recycle Program (Home or Business), ENMU Rm 103, 257-2120                                                                           

Wed 18^th, Noon-1:00pm – Learn about Composting Smokey Bear Ranger Station, 257-4095, 5pm-7pm – Earth Friendly Crafts – ENMU,-lobby  937-2725, make various recycled crafts, supplies provided                                                                     

Thur 19^th, 8:30am & 1:30 pm  Energy Efficiency for Business- ENMU Rm 105, 257-7395, am workshops for restaurants, afternoon for lodgers/ small business                                                                                                             

Fri 20^th, 9am-3:30pm Focus on the Future Water and Energy Conference, Ruidoso Convention Center, 257-3012, Tradeshow/workshops by experts                       

Sat 21^st, 8am-11am Keep Ruidoso Beautiful Bank Challenge Clean-up School House Park, 257-5030, register 8-8:45am, Door prizes & lunch provided, 10am-4pm Lincoln County Solar and Sustainability Tour, various locations, Visit Ruidosoearthday.com    

Sun 22^nd,Noon-5pm Earth Day Picnic!!!!! Wingfield Park 937-2725, It’s a hoedown!  

                                                                    

Bag the Bag for Earth Day 2011

Go to thegreenlifeonline.org to take the pledge to give up using plastic bags and enter to win "Bag It" on DVD.

Bag the Bag for Earth Day 2011 & Enter to Win "Bag It" on DVD

The average American uses 500 plastic bags every year. If everyone in the United States tied their annual consumption of plastic bags together in a giant chain, it would reach around the Earth’s equator 776 times!

Plastic bags are bad for the environment, from the oil used in their production to the devastation of sea life caused by the millions of bags that end up in the ocean. We need to stop using them.

So we're asking folks to Bag the Bag this Earth Day, and pledge to give up using plastic bags.

And by taking the pledge, you'll be entered to win one of five copies of Bag It on DVD. Bag It is an award-winning documentary about the problem of single-use plastic and what can be done about it.

You can find out about more ways to spread the word about the Bag the Bag pledge and enter our giveaway up to three more times after taking the pledge and help us reach our goal of 1,000 pledges to Bag the Bag this Earth Day. All you need to do to enter is take the pledge and spread the word -- no contribution is necessary. Winners will be chosen randomly from pledges and other promotional activity completed by April 23, and will be contacted on Monday, April 25. This promotion is limited to people living in the United States

Free Workshop & Mini Trash Clean-up

There is a Free Healthy Relationships workshop this Wed. at noon at ENMU.  Bring a date. 

There is a mini trash clean-up from 9-10:30 on Sat. the 25th sponsored by Keep Ruidoso Beautiful. call 257-5030 for more on the clean-up.

How To Clean Up Oil Spills From Where YOU Are

Now, here is something we all can actually DO to help with this.
The video is NOT full of gloom and doom, and offers a method of helping that may surprise you. Please watch… 

And pass it on if you will…  Thanks.

Video     Matter of Trust.org

kw

Garbage Dreams: a Reality Show

Garbage Dreams

(2009)

A  Movie Review by Michael Mullaley

of The Green Life 

When Adham, a 17-year-old who lives in a garbage village on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, is asked what he'd do with all the trash if he owned a landfill, he says: "I'd dig it out. It's all a gift from God to be recycled and reused."

Where he lives, recycling and reusing are more than earth-friendly actions; they're the only ways of life. Adham is part of the Zabbaleen (Arabic for "garbage people"), a peasant community whose only source of income is to recycle trash collected from the streets of Cairo – a city with no waste-disposal system.

A crisis ensues when Cairo decides to contract companies from Spain and Italy to dispose of the trash. The film follows Adham and two other trash-collecting boys, Nabil and Osama, chronicling the choices they make to secure their survival. Forced to adopt newer trash-collecting methods, the Zaballeen start a recycling school where children learn to read, write, and do business.

The film does an excellent job of portraying the cultural pressures that the boys deal with, and provides a touching example of hard work and perseverance in an attempt to make the best life possible. It's humbling to watch these teens aspire to live like Westerners, and a good reminder of how much we take for granted.

Picture at Wikipedia

Living Green at HMHC

A survey came to the HMHC mailbox bringing the opportunity to reflect on how HMHC is Living Green. Below is a description of the Earth friendly practices at the center.

 

The Green Living practices outlined below are extensions of the practices Barbara Mader, RN, CHTP, RM, and Founder of High Mesa Healing Center, is conducting herself at home.

 

 

Green Home/Energy Saving at HMHC: Yurt, Bookstore and Therapy Rooms
Well insulated buildings and oriented to catch solar heat through huge windows.
Thermostats set to an even 68 and wintry clothing available to visitors.
Thermostats set to 40 when not in use.
Lights and electric equipment off when leaving premises.
Use of solar powered dryer
Cloth Line drying

 

Living Green at HMHC: Colleagues, Clients, Workshops Facilitators, Visitors
Guidelines on Living Green at HMHC available to in-house and public
Preparation for events includes:
* mindful shopping list: is this purchase really needed?
* packaging: buying  in large containers rather than single sizes;
* mindful waste: how soon will products end up in a landfill?
* re-use of items or forward them as donations
* reduce:  gifting with homemade items, or with in-kind donations to charities
* carry canvas bags to store; refuse to use plastic bags
* Waste Awareness Education during Peace Village Camp

Global Warming/Water Issues: HMHC Campus
Ruling out use of plastic bottles to use metal bottles that can be washed and reused  
Ruling out use of Styrofoam for it is not recyclable
Using small plastic bags to store  leftovers instead of plastic containers
Catching rain water for watering plants
Catching tap water for dishwasher and shower use, for animal and plant watering
Using chemical herbicides or insecticides prohibited
Planting trees and Xeriscaping
Watering manually
Mulching

 

Recycling
Paper and plastic recycling bins
Recycling Education during Peace Village Camps
Oven use for multiple cooking
Container recycling program during Peace Village Camps
Composting yard and kitchen waste

Food & Health/Cooking
Ruling out food wasting
Offering healthy snacks, herb teas, juices, and other natural drinks
Recommending organic products

 

 

Posted by Nadette

Phone Book Recycling

Phone Book Recycling is Underway!!!

      

Recycling every old and unused phonebook eliminates 1 pound of paper per book from entering the Otero/Lincoln landfill!

Thanks for doing your part. 

              

When:     Between January 25 to May 15
What:     Any of the 8 area phone directories: Windstream, the Local Pages, QWEST DEX, Directory Plus, Tularosa Basin, MATI, ENMR, & PVT Networks
 How:     Bundle together and drop off in containers
Where:     Participating Post Offices in Alto, Capitan, Corona or Ruidoso Downs OR in the blue cardboard recycling dumpsters OR at Town Hall Carrizozo or Capitan Town Hall .

This recycling event brought to you courtesy of
the Greentree Solid Waste Authority, the VOR Solid Waste Department
and the Lincoln County Recycling Committee

Happy Holidays!

Warm Holiday Season to all our faithful readers!

Thank you for your time, interest, thoughts and sharing.

 

 

Mountain Dew Soda Can Christmas Tree

Posted by Nadette

(Makezine)

Gift Shopping: Do Something Different this Year

The season when gift buying could turn into a major stress collapse, has well arrived. Barbara Mader, RN, CHTP, Reiki Master and Founder of HMHC, has practiced alternative gift giving for a while now, and more recently when her birthday came around. However she is not the only one at HMHC who is practicing mindful gift sharing.

Who better than a long time friend of HMHC would express such practice?

Susan A. , long time friend of HMHC, has sent this essay to inspire or continue to inspire us in thinking beyond the traditional gift box:

The Gift of Giving

When it came time to celebrate a couple of friends' birthdays at High 
Mesa Healing Center, the subject of gifts came up, of course. Usually 
this group gets together for birthdays at a local restaurant where we 
enjoy a meal and then open cards and presents - little things like 
candles or earrings. For Willy's and Zoe's birthdays we did something 
different. Both women decided they would rather the group donate to 
their favorite charities. Cards are precious but I know personally I 
have great difficulty throwing these away, so consequently I have 
boxes of sentimental greetings that I've collected and stored over the 
years.
When I was told the wish was to not receive these cards or little 
gifts, but that we would donate whatever we could to the Food Bank and 
the Humane Society, I was impressed and pleased. We gathered at 
Barbara's home out on the deck and all shared a salad potluck lunch. 
Everyone brought something different and all the dishes were 
delicious. We had a carrot salad, shrimp salad, mozzarella and tomato 
bowl, cole slaw, chicken salad with crackers, home-grown tomatoes, and 
other wonderful salads. After we finished our lunch we sang Happy 
Birthday and enjoyed home-made carrot cake. The donations were 
collected in beautifully-wrapped little boxes with slits on the top. 
Willy and Zoe took their donations and a last piece of birthday cake 
and that's all. We all agreed this is how we will celebrate our 
birthdays from now on. The gift of Giving is the best gift of all!

8/7/09

Thank you Susan for taking the time to write to all of us HMHC readers, and happy gift giving this Holiday Season!

Post and Comment by Nadette

Busting Junk Mail

I thought my mailbox wouldn’t burst but it is: with catalogs and more catalogs, charities and more donations requests, magazines and more subscriptions. Most of them wandering into my clueless box. Darn, I thought I escaped mail tsunami last time I moved. Well, I can’t afford and don’t want to move again. So, I researched and found this below:

 

How Do I Get Rid of It?

• To reduce junk mail, you need to reduce access to your name and address so that it won't be traded, rented, or sold to companies who send you unwanted mail.
• If you do nothing else, follow steps one and two to keep additional junk mail from entering your mailbox. Then you can focus on reducing your current flow of unwanted mail.
• If you are short on time or prefer the convenience of having someone else contact the companies for you, you may want to see if Greendimes, a junk mail reduction service is for you. They'll take your and other family members' names off major direct mail lists, reduce unsolicited credit and insurance offers and unsubscribe you from unwanted catalogs. Go to www.greendimes.com for more information.

Step 1. Prevent junk mail before it starts.

• Remove your name from mailing lists of companies who send you catalogs, sweepstakes entries, and coupons by sending letters or postcards to the companies listed below. Include the following information in the letters or postcards:

Your name
Your address, including city, state, and zip code

This message:
"I am instructing you NOT to LEND, SELL, or TRADE my name to any other organization for its mailing lists.
I want to reduce the amount of paper and resources being spent to generate unwanted mail."

Sign your name and date the card.

• Send separate cards for each person who receives unwanted
  mail at your address, and for any variation of your name that you
  find on your unwanted mail, for example:

Linda Ann Brown
Linda Brown
L. A. Brown
L. Brown

• Contact the companies listed below and ask that they remove your name and address from their mailing lists:

The Polk Company
26955 Northwestern Highway #100
Southfield, MI 48033-4713
No online resource, request must be in writing.

The DMA
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 643
Carmel , NY 10512
www.dmaconsumers.org/
This service will cost $1

Haines & Co. Criss-Cross Directory
Attn: Director of Data Processing
8050 Freedom Avenue., NW
North Canton, OH 44720

ADVO Inc.

Consumer Assistance
PO Box 249
Windsor, CT 06095
www.advo.com/consumersupport.html

Harte Hanks Direct Marketing

Attn: Resident List
6701 Bay Meadow Drive, Suite D
Glenburne, MD 21060
Email: contactus@harte-hanks.com

Carol Wright Gifts

Customer Service
100 Nixon Lane
Edison, NJ 08837-3804
Email: CWSupport@carolwrightgifts.com

Donnelley Marketing

Database Operations
416 South Bell
Ames, IA 50010
No online resource, request must be in writing.

Call the companies listed below and ask that they remove your name from their mailing list.

Call these Toll-Free numbers:

Pennysaver Circulation
800-422-4116
2830 Orbiter St. Brea, CA 92821
(Removal from Pennysaver publication mailing )

Experian Consumer Services
800-407-1088
901 West Bond St.
Lincoln, NE 68521
(Removal from coupon, product sample, and catalog mailings)

Polk Company Consumer Response/Name Deletion
800-873-7655
26955 Northwestern Highway #100
Southfield, MI 48033-4713
(Removal from catalog and service coupon mailings)

1-888-5-OPT-OUT
(1-888-567-8688)

The National Opt-Out Center will remove your name from major credit bureaus including Equifax, Experion, Trans Union, and Novus. It is suggested that the Center be contacted every two years to keep your name from being sold for credit and insurance offers. If you call this number, you don't need to individually call the four major credit agencies. This telephone number connects you to an automated system where you will be asked to leave personal information, including your Social Security number. These agencies already have your Social Security number. It is the most unique piece of information to match you with the many name variations that are sold within the lists and with which junk mail is addressed to you.

• When making donations, ordering items through the mail, or subscribing to a publication, include a note that instructs the organization or company to not lend, sell, or trade your name to other mailing lists.

Step 2. Reduce your current flow of junk mail.

• Remove your name from any mailing lists as soon as you receive an unwanted piece of direct mail. Most catalogs include an 800 number. If so, request that your name be removed from their mailing list (it will take a few months for your name to exit their mailing system). If you receive unsolicited flyers, newspapers, or advertising circulars, call the subscription department, or the company's information number and ask them to remove your name from their list.
• Some junk mail is marked "address correction requested" or "return postage guaranteed." If your mail has this wording, return it unopened to the sender by writing "Refused-return to sender" on the envelope.

Step 3. Recycle the junk mail you do receive.

• Some unwanted mail will undoubtedly get through, so please recycle it!

Step 4. Additional Tips for Reducing Junk Mail:

• Post Office Change-of-Address Cards
  The Post Office rents the information from Change-of-address cards to private businesses. This is how national list brokers, credit bureaus, and others may get your name in the first place. As an alternative solution, send out your own postcards announcing your new address to those whose mail you want to receive. You can also ask the Post Office to hold your mail for pick up until everyone knows your address.
• Warranty Cards
  It isn't necessary to complete warranty cards to be covered by warranty. The only reason to return a warranty card is to find out about product recalls. If you want to return the card for that reason, only provide your name, address, and product serial number.
• Stop Junk Mail Association
  This organization lobbies on behalf of postal privacy rights.
  For more information, call them at 800-827-5549

Why Do I Get So Much Junk Mail?

• When you subscribe to a publication, place a credit card order, order items through the mail or the Internet, join an organization, donate to a charity, or enter a sweepstakes chances are your name is being added to a mailing list of some kind. In addition, there are companies who are in the business of selling your name to other companies who believe you may purchase their products or services.

(Courtesy of Zero Waste, City of Palo Alto, CA)

Sounds like a lot of work. Then  again, the time I spend  removing and shredding name and address labels I tear out from catalogs, envelops and so forth, might as well be spent in going through ALL of the steps above.

Not before I solicit an army of my guardian angels for I sure will need all the patience I can muster!

Post and Comments by Nadette