Footprints

by Budd Glassberg

Reprinted with permission from the Zionsville Times Sentinel on March 12, 2008

Doing Something Nice for Our Mother

“Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.” – Chief Seattle

The most difficult part of using them in the first month I had them was remembering to bring them into the store from my van. After about a month, I got much better at remembering them. After almost a year of using them, I still get comments on them almost every time I approach a check-out register. I have gotten used to hearing comments like, “Wow, those are really great. Where did you get them?”

Last year, while the Z’GreenFest committee was planning our first Earth/Arbor day celebration, Gigi Nicholas, a member of the committee, brought them in to show the committee. With my first glimpse of them, I said, “Where can I get some?” She directed me to a website and I ordered four. I have been faithfully using them since then.

The Z’GreenFest committee got an earlier start this year so we have been able to procure a bunch of them for this year’s festival. They will be for sale at the festival at our cost (under $10). If you were not among the 600 people who attended last year’s Earth/Arbor Day you may want to circle Sunday, April 20 for this year’s event. Z’GreenFest begins with a children’s fun-run behind Eagle Elementary School at 11:00 AM. The festival takes place there between noon and three that afternoon. There will be a giant Earth-balloon brought to the Eagle Elementary gymnasium that is large enough for a small class to enter and learn many fascinating things about the Earth. Tours will be led every 20 minutes. Traveling musical groups will make stops along the wooded pathways where festival goers will partake in the many tables, both fun and educational, that celebrate our great planet. We will again have games for the children, nature hikes through the woods, art exhibits at the Zion Nature Center, food, drink, raffles, silent auctions and plenty of information ranging from where we might recycle our waste to some of the small steps we might take to protect our environment.

Z’GreenFest is a pleasant event that may act as a catalyst in helping the next generation become good stewards of the earth they are inheriting from us. It is their generation that will have to deal with and clean up the messes left to them by the excesses of this and past generations. There is no better way to assure the continuity of human existence on this planet than to foster our children’s appreciation and love for nature. Places like the Zion Nature Center and events like Z’GreenFest help to provide both fun and educational experiences for the younger generation.

Mother’s Day is three weeks after Z’GreenFest. We all are going to do something nice for our Mother. Consider Z’GreenFest as Mother Earth day. Attending with your family will be like doing something nice for our Mother Earth.

What about the product we will be selling at Z’GreenFest that draws such attention? It is a clever cloth grocery bag with plastic clips that attach to a grocery cart. The clips hold the bag open. While shopping you just place your groceries in the bag. At check-out the groceries are put on the conveyer and then placed back in the bags attached to the cart. When removing the bags from the cart, you just lift up on the bag and then attach the middle strap to lock the bag and keep the groceries from spilling. There are two attached handles to make it easy to carry the bags and then place them in your vehicle. Each bag holds up to 40 pounds. I estimated that in the year I have been using these bags, I have saved about 250 paper bags and even more plastic ones. Think of the trees we might save if we multiplied that by every family in Zionsville.

Budd Glassberg is a 23 year resident of Zionsville who works and volunteers in the community. Visit www.runz.com for reprints of all his columns. You can reach him by email at budd@runz.com.