On April 20 we attended a special Earth Day at the Riverside Arts Market (RAM) in Jacksonville, FL. The Girls Gone Green had a kid's craft where children could make an upcycled craft: a wallet from a juice carton, a bird feeder from the bottom of the carton or a bookmark from recycled paperboard products (think cereal and tissue boxes).

The market gave away some squash and zucchini plants grown by RAM Market Manager John Silveira. He grew the plants from heirloom seeds from one of the RAM vendors. 

There were some other special Earth Day vendors including our friends at Apple Rabbit Compost and EPIC Outreach. Apple Rabbit is a food scrap diversion service giving residents and businesses a way to send less to the landfill. Apple Rabbit currently services the Riverside, Avondale, Ortega, Murray Hill, Springfield, Downtown, and San Marco Neighborhoods of Jacksonville, FL. EPIC Animals Outreach (EPIC) is a nonprofit 501c3 that provides humane education outreach to children and adults in Northeast Florida and seeks to create a more kind and compassionate world for people, animals, and the environment through outreach, service, and rescue.

 Our 2019 No Meat March is in the books and it was a success!

​The first No Meat March took place in March of 2011. It was created to invite those curious about exploring a plant-based diet to sign a pledge for 31-days and forgo meat during the month of March. In its first year, No Meat March touted about 500 participates who were sent daily emails with recipes, information and guidance. In 2013, just two years later, No Meat March went international with little to no advertising budget. Now people from all over the world sign up for the challenge reaching thousands of homes.

This year, we had participants from all over the U.S. and the world, including No Meat Marchers from Europe, Ontario, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia!

We had some great events here in Jacksonville, FL, the birthplace of No Meat March including a veggie sushi making class and brunch with House of Leaf & Bean, a small bites tasting with Plantology, a grocery shopping on a plant-based diet workshop with Kailo Nutrition and a National Reuben Sandwich Day meet up Native Sun Natural Foods Market to eat their deli's Tofu Reuben sandwiches. 

Native Sun was a huge supporter of No Meat March this year. In addition to the National Reuben Sandwich Day event on March 14, they ran a promotion for the entire month of March. For every Tofu Reuben, Tofu Club, Teriyaki Sandwich or Beyond Meat Burger purchased from their deli during March, Native Sun donated 10 percent of the proceeds to Yoga 4 Change, a nonprofit organization that achieves meaningful change for veterans, incarcerated individuals, at-hope youth, and those recovering from substance abuse. With resounding community support, Native Sun was able to donate more than $900 to Yoga 4 Change. 

No Meat March was also heavily featured in the news this year. Even a local newscaster jumped on the bandwagon and signed the pledge for the month, detailing her journey in a series of segments as she progressed. Alex Livingston had The Girls Gone Green Founder and Executive Director Julie Watkins on First Coast Living March 21 to discuss common myths about vegan and vegetarianism. You can check out that segment here. 

Watkins was also featured on News 4 Jax March 5 where she demonstrated how to make barbecue tempeh. Watkins, who is also the owner of the all-vegan Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine, FL, also shared how to make Alfredo Zoodles with Cherry Tomato Tapenade in the March/April issue of Edible Northeast Florida. The special "Eating Plants" edition of the magazine also featured an article on faux meats, how to stock the kitchen on a plant-based diet and vegan recipes from other local establishments. 

The Girls Gone Green Volunteer Coordinator Alicia Smith was featured on I Want a Buzz talking about the campaign. 

We thank everyone who participated and supported this year's No Meat March and look forward to next year! In the meantime, feel free to challenge yourself any month of the year. The 2019 recipes are still posted on the No Meat March website. And check out this article from The Guardian on why eating less meat is the best thing you can do for the planet in 2019 and this climate change food calculator from BBC News that determines your diet's carbon footprint. 

We brought vegan food to the masses at Welcome to Rockville, an annual rock festival that features modern and classic rock bands. Held annually in the spring at Metropolitan Park in Jacksonville, FL, the massive festival draws concert-goers from around the country and the world (hence where the term world-famous #NachoBar came from!) This year's festival took place May 3-5. 

WTR is produced by Danny Wimmer (a Jacksonville native) through his festival production company, Danny Wimmer Presents. The Girls Gone Green has attended every year since its inception in 2011. We've watched the festival grow from a modest one-day affair to the now three-day blowout it's become. 

Every year, The Girls Gone Green offers up our 100 percent vegan #NachoBar nachos with fresh, healthy toppings to keep attendees fueled so they can rock out to their favorite bands. We also run a beer and liquor tent each year with proceeds from both the tips we receive from the beer tent and funds we bring in through #NachoBar going back into our nonprofit organization to help fund our initiatives.  

We've always had a great time and are thrilled when on-the-fence customers try vegan nachos for the first time – namely the tempeh, a fermented soy meat alternative, and the vegan queso! 

On April 13 The Girls Gone Green was invited to help celebrate Eco Relics' five-year anniversary. Eco Relics is an architectural and salvage business located in Jacksonville, FL. You never know what kind of unique treasures you're going to find in the 50,000 square-foot historic railroad building located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. 

The goal of Eco Relics is to keep as much reusable materials out of the landfills as possible. From reclaimed building materials to hardware and an array of antiques and eclectic items, you never know what you're going to find in store. Their driven-based mission is to reuse and repurpose. Material strip out is one of the services offered by the business. On the smaller scale, if a homeowner is getting new kitchen cabinetry, the Eco Relics team can remove the cabinets to resell them in the store. On the larger scale, they can work with demolition crews to strip buildings of  items such as sinks and flooring. 

In 2017, Eco Relics teamed up with the U.S. Green Building Council, Northeast Florida Chapter and Norsk Tiny Homes to create the nation's first LEED Certified tiny home. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.

The tiny home was built using upwards of 75 percent salvaged and reclaimed building materials from Eco Relics. A1A Solar installed a solar energy unit to make the home more energy efficient. The home was on display at Eco Relics' anniversary party and the 8th Annual Northeast Florida Veg Fest. 

Last year, a new tiny home project was announced. The Clara White Mission – a nonprofit with a mission to provide education, vocational training, food, housing and job placement for the homeless – aims to make a tiny home village for homeless veterans in the LaVilla area of Jacksonville.  Eco Relics' owner Annie Murphy will be involved with the project. 

When is a bag just a bag and when does a bag get a second life? And a third, and a fourth...

The Girls Gone Green hosted a grain bag sewing night May 22 at Tabula Rasa Brewing. We've been collecting grain bags from local breweries and other sources for some time now in anticipation of making reusable bags from them. Trash to treasure! 

The bags we made were donated to the Riverside Arts Market bag share program to encourage consumers to use reusable bags over plastic. 

If you would like your own grain bag bag, it's time to get crafty! Ask your local brewery if they have any grain bags they'd be willing to donate to you for your project. (another tip: we also like to use discarded grain bags for cleanups in place of trash bags) You could even use a pet food bag. There are tons of instructions online! Here's the one we ended up using: www.communitychickens.com/diy-chicken-feed-sack-tote

Make a bag for yourself or a friend, or if you'd like to donate your handmade bags to the Riverside Arts Market, we'd be thrilled to have them! Just drop them (or any unwanted reusable bag) in one of the bag share bins any Saturday during market hours (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) or consider donating them to your local farmers market.

​Together we can and will make a difference! 💚

The Girls Gone Green had a blast at Tabula Rasa Brewing's Summer Market May 25! We joined local makers and had our eco-friendly goods on hand to help people build simple, greener habits. 

Tabula Rasa is a new brewery located in Jacksonville, FL. The name is defined by Merriam-Webster as something existing in its original pristine state. The family-owned brewery has a large greenspace that bumps up against McCoys Creek. It's a relaxing place to hang out, have a brew and get back to nature! 

Taylor Tacos food truck served up some delicious grub. Did you know they have a vegan option? We surely do appreciate that! 

Just say no to harsh chemical cleaners that are as bad for your health as they are for the environment! You don't need store-bought cleaners to deep clean at home. In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients needed to make these green homemade cleaners in your home already. Don't waste your money on chemicals when you can make your own cleaners.

Be sure to test a small area you are cleaning with your DIY cleaning product before fully committing to cleaning with it. 

White Vinegar
Water
Rubbing Alcohol 

Mix equal parts and put in spray bottle. Use for countertops, windows and mirrors. This cleanser is seriously fantastic! It won't leave steaks on windows or mirrors. It costs next to nothing to make and one spray bottle will last you a long time. If the smell is too bothersome remember two things. One: If the store bought cleansers have a pleasant smell to you, just think of all the chemicals used to manufacture it! Two: you can try adding some lemon juice or essential oils to the spray to help mask the vinegar smell or just wait for the area to naturally air out after using.

Baking Soda
White Vinegar 
Hot Water

Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda down a clogged drain, followed by about a cup of vinegar. Let the mixture bubble up, then pour boiling water down the drain to clear. Repeat as needed.

Baking Soda
Water, White Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide or Castile Soap

Sprinkle baking soda around the area that needs to be cleaned. Add water, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or castile soap to the baking soda by lightly pouring the liquid or by using a spray bottle. Make a paste out of the mixture and use a scrub brush or rag to scrub the area. Rinse clean. 

Hydrogen Peroxide is great for stains which makes it a fantastic grout cleaner. Vinegar will have a reaction with the baking soda which will help loosen grime. For stubborn soap scum, mixing baking soda with castile soap will help the mixture adhere better for scrubbing.

Plain white vinegar has many uses! It acts as a disinfectant, deodorizer and grease cutter. Vinegar kills harmful bacteria naturally. Buy it in bulk and keep it on hand or make your own! Straight vinegar can be used as a toilet bowl cleaner. Just pour about 2 cups of vinegar into the toilet bowl, close lid and let sit for about 15-20 minutes then scrub with a toilet bowl brush. Hard water stains on the faucet or shower head? Soak the fixtures in vinegar! Use a rag dipped in heated vinegar to wrap around the facet and leave overnight. For shower heads, use a repurposed plastic bag, like a bread bag. Fill the bag with vinegar and secure the bag around the shower head with a rubber band. Leave for a couple of hours or overnight. For mopping, use a couple of cups of heated vinegar mixed with warm water and a couple of splashes of rubbing alcohol to help sanitize. 

Green your holidays with this collection of eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas! According to Sustainable America, an estimated 8,000 tons of wrapping paper is used during the holiday season – that equals roughly 50,000 trees!

Wrapping paper is designed for single-use, and although the patterns can be cheerful and bright, the environmental impact is anything but. Think you'll just recycle the gift wrap? Think again! Most wrapping paper is not recyclable – meaning its final destination is a landfill. 

Instead, everyday household items can be repurposed into creative gift wraps for the holidays or any occasion! 

The handmade cosmetics and beauty products company Lush was inspired by the traditional Japanese art of wrapping cloth called Furoshiki. The company sells colorful eco-friendly fabric wraps in-store and online. The scarfs are made from either organic cotton or two recycled plastic bottles! They'll even throw in instruction cards with directions on how to wrap all of your goodies. The wraps are basically a gift within itself, and the recipient can either pay-it-forward and reuse the fabric to wrap their next gift in or use it as a tote, scarf, or headband.

Never heard of Lush? The company is against animal testing and all products are 100 percent vegetarian. Try the shampoo bar! Ditch the shampoo bottles and use a bar instead (there's even a tin you can purchase to store it in). Conditioner bars are available too.

Here are five ways you can reuse your knot wrap via LushUSA.com. 

Easy peasy and adorable! Check out this idea from "SustainableMags."

• 
  
• Grab an empty cereal box

 

• Cut the tabs off the top of the box

 

• Use a hole punch to make two holes on either side of the box

​

• Thread ribbon, twine, shoestrings (or anything you can think of) through the holes and tie a knot on the ends

​Got a gift certificate or small item such as a bracelet or other trinket? Try this recycled pillow boxes idea from Older and Wisor. How cute are these?

Put a bow on it – you're done! How about this great idea from "Creative Homemaking?" Use your leftover fabric scraps to make fabric twine! 

Rooterville, A Sanctuary, is located near Gainesville, Florida, about one and a half hours from Jacksonville, Florida (where The Girls Gone Green is headquartered). 

So, we grabbed our boots and our friends, and our friends of friends and hit the road to tour the sanctuary and lend a hand for the day! 

But let's back up a bit. What exactly is Rooterville? 
Rooterville was founded in 2004 by Elaine West. The sanctuary, sprawling 30-acres of land, tucked away in a secluded area, truly is that – not only a sanctuary in the sense of a place for rescued animals to live, but a place that all beings, can come and reflect and enjoy sentient beings and serene landscape. The animals roam freely amongst the property.
Today, more than 300 animals call the sanctuary home, including pot-bellied and farm pigs, goats, turkeys, chickens, cows, dogs and cats!

There’s even a butterfly garden, planted in honor of Stella, the first farm pig that came to live at Rooterville. Stella fell from a truck on her way to a slaughter house. She died in 2014, but got to experience what life was like away from cruel factory farm conditions.

The animals who come to the sanctuary are often abused, abandoned or neglected. Many of the residents are former “teacup pigs” who end up growing much larger than the breeder promised. Teacup pigs are a myth. In order for the pigs to stay small, breeders will recommend virtually starving the pigs. (Read more about teacup pigs here).
Other pigs end up at the sanctuary for various reasons. Space and mischievousness, not to mention home owners association rules and zoning laws are just some of the reasons pigs end up at the sanctuary. Pigs can be difficult to care for, if you don’t know what you’re in for. With the intelligence equivalent to a 3-year-old child, a pig’s lifespan is about 20 years and they aren’t fully grown until they are three years old.

Watch this short video to learn more about the sanctuary! 

We spent the day helping fluff hay in shelter areas and place fresh, new hay where needed. You see, the pigs like the hay "just so." And we were warned not to be too surprised if while poking at the hay, a pig or two might rise out of hiding. The hay-laying was in preparation for a cold snap. (Yes, for all those not from the Sunshine State, it does indeed dip into freezing temps in Northeast Florida!) Gotta keep those piggies warm! ​​

The pigs like the hay piled high on the sides and back of the enclosures so they can dive head first into the piles and nestle down for the night.

It's not just pigs who call Rooterville home. The sanctuary also has rescue goats, turkeys, chickens, dogs, cows and more! Click here to read more animal stories!  ​

We had a great day at the sanctuary and hope you visit it sometime soon or support the sanctuary with monetary or physical donations. The sanctuary is always looking for volunteers! ​

 Become a Rooterville member
Make a monetary donation 
​Sponsor an animal 
​Volunteer at the sanctuary

Pig Yoga at Rooterville! Jan. 6, 2018 from 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Tickets are $15 pp. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit the Facebook event page. Space is limited; must RSVP.

Rooterville is located at 5579 Darwood St., Melrose, FL 32666. For more information, call (386) 661-2287, email elaine@rooterville.org or visit www.rooterville.org.