Happy EARTH DAY 2014!

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Posted on April 22, 2014

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day today? I am planning to celebrate with friends, environmentalists and all who happen along The Hague Earth Day event this evening (hopefully you included!), from 17:00-20:00 at the ABC Bookstore (Lange Poten 23).

I am happy to announce that Jelena Ratkovic, a student at the Koninklijk Conservatorium, will be playing classical guitar this evening at the event, with pieces from composers J.S. Bach, G. Regondi, F. Tarrega, A. Barrios, and M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco. You may be thinking you’d like to come, but right after work, you will be hungry, seeing as 17:00-20:00 falls right within dinner hours. Fear not! Fine Fresh Foods, a locally owned, organic restaurant will have “forgotten vegetable sandwiches for sale as well as freshly squeezed organic juices, cookies and bars. Here is a list of participants:

AVN (Algemene Vereniging voor Natuurbescherming)

AVN is an 88 year old lobby organization for green interests in The Hague and environs. We inform the public and the municipal and provincial governments and politicians on the values of nature and the environment. www.avn.nl

Author Kristin Anderson

Co-organiser of Earth Day The Hague along with the American Book Center, Anderson will be signing her debut novel Green. This opposites-attract love story between an environmental activist and an upwardly mobile career woman explores the challenges of living green in an urban society. www.authorkristinanderson.com

DHiT (Den Haag in Transitie / The Hague in Transition)

DHiT facilitates the coming together of the local community in The Hague to take steps towards a vision of a green, creative and self-sustaining city. In order to achieve this we challenge and transform the current societal paradigms of how we live and work together. www.denhaagintransitie.org

Fine Fresh Food

Locally owned, organic restaurant located at Korte Houtstraat 14C, 2511 CD Den Haag, offers organic faire, fresh squeezed juices, Fair Trade coffee and tea. www.finefreshfood.nl

Haags Milieucentrum / The Hague Environmental Center

For 22 years, the Haags Milieucentrum has been supporting local organisations dealing with nature and the environment. We provide information about sustainability to citizens, companies and the municipality, and try to make it easier for citizens to lead their lives in a sustainable manner. www.haagsmilieucentrum.nl

Jelena Ratkovic, Classical Guitar

Jelena Ratkovic, a student at the Koninklijk Conservatorium will play pieces by J.S. Bach, G. Regondi, F. Tarrega, A. Barrios, and M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco

Project Bloeiende Boomspiegel

This Hague-based organisation transforms empty dirt patches beneath city trees into blooming colourful oasis’ for bees, butterflies and insects, bringing pockets of nature into the city that can be appreciated by all. www.stokrozen.nl

Seafirst Foundation

The Sea First Foundation does just that – puts the sea first. We raise awareness about the wonders of marine life, the environmental services that the ocean provides us and the multiple threats that it faces. We give lessons at schools and talks at various venues. We also do beach cleans and celebrate World Ocean Day on June 8^th every year. www.seafirstfoundation.nl

Hope to see you there!

Haags Milieucentrum at Earth Day The Hague 2014

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Posted on April 21, 2014

When I think about environmental organizations, quite often the flashy, daring ones first come to mind: Greenpeace, Earth First!, the Sea Shepherds or the Organic Consumer’s Association and their Millions Against Monsanto campaign. These organizations are out on the front line, radically fighting the battle for the environment in their own ways. And while there is much to be said about their bold, attention grabbing approaches that pull our thoughts toward the environment, we also need steadfast, local groups that bring awareness of local environmental issues and offerings to our fingertips. The Haags Milieucentrum is one such organization, and they will also be represented at The Hague Earth Day Celebration this coming Tuesday, Arpil 22nd, 2014 from 17:00 to 20:00 at the ABC Book Center (Lange Poten 23, The Hague).

I asked Bob Molenaar, an employee of Haags Milieucentrum to give me a short summary of what the Haags Milieucentrum does. Here it is in a nutshell:

For 22 years, the Haags Milieucentrum has been supporting local organisations dealing with nature and the environment. We provide information about sustainability to citizens, companies and the municipality, and try to make it easier for citizens to lead their lives in a sustainable manner.

In other words, The Haags Milieucentrum (The Hague Environmental Center) provides information on all things Green in The Hague. Want to know where you can recycle your mobile phone? Look on their recycling link (consumptie en hergebruik). Want to learn about environmental activities coming to The Hague? Check out their home page. Curious about energy and climate projects and information relevant to The Hague? Check out their Energie en Klimaat link. Perhaps you’re not one to peruse websites, but prefer to get the latest news right in your email box. That’s also possible! You can sign up for their Haagse MilieuMail (The Hague Environmental Mail) e-newsletter and have a list of current eco-events delivered to your inbox.

Come meet representatives of Haags Milieucentrum, rub elbows with others who care about our planet, enjoy some local, organic food, listen to classical music, be tempted by a number of books about the environment, and celebrate the Earth this coming Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 at The Hague Earth Day event (ABC Bookstore), and don’t forget to bring a friend!

Haags Milieucentrum

Everyone is welcome!

Happy Easter everyone and Project Bloeiende Boomspiegel

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Posted on April 20, 2014

Happy Easter everyone! Today was filled with shared meals, family and friends, a sense of peace, prayer, hours in the park playing and flowers gracing table tops and forest paths. And speaking of flowers, my thoughts drift naturally to Project Bloeiende Boomspiegel. One of the featured eco-friendly organizations that will be at The Hague Earth Day event this coming Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 at the American Book Center (Lange Poten 23) from 17:00-20:00.

I spoke with Antoon Moonen, the founder of this wonderful organization, and asked him for a summary of his project.

Project Bloeiende Boomspiegel is a Hague-based organisation that transforms empty dirt patches beneath city trees into blooming colourful oasis’ for bees, butterflies and insects, bringing pockets of nature into the city that can be appreciated by all.

If you are American, you may be wondering why Mr. Moonen misspelled colourful and organisation. That’s because he heralds from New Zealand, where they learn the Queen’s English (that British Queen).

I am lucky enough to live in the neighborhood where Mr. Moonen launched this brilliant project, which means the trees gracing our neighborhood sidewalks are surrounded by leafy plants that will shoot forth long stocks laden with beautiful flowers over the next few months. These flowers aren’t meant to be clipped for that vase on the center of your table, but to stay around the bases of the trees to decorate our neighborhoods.

What I love about this grass roots project is that it brings neighbors together at specific times each season, whether it is preparing the ground and sowing the seeds in the Spring, tying the long flower stocks back in the Summer, or harvesting seeds in the Fall.

In addition to all of that comradery is the richness of nature brought right into our city streets. And I must say, beautiful, blooming flowers are a vast improvement to dirty patches of earth. You would think a flower is just a flower, but they seem to make a big difference in our lives when they are grouped together and in such great contrast to cement, brick and buildings. The large city trees rise like beacons to the city dwellers, and the “bloeiende boomspiegels” at their bases ask us to take pause, smile and enjoy their beauty.

Meet members of the Project Bloeiende Boomspiegel at Earth Day at ABC Bookstore between 17:00-20:00 on Tuesday April 22nd, contact them on their website http://www.stokrozen.nl or consider attending their project information evening just after the Earth Day event:

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014
19:45-21:30
Wijkcentrum Bezuidenhout
Johannes Camphuijsstraat 25
2593 CH

For more information on Earth Day The Hague 2014, see my April 10th post here on Author Kristin Anderson.