We all know that small changes can have big impacts.

Carbon offsets, hybrid cars, rechargeable batteries, organic food, natural cosmetics, recycled paper.

Isn’t something missing from our frequently discussed eco-conscious options?

How about cutting your damn hair!

Think of all the resources that go into maintaining long hair: water, products with questionable ingredients, electricity (for hair appliances and frequent towel laundering), money, and most importantly - time.

You could save on all of these things by simply cutting your hair shorter. Most men are known for having short hair, so it is the women of the world who need to wake up and chop it off. Remember the 1950s? Some of the most popular women of that era had hair above their shoulders. Sophistication, authority, beauty - short hair says it all.

Long hair is often a personified characteristic of youth. A recent study from University of Pecs in Hungary proves that long-time tradition is changing. “Women with longer hair seem healthy, intelligent, and mature, while women with short hair are seen as more youthful, honest, caring, and emotional,”says Liz Somes in Psychology Today’s January/February 2008 issue.

From a logical perspective, it is easy to see why short hair equals youth. Long hair takes years to grow. Short hair is worn by babies worldwide. Ba-da bing, ba-da boom. Just about every woman has had one of those nightmare haircuts that you just can’t fix, but fear to go short. Long hair used to be seen as what makes a woman feminine. Well times have changed!

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With the announcement of fellow eco-model/writer/23-year-old Gemini Summer Rayne Oakes as EarthFirst’s “Hottest Girl in Green” late last week, I’ve gotten many emails from friends and fans asking how she ended up at #1 while I was at #17. I must say it is quite flattering to have people asking. What I am bothered by are the rumors floating around for months about Summer and I possibly having some sort of rivalry or “bad blood” for each other. So … will you soon see a sustainable battle of the stylish kind?

I hate to burst your bubble - but no. There is no bad blood between Summer and I, at least not from my end. Why did she end up at #1 and not me? Was it her college degree? Her brown hair? Extensive appearances in the press? Who knows, but I’m not worried about it. I am more than delighted to see that Summer has come so far, so fast. Would I love to be in her position? Of course! That doesn’t change the fact that we both live separate lives and have developed different paths that we gladly follow.

It may come as a surprise to hear that I actually worked directly with Summer while I was still living in New York City. We did a winter fashion show together and while she seemed quite distracted, Summer was still enjoyable to be around. Even after only spending an evening with her, I had a feeling that would not be the last time I heard of Summer Rayne Oakes. Since that event, we have not come face-to-face again, but it would be interesting to see her and congratulate her on all her success - I bet she wouldn’t even remember me.

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When presented with the concept of human rights, many people instinctively think of the inalienable rights to life, liberty, justice and freedom of expression (among others). All these fantastic opportunities notwithstanding, I think something is still missing from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which turned 60 this year. What’s absent? Environmental rights.

As part of the Bloggers Unite For Human Rights event today, I’ve decide to put a difference spin of the issue and lack of international rights in both first and third-world countries. There is no denying the overarching issue of human rights all over our planet, but with the environmental movement reaching its second peak (the first being in the 1960s), it is clear (no pun intended) that having access to pristine land, water and air are vital parts of human existence.

Would you move to a neighborhood with a river full of raw sewage? How about living on land that has nuclear waste buried under it? Most would instantly avoid these places, but what about people who can’t afford to be choosy? Should they be “punished” due to their lower income. No. No no no. The RIGHT to a safe environment should be the very same as the right to life itself. How can we live a full life with the onslaught of both local and corporate pollution inundating ever element of our day?

Let’s turn to conversation to third world countries for a moment. Unstable governments and low national income are issues seen across the board, but does that mean they should be given the blessing of clean air and sparkling rivers? Of course not. Industrial progress has been set as the international standard for success without much considering to what it has and is doing to the only home we have.

Color, creed, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and economic background should not be grounds for discrimination on the air we breath … it shouldn’t, but it is. (more…)

Let me preface this post by saying that I grew up in Indiana and have a certain fondness for corn. With that being said, just how much this unique crop has been homogenized and commercialized is nothing short of disgusting. Released last year, the eco/foodie documentary King Corn presents a dramatic and grounding perspective on just how much corn is now a part of our lives … even in ways we didn’t expect.

If you are looking for my final say on the movie, I’ll save you some time and tell you right now: buy this movie. Don’t just go see it - buy it. Now, if you want to know what I’m such a fan of it, feel free to keep reading along.

The documentary starts off a bit slow, but it takes much-needed time to introduce everything that is going on. For the first half hour, it seemed like it is going to be all about how fantastic corn is and how it is ok for it to be such a freakishly massive part of our lives. Thankfully, that all changes pretty quickly as co-producers and co-stars Ian Cheney (left, in the picture above) and Curt Ellis (right) are shown the error of America’s ways in rapid succession. You almost feel as though your are right there with them, every step of the way, feeling their shock and awe at just how much our food system has changed in a matter of two generations.

Even though I grew up in part of the heart of the “corn belt”, I was unaware that a large percentage of these questionable changes to our industrial food system happened in 1973, thanks to a man named Earl Butz. (more…)

In the three months since I added my name to the Anthropologie mailing list, I’ve received four catalogs (Stitch Book, November 2007, Giving Book, and December 2007) in my mailbox. From a sustainable standpoint, one could see these happenings as an eco-nightmare, but I think of it more like visual heaven.

Though the latter three catalogs left me drooling and dizzy with ideas, the Stitch Book caught the bulk of my attention due to it being filled with … stitched stuff! OK, let me be a bit more specific - the Stitch Book is full of sweaters of all shapes and sizes, all featuring impeccable knitted and crocheted designs.

Out of all the available goods in the Stitch Book, the Joona Handknit Hoodie (on the cover and in the image to the left) had me the most entranced: a Little Prince & Piggy original, handmade over the course of 100 hours using several skeins of lush mushroom yarn. Designed with irreverently gathered sleeves and an oversized hood.

Can Anthropologie’s goods really be considered sustainable? That’s a good question and it’s one that I don’t have the answer to. I recently found out that they previously carried a few goods by one of my all-time favorite eco-brands Stewart+Brown (four of which are on-sale on the website). But carrying four tops made of organic cotton doesn’t change the lack of sustainability of the rest of the goods. Seeing how much wool and leather is featured in the catalogs makes me squirm (including the aforementioned hoodie). (more…)

Am I the only person that felt up-in-arms after hearing about all-natural Burt’s Bees being bought by the Clorox conglomerate? Having touched on the subject of sustainable sellouts once before on Victoria-E.com, the buyouts within the beauty industry have increased immensely in the past year (including Body Shop going to L’Oreal and Jason/Zia to Hain Celestial) … but WHY?

Extra investment capital and access to a wider market are the two most common reasons I’ve heard for a company being “absorbed” or bought out by another. Both are good arguments in favor of selling, but are you willing to do it at the cost of your current customers and their safety? What happened to the three-point bottom line of planet, people, and profit? Can no one be happy with their current success and not constantly insist on growing bigger and bigger and bigger?

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It’s already past 6pm here on the West Coast, which means over in Australia, Blog Action Day is already officially over. Why did I take so long to write my post? Good question, and I applaud you for being curious. With the topic of “environmentalism” as my backdrop, I spent most of the day trying to decide just what to write about … and I kept coming up blank.

Concern for the planet is such a diverse topic that trying to zero in on one concept was driving my mind bonkers. Even after a most enjoyable nap with my sweet cat (which usually clears my mind out and helps me get going), just made me feel groggy and confused. So, here I am, telling you why I haven’t written my post instead of picking an idea to post about.

With my usual nap not doing my any good, I decided it was time for a shower. Warm water, Aveda hair products, and a whole lot of steam was exactly what I needed. Now, I have my topic: local activism. A massive online community and commercial market has developed around the concept of living a more greener life. Even as a media person, I feel overwhelmed by this expansive of information and opinions at least once a week - how do I fit in? How can anything I do make a difference?

One of the most common things I hear is something along the lines of “why bother” when it comes to being involved in sustainable action. Well that is quite defeatist, isn’t it!? It’s easy to get lost in the sea of organic products, eco-fabrics, sustainable energy and green building - taking a page of the hippie generation, “You gotta simplify, man!” Start doing small things in your own life and your surrounding community, such as establishing or advancing a recycling program or volunteering to clean up a nearby park. No, you’re not going to win a Nobel Prize like Al Gore, but that’s not what being green is about - you don’t need a metal to know that you have made a difference; you’ll be able to see your success on your neighbor’s faces and the birds that return to perch in the trees on your sidewalk.

OK, that all sounded a bit cheesy, but it’s true. Most non-profits focus on national issues, but they all have an impact on a local level, and by starting there; by getting involved in local elections and decisions; you can start to have an impact long before the World Wildlife Fund raises money for its next project.

What matters to you? The last time you took a walk (or drive, but preferably a walk) through your neighborhood, what did you see that bothered you? I can’t count how many times I’ve spotted a local headline online or in The Examiner that made me think, “what the f**k are they doing!?” There’s no better time to start taking action than right now - click over to Google and search for you city or state’s official website, find out about upcoming elections or meetings and make the decision to participate, shop at “mom and pop” stores instead of big chains and visit a nearby farmer’s market for this week’s grocery trip; these are just a few of the thousand small things you can do in your own area to change things for the better.

This has all started to sound a bit preachy, hasn’t it? Let’s end this first-ever B.A.D. (eep, I just noticed that it spelled that; how funny) on a positive note - here is a collection of Blog Action Day posts from my regular reads; enjoy!:

+ Problogger - How Can Bloggers Be Environmentally Responsible?
+ Zen Habits - 5 Ways Save the World, While Getting Fitter, Saving Money, Simplifying, and Becoming Happier
+ FreelanceSwitch - 29 Simple Ways to Become a More Environmentally Friendly Freelancer
+ Tiny Choices - What Tiny Choices has taught us
+ GroovyGreen - Hu Says China To Go Green and The Pig Farmer
+ Sew Green - Take Action Today!
+ Keetsa -Blog Action Day and Earth
+ Freshly Blended - Blog Action Day
+ GOOD Magazine - I’ll Be A Monkey’s Uncle!
+ Green Options - It’s Blog Action Day for the Environment
+ Treehugger - Blog Action Day Takes the Blogosphere by Storm

Finding a workshop related to fiber crafts (knitting, sewing, crochet … etc.) is as easy as pie, no matter the area you live in, but what about recycling those computer chips and metal hangers? Spotted recently on the ReadyMade blog, the groovy green handiworkers of the Bay Area have started the Made From Scrap company, a workshop warehouse “designed and built by artists, instructors, and students, those who want to learn, investigate, tinker, recycle, teach, meet, and have fun.”

Made From Scrap’s first set of workshops have been announced, which start in mid-September. Their offerings include: from plastic bags to kites, from bottle caps to coffee table, from pallets to birdhouses, and many more. You’re asked to bring your own materials (a specific list is included on each workshop’s registration page), and the instruction itself is affordable, ranging from $25-30 each.

Being a new establishment, they are currently looking for a variety of workshop ideas and local teachers - no matter your skills or ideas, they can be integrated into a fun, useful, and eco-based project for others to learn from. According to the organization’s website, “because the only criteria we have for our workshops is that they focus on re-using objects, imagination is the only limit!” If you want people to reduce how much they purchase and reuse what they already have (or can find in second-hand stores and yard sales), you have to give them the hands-on knowledge and resources they need to learn how to do so.

Not only is this establishment a great chance for your average consumer (crafty or otherwise) to learn about the breadth of recycling options, it initiates the possibility for workshops like these to be organized and promoted all across the US, as well as the world - I could easily see these types of classes booming in Europe. With the crafty, Do It Yourself movement becoming a true staple in our society, I’m quite sure that this is a key market to be embraced if we want to have any hope of surviving on this planet for the next few centuries. Very few will doubt that our lives are far too complex and busy to be truly enjoyed, so taking the time out to nurture and preserve our resources, as well as our creative inclinations, will not only help our ecosystem, but our spirit as well.

If you’re going to inspire “young people” to be green, visual stimuli is a must. A new style of pop culture has been flourishing for years, now available at your local newsstand thanks to magazines like Juxtapoz and Giant Robot. Tapping into the heart of this visionary social culture, Giant Robot’s San Francisco gallery is opening its third installment of the Tree Show this weekend in the Haight.

“The concept for the tree show was originally conceived by Eric Nakamura, owner and publisher of Giant Robot Magazine and stores. Artists that we worked with inspired the concept, trees and nature are universally beautiful and appreciated across all cultures,” Myleen, GRSF’s manager and curator for Tree Show III, told me yesterday.

As with its two previous incarnations, TS3 is a group exhibition featuring “arbor-inspired pieces by painters, illustrators, and other creators from street art, indie comics, printmaking, design, and crafty art backgrounds.” For an extra eco-element, this year’s show is also a fundraising effort for SF non-profit Friends of the Urban Forest, donating a portion of artwork sales to the organization’s tree planting efforts. “The partnership is a new development. It’s a great way for us to connect
what we do in the gallery with the local community,” mentioned Myleen. “[Art is] an important factor [for the green movement]; documenting, re-interpreting and informing people about the issues that threaten our environment.”

Returning contributor to the Tree Show series, Bay Area artist Bigfoot’s work has a consistently unique green theme. “My love of Nature is and has always been an inspiration and propelling force in my work. I depict a lot of trees with my bigfoot characters, so it was natural to be in all 3 shows,” he told me today. “[Eco-change] is the main drive of my art. The human powers that be are trying to destroy the planet; humans are lies and Nature is the truth! The more I can spread that vision of respecting Nature and seeing the magic, the more somebody might try to do something to change it. I wish everybody would stop how they have been living and start healing the earth.” A recent visit to his studio was featured on Fecal Face and pictures of his March solo show in LA can be seen on Juxtapoz (both are a visual treat).

Running until August 8th, an opening reception with many of the contributing artists attending is being held this Saturday, July 14th from 6:30pm-10pm. I hope many of you will be able to stop by and see this gorgeous exhibition; I’ll also be at the reception this weekend, so make sure to say hi! Giant Robot SF is located at 618 Shrader Street, between Haight and Waller Streets.

Art created by Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch

Time for another weekly edition of Carnival of the Green, organized by the nifty folks at TreeHugger. Last week, the COTG was hosted by Groxie; next week, hosting duties are covered by Enviroblog.

Natural Collection is giving residents of the UK and Ireland a chance to win an eco holiday.

This week on everydaytrash, middle school students in Brooklyn talk to Leila about starting a composting pile to turn cafeteria waste into rich soil for the whole community.

The Expatriate’s Kitchen asks “Where’s My Beef (Coming From)?”

According to Avant News, oil exec sequestration may provide the answer to global warming.

DC Birding Blog links climate change, land use, and bird diversity.

Using an old map of Australia, Debitage talks about how 19th century Europeans thought nature imposed no limits on the rational use of the land.

Welcome to the Future presents the first in a series of comic strips about Weapons of Mass Harvesting.

The EcoStreet team tests a number of natural sunscreens, chosing their top 5.

There is no good reason to deny insurers access to genetic information, or is there? Decide for yourself at Veggie Revolution and then take the online poll.

Triple Pundit asks if promoting sustainability should be done by rethinking the income tax.

Friday, June 8th was World Oceans Day and blogfish hosted the first Carnival of the Blue.

Myke’s Weblog wonders if we really need alternative sources of energy; to cut back on energy consumption?

Lighter Footstep clues us in on 10 green websites you should be reading.

Miss Malaprop introduces us to the Tyler Bender Book Co, who makes handmade books created from recycled vintage books and an assortment of repurposed papers.

David, the EcoLibertarian, explains to us what a climate-change deal looks like.

Greener Magazine provides tips on how to stay safe while enjoying the pleasures of summer.

Queercents shows that you can save money while saving your health by buying simpler, more natural products and using them sparingly.

Instead of just trying to beat global warming, shouldn’t we also be trying to adapt to it? Isn’t that what animals do - adapt? Read about living with global warming at The Evangelical Ecologist.

Mom Is Teaching covers the beginning of Low Impact Week by suggesting that homeschooling your kids can help save the planet.

The unintended consquences of the ethanol boom are explored by SelfInvestors.

A small tidbit from my world - today is my 23rd birthday. Warm thanks to everyone who has supported me thus far; there are many more great things to come!

Who knew coffee filters could be couture? I posted about the premiere of a new online, animated series called THE GREENS back in March. The past few months have brought a fair amount of praise for the program, produced by WGBH Boston. The world’s newest eco-driven family is back with their first full episode, called “Walk the Walk“, and it’s about - you guessed it - fashion. Featuring a down home eco-fashion show, THE GREENS also manage to slip in a tip about saving energy by turning down the temperature on your water heater … slick.

Along with the new animated short, there are oodles of pages about the various aspects of sustainable style, such as celebrity sightings, the little brown dress experiement, clothing swap events, futuristic fashion, and plenty more. In conjunction with Zerofootprint, the site has also launched its own kids carbon calculator - a must see for kids, parents, and teachers alike.

“Knit a bag, save the world” - who said being green and crafty can’t make a difference? Trendy Knit.1 magazine, published by VogueKnitting, is sure their readers want to have a positive impact on the planet. “I’d like to think that as knitters, we’ve always been a pretty resourceful group. By practicing our craft, we are ‘recycling’ (for lack of a better word) countless generations of traditions and techniques, giving them our own modern spin,” writes Adina Klein in her Editor’s Letter for Knit.1’s Summer 2007 issue, also know as “the green issue”, on sale May 15th.

“Since we started working on this issue, it seems that every other magazine, from Town & Country to Fortune, has “green” plastered across its cover. It’s easy for us here at knit.1 to do a photo shoot in a garden and call it “Greenhouse Effect,” or to put a model in shiny gold hot pants and call it “Solar Power.” What’s harder is practicing what we preach. I know I have to stop filling landfills with individual containers of my favorite Greek yogurt and to finally start using those long-lasting light bulbs that have been on my to-buy list for months. But luckily for us knitters, doing the right thing comes naturally. To paraphrase blogger extraordinaire Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, we are good at making a difference because we understand how one little effort—the stitch—repeated hundreds and thousands of times, can make an enormous impact.”

Unlike many of the major magazine doing green issue for April/May, Knit.1 has added a green element to just about every aspect of their next issue. Below is a small snippet of the many eco-offerings in the Summer issue; a visual preview of the patterns offered can be seen here:

GREEN SCENE
Shannon Okey searches the Web for all things purlable and earth-friendly.
IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A SKEIN!
…it’s Annette O’Toole and the knitting cast of TV’s Smallville. By Vickie Howell
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Projects, tips and other goodies that will help you knit and save the planet. By Leigh Witchel
ECO KNITTING
Yarns with a cause: Knitting goes green. By Leigh Witchel
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Flirty knits that will make you feel like a natural woman.
PAPER OR PLASTIC?
How about neither? Carry your sundries home in a hand-knit bag instead.
SOLAR POWER
Hot knits for hot days.
CONCRETE JUNGLE
What’s black and white and knit all over? Business wear for urban warriors.
KNIT YOUR VEGGIES
Get out your Wishbone Italian! Yummy knits made from corn to bamboo.
THOSE LEAVES OF GRASS
A salad bar of fibers.
THE BIRDS AND THE LEAVES
Nap in style, swaddled in a blanket that evokes the natural world.
ANIMAL PLANET
Go for faux with a pack of fierce pillows.

Like watching the stars? Check out your Summer knitstology horoscope, complete with eco tips for each sign. An issue like this is all the more proof that green living is more mainsteam than ever before, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. On a related note, keep your eyes peeled for my green knitting piece in Yoga Journal Magazine’s September 2007 issue.

If so, you might want to grab a pad of paper and a pencil, because I’ve got an exciting contest opportunity for you! Azalea, a fashionable retailer here in San Francisco and online, is having a t-shirt design contest based around global warming.

Our intention is to spread knowledge of the environmental threats posed by global warming and to stimulate further action within our community. You are invited to submit up to three T-shirt designs that express your reaction to the effects and consequences of global warming and climate change. All interpretations of this concept are welcome. 5 designs will be chosen to be printed by Azalea in a limited edition run to be sold at our store and online. All of the proceeds from the T-shirt sales will be donated to a cause or organization acting against global warming. Each winning artist will have the opportunity to choose the recipient of their donation.

Please mail, drop off or email your entries to nyssa@azaleasf.com by midnight Sunday, April 1st, 2007. Winners will be notified by April 16th. All entries must be submitted as a viewable .pdf or as a physical T-shirt. FOUR COLOR MAXIMUM per shirt. A launch party unveiling the printed T-shirts will be held at Azalea Boutique on Friday, April 27th, 2007.

You’ve got less than three weeks to submit your designs, so get those creative juices flowing and help to change the world through art and fashion. You can be sure that I will be at the launch party; how about you?

Random note: I hope the t-shirts will be printed on organic cotton or bamboo with eco-friendly inks [hint hint].

Random note 02: A few weekends ago, Loomstate held a nice little trunk show at Azalea that I am still behind on writing about, so stay tuned for that!

I’m a big fan of animation - you’ll find me choosing a cartoon over a show or movie with humans in it any day. Though I’m not certain where this distinct interest comes from, it probably has something to do with all those cartoons I watched with my dad when I was a kid, but I digress. Teaching children through cartoons is as old as the media itself. You’ve likely already heard of The Unsustainables from SustainLane.com, but there is a new set of characters on the web as of today: The Greens.

Just two days into the 2007 TED Conference, this new online animation for kids has been launched from the same program TED used to fund WorldChanging.com. Ed Burtynsky, infamous modern “landscape” photographer, came up with the idea for The Greens and teamed up with the folks at TED to make it all happen.

This broadband project comes from WGBH in Boston, the producer of TV shows like ZOOM, ARTHUR, & FETCH as well as Frontline, Antiques Roadshow & NOVA. But THE GREENS is not on TV. Kids can watch THE GREENS’ comedy cartoon adventures online and then find related games, news, downloads, a blog, action tips, links, and much more.

If that wasn’t enough credibility for this non-profit program to stand on, the Director of Education for Earthwatch Institute is the official Project Advisor, making sure all the info is accurate and educational. The Unsustainables is a cute show, but there is more than enough room for another eco-conscious cartoon to premiere on the web. I’m very much looking forward to future episodes of The Greens and I recommended that everyone check it out (whether you are a kid or not).

As 2007 rolls out we’re going to jump into a whole bunch of weird adventures. Each will launch us into ideas about green living and suggest action that YOU can take to make a difference. We’re starting later this month with FASHION.

Now THAT’S my kind of cartoon.

Despite living in a big city with one of the best parks around (Golden Gate Park, thank you), San Francisco is still a big city - there’s no escaping that fact. One of my favorite aspects of this unique metropolis is that even though millions of people live in this seven-mile square of land, it doesn’t feel all that “packed”. I’ve visited many a-big city and even when you are in the business district of SF, it still doesn’t feel as congested as, say, New York City or Boston. Keep in mind that I am now comparing a West Coast city to East Coast cities, and that is just not fair - they are truly two separate worlds.

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having my mother in town, visiting from Connecticut. It had been almost a year since I had seen here, so I was quite grateful for her company. Though the first few days of her trip were rainy, one day was impeccably clear. On this beautiful day, we decided to head to the previously mentioned Golden Gate Park; more specifically, to the Conservatory of Flowers. First opened in 1879, this is North America’s oldest existing public conservatory. It does not surprise me that such a unique place was treasured here in SF, and it makes me all the more proud to be here.

While roaming through their beautiful variety of plants, my mind shifted to the idea of just where my passion for nature came from. I believe I have my mom’s side of the family to thank for this gift. My grandmother (my mom’s mom) loved to take her grandkids to the nearby National Parks in Indiana at least once a month. Any vacation that my family took had a connection to nature in some way, whether it is the ocean, forests, or gardens. My mother has a clear love for nature, though I wish that caring extended more into an overall care for the environment. These recollections stand as a strong remind of just how impressionable children are; you have to wait many years before you find out the effect of your words and actions on them.

I’m unsure if it was my mom being there, the beautiful day, the breathtaking plants, or having such great subjects to photograph (another one on my long-standing hobbies); either way, that connection with nature was just what I needed to reignite the spark I have for helping to change the world. Working yourself into a rut is common on our society, but that does not mean we should all follow that path. This disconnection from nature that so many cities and towns have come to establish is exactly part of what is wrong with our country and our world. Thankfully, many in San Francisco know just how important this interaction and absorption of nature is, helping to preserve it amongst office buildings, buses, and restaurants galore. If you live in a city of nothing but concrete, it is so very easy to loose sight of just what is important and what society has imposed upon us.

That’s enough philosophical rambling for one day. As mentioned, I enjoy taking photographs a great deal, especially of nature and food. Below are just a few of the best 67 images that I took while at the Conservatory. If you are so inclined, feel free to explore the rest here.