Meat Free Friday–Corn Dogs!

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This week just a quick plug for a product we love.  In the summer, one of my favorite things to do is go to the fair – next week is our county’s annual 4H fair.  A guilty pleasure is the not-healthy fair food!  But when you really want corn dogs and don’t eat meat, what’s a greenmomster to do?  Try Morningstar Farms corn dogs (photo from sonicdrivein.com) – always a hit, and very easy to make if you’ve had a busy day of summertime activities and are a little too tired to cook.  I wasn’t paid for this post – just thought I’d share a great find!

Feathered Friends Can Help You Sell Your House!

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In a 2011 article in the journal Urban Ecosystems, researchers reported that there may be a link between a slight increase in house values and robust bird species diversity.  In the article, authors compared homes that were similar in sale price, size, lot size, and age in 17 neighborhoods in Lubbock TX.  After surveying for various bird species, the authors found that homes surrounded by areas where less common birds are found sold for about $30,000 more than homes without these types of birds.  I found this study to be fascinating and a great demonstration of something most of us greenmomsters already know – it’s pleasant to live in areas with lots of green spaces and wildlife.  I’d love to see the same question asked regarding butterflies – would there be a correlation between less common butterflies and housing prices?  My one question for the authors is (it’s a question that probably crossed the minds of other greenmomsters), did you consider school districts when comparing various homes?

To read this article, see:  Farmer, M.C., M.C. Wallace, and M. Shiroya.  2011.  Bird diversity indicates ecological value in urban home prices.  Urban Ecosystems doi:  10.1007/s11252-011-0209-0.

Kauai Cave Spider–Endangered Species of the Week

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The Kauai Cave wolf spider (Adelocosa anops), also known as pe’e pe’e maka ‘ole in Hawaiian (from Earth’s Endangered Creatures) is found in only three caves on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.   Like other wolf spiders, the Kauai Cave wolf spider doesn’t build a web to capture prey; it relies on speed and chases down its prey.  Like all other spiders, it is venomous; it has three teeth for biting it’s prey.  What’s really amazing about this hunting style is the fact that these spiders don’t have eyes (from Animal Aqua)!  According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species Action Plan, the main threats to the spider are alteration of the caves and surrounding vegetation, non-native predators, and pesticide run-off. 

So really, who cares?  It’s just one little spider in a few caves in Hawaii.  The answer is:   when we protect these little spiders, we help ourselves.  If pesticides from agriculture are bringing these spiders near extinction, there’s a pretty good chance those pesticides in water run-off are also affecting human populations.  It’s in our best interest to clean up the water – the spiders win and humans win!

Planning a beach vacation?

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Before your kids dive into that ocean surf, check out this very helpful report from the NRDC regarding the health of beaches nationwide.  You can find out whether your favorite beach has posted warnings, frequently exceeded safety standards for bacteria levels, or received a 5-star rating last year.   I already checked out our favorite beach!

Meat-Free Friday -- Buffalo Mac!

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This dish is a HUGE hit at our house!  We now have to double the recipe to have enough for everyone.  It's adapted from a recipe in Family Circle Magazine.

Ingredients

1 lb rotini
1 package Quorn chick'n tenders
1 tsp celery seed
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
2 tblsp olive oil
2 celery ribs, sliced
3 tsp jar garlic
4 tblsp butter
3 tblsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp dry mustard
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (I like Wing-Time Medium Buffalo Wing Sauce)
8 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I like Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs)

Instructions

1)  Cook pasta to al dente.
2)  Defrost chick'n tenders and season with celery seed, 1 tsp paprika, and salt.
3)  Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet and brown chick'n tenders.  Add celery and saute for about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.  Remove chick'n from skillet.
4)  In a saucepan, melt 3 tblsp of butter and sprinkle in flour and mustard powder, whisking for 2 minutes.  Add milk and buffalo wing sauce, stirring constantly until the mixture boils.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and remaining tsp of paprika.
5)  Add pasta, celery, garlic and chicken to the milk mixture and put in a square 9x9 pan.
6)  Heat broiler to 450 degrees.  Melt the remaining tblsp of butter and stir in bread crumbs.  Sprinkle over dish and broil 2-3 minutes, until browned.
7)  Serve with blue cheese as a garnish.

I like to move it, move it!

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This week’s endangered species is actually a whole group of species – the lemur.  Last summer, my kids and I visited the Duke Lemur Center in Durham NC – what a great place!  We saw many different types of lemurs (even the nocturnal ones), and learned about their habitat in Madagascar.  According to the National Zoo’s fact sheet on lemurs and the Arkive website, there are 103 species of lemurs on Madagascar, ranging in size from 1 oz. to 15 pounds and 4 feet tall!  Like all primates, lemurs have hands that can grasp and binocular vision, but their sense of smell is much stronger than most primates.  Lemurs do have tails, but they’re used for balancing, rather than grasping (the tails are not prehensile).  Fascinating research is currently being conducted at Duke University to see how these primates think – can they count?  can they work with abstract mathematical concepts? do they like to gamble?  Watch the video below to see what research is being done.

Unfortunately, these fascinating creatures are severely endangered.  The IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group lists 5 lemur species in its report of the 25 of the most endangered primates in the world – Greater Bamboo Lemur (Prolemur simus), the Gray-Headed Lemur (Eulemur cinereiceps), the Sclater’s Lemur (Eulemur flavifrons), the Northern Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis), and the Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus).  91% of all lemur species are listed as endangered by the IUCN.  The primary threats to lemurs are habitat loss and hunting.  Additionally, Madagascar has been politically unstable since a coup in March 2009, which leads to a lack of enforcement of wildlife laws.  According to Russell Mittermeier of Conservation International, the new government of Madagascar is not recognized by any other government and much international aid has been pulled from the country.  USAID currently provides only humanitarian aid.

It wouldn’t just be lemurs benefitting from protection of their habitat.  As stated by Mittermeier, protected areas or “reserves are important not just for Madagascar’s biodiversity; they are essential for the long-term well-being of its people. The vast majority of the ecosystem services benefiting Madagascar’s human population derive from these protected areas. These services include water from forested watersheds, pollination, maintenance of productive soils, fibers, building materials, plant foods from the forest and carbon sequestration.”

So what’s a greenmomster to do, in order to help the lemurs?

• Encourage our elected officials to support development of a democratically-elected, stable government in Madagascar
• Support conservation organizations working to save the lemurs, such as Conservation International, the Lemur Conservation Foundation, or Madagascar Fauna Group.
• Support lemur research at the Duke Lemur Center.
• Visit the Duke Lemur Center to see these fascinating creatures in person!

Fish Tales

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During our recent visit to Block Island, RI, our friend Thom took us clamming!  No one in the family had ever tried this activity before, so we really enjoyed the adventure.  First step, was getting a license to gather clams.  We paid our money and received small metal rectangles with which we had to measure our clams.  If the clam fit through, we had to bury it back in the sand; if it didn’t fit, we could keep it.  We explained to the kids how this was a way to ensure that there would be clams in Block Island the next time we visited.

When it comes to fishing, sustainability is an important topic.   You’ve probably read about many depleted fisheries and types of fish that you shouldn’t order at a restaurant.  Scientists spend much time trying to calculate the number of fish that can be taken from a population without causing the population to decline or crash.  Managers also work to decrease bycatch (non-target species inadvertently caught) and to forge international agreements (think Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin). 

But if you’re a greenmomster who’s not out clamming, how can you help these fisheries scientists and managers?  You can help by carefully researching your fish purchases.  Each time you avoid purchasing fish from non-sustainable fisheries, you’re helping the environment.  Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium website or NOAA’s FishWatch website.  Both websites have background information on sustainable fisheries and instructions on how you can make eco-friendly fish choices.  Next time your family is hankerin’ for a fish fry or a little pasta with clam sauce, you’ll know you made a sustainable choice! 

Want to learn more about the impact of sustainable fisheries?  Check out this informative video on coral reefs from World Resources Institute: