We are thrilled to announce a new Sustainable Solutions virtual class series: Food & Our Changing Climate. Our goal is to inform Pierce County residents on climate change, how food systems play a part in it, and how our food choices can have positive impacts for both people and planet. Keep up to date with the County’s efforts to mitigate climate change and help us in creating a resilient community that is more livable and sustainable for all. We hope to see you there!

Register Here

Star Student

Follow up from a Worm Keeper

We’ve been teaching vermicomposting (worm composting) classes for quite some time. However, we rarely have the chance to hear how things are going after the class. We recently checked in with a student who was in our worm composting class last fall. Here’s a peek into Nicole T and her worm composting journey.

How long have you been composting with worms?
Just over a year. We started in October 2019.

Why did you decide to start composting with worms?
We wanted to produce less food waste. We had a regular compost bin but learned at the vermicomposting class that using worms was the best way to produce compost to use in gardens and plant pots.

What keeps you motived to continue composting your food waste?
We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and it’s nice not sending as much food waste to a landfill. The effort is minimal and we’re producing great compost that we don’t have to purchase.

How many people are in your household?
3 (2 adults, 1 toddler)

What does your “worm routine” look like? How often are you feeding? Where is your bin located?
We feed every other week or so and keep the bin just outside our back door under a covered porch. We did bring it inside last winter as temperatures got colder.

What is the most challenging part of this process?
Remembering to add more shredded paper occasionally and to check that it hasn’t dried out.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get started?
Give it a try! It’s inexpensive and very low maintenance once you get everything set up.

Learn How to Compost

More Learning Opportunities

Our friends over at Project Learning Tree have some great ideas for natural materials crafts! Get the kids away from the screen this winter break, get outside and be a maker!

22 Sustainable Winter Craft Ideas

Walking the Talk (Healthy Body, Healthy Planet)

New Local Food and Farm Finder

Looking to find local food and farm products, and support local farmers?

Check out the NEW Washington Food & Farm Finder, an easy-to-use and mobile-friendly searchable database connecting Washington State residents with more than 1,700 sustainable and organic farms, farmers markets, and food businesses representing 37 counties. With a simple search, you can connect to a cornucopia of local food options- farms, farmers markets, restaurants and grocers that source local, farm-stands, food access programs, CSAs, and more. Searchable by crop, location, growing practices and more- find what you need in your area within minutes.
To find local food growers, producers and purveyors, visit the Washington Food & Farm Finder at eatlocalfirst.org!

Blue Zones

Our Fad-Free Sustainable Solutions team believes lifestyle changes are key to gaining long term human and environmental health. To highlight this, we thought our readers would find it interesting, like us, to hear about Blue Zones. These are regions of the world where, it is claimed, a higher than usual number of people live much longer than average. The term first appeared in a 2005 National Geographic cover story, “The secrets of a Long Life”. Buettner, the author, and a team of demographers studied census data and identified five pockets where people are living verifiably longer lives by a number of measurements (Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy).

Residents of these places produce a high rate of centenarians (+100-years old), suffer a fraction of the diseases in other parts of the developed world, and enjoy more years of good health. The part we find particularly interesting is the less animal protein diet and inclusion of legumes, which contradicts current diet fads.

Blue Zone Food Guidelines

The people inhabiting Blue Zones share common lifestyle characteristics that contribute to their longevity.

Family – put ahead of other concerns
Less smoking
Semi-vegetarianism – the majority of food consumed is derived from plants (which is also great for the environment!)
Constant moderate physical activity – an inseparable part of life
Social engagement – people of all ages are socially active and integrated into their communities
Legumes – commonly consumed

In his book, Buettner provides a list of nine “lessons”, covering the lifestyle of people who reside in blue zones:

Moderate, regular physical activity
Life purpose
Stress reduction
Moderate caloric intake
Plant-based diet
Moderate alcohol intake, especially wine
Engagement in spirituality or religion
Engagement in family life
Engagement in social life

In recognizing “Blue Zones”, we can identify lessons or principles that could be applied to build healthier communities and to help people live longer and better lives.

School Recycling Assistance

Did you know Pierce County is still offering recycling program assistance to schools in Pierce County?* We can even help your school get a water bottle filling station and up to 10 recycling bins!

Services we offer include:

Assessing your school’s recycling program
Virtually presenting recycling information to staff or student groups
Providing materials like posters and magnets to help students and staff “recycle right”

Learn More

*services offered to schools in Pierce County outside of Tacoma city limits