Hatched – Eco Baby Store

Several years ago I lived in Jamaica Plain, a small enclave of Boston with a wonderfully eclectic mix of shops, residents and excellent food. I was always impressed with the sense of community and strong environmental stewardship of my neighbors; both residential and commercial.

One particular shop that opened just as I was leaving the area is Hatched. Hatched is an eco children’s retail store with a dedication to safe, healthy products that is unrivaled in Boston. Some of the products you will see at Hatched are: Clothing- Entertaining Elephants, Scout, Serendipity, Kate Quinn Organics, Nui Organics, Coyuchi, Sckoon, Speesees, Under the Nile,and Toby and Rei. Toys- Camden Rose, Furnis, Plan Toys, Kaethe Kruse, Selecta, Holztiger, and Spiel & Holz. Hatched also carries a full line of basics such as washable wipes, face cloths, hooded towels, crib sheets, mattresses, puddle pads, washable nursing pads, nursing pillows, changing pads, bumpers, sheepskins, playmats and blankets.

Hatched was awarded a Best of Boston in 2008. Stop in and talk with owner Liz Vittori Koch. She has a great understanding of the whys of raising your child organically and is full of valuable tips on transitioning from a conventional parenting approach to a more natural approach. Be sure to ask her about the paint she used in her store! Food based Anna Sova emulsions!

Hatched www.hatchedboston.com is located at 5  Green Street in Jamaica Plain. 617-524-5402 .

Hours: monday closed,  tuesday 11-6, wednesday 10-5, thursday 11-6, friday 10-5, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-5

Tags: Best of Boston, BPA Free, Camden Rose, Coyuchi, diapers, Eco Baby Store, Hatched, Infant, Jamaica Plain, Kaethe Kruse, nursing pads, Spiel & Holz

D2E Boston 2010 Update!

We have less than a month to go before the third annual Down:2:Earth Expo (April 9-11!) and we are committed to making it the most valuable and entertaining event to date. We’ve been hard at work this year to provide you with the very best in green information and exhibits.

Keynote Speaker James Hansen

This year we have something for everyone! Check out the highlights below including talks by James Hansen and Mayim Bialik, workshops on everything from the future of energy to butter-making and special features such as our Local Bites event and a Water Sculpture by Christine Destrempes.

Spread the word!

We’ve also been highlighting opportunities for the greater Boston community to come together around green lifestyle online, by bringing you updates, promotions and info on our facebook page, via twitter and here on our blog. Be sure to friend and follow us to contribute to the conversation! Watch for special discounts and promotions from us and our exhibitors over the next month!

In addition to over 100 exhibitors this year, we also have seven areas for workshops and activities, including the D2E Main Stage, Green in Action room, Thought Leaders Room, Spring Eco-Garden Stage, Kitchen Theater, Kids’ Block and Video Project Theater.  See below to learn more:

Climate Change

We are delighted to have James Hansen – noted climate scientist and author of “Storms of My Grandchildren” – join us to discuss the urgent crisis we currently confront.

Green Living Speaker and Celebrity Mayim Bialik

Homes and Families

• Mayim Bialik of the hit 90s tv show “Blossom”, will be talking about her commitment to green living and parenting on our main stage.

• Natural Home and Garden Magazine Editor In Chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence, will take you on a virtual tour of the greenest homes in the US.

• Local green home experts Laura Catanzaro and Paul Marquis will teach you how to green your small condo, dorm or apartment.
  

Local Business

NPR’s WBUR host Robin Young joins us for an in-depth interview with Laury Hammel, executive director of the Sustainable Business Network.

Jobs

Find a career path that contributes to the green economy at our jobs workshop.

Energy and Water

• Learn about the future of energy with our panel of clean energy experts.
• Teens – find out what clean energy means and how you can learn more.
  
• How sustainable are your water practices? We’ll dive into regional issues with our expert panelists.

Food

• Oleana Chef Ana Sortun and Siena Farm’s Chris Kurth join us for a unique cooking demo.
  

• Our Local Bites Party brings together local sustainable chefs, food producers, green restaurants, sustainable wine and beer to celebrate Boston\’s thriving local food culture.
  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/left-hand/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Garden

• Learn about organic lawn care at our Safe Lawns session sponsored by Mahoney’s.
  

• We will have an entire garden area set up at the show. Don’t miss it!

Check our full schedule for more related events.

Check out our exhibitor list for related green products and services.
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Get your tickets now and get ready for D2E 2010!

Friday, April 9 – 5:00pm-9:00pm: Local Bites Party
Saturday, April 10 – 11:00am-7:00pm
Sunday, April 11 – 11:00am-5:00pm

Citizen Schools taking action

I just received these two notices from Citizen Schools. This is a great organization that is currently second in the running for education ideas at Change.org. If they make it into the top ten overall, their program will be reviewed by the new presidential cabinet as a way to improve our educational system. You can read about how I participated in their last WOW! event and you can vote for them here.

They are also hosting a great event on MLK Day that I am signing up for.

Celebrate Martin Luther King jr Day by interacting with our youth, our future.

Come together with Citizen Schools, our students, and dozens of volunteers from across Boston to celebrate service and mentor young people as they make their own declarations of service to others.

When: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday January 19, 2009
12:00-4:00pm

Where: Citizen Schools Headquarters, 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA
In the Childrens’ Museum building

Keynote Speaker: Robert Louis Jr., Vice President, The Boston Foundation

What to expect:
Martin Luther King Jr. left a profound legacy of service to our country. On the eve of his own Presidential service to America, Barack Obama has called each of us to service too. In celebration of this historic time, we want to help young people think about the importance of service and how they can do their part to serve their communities. We’re hoping you’ll join in the fun!

We invite you to spend the afternoon with 80 students and alumni of our program to share ideas, hopes, experiences, and knowledge that celebrate service.  After an introductory lunch, games, and kick-off speech, we’ll pair you with a student and you’ll work 1-on-1to mentor your future leader in developing his or her own understanding of service. You’ll help your student write a letter to President-elect Obama, outlining his or her hopes and dreams for the country that culminates in a personal declaration of service stating how he or she plans to serve the community.

The historic election of President-elect Barack Obama has inspired thousands of young people in Boston to understand the needs of their country and serve them. You can help these young people harness their enthusiasm by celebrating service – not just for one day, but for a lifetime. So join us on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to share your afternoon with our nation’s youth, and help them shape America’s service agenda.

Please arrive by 12:00 PM. Dress is casual. Lunch will be provided.

Register for the event.

For more information, contact Daniel Rosen at danielrosen@citizenschools.org, 617-695-2300 ext. 150.

Tags: civic involvement, community, education, service

Citizen Schools; exposing middle school kids to professional opportunities

Last night I had the honor of serving as a judge at the annual Citizen Schools Design & Development WOW! presentations. Citizen Schools is a local non profit that works with middle school kids. The Design and Development Apprenticeship is an urban planning ideas competition – and we at D2E love ideas! This event engages more than 100 youth from middle schools throughout Boston. For 10 weeks each fall, the students collaborate with volunteer architecture and development professionals and Citizen Schools staff to re-envision Boston’s built environment and public open spaces, developing plans and models for projects in different city neighborhoods.

This student from the McCormack school impressed us with his innovative ideas, his spiffy suit and his articulate presentation. Well done!

The Edison Middle School tackled the problems with City Hall!

It was inspiring to hear these students ideas. And it was great to also meet some of the graduates from previous years that are now in college. This really is what it’s all about. Kids have to be exposed to options in order to understand that there are opportunities.

According to John Werner, the enthusiastic leader of Citizen Schools, “This program works. Our combination of rigorous academic support and engaging apprenticeships is producing a generation of eager and invested learners. Citizen teachers are sharing their expertise and kids are listening. Our students are outperforming a comparison group of public middle school students on 6 of 7 key indicators, including MCAS scores, attendance, suspension rates and on time promotion to 10th grade, a critical indicator of HS graduation rates. As well, graduate of our 8th grade academy program are graduating from HS and attending college at nearly twice the rates of their BPS peers.”

I was really tired on this Monday and at 4pm I was dreading the commitment I made to be a judge. Those feelings faded as soon as I arrived and saw all the great work being done. I was energized and excited to be a part of this great effort. And a big “Thank you” goes out to all of the local businesses that stepped up to the plate and brought the students into their offices. This was a big time commitment and a great investment in the future of Boston. We at D2E applaud you!

Participating Apprenticeships:
Payette Associates: McCormack Middle School
Cubellis: Edwards Middle School
Goody Clancy: Irving Middle School
Harvard Graduate School of Design: 8th Grade Academy
ICON Architecture, Inc: Rogers Middle school
Paul Lukez Architecture: Mario Umana Middle School Academy
Shepley Bulfinch: Gavin Middle School
Jones Lang LaSalle: Edison Middle School
Altitude, Inc.: McCormack Middle School

Below are a bunch of photos to enjoy.

Students are making plans for a bike and pedestrian path to help improve and reinvigorate the Columbia Point neighborhood.

Jones Lang LaSalle even went to the extent of teaching the kids about budgeting. I could have used a few of these lessons!

To the tune of Rocky, the students marched up to the podium to collect their awards.

Ernest Pough, a graduate of Citizen Schools and current Freshman at Union College was one of my fellow judges. He passed out our awards to the teams.

Tags: design, education, local business, Non-Profit

Dear Santa: Times are Tough

We all have a bit of Santa and misfit in us. Now the Post Office is giving us an opportunity to give or receive - depending on where we happen to land this year.

This morning I read a touching story in the Globe by David Filipov and I have to share. Apparently, each year the Post Office gets letters addressed to Santa in the North Pole and they actually read them. They take the ones that are asking for necessities like shoes and coats and they put them in a separate pile. Then they open up the Secret Santa Office so that people who can provide the basics for their family will have the opportunity to share their wealth. Below is the address for the Secret Santa Office and the times that it is open. When you arrive, you can choose a letter to sponsor. So if you can only afford to buy an extra coat, choose a letter that only asks for a coat. If you can afford more, it looks like there are some detailed letters for families with multiple kids.

Starting Monday, the Secret Santa Office will be open in the lobby of Fort Point Station in the General Mail Facility at 25 Dorchester Ave. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday until Dec. 24. The phone number is 617-654-5776. Sponsors need to bring a photo ID.

Postal workers answer letters to Santa – so can you!

Tags: boston, charity, community, help, holidays