Green, or Not to Green… That Isn’t the Question

CAPE MAY – Lime, moss, olive, forest, emerald, fern….
Have you ever thought about how many different shades of green there are? A lot of people are talking about “going green” these days, but some think that you are either “green” or not. In fact, there are many shades, or choices.
To Cape May Native Anna Klineburger, 15 and a 4-H Junior Intern at the Nature Center of Cape May, going green means being good to the environment. Gracie Payne, another intern from Cape May, agrees. “By making choices that lessen our negative impact on the earth, we are improving the quality of our water, air and soil. My family has a garden and also composts. Vegetable scraps create compost, which in turn becomes fertilizer for our food garden. Gardens and compost go together like peanut butter and jelly!”
Each simple action such as unplugging the phone charger when you’re not using it or recycling benefits the health of our planet. At the nature center, 15-year-old Sam Conley, of Rio Grande, has learned how important it is to be part of a team. “If we all do a little bit, it adds up to something great.”
A person who is a light shade of green, such as lime, may help by recycling, using CFL light bulbs, lowering the thermostat or buying local foods. Someone who’s a brighter shade of green, like emerald, might carpool to work, use a clothesline to dry the wash or plant a food garden. Klineburger would say that she is a bright shade of green because she uses eco-friendly cleaning products.
Those who are a deeper shade of green are taking actions such as setting up solar panels, participating in beach and neighborhood cleanups or planting trees. When it comes to green choices, the possibilities are endless.
“I think the nature center has been a bold, bright green ever since it was established in 1992, 20 years ago. Here, they use solar panels, grow vegetables, compost, reuse almost everything and preserve wildlife by participating in beach cleanups that help maintain the sustainability of the harbor,” said Nicole Pagliuca, another 4-H Junior Intern at the Nature Center of Cape May.
So what we are saying is that it doesn’t matter what shade of green you are, every action counts. Whether you are a dark, bright or pale shade of green, doing what you can helps the earth.
What shade of green are you?
The Nature Center of Cape May is located at 1600 Delaware Ave., in Cape May. We are open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily through August. Visit us on facebook at NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May or on the web at www.njaudubon.org/centers/nccm.