Feed: The Green Connoisseur - AggScore: 47.7

Treat Your Furry Best Friend to a Healthy Snack From Blue Dog Bakery

Blue Dog Bakery makes tasty, low-fat, healthy treats for lucky canines, and gives pet owners a reason to feel good about the treats they are giving their dogs. But it was almost a people bakery! Founder Margot Kenly was trained as an educator, but upon moving to Seattle in 1980 and discovering the city was short on decent desserts, she created The Famous Pacific Desserts Company. Happily for dogs and dog lovers everywhere, she sold the company in 1994 and, after a quick detour into gourmet cracker production, launched Blue Dog Bakery in 1998. With a focus on keeping pets healthy and keeping the junk out of dog treats, combined with a commitment to a low carbon footprint, Blue Dog Bakery is making a lasting impact on the lives of dogs everywhere.

The remarkable thing about the treats offered by Blue Dog Bakery is both what is in the treats and what is not in the treats. Blue Dog products contain no preservatives, no artificial flavors or colors, and no animal by products. So what do these treats contain? On the Blue Dog Bakery website, each product is listed with a full ingredient label, and there is also a full page describing all the ingredients the company uses and why. It’s easier to find out what is in a Blue Dog Bakery treat than it is to find out the same information about many of the foods we buy for ourselves! Clearly, Blue Dog Bakery wants pet owners to see for themselves the all-natural, healthy ingredients they will be feeding their dogs. Treats are made with whole wheat flour, black strap molasses, rolled oats, nonfat milk, brewers yeast, whole eggs, and natural flavorings. The oil used by Blue Dog, palm oil, does not contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and is naturally derived. Each ingredient is carefully selected by Blue Dog and is as close to nature as possible.

Having a natural, healthy product is great, but the big question on your dog’s mind will likely be, “How do they taste?” Thankfully, this question can be easily answered with just one taste. With flavors such as peanut butter & molasses, cheese, grilled chicken, and bacon & cheese, your dog will be happily begging for his or her next Blue Dog Bakery treat. And with important canine benefits, such as the glucosamine cream centered “Doggie Cremes” and the easy-to-digest “Bakery Bones,” these treats provide your pet with more than just a reward for being a good dog. Blue Dog Bakery has also made a thoughtful effort to produce products that appeal to all dogs, including “Softies,” which are easy for older canine friends to chew, and low-fat treats to help combat the growing trend of overweight pets.

Many pet owners would reach for a Blue Dog Bakery box or bag based on the health benefits alone. But the company also makes an effort to be environmentally sustainable in everything they do. All products are made in the United States, and the company has worked to reduce their carbon footprint through better shipping logistics, including opening an east coast warehouse to reduce transit burdens. The palm oil used by Blue Dog Bakery is sustainably harvested in Columbia. Blue Dog packages their products in packaging material that is both recyclable and made from post consumer recycled materials!

There’s no longer a need to wonder if the treat you feed your favorite pet is safe or eco-friendly. Blue Dog Bakery has gone the extra step to create a line of products that will make you feel as good about giving it to your dog as your dog will feel eating it. Plus, with Blue Dog Bakery treats readily available in supermarkets, health food stores and specialty pet stores nationwide, you’re never very far from the opportunity to make a Blue Dog Bakery lover out of your dog.

Tegu Makes “Curiously Attractive” Green Toys

We’ve all had the experience of buying our children that one toy they begged for, only to have them use it for an hour and then never pick it up again. The best toys are the ones that are not intended for only one use, or one purpose, but instead allow the child to create, build, dream, rebuild, and recreate as many times as they possibly can. Tegu toys are exactly the kind of toys that can be played with over and over again and grow as your child grows, so they will never lay forgotten in that dark corner of the toy box. Plus, all of Tegu’s non-toxic toys are sustainably made in their company-owned factory, located in Honduras. As an added bonus, the purchase of a Tegu toy allows forests to grow and children to attend school.

How does a successful toy company build a business from the ground up in Honduras? In 2006, Tegu co-founder Chris Haughey made a trip to Honduras, a country with an unstable economy and widespread deforestation. He left with the idea to form a company that could provide positive social, economic and environmental impact within Honduras while turning a profit. Together, Chris and his brother Bill began to put their idea into action, from finding a location in Honduras’s capital city, Tegucigalpa, to testing toy ideas in kindergarten classrooms in San Francisco. It seems that the combination of native Honduran hardwood blocks plus a secret magnet hidden inside that allowed children to build up, out, over and around was their key to success. Soon the toys were so popular that their factory briefly had a waiting list of over 2,000 orders!

In basic terms, Tegu toys are blocks, one of the most fundamental childhood tools for teaching imaginative play and creative thinking, not to mention hand-eye coordination, math concepts and storytelling. But Tegu blocks are not just any block. First, Tegu blocks are constructed out of native Honduran mahogany or Huesito woods, neither of which are endangered. Within each block are hidden magnets that are not accessible by kids, but make the experience of building with Tegu blocks a completely different experience than simply stacking one block upon the other. Instead, kids are able to create whatever their imagination can conceive: a horse and rider, a castle, a bird, vehicles, or anything their imagination can dream up, since they no longer need to worry about gravity wiping out their creation with one misplaced block.

Tegu encourages children and families to send photos of their creations to Tegu, and the website has a show ‘n’ tell page simply for this purpose. In doing this, Tegu has created a space for customers to share ideas and draw inspiration from other Tegu users, plus designs are entered into contests and giveaways and even provide the basis for future Tegu toys! Tegu offers many different sets of Tegu toys, from small travel sets in environmentally friendly travel cases, to the 52-block original set in a variety of colors that are non-toxic and safe– in case little kids are more interested in putting the blocks in their mouth. Also available for purchase are wooden block car kits with magnetic wheels.

Since giving back was always in the company’s plan, they quickly found a way to help both the environment and the native Honduran people. Although Tegu sources and uses their wood responsibly, they still wanted to create something better for Honduras, and that meant planting trees. They partnered with a non-governmental organization that plants trees in Honduras. So far, they have planted 34,512 trees thanks to the purchase of Tegu toys. Another issue that Tegu found was the lack of available education for some native Tegucigalpa children. Over two hundred children come from families that work at the municipal trash dump outside the capital city. The kids often help work alongside their parents instead of attending school and are lucky to earn $0.80 for a day’s efforts. Tegu offers customers the chance to purchase school days for these children so that they can get the education that would otherwise be out of reach. Tegu’s efforts have funded 3,326 days of school so far.

Tegu toys inspire imagination and provide the basis for that most critical component of childhood: play. While your child is building a spaceship or creating a city, trees are planted, children are learning, and the native people of Honduras are making a living wage building the toy your child will love to build with.

Rudi’s Organic Bakery: Bread Baked With Love and Real Ingredients

Thirty years ago it wasn’t easy to find wholesome, all-natural bread on supermarket shelves. Despite extensive searching, Sheldon Romer just couldn’t find the kind of bread that he felt comfortable feeding his healthy and holistic-minded family. So, he decided to make the bread he was looking for himself. Thus began Rudi’s Bakery, and pretty soon he was selling his tasty, natural bread in Boulder, CO. It became apparent that other people were also searching for a better loaf of bread. They began to abandon the mass-produced bread with the unpronounceable ingredient list for the wholesome, delicious bread from Rudi’s Bakery. Today, Rudi’s offers both Organic Bakery Bread and Gluten-free Bakery bread. One thick slice of Rudi’s is enough to prove that bread does taste better when it’s made from whole ingredients, sprinkled with sunshine and baked with a dash of love.

Jennifer Fowler, associate brand manager for Rudi’s Organic Bakery, says, “Rudi’s Organic Bakery was founded on the belief that healthy families are happy families. Rudi’s Organic has been about living free for more than 35 years – free of artificial ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, additives, dough conditioners and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) – and this commitment allows us to bake breads that are both nutritious and delicious. Moms can feel good about serving our breads to their families because we use only the best, whole food and organic ingredients that result in breads that are a good source of whole grains, fiber, protein and other important nutrients. Plus, the breads have a soft, fluffy texture and yummy taste the whole family can enjoy.”

On the outside, a package of Rudi’s bread looks much like the bread you’ll find on any supermarket shelf. It’s only when you take a package and notice the bright, fun Rudi’s Organic Bakery label, and then look at the ingredient list, that the differences between Rudi’s bread and conventional bread really stand out. At Rudi’s, they pride themselves on making bread from real ingredients that people recognize. In fact, all of Rudi’s breads are made in carefully crafted small batches in their 61,000 square-foot baking facility from select whole ingredients. Each batch of dough is allowed to sit for 12 to 24 hours before baking. In doing this, the bread acquires a distinctive flavor and “hole-y” texture. The full line of Rudi’s products includes sandwich breads, tortillas, English muffins, and rolls.

Even though Rudi’s mission is to make the world a healthier place with their bread, they also help the world in other ways. Rudi’s actively supports organic organizations, environmental causes and local charities. Running a sustainable business is also important to Rudi’s. Bread scraps (1.9 million pounds a year!) are recycled into feed for local pig farmers. Rudi’s Organic Bakery has implemented a formal recycling program for paper, cardboard, plastic and metal, and uses solar power for 5% of their energy needs.

“We’re proud that by baking organic breads we’re supporting sustainable farming methods, renewable resources, and soil and water conservation,” says Jennifer. “We source ingredients locally, when possible, to reduce transportation. For instance, we source millions of pounds our organic wheat per year from farmers in Colorado and neighboring states, and the wheat is milled into flour not far from our Bakery.”

The word organic is right in the bakery’s name, but to Rudi’s organic is more than just a word, it’s a promise. Jennifer provides insight into why buying organic is better, “Organic food differs from conventional food because organic crops are produced by farmers who emphasize sustainable farming methods, use renewable resources and promote soil and water conservation,” she says. “Organic foods are also produced without the use of synthetic ingredients, including chemical pesticides or fertilizers, which can contaminate the soil and water nearby. When you purchase organic foods, you are supporting sustainable farming practices that protect our natural resources and ensure a healthy planet for future generations.”

We’ve all stood in the supermarket aisle feeling frustrated and overwhelmed while trying to choose a product based on the label, with its questionable healthy claims and head-scratching ingredients. Rudi’s Organic Bakery has taken the worry out of choosing a healthy, nutritious bread for your family. When you see the Rudi’s Organic Bakery package, you’ll know the bread contains 95-100% organic ingredients and no trans fats, chemical preservatives, pesticides or artificial anything. Gluten intolerant people can again enjoy a simple bite of bread with Rudi’s Gluten-free. Many of Rudi’s products are vegan. All of Rudi’s Bakery products are certified Kosher. This is bread everyone can enjoy . . .”baked on the bright side”.

NuGo Nutrition Bars: Natural Nutrition That Just Tastes Better

For people that are careful about choosing foods to eat, whether it is for personal, medical or lifestyle reasons, food labels can be a minefield. Products that are touted as healthy, organic, or all-natural may not uphold their claims in the fine print or in the all-important ingredient list. “Healthy” foods can be filled with sugar, contain trans fat or be loaded with artificial ingredients. The makers of NuGo Nutrition Bars understand how hard it is to find the right kinds of snacks for yourself and your family. Along with their delicious and healthy nutrition bars, they provide solid nutrition on their website to help you wade through and weed out the claims, the marketing tactics and the downright deceitful practices. NuGo helps arm their customers with the real information that can help them make better choices for themselves and their families.

NuGo makes thirteen different kinds of nutrition bars with flavors and formulations designed to offer a snacking solution for everyone, no matter what nutrition needs they may have. Whether your diet is kosher, vegan, or organic; sugar-, gluten-, soy- or dairy-free, NuGo offers a high protein bar that will fit your diet and is, above all, tasty. Because what is the point of a healthy snack if it isn’t satisfying or yummy? NuGo bars are made from whole grains and all natural ingredients while leaving out the sneaky hidden ingredients found in many other “health” foods. A healthy snack loses its appeal when you discover it contains hydrogenated oils, vegetable fats or other highly processed ingredients. In fact, NuGo wants their customers to know exactly what their bars are made with so they can feel good about using NuGo to fuel their bodies!

For example, many of NuGo’s bars contain real dark chocolate. It is important for NuGo to stress the “real” in real chocolate. Why? NuGo wants to educate customers on the benefits of eating real chocolate, made from unsweetened chocolate, sugar and cocoa butter, and how to figure out if the product you choose contains real chocolate instead of chocolate flavored vegetable fat. That’s right, many products that contain dark “chocolate” coating or bits don’t actually contain chocolate at all.  Just check the ingredient label…chances are that if the label lists palm, palm kernel, or cottonseed oil, then the product doesn’t contain real dark chocolate. It’s just one of the ways companies try to save time and money and produce a product that is more shelf stable. It also means that, unless you know what to look for on the label, you would be in the dark about this dark chocolate deception.

NuGo bars aren’t just for chocolate lovers. Other bars feature yogurt, nuts, fruits or peanut butter. NuGo’s specialty bars include NuGo Slim, with no malitol or artificial sweetners yet only 2 grams of sugar, Smarte Carb bars for low carb or diabetic eaters, NuGo Dark for dairy-free or vegan eaters, NuGo Organic, and NuGo Free for people with wheat, dairy, or soy sensitivities or celiac disease. Customers who wish to “try before they buy” can order a flavor sample pack on the NuGo website and taste the difference that using real, natural ingredients can make.

The company also donates a portion of their profits to a charity that is near and dear to their hearts: the Children’s Alopecia Project, or CAP. This organization is dedicated specifically to supporting children who lose their hair, and was adopted by NuGo as a cause after the company learned one of their employee’s children suffered from the condition.

All natural, real ingredients make a difference to your body and your taste buds. A nutrition bar should be, above all, nutritious! NuGo fulfills their promise to make snack foods that are better for you and better tasting.

Earth Day 2012: Pledge to contribute to A Billion Acts of Green

The Earth Day Network (EDN) is striving to reach their goal of “A Billion Acts of Green” in advance of the UN global Earth Summit being held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012.  The organization, which has been designated as a four star charity by Charity Navigator, is within reach of this lofty goal as we celebrate Earth Day 2012. Since it’s beginning back on the first Earth day, April 22, 1970, this day has grown to become the world’s largest civic observance with more than a billion people across the world now participating in Earth Day activities each year.

The Earth Day Network is supported by 22,000 partners in 192 countries with the goal to mobilize the environmental movement.  In fact, this year’s theme is “Mobilize the Earth”.  The “Billion Acts of Green” campaign is the largest environmental service campaign in the world. The campaign enables individuals or organizatons to register their pledges to perform a green act by utilizing an easy-to-use online regitration tool.

EDN is recognized as a leader in creating innovative programs that enable partners outside of the environmental movement to contribute to helping solve a number of issues.  Over the last 40 years, EDN has managed successful campaigns on issues such as climate change, clean water, animal protection and voter registration.  Today, the organization is guided by core principles that are focused on green education in our schools (Green Schools Campaign and Educators’ Network) and helping to accelerate the global green economy (Global Day of Conversation, Creating Climate Wealth Conference, and their latest WAGE – Women and the Green Economy).

This Earth Day, navigate to the Earth Day Network website and become educated and involved.  Perhaps you’ll become inspired to join the millions that have pledged an Act of Green which at the time of this posting totals 997, 890,595.

Wildflower Farm’s Eco-Lawn Puts an End to Lawn Care Woes

How often do you think about your lawn? Perhaps after a rainy spell when you suddenly notice it is growing out of control and you resign yourself to dragging out the mower, the weed eater and the rakes? Or maybe it’s in the heat of the summer, when the lawn starts looking dry and brown, and you worry about having to water it all the time. What if thinking about your lawn meant sitting outside enjoying the view of  your green, healthy carpet of grass, one that hasn’t been watered or mowed in quite some time? Or as you are enjoying outside time with your family and pets without thoughts of chemical fertilizers or harmful pesticides and weed killers. If it sounds too good to be true, than you may not have heard of Eco-Lawn, a blend of grass seeds developed by Paul Jenkins and Miriam Goldberger, the husband-and-wife owners of Wildflower Farm in Coldwater, Ontario.

Wildflower Farm began in 1988 as a wholesale grower of dried flowers. Over time, the company became a pick-your-own flower farm, a provider of wildflower seeds, and a Natural Garden Centre. However, it was time the owners spent exploring the forest that cultivated the idea to develop an eco-friendly, low-maintenance grass seed mix. While out walking, Paul and Miriam were intrigued by the healthy green grass growing in the deep shade of the trees. They began testing seeds and mixtures for a grass that could be used for pathways in the wildflower meadows. Soon it became apparent that this grass seed mixture of seven fescue grasses had the potential to do so much more, and Eco-Lawn was born.

Maybe you believe that having a nice lawn means hours of maintenance work, including trimming, watering, and developing the lawn. Ultimately, this translates to money spent on lawn products, gasoline or labor. And still, homeowners may worry about the cost to the environment from the use of oil and gasoline, pesticides, and chemicals, and rightly so. According to Wildflower Farm, a lawnmower emits as much pollution in one hour as 40 new automobiles! Other concerns include the 13 million gallons of gasoline spilled annually filling up our lawn tools, and the harm that can come to children and pets after repeated exposure to lawn chemicals. Thanks to Eco-Lawn, it’s not impossible to have a lawn that is beautiful, sturdy, chemical-free and practically maintenance-free, although many lawn care product manufacturers lead us to believe this is so.

The best part about having an Eco-Lawn, aside from the reduced costs to you and to the environment, is the ability of this lawn to adapt to any kind of setting because of the unique deep root system. Whether your yard is sandy or clay-based, the Eco-Lawn seeds will grow deep into the soil to produce a hardier grass that is better able to seek out its own nutrients and moisture, while at the same time proving to be less hospitable to grubs. Once the Eco-Lawn has taken root, it maintains a slow growth that reaches about 9 inches in height, but then folds over to create a 4-inch-high carpeted appearance. However, homeowners that prefer a trimmed look can mow . . .twice a month rather than once a week! And no matter what type of growing conditions your yard provides, be it full sun, shade or a combination, the Eco-Lawn will thrive.

Once you decide to plant an Eco-Lawn, you may find that you start thinking about your lawn differently than you did in the past. Rather than a headache or a chore, your lawn will be a beautiful, low-maintenance part of your home that helps your whole property become “greener.”

Wagging Green Pet Products are Eco-, Pet-, and Wallet-Friendly

As pet owners, we buy the healthiest, most natural pet foods and treats, but what about other pet products? If you have wished for a company that makes eco-friendly pet products that won’t break the bank, you will love Wagging Green. Not only are their products, such as collars, leashes and toys, made in the United States and finished by hand before they arrive on your doorstep, but the company itself is committed to an eco-friendly philosophy and sustainable business practices. In addition, Wagging Green ships all products within the U.S. for free and offer low international shipping rates, too.

With the fashion design training of owner Sonya Sargent, and the art and design background of Marketing Director Tony Strong, the products offered by Wagging Green are both stylish and eco-friendly. Each product is made from all natural cotton or 100% bamboo fiber. Wagging Green also shows a commitment to eco-consciousness by donating 5% of their profits to environmental causes including non-polluting energy research and forest conservation. That makes each collar, leash or toy better for your pet and better for the planet. The Wagging Green product line also has a lower environmental impact than products with a petroleum base, helping reduce your pet’s eco footprint!

At Wagging Green, pet owners can find collars, leashes, IDs and charms, harnesses, cat collars, and squeaky chew toys. All products are made with the most natural ingredients available and are finished by hand before being shipped to your home for free, if you live within the U.S.  All collars and leashes are made from organic bamboo or natural cotton. The use of bamboo fiber benefits the environment and your pet. Bamboo fiber is used for webbing to back the company’s collars and, according to Wagging Green, is anti-bacterial, odor resistant, absorbent and biodegradable. The fibers are also made without the use of pesticides, insecticides or fertilizers.

Aside from being made with eco-friendly materials, Wagging Green products also help customers make a valuable contribution to important causes. The “Saving the Earth” collection of dog and cat collars each support a different cause, reflected by the design of the collar. A few examples include:

• The Save the Pack collar, which benefits organizations dedicated to helping endangered wildlife
• The Making Waves collar helps fund clean water projects
• The Love Dog collar helps provide funding for spaying, neutering and animal welfare
• The Fresh in the City collar benefits clean air initiatives
• The Solar Powered Pooch collar promotes solar energy

Wagging Green also has a recycling policy that is unique and beneficial to customers and their pets. Instead of disposing of a collar that is no longer usable, Wagging Green asks that customers fill out a recycling form and send it along with the old collar to them, and they will fashion a new one that reuses the old collar’s hardware for 25% off the cost of a new collar. The company ships the “new” collar to you, and your pup can wear his good-as-new collar for a long time to come!

Wagging Green isn’t just about collars and leashes, either. The Wagging Green harnesses come in several sizes and are all made from the sturdy organic bamboo fiber. Customers can also purchase an enamel and metal ID tag or charm, which includes a fun design of your choosing and the engraving of your dog’s name and a phone number included in the price of the tag. Chew toys for dogs are bone shaped and come in several colors. All are made out of fleece and filled with recycled fiber. So whether you need to outfit a new puppy with her own collar and leash, or would like to purchase a pet product that aligns with your eco-friendly lifestyle, Wagging Green has just what you need for a stylish, eco-friendly and budget-friendly pet product experience.

Power Up More Than Your Muscles at The Green Microgym

Every workout enthusiast looks for ways to get more from a workout. But what if getting more meant something entirely different from burning fat or strengthening muscles? At The Green Microgym, members can improve their body and fitness while generating enough power to offset 36% of the gym’s electricity, save 37,000 Kilowatt hours and lower the utility costs and carbon emissions of the gym. Can your workout do that? It can if you join The Green Microgym and power up your workout on an electricity generating machine!

The concept for The Green Microgym came from founder Adam Boesel’s commitment to bringing an offbeat idea out to the public in hopes the electricity generating idea would capture their attention. Since 2007, Adam has worked to find the best equipment, combine it with the most comfortable gym atmosphere and help the idea spread far and wide through the constant refining of the concept at the first Green Microgym location in Portland, Oregon. It allowed two important ideas, fitness and environmental awareness, to come together for people. Now thanks to the electricity generating fitness concept, people can do twice the good during one workout.

The Green Microgym works so well because it is a combination of careful environmental planning on many levels. It’s not just having people pedal a fitness bike to power a percentage of the electricity of the gym. It’s providing a space for those who care about health and the environment a space that is made just for them. It also treats environmental responsibility as a core concept rather than an afterthought. The gym is small and does not include the energy draining features of some bigger gym complexes like saunas, pools and even vending machines. The Microgym does not have vending machines and does not sell bottled water simply because those ideas counter the intent of the concept. Instead, members are encouraged to bring or purchase refillable stainless steel drink holders.

Sustainability is a big part of The Green Microgym, too. Members can control the lights, TV’s and fans. Products used at the gym are either eco-friendly, such as cleaning supplies, or from recycled paper. Building materials and fixtures are eco-friendly, energy efficient or recycled. The Microgym even makes use of exterior solar panels. Not only do these important sustainable practices show that the Microgym practices what it preaches, but they also help create a gym that has less carbon emissions than other gyms.

Even though The Green Microgym is small in size, it has all the features a member might need in a gym. The exercise bikes and elliptical machines “plug out” to a wall outlet and the power generated goes toward the building’s appliances and electrical systems. There are treadmills, but they are special models that use 30% less electricity. The gym provides space for exercise classes such as yoga and aerobics, plus all the weight equipment anyone would need to strengthen those muscles. There are LCD televisions on the wall and iPads on the elliptical machines so those energy burning and generating workouts are sure to pass quickly!

The Green Microgym currently has locations in Portland, Oregon but there are plans for franchising in other states. In fact, people interested in a franchise are encouraged to apply through The Green Microgym website. Those simply needing a fun, comfortable place to achieve a healthier body and state of mind while also harnessing that energy for a good purpose can look into a membership at The Green Microgym’s locations throughout Portland, where you can set up a single or couples month-to-month membership. Your body and the planet will thank you!

Relax in Australian Hospitality at Yelverton Brook Luxury Spa Eco-Chalets

Have you ever dreamed about staying in an award winning eco-friendly vacation destination where you can enjoy the spa, the scenery and the Woylies outside your door? If you are not familiar with this small critically endangered marsupial, you may want to start planning your next vacation to beautiful Australia and lodge at the Yelverton Brook Luxury Spa Eco-Chalets. This gem is located about three hours south of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Here, you will be treated to the most luxurious eco-friendly accommodations within your private cottage, plus you will be able to enjoy the 100-acre Conservation Sanctuary right outside your bedroom door, featuring up-close nocturnal encounters with the aforementioned Woylies, plus kangaroos, bandicoots and possums. During the daytime, you can enjoy spotting over 50 species of birds, all in a relaxing and beautiful setting.

Yelverton Brook was undeveloped bushland when Joy and Simon Ensor purchased the property in 1988 with the dream of turning it into a tourist retreat. Starting from scratch, the Ensors built the cottages, the main office and the predator-proof fencing that encloses all 100 acres. Each cottage was built by the owners using many eco-friendly materials, including local wool insulation, timber slabs recycled from a fallen tree, energy efficient features and solar design. They even made all the mudbricks used in the property’s structures by hand! In addition to providing a relaxing and memorable vacation destination to their visitors, the Ensors also wanted to make their facility eco-friendly and help preserve and protect the native plants and animals of the area. Today, the retreat is a Conservation Sanctuary that is home to native plants, wildlife and birds. The repopulation of the Woylies, now numbering around 40 in the Sanctuary, is of vital importance due to the species being moved from the endangered native species list to “Critically Endangered.”

The lodging options here are truly luxurious, with package options for a romantic getaway, honeymoon, or eco-vacation in addition to customizable packages suited to guests’ needs. Guests of Yelverton Brook can choose to stay in a one- or two-bedroom cottage that has every amenity. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with fresh baked bread, milk, free range eggs, the local paper and information about the area. Each cottage has a fully stocked kitchen, a bathroom with a heated floor and personal care products, a wood burning fireplace, eco-friendly reverse cycle heating and air conditioning and cozy bedrooms with 4-poster beds. For total relaxation, guests can spend time in their private outdoor Hydro Therapy Massage Spa, which is comfortable and large. The spas are also eco-friendly due to the ozonators that help reduce chemical use by up to 80%.

The onsite Day Spa allows guests to indulge in massages, manicures and facials without having to leave the facility. Also, even though the retreat does not have a traditional restaurant, that doesn’t mean guests will be left hungry. Many options are available for dining, including having food delivered from the local supermarket for preparation in the cottage’s fully functional kitchen. Another popular option is to retain the services of Yelverton’s in-house chef, who will prepare meals personally for guests who book this option in advance.

Over the years, Yelverton Brook has earned awards for their green lodging and personalized hospitality. In 2010, they earned the “Green Travel Leader” award as one of 40 operators recognized by the Ecotourism Association of Australia, partly due to more than 10 years of being Eco Certified. They have also been recognized by the Western Australia Tourism Awards as a finalist and received the Holidays for Couples Readers Choice Awards for Most Popular Romantic Weekend Retreat. Award winning, luxurious, eco-friendly and in harmony with Australia’s plants and native creatures, Yelverton Brook Luxury Spa Eco-Chalets will make your Down Under vacation a true retreat.

EcoPure Naturals: A Natural Solution for Your Pet

Just as we have become more discriminating about the foods and products we buy for ourselves, we are also actively seeking out healthier natural products for our pets. EcoPure Naturals offers pet products that are filled with real ingredients derived from nature rather than chemicals or artificial fillers. According to OurPet’s, the parent company of the ecoPure Naturals brand, “The ecoPure® Naturals’ mission is to provide products that help ‘improve the health, safety, comfort and enjoyment of pets,’ and natural products do just this. Pets are treated as members of the family and deserve the very best natural products.”

Using natural plant-derived ingredients, in place of the ingredients found in many other pet products, can reduce the risks that come from using artificial or chemical ingredients over time. Incidences of pet cancer, diabetes and other diseases are becoming more common in household pets, and it leaves many wondering if artificial ingredients and harmful chemicals could be a culprit. Natural ingredients in pet treats and pet care items make better sense for our beloved pets and also places less of a burden on the environment due to the sustainability of natural ingredients.

The ecoPure Naturals products include shampoo and skin care, aromatherapy, ear care, flea and tick products, odor and spot control products, appetite enhancers and supplements. Pet owners know exactly what they are feeding to or using on their pets, thanks to ecoPure Naturals’ informative website. Each product is listed with the ingredients it contains, and the main “active natural” item is highlighted with an explanation of the benefits of using that particular ingredient. Many of the ecoPure products are for cats as well as dogs, including the shampoos, flea and tick products, appetite enhancers and supplements. Choosing the correct item is made easy, since all of the products feature a helpful cat or dog graphic to show which pet the item is intended for.

What will customers find in the listing of natural ingredients? Flea and tick control products’ active natural ingredient may be cloves, thyme or castor oil. The spot and odor control features natural enzymes rather than harsh chemicals. Dog treats include a list of healthy and tasty ingredients that sound good enough for us to eat, including pomegranate, pumpkin, blueberry and peanut butter. Pets will feel as relaxed and pampered as we do after a day at the spa once they are bathed with herbal or aromatherapy shampoo and conditioner. Dogs can keep that relaxed feeling and pleasant scent all the time with the aromatherapy sprays made with essential oils of sage and lavender.

In addition to providing natural, green solutions to pet owners, ecoPure Naturals is focused on green delivery methods, too. In 2009, the brand received the “Delivered Green” award from CaseStack. In order to receive the award, companies must use sustainable transportation methods for 40% of their shipments for the entire year. They are then designated as a CaseStack certified Green Carrier.

Pet owners are carefully choosing trusted pet products, just as they do for other family members. Making these choices becomes easier when pet owners find a company that is as concerned for pet health and the environment as they are. With EcoPure Naturals products, good pet care really does come naturally!