Check Out the Austin EcoNetwork!

The Austin EcoNetwork has officially launched its new website and Greening Families is proud to be one of the featured bloggers!

The Austin EcoNetwork or AEN is “a network of people interested in information, events, and resources related to Austin and the environment.” For those of you in the Austin area, AEN has a great calendar that lists local happenings as well as updates on news affecting the Austin area. For those who live in other parts of the world, Austin has a vibrant eco-community so it can be heartening to read about all the people who are thinking and acting to protect the environment. (We live outside of Austin so I browse it myself when feeling blue about going green.)

Please come visit to check out Greening Families’ weekly posts and to see all the other great offerings!

Family Friday: Livin’ La Vida Croak-a

This month Lucas Miller shares a fun, inexpensive, and family-friendly activity. Our last home backed to a creek so we had the luxury of listening to the frogs’ serenades nightly there. We’ll need to take a trip to listen to their beautiful night music now but I assure you that it is well worth it. What a great way to help children experience nature!

It’s spring. Yes, the birds are singing—and so are the anurans (“frogs and toads” for those of you who didn’t study zoology). They’re out there filling the spring nights with their croaks, peeps, trills, honks, clicks ,and various other noises. If you think all frogs go “ribbit,” then think again. As Archie Carr, my zoological mentor, wrote, “Frogs do for the night what birds do for the day; they give it a voice. And the voice is varied and stirring; one that ought to be better known.” Read more

Family Friday: How to Strengthen Your Family’s Immune Systems

All the media coverage of swine flu, or influenza A H1N1, is causing some people to panic. As I listened to the news on my way home from dropping my youngest at preschool, I could feel my own worries growing. So I started thinking about what action I could take. Action is a great antidote to panic!

Once I took a deep breath (OK, a couple of deep breaths), I realized one of the best things would be to make sure my kids, Rich, and I have strong immune systems. Our time at preschool, elementary school, and work gives us exposure to plenty of local germs. I wanted to make sure all our defenses were in tip-top fighting shape for whatever we encountered.

Here are some of the best ways to bolster immune systems. As I wrote this, I was struck by how many of these items have multiple benefits. If we did these things all the time, my family would be leaner, happier, and healthier. Read more