Newsletter - Happy Spring

HAPPY SPRING!

April is Earth Month, a perfect time to reflect on how we can live more sustainably and make a positive impact on the planet for a greener future. Whether it’s reducing waste, conserving energy, or making eco-friendly choices in daily life, small actions can lead to big change. It can start with the smallest of steps.

Let’s celebrate Earth Month by learning, sharing, and taking steps toward a more sustainable world!

I’m sharing what I’ve been up to the last few months and some tips about celebrating Earth Month. 

Ready to Make an Earth Day Pledge?

Earth Day is a good time to reassess your green habits and find one more thing to add. I’m going to host a clothing swap this year. Have clothes that don’t fit or just aren’t your style anymore? Chances are someone else would love it and have something you would like to replace it.

A clothing swap is a simple concept and can be expanded beyond clothes to plants, books, household items, etc.  It’s a green way to recycle perfectly good items – give something away and get something new (to you) – all for free.  It’s all about sharing the love—what’s outgrown or no longer worn by one can be a perfect fit for another.

These swaps can be held anywhere you have space - house, apartment, yard or community room. You can even just put a table in your front yard where neighbors can drop off and pick up donated items anytime. Think of it as a Little Free Closet instead of Library.

Just follow these simple steps:

1. Clean out your closet (or home) to find swap items
2. Host or find a swap near you – try Eventbrite, Meetup, Nextdoor for listings
3. Meet up with friends and neighbors to mix, mingle and shop
4. Take home your new finds
5. Donate leftovers to a local non-profit

These swaps can be with a few of your friends or your whole community. Here are some helpful tips on how to host a successful one SWAP TIPS.

Podcast Launch - Management Under Construction

It’s official! My weekly podcast is up and running, with 10 episodes posted and many more to come. My co-host is a good friend of mine, Brad Wyant. He has extensive experience in construction, a background in engineering, and advanced studies in management.

Together we explore topics of sustainability, leadership, and business as they apply to various industries and our personal journeys. We’ve covered topics from working parents, male toxicity, mental health in construction to the current state of electric vehicles.

Please join us! You can catch up on all episodes wherever you listen, watch on YouTube and here YSPE MUC.

Book Launch – Self-Paced Sustainability: Reducing Impact on Your Own Terms

Need some Earth Month tips on more sustainable living? My newest book is published and just in time for Earth Month. It’s FULL of tips from my own sustainable living journey and how you can take simple steps to reduce your impact on the earth. From zero waste entertainment to pest control to harnessing the power of the sun to cook delicious meals (yes really!), I have something for everyone.

For the entire month of April, I have two ways to help start your own sustainable journey:

Download a FREE chapter of the book here: FREE CHAPTER

Buy the whole book for just $8 – that’s more than ½ off!  BUY NOW

Say No to Fast Fashion

One of my favorite places to learn about protecting our environment is the Solana Center for Environmental Education in Encinitas, CA. I’ve taken and taught classes there. It’s where I earned my Master Composer designation. They have classes, workshops and events that focus on soil, water and waste to help you lead a low waste lifestyle.

I recently attend their Zero Waste Textile Expo and it was an eye opener. The event was an education on the impact of clothing and textile waste and prompted my pledge to host a clothing swap.  They shared a lot of good information about the impact of the clothing industry on the environment and why we should steer clear of “fast fashion” – defined as  “the clothing industry that focuses on producing high volumes of trendy, low-cost garments quickly and cheaply”.

Some textile industry facts

The Solana Center has extensive resources on their website and both in-person and virtual events from Food Hacks That Prevent Waste to Composting. Your Earth Day Pledge can be to try one!

Check them out! SOLANA CENTER

St. Rita’s School Book Reading 

I recently visited a school I have had a long partnership with – St. Rita’s School in San Diego.  This K-8 parochial school stresses social responsibility and the pursuit of learning as a lifelong goal.

The principal, Gina Olson, was a student in a series of workshops I was giving for San Diego Gas and Electric, along with many other schools and churches in the Diocese. After completing the workshops, I nominated St. Rita’s for a Green Building Council Green Apple Day of Service. During that event more than 50 people participated in building a garden area for the kids, planting trees and plants, and installing privacy fencing. Subsequent visits to the school resulted in coaching the staff on shading projects to control the heat load in the buildings, along with energy consultations.

Since then, St. Rita’s has really come a long way! A few years ago, they met an angel donor who hired a design team to beautify the campus in ways we could have never imagined all those years ago! Gina took me on a full tour of the amazing transformation.

On this visit, I also had the opportunity to read my children’s book – Mara Meets Sandra’s Sweet Rolls to a class of first graders and donated a copy to their library. What a wonderful day!

ASHRAE Soft Skills for Engineers Workshop

Soft skills can include a variety of non-technical skills - networking, conflict resolution, time management, problem solving, nonverbal communication and active listening to name a few.  

 In February I co-taught a 3-day workshop with friend and colleague Karine Leblanc– Soft Skills for Engineersfor ASHRAE.  The course helps attendees gain confidence to communicate effectively, lead impactful meetings, master time management strategies to boost productivity and meet deadlines. These workshops included fun learning activities as well as lecture and hands on application of the skills learned.

This workshop is taught in person, and those that complete it will receive a certificate showing the earned Professional Development Hours, Learning Units, and CEUs upon course completion. 

Contact me for more information – [email protected].