Greenversations

I just got back from a brief family vacation in Puerto Rico. Since my 7-year old had never visited the island, I decided to play tour guide so she would “discovery” the Island.

In order to experience different sites and sounds, we decided to venture outside of the San Juan Metropolitan area. We started with a visit to El Yunque National Forest, the only rainforest part of the U.S. Forest Service. This area of 28,000 acres is well known for its biodiversity. More than 100 billion gallons of precipitation fall each year. My daughters were truly impressed by the luscious greenery and sounds of the rainforest. I had to convince the little one that the chirping came from little frogs, the coquis, not birds. We all enjoyed El Yunque. It has the potential of being designated as one of the new 7 wonders of the world!  Definitely has my vote!

Another escapade took us to the southeastern town of Salinas which faces the Caribbean Sea. My daughters were struck by the rich aquamarine colors of the sea. We had lunch at an open terrace restaurant right at the coast. The children were entertained by a family of crabs that was playing on the sea-bathed rocks.

During another day excursion, we walked through the cobblestone streets visiting the historic sites of Old San Juan including forts, museums, and a pigeon park. A short film at the San Felipe del Morro Fort described the role these forts had played in defending the capital of Puerto Rico during Spanish colonial times. After exploring the historical venues, we enjoyed tropical flavored Puerto Rican snow cones commonly referred to on the Island as piraguas.

During the course of our vacation, we took time to visit with family, attend my high school reunion, and enjoy the beaches. When it was time to bid farewell, we took one last drive along Piñones, an area along the northern coast outside of San Juan to enjoy some Puerto Rican culinary delights (alcapurrias and bacalaítos) which we washed down with some fresh coconut water. We drank it straight from the coconut. It was truly a memorable experience.

We packed many events during our brief sojourn in Puerto Rico. We’ll have to schedule day excursions to visit the karst region, Camuy Caverns, and the bioluminescent bay in Vieques. Next time.

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and chairs EPA’s Multilingual Communications Task Force. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.

Acabo de regresar de unas breves vacaciones familiares en Puerto Rico. Como mi hija de 7 años de edad nunca había visitado la Isla, decidí servir de guía para ayudarla a “descubrirla”.
Para experimentar sitios y sonidos diferentes, nos aventurarnos fuera del área metropolitana de San Juan. Empezamos con una visita al Bosque Nacional del Yunque, el único bosque pluvial tropical que forma parte del Servicio de Bosques de EE.UU. Esta área de 28,000 acres es conocida por su biodiversidad. Más de 100 mil millones de galones de precipitación caen anualmente. Mis hijas estaban impresionadas por el exuberante verdor y la riqueza de sonidos. Tuve que convencer a la pequeña que el supuesto gorgojeo que escuchaba provenía de pequeñas ranitas, los coquíes, no de aves. Realmente disfrutamos El Yunque. Tiene el potencial de ser designado como una de las siete maravillas del mundo! ¡Voy a él!

En otra escapada fuimos al pueblo costero del sudoeste de Salinas que mira al Mar Caribe. Mis hijas estaban impresionadas con la gama de tonos aquamarina del mar. Almorzamos en un restauran de terraza abierta frente a la costa. Las niñas se entretuvieron mirando una familia de cangrejos que jugaban sobre las rocas bañadas rítmicamente por las olas.

Otro día caminamos por las calles de adoquines para visitar los sitios históricos del Viejo San Juan incluyendo fuertes, museos y el Parque de las Palomas. Una breve película sobre el Fuerte de San Felipe del Morro describió el papel que desempeñaron estos fuertes en la defensa de la capital de Puerto Rico durante la época colonial española. Después de explorar los sitios históricos, disfrutamos de unas deliciosas piraguas* con sabores tropicales

Durante el curso de nuestras vacaciones, también aprovechamos para visitar a familiares, asistir a mi reunión de escuela superior, y disfrutar de las playas. Cuando llegó el momento de despedirnos, decidimos guiar por Piñones, un área a lo largo de la costa norte entre San Juan y Luquillo para disfrutar de especialidades culinarias puertorriqueñas como alcapurrias y bacalaitos que nos tomamos con agua de coco bien fría. El agua de coco la tomamos directamente del coco y nos comimos lo que en Puerto Rico se conoce como “la telita.”’ Fue una experiencia inolvidable.

Aunque tuvimos la oportunidad de realizar varias actividades durante nuestra breve estadía, todavía nos queda por visitar la región kárstica, las Cuevas de Camuy, y la Bahía Mosquito bioluminiscente de Vieques. Ya será la próxima vez.

*Piragua—un refresco granizado puertorriqueño

Sobre la autor: Lina M. F. Younes ha trabajado en la EPA desde el 2002 y está a cargo del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Comunicaciones Multilingües. Como periodista, dirigió la oficina en Washington de dos periódicos puertorriqueños y ha laborado en varias agencias gubernamentales.

A few weeks ago, I took some time off for vacation. We traveled from our southern Maryland home to the mountains of West Virginia to visit friends for a few days, and then it was off to the shores of North Carolina. Throughout the trip, I couldn’t help but marvel at the diversity of the landscape and environment even in that little triangle of the world.

Driving through the mountains in West Virginia on our way to Nags Head, we saw what I assumed (and hoped) was a wind farm on the top of a mountain. I was really quite impressed, and thoroughly pleased to see that kind of progress and forward-thinking taking hold. About 20 minutes further on our drive, strip-mining was taking place and I wondered and hoped that the environment would be restored some day.

For the next hour or so on that ride, I was thinking about all of the progress that has been made to save our environment whether it be by recycling, or energy and water conservation, and locally, nationally or even globally.

It really stuck a chord with me that as much progress we have made, we still have so far to go. Many of us wonder what impact can really be made by just our household of say one or two people. It all adds up, and each and every one of us really can make a difference…one recycled bottle or can and reusable grocery bag at a time!

About the author: Kelly Chick has worked at EPA for many years. She currently works in the Office of Public Affairs at EPA Headquarters, and manages the EPA blog, Greenversations.

About the Author: Dr. Dale Haroski is the science advisor to the Office of Public Affairs where she translates science for the public, and more recently, has begun exploring marine mammal outreach opportunities. As a new hobby, she enjoys pointing and yelling “SEAL!” when her fiancé ventures near any type of water.

We had our wetsuits. We had our paddles. We were ready. “One last thing,” said our perky kayaking instructor. “The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires that you stay 100 feet away from any marine mammals so don’t approach any closer than that. They can be inquisitive, however, so if they approach you just remain quiet, avoid eye contact, and they will eventually leave.” Ok. No problem. Avoid marine mammals. Let’s paddle.

On a recent family vacation to California my fiancé (also an EPA employee) and I decided to take his eight-year-old daughter kayaking in Monterey Bay. His daughter and I quickly set out in our two person kayak and charted a course for the kelp forest.

Soon, we spotted a harbor seal attempting to climb onto a small piece of driftwood. “Aw look! A little seal!” we sighed as it disappeared from sight. Then, out of nowhere, the little seal head popped up directly next to me and peered at me with those big soulful eyes. “OOOHHHH LOOOOK!!!!!” I squealed in a high pitch normally reserved for puppy and kitten sightings. “It’s right here! It’s soooo cute!” I shouted to no one in particular. He circled around us a few times and disappeared once again.

My fiancé started to put away his camera when the little guy popped up behind his kayak. “He’s behind you!” we yelled! Then, right before our stunned eyes, the little seal jettisoned himself out of the water and attempted to haul out onto the back of my fiancé’s kayak! We howled with laughter at my fiancé’s panic as his kayak rolled from side to side. The seal soon gave up and we breathed a sigh of relief while wiping away the tears of laughter.

Just when we thought it was safe two little eyes popped up again behind his kayak. “PADDLE HONEY PAAAADDDDDLLLLLE!” I shouted, thinking that a moving target would be harder to hit. Scenes of Jaws flitted through my head. Finally the little seal gave up and all I could think was “Great. I can see the headlines now: EPA employees found in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.” It wasn’t our fault officer, really!

Kayaking was enjoyable after that but it made me realize that environmental regulations really only work if people know about them and follow them. Now if only someone could educate the marine mammals we’d be all set.

About the author: As Jeffrey Levy of EPA’s blog team enjoyed a recent vacation, he sent along environmentally relevant thoughts and pictures.

We’ve been back home now for a few weeks. Hawaii was a pretty incredible way to spend our 15th anniversary. Aside from a sense of wonder, a couple of things struck me while I was there that have stayed with me.

First, it amazed me how little air conditioning is used in Hawaii. Between the trade winds and the magically low humidity (I mean, it’s a tropical island!), it was remarkably comfortable even in the upper 80s. And I get hot here in DC when it breaks 75. What’s funny is that when I’ve brought it up to friends who have also visited, they say they were also surprised.

The Honolulu airport was mostly open to the outside. Actually, some gates have air-conditioned spaces, but not the main terminal. I wonder how they decide where to put it? And then there’s the Kona airport, which really goes without AC:

You check in under a series of open-air pavilions. Once you’re though security, there is no concourse. Instead, each gate area has its own pavilion, and you walk across an open-air courtyard to get to your gate.

My first hint that’s how it would be came when making reservations, and every place mentioned ceiling fans but not AC. In fact, the only place with AC was our Waikiki hotel. I wonder if that’s a heat-island effect, or it’s just that there’s little airflow through a high-rise hotel room. Or maybe it’s that tourists expect AC, so hotels there include it.

Hawaiians seem in tune with their environment in a way that I envy. And in this case, they save a lot of energy by relying on their special climate to keep things comfortable. If only we could import it here. When we landed in DC at 10:00 pm, it was only 73 degrees but about 20 times stickier.

The other thing I wanted to mention is the coqui frog. You may remember Lina Younes asking people in Hawaii not to eradicate this Puerto Rican favorite. I’ll leave the debate about whether to eradicate them in the comments on that post.

But Lina commented on my first Hawaii post asking whether I’d heard the little songsters. Did I ever! North of Hilo, we heard a single frog, and I can understand Lina’s fond memories of “co-kee, co-kee” lulling her to sleep.

But south of Hilo in the forest, they were so loud we could hear them through the car windows (yes, we were hot, so we put on the AC). So for Lina, I recorded them: Hawaiian coqui (MP3 sound file, 20 seconds, 550 KB, transcript).

Now I understand why people commented on Lina’s post that the coquis had destroyed their peaceful evenings!

About the author: While Jeffrey Levy of EPA’s blog team enjoys vacation, he’s sending along environmentally relevant thoughts and pictures.

Everywhere we go in Hawaii, we hear about taking care of aina (”eye-nuh”), the land. As an environmentalist, it’s really nice to find so much dedication to protecting the natural world.

That spirit is evident in Len and Jane Sutton, our innkeepers in Hilo. I was originally intrigued by the guidebook’s mention of a private waterfall on the property. There are other waterfalls to swim in, but I’m guessing they’re crowded. Whereas yesterday morning, my wife and I had the whole thing to ourselves for an hour. For an anniversary trip, that’s hard to beat!

But this place isn’t special just because of the waterfall. The natural beauty is matched by how the Suttons manage the place. Len built his own small hydroelectric plant that supplies all of their electricity, working extensively with state biologists and the Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources. Their roof catches rain and sends it to a treatment system. And soon, they’ll be composting and growing some of their own food. Basically, their goal is to have a negative carbon footprint.

Protecting the environment really does take all of us: regulatory agencies like EPA and individuals making good decisions. But it seems to me the best situation is when our lives intersect with the environment, because internal motivation will always be more powerful than external requirements.

Here in Hilo, the Suttons have found the perfect match of a magic location and a sustainable way to enjoy it.

About the author: While Jeffrey Levy of EPA’s blog team enjoys vacation, he’s sending along environmentally relevant thoughts and pictures.

Aloha from sunny Hawaii! Like Karen Reshkin a few weeks ago, I’ll be sending a few entries from vacation back to the office.

Several years ago, I worked for the SunWise Schools program, so I know all about sun safety, from applying (and re-applying) sunscreen to wearing long- sleeve shirts, and even staying out of the sun during the middle of the day. And I know that the strongest sun occurs on the summer solstice (last week), when there are no clouds, at low latitudes and at high altitudes. Add in no recent exposure, and my wife and I have the perfect setup for major sunburn.

So when we went up Haleakala on Maui, we knew we needed to be very careful. We put on SPF 50 sunscreen that blocked both UVA and UVB, and we wore jeans, long-sleeve t-shirts, and hats with big brims (it’s only in the 60s at 10,000 feet).

For snorkeling the next day, we slopped on SPF 60, which was so thick it took several squirts to cover everything. And we wore shirts in the water.

The result? Sunburned faces. We couldn’t believe it until we realized:
1) we hadn’t been burnt at all after the mountain, so it wasn’t that trip.
2) our faces were in the water and the backs of our legs weren’t burnt, so it wasn’t snorkeling.

But we did stand outside in line for breakfast for 45 minutes from 9:30-10:15. Bingo! It’s not only the activities we know will burn us, but being outside here anytime.

So enjoy yourselves outdoors this summer, but follow the SunWise actions steps no matter what you’re doing.

About the author: While Karen Reshkin of our Chicago office enjoys her vacation, she’s sending along environmentally relevant thoughts and pictures.

On Monhegan Island, Maine, everyone is quite aware of sustainability. They need to balance out the vastly different summer and winter populations. Only about sixty people live there year round. They’re very serious about water conservation, since they have well water and must be careful not to exceed its withdrawal capacity. They are similarly careful about energy conservation, since there is one fuel-powered generator station on the island. No street lights. To preserve the forested areas from erosion, no mountain bikes nor trail strollers are allowed. No one seems unhappy with this more limited way of life. The year-rounders understand that this is the way to preserve their way of life.

About the author: While Karen Reshkin of our Chicago office enjoys her vacation, she’s sending along environmentally relevant thoughts and pictures.

Milford, PA: The view from Grey Towers, home of James Pinchot, the first Chief of the US Forest Service. The mansion itself is amazing. It was donated to the USFS in 1963. It’s a key site in the history of conservation in the US.

Editor’s note: thanks to Dee for catching the mistake on Gifford Pinchot’s first name.