Tag Archives: alternative energy

Be a Greener Babysitter with These 4 Eco-Friendly Kid Activities

  By Donna DeForbes | July 2, 2013 - 5:30 am |
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Eco-Friendly Babysitting Ideas | Eco-Mothering.com

This is a guest post by Christine Maddox. An eco-friendly lifestyle promotes sustainability. Whether or not the family you sit for follows that lifestyle, as a babysitter you can introduce earth-friendly projects that are also fun and educational for the kids. Potato Power A favorite activity among many kids is discovering that potatoes can become batteries that can be used to power an LED light bulb or clock. This demonstrates that the ability to generate power is all around us. The simple experiment is cheap requiring not much more than a potato, a penny, a galvanized steel nail and a few alligator clip wire units. Experiment with other foods as well; citrus fruits supposedly produce more power than potatoes. Follow these steps for making a potato-powered LED clock. Solar Energy Experimenting with solar power is an affordable option for introducing children to sustainable energy. The cost of solar panels have … Continue reading →

Top 5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey

  By Donna DeForbes | May 24, 2013 - 5:30 am | , ,
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About the Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkey | Eco-Mothering.com

The yellow-tailed woolly monkey was once considered extinct. The species was first discovered in northern Peru in 1820; however, between 1926 and 1973, not a single yellow-tailed woolly monkey was sighted, causing scientists to deem the animal extinct. Then in 1974 primatologist Russ Mittermeier rediscovered small groups of the monkey in the highlands of Peru. Still, the yellow-tailed woolly monkey is still considered one of the rarest mammals in the world. (Eco-Mothering was able to adopt one! See the video at the end of this post.) They are named for a distinct yellow stripe of fur. It runs along the underside of their tails and is what separates them from other species of woolly monkeys. Their fully prehensile tail is used as a fifth limb for climbing, eating and leaping (up to distances of 15 meters). They are a male-dominated society. They usually live in groups of 4 to 30 … Continue reading →