~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A PLANET-FRIENDLY SUMMER peace | enviro | organics | health & nature | community http://www.planetfriendly.net/summer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ah, summer! For some, a time to hop into the car and zoom around in motorboats -- for others, a time to experience the outdoors, the planet and its people ...a little more closely. Are you lured by the hype and expense of mainstream recreation? Or would you prefer more fun, less expense ...and to tread a bit more lightly on the planet? CONTENTS (A) People- & Planet-Friendly Summer Calendar (B) Eco-Experience Places across North America (C) WWOOF -- More than Meets the Eye (D) Green Travel, Recreation & Transportation (E) GoodWork! Employment, Internships & Volunteering ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (A) PLANET-FRIENDLY SUMMER CALENDAR Green and Healthy Festivals, Retreats & Grassroots Gatherings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This summer, why not get away, see things from a different angle, maybe connect with others who share your interests? Planet-Friendly Summerfest is a free, non-commercial calendar of activities, events, retreats and gatherings across Ontario, Canada and beyond. Everything from canoe tours in Toronto... to the annual "Social Justice Retreat" in Algonquin Park... to grassroots music festivals. It's all at: http://planetfriendly.net/summerfest Got an event? Post it here: http://planetfriendly.net/submit EVENTS YEAR-ROUND & OTHER CALENDARS Many more events year-round can be found in the full Planet-Friendly Calendar http://planetfriendly.net/calendar/ plus other green and progressive calendars across North America ( http://planetfriendly.net/directory.html#events ). Got an event? Post it here! http://planetfriendly.net/submit (Ontario events, plus major events of interest to Canadians.) There are new listings daily. Can't afford an event? Ask the organizers about work-exchange, volunteer or sliding-scale options. Summerfest Calendar: http://planetfriendly.net/summerfest Year-round Calendar: http://planetfriendly.net/calendar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (B) ECO-EXPERIENCE PLACES across North America ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Looking for more than a weekend away? This unique directory offers an incredible variety of fun, experience, community and involvement. From organic havens to nature retreats... from wilderness trips to ecovillages and more. Participate in tours, workshops, outdoor activities, volunteer opportunities, internships and special events. Some of these places offer "work-exchange" opportunities -- you offer your help in return for food, accommodation, instruction and/or mentorship. If you're keen, you can find great ways to spend the entire season (and spend less money than many spend in a week). Eco-Experience Places across North America http://www.planetfriendly.net/learn See also The Community Page, including its portal to Ecovillages and Intentional Communities around the world. Many offer great visitor programs, volunteer and work-exchange opps., internships and more. Ecovillages, Communities, Cooperatives... http://www.planetfriendly.net/community ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (C) WWOOF! -- around the world or in your own backyard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wwoofing is the hardest thing to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it (and even some who have!). That's probably because it's so diverse -- it is really what *you* make it. For some people, Wwoofing is a way to learn about organic gardening, perhaps to start a garden or farm of their own. For others, it's a way to live healthily for a few days, weeks or a season -- eating well, breathing fresh air, and enjoying good company. For yet others, it's an experiment with non-urban living, a foray into a new lifestyle. And, for those bitten by the travel bug, it's a way to travel the world and experience other cultures. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (and gardens). There are over 400 hosts across Canada and many more worldwide. The basic idea is that you offer your skilled or unskilled assistance in return for food, housing, instruction if desired, and good company. To participate, you pay a small fee and get a booklet describing hundreds of opportunities available. Then it's up to you to contact those that interest you. Each situation is different. It's up to you and the prospective host to communicate your respective needs, wants and expectations -- and see if there's a good match. What you want to do; what degree of instruction (if any); how long you want to stay; what are your preferences, hopes and goals? Note: Wwoofing is *not* only for gardeners, want-to-be gardeners, and garden helpers. There are also opportunities for handy-persons, cooks, renewable energy folks, business people, computer nerds, general or household help -- and just about everyone else. It's just a matter of looking, asking, and offering your help. Introduction to Wwoofing http://www.planetfriendly.net/wwoof WWOOF Links & Organizations http://www.planetfriendly.net/wwoof.html#links Wwoofing Stories & Articles http://www.planetfriendly.net/wwoof.html#stories International WWOOF Association http://www.wwoof.org/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (D) GREEN TRAVEL, RECREATION, TRANSPORTATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This section of our "Sustainable Living Links" directory is focused on healthy, sustainable, affordable travel and recreation. Check it out for everything from self-propelled activities such as walking, hiking and cycling ...to ecotourism, educational travel, and working your way around the world. Green Recreation http://www.planetfriendly.net/living.html#recreation Green Travel & Eco-Travel http://www.planetfriendly.net/living.html#travel2 Don't miss the corresponding Green Transportation section to learn about a wide variety of ways to get around -- healthy and affordable alternatives to owning and driving a car. Green Transportation http://www.planetfriendly.net/living.html#transport ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (E) GOODWORK - Employment, Internships & Volunteering ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GoodWork is a year-round service. This time of year there are lots of great summer jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities and activities. To receive the listings as soon as they are posted, subscribe to the GoodWork e-mail list. And don't miss the great resources and opportunities linked from the GoodWork website. GOODWORK CANADA Employment, Internships & Volunteering Peace | Enviro | Sust. Living | Food & Gardening | Activism http://www.planetfriendly.net/goodwork ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (F) New & Related at Planet-Friendly and GoodWork ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Planet-Friendly Summer - http://planetfriendly.net/summer Wwoof, Wwoofing, Wwoofer! - http://planetfriendly.net/wwoof Everything Organic - http://planetfriendly.net/organic Sustainable Living Links - http://planetfriendly.net/living Don't Pave It - http://planetfriendly.net/dontpave Ecoportal Canada - http://planetfriendly.net/ecoportal Art & Music for Social Change - http://planetfriendly.net/art GoodWork Quotations http://planetfriendly.net/goodworkquotes.html How to be an Activist - http://planetfriendly.net/active More www.planetfriendly.net http://planetfriendly.net/directory ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (G) ABOUT PEOPLE- & PLANET-FRIENDLY and GoodWork ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Planet-Friendly provides this newsletter and website without charge even though they cost lots of time and money to produce. If you can help by making a donation, whether $5 or $100, it would be helpful and appreciated! Please send to: People and Planet, Box 21006, Ottawa ON, Canada K1S 5N1. (Not tax-deductible; if you want a receipt, please send a stamped addressed envelope). Thanks! Please post and distribute freely. You are also welcome to quote or excerpt, as long as you indicate the source: http://www.planetfriendly.net SUBSCRIBE TO P&PF: http://www.planetfriendly.net or e-mail people@planetfriendly.net subject: subscribe UNSUBSCRIBE: people@planetfriendly.net -- subject: unsubscribe SUBSCRIBE TO GOODWORK: http://planetfriendly.net/goodwork POST AN EVENT: http://www.planetfriendly.net/submit.html POST A JOB: http://www.planetfriendly.net/goodworksubmit.html POST AN ANNOUNCEMENT: http://www.planetfriendly.net/forum/ http://www.planetfriendly.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=17 To learn more about People & Planet-Friendly, see our website, "About" page, and the Planet-Friendly Story -- all are linked from the homepage. http://www.planetfriendly.net/ A PLANET-FRIENDLY SUMMER will also be posted on the web. Any corrections or additions will appear there. http://www.planetfriendly.net/summer Have a great, green, healthy summer! - Peter Blanchard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PEOPLE- & PLANET-FRIENDLY http://www.planetfriendly.net/ GOODWORK http://www.planetfriendly.net/goodwork.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~