Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Welcome back! What an interesting and active year the board has planned for us.
I am excited that our 5th annual Good of the Hive Speaker will again be Krystle Hickman, native bee expert and photographer. Get ready for another year of fascinating speakers covering topics ranging from lawn alternatives to curb appeal. We will celebrate the history of Laguna Canyon, learn the Seven Sins of Gardening, and explore why Gardening can be Murder.
Each month, you get to hear me, your president, speak passionately about how you can help save the planet by reducing, reusing, and recycling.
I reused Jeanne Yale’s president’s theme: Serve our Community, Protect our Planet & Share the Love of Gardening
I’m a bit obsessed with toilet paper. I don’t know if any of you remember my first message as president in 2018. The key takeaway was to squish your toilet paper roll to use less each time. Toilet paper has a massive environmental footprint because it is a single-use item made largely from bleached virgin forest fibers. Manufacturing it destroys ancient forests, consumes massive amounts of energy and water, and relies on chemical treatments that can release pollutants into waterways.
Few people think much about toilet paper. You might not realize that the average American household uses more than 100 pounds of tissue paper each year. If every American swapped just one roll of toilet paper made from forest fiber for a roll made from recycled content, we’d collectively save more than one billion gallons of water and 1.6 million trees.
As you can see, small changes can make a big difference. Global warming isn’t a single overwhelming problem; it’s a collection of smaller issues we can address. One action you can take this month is to join the coastal cleanup at Aliso Creek Beach on Saturday, September 19, from 9 am to noon. At one event, you can serve your community, help protect our planet, and, if you visit our table, share your love of gardening.
Nancy Englund
2026-2027 President
