Locals Share Green Action

Anna Tsantir is the cofounder of Two Bettys in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Two Bettys is a green cleaning company that has combined their mission of using ecofriendly cleaners that are safer for their employees, their clients and their community with striving to support greater social justice, green living and community empowerment.  They are a company that pays their employees a living wage and benefits and is striving to adapt to the challenges of racial injustice and conflict in their community and the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.twobettysclean.com/

With the ever-increasing recognition that our planet can neither provide endless resources nor absorb endless waste, a cultural shift has begun.  Maria and her co-organizers have set out to make it their mission to address the rest of our “junk”.  She is part of the Upcycle Alameda Meetup group in Alameda, California which brings people together focusing on finding the beauty in junk, by using discards and second-hand materials as a starting point for creation.  ‘Making-sessions’ start by opening minds and then integrate skill-building to empower artists & craftspeople to use tools to make whatever they imagine.

https://www.meetup.com/Upcycle/

Samantha Romanick, a microbiology PhD student, is the founder and operator of Black Rock Refill, a zero-waste business to help people in the Reno, Nevada and surrounding areas have options to reduce plastic waste in their lives.  Studying the biology of micro-plastic contamination in the environment, she knows intimately why we should consider minimizing our use of plastic and how to go about it. She operates her business without a brick and mortar store and still manages to make her products available to a large area.

Kelley and Susan met while teaching at the same school.  They found they were equally inspired by Reggio Emilia, a unique and successful approach to learning.  It inspired them to visit the birthplace of the philosophy in Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2010.  When they returned they took their inspiration and built a similar creative recycling center in the City of Alexandria.  Upcycle is now a community resource for materials, inspiration, and ideas for the whole areawide community.  They collect reusable items that are used for arts & crafts and learning purposes.  

https://www.upcyclecrc.org/

Luke and Shannon own Blustery Bovine, a 6-acre farm in Washoe Valley, NV where they raise cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens to supply food to their CSA and farm store. They have been using regenerative land management practices and methods that better care for animals and at the same time help to heal and replenish the health of wildlife, pasture grasses, and the soil.  

Gwen Bourne shares her small local flower business that she started after her semi-retirement.  She shares her passion for growing beautiful flowers without the need for toxic sprays and how doing so encourages and supports pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds.