Pack the minivan and consult with the experts for the best time to head out on a fall foliage-viewing adventure
Fall is just around the corner and along with the pumpkin spice everything comes something truly magical, fall foliage! There’s nothing quite like the fiery autumn colors as the leaves change and the joy of watching your kids’ faces as they leap into a heaping pile of them. If you’re planning a special trip to see this spectacular sight, you’re definitely going to want to check out this interactive map for the optimal place and time to see fall leaves at their peak.
SmokyMountains.com has created this fall foliage map, using data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to predict the peak of the leaf season across the country to help you plan the perfect road trip. The data is based on years of information on the peak season and the forecast ahead. Data scientist and map creator, Wes Melton, explained, “The SmokyMountains.com data model continues to improve and become more accurate each year. This is due to our expanding historical database and our ability to analyze past predictions versus historical trends. Our aggregated historical and current database now includes hundreds of thousands of unique data points giving us the ability to predict more accurately than ever before.”
When will the leaves change color this year?
Many factors go into whether leaves will change early or late. We know that areas where warmer temps persist will often have a later peak (and this was the third-hottest summer on record according to NOAA). But lack of rainfall can make leaves change earlier. So, we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.
Check out the interactive map here and use the sliding bar at the bottom to see what changes you can expect across the country from now until the end of October. The site also features scientific explanations of why leaves change color and free coloring pages you can download, as well as local lodging, restaurant, and attraction listings.
One of the loveliest elements of the holiday season, the Christmas tree, can lose its luster pretty quickly once the new year arrives. Good news! The city’s Mulchfest program makes it easy for you to recycle your Christmas tree and do some good for the city’s parks and young trees. Here’s how to get rid of your Christmas tree and do a little green good this year. (Plus: the last day for sanitation tree pickup and recycling!)
Treecycle it: MulchFest2021
NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
MulchFest is back! NYC’s own “TREECYCLE” tradition is taking place from December 26, 2021 to January 9, 2022. Last year the city mulched more than 29,000 trees, and it's pumped to set a new record for 2022!
Bring your tree (free of all decorations, netting and wrapping) and it will be recycled into wood chips to nourish trees and plants on NYC streets and gardens. Drop it off at one of the many Mulchfest locations around the city (there are many in every borough), or bring it on "Chipping Weekend", January 8 and 9, to see your tree reduced to bits live.
Bonus: If your own backyard needs some sprucing up, you can get a free bag of mulch to take home with you after your tree is chipped. (Locations marked with an asterisk have mulch for the taking.)
Spread the Love — and the Mulch! Feel like spreading some of that green love around? You and the kids can volunteer to add that awesome mulch to city trees. (The mulch helps protect young trees, shrubs and garden beds from the winter cold, helps plants retain moisture and provides a nice decorative touch.) Sound like the green, civic activity your family's been seeking? Events are happening in all boroughs on weekends in January. Click here to see locations, dates, and times and to register! (And remember, dress warmly, wear closed-toe shoes and a mask!)
Kick it To the Curb — and Still Recycle It!
Dates for Department of Sanitation Pick-Up Bring your tree down for curbside pick-up by the Department of Sanitation from January 6-15. Trees will be recycled into compost for NYC’s public spaces (parks, gardens, etc.). Be sure to remove all decorations from the tree and do not place the tree in a plastic bag.
Note: trees left curbside with holiday decorations of any kind remaining on them will be collected as garbage. If your metal or plastic imitation tree has worked its last holiday season, dispose of it with your normal recycling and it's off your hands.
Have Someone Else Do the Heavy Lifting — and Still Recycle It!: Removal Services
If you’re unable to physically take your tree down to the curbside or to a MulchFest chipping location or drop-off site, don’t worry. Services like NYC Trees can come to your home, remove the tree, and take it directly to a recycling location for you. Starting at $80 for a four-to-five-foot tree, NYC Trees makes the tree removal process (and clean up!) about as easy as it gets. (If you want them to take off your lights, ornaments, etc. expect to pay more.)
Today was one of those days when I was struggling. I had a bunch of work I needed to get done, I wanted to do a long workout to make up for not working out at all yesterday, I had cooking to do to prep for the next few days and Meadow just wanted to play with me. It’s so easy to write off these kinds of days—and I know all us parents have them—and just assume we will find moments to connect tomorrow. But, today Meadow was my teacher. We came back from a walk and she said, “Let’s find some pieces of nature, Mommy.”
So, we did. We went into the front yard. We crawled over rocks, looked under trees, hopped over puddles. At each spot, we collected leaves and sticks, and rocks. We looked at color and texture. We found unusual shapes and unexpected angles. We delighted over a particularly shiny pink-ish pebble. We exclaimed at the brightness of the colors on the leaves. And as we found each treasure we put it in a box.
Spending that time outdoors with her shifted my entire day. I was reminded, once again of the groundbreaking and amazing work of Pediatrician Nooshin Razani, MD who is prescribing nature to kids as part of her practice. If you haven’t heard of her work, check out this UCSF article or her amazing Ted Talk. Being in nature helps with anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress and so many other issues that so many children face.
Particularly, right now in the face of a pandemic, kids and adults alike are facing huge feelings of isolation and overwhelm. My family is very privileged to be able to access nature whenever we want and we talk a lot about how for many kids, that is not an option and we need to work hard to ensure that children in the future all have access to the beauty that surrounds us in California and beyond.
We finished our collection process with a new sense of ease and smiles. I wasn’t looking at my watch or checking my email. I was just out there observing, seeing, noticing with Meadow.
We came inside and Meadow carefully arranged each item on a piece of plain white paper with the detailed eye like you would expect to see on reality TV shows with celebrity designers. Each item had a specific place it needed to be placed. As I watched her work, and she consulted me on my thoughts, I couldn’t help but admire the ease she found in creating balance with the objects. The stick bends one way, so she found a leaf that bent the other way. The rock was pointy, so she found something round to balance it.
It occurred to me that maybe part of the reason that nature relieves stress is because it is by definition, in balance. There is nothing that needs to be changed or switched. Every item in nature is placed exactly as it should be. As we work to destress and declutter our lives, maybe all we really need to do is look outside more often and find the masterpieces in plain sight.
Nina Meehan is CEO and Founder Bay Area Children's Theatre and the host of the Creative Parenting Podcast. An internationally recognized expert in youth development through the arts, Nina nurtures innovation by fostering creative thinking. She is mom to Toby (13), Robby (10) and Meadow (5).
If parenting has become a total grind, you’re not alone. With the pandemic throwing a wrench into just about any kind of school or family activity, parents everywhere are struggling to bounce back. And a new survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Sittercity highlighted the common struggles that families are facing.
The survey collected 2,000 responses from American parents of school-aged children. The results? 69 percent of parents said they’re overwhelmed with the constant routine changes of the past year. Over half (51%) said they don’t feel prepared for the upcoming school year. What’s more, 60 percent reported that the mental load of parenting is overwhelming.
Since Sittercity is an online source for in-home care, many survey questions focused on childcare. Those responses were also eye-opening. Nearly half of respondents (45%) said they don’t know where to look when it’s time to plan child care. 13 percent said they don’t have any support options for childcare gaps. And 57% rely on a spouse or family member to assist with watching their children.
All the extra time at home together does have some advantages. More than 3/4 of parents said they’d learned more about their children over the past year thanks to the extra proximity. But the last year has definitely taken its toll. While we can’t offer childcare, we can help streamline your routine—so you can spend less time stressing and more time preparing with your family for the rest of the year.
National Eat Your Vegetable Day is June 17 and broccoli is the most popular veggie in the U.S., according to a new survey from Green Giant. Believe it or not, every person who picked it said the taste was the top factor!
Regionally there are some disagreements. The East Coast prefers broccoli, but the West Coast leans in favor of carrots. Unsurprisingly, corn is the king of many Midwest states. But every state picked one of those three vegetables as the best, pushing aside past favorites that included tomatoes and cucumber.
Also unsurprisingly, small children were not included in this survey. Green Giant collected data from more than 5,000 Americans over the age of 18. There would likely be even more disagreement among kids and we predict that green smoothies would be a top contender.
Thankfully Green Giant has an array of options for the veggie-averse members of your family. Cauliflower pizza crust, riced veggies, veggie tots and spirals, all frozen for easy side options! Feel free to conduct your own informal survey with your family—with a side of broccoli of course—to mark this week’s holiday.
A recent survey of more than 1,000 Americans found that 40 percent of hopefully soon-to-be parents believe more resources or support would have helped them in their fertility struggles.
The survey, which was collected by OnePoll for Clearblue’s #Conceivinghood campaign, also found that 15 percent of TTC parents say their journey to a baby, “has been a struggle.” Of the parents polled, 32 percent also believe the struggle to conceive is too awkward to talk about—with 10 percent admitting they hadn’t told anyone about their fertility issues.
Dr. Fiona Clancy, R&D Senior Director, Swiss Precision Diagnostics, said in a press release, “Society always talks about motherhood, fatherhood and parenthood, but there’s a blind spot when it comes to discussing that delicate stage of trying for a baby.”
Along with the survey responses, OnePoll also asked the TTC parents about their individual perspectives on fertility and the road to parenthood. One participant said, “It takes time, especially for non-traditional families. It feels like you are alone in a world of people who have it easy and complain about problems when they don’t understand how easy they have it. But hold on because there are others of us out there.”
Where to recycle your Christmas tree in the SF Bay Area
We put all this time and effort into selecting the right tree, setting it up in the perfect spot, and decorating it. But once Christmas has come and gone, then what? Before you kick it to the curb, make sure you know your options (and the rules) for Christmas Tree Recycling. Read on to find great solutions in your neck of the woods, and in some cases, contribute to a few good causes while you’re at it!
Remember: Remove all Christmas Tree Lights & Decorations
It's probably pretty obvious, but be sure you've removed all the decorations, lights, and tinsel from your tree before recycling. Most services so not accept flocked trees—those are the ones sprayed with white, artificial snow. If you are unsure, check with your district at the link provided.
San Francisco Christmas Tree Pick Up
Place clean, unflocked trees next to your bins on your regular service day during the first 2 weeks of January. Be sure to remove all tinsel, decorations, plastic bags, stands, and lights. If your tree measures more than 6 feet tall, please cut it in half. Typically, collection begins the Mon. after New Year's Day
Marin County: Place clean, unflocked trees next to your bins, not in them, on your regular service day starting Jan. 2 through Jan. 13. Be sure to remove all tinsel, decorations, plastic bags, stands, and lights. If your tree measures more than 6 feet tall, please cut it in half. Marin Sanitary customers can also drop off up to two Christmas trees for free at the Marin Resource Recovery Center at 565 Jacoby St., San Rafael. Apartment managers should schedule a pickup day for their apartment complex. After Jan. 31, pickup or drop-off will cost a small fee. You can also find a list of Christmas tree drop-off locations at Zero Waste Marin.
Mill Valley: Please put your trees out on the curb on any regular green Compost Cart day, beginning Jan. 2, 2023. We will not pick up trees left by garbage cans. Trees more than 5 feet tall must be cut in half. Put trees next to green cans. Homestead Valley customers without green cans can put their trees on the curb on a yard waste day.
Novato: Trees will be picked up from the first week of Jan. on regular collection days. Place next to curb or cut and fit inside yard waste container. Remove all lights, tinsel, ornaments and stands. Flocked trees will not be accepted.
East Bay Christmas Tree Pick Up
Berkeley & Albany: Place clean, unflocked trees next to your bins on your regular service day during the first 2 weeks of January. Be sure to remove all tinsel, decorations, plastic bags, stands, and lights. If your tree measures more than 5 feet tall, (6 feet tall in Albany) in please cut it in half. After Jan. 31, trees will not be collected curbside, unless they are cut up and properly placed in your green waste cart. Call 311 if your tree is missed or if you have any questions.
You can also drop your tree off at the Berkeley Transfer Station at no charge during the month of Jan. After Jan., you can cut up your tree to fit in your plant debris cart, or you can bring it to the Transfer Station for a compost fee.
Dublin: Place your holiday tree at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on your regular service day the week after Christmas. A truck exclusively for recycling holiday trees will collect the trees. Only clean trees will be taken (no flocking or tinsel). Cut trees down to 4-feet or less in heigh and remove bases or stand. After that, trees will not be collected curbside, unless they are cut up and properly placed in your green waste cart.
Have a Non-Recyclable Flocked Tree or Trees with Tinsel? Amador Valley Industries can pick up your non-recyclable holiday tree. Call 925-479-9545 to arrange for disposal of your flocked or tinseled tree. An additional fee may apply, unless you use one of the three Large Item Collections available to you per year at no cost.
Good to Know: Boy Scouts of America – Tree Recycling Fundraiser For a donation of $10 donation per tree, local Boy Scout Troop 905 will pick up holiday trees from Dublin residents on Sun., Jan. 1, 2023. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, please visit https://www.dublintroop905.org after December 1, 2022. Reservations will be accepted through 3 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2022. Only clean trees will be accepted. No flocking or tinsel allowed. Please remove the tree base or stand.
Emeryville: Trees are collected curbside on regular collection days during the first two weeks of Jan. Place your tree at the curb next to your green waste, recycling and trash carts on your regular pickup day. Trees taller than 5 feet must be cut into lengths of 5 feet or smaller. Remove all tinsel, ornaments, nails and tree stands. Green trees only. Flocked trees will not be accepted.
Fremont: Remove all decorations, tinsel, lights, nails and tree stands prior to pickup or dropoff. Trees that have any of these items are not compostable. Trees that contain fire retardant or flocking are also not compostable. Curbside trees will be picked up the first two weeks of Jan. on your scheduled yard waste collection day. For trees taller than 6 feet, please cut in half.
Hayward:All properties are eligible for free pickup of holiday trees during the first two weeks of January. Only clean trees will be picked up; no flocked trees, stands or decorations. Trees must be cut to less than five feet.
Oakland: Place clean, unflocked trees next to your bins on your regular service day during the first two weeks of January. Be sure to remove all tinsel, decorations, plastic bags, stands, and lights. If your tree measures more than 5 feet tall, in please cut it in half. Later in the month, trees will not be collected curbside, unless they are cut up and properly placed in your green waste cart.
San Leandro: Place your Christmas tree curbside on your regularly scheduled collection day during the first two weeks in Jan. Remember to remove all tinsel and ornaments, cut your tree down if it is larger than 6 feet and set it out on the curb with your yard trimmings cart for collection. Trees will be recycled into mulch for use in landscaping applications.
How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree on the Peninsula
San Mateo County: Place trees curbside on normal day of your yard waste pickup during the month of Jan. Tree length maximum sizes vary depending on the recycling company. Most of the recycling companies do not accept flocked trees. Residents without regular trash pickup can drop off their trees at several locations.
How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree in the South Bay
Campbell & Los Gatos: West Valley Collection and Recycling will pick up trees on the curb during regular service until mid-Jan. Trees must be less than 5 feet tall and placed at least 1 foot from carts.
Unincorporated Cupertino: Place clean, unflocked trees next to your bins on your regular service day during the month of January. Be sure to remove all tinsel, decorations, plastic bags, stands, and lights. If your tree measures more than 6 feet tall, please cut it in half. Leave by the curb, or in the green bin if the lid can close.
Los Altos: Place clean, unflocked trees next to your bins on your regular service day during the month of Jan. Be sure to remove all tinsel, decorations, plastic bags, stands, and lights. If your tree measures more than 6 feet tall, please cut it in half. Leave by the curb, or in the green bin if the lid can close. Apartment residents should place all trees in a central location and call to arrange a pickup.
San Jose: Recycle your holiday tree on your regular collection day starting after Christmas throughout the month of Jan. Trees should then be cut into 5-foot lengths and placed in the street one foot from the curb and 5 feet from your garbage and recycling carts and parked vehicles. Natural and flocked trees accepted. If you live in an apartment, townhouse or condo, ask your property manager if special arrangements have been made for recycling holiday trees on-site.
Want your kids to excel in the classroom, then turn them into jet-setters. A new survey reveals an important reason why kids should travel more often.
A recent survey conducted by the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) found that 74 percent of educators believe that travel has a positive impact on students’ personal development. From the more than 2,000 responses collected, SYTA found that 56 percent of teachers said traveling had a very positive impact on a student’s education and future career.
The educators surveyed agreed that travel reinforces curriculum taught in classrooms and increases cultural awareness among students. Traveling also had many important social impacts on kids, according to teachers.
More than half of teachers responded that travel increased a student’s willingness to learn more. Many teachers also agreed that travel increased independence, self-esteem and self confidence, as well as developing intellectual curiosity, better cooperation skills and adaptability and increased tolerance and respectfulness of others.
How much should teachers praise students? According to a newly published study from researchers at Brigham Young University, the University of Kansas and Vanderbilt University, the answer is the more the better.
The study, which was published in the journal Educational Psychology, found a higher praise-to-reprimand ratio raised the chances of the students engaging in on-task behavior.
Researchers collected data for three years in 151 kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms from 19 U.S. elementary schools. They discovered that the classrooms with the highest praise-to-reprimand ratios had students who spent 20 to 30 percent longer focusing on either the task or the teacher than the classes with the lowest ratios.
Paul Caldarella, a professor at BYU’s McKay School of Education and lead author of the study said in a press release, “Even if teachers praised as much as they reprimanded, students’ on-task behavior reached 60 percent.” Caldarella continued, “However, if teachers could increase their praise to reprimand ratio to 2:1 or higher, they would see even more improvements in the classroom.”
When it comes to the connect between praise and behavior, Caldarella said, “Behavior that is reinforced tends to increase, so if teachers are praising students for good behavior—such as attending to the teacher, asking for help appropriately, etc.—it stands to reason that this behavior will increase, and learning will improve.”
Half the fun of trick-or-treating is the ritual itself: dressing up, walking door-to-door in the friendly dark of early Autumn, and gathering a wide variety of treats. If you want your child to enjoy all of that, without all the extra sugar, then candy buybacks are for you! (And no, we’re not talking about Mom and Dad doing the buying.) Local dentists hold annual buyback events that redirect the candy flow to populations in need of dense calories, or just some extra sweetness in their lives. Let your child choose a handful of favorites, then bring in the rest for cash and prizes! Read on for details.
At this 7th annual buyback, kids and parents will get $1 for every pound of candy they bring in to Aspire’s offices in downtown Portland. Kids will also get a prize bag, and a chance to win a prize package for their school. Candy will be donated to deployed military troops and the Junior League of Portland’s Gingerbread Jamboree, which features gingerbread house decorating.
Don’t miss Clackamas Smiles’ annual “Treats for Troops” candy buyback! On one day only, the first 70 kids (ages 12 and under) will receive a gift card for a free kid’s meal at Chick-fil-A Clackamas Promenade, plus $1 per pound of candy, up to three pounds. Collected candy will be put into care packages and sent to deployed service members.
Nov. 4, 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. 10001 SE Sunnyside Rd., Suite 250 Clackamas, OR 503-974-3186 Online:clackamassmiles.com
At Hollywood Children’s Dentistry, you and your child can earn $1 per pound of trick-or-treat loot (no limit!) during their annual candy buyback event. Once again, candy donations support Camp Courage, which makes and sends care packages for overseas troops. Drop by Nov 1st, 2nd or 4th.
Nov. 1, 8 a.m.- 1 p.m.; Nov. 2 & 4, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 3839 NE Tillamook St. 503-288-5891 Online:hcdpdx.com
World of Smiles does their Candy Buy Back a little differently. Head to the West side (the North Portland location is no longer open) and swap your candy for a special prize. Head in with your little goblins any time between Nov. 1st- 10th.
Nov. 1-10, during normal business hours 11790 SW Barnes Rd., Suite 280 503-626-9700 Online:visitworldofsmiles.com
Bring unopened candy to either of Portland Children’s Dentistry’s two locations to receive a prize, with all candy donated to the Friendly House. Each location runs their buyback on different dates, so be sure to check the details below for the event closest to you.
