Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Once you adopt your sustainable kitty, you'll know they need lots of play time and attention. Want to keep your cat entertained but not spend a boatload? No worries - you can create a DIY recycled cat scratcher for (practically) free! As you may know, Pounce DeLeon is well aware of his Carbon PawPrint between his food, litter and treats. I wanted to make sure his scratching post was recycled and aligned with his sustainable values - plus it saved me some cash. The cardboard cat scratch project began on one evening after work... Find out the instructions (and see more cat pictures!), after the jump!

Heading to the beach soon? My recent trip to North Carolina started as sight-seeing but turned up into a mini-beach cleanup. Here's how things went down (and some beautiful pictures of trash to help motivate!):

Attention foodies and food-lovers: The 3rd annual Philadelphia Vendy Awards want you to judge the best of Philly food trucks. OK, they already have a judge panel. But you can pick your own favorite as you taste your way through each truck for the People's Choice Award. The Philadelphia Vendy awards are coming up on this Saturday, June 8th from 2-6 PM at Penn Treaty Park (1341 N Delaware Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125). Awards include Best Dessert, Messy yet Tasty and People's Choice Awards. Find out about the Vendy Awards and how YOU can win a free pair of tickets, after the jump!

Heading to Rittenhouse, Headhouse, Collingswood or Bryn Mawr this weekend? There's boatloads of Farmers Markets in Philadelphia right now, so it's a great excuse to get out, meet farmers and buy local produce. Before you head over to your neighborhood market, it’s best to have a game plan to get the cream of the crop. Here, 10 tips to ensure you dominate the produce stalls like a seasoned pro.

The annual Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Pop Up Garden is taking over the University of the Arts campus, at the lot consuming 313 S. Broad Street. PHS is also refreshing University’s Dorrance Hamilton Hall (320 S. Broad Street). The lot at 313 S. Broad Street includes (Find out more and how to score BEER, after the jump.)

Save the Valley - Petition & Background My BFF sent me a link a few weeks ago to a Change.org petition. After browsing, I realized that 750 acres of woodland & farmland are in danger for a Wal-Mart, a few housing developments & more retail stores. This area wasn't in a foreign country endangering panda bears or chimpanzees. Instead, it was in my hometown. My territory where I grew up for 18 years. Throughout my childhood, I noticed my quaint suburban neighborhood slowly developed from open land to forests cleared and made room for McMansions. Although I wasn't able to fully process it at the time, more deer and animals dashed onto the back roads. There were even a few tragic car accidents as drivers were killed by confused deer during daylight savings time. As time wore on, more and more stores were put in on more corners. A 10 minute drive to the local movie theatre delayed into 15 or 20 due to traffic congestion on the highway. Fast forward: It's 2013 and Beaver Valley (or "the Valley") is another precious land at stake. Nestled in Delaware County, 750 acres hidden behind Route 202 are a wildlife refuge, public lands for hiking and biking, and a rarity in the ever-booming suburbs. It's so beautiful and rare, National Geographic even recently caught wind. Developers want to Find out more about this land at stake, after the jump.

This sponsored guest post comes from Akil Marsh from Solar States, who discusses solar energy advantages with more energy than a Lady Gaga concert. Solar panels are increasingly popular as we can see them pop up on rooftops and sides of businesses. But it's not for you, right? The advantages of solar energy may convert you to a new look for your home or business. Solar energy doesn't seem convenient - In fact, it's the punching bag of right wing political pundits. Are you even able to afford solar panels on your roof? Here's the 5 biggest lies (and advantages!) of solar energy:

Happy Friday! The upcoming holiday on Monday means we get to kick off a loooong (and much-needed) weekend. Have plans to head to the shore or mountains? Make sure to lessen your carbon footprint this holiday weekend regardless of where you go. Here's a few quick tips to stay sustainable:

Heading to your local bank or any sort of street fair tends to have one giveaway: Free Pens! And who doesn't need writing supplies - even in this digital age? Yet a few 'free' pens can stack up to a pile of half-full, glutenous answer to the mighty pen-or-sword  debate. Which brings us to our Where Can I (Wednesday) question: Where can you recycle used pens?