Sweetness In Sedona--Hummingbirds at Our Vacation Rental

An amazing miracle happened at my Sedona vacation rental Casita Colibri, two Black-Chinned Hummingbirds hatched this week. The nest is smaller than half an eggshell. The babies looked like two, minuscule black peas.

You'll notice how small even the mother is compared to the ficus leaves.

Hug It: Dana's Top Five

1. Leverage your impact with CarrotMob.com and their new ways of activism. In the first ever Carrotmob event, a liquor store agreed to invest in upgrades that made their store more energy-efficient. In exchange, hundreds of Carrotmobbers showed up at once to support the winning liquor store.

2. Win a Green Home from HGTV. Enter until June 5, 2009.

3. Research Shows Dancing Improves Health for Seniors.

4. For the birds. Check the Audubon's Climate Change Quiz and see if you can beat my score: 7 out of 8.

5. MACA urges O'Bama's to use pesticides in their organic garden because, among other reasons, "Americans don't have time to grow their own food."


This blog is for bottom-up dispensers of cool who enjoy eco-travel deals and healthy living. We feel that "the small, the slow, the local, and the personal" will build the new economy. Your comments will help enrich this information for all of us. Please share your tips and experience.

U.S Eco Travel

When people think of traveling in the United States, images of the Vegas strip, Hollywood glitz, and castles of Disneyland, and NY City come to mind. But there is more to offer than Rodeo Drive and Mickey Mouse and even more ways to save money and the planet while you see authentic America.

Florida – Forget Walt Disney World and all its gaudy glitz and glamour and check out Mother Nature. Florida is rich with crystal-clear springs for swimming and paddling, parks for bird watching, and sub-tropical wilderness to discover on the hiking trails. The “Real Florida” offers charming history in the “Oldest City,” St. Augustine—the oldest European settlement in the US. Forget the fake animals and check out the pink spoonbills, manatees and playful dolphins. Stay in a healthy vacation home like “The Riverview,” centrally located just minutes from all the sites, including parks and the beaches. The owners have a passion for art, community and the environment, a trio of passions that reveal themselves over and over again in this treehouse like two bedroom home set in a nature preserve on the Matanzas River.

Then head south to Palm Beach County where you can skip the bling and enjoy the real Florida at Peanut Island Park in the Lake Worth Lagoon of West Palm Beach. This site covers 86 acres and is accessible only by boat. You can snorkel safely in the lagoon which is teeming with colorful fish. Then pitch a tent on the beach in one of the designated camping spots or stay in an authentic Seminole Indian-style chickee huts.

In the south part of the county, check out the Daggerwing Nature Center in Boca Raton which has a spring break camp for kids. The Nature Center is worth a visit anytime to see the rescued marine life, including endangered sea turtles.

Gamble with Vegas or head for Amazing Arizona. Stoneman Lake Eco Lodge, Arizona is set in five acres of pine woodland next to Stoneman Lake in the Coconino National Forest. The main room of the Lodge, The Great Hall is homey with comfy sofas and an old stone fireplace. The deck outside is the perfect setting for meals looking out over the lake. The lodge uses only solar and wind power for energy and was built using natural materials. Located near Flagstaff and Sedona, it makes an excellent retreat within driving distance of other sites.

Or have a spiritual awakening in the heart of the red rocks at Casita Colibri, Sedona, Arizona where you can walk to trails, vortexes and yoga studios. This healthy home is fragrance and smoke-free and greenovated with no VOC finishes and materials. The interior reflects the owners’ trio of passions for art, the environment and culture with many touches including sun-drenched colors and handmade furnishings.

Grand Canyon by Rail – Tour the southern rim of one of the Seven Wonders of the World by coach. Formed over millions of years by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon’s beauty and grandeur is impossible to explain so you need to go see it for yourself. The best time for viewing is at dawn or dusk when the hues of the red earth are at their best.

WildSpring Guest Habitat, Oregon – Set in a pristine forest beneath 100ft trees, this small eco-friendly luxurious resort overlooks the southern Oregon coast where you’ll be able to view Californian grey whales from the decking. Enjoy a dip in the open-air spa after a walk through the National Wildlife Federation certified habitat which is packed with historical sites and hiking trails.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Colorado saved 5,000 acres from high-density development. 16 cabins with heating and cooling developing only 1 percent of the land leaving the rest wild. 1-800-933-4339.

Discover the Sights by Rail - USA by Rail is a dedicated website for rail travel through the states. It’s a cheap and easy way to travel where you want to go and is kind to the environment too.

Dancing With Sandhill Cranes

Photos and commentary by Guest Blogger, Fran Palmeri. Contact at fran palmeri at comcast dot net.

Everyday it’s a different show at the Celerty fields in Sarasota, Florida. The Sarasota Audubon Society is often out in force with spotting scopes and binoculars in hand they spread out across Fields to look for the more rare and elusive species than the dozens of ibis clamoring for attention.

It’s a place of contradictions--on the surface, wild and unspoiled but upon close examination, a disturbed landscape, the soil depleted by more than 100 years of human exploitation. In the 19th century, it was part of Mrs. Potter Palmer’s vast vegetable garden, spreading out over Sarasota and Manatee Counties in southwest Florida. In the 1940s engineers created a farm for the intensive cultivation of celery. In the mid-90s, engineers planned yet another role for this area—storm water management-- and for years, dredged out canals, culverts and retention ponds to create a flood mitigation area.

A surreal Dali-esque landscape of canals filled with Indonesian parrot grass, an invasive that arrived here via the drainage system. Cell towers loom like Martian invaders. Lions roar in the background against the omnipresent whine of traffic--a wildly improbable presence from the nearby Big Cat Sanctuary.

Over 188 different species have been recorded in the Fields to date. Historically, these wetlands are used by migrating flocks of waterfowl. Perhaps it is imprinted into their collective memories as four-star accommodation for migrants.

Twice this week I dropped in for the “early show” which is always a bit of a cliffhanger. Bird watchers perched on the gazebo and photographers along the banks, checking their watches. Will the Sandhills show or won’t they?

As the sun nears the horizon, the first pair of cranes arrive, landing gear down. Wave after wave of these beautiful birds follow--dancing, preening, grooming, jockeying for their favorite spots. About sixty birds arrive over the space of an hour. Then, all is still. No encores or reprises. The birds are all asleep.

Blue Fire Scrub Jays

By Guest Blogger, Fran Palmeri

Known for their friendly and inquisitive nature and bright blue color, the scrub jay reminds me of fire. At Oscar Scherer State Park, they often “drop in” -I’ll be engrossed photographing a wildflower and a bird will land on my head. But that's not where the fire starts.

The jays risk being picked off by predators like hawks and only feel comfortable nesting in dense thickets of tiny scrub oaks that are only about eight feet tall. They live in cooperative family groups. Posted on top of a tree, one acts as a sentry warning of danger. Young birds help raise new members of the family. Scrub jays eat the small acorns of the oaks and cache them for future use. One bird can bury up to 1,500 acorns a season.

This is where fire comes in. Scrubby oak flatwoods depend on fire to renourish the soil and open the area to sunlight, which promotes new growth of grasses, wildflowers, shrubs --and scrub oaks from the acorns the jays buried. In the days before housing developments and office complexes, lightning did the job, but today land managers must start prescribed burns.

At first, burning horrified me but I learned that in times of fire, animals escape harm by taking shelter in underground burrows or flyomg to safety. When I saw the green explosion of growth in the days and months following a burn, I was convinced fire did more good than harm. No fire, no scrub oaks, no scrub jays.

Secret Florida: Laid Back Luxury and Romance

If you think Florida is all golf courses and palm trees, you haven’t explored St. Augustine. While I have been known to poke fun at Florida, I can’t get enough of “The Old City.” Whether you love romance or adventure, you need look no further than this playground. Just a short drive from Orlando or Jacksonville airports, it sits on a sound where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Matanzas at two inlets.

For the big picture view of how the city is laid out and a taste of the natural wonder, start off with a sunset cruise with sweeping city and harbor views from the Schooner--Freedom--a 72-foot tall ship. Departs from the City Marina next to the Bridge of Lions. Or for more exercise, walk up the 219 stairs at the St. Augustine Lighthouse for views you’ll never forget. Beats a Stairmaster any day.

St. Augustine was founded in 1565, long before Jamestown, the English colony in Virginia and 55 years before Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. One of it’s many claims to fame is it is the oldest European settlement in North America. Of course the Hopis were here long before the Spanish. With no cars allowed on some of the historic streets, the town is a walker's dream, full of quaint nooks and crannies to explore, quirky museums, unique shops, and art galleries with everything from Dr. Suess to work by local artists.

You can paddle 20 different runs to Anastasia Park or Crescent Beach from the Matanzas River where you can kayak or canoe alongside dolphin and manatee while bird watching, fishing or just reconnecting with yourself and the natural beauty.

Bald eagles nest from October to March and wright whales can be seen blowing as mothers and calves migrate from colder waters. Or catch Sea Monsters, a new film from National Geographic at the World Golf Hall of Fame and IMAX Theater.

New restaurants mean even world-traveling foodies can make mouth-watering discoveries and lasting memories. One such spot opened this summer. Fifth generation Chef Jean Stephane Poinard moved from the famed culinary region of Lyon with his charming, wine-making wife, Valerie, their children, and their sous chef to open Bistro de Leon. The name is a clever nod to the culture-combo. And when you're ready to recover from indulging in their baked goods and sauces, the revitalizing food of Present Moment Café offers an creative counterpoint across the tracks on King Street.

95 Cordova is an elegant spot to hit for a late dessert and quiet jazz. Don’t be afraid to wander in dressed in your touring clothes. Located in the Casa Monica Hotel where guests stroll through in everything from wedding attire to shorts, the gracious servers treat you the same in a business suit as in your coverup and bathing suit.

For a few laughs and an entertaining spin on accurate history, end another evening with a trip on Ripley's Ghost Tour. While many guides offer ghost outings, Ripley's includes a camera, an EMF meter and a spooky trip into the Ripley Museum after hours. You'll also find professionally trained guides give more fact than mythology with Ripleys. Believe it or not.

The St. Augustine Wild Reserve offers tours for small groups to see their rescued exotic pets, mostly big cats that didn't make Siegfried and Roy or other Hollywood pussycats.
See the EcoLuxury website for links to all the sites mentioned, suggestions for when to go, and how to save money. Caution: you’ll find no listings for tourist joints where you might overpay for the view and mediocre food. We figure you can find those on billboards and in hotel lobby brochures. We don’t get paid for advertising, we do it as a courtesy to our vacation rental guests.

Hummingbirds Headed South

We love hummingbirds, especially the ones that fly around Sedona. That's why we call our house, "Casita Colibri," Little House of the Hummingbirds.

Each fall thousands of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate from Canada through Mississippi to their winter home in Mexico and Central America. Moving like a river of birds, they traverse the fields and woods and then make a non-stop 500-mile flight over the Gulf of Mexico.

Vital to our ecosystem as pollinators, 9 species are Critically Endangered, 14 Endangered, 19 Near Threatened, and 6 Vulnerable, totaling 48 species worldwide.

Hummingbird habitat is being lost to development and fragmentation, as forests give way to logging, and crops. All of these changes can impact hummingbird populations. The status of the Ruby-throated population is robust, however, and bodes for a spectacular migration in Mississippi, where the little birds are already arriving.

8,100 people gathered to watch the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly over Mississippi, the largest crowd ever gathered at Strawberry Plains Audubon Center for the ninth Hummingbird Migration Celebration. Hummingbird banders tagged a record 281 birds over three days and recaptured one adult female that had been banded at the center on Sept. 9, 2006.

"Hummingbirds may be small in size, but they are mighty in their impact as ambassadors for nature and conservation," said Madge Lindsay, executive director of Audubon Mississippi. "When you see one of these fragile looking birds up close, you can't help but be inspired by the amazing diversity of life on our planet. It is breathtaking to think that a creature weighing a tenth of an ounce can survive such a perilous, long journey."

Tips for attracting hummers to your backyard from Audubon here.

Photo by Bill Stripling

Living on the Edge

By Guest Blogger, Fran Palmeri
Nature Photographer

When I moved to Florida I thought it was kind of cute that yard birds were the live kind. Then I realized birds were in people’s yards because they had nowhere else to go. They’re forced to coexist with humans on chemically treated lawns, mulch, concrete and asphalt. Sandhill cranes take up residence on pesticided sod by an algaecide treated pond, wood storks hang out in a dumpster behind a restaurant, and ibises nest in a mountain of debris on a construction site. Dumps are another common habitat for birds and other creatures with no where else to feed.

Our fellow creatures often live life on the fringes of developed areas. Our ignorance, lack of concern, greed, and short sightedness has forced wildlife to make do with hideous substitutes for all that is natural, that is real, that is YES, to paraphrase Cummings.