A Little Introduction

The first lines of a blank page.  This is always the hardest part, it seems--the introduction.

Many of you have been following TGCG on facebook, so we're not really strangers, are we?  No, I suppose not.  For those of you who haven't been following along, my name is Angela, but I shall henceforth be signing off on these posts with the pretentious title, "the green guardian" (no caps, so as to depretentiousize it), because I like it and it fits and I think you'll forgive me.  Call me a gambler.  I am a little.



My biggest gamble at the moment happens to be this page.  Well, not this page, since this is just a little blog created so I can communicate with you and keep my little burning green mind busy while I await the construction of TGCG's new home, greencountryguardian.com.  Don't bother trying to follow that URL just yet.  It isn't active. We, my fellow Green Countryans, are under construction.  And this thought thrills me to no end.

What we are building (you might ask) is a virtual place for all Green Countrians to learn and connect regarding stewardship of our land--to share resources and keep each other informed.  You see, I have lived in and around the Tulsa area since I my mid-teens. Being an eco-minded creature, I have spent a good majority of my time since attempting to be responsible for this environment.  You know, clean up after myself, not use up too many resources, keep an eye on the old carbon footprint.  This has not always been easy.

First--and if you live here, you know what I mean--you must have clandestine meetings with your recycling bin, or (may God have mercy on your tree-hugging soul) compost pile.  You wait until the very last day, while making sure your neighbors aren't looking, to put your glass beer bottles on the curb for the City's curbside recyclers to pick up.  You mosey nonchalantly, with your bucket of kitchen scraps, across your back yard to the compost bin hidden in the copse of pecan trees, toss, then walk back as naturally as possible so no one notices you and thinks you're throwing your "trash" in your yard and calls the neighborhood association to rat you out.  Unless you live in a progressive part of town like Cherry Street or Brookside, chances are your environmental views are met with, at the very least, a few raised eyebrows.  (And I would venture to guess it happens even there.)  I say this from experience.  My let's-not-destroy-the-planet attitude has gotten me labeled everything from hippie (kind of), to treehugger (absolutely), to crazy liberal (pretty much).  Whatever. I will wear those badges with honor.  Somebody's gotta do it.

Second, just trying to navigate this part of the country in a sustainable way often poses a challenge. Tulsa may be the only city in our area with a comprehensive curbside recycling program (I will double check that factoid and report back at a later date, though if any of my readers are from another town in Northeast Oklahoma and want to correct me, please feel free), and that was only implemented just this past year.  We had voluntary curbside before that, and we had to pay a little extra just to get the service.  But, beyond recycling, you are pretty much on your own.  Where do you find locally produced food?  Are there bike trails?  How do you navigate public transit?  Are there any environmental issues happening in your area which you should be concerned about? The information is out there, but you've practically got to be a full time investigative journalist to put it all together.

Hence, the budding idea for this publication.  Yours truly has gathered a fair bit of information in this area, but I know there is much more to learn.  I want us to put our heads together, me and you.  We live here.  We are responsible for this place.  There is a way that we can make a difference, especially if we work as a team.

So, as we draw up the bones of The Green Country Guardian, carefully constructing and evaluating what it will take to fully bring her to life, I will be here, giving you updates.  There may come a time when we ask for your help--our community and supporters.  We can't do this alone.  Nor would we want to.  This is your place, your planet.  You know what's happening where you live, and if you don't, you know what questions need to be addressed.

In that vein, the first thing you can do is to communicate with us.  You can contact the green guardian via Facebook or email.  You can follow us on Twitter.  If you think of suggestions, if you have questions, get in touch.  I will personally read and consider anything you have to say.  Even the crazy stuff.  Doesn't mean that I'll do it, but hey, you want me to think about the impact of alien life forms on our local grasslands, I'll think on it for a minute.  I may regret saying that later . . . .

In the mean time, I'll try to pass on tips and information on local happenings as much as I can while we put this all together.

It's going to be a fun ride, fellow Guardians. Thank you for coming along, and for caring enough about your home planet to get involved. Your strength and dedication give me hope every day.