It's Arbor Day!

Before there was Earth Day, there was (and still is) Arbor Day. Founded by noted agriculturalist and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Julius Sterling Morton, Arbor Day originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska on April 10, 1872, when an estimated one million trees were planted. The day itself was first observed three years later. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in the state of Nebraska, and April 22nd, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. (Source: The Arbor Day Foundation).

The curret national holiday for Arbor Day is celebrated every year on the last Friday in April. Arbor Day is also celebrated throughout the world on different dates.

If you don't have a front/backyard where to plant trees (or yours is already at capacity) but would like to get involved in tree planting & cleaning activities, and you live in the Los Angeles area, check out Guidance Green eco-partner Tree Musketeers, the nation’s first youth environmental organization dedicated, at http://www.treemusketeers.org.

To learn more about Arbor Day, visit The Arbor Day Foundation website at http://www.arborday.org.

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Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Guidance Green’s Earth Day Potluck

There’s Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving Day … and then there’s Earth Day. We love Earth Day! That is why on Wednesday, April 22nd, Guidance employees gathered up to celebrate it with a wonderful potluck, which included plenty of organic meals cooked with locally-grown ingredients made by Guidance employees themselves.

The festivities were organized by members of the Guidance Green committee, who took the opportunity to announce the company’s new Coffee Grounds Recycling Program. Guidance will be saving all used consumption coffee grounds to reuse in the garden and as deodorizer. Check out our blog soon for more tips on how to reuse coffee grounds.

In addition, Guidance Green members Catherine and Debbie created a number of handmade crafts using recycled materials that they displayed during the festivities.

We had a blast on Earth Day. Can we top it next year? We'll sure try!

To see more pictures of Guidance’s Earth Day Potluck, check out our Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marina-Del-Rey-CA/Guidance/11521514227. Drop us a line or become a fan while there!

Happy Earth Day!

Last Saturday, while members of the Guidance Green committee helped rescue the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly habitat, the City of Manhattan Beach, Calif. was celebrating Earth Day with their annual Earth Day Fair at Polliwog Park. I stopped by the fair in the afternoon and boy, was I happy to see so many people attending the event this year!

I was also glad to talk to a couple of people who remembered last year's Guidance Green booth at this event -- they even recalled the booth's exact location (WOW!). It's good to know we had a lasting effect!

Some familiar faces were at the event this year, including the Go Earth team, the folks from Tree Musketeers and reps from Heal The Bay, among others.

The entertainment? A Morrissey/The Smiths tribute band -- and they were phenomenal! Couldn't tell the difference.

It's great to see our community being so active about such an important message. Now's your turn -- what are you doing to celebrate Earth Day this year? Whatever you do, make it a great Earth Day!

Alejandra Espinosa
Guidance Green

Guidance Green Celebrates Earth Day

Guidance Green is celebrating
Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22nd
With a Potluck Lunch
There will be Activities Too!
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Happy Anniversary, Guidance Green!

Today, we mark the two-year anniversary of Guidance Green! Created in March 2007 Guidance by CTO & Co-Owner, Jon Provisor, the Guidance Green committee has since achieved many accomplishments including turning Guidance into a carbon-neutral company, organizing, hosting and attending over dozen environmentally-friendly events and initiatives, and offering carbon-neutral hosting services to eCommerce clients, among others.

Our commitment to sustainability, corporate responsibility and the environment stands stronger than ever. Happy Anniversary, Guidance Green! To many more years of great work and dedication.

Palos Verdes Butterfly Plant Nursery Volunteer Opportunity

Guidance has Partnered with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy



Saturday, April 18, 2009
9:00 a.m. to Noon


Who: Everyone is invited to join us, including spouses, children, friends, family.
When: Saturday, April 18, 2009, 9:00 AM to Noon.
Where: Land Conservancy Nursery at 3171 N. Gaffey, San Pedro [Defense Fuel Supply Point (DFSP)].
What to bring: Nursery supplies will be provided by the Palos Verdes PLC. Please wear sunscreen, dress appropriately and bring a bottle of water. Please wear your Guidance Green T-Shirt (let Catherine know if you don’t have one already).
What to Expect: The project is to transplant native seedlings at the nursery. Flats of crowded seedlings need to be transferred into individual, larger pots. It’s a great project because volunteers can quantify the amount of good work they have put in and they’re helping us propagate host/food plants that are an integral part of our PV Butterfly Habitat Restoration efforts. This will also help the threatened California gnatcatcher, a small gray bird that is on the endangered species list with the PV Blue Butterfly.
Signing Up: Please let Catherine know by Wednesday, April 15th, if you will be participating and whether or not you will have additional adults and/or children joining you, along with their names.
Posted by Catherine Lanzarotta, clanz@guidance.com

This March 28, Turn Off Your Lights

Earth Hour returns this year! It’s really simple: turn off your lights for 60 minutes – from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m on Saturday, March 28th. Guidance offices are closed on Saturday, but employees will be participating of Earth Hour from home that night.

The first Earth Hour was held in Australia in March 2007, and more than 2.2 million Sydney residents and 2,100 businesses switched off their lights, reducing energy consumption by 10.2%, according to Yahoo! News. The initiative has since traveled from the South Pacific to Europe to North America. Last year, lights on more than 200 downtown buildings were dimmed in Chicago, IL. Workers in Phoenix turned out the lights in all downtown city-owned buildings for one hour. Darkened restaurants glowed with candlelight in San Francisco while the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower and other landmarks extinguished lights for an hour.

To learn more about Earth Hour, visit http://www.earthhour.org/.

Ale Espinosa
Guidance Green