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contact us Publisher Pamela Gallina Assistant Publisher Amanda Grasmeyer Editors S. Alison Chabonais Linda Sechrist Design & Production Interactive Media Design Scott Carvey Printer Stafford Media Solutions Natural Awakenings P.O. Box 330 Spring Lake, MI 49456 Phone: 616-604-0480 Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com
NaturalWestMichigan.com
Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (12 issues) to the above address. © 2016 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.
COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY Natural Awakenings is locally owned and operated.
rowing up, my sisters and I loved going to our parents’ summer place on the Big Muskegon River. Our family didn’t know we weren’t wealthy and simply reveled in the riches of the land. We learned to swim before we could walk, and spent summers dressed in our swim suits from the moment we woke up, heading out to spend all day in and around the water until forced to come inside to eat or sleep. Along the way we learned to be good stewards of all waterways and never discard anything nonorganic into such a treasure house of fun adventures. As I grew up, my affinity for the water continued to grow and for 30 years I’ve enjoyed living on the water because it keeps me centered and stabilizes my world. Of course, it’s a natural magnet for nature’s wildlife. As many of us do, I worry about what ends up in our water. Living in Michigan surrounded by freshwater rivers and lakes, we sometimes take it for granted. We use it for recreation, transportation, tourism and fishing, all of which make impacts. It also becomes a receptacle for storm drain runoff that’s polluted with road salt and lawn and farm chemicals. Ever wonder why the herbicide and pesticide companies we hire to keep our lawns green and weed-free leave a sign warning us to keep children and pets off of them for 24 hours? Most don’t think too deeply about what happens when those toxins seep into our groundwater. Any unused chemicals from our home and garage that we fail to take to a municipal hazardous chemicals collection site likewise pose hazards to soil and water. Medicines carelessly discarded down the drain add to those already flowing through our body and into the sewage system; these too end up contaminating water supplies. Our challenge now is to take the time to be more mindful of the longterm effects of our actions and to become better stewards of our waterways— even when no one is looking. To conscious living,
Pamela Gallina, Publisher
Never Glossy. Always Green. Natural Awakenings practices environmental sustainability by printing on post-consumer recycled paper with soy-based ink. This choice avoids the toxic chemicals and high energy costs of producing shiny, coated paper that is hard to recycle.
Natural Awakenings Magazine of West Michigan
NaturallyWestMI
NaturallyWestMI Natural Awakenings
natural awakenings
Magazine of West Michigan
April 2016
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