5 minute read
Try It
NEW AGAIN
The average American throws away about 5 pounds of trash every day.
When you find a new use for something you’re about to discard, that’s called “upcycling.” It’s a triple whammy: You’re not only diverting waste from a landfill, but you also get something useful back in return. And, best of all, you’re recycling energy into something new and useful.
That’s why upcycling is an important climate solution. You can get started with an egg carton, which, believe it or not, has tons of extra uses. Here are nine. (Warning: Once you start finding new uses for old things, you may not want to stop!)
Cut off the lid and poke a hole in the bottom of each egg cup for drainage. Then fill each cup with potting soil and plant some seeds. Keep it in a sunny place and water daily. You can put the lid underneath the cups to catch moisture. Once the seedlings sprout, cut each cup from the tray and plant it—cup and all. (Assuming you’re using a cardboard carton.)
Feed birds
Cut off the lid. Take two lengths of twine or another sturdy string and thread the ends through holes in each corner of the tray. Secure with a knot. Fill the cups halfway with birdseed, and hang in a tree.
Start a fire
Going camping? These will get a campfire going every time. Place dryer lint in each cardboard egg cup, then melt wax in a double boiler. Carefully pour the wax over the lint and let it cool. Light the edge of the cup to start a blaze.
Hold bits and bobs
Egg cartons are perfect for holding screws and other hardware that you remove during home projects, or for keeping track of Legos, beads or any tiny pieces you’re using for a project.
Handle with care
Egg cartons are stiff and lightweight, which makes them excellent replacements for Styrofoam packing peanuts.
Unmess your desk
Junk drawer out of control? Use an egg carton to get organized. You can use the cups to hold paper clips, thumb tacks, coins and more.
Find your inner artist
An empty egg carton does a great job doubling as a paint palette. If you’re planning to reuse the carton for more paint, you can line the cups with tinfoil to make it easier to dispose of any left over.
See the light
Take a string of lights, use egg cups as small shades around each, and you’ll have a pretty floral lamp. Cut each carton into individual cups, then cut the corners and curl backward so they look like petals. Paint the cups any color you like. After they dry, put each bulb through a hole in the bottom of the cup.
Help a friend with chickens
Egg cartons are also perfect for…holding eggs! Collect your cartons and bring them to a friend with chickens—they’ll thank you (maybe with eggs!)
WILD NORTH
We admit, there’s not much Wild Center in this picture—but it’s still pretty cool. The woman in the small box at the bottom of the screen to the left is Elodie Linck, the Jeanne Hutchins Youth Climate Coordinator. She’s addressing a group of students from schools in Sweden and England as they participate in a Global Earth Summit in southern Sweden in March. Even though they were 3,600 miles away, Elodie was by their side virtually, advising them on the climate action plans they drew up for their communities.
Thanks to @kssweden for sharing this shot.
OTHER WILD SHOTS
top to bottom: @bisoninablanket
@gretchenkoehlermusic @noco_local @sharignolek
Each of these photographers will get a copy of “A Wild Journey,” our photographic history of The Wild Center.
If you’re far away, we hope you’ll get a little closer this summer. Bring your phones and share your photos to #wildcenter.
HONORING A LOVER OF NATURE AND SCIENCE
Donors create Wild Center’s first named position
When Jeanne Hutchins died in August 2021, a half-year shy of her 100th birthday, her family and friends wanted to honor her in a way that captured her essence.
Hutchins was devoted to the Adirondacks (she had been coming here for 70 years), she revered science (she held a pre-med degree) and she was committed to learning (she researched and wrote essays well into her 90s). Those traits also embody The Wild Center’s mission— and it’s why our first-ever named position, the Jeanne Hutchins Youth Climate Coordinator, is such an apt tribute.
“She loved the lakes,” recalled her daughter, Virginia Valkenburgh, who is also a Wild Center trustee. “She loved Lake Clear, and she loved going out in the canoe all by herself. She had a best friend next door, who she would go swimming with each afternoon. And at 5 o’clock, they’d meet out there with their bathing caps on and go for a swim between their two docks.”
The named position was supported with a gift by Valkenburgh and her husband, Roger; Valkenburgh’s
sister, Katherine Welling, and husband, Curt Welling; and longtime friends Mary and John Brock.
Over the past decade, The Wild Center has sponsored Youth Climate Summits everywhere from the Adirondacks to Sri Lanka, giving students the tools to confront climate change in their own communities. Their gift ensures this groundbreaking work will have even greater reach.
“The issues around climate change are very real, but they need a lot more understanding,” said Mary Brock, a childhood friend of Valkenburgh’s.
“This is something she would have absolutely been thrilled about,” added Brock’s husband, John.
The first person to fill the position, Elodie Linck, grew up in Saranac Lake. When she was a student, Linck participated in the Youth Climate Program; now she’s bringing the message to others. “I am grateful to have the opportunity in this position to engage with and empower young people to take action on climate change in their schools and communities in the Adirondacks and around the world,” she said. “It is an honor to have my work supported by the family and friends of Jeanne Hutchins, who cared deeply about learning and preserving our environment.”
