2010 July | Inhabitots

New Limited Edition Koru Wishbone Bike

by Jennifer Chait, 07/10/10

We’ve recommended the awesome Wishbone Bike before here at Inhabitots, but the Koru limited edition design gives us something new to adore. The Koru Wishbone bike combines all the eco-friendly features we love along with a sweet new Maori-inspired design by Shane Hansen. Wishbone notes that this new design symbolizes, “New life and relationships, calling on families globally to celebrate diversity, build community and work together for a bright future.” With environmentally sustainable design features — 60% post-consumer recycled plastic, sustainably managed woods, eco-friendly bonding agents and non-toxic paints — this innovative 3-bikes-in-1 ride, now with Hansen’s artistry, really is the most stylish pre-bike in town.

+ Wishbone Koru Limited Edition Pre-Bike $250

+ Wishbone Design Studio

+ Shane Hansen

Hiking 101: Eco Adventures for Green Families

by Jennie Lyon, 07/10/10

Some of my most memorable, amazing and peaceful trips with my family have revolved around hiking. Taking a walk together across challenging (or even not-so-challenging) terrain is such a great way to reconnect with your family while appreciating and enjoying nature together. In fact, it’s one of our favorite eco-friendly summer activities for kids and families. You can use your hiking time as a teachable moment — children will gain a love for the Earth and a desire to save our environment. And at the same time, you can cherish the memories of time spent together as a family, memories that will last a lifetime. Before you hit the trails, check out our top four ways to ensure every eco-friendly family hiking adventure is one to remember.

READ MORE >

Awesome Flat-pack Asian-Inspired Playhouse Debuts at Dwell on Design

by Jennifer Chait, 07/09/10

Today’s kids are growing increasingly sophisticated, and there’s no reason that the spaces they inhabit shouldn’t reflect the same sentiment. Last weekend this amazing multifunctional play structure system, dubbed ‘Playgoda‘, made its debut in LA at Dwell on Design. The Playgoda, part of the Modern Family zone at Dwell on Design this year, is a whimsical and charming playhouse, constructed with Finland Birch, a polycarbonate slide and nylon rope. But as unique and distinct as this Playgoda appears, this creation by Gregg Fleishman is certainly not a stand-alone structure – Fleishman has been envisioning and crafting a unique community of flat-pack playhouses for years!

READ MORE >

Children’s Lead Levels in New Orleans Reduced by Hurricane Katrina

by Julie Seguss, 07/09/10

New research from Tulane University is shedding a positive light on hurricanes Katrina and Rita. According to the study, as the two hurricanes flooded New Orleans they seem to have buried lead-contaminated soil, leading to a significant decrease in children’s lead poisoning. This is great news for a city seemingly only filled with bad news lately, because in the past New Orleans has been classified as one of the most lead-polluted cities in the country. The new study found that almost all neighborhoods saw soil lead levels fall by about 50 percent. Before the hurricanes, 15 of 46 neighborhoods exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality‘s standards. Now only 6 neighborhoods registered too high.

READ MORE >

The Cheyenne Children’s LEED Platinum Village Garden is a Place to Grow

The new Paul Smith Children’s Village at the Botanic Gardens in Cheyenne, Wyoming is a wealth of environmental fun - a hands on and interactive place where learning about the environment is woven into every aspect of the garden. The community set off from the start to take a holistic approach to the project and succeeded by achieving a LEED Platinum certification. That was just the start though as this garden is about art, water, building, energy, community, history and learning how things grow. Come with us as we take a look!