The greens at Starfire Golf Club just got a whole lot greener with the implementation of Waste Management’s total recycling program. Starfire Golf Club is Scottsdale’s first golf public course to implement the program as part of its effort to go green and increase recycling and composting initiatives. Starfire Golf Club launched the program as the city’s first golf course recycling initiative on April 22 in commemoration of Earth Day.

Most people know what it’s like to pull up a chair at a family reunion or holiday meal, but not many have tucked their toes under the table at a community harvest feast. Several local art and community organizations are hoping to change that with Saturday’s “Feast on the Street” in downtown Phoenix.

As you take out your trash this week, think about this: Phoenix families, businesses and industries generate enough solid waste to fill Chase Field to the top, 14 times each year. 14 times! And much of what we throw away is recyclable, reusable and valuable.

If you’ve been drawn to the idea of a sustainable lifestyle — growing your own veggies, making compost, raising chickens — but have yet to get started, you might find the motivation to get rolling in this one-day course.

On a chilly Thursday afternoon, Desert Vista High School junior Ava Posta worked contentedly at Pomegranate Cafe in Ahwatukee Foothills, stamping pastry bags and coffee sleeves with the local cafe’s signature pink logo.

I first saw cardinal flowers growing in a drainage ditch along a farm field. Their intense red took my breath away, in part because of their surroundings.

The news is packed with headlines aghast at the recent report that Americans waste 40 percent of their food. Many are springing into action to connect food banks and shelters with restaurants, or find creative ways to compost or biofuel the leftovers. I’ve also seen reminders to “eat what you purchased.” Consumers are feeling guilty and to blame.

In 2006, I went to Beijing, China, for an internship. It was an amazing experience training at the prestigious Guan An Men Hospital. Surprisingly, the majority of cases that we saw there were for weight loss and obesity. I had always wanted to try an acupuncture treatment in China. So I asked to be treated. Both the needling technique and actual needles are very different there. I was treated for weight loss. I was very pleased with my treatment and had no initial complaints. The next morning I woke up feeling sick to my stomach. I spent the whole day detoxing and not wanting a bite of food. This was unlike anything I experienced with acupuncture in the States. I had to force myself to eat a protein bar and that was all the food I could initially eat. My body responded to the treatment in a way I did not expect. That night for our celebration dinner I was able to muster down some Peking duck.

In 2006, I went to Beijing, China, for an internship. It was an amazing experience training at the prestigious Guan An Men Hospital. Surprisingly, the majority of cases that we saw there were for weight loss and obesity. I had always wanted to try an acupuncture treatment in China. So I asked to be treated. Both the needling technique and actual needles are very different there. I was treated for weight loss. I was very pleased with my treatment and had no initial complaints. The next morning I woke up feeling sick to my stomach. I spent the whole day detoxing and not wanting a bite of food. This was unlike anything I experienced with acupuncture in the States. I had to force myself to eat a protein bar and that was all the food I could initially eat. My body responded to the treatment in a way I did not expect. That night for our celebration dinner I was able to muster down some Peking duck.

Everyone wants their yards to look their best, have lush and beautiful plants year-round. Summertime, though, seems to make us all wilt, plants and people alike. But, even though it’s hot and humid this month, your plants can thrive and stay healthy by understanding a few basics: what is plant heat stress, how do you know your plant is stressed, and what do you do when your plants have been affected?

If it happens to be raining hard when you read this, my words might make you want to pelt me with ripe tomatoes — if you had them yet. Still, I’ll say it: Timely watering can eke the best plant growth from any plot of ground in any season.

If it’s your rose bush rather than your dog that you’re calling “spot,” then it’s time for action.

It’s that time of year. The weather is warming up, the school year is coming to a close, and many parents are wondering what their children are going to do over the summer. If you have a daughter, sending her to Girl Scout summer camp is a great place for her to have fun over the summer and experience unique programs at the same time.

It’s that time of year. The weather is warming up, the school year is coming to a close, and many parents are wondering what their children are going to do over the summer. If you have a daughter, sending her to Girl Scout summer camp is a great place for her to have fun over the summer and experience unique programs at the same time.

Tempe is looking for environmentally friendly businesses to participate in a green business expo on April 11. The event will highlight green products, services and research in the community. It’s a prelude to Earth Day and the city’s zero waste day scheduled for later in April. During the event, Tempe will share details about its green programs, including a grease recycling program with restaurants, compost bins for residents and multifamily housing.

If you feel like getting out in the garden, now is as good a time as any to spread rock on the ground.

Autumn arrived Friday, and local gardeners say the West Valley is just days away from the best planting time of the year. “This time of year, people will be adding new plants for landscaping and replacing dead or damaged plants that were harmed during the Valley monsoon,” said Jim Oravetz, a Sun City West Master Gardener,  “Fall is the best time to do it.”

Autumn arrived Friday, and local gardeners say the West Valley is just days away from the best planting time of the year. “This time of year, people will be adding new plants for landscaping and replacing dead or damaged plants that were harmed during the Valley monsoon,” said Jim Oravetz, a Sun City West Master Gardener,  “Fall is the best time to do it.”

The Organic Refuse Conversion Alternative (ORCA) machine, a food waste disposal system, is now in use at the Phoenix Convention Center (PCC). The addition of the ORCA machine, which biologically converts organic food waste into a nutrient rich liquid through an accelerated decomposition process, represents a leap in sustainability for the convention center, keeping the facility on the cutting-edge of sustainable operations.

Homemade "seed bombs" are a favorite tool of guerrilla gardeners.