Developed for those who would like to teach their children about green living, this guide offers parents hints for things they can do for and with their kids to lead more environmentally friendly lives. From how to save energy to how to reuse and recycle everything, this resource offers advice for getting children involved in ecology as well as products and services that can help parents raise more environmentally conscious children. Through a series of fun activities—how to start a “light patrol," make a waste-free school lunch, and build a green bird house—parents and kids will learn ways to make the biggest impact, save the most money, and discover how making even the smallest of changes can make a big difference.
Jenn Savedge is a full-time mom, environmentalist, and author who researches and writes about the two topics that are closest to her heart: children and the environment. Jenn was born and raised in a small coal-mining town in northeastern Pennsylvania where environmental causes were often viewed with disdain. Yet, from a young age, Jenn fell in love with the natural world, often initiating projects in her community to clean up litter, protect wildlife, and reduce pollution.
Jenn attended Ithaca College in upstate New York where she earned a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies. During her university years, Jenn did an internship at Shenandoah National Park. Over the next few years, Jenn continued working seasonally for the National Park Service, living and working at Haleakala National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Wright Brothers' National Monument. During the winter months, she attended the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland where she earned a Masters of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in International Environmental Policy.
With her Masters' degree in hand, Jenn took a job in Washington D.C. with an environmental non-profit agency that pursued campaigns to protect endangered and threatened species such elephants, tigers, and whales. In her work with this agency, Jenn attended and lobbied at the Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species in Nairobi, Kenya, a meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Adelaide, Australia, and countless other meetings between government agencies and non-profit organizations.
Always one with a passion for writing, Jenn began writing as a career after the birth of her first child. Her articles about parenting, children, and the environment have appeared in magazines such as ePregnancy, Carolina Parent, Healthy Living, U Magazine, Low Carb Energy, iParenting, AppleSeeds, Odyssey, Cobblestone, and Ranger. After the birth of her second child, Jenn began actively researching ways to reduce her family's environmental impact. This research led to interviews, conferences, chats with other green parents, and eventually to her first book, The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Earth-Friendly Living. Jenn's aim in writing this book is to help parents find easy and fun ways to go green.
Jenn currently lives with her husband and daughters near Shenandoah National Park.
