Month: March 2019

“We believe everyone should have the opportunity to get out and enjoy nature daily – even a quick bit in between errands” – Candi King

If you park in elevated parking pad on 86th st, between the Monon trail and Aldi, you can find a small park called Nora Corners Pocket Park. It was cleared and approved by Aldi to become a small park.

We spoke with Candi King and were told that eventually the path would be widened so they aren’t allowed to put anything permanent up until the work is done but they have a park bench and planter boxes for right now. A relaxing little corner to take a break from a walk or maybe plan a few minute break at your next grocery stop.

We found the event through their Facebook page “Friends of Nora” where they said there are trash cleanups every other month. They invited us to the Great Indy Cleanup. You can read more about that here: Great Indy Clean UP or you can contact Gerardo Ruiz Tovar, Community Engagement & Volunteers Public Ally: Ruiz Tovar or call 317-264-7555 x130.

It was a nice and cold day and we saw a barefoot person, a kind dog, mud, lakes and some other people. We had rubber gloves and found lots and lots of garbage everywhere. We filled up about two bags with garbage.

A Helping Ninja Mom, Theresa, Indianapolis, IN

…to the world you are only one person, but to one person you may be the world.

A note from Helping Ninja Mellissa:

There are tons of ways that students could spend their Spring break—but only one gives them the opportunity to create positive, sustainable change: Alternative Breaks. Alternative Breaks are service-learning trips that take students outside Indiana to work with community organizations. Each trip focuses on a different social issue, and partners with organizations that also work on those social issues. This year, I went to New Orleans and learned about food justice and food insecurity.

With other students, I worked in gardens in the Lower Ninth Ward, and City Park. After service, we reflect on day, and talk about root causes or solutions of food insecurity. Below is a photo of my group at Burnell’s Lower 9th Ward Market. We learned about how Burnell is helping his community by providing resources to an impoverished, food desert community. 

Melissa Kidulas, 22, , Indianapolis, IN, Helping Ninja

She is a leader at IUPUI and helps to promote a more sustainable environment. She is an Alternative Break Trip Leader, along with President of the Urban Beekeepers at IUPUI.

Melissa is a helping ninja!

**Helping Ninjas noted the single-use plastics and hope to help educate IUPUI students how to properly recycle the plastic bags shown above in the picture and also suggest reusable eco-friendly alternatives students may be interested in trying vs plastic. Learn more about our StandUpToPlastic Initiative

Written by Siddarth, Age 12, Helping Ninja, Carmel, IN

Why should others consider using reusable bags to grocery shop?

In
2016, the global population of more than 7 billion people produced over 320 million
tons of plastic. This is expected to
double
by 2034. In order to reduce these numbers people need to reduce the amount of plastic waste. Approximately
500 billion
single-use plastic bags are thrown away each year. This translates to about a million plastic bags thrown away every minute across the globe, causing billions of marine life to die each year. Using reusable bags can reduce these numbers and help create a healthy
ecosystem. If people around the world switch from using plastic bags to reusable bags, we could save our ecosystem, reduce plastic waste, and save billions of marine animals. In conclusion, plastic pollution is destroying our ecosystem and we can protect our
beautiful world, just by choosing a reusable bag over plastic.

As
plastic pollution is tearing up our world, knowing that I helped prevent plastic bags enter the ocean, inspires me to continue to help the world and gives me a feeling of “Hope” that we can protect our beautiful world.

I’ve
learned to make eco-friendly decisions, and to reduce plastic waste.

It
is important to recycle because plastic pollution is tearing our world apart with more than
320 million tons
of plastic entering our ocean in 2016, this is killing
billions of marine life and is destroying our ecosystem. At this rate of plastic pollution, that statistic is expected to double by 2034. You see, recycling can reduce these numbers, protect the ecosystem, and save marine life around the world.

It
is important to protect our planet because we can in which create healthy ecosystems, protect life, and to create a sustainable, healthy world for future generations.

As
stated before, approximately
500 billion
single-use plastic bags are thrown away each year. This translates to about a million plastic bags thrown away every minute across the globe, causing billions of marine life to die each year. Using reusable bags can reduce these numbers and help create a healthy
ecosystem. Market District not only reduces waste by implementing the use of reusable bags, but they also recycle plastic bags(Which can’t be done by curbside recycling), take Eco-friendly actions, and Market District uses “Green” decisions in their daily
operations so that they can reduce plastic waste and conserve energy. These decisions make Market District a role model. I truly believe that other business should take after Market District and try to be a “Green” business just like Market District.