Stay Safe This Long Weekend: Water Safety

We, at Roots, hope everyone has a fun and fabulous long weekend! But one key to that is water safety.

For those of you visiting the beach, a dock or going out on a boat this weekend remember make sure you, and your whole family stay safe.

enjoying swimming on Wolfe Island in Lake Ontario

Here are a few tips for making sure that your weekend is safe and stays fun:

Before you head out, make sure you check the weather reports for the day. You don't want to be in an unexpected storm while out on the boat or at the beach. While out on the water, make sure you keep an eye on the sky. Weather reports aren't always 100% correct and storms can pop up out of no where.

If you plan on going swimming, don't go in the water alone. You never know what could happen. Even if you are a professional swimmer or have been swimming all your life. It's better to be prepared than run into a bad or scary situation alone. Also before diving in make sure you check the depth first and remember that water levels constantly change throughout the season.

When going out on the boat, before you leave shore, make sure you've got all the equipment you'll need while on the water. Also make sure that everyone on board has, and is wearing, a lifejacket, you take a paddle, a sound making device like a whistle and a bailer. Make sure you've got a first aid kit and a flare gun just in case.

And one final tip: driving a boat is no different than driving a car; make sure you have a designated driver to ensure everyone arrives safely. We wish everyone a fun and safe Labour Day weekend!

For more information about boat and water safety, check out some of these links:

The Canadian Yachting Association

Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons

Canadian Red Cross

Canadian Lifesaving Society

Seafood Suffering? The New York Times addresses the issue

The New York Times Magazine, issued an article entitled, Tuna's End, which discusses the efforts of Greenpeace to stop what they believed to be, "an egregious environmental crime," in the deep blue waters of Malta. As the Greenpeace vessels, Rainbow Warrior and Arctic Sunrise, split into eight inflatable Zodiacs on June 4th, what they found was a gathering of Atlantic blue-fin tuna. Being that the Japanese staple, sushi, is extremely popular in many parts of the world, the blue-fin tuna is consequently valued high among sushi experts and others alike. Nevertheless, this highly praised fish has endured a kind-of crisis, since the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has ruined the second of two spawning areas in the Atlantic.

While the blue-fin tuna is also found in Europe, a population somewhat larger than that of American waters, it's decreasing rapidly as well. Greenpeace's mission in Malta, was instigated by a French tuna-fishing boat, Jean-Marie Christian VI. Blue-fin fishing typically involves, "netting or 'seining' young wild fish for 'outgrowing' on tuna 'ranches.' As the Zodiacs approached the fishing boat, the captain made a call, shouting, "Mayday, Pirate attack!"

Greenpeace identified themselves, as implementing what they like to call, "peaceful action." Frank Hewetson, a veteran, directed his pilot towards the net of captured blue-fin, so he could throw sandbags over the floating edge, and allow the blue-fin to be free. While that was a promising plan, a French fishing skiff banged right into his Zodiac. Heweston's humanitarian efforts resulted in him being dragged by the leg toward the bow, and later, landed him in hospital.

As Hewetson was crying out to the French fisherman, things continued to get out-of-hand, and eventually the Greenpeace protesters backed off so that they could "regroup and develop next steps". The executive director of the Jean-Marie Christian VI claimed the Greenpeace protest to be "without doubt an act of provocation," where "valuable work tools" were ruined.

With the recent BP oil spill and many other environmental causes, it's important to be aware of how your seafood is arriving on your plate.

Interested in more ecological issues, watch the 2009 Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary, The Cove.

The above information is from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/magazine/27Tuna-t.html?emc=eta1

The Lunchbox Fund

Guest post by Goodkin

The Lunchbox Fund is a charity founded in 2004 to aid school children in Soweto, South Africa. The students of economically impoverished Meadowlands School and, now, three additional schools, are directly impacted by the Fund. The cause is simple–feed the hungry. Even simpler is the methodology–provide a free nutritious lunch at school. For far too many it may be their only healthy meal of the day, and it adds a great incentive for attendance. Keeping kids in schools and keeping minds and bodies fed. Answers to some of the world’s largest problems needn’t be complex. The Fund also does a celebrity-driven annual fundraiser, where stars decorate lunchboxes that are then put up for auction.

Read more about The Lunchbox Fund and other ways you and your family can give back at Change By Doing.

Goodkin is a website devoted to family.

The definition of what matters most in life, the connection with those we love, has broadened and made room for people to create worlds that feel right to them; that fit and bring out the best in them. Goodkin wanted to hear those stories, feel their magic, and bring it to you.

Get more Goodkin:

Goodkin: Family Living, Modern Style
Goodkin on Facebook
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Roots & Red Cross for Haiti

On May 27, 2010 Roots was recognized by the Canadian Red Cross for it's significant relief fund donation it's employees made to benefit Haiti after the devastating earthquake struck in January 2010.

The Red Cross has especially focused, amongst many other things, to reinforce the importance of health care and basic sanitary needs in Haiti. It has been a great honour for Roots to help re-build Haiti and be a part of a larger community.

There's another way that you can easily help Haiti. Check out the Roots Help Haiti Bracelets available at Roots.com and select Roots stores. They're made from scrap leather in our state-of-the-art factory in Toronto, Canada.

Get This Look: Roots & Shoots Collection

Spring is in the air and the items benefiting Roots & Shoots are perfect for this season. Check out these mannequins at the Flagship Bloor Street store in Toronto decked out in some Roots & Shoots gear.

The men's mannequin in the back is wearing the Roots & Shoots Ringer Tee, layered with a contrasting colour underneath. Layering is a top look for this spring!

The women's mannequin in the front is wearing the Relaxed Crew Neck T-Shirt with a contrasting colour underneath. She's also wearing a Levi's Demin Jacket (available in select stores only) and carrying a Roots & Shoots Tote.

Apartment Composting

Guest post by Goodkin

The whole idea of composting is to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to our landfills and since we all make waste, it is something we should all seriously consider...even if you live in an apartment! This may be the deal breaker, though...you've got to got to be cool with having worms in your home. There's just no way to get around that.

The kind of worms used for indoor composting is red worms, or vermicomposting worms. They are extremely hard workers, do not require a lot of attention and thrive on organic material. In fact, a single worm can eat up to its own body weight in food scraps everyday!

The only other two requirements are air and soil, and you've probably got those two things in your apartment already.

Here's what you'd need to get started:

• A small space for your composting bin, either on the balcony or under the kitchen sink, with a top. Ideally, you should have two of these, when the first one is full you'd start filling the second one, and by the time that one is filled, the first compost can be emptied out.
• The average size that is recommended is a 10-20 gallon-sized galvanized or plastic container. You can also use some plywood if you've got some extra hanging around. Drill 10 to 20 holes in the bottom of your box and a couple of 1/2-inch slats. This should rest on a tray, just in case there are any leaks.
• Line your container with moist bedding (as moist as a wrung out sponge) like newspaper, saw dust, or cardboard.
• Add worms. Yes, you're going to have to go out and purchase these wiggly things. Varying in price, shop around local nurseries first to see if they stock them. If not, try online stores like Red Worms 4 Sale.
• Now, you are ready to get going. Save up your table scraps—fruits and veggies (with no oil on them) are perfect. Coffee grounds and egg shells compost well, too. You'll need something to cover them with: saw dust, dead leaves, even strips of newspaper will help (vegetable based and with no colored ink).
• You will need to turn your compost every couple of weeks with a compost poker or an aerator (this plunges deep into the soil and creates new air passages.)

And there you have it, nice fresh organic compost right in your apartment!

Apartment composting links:
Composting For House and Apartment Dwellers Alike
Composting indoors
Smart Composting Tips for Urban Gardeners & Apartment Dwellers
Build a Compost Box in Your Apartment
Stylish Countertop Composting Bins

[Photo: Flickr member TushyD]

Goodkin is a website devoted to family.

The definition of what matters most in life, the connection with those we love, has broadened and made room for people to create worlds that feel right to them; that fit and bring out the best in them. Goodkin wanted to hear those stories, feel their magic, and bring it to you.

Get more Goodkin:

Goodkin: Family Living, Modern Style
Goodkin on Facebook
Goodkin on Twitter

Earth Hour 2010

March 27 at 8:30 ET marks the fourth annual international Earth Hour.

Earth Hour started in Australia in 2007 when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned out their lights for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Over the years, over 88 countries and hundreds of thousands of people have joined in. Internationally recognized landmarks throughout the world have also turned out their lights in past years such as the CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Colosseum in Rome.

Last year, Roots.com shut down their online systems for the hour starting at 8:30 p.m. and this year we will be doing the same.

What will you and your family be doing for Earth Hour?

Take a picture of your city's skyline or you and your friends and family observing Earth Hour and post it on our Facebook wall. We will be randomly picking one person who submits a picture to win a Genuine Leather Travel Pouch from Roots. (The picture must have been taken by you)

You have until Thursday, April 1/10 at 5pm to post your pictures.

Right To Play and Roots Featured on TFO

TFO, Ontario’s Francophone television network, recently gave praise to our Right To Play Collection and Canada Collection by Roots on its “Art et Mode” news segment on Panorama. Host Gisèle Quenneville asks fashionista Mélissa Calixte about the new trend of sustainable Canadian fashion that reaches out to the community. Among other retail products based in Toronto and Montreal, she notes Roots Canada for its recent Right To Play Collection and Canada Collection. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of these two collections is donated to Right To Play, an international humanitarian organization based in Canada that works to improve the lives of children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world by using the power of sport and play for development, health and peace.

TFO, la télévision francophone en Ontario, a récemment loué notre Collection Right To Play et notre Collection Canada de Roots lors de son élément « Art et Mode » sur Panorama. L’animatrice Gisèle Quenneville demande à la fashionista Mélissa Calixte de lui parler de la nouvelle tendance en mode canadienne qui cherche à aider la collectivité. Parmi d’autres détaillants basés à Toronto et à Montréal, elle mentionne Roots Canada pour ses deux dernières collections, la Collection Right To Play et la Collection Canada. Un pourcentage des bénéfices provenant de la vente de ces collections est donné à Right To Play, un organisme humanitaire international basé au Canada qui fait appel au pouvoir unificateur du sport et du jeu pour améliorer la vie des enfants dans certaines des régions les plus défavorisées du monde.

Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots Tees and Tote

Check out these cute tees and the awesome tote that Roots has created to benefit Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots program. Proceeds from the sale of these items will go to support Roots & Shoots.

There are three styles of tees to choose from for women. Each shows a different bird and on the back explains a bit about the animal.

 

Relaxed Crew Neck T-Shirt - Burrowing Owl, $30

Roots & Shoots Tote, $34

For men, there are four styles to choose from. Each shows an animal on the front, along with the Roots logo. On the sleeve it says what the animal is and how many of them are left in the world.

 

Roots & Shoots Ringer T-Shirt - Peregrine Falcon, $30

Learn more about our involvement in Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots program.

Bindi Irwin and Terri Irwin visit Roots Bloor Street

Teri and Bind Irwin recently stopped by the Roots store at 100 Bloor Street West in Toronto to meet up with Director of Public Relations, Raymond Perkins. While in Toronto the Irwins are promoting the film Free Willy Escape from Pirate's Cove. The movie which comes out on Blu-Ray and DVD April 20th, 2010 is Bindi's first starring role in a movie. You can view the trailer on YouTube.

Bindi is a notable environmentalist who has been appearing on television shows since she was two years old, has released an album, hosted a Discovery Kids TV series, appeared on magazine covers and talk shows alike.