If you've been in a store lately, you've noticed (right behind the Christmas ornaments!) loads of bags full of Halloween candy -- and maybe you've wondered, is there a greener, healthier choice to hand out for my neighborhood kids? And the answer is, Yes!

Glee Gum is made by a Rhode Island company, and contains chicle, the original ingredient from which all chewing gum was once made. The chicle sap is sustainably tapped from Sapodilla trees in the rainforests of Central America, much like collecting maple syrup. Every other gum now uses completely synthetic ingredients in its gum base, the company says. The gum packages are made of recycled cardboard  and are 100% biodegradable. The gum is gluten-free and certified vegetarian. Click here for more ideas for celebrating a Green Halloween. 

And for a cool alternative Halloween event, we can't imagine a better place to be for all ages than hanging out with the amazing folks at The Steelyard. This Halloween, they'll be offering a ceramics sale, a casting performance by the Iron Guild, bike art and costume building with Recycle-A-Bike, a pumpkin-flinging trebuchet, hot cider, snacks, music, and more.  Gates open at 6 on Oct. 31, admission is $5. For more info call 401-273-7101.

Was Columbus a hero explorer or a brute invader? History, as they say, is never really past -- that we find ourselves where we are today, and that we are who we are, and that we live in this particular place, is all tangled up in what happened hundreds and thousands of years ago. But while we struggle to untangle the misty past, it's the future that remains for us to choose. Will we make a newer, greener, more hopeful world? A holiday weekend seems as good a time as any to start.

Among our neighbors who make that choice every day -- to make a newer, greener world -- are RI's hardworking local farmers. Fall is a crucial time for them to generate the income they need to survive, and we all can help... and have some fun and get outside, too. Visit a farm, take your kids to a corn maze, go buy a pumpkin or two, or tag your Christmas tree. The folks at RI Farmways have all the info, you'll find hay rides and winery tours listed too. Also, many local farmers markets are still open, Farm Fresh has all the details. And on Saturday, Frerichs Farm in Warren hosts the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, click here for details.

CoastWeeks events continue with lighthouse tours and cruises in Newport Harbor. Saturday, Audubon leads a bike ride on Prudence Island, a great opportunity to explore this unique place at a perfect time of year. The trip leaders are careful to protect you from ticks -- which in any case, you should be careful of anywhere in RI -- so get out there and enjoy! Go to the CoastWeeks site for details on these events.

Also coming up starting Saturday is the Restore America's Estuaries conference, a national gathering right here in Providence through the 15th. Click here for all the info. Lots of options not only for eco-professionals but for citizen scientists, educators, and volunteers too. Next Tuesday evening, URI continues its awesome global-change speakers series, click here for info.

Check out NNN's Community Calendar for lots more listings, kid events, art exhibits, workshops, and lots more.

Pumpkin photo courtesy of Frerichs Farm.

Here in Rhode Island, the national election race is getting a lot of attention, but let's not forget that when it comes to our local environment, local votes can make all the difference.

A key bond issue will be on our local ballots next month, and the RI Land Trust Council wants to get the word out -- VOTE YES ON  QUESTION 2 - OPEN SPACE BOND!! To ensure that our farms and forests will be preserved for the future. Click on "More..." for more details about this issue from the Land Trust Council.

Okay, this may not be high on everyone's list of places to visit before you die, but this weekend, three local wastewater treatment facilities will open their doors for public tours. It's part of Water Infrastructure Month, and if you don't know what happens to your household water after it goes down the drain, here's your chance to find out. How these facilities work -- or fail to work -- is a major factor in all of our state's water quality, from your local streams and rivers to Narragansett Bay. In total, Rhode Island's wastewater treatment systems handle about 100 million gallons of raw sewage every day.

Two of the tour locations will offer "Catch the Science Bug" — a one-hour science program for the whole family. Tours will be held this Saturday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at facilities in East Providence, Bristol, and Narragansett.  Tours in Warwick will be offered on Saturday, October 25.

You can also catch two programs about water on Rhode Island PBS on October 30. Click on "More..." for all the details about the tours and the TV shows.

Along with the essential changes we need to make in how we use our natural resources -- by creating more efficient energy and transportation systems, for starters -- another fundamental change we need to consider for the future is to do away with the electoral college. This clunky and antiquated electoral system strips away the power of our votes, especially here in a small state like Rhode Island. Tonight at Brown, the Political Theory Project brings together George Edwards and Tara Ross, who will discuss the future of the Electoral College. Following the lecture, audience members are invited to participate in a one-hour Q&A with the speakers. At MacMillan Hall, 7 to 9 pm.

Lisa Sussman, NNN's Natural Mom, finds that a love of nature can be expressed in many different ways.

The green gene comes from unexpected places.

People sometimes ask me where I get my love of the outdoors from. And I surprise myself by replying, “My mother.” 

Let’s be clear. Mom definitely wasn’t a really a nature person. Oh, she had her moments. She actually met my father at a summer camp in the Adirondacks. He was a lifeguard, she was a guest. A mutual friend had asked my mother to deliver a note to my father. Dad, who is also a magician (!), made the note disappear although he was wearing only a swimsuit. Mom spent the rest of the day trailing him trying to find out what happened to the piece of paper. The rest, as they say, is history.

But while Dad loves the mountains, the ocean and the scent of pine (the real kind - not the kind that comes in a spray), mom would sooner go to the ballet than watch the birds cavort in the backyard. For her, the only grass and trees she wanted to spend time with were the kind painted as scenery in a play. Mom wouldn’t even venture outside without five layers of SPF50, a hat and a parasol and a fan. Going for a stroll to get some fresh air meant walking down a busy city street. Fresh flowers came in a bouquet. And as for ants, bees and other insects – it was fight or flight. Really, as far as mom was concerned, the best bug was a dead one.   

Click on "More..." for the rest of Lisa's story.

A bunch of events are coming up in the next couple of weeks. Here's a preview so you can mark your calendar now....

Kettle Pond Soup and Stories Fundraiser, in Charlestown, Oct. 16.

Bioneers by the Bay, in New Bedford, Oct. 24-26.

The RI Tree Farm Program Fall Tour, in West Greenwich, Oct 25.

RI Wild Plant Society Annual Meeting, in Bristol, Nov. 8.

Save The Bay, Bay Bash fundraiser, in Providence, Nov. 15.

We can all learn how to more efficiently use the energy we need to power our  homes, and a new program from URI aims to help move us in that direction. The Master Energy program, modeled after the school's popular master gardener program, comprises five sessions that will provide you with practical information about how to save money and the environment by optimizing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and alternative fuels in your home.

This course will be taught by Robert S. Cerio, who has 25 years of experience in environmental and energy conservation management. Classes start Oct. 20 at the URI Kingston Campus, and the full program costs $75. For more info, click on "More...."

The Narragansett Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club invites you to join in two fall weekend walks. Information will be available about the Club’s plans for fall and winter hiking, bike rides, skiing, camping, trail-building, conservation and other activities.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  There is no fee and no obligation to join.

The Conservation Committee will enjoy the kaleidoscope of foliage and historic tombstones at Swan Point Cemetery with locally famous tree and shrub expert Patty D’Ambra on Saturday, October 18, at 10:30 a.m. Please call Patty for more information and mandatory registration at 949-3374.

A New/Prospective Member Walk will be held at Lincoln Woods State Park on Sunday, October 19, at 10:30 a.m.  Please contact Susan for more information and mandatory registration by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   For those without email access only, she can be reached by phone at 474-0515.  Cut-off time for registration is 9:30 a.m. Sunday. 

The Appalachian Mountain Club is America's oldest nonprofit conservation and recreation organization. Information about the 2,600-member Narragansett Chapter’s activities can be found at www.amcnarragansett.org.