April is gone and with it all the cool Earth-Day related events that April brought us. However, there’s still a lot of fun and environmentally friendly things to do this week.

Wedneday, April 28
>Active lifestyle networking: Join Miami Active’s monthly meeting. The group encourages the free exchange of information and ideas to promote active lifestyles and business networks. Free. 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 28 at Whole Foods Coral Gables, 6701 Red Road. Meets in the Lifestyle Center,

>Hear environmentalist Bill McKibben discuss his new book, “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet.” Believed to be one of the first to warn against climate change in his book “The End of Nature” 20 years ago, McKibben now insists that we need to acknowledge that we’ve waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. He’ll be at Books & Books in Coral Gables, 265 Aragon Ave. 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 28. Free.

>Stroll the gardens of Vizcaya under the moonlight: Don’t miss this romantic moonlight tour of the Vizcaya gardens. Enjoy live music, wine and delicious refreshments. 6:60 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, April 28. Tours leave at different intervals throughout the night. Vizcaya is located at 3251 South Miami Avenue Miami. Tickets: $15 for general admission, $10 for students, seniors and members.

Thursday, April 29
>Chilean food & wine tasting: Wanting to help Chile recover but can’t get on a plane? Support the country by supporting its cheese and wine at this free tasting. 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, April 29. Whole Foods South Beach, 1020 Alton Rd.

>’80’s themed free yoga: SoBe Pilates is having an ’80s-themed grand opening party with MC Miss Elaine Lancaster. Stop by for free fitness demos, refreshments and raffles. 7-9 p.m., Thursday April 29. Located on 950 Arthur Godfrey Rd., Miami Beach. 305-763-8878. continue

I stopped by Vizcaya last Thursday for a one of it’s kind, environmental performance as part of the villa’s ongoing educational series titled CONSeRvATION.

The featured artist was New York’s quartet So Percussion, which used objects found on the villa’s gardens such as rocks, coconuts, conch shells, sticks, leaves and all sorts of things to recreate works by American composer John Cage.

The idea behind the concert was to explore Vizcaya and its environment in a completely different way, explained Deputy Director for Learning Ann Loshaw. This was the second of the ongoing CONSeRvATION series, an educational program focused on the villa’s preservation efforts.


In fact -as I later learned- James Deering, the owner of Vizcaya, was very involved in preserving Vizcaya’s native plants and vegetation, locating the main house directly on the bay to preserve the distinctive rockland hammock that surrounds the house.

The evening’s opening song, Cage’s Child of Tree, instructed performers to pick 10 instruments by chance, all made of natural/ plant materials. Coincidentally, one of the instruments had to be a dry pod rattle from a poinciana tree, which grows all over Vizcaya, which created a beautiful sound when shook.

But “Very Vizcaya,” a song composed by the quartet specifically for this concert, was probably the peak of the evening, when guests were invited to participate in the performance using objects they found on the garden (as photographed below).

>More CONSeRvATION events are planned for the fall, but meanwhile you can check out Vizcaya’s Moonlight Garden Tours, which are going on every month. Bring your date for a romantic moonlight stroll through the gardens, live music, wine and delicious refreshments. The next tours will take place April 27 and 28, with the tours leaving at different intervals between 6:30 and 9 p.m. Tickets: $15 for general admission, $10 for students, seniors and members.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to watch some of the best and latest food-related documentaries, which will be screened locally as part of the Earth Month film series Let’s Re-take our Plates, organized by Whole Foods.

I’m particularly excited about No Impact Man, the documentary based on the Brooklyn family that decided to reduce their waste to the minimum for a whole year (I couldn’t drop the book). Other films include Fast Food Nation, Food. Inc, What’s on Your Plate? and The Garden, all very politically-charged films making strong arguments against the state of the food industry.

Here is the schedule:

Fast Food Nation
4:45 p.m, April 17
Cinema Paradiso
503 SE 6th Street, Ft. Lauderdale
$7

King Corn/ Big River
2:30 p.m. April 17
Cinema Paradiso
503 SE 6th Street, Ft. Lauderdale
$7

Food Inc.
2 p.m., April 18
Cinema Paradiso
503 SE 6th Street, Ft. Lauderdale
$7

The Garden
12 p.m., April 18
Cinema Paradiso
503 SE 6th Street, Ft. Lauderdale
$7

Food Inc.
5 p.m., April 19
Cobb Theater
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue, Palm Beach Gardens
$5

No Impact Man
7 p.m., April 19
Coral Gables Congregational Church
3010 De Soto Blvd., Coral Gables
$5

What’s on Your Plate?
5 p.m. April 20
Cobb Theater
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue, Palm Beach Gardens
$5

Fast Food Nation
5 p.m., April 21
Cobb Theater
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue, Palm Beach Gardens
$5

The Garden
8 p.m., April 21
Miami Beach Cinematheque
512 Espanola Way, Miami Beach
$10

End of the Line
5 p.m. April 22,
Cobb Theater
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue, Palm Beach Gardens
$5

Food Inc.
7:30 p.m., April 23
Temple Bet Shira
7500 SW 120th Street, Miami
$5

Visit the Let’s Re-take our Plates site for more information

Vegan Miamians rejoice. The animal-free food movement has been picking up so much in Miami that there will actually be two politically-charged vegan potlucks this weekend at almost the same time.

The topic of each vegan meetup is different, so whether you are in it for the animals of for the health benefits, you’re covered. Traffic is not that bad on Sundays, so wishfully thinking, you might be able to attend both events:

Progressive Vegan Potluck Social at The Wallflower Gallery
Sun., Oct. 18, 4 p.m.
Discussion of local and global animal rights issues. Meet people from various activist groups and learn about community issues, all while checking out an assortment of creative visual art pieces and listening to a selection of local music CDs.
Where: Wallflower Gallery, 10 N.E. 3rd Street, Downtown Miami. 305-579-0069
Cost: Free, bring a dish to share.

Vegan Potluck Dinner at the Save the Earth Eco Center
Sun., Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m.
Topic : Living Healthy in a Toxic World: How arsenic, mercury and plastics become part of our biology. How can we stay younger longer? How can we avoid disease and improve our chances for a healthy life? Dr. David Newman, who has an extensive background in alternative and progressive healthcare, will lecture on environmental issues that affect your health.
Where: Save the Earth Eco Center, 12399 W. Dixie Hwy. 305-228-1116
Cost: Free to members and children under 12; non-members pay $5. You must also bring a vegan dish for at least eight people, and your own utensils and plate.

Are you a vegan Miamian? How easy or difficult is it to find fellow vegans here? Would you like to see more vegan events?

Photo by striatic

Ever wonder what the future will be like if we continue sabotaging earth like this? Not that great, according to ‘The Age of Stupid’ director Franny Armstrong.

That’s what she explores in her sci-fi-documentary-drama which will be released simultaneously in more than 500 theaters across the US on Sept. 21 ( on the eve of the UN General Assembly’s climate session) in an event that will include live appearances from Kofi Annan, Thom Yorke and other activists.

The film is set in 2055, and revolves around a fictional “last man on Earth” (Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite) who watches “archive” footage from 2008 and asks “why didn’t we stop climate change while we had the chance?”

We get to see interviews with a Hurricane Katrina victim, a British wind farm developer, an aspiring Nigerian doctor, an elderly French mountain guide, a wealthy Indian entrepreneur and an 8-year-old Iraq war refugee – whose lives have all been affected by some aspect of the global warming phenomenon.

Although the film has a futuristic dystopian tone, it will hopefully send enough chills down our spines to inspire us to do more.

The nationwide release and live appearances will screen at a handful of theaters across South Florida, so get your tickets early.

If you go:
What: The Age of Stupid screening and live Q&A
When: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 21, 2009.
Where: Screenings throughout the tri-county area, including at Sunset Place 24, Cypress Creek Station 16, Movies at the Falls 12, Dolphin 19 Cinemas, and South Beach Stadium 18.
For locations and tickets visit: http://www.ageofstupid.net/screenings/country/united_states and click on Florida.

Ever wonder what the future will be like if we continue sabotaging earth like this? Not that great, according to ‘The Age of Stupid’ director Franny Armstrong.

That’s what she explores in her sci-fi-documentary-drama which will be released simultaneously in more than 500 theaters across the US on Sept. 21 ( on the eve of the UN General Assembly’s climate session) in an event that will include live appearances from Kofi Annan, Thom Yorke and other activists.

The film is set in 2055, and revolves around a fictional “last man on Earth” (Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite) who watches “archive” footage from 2008 and asks “why didn’t we stop climate change while we had the chance?”

We get to see interviews with a Hurricane Katrina victim, a British wind farm developer, an aspiring Nigerian doctor, an elderly French mountain guide, a wealthy Indian entrepreneur and an 8-year-old Iraq war refugee – whose lives have all been affected by some aspect of the global warming phenomenon.

Although the film has a futuristic dystopian tone, it will hopefully send enough chills down our spines to inspire us to do more.

The nationwide release and live appearances will screen at a handful of theaters across South Florida, so get your tickets early.

If you go:
What: The Age of Stupid screening and live Q&A
When: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 21, 2009.
Where: Screenings throughout the tri-county area, including at Sunset Place 24, Cypress Creek Station 16, Movies at the Falls 12, Dolphin 19 Cinemas, and South Beach Stadium 18.
For locations and tickets visit: http://www.ageofstupid.net/screenings/country/united_states and click on Florida.

There’s nothing wrong with volunteering, but it’s even better when you get something back besides feeling great about it.

The Wolfsonian is donating free museum memberships for those who complete 25 hours of service in some of its Wolf Pack Gives Back-sponsored events.

The next one, in collaboration with the Environmental Coalition of Miami Beach, will consist in cleaning up Monument Island on Aug. 22.

It’s a great way to make new friends, make the city look prettier, and enjoy free local art. You couldn’t ask for more.

Visit their site regularly to find out future Wolf Pack Gives Back events.

Not interested in the free membership? You can still help clean up Monument Island by contacting ECOMB.

If you go:
What: Monument Island clean up
Where: The group will meet at Maurice Gibbs Park on Purdy Avenue, just North of 17 Street/Dade Blvd., Miami Beach.
When: 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 22
More info: RSVP required. Call 305-535-2644 or e-mail lydia@thewolf.fiu.edu to register with the Wolfsonian. Visit www.ecomb.org to do it with ECOMB.