After 11 years of bringing you local reporting, the team behind the Vancouver Observer has moved on to Canada's National Observer. You can follow Vancouver culture reporting over there from now on. Thank you for all your support over the years!

Manda Aufochs Gillespie

 Manda Aufochs Gillespie, aka The Green Mama, writes, teaches, and consults on growing greener families, homes, and businesses. She has been featured on the TV shows Save My Planet and The Lazy Environmentalist and in news media in the US and Canada.  Get the latest savvy green living advice at www.thegreenmama.com.  

Polar Bear Swim. Photo courtesy of Manda Aufochs Gillespie

Plunging in to the New Year

We ran across a frozen field of grass that felt like broken glass on our feet and stumbled into the sauna. Within 10 minutes, I was convinced that a new tradition had been created.

United Arab Emirates forces women to breastfeed and America freaks out

United Arab Emirates forces women to breastfeed and America freaks out, but should we follow suit instead?

Has anyone seen Mukha? Search for lost dog unveils heart and soul of people on Vancouver's Downtown East Side

A thin line separates those who are secure from those who are struggling, a truth laid bare by a search for a beloved dog through Vancouver's DTES.

What happens when two ordinary Canadians decide to make an extraordinary difference?

At the Project Somos Children's Village in Guatemala, this little girl is already experiencing the joy of volunteering.

What YOU need to know about protecting your breasts after Angelina Jolie's mastectomy

What Angelina Jolie can teach you about how to keep your breasts

Election promise fulfilled: Vancouver's first flexible childcare opens

What to do when your preschool's hours and yours don't match?

Antibacterial hand soap: the real danger lurking in school bathrooms

Our children are back in school and the dangers lurking in the school bathroom are real.

How to green your child's school

Sick of school or just a sick school? The Green Mama shows you how you can make a real difference in the health of your child's classroom.

Who pays for Vancouver's hockey riot damage?

On Wednesday night when the Canucks lost in game seven of the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins it was reminiscent of their 1994 defeat in game seven to the New York Rangers. The disappointing game...