On April 24th, 2013, Zimbabwean art and sustainability ambassador Twalumba began her nationwide road-tour to spread awareness of waste management, recycling, and conservation. A celebrated resident of Victoria Falls, there is something a little different about Twalumba, whose name means “thank you” in Tonga. You see, unlike most ambassadors, Twalumba is…
…a larger than life rhinoceros sculpture made entirely of recycled beverage cans and recovered snare wire. Crafted in just six days, Twalumba is the product of a collaboration between the Environment Africa Victoria Falls Green Fund and the Ruoko Project, a community of artists. Twalumba was constructed to beautifully manifest the ideals that art and sustainability can support and complement each other in the search for creative and innovative solutions to our current global problems. The snare wire used to construct Twalumba’s huge horn was recovered by the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit, a deliberate symbolic choice: in Africa and globally, the wild rhino population is decreasing rapidly due to illegal poaching.
As part of her tour, Twalumba is visiting the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and the Harare Festival of the Arts before eventually returning to Victoria Falls for the United Nations World Tourism General Assembly in August. She will be joined by similarly life-sized recycled sculptures of a lion, cheetah, buffalo, and elephant, and the sustainable art ambassadors will collectively be known as the Big Five.
You can stay updated on Twalumba’s journey on her facebook, Friends of Twalumba.
photo above, via: www.zambezitraveller.com
full disclosure: we received 4 Fishpeople Seafood ready-to-eat gourmet seafood entrees for the purposes of our Tried and True Green Product Review…the meals come in handy 7 oz. pouches and they can be prepared in a mere 3 minutes. We’ve tasted 2 entrees so far, and couldn’t wait to write about them. What do we think? Yum to the max!
Although we’ve uncovered literally hundreds of good “green” companies over the past several years, I’ve really fallen for Oregon-based, Fishpeople Seafood, hook, line and sinker … here’s why:
Fishpeople Seafood responsibly creates a line of affordable, healthful & convenient, prepared entrees from locally and sustainably sourced ingredients in our Pacific Northwest — and they’re totally accountable. No greenwashing here. All Fishpeople seafood is rigorously screened and sustainably harvested, caught using locally responsible methods in order to protect our fragile ecosystem and deliver the best seafood possible. The fish are caught with very little or no bycatch. Their website provides in-depth info regarding their brand practices and Seafood Rating system.
And for those, like us, interested in knowing more about where food is sourced, you can easily track exactly where ALL the ingredients – not only the fish, but also the individual spices, herbs and vegetables in your pouch are sourced using their Track Your Pouch system. Simply brilliant! Their delicious recipes are all natural, there are no chemicals or yucky preservatives. Their shelf stable pouches are BPA-free and will stay fresh for up to 3 years.
I enjoy preparing seafood at home. But I couldn’t believe we could enjoy such great flavors in just 3 minutes and without creating a big mess. Each entree is smartly packaged in a little pouch.
I poached the Thai Coconut Lemongrass Tuna pouch and served it over soba noodles. It was delicious. There were nice big chunks of tuna swimming in a sweet, creamy sauce. The sauce was comprised of coconut milk, lemongrass and lime, with basil, shallots, and red & yellow sweet peppers. I added a side salad and created a totally satisfying dinner in no time. Really, no muss no fuss. Just poached, opened and poured.
We also tried the Smoked Salmon and Smoked Oyster Chowder at lunchtime – if you like your seafood smokey, you’ll like this. The flavor was distinct and nicely balanced with yellow onions, corn, fennel, celery, thyme and garlic rounding out the potato laden creamy chowder. There was plenty of fish and lots of flavor.
To prepare, you can either poach the little pouch in boiling water for 3 minutes; microwave for 1 to 2 minutes; or open the pouch and heat the contents in a pan. Voila, that’s it. You can serve any of the entrees on noodles, rice or veggies – also an easy fix.
If you have a kitchen at work, you could have one in the office for lunch or even a light dinner if you’re working late. Love to camp? They travel well, they’re lightweight and no refrigeration is required.
You’ll be happy to know all entrees are Gluten free, and BPA free. And only the Chowder is not Dairy-free. It appears (below) the crew of FishPeople take their seafood business but not themselves, seriously.
How much does it cost for each wild-caught, ready to eat, tasty entree? $5.99/per & (less if you buy a case). Not bad for a locally and sustainably sourced, ready-to-eat gourmet seafood entree, don’t you think? Visit their fabulous website, you’ll definitely be hooked @ fishpeopleseafood.com
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