Halloween Goes Green

Halloween is just around the corner, and you know what that means. CANDY! Of course, nothing tastes as sweet as an eco-friendly treat. That's why, for the second year in a row, Glee Gum is thrilled to participate in Green Halloween®!

Green Halloween® is a non-profit, grassroots organization striving to create healthier, eco-friendlier holidays-- beginning with Halloween. Started in Seattle in 2007, the nation-wide movement is all about educating and inspiring communities by showing how easy, affordable, and fun it can be to factor our earth and our health into our daily choices.

To read all about it and find fun events near you, visit GreenHalloween.org. You can learn how to get involved locally, sign up for the super nifty newsletter, and share DIY costume ideas, recipes, and more on the new discussion board. There's even a trick-or-treat bag design contest for kids!

So forget orange and black. With upcoming events in cities across the U.S., this community movement is adding some much-needed green to Halloween. It's a scream!

Coffee Talk

Call it what you will: brain fuel, lifeblood, daily infusion, morning thunder. By any other name, a cuppa joe would probably taste just as great. Some of us turn into absolute bears without it! Know something sweet enough to put whipped cream on your latte? Your favorite caffeine fix comes from a non-timber forest product.

Yup, that's right. Coffee plants, of the genus Coffea, grow in tropical and subtropical climates. Warm temperatures, cool shade, rich soil and adequate rainfall are generally the key ingredients for creating a tasty coffee "berry". After those berries are picked, the seeds are extracted, fermented, washed, dried and roasted. Grind 'em, brew 'em, and take a big sip. Careful... it's hot!

Nowadays, unfortunately, some coffee farmers prefer to grow their coffee crop in the sun, without shade. The berries ripen faster, but the side effects are terrible for the environment, necessitating clearing trees, using pesticides, and ultimately destroying habitats. Shade-grown coffee berries are the most eco-friendly, and taste the best! And that's why shade-grown coffee is such an important NTFP. It needs tall forest trees to provide overhead shade for its cultivation. Coffee farmers receive an income by keeping the forest standing!

Coffee as a beverage was first enjoyed in Arabia, between five hundred and a thousand years ago. Thanks to trade routes, armies, and loud-mouthed enthusiasts, its popularity soon spread across the world. The Dutch brought coffee from Yemen to Holland, the Turks introduced it to Austria during a siege, and the Spanish carried it to Costa Rica. Today, Brazil produces the most coffee beans. But the US probably has the most drinkers. Go figure!

Whether you think of coffee as jitter juice, liquid lightning, or simply a great warmer upper, consider it one nifty NTFP.

Swell Java Special:

One of our favorite local cafes, Coffee Exchange Coffee Roasters, is also well-known nationally as a Providence institution. For 25 years, the fine folks at Coffee Exchange have been providing great coffee, promoting environmental sustainability, and supporting Fair Trade farmers and their families; Bill Fishbein, co-owner of Coffee Exchange, founded the non-profit organization Coffee Kids 21 years ago. Not only is Coffee Exchange committed to sourcing shade-grown coffee, 100% of Coffee Exchange coffee is double-certified: Organic and Fair Trade. Did we mention, it’s also delicious?

Don’t take our word for it. Try some today! Coffee Exchange has an exclusive offer just for Glee fans. Through October 31, 2009,  get 10% off any online coffee order! Simply visit www.sustainablecoffee.com, select the coffees you wish to order (free shipping with four pounds or more), and enter the coupon code [GLEE] in the apply coupon section of the shopping cart. Enjoy!

Your Ticket to Glee

Have you heard the buzz about "Glee"?

No, we're not talking about Glee Gum (for a change). We're talking about the most highly anticipated TV show of the fall season!

In support of "Glee," Glee Gum has teamed up with FOX to offer ELEVEN winning tickets inside select packs of gum this fall. You could win one of ten fabulous prize packs including Glee Gum and "Glee" merchandise, or the super grand prize: a trip for two to Hollywood! The grand prize includes roundtrip air transportation, two nights hotel accommodation, and a $250 American Express gift card. How Glee-ful!

GLEE, the genre-defying new musical comedy series, follows an optimistic teacher who - against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach - attempts to save McKinley High's Glee Club from obscurity while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential. Don't miss "Glee" Wednesday nights (9/8 c) on FOX!

For more details on winning "Your Ticket to Glee," visit GleeGum.com. In the meantime, chew Glee, watch "Glee" and go Glee-fully!

Conservation in Costa Rica

The chicle in Glee Gum is harvested sustainably from rainforests in the Peten region of Mexico and Guatemala. But we believe in the importance of rainforest conservation everywhere!

That's why Glee Gum is delighted to help support the Cloud Forest School. Known locally as the Centro de Educación Creativa, this bilingual school is located in the tropical cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. The school emphasizes the integration of environmental education in all aspects of its creative, experiential instruction.

In keeping with the school's hands-on, eco-minded mission, the students actively aid in the restoration of the cloud forest. Before the school property was purchased, parts of the land were clear-cut for pastures. Now, to facilitate reforestation, the students collect seeds, germinate them in the school greenhouse, nurture them to independence, and transplant them. In the past seven years, they have planted almost 8000 trees on campus!

Kudos to a great idea and the even better execution of it. Hurrah for the Cloud Forest School!

Cool in School

Welcome back to all teachers! Hope you enjoyed that well-deserved summer vacation. Now that school is in session again, we want to introduce you to a brand new product: The Educator's Guide to Gum!

The Educator's Guide to Gum contains:

- The Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit
An all-natural, interactive activity kit for kids that makes 30-60 pieces of gum

- The Educator's Guide to the Kit
Sample lesson plan, online resources, tips, and supplemental essays

- El Chicle DVD
An 18-minute documentary film, in Spanish with English subtitles, about the harvest of chicle

- Chicle Book
A history of chewing gum "from the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley," by Jennifer P. Mathews, The University Of Arizona Press, 2009

The Educator's Guide to Gum is a terrific tool for teachers and group leaders, suitable for use in the classroom as well as in informal learning environments. Recommended for grades 6 and up, the Educator's Guide to Gum is available for $50, plus shipping, at GleeGum.com. Please let us know how you like it!

Places You're Apt To Find Glee: Basically, Far As The Eye Can See!

Find more information about Glee Gum at GleeGum.com.