Earth Day 2008

One of my earliest memories of Earth Day was in kindergarten … Or was it first grade? Anyway, it was pretty close to the year the commemoration was begun, back in 1969. Nearly 40 years ago. I remember we planted seeds that grew into pretty red-orange flowers.

I will celebrate this year’s Earth Day at ReNew Organic Day Spa, a business that grew from an ideal. Everyone seems to be going green these days, but I know someone who’s lived it for years. And tonight my good friend Shelley Birnbaum, along with her business partner Sherrie Tennessee and their crew, are holding an open house at their 16-month-old “green” spa, located on The Avenue in Hampden. It’s a warm, inviting boutique day spa that caters to those who cater to the Earth. From their environmentally-friendly build-out and décor (cork flooring, low-toxic paints, etc…) to the organic products they have found, to their genuine commitment to being sustainable and encouraging other to do so, ReNew is a unique respite for the soul and a true friend of the Earth. And they’ve garnered much attention during their first year of operation. ReNew was named “Baltimore’s Best Green Spa” by Baltimore Magazine, and later “Baltimore’s Best Spa” by the City Paper!

Tonight, their signature warm tones and soft, relaxing music will be there, inviting new customers to schedule something special from their list of services. Plus, they will provide plenty of information on “going green” for the rest of us... In fact, ReNew is now purchasing wind power, so they’ll certainly be explaining that to us. There are no windmills in Hampden, but somehow they’re doing it!

And this evening they’ve partnered with The Wine Source, which will be providing samples of organic wines from their store nearby.