Don’t Plant Invasive Species In Coastal NC

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Audubon, Beach vitex, Cara Reynolds, Carman and Brotherson, coastal nc, coastal NC invasive plants, coastal north carolina, Cortaderia selloana, invasive shrub, invasive species, Maryland, Mushpa & Mensa, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, Native Plant Finder, North Carolina, Pampas grass, Salt cedar, Saltcedar, sea turtle, Tamarix spp., U.S. Forest Service, Vitex rotundifolia

Kudzu – The Vine That Ate The South

If you are not looking for another Kudzu disaster, I would recommend NOT planting these 4 invasive species in Coastal North Carolina or anywhere in the United States honestly.

Let us start with the infamous Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima). Tamarix ramosissima has naturalized and become a major invasive plant species in parts of the world, consuming large amounts of groundwater in riparian (relating to or situated on the banks of a river) and oasis habitats due to the density of its stands. The high salt level in tamarisk infiltrates the soil, preventing other plants from growing, creating a tamarisk-dominant forest with no understory, void of important habitat for pollinators and other native species. Tamarisk forests also tend to burn hotter than most native riparian trees, worsening the fire hazard of acres of uninterrupted tamarisk and their risk to human structures.

Native To:
Eurasia (Carman and Brotherson 1982)
Date of U.S. Introduction:
Early 1800s (Carman and Brotherson 1982)
Means of Introduction:
Ornamental (Carman and Brotherson 1982)
Impact: Lowers the water table & creates large deposits of salt in the soil (Di Tomaso 1998)

Next on the list is the Thorny-olive (Elaeagnus pungens).

This exotic invasive species (native to Asia) has become a serious ecological pest in North Carolina, displacing native vegetation in many forested and forest edge habitats.  Exotic invasive from Japan, this shrub to small tree grows along wooded edges in suburban areas in the eastern half of North Carolina.

Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is coming for you North Carolina!

What problems does pampas grass cause?

It forms dense, often impenetrable, stands that can damage grazing lands and affect visibility on roads. Pampas grass increases its density and colonizes semi-natural areas in a short period of time, being a threat to native plant diversity. Due to low decomposition rates of standing dead leaves and senescing panicles, it increases fire risk. The sharp leaves can produce superficial cuts and flowers may provoke allergies in summer. Their large size significantly reduces light availability, blocking out native species.

Beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) is sea turtles’ enemy!

Beach vitex is a salt-tolerant, perennial, invasive shrub that has naturalized in coastal areas of the southeastern United States. Since its introduction in the 1980s, this Pacific Rim native has invaded many fragile beach-dune ecosystems along the Mid-Atlantic, Southern Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico. Large-scale monocultures of beach vitex supplant native species through rapid vegetative reproduction and seed production. Fruits are capable of water-based dispersal, allowing for potential rapid range expansion in coastal areas. Ecosystem damage resulting from exclusion of native plant species by beach vitex and fears associated with potential negative effects on sea turtle nesting have served to promote the control and survey efforts presently underway in coastal areas of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland.

Here are some sites that will help you find native plants to your area.

Audubon – https://www.audubon.org/native-plants

Native Plant Finder – https://www.nwf.org/nativePlantFinder/plants

U.S. Forest Service – https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/Native_Plant_Materials/Native_Gardening/index.shtml

People remember, before you seed, read! :] Knowledge is power.

– Mushpa (aka Cara)

Listen To Some Music While Doing Some Good #LessWasteChallenge

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#LessWasteChallenge, A Prairie Home Companion, Alejandro Jodorosky, Banjo, Baritone Ukulele, Blank Tape Records, Cara Reynolds, Chandler Pratt, Colorado, Concertina, eco-friendly, Fiddle, guitar, Guitar Mike Clark, Harmonica, Haunted Wind Chimes, Inaiah Lujan, Kazoo, magical mobile art machine, Mandolin, Mandolin Desirae Garcia, Maria Emilia Borja, Melodica Chela Lujan, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, OpenAir 1340 Colorado Public Radio, psychedelic, Pueblo, Rattle Your Bones, recycle, recycle toys, recycled, Sarah Megyesy, Sun Shining Bright, TerraCycle, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, Tom's of Maine, Vocals

Take the #LessWasteChallenge and recycle your old toys!

TerraCycle and Tom’s of Maine have partnered to create a free recycling program for used/loved toys from now through April 30!!!

You can send those old or broken toys to TerraCycle for free, courtesy of Tom’s of Maine. Here is how easy it is!

1. Request your free shipping label

2. Fill a box with toys (10 pounds per box)

3. Send TerraCycla your toys to be recycled

Free shipping labels are available until April 30th and your toys may be in any condition!

Broken toys. Used toys. Forgotten toys. Instead of bagging them up and putting them on the curb, try recycling.

This year, Tom’s of Maine challenges you to reduce 1 lb of waste per week through the #LessWasteChallenge. And they want to help you meet this goal by providing a free recycling program for your old toys.

Toy Condition: Your toys may be in any condition. Instead of being thrown away, these old toys will be sorted and recycled into cool, new creations.

Less to the dump, R6 it!

– Mushpa

The Eco Trio: Tagua, Pambil, and Acai Jewelry

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acai, amazon, antioxidant berries, aRT tRUCK, Cara Reynolds, cruelty free, eco art, eco ivory, eco jewlery, eco-friendly, Ecuador, handmade, heart of palm, iriartea deltoidea, Latin America, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, organic, palm trees, pambil, phytelephas, rainforest, seed jelwery, seeds, South America, sustainable, tagua, vegetable ivory

Many of the pieces that are made here at Mushpa + Mensa, use little, medium and larger seeds from the amazon rain-forest, collected specifically from Ecuador.

As a native Ecuadorian, I am able to travel back to my childhood country, bring my lady with me, and browse though many of the outdoor markets that sell these wonderful seeds, which we then take and make our eco-jewelry from.

So what are the three seeds?

Tagua:

The largest of all the seeds is tagua, although in other Latin American countries it can be referred to as vegetable ivory, palm ivory, marfim-vegetal, corozo, or jarina, the seeds all still derive from the same genus of palms: Phytelephas. There as six known species of this palm that thrive from Panama, to Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.

Often it is referred to as “eco-ivory” because it has the same characteristics of elephant ivory, as it can be carved very easily as well as dyed with different colors, and it is hard and unbreakable and can be polished beautifully.

The female palm is the one that bears the fruit, which falls from the trees and  inside it holds usually 4 individual nuts. The immature fruit is usually sweet and soft, while the mature fruit has transformed into a harder that wood nut covered in a brown shell, which can later be used for multiple projects, like our tagua necklaces!

Pambil:

The second seed we often use is called pambil, and it is another palm from the Ecuadorian rain forest. This palm tree known scientifically as  Iriartea deltoidea,  which can grow between 20-35 meters tall and can be “easily recognized by the prominent bulge in the center of its trunk, and the stilt roots, which form a dense cone up to 1 m in diameter at the base.” It is also surrounded by a brown shell covering that can be removed and either left naturally as a cream color, or can be dyed as well.

Acai:

This is the smallest of the seeds we use. It is pronounced ah-s-ah-ee, and it is found in the tropical Amazon rain forest. It has recently been popularized in the United States as a super food for its rich antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and you can find it in juices, body products and supplements.

It has also been used by indigenous tribes for centuries as one of their most important sources of daily nutrition, and has been cultivated also for building materials and artisan crafts using its palm leaves and seeds. It also mostly cultivated as a source for hearts of palm! Delicious.

But here at the Mushpa + Mensa studio, we use it as the third in the trio of our sustainable seed collection.

All of these seeds are free from petroleum based products like many conventional beads, and free from animal cruelty. They are harvested by local communities as a source of income, and their popularization in recent years has allowed for many of these communities to build themselves up from the sustainable sources that the tropical rain-forests of Ecuador provides.

Now that you have a better knowledge of our trio of seeds, take a look at our shop and see what inspires you!

-Mensa

So Many Pens, So Little Time

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and recycle permanent marker caps, Free Recycling Programs, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, recycle, recycle bottles, recycle brita all filters, recycle brita faucet systems, recycle Brita® pitchers, recycle dispensers, recycle filter packaging, recycle marker caps, recycle markers, recycle mechanical pencils, recycle pen caps, recycle pens, recycle permanent markers, The Pen Guy

I have been saving pens, markers and mechanical pencils when they die for a long time now. I store them away in the utility room like some crazy hoarder. I have no idea what I will do with them all, but I know dumping toxic plastic into a landfill at the rate I would is not an option.

Honestly, we don’t buy so many pens in the Mushpa + Mensa household, they just appear from everywhere and nowhere. Actually, Mensa came home from visiting her family with a huge pen caddy full of pens, pens and more pens, most which were dried out. Last night they joined the rest of my dead pen collection and I thought, okay now is the time to figure out where these pens need to go to start their second life.

Here is what I discovered:

The Pen Guy – He makes art out of pens. He covered his Mercedes Benz with pens… I mean come on, that’s cool and eco as long as the car never ends up in a landfill! The Pen Guy, collects and reuses thousands of pens in his art that would otherwise be thrown out. Donate your Ball Point, Dry Erase, Crayola, Felt Tip, Markers, Mechanical Pencils or any other type of pen and experience the transformation into beautiful recycled pen art. Here is where you can send the pens and keep them out of the landfill.

The Pen Guy – P.O.Box 994 – Forestville, CA 95436

If you are sending via UPS or FEDEX please address it to:

The Pen Guy – 6484 Mirabel Road, #994 Forestville, CA

Terracycle – They have boxes you can buy to recycle pens. Acceptable waste for this box are pens, pen caps, mechanical pencils, markers, marker caps, permanent markers, and permanent marker caps. Then the plastics undergo extrusion (a high-volume manufacturing process in which raw plastic is melted and formed into a continuous profile) and pelletization (the process of compressing or molding a material into the shape of a pellet) to be molded into new recycled plastic products. Terracycle also has a very helpful link to free recycling programs like for Brita and Pure water filters, guitar stings, cigarette waste and tons of other stuff!

The Prang Power Recycling Program – If you use Prang art pens, they offer you a free recycling program for said pens.

There isn’t a multitude of options out there for pen recycling, but there is something. That means we can all do something. Also, invest in a pen or mechanical pencil you can refill. I am going to once I exhaust the last pen in this house! I will keep you abreast of the situation.

“People” say you do not really need pens or pencils anymore with all the electronics out there, but for me holding a pen in my hand is more organic and honestly where my truth comes from. I wake up every morning and write on paper using a pen for a half hour or so. It manifests my destiny, so I will keep on with it, but in a more environmentally conscientious way.

Here’s to you Mama Earth.

Love,

Mushpa + Mensa

Last Minute Women’s March Sign Ideas

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activism, art, Audre Lorde, Awesome Event, be brave, Cara Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, Ecuadorian, environment, Feminism, gay, God, Government, green, Happiness, Health Care, inspiration, Latina, lesbian, love, Love is Love, March, march signs, Maria Emilia Borja, NC, North Carolina, political, politics, Princess Leigh, Protest, protest march signs, protest signs, queer, recycled, resistance, revoltion signs, revolution, Sign Ideas, Star Wars, The South, Voltaire, wilmington, Woman Owned Business, Women's March, Women's March Sign Ideas, WomenAlice Walker

If you are anything like us, we can get real close to the time of whatever-it-may-be and then get what needs to be done, last minute style, done. Don’t get us wrong, we do it well under pressure. The Women’s March tomorrow is no different. We are going to wake up around 7AM to get our signs done to get out to our local Wilmington, NC Women’s March. I did some image research and quote digging and came up with 10 good sign suggestions off the World Wide Web.

1. We go high.
2. Your silence will not protect you.
3. Nasty Woman
4. “Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities” Voltaire
5. Hate Kills
6. “I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” Audre Lorde
7. Woman’s place is in the resistance. (in reference to Carrie Fisher…Princess Leigh….Star Wars. You get it.)
8. I am stronger than fear.
9. Truth matters.
10. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”  Alice Walker

Get your recycled pieces of boxes, cardboard, old sheets and get to creating. We will collectively be with every human at every women’s march tomorrow. We love you.

Love trumps hate. Be brave.

Cara and Maria Emilia

Mushpa + Mensa’s Low Impact

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#GiveBackPack, abuse, against forced labor, alternative apparel, Alternative Earth', biodegradable fabric softeners, certified organic, child labor, chrome, Common Thread, copper, eco-friendly, environment, Fair Labor Association, FLA, G2 Eco-Wash, insufficient wages, low-impact dyes, mordant, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, natural enzymes, non-toxic, non-toxic clothing, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, organic, organic cotton, organic cotton certified, Philanthropy, R6, reclaimed water, recycle, reduce, Reflect, ReImagine, Replenish, reuse, safe working practices, Social Responsibility, STATE Bags, sustainable fabrics, Workplace Code of Conduct, Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production, WRAP, zinc

The main shirts that Mushpa + Mensa hand-print their original designs on is Alternative Apparel’s 100% organic collection, made from pesticide-free organic cotton.

Is Alternative’s cotton certified organic? 

A: Yes. Anything in our line stating it is 100% Organic Cotton is certified organic cotton, produced pesticide-free. We keep copies of the organic certificates on file.

The dyes used to color Alternative Apparel’s pesticide-free organic cotton tees are low-impact dyes. Let’s breakdown this process called low-impact dying. A low-impact dye is a dye that has been classified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 as eco-friendly. Generally, low impact dyes do not contain toxic chemicals, heavy metals (like chrome, copper and zinc), or mordants (a substance, typically an inorganic oxide, that combines with a dye or stain and thereby fixes it in a material).

Low-impact dyes are dyes with a higher than average absorption rate (70%-80%, depending on the color). This means less water is required in the rinse process and less dye runs off in the water; therefore, the dyes have a lower impact on the environment. Alternative Apparel also use a G2 Eco-Wash to finish garments which uses 60% less water and no chemicals.

Alternative Earth’s collection water washes with reclaimed water, the organic cotton is certified, biodegradable fabric softeners and natural enzymes for their super-soft finishes to make the best basics.

Alternative Apparel make their clothing from sustainable fabrics (currently 65% of the fabrics they use are eco-friendly, although they are working to increase this figure), with a transparent supply chain in officially audited factories.

Alternative Apparel publishes its factory vendor guidelines, which the company says are in line with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct, on its Social Responsibility page. The company states that many of its factories have Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP) certification, and that Alternative Apparel places ethics as a priority in vendor selection: Alternative Apparel is committed to safe working practices for all employees.

Manufacturing: They have all the right policies against forced labor, child labor, abuse, and insufficient wages — and they work nearly as hard on keeping their clothing non-toxic. Their factories are frequently inspected to make sure their dying processes are toxin-free, and their wool is sourced from sustainable alpaca farms in Peru.

The first elements we consider when selecting a vendor is their ability to meet our social compliance standards and the quality of their products … Typically, there are only certain geographic areas of the world that can meet our production needs. We head to those areas and search for vendors that exceed our expectations and requirements. If a factory does not meet our social compliance standards from the very beginning, we don’t even consider them. After that, we base or search on the quality of the goods and the efficiency with which they can be produced.

Environment: Thirty percent of their sales are from the Alternative Earth line Mushpa + Mensa uses, which is made from organic cotton, low-impact dyes, energy-efficient facilities, and absolutely no toxic substances. A portion of their sales benefits a variety of environmental organizations and charities.

Philanthropy: Alternative donates to multitudes of different charities under their “Common Thread” program. For instance, like with STATE: Going Beyond the Bag. STATE Bags one-for-one model provides at-risk kids with a fully-stocked backpack every time someone purchases a bag. That means when you get an awesome bag, you support #GiveBackPack at the same time.

Down with fast fashion! R6 – Reduce, ReUse, Recycle, Replenish, Reflect, ReImagine.

Get your Alternative Apparel organic cotton Mushpa + Mensa original design t-shirt on and feel good in it, while feeling good about yourself. Functional art Mushpa y Mensa style.

-Mushpa

 

Mushpa + Mensa in the 21st Annual Cucalorus Film Festival 10×10

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10x10, 21st annual Cucalorus Film Festival, Andy Nielsen, artist, Brianna Okamoto, Cara Reynolds, CastleBranch Inc, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Cucalorus, Cucalorus 10x10, handmade, Hillary Scott, ILM, Josh Stowe, kickstarter, Maria Emilia Borja, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa + Mensa in the 21st annual Cucalorus Film Festival 10x10 2015, Mushpa Y Mensa, North Carolina, Norwood Cheek, Stray Local, tekMountain, Willow Garden, wilmington

 

Last week we went to Cucalorus’s opening night party.

The next day I got the flu.

The next day we made a movie.

The next day I was in the ER.

The next day I hurled all day.

The next day we were at the Cucalorus 10×10 Screening and CONNECT Presenters Party.

This was my last week and this is the film we made with our great team (Brianna Okamoto, Josh Stowe, Andy Nielsen, Hillary Scott). I wasn’t sure I was going to make it, the movie that is, but when you have a dream and are given an amazing opportunity you push through it all to get there.

-Mushpa

Here Comes The Holidays!!!

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Cara Reynolds, Christmas, Coupon Code, DIY Beading Kit, eaten gingerbread man, eco felt holiday ornaments, eco fi felt, eco-friendly, EcoFi felt, Etsy Coupon Code, felt, gingerbread men eco felt ornaments, gingerbread people ornaments, gingerbread person, handmade, Maria Emilia Borja, Mushpa, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, mushpa y mensa coupon, mushpa y mensa coupon code, Mushpa y Mensa Holiday Gingerbread Ornaments, Mutated Gingerbread man, plush animals

The first week of November is here which means some people are starting their Holiday shopping and others are finishing it. We here at Mushpa + Mensa want to get into the game by offering our super fans a free shipping code on any and all purchases. This code is HoHoHo! It will be in affect until January 1st, 2016. You can start out getting an amazing handmade Gingerbread Peep made of felt created using recycled plastic bottles for your Christmas tree. You’re welcome!

Let’s get this holiday party started!!!

Much love,

Mushpa + Mensa

We Got Into the Leaf Festival

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art, artist, Cara Reynolds, clay bead necklace, clay beads, crafts, DAS, diy, eco-friendly, etsy, fashion, fear, felt, gay, God, God is a Woman, handmade, Happiness, homemade, jewlery, Leaf Festival, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, North Carolina, organic, queer, screen printing, stuffed animal

We got into the Leaf Festival. I was unaware of how much I was pulling away from faith, mysticism and the Truth until I watched this video. I have been worrying about bills, money, and bullshit and forgetting about miracles, beauty and truth. Logistics are a lie. I am blessed and amazing and God is good. I’ve got nothing to worry about.

Everything is better than okay. I got into the Leaf Festival and have nothing to fear but fear itself.

:]

-Mushpa

Mushpa y Mensa Super Summer Update

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art, artist, beauty, Cara Reynolds, clay bead necklace, clay beads, clothes, crafts, DAS, diy, eco-friendly, etsy, fashion, felt, gay, handmade, Happiness, home-made, homemade, inspiration, jewlery, kickstarter, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, necklace, organic, plush animals, queer, quote, recycled, screen printing, stuffed aimals, stuffed animal, t shirt designs, t-shirts, tablet case, toys, yarn

Hello Mushpa y Mensa Super Fans!

Yes, you see right, it’s Mushpa y Mensa’s Super Summer update, after a few months of silence. We are happy to say that in the last three months, Mushpa y Mensa have begun their “Gypsy Market Life”. Already, on this journey, we have met quite a few amazing people, like the folks at Seaglass Salvage Market, Brooklyn Arts Center, Beacon House Inn, and Satellite Lounge to name a few. We have also danced and tasted many sweet wines at the Duplin Winery’s Main Squeeze Music and Wine Festival, as well as met dozens of new, fun people at the annual Azalea and Strawberry Festivals in North Carolina. ;] We even partnered up with Wilmington’s Earth Day Alliance and enjoyed a wonderful Earth Day Celebration at Hugh MaCrae Park.

It’s been surreal so far.

It’s amazing what faith, love, encouragement, and a little help from our friends can do. In terms of our little cottage industry, we are, as you say, busting a hump. We are constantly checking ourselves on how we can make things better from our art, to our business, to our life.

We have actually just updated the “Photos of Our Peeps” page on Mushpa y Mensa’s site. We added a photo uploading tool, so you can upload pictures of you in our organic tees, wearing our amazing jewelry, hugging our lavender filled plush pets, or even just keeping your hands cool with one of our coffee cozies. :]

And in terms of our Art? Well we keep on bringing to life tons of ideas in our head. For example, we recently created 3.5 new shirt designs. A cool Octopus Olivia with an Anchor Tattoo on her forehead,as well as R6: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replenish, Reflect, Reimagine inspired by Earth Day.

We also have new organic Pima cotton relaxed fit tops that are flying out of the truck. Here is an example of the Pima tops with one of our new designs, Argema Mittrei, a female moth. Lastly, we spruced up Robot Girl and added a cute heart. All these designs we print for the ladies, the gents, and of course the smallest people around.

Mushpa y Mensa have also been focusing on custom shirts that have been selling off Maya so fast we don’t even have time to list them on our Etsy shop!

Spread the art, spread the love.

A few questions answered…

Where can I find the Art Truck?

Follow us on Twitter @mushpamensa. We are constantly posting when and where we will be. There is also an events page on our site, www.mushpaymensa.com/events we keep updated, but Twitter is best for the most up to date information.

We are doing some art shows, markets and fleas, but are hunting to find good spots to park around town. We are partnering up with cool people like the folks at the Beacon House Inn on Carolina Beach and Satellite Bar and Lounge in Wilmington.

And for all the natives and people in the know, since we are new in town, feel free to hit us up at info@mushpamensa.com or our contact page with any ideas where to park, festivals to do or whether you’d like us to rock a party or event with you!

Are you going on the road anytime soon?

We want to explore the grounds of NC and the surrounding area, so we will keep the max to weekend trips. But worry not, we will definitely be making it into the mid-west and west-coast! Maybe even an occasional trip to NYC sooner than you think!

If you have any questions about anything, make sure to ask! We love to hear from you all.

Until the next super exciting Mushpa y Mensa’s and Maya, Magical Mobile Art Machine update we say good day!

With lots of love,

               Cara and Maria Emilia

                                                             a.k.a.