I bought a hybrid car. I use my shopping tote bags. I recycle. But when I take a garbage bag to the curb I feel like there has to be more we can do. I believe that collectively, we will find a better way.

In our feature article, Earth’s Rising Fever [page 30], Bill McKibben author and founder of grassroots group 350.org tells us, “We’re not going to stop global warming; it’s too late for that. But we can keep it from getting as bad as it could possibly get.” In the article Shop with the Planet in Mind [page 34], you will find a number of online tools that help us understand the far-flung impacts of a purchase. These pages contain tips to inspire you to make small changes that when we all participate will have a big impact.

At Natural Awakenings it is our mission to bring you information you can use on a daily basis to contribute to a healthier planet and healthier life. The issue you hold in your hands has been designed to be your natural phone book. This annual Natural Living Directory gives you easy access to our community’s best natural living resources. Keep it year-round to call on local businesses working hard to build a healthy community.

As I look back over the last 12 years of publishing I can see that Natural Awakenings has grown to become the community’s multimedia resource for healthy living and a healthy planet. We offer online, mobile, and social media access to resources, informative articles, and events in our community. To keep easy access at your fingertips we’ve developed an iPhone/iPad app that can be downloaded free at the iTunes store. And to bring you face-to-face with the products and services you love, we produce the Healthy Living Expo annually [see page 2].

At the time of this writing, John Voell, author and visionary co-founder of Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation has recently passed. He served as a mentor to our family of publishers for 15 years and was a dear friend. He is known for saying, “I believe that when I leave this world, I’m going to somehow measure my success by those I’ve helped along the way.” Those that knew him would say that he more than succeeded—he soared. I can only hope to honor his legacy by helping many more through this local edition of Natural Awakenings. It is my hope that you will continue to find inspiration among our pages.

Here’s to working together!

Kris Urquhart, Publisher