Julie Thibodeaux

Join Green Source DFW for the second annual Run for the Environment - a Race to Save the Planet on May 21 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Bachman Lake Park, 3500 W Northwest Hwy in Dallas. The top runner receives a gift card to Snappy Salads.

Commodity Recycling SolutionsGo through your closet and gather up your old shoes – you'll have the opportunity to recycle them at the Green Source DFW Run for the Environment on May 21 at Bachman Lake Park in Dallas. You'll be supporting Green Source DFW, which will be paid for every pound of shoes donated.

Green Source DFW columnist Amy Martin recently published a book on poison ivy called Itchy Business. In this interview, Martin talks about the plant that inspired her to write the book and what she learned over the years from coping with it.

In addition, to collecting shoes for recycling, Commodity Recycling Solutions will be accepting electronic waste for recycling at the Green Source DFW Run for the Environment on May 21 at Bachman Lake Park. The items will be processed in their warehouse and sorted primarily into metals and plastics.

This week, biology experts from across the state are scouring a prairie remnant in Fort Worth in an all-out effort to record every living species onsite. The BioBlitz is being held at Tandy Hills Natural Area. On Earth Day Friday and Saturday, the public is invited to bring their smart phones and laptops to join in the fun.

Earth Day festivals have blossomed across North Texas over the years. Fortunately, they don’t all happen on April 22. Instead, more than 20 environmentally themed events are spread out across the month so greenies can party all through April. The celebrations kick off on Saturday.

Walter Hornaday, the cofounder of the Dallas-based Breeze Energy, now makes a living selling wind power to customers across Texas but he got his start in the industry on the production side more than 20 years ago.

Reclaimed wood table by Sarah ReissLone Chimney Mercantile at the renovated Dallas Farmers Market is a place where recycling and art converge. Owner Annie Holland of Richardson, who opened the store in January, admits she comes from a family of intrepid dumpster divers.

Dallas eco-preneur Tom Kemper named his green retail business Dolphin Blue after one of the most charismatic animals in the world. But it was a stray mutt he found on a Texas highway that gave him a new sense of purpose in recent years.

Texas Smartscape plant: Blackfoot DaisyNeed some plants that can thrive in the Texas heat without pesticides or fertilizers and less water? Check out the Texas Smartscape Plant Sales. The events will be held at garden retailers throughout North Texas, starting March 19.

There’s an icy moon hanging in the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, thanks to a North Texas solar engineer. The solar-powered sculpture Tears of maria was installed at the end of January for an exhibit now on display by California-based artist Glenn Kaino.

Put your green thinking caps on, Fort Worth. You could win a $500 Amazon gift card. Recyclebank, a New York City-based company that provides recycling education for the city of Fort Worth, launched a contest last month called #GreenFor2016.