Waverly to the Rescue!

So almost a year ago (November 13, 2007), when I was witnessing Sonny Perdue standing on the steps of the State Capitol and encouraging the crowd to chant along with him, "Let it rain, Lord! Let it rain," just blocks from my home another woman had another idea.

Debbie Smith, a graphic designer, couldn't get teenagers in her home to comply with water restrictions as a result of Georgia's drought. And then, like a flash of lightning, she got an idea. "They have to learn this stuff when they are young," she realized, and suddenly dreamed up a cast of characters that could help do just that--teach children about conservation.

These characters, Waverly (the water one, who was directly inspired by our drought), Lola (the plant and flower one) and Scout (the air one) are now plush toys made out of gorgeous Egyptian organic cotton by a company named Under the Nile that helps improve living conditions for impoverished people in Egypt. These characters star in a cute little book that teaches young children "iddy biddy steps" they can take to make a difference. The book and one plush toy come in an Eco-Friendly Starter Kit with a little backpack and a Field Guide of 10 doable iddy biddy steps on which a child can chart his or her progress as steps are completed every day. Every part of the production of these items is environmentally-sound. Hand-sewn. Vegetable inks. Biodegradable, recycling packaging. You name it.

Debbie and I crossed paths because we are both helping out our new soon-to-be-city of Dunwoody. When I told her that my rain barrel needed water as the drought worsens, worsens, worsens here in Georgia (yet is hardly ever in the news anymore), I suggested that perhaps Waverly could come help me out. And so, there he is, filling up my rain barrel!

My younger daughter swirled around the garden with the characters and the book, taking photos of each of them in various set-ups. My older daughter came home from school in the middle of all this and her face lit up when she saw the cute, cuddly characters. They are larger and cuter in person than they are on the Idbids website. Debbie told her that teenagers tend to love them as well and she even has a group of skateboarders who think Scout, the cloud, is particularly "random."

Debbie and her partner, Sarah Alvarez, launched Idbids at the toy fair in New York last February and now sell them nationwide and in Canada. A store locator is available on the site, or you can order directly online. I, for one, think the Eco-Friendly Starter Kit is a particularly nice new-baby gift. It's a keeper for after all those organic onesies folks like to send eco-conscious new moms (or moms whose eyes are wide open after seeing the blank slate that a new baby represents) get too small. Babies can cuddle the plush toys right away and enjoy the book, and then when they are a bit older, off they go around your garden or community nature center with their backpack and field guide. My hope, of course, is that they won't need Waverly to come to the rescue to fill their rain barrels!

I'm curious to find out what else has happened since Sonny stood and prayed. Here's what has not happened:

Promotion of:

* Rainharvesting and water re-use, including rain barrels, rain gardens and grey water systems

* Xeriscaping and lawn reduction

* Wetland conservation and expansion

* Permeable surfaces to return water to the watershed

* Organic gardens and farms to reduce water toxicities and runoff

* Ways to cut down on electricity, the largest use of water

* Solar power and other alternative energy initiatives

Maybe the Waverly costume character (who will be appearing at schools and other venues soon!) needs to pay a little visit to the State Capitol!

Waverly to the Rescue!