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Meet Amanda Forman, director of Green Drinks, a monthly informal networking event where environmentally minded people meet over drinks.
Age: 28
Why are you passionate about sustainability? I grew up in a scouting family that spent a lot of time outdoors. I learned that we have a responsibility to be stewards and preserve our resources for future generations.
Why and when did you start Green Drinks in Tulsa? When I moved back to Tulsa (after living in Seattle, Wash., for three years), I was looking for an organization where I could volunteer and have a role in shaping the sustainability community. I attended a meeting where the previous organizer asked that someone else take the reins. I jumped on the opportunity.
Why is it called “Green Drinks”? Because it’s an event where people who want to “green” the community mix and network over drinks. It doesn’t have much to do with what is being imbibed, but if the mint in your mojito is local and organic, that’s even better!
Who are a few past speakers? DoubleShot Coffee Co. owner Brian Franklin, Up With Trees Executive Director Anna America, Oklahoma Green Schools committee member Les Pace.
What are your goals for Green Drinks in Tulsa? My goal is to grow this organization so that we reach more people who want to take part in their community and to make living sustainably more accessible.
How does Green Drinks work with other local green organizations? Green Drinks is mainly sponsored by Sustainable Green Country and the U.S. Green Building Council. However, we also coordinate events with the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment, Sustainable Tulsa and Tulsa’s Young Professionals.
Do you work with other Green Drinks chapters in the U.S.? Not directly. Each organization is run on its own by the local directors … There are over 650 Green Drinks locations and events in cities around the globe, and they are all operating in ways that fit best with their own community.
Where do you shop for “green” products? For groceries, I shop at any of our farmers’ markets, the Blue Jackalope, Akin’s and Whole Foods. I am also a member of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program where I pay upfront to receive a weekly box of veggies, meat, cheese and eggs, which are all raised by a farmer in Bristow — The Living Kitchen. For home goods, I like to buy second-hand items and re-purpose them. Not only does this keep me from buying “virgin materials,” but it allows me to add my own personal style and creative touch to my home.
In your opinion, how does Tulsa compare to other “green” cities? I love Tulsa; it’s my home. But we are very far behind in this area. We lack an easily accessible public transportation system, have a low recycling rate and do not have a year-round farmers’ market, to name a few. However, there have been a lot of improvements made over the last five years and the momentum is continuing to grow. One of the most promising projects on the horizon is the PlaniTulsa vision.
What are a few of your favorite “green” restaurants? Eloté, Palace Café, Lucky’s, Local Table and The Living Kitchen.
What are three small changes that everyone can make to lessen their environmental impact? Wash clothes in cold water when possible, replace disposable grocery bags and water bottles with reusable ones and go meatless one day a week.
What is the March Green Drinks program? Kevin Stephens, president of Kevin Stephens Design Group Inc., a landscape, interior and urban design firm in San Francisco, is donating the old Temple Israel building at 14th and Cheyenne to a new organization that plans to build a regional center for conservation and sustainability. The project will be in collaboration with Land Legacy and Sustainable Tulsa. Kevin will be speaking to us about the project on March 10 at Lola’s at the Bowery, 5 E. Brady St., from 5:30-7 p.m.
For more information about Tulsa’s Green Drinks, visit www.tulsagreendrinks.blogspot.com. The events are free to attend and open to the public.
