My Family

My name is Pam and the Mercer family (kids 8, 10 and 11, my husband, 2 cats and a dog) is Greenily.  Our experiences and life provide the examples and information I share about how your family can learn from us and move toward a greener lifestyle in a practical way. I am passionate (okay, maybe obsessed!) about my family doing our part to be as environmentally friendly as possible, everyday, all the time!  I am constantly looking for ways to make the way we live greener without totally changing our lifestyle.  I definitely don’t consider us tree huggers, we don’t live off the grid or ban “stuff” in our house.  We are simply an average family who strives to do the best we can for our kids and teach them to care about others  – and the natural resources of our planet – but we are far from perfect!  Sometimes convincing them is the hardest part!!

My Background

In an earlier life I worked in advertising, made a move to corporate philanthropy which led me to 10+ years working in conservation education at the National Zoo in Washington, DC.  My role was to help educate the public about the frailty of endangered species and their habitats in faraway places like Namibia and China.  It was an amazing experience!  Now as a stay-at-home mom for more than 7 years I’m aiming to bring the conservation message closer to home.

My Community

I strive to make changes at home but also in our community.  I volunteer at our elementary school encouraging staff to incorporate environmentally friendly practices and working with students on recycling. I also encourage my neighbors to do their part by organizing recycling and compost collection at our annual block party and am involved with a local organization that facilitates green living in our town.

One of the best resources for information I have come across is my neighbors!  I conducted a survey and heard from over 160 of them about how they strive to be green, what works, what’s difficult.  It was amazing to hear from them!

My Hope

From our experience so far I truly believe that with a small shift in perspective, a little work on changing habits and a bit of knowledge other families can be where we are – and are still working toward – a place where we all make a difference in preserving our planet’s precious resources for our children and future generations.