We like Shiny things around here, and all the better if they don't create any noxious gases to do their 'thing'.

The Firewinder ticks all boxes: taking the virtues of a spiralling, pretty wind chime or lantern, it harnesses the power of the wind to provide a sparkling glow for your garden. Simply attach it to a tree, roof terrace or wall using its hanging kit and wait for the wind to blow. The stronger the wind, the faster the spin and the greater the intensity of the light. I can see this going down a storm at small festivals and campsites this summer (but don't take that too literally, as using it in a real storm would not be good for your new toy, even though it can withstand strong winds of up to 40mph!)

Follow the jump for a video of the Firewinder in action.

I think this solar-powered parasol is a great little invention, that would be ideal for outdoor dining, parties or trips to the beach. The parasol does its job of protecting you from the sunlight during the day, then stores up energy for use at night in a solar panel screwed on to its top.

When night falls on your dusk soiree, the energy is converted to light, via a sprinkling of LEDs mounted on the umbrella's spokes. This creates a beautiful, star-like light effects that wil be bright enough for those crucial activities like opening the next bottle of wine. $99 at Lowes. [Via Alternative Consumer]

Spring is nearly here, and to celebrate the longer days and warmer nights, why not get yourself some of these cheery, colourful recyled lanterns? The story behind the lanterns starts in aerosol and soda-can production factories in India, where mis-printed pieces often get discarded. Who would have thought a typo could look so pretty?
The lanterns hold a standard votive or tea-light candel for a gentle glow to add oodles of ambience to your garden or patio. If you want extra greenie points, why not replace standard candles with soy-based ones? You can find them in the right dimensions here. Lanterns from £16.95 at Ecoutlet.

It's this time of year that we all start to get a bit bored of being cooped up and think about al fresco living...

Whether you've got camping trips planned this year, festival adventures, or just a nice garden to spruce up, outdoor lighting is a little luxury we can all enjoy. And it doesn't come greener or more stylish than Oliver Heath's portable low energy mood lights for use indoors and out. The relaxing Luau lights give a modern twist to hurricane lamps and use LED technology for gentle, eco-friendly light. Each lamp runs for 6-10 hours per charge.

£180 at Ecocentric.

Related: Oliver Heath's eco friendly LED fairy lights

Seasalt is a great place to go for organic and ethically-made clothing, but they also have some really nifty eco-friendly toys and accessories, like this recycled plastic frisbee.

Enjoy carefree days in the park this spring, throwing the classic shaped frisbee which is made from recycled retail packaging made using only UK recycled materials. Available in red or white, it's a steal at £2.70

The fight for allotment space has become so frantic, it seems, that some are having to resort to getting their fix online. At least, that was what I assumed when I first discovered Growveg.com

On a closer inspection it is not, in fact, a playground for frustrated would-be allotment owners: it's more a tool for those who want to take their real vegetable plot to their desk. The site lets you draw a virtual model of your garden, selecting fruit and veg you want to grow, and it gives you heaps of info on how to care for those particular crops, including how much space they need, feeding, natural pest control advice and much more. It's a great idea for a site and playing with it is a lot of fun even if (like me) your 'garden' amounts to a neglected balcony.

Liking the idea of presiding godlike over your own plantation? You can sign up for a free 30-day trial here!

With the summer holidays seemingly months ago, it's only apt to start thinking about next year's break (my camper van continues to call me from the roadside, despite the fact that the rain is falling). But these wood cabin Wigwams by All Round Buildings have given me hope that winter might be short this year. Not only can you rent them as an alternative to camping, but you can also buy them for your garden or even set up your own campsite with the company.

Designed and built from renewable homegrown timber resources, they look stunning out in the wild, and although they do require concrete pads to sit on - nobody's perfect, are they?

Fancy perfect pecs and bulging biceps, but object to a diet of skinless chicken, egg whites and whey powder? Wondering how you can achieve this, and still maintain high protein levels? Then you need to add Veganbodybuilding.com to your Favourites immediately! The site offers articles on nutrition, interviews with vegan bodybuilders, a gallery, a forum, and even a page of 'Vegan Fitness' T-shirts so that you can disprove to your mates at the gym the myth that all vegans are weedy and thin...

The site also links to Veganfitness.com, which offers another forum, and Veganbodybuilding.org, which runs a mailing list, as well as having more vegan bodybuilder profiles and vegan bodybuilding T-shirts to browse.

If a country merely considering green its national colour doesn't make it green enough for you to want to visit it, then you may like to look at the GreenBox website. The Greenbox region is Ireland's first ecotourism destination - a beautiful, unspoilt landscape boasting unique ecosystems and areas of high conservation value - and Responsible Tourism Ltd (trading as Greenbox Ltd) is an organisation which was created in order to further develop ecotourism in the area. All the companies which offer retreats and tours in the Greenbox region must adhere to a standard known as the The European Eco-label for tourist accommodation services and camp site services (The EU Flower).

Ireland Ecotours runs two particularly interesting looking day-long tours. The Green Scene tour transports passengers round the region in an eco-friendly bio-bus powered with Pure Plant Oil, stopping on the way to teach them about the solar panels, windmills and micro hydro power used in the area. The Two Forests Mountain Biking Tour is a comprehensive tour of the region which also focuses on teaching cyclists how to adopt the most environmentally friendly practises possible whilst out biking. Cyclists are taught not to disturb wildlife, spread seeds, or churn up areas of marsh and wetland, and given a code of practise to take away with them. Alternatively, if you fancy a more spiritual approach, and err more towards the 'retreat' side of things than the 'tour' side, you might wish to investigate the breaks offered by Wilderness Therapy Sessions, The Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat Experience, or Blaney Spa and Yoga Centre.

The results of tests conducted over a period of almost two years have confirmed that levels of bacteria and viruses in Thames river water after bouts of heavy rain exceed recommended safety levels.

Although in recent years the Thames had gained a reputation for being one of cleanest rivers in Europe, the research found that discharges of untreated sewage into the river after bad weather was putting river users including rowers, canoeists and anglers, at risk of gastro-enteritis and other water-borne infections.

We're coming into October, and now is the time for thinking about next year’s garden. It may seem that this year’s crop is only just ending, but with frosts predicted for this weekend, the Autumn is well and truly here and it’s time to start planning those bulbs for next Spring, the over-wintering onions, peas and garlic, planting those raspberry canes and ordering next year’s seeds.

That’s where the 2008 Organic Gardening Catalogue comes in handy and makes you spend more money than you’d planned.
In case you’ve not come across it before, the Organic Gardening Catalogue has everything you could possibly need – and many things you didn’t know you needed – for organic gardening, at home and in the allotment. This is the place for organic seeds, heritage varieties of plants, green manures, organic fertilisers, biological pest controls, tools, books, and even Christmas gifts for the enthusiastic gardener in your life.

If you're a real hippy at heart, why not celebrate the Equinox this Saturday with the Big Wheel's Big Day Out at Nottingham Castle. The day is designed to encourage and celebrate sustainable transport and healthy living in general in and around Nottingham.

There's a travel offer for families travelling to the Big Day Out on certain local public transport routes as well as information on local walking and cycling routes. For lunch, there's local organic and ethnic food to eat, and to relax afterwards, try out the Healing Zone with various complementary therapies, such as Indian Head Massage.

The Tree Council’s Seed Gathering Season starts this weekend, Sunday 23rd September and runs until 23rd October. This is a lovely Autumn activity for all the family, and is important for conservation too.

Gathering seeds now ensures the survival and continuation of all the species of trees and plants we have come to know and love in the UK. Seed Gathering season encourages everyone, especially schoolchildren and families to go for long walks in their favourite places to pick up seeds from their favourite plants. The seeds can then be used in your garden at home, at your school, to replace old hedgerows, trees that have been blown down, or planted on pieces of land which are bare.
The Woodland Trust, local Tree Wardens, Wildlife Trusts, and the Hedge Tree Campaign can all help with places to plant the seeds you find if you haven’t room in your own garden. The Good Seed Guide is a great resource for identifying the seeds and places suitable for growing them, and it’s a great way to have a walk, but with a useful aim.

You still have a chance to register for the Tree-athlon events in London – on Saturday 15th September - and Leeds - on Sunday 23rd September in aid of Trees for Cities, a charity which aims to beautify cities and combat global warming through tree-planting.

The Tree-athlon events, like the more traditional triathlons, have three different parts to them: a 5km run, a ‘Tree Wish’ which will be printed on participants’ running bibs, and a fashion swap to recycle clothing you no longer want or need.
In addition to benefiting a good cause, you can challenge yourself with the run, reduce your carbon footprint (and need for wardrobe space) by getting rid of old clothes, and express your wishes for urban treescapes. Tree-athlon will soon be unveiling this year’s celebrity supporters so you never know who you might run into on the day. At the very least, you may just have a good day out and meet some like-minded souls.

The Zoological Society of London has announced the results of a survey they have carried out into wildlife in the River Thames, it was reported in the Telegraph. The survey, which utilised reports of sightings by members of the public, recorded more than 100 marine mammals in the tidal part of the River Thames (between Richmond and Southend) during the past year, which they believe to be an increase. It will be hard to see a trend until further years have been recorded for comparison – this year is only the second.