Celebrate Earth Day with local author Kim Henderson

Just in time for Earth Day, local author Kim Henderson will appear at Barnes & Noble Thousand Oaks on Saturday, April 21 at 12 noon to discuss and sign her new book 50 Simple Steps to Save the World’s Rainforests.

It’s been estimated that 80,000 acres of tropical rainforest are lost every 24 hours, and another 80,000 acres are degraded by human activity. What does the destruction of rainforests thousands of miles away have to do with us in the Conejo Valley? Plenty, according to author Kim Henderson. Not only do rainforests act as the “lungs of the planet”, producing a significant amount of the world’s oxygen through photosynthesis, but they also play a critical role in the world’s weather patterns by releasing water into the atmosphere. And although less than 3% of rainforest plants have been analyzed for their medicinal value, 70% of the plants that are known to have anti-cancer characteristics grow only in the tropical rainforest.

 50 Simple Steps to Save the World’s Rainforests lays out the case for rainforest preservation and  gives a series of specific steps individuals can take to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle. In this easy-to-read book, author Henderson shows how we can help save the world’s tropical rainforests by making simple and barely-noticeable changes to our everyday routines. Even the bananas we eat with our breakfast cereal, the deck chairs we buy for our patios, and the bubbles we pour in our bathwater can make a difference. And readers may be surprised to learn that some actions regarded as eco-friendly, like using biodiesel fuel instead of gasoline, can actually lead to increased deforestation.

 Author Kim Henderson lives in Thousand Oaks with her nine-year-old daughter. As managing editor of Freedom Press, publisher of The Doctors Prescription for Healthy Living magazine, Henderson is intimately involved in environmental, health, and conservation issues. She is also a member of the Green Patriot Working Group, an organization of concerned citizens working to build a safe, secure future for America through environmental sustainability. Henderson developed her deep love for nature as a child growing up in the Santa Monica Mountains, and still enjoys weekly mountain hikes.

Barnes & Noble Thousand Oaks is located in the Westlake Promenade, at the corner of Westlake Blvd. and Thousand Oaks Blvd. For further information about the 50 Simple Steps to Save the World’s Rainforests event, call the store at (805) 446-2820.