Green at Heart

In today’s age of inconvenient truths, unearthing a mindful mate has never been easier. According to such green-living authorities as Treehugger.com, Grist.com and eco-chick.com, the growth of the green movement has spurred a surge in eco-themed dating sites, matchmaking services and networking events. Sustainably-sensitive singles no longer need move to Vermont, Colorado or the nearest hippie commune to find love. Instead, just hit up the following:

Green Drinks:

No doubt treehuggers like to party. You can find them at your average bar, nightclub, rowdy disco or rave. Yet beer goggles and vibrating strobe lights make any hippie tough to spot in the crowd. Add an automatic smoke machine and you might as well be playing “Where’s Waldo?”

Save yourself the reconnaissance mission and opt for a room full of greenies at Green Drinks, a not-for-profit green networking event that meets monthly in over 300 cities ranging from Sri Lanka to Stillwater, Oklahoma. For a Green Drinks near you visit greendrinks.org.

Outdoor Club:

If you prefer avoiding beer goggles all together, opt for a sober search in the great outdoors. Most cities boast hiking, biking or canoeing networks. Join one of your city’s outdoor interest groups and you’re bound to meet a bounty of thrill-seeking eco-holics. Bonding over a tough climb or pristine mountain view will heighten the connection and nothing gets the blood pumping–quite literally–like biking or hiking outside.

Volunteer Project:

Get your hands dirty. Volunteer at your local oil spill, conservation site or community-garden project. It’s fun and you’ll feel good for lifting a finger. Plus you may meet a burly young eco-hunk and nothing breaks the ice like sweaty tree planting.

There are endless volunteer opportunities to choose from. Find a mission that mirrors your level of activism (be it mulching or saving the whales) at volunteermatch.org.

Eco-Dating Site:

Though some may consider it taboo, internet dating is a fully acceptable form of meeting like-minded members of the opposite (or same) sex–several eco-dating sites to choose from and many feature gay and lesbian options. If you’re eager to find love consider hitting up some eco-singles networks such as GreenSingles.com, earthwisesingles.com, Greenfriends.com or greenpassions.com.

After filling out a profile and answering a few simple questions (favorite food, color and Sade song), you’ll get matched with a single you won’t have to debate on the validity of climate change.