Green Dating

Want to get earth-friendly with that special someone? Looking for a romantic recycler? How about a curvy conservationist? Well, the Internet might be just the place to meet your green dream.

So you want an ecosexual

If you think green-mindedness is an importantly quality in a mate, then you could be considered an “ecosexual.” It's the term being used to describe passionate greenies looking for like-minded partners. And, now that environmentalism is hot, websites are popping up all over to help ecosexuals find true love.

Tried and true

The granddaddy of the green dating scene is Concerned Singles. Started up in 1984, it advertises itself as the "simple, smart, prudent way" to find your socially conscious, progressive mate who is intelligent and creative while being interested in social justice, gender equity and the environment.

Green Singles has been operating since the early 80s. It has developed a strong online community for green singles who consider themselves "progressive" but also love the outdoors as well as personal growth. The site is billed as a place to exchange information and ideas along with finding romance.

Veggies only

The fastest growing sector in the online green dating scene is for vegetarians, and there are several sites that will help you find someone looking to share their juicer.

One of the newest and most successful in the garden patch is Veggie Love, the sister site to Green Singles. Then there’s: VeggieConnection, another website helping vegetarians find love (or at least someone to exchange recipes with); Veggie Romance, which promises love for fruitarians, vegans, raw food devotees or macrobiotic fans; and, Veggie Fishing, to “hook” you up with that special someone who thinks and eats like you do. Finally, according to Veggie Community, love is not blind and it shouldn’t ignore the treatment of "non-human animals." It can help you find a green partner who avoids meat and is a self-described an animal lover.

Green and responsible

Started up in 2004, Earth Wise Singles is an online dating service geared towards "green-living and environmentally responsible adults" looking for long-term friendship and romance. You should also be interested in alternative medicine, organic gardening and human rights.

Green-Passions is a free social networking community with a focus on animal rights and the environment. It offers eco-forums, green chats and an email service so you can correspond with Mr. or Ms. Green.

Bring your own mug

If you're leery of online dating, you may enjoy the informal events held with Green Drinks International. With chapters in many large Canadian cities, this organization attracts a lively mixture of people from all walks of life who work in some environmental capacity or another. It's fairly relaxed; all you have to do is show up and answer yes to “Are you green?” Check their website for a chapter near you.

Meetup.com is another great way to meet singles across the globe, giving you “a little less face-to-screen and a little more face-to-face” time. On the website, you can search by topic—such as “environment” or “vegetarian”—to find a group that best suits your interests.

Meet Market Adventures organizes events and travel for singles in Canada and the U.S. – including eco-events, such as Singles Eco-Tours of Parc Mont-Royal (Montreal) and Stanley Park (Vancouver).

Green or not, all you need is love.