Well Christmas is over, time to take down the tree and drag it out to the curb, OR you could make better use of it through recycling in a multitude of ways. Your town may have a tree pick-up service which comes around on pre-determined days and hauls off Christmas trees, most likely depositing them…
The native American Wabanaki of Maine make a traditional living making baskets from trees threatened with extinction by the emerald ash borer (EAB). The Wabanaki have ancient ties to the region and are forming a single line of defense against the invasive beetles poised to rob them of their livelihood. These traditional basket-makers have, over…
A recent NASA study has found that tropical rainforests are increasingly absorbing more carbon dioxide in response to rising levels of greenhouse gases in the environment. These forests are acting as a sink for 1.4 billion metric tons, a little more than half of the 2.5 billion metric tons absorbed worldwide. This NASA study also…
Natural habitats and vegetated ecosystems are vital to maintaining the health and quality of urban water resources. Environmental restoration and conservation practices such as reforestation, stream bank restoration, erosion control and agricultural best practices can go a long way towards improving water quality for millions living in urban areas. The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with…
Nutrient enriched agricultural runoff can be severely detrimental to surface water quality, aquatic life and human health. Localized surface water will eventually reach and discharge into larger water bodies, meaning changes in water quality in a stream will affect the watershed which will eventually affect other watersheds. For instance; nitrates from cultivating soybean and corn…
Every landscape will have some areas that are less than ideal for gardening, sites may be too wet, too dry, nutrient poor or too shady. Rather than trying to force plants to struggle for success under conditions for which they weren’t meant, perhaps focus on finding the right plant for the conditions. Since every landscape…
The balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae, is a tiny, sucking tree pest first introduced to the United States and Canada, from Europe, in 1900. The assumed method of introduction is afflicted nursery stock. Preferred host trees in Europe appear relatively unaffected by the adelgid’s predation and these insects are not even considered forest pests of…
There is a lot more to choosing seed packets than colorful descriptions and bright, flashy packaging. Here are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind when shopping for seeds with which to start your garden: Spend some time doing research into varieties which are right not only for your desired veggies but that…
Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, may be one of the most distinctive of all Lepidopterans, almost everyone can identify the formerly ubiquitous species as they flutter by. Their bright orange and black markings make them recognizable to humans and serve as a warning to predators; they may be beautiful, but they are also bitter and toxic. Most…
The arrival of the new year brings a tide of wishes, wants, resolutions and promises, could plants help achieve our goals? There are some cultures which believe that certain plants bring luck and attract good fortune and happiness. These plants supposedly radiate positive energy wherever they grow. Whether there is any truth to this or…
