For over 250 years a bur oak has been growing on what is now the campus of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. The University is currently constructing its new Ross School of Business and the large tree’s seniority has run out, it stands in the way of progress. However, rather than just cutting…
Since 2009 the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, located at the University of Texas at Austin, has been partnered with the Garden Club of America, The National Invasive Species Council and the National Park Service to educate the public and promote best practices for the prevention of invasive species from taking over parklands and natural areas.…
Forests are undeniably integral to the supply of clean, drinking water available to populations living in the midwest and northeast. More than 52 million people in this region depend on surface water to drink, cook, bath and wash with and the majority of this water comes from forested lands. The general population is mostly unaware…
Biomass energy or “bioenergy” is energy from plants and plant-derived materials. Wood and wood products are the largest source of biomass fuel with many companies supplying bulk hardwood pellets for those who use them. However, other sources are being tested and used including; crops, grasses, woody plants, algae, residual waste from agricultural forestry and the…
Now that fall is here, the harvest is happening, may be already complete in some regions or has already been wrapped up in others, most of us home gardeners in the north won’t think about planting again until the soil defrosts in the spring. But if your garden really thrived this year, you found some…
The Urban Natural Resources Institute (UNRI) is performing research to investigate how trees in urban areas affect the physical environment; air temperature, wind, humidity, solar and thermal radiation. They are also studying the subsequent effects that changes in the physical environment have on health and happiness of the community, temperatures in soil and streams, energy usage…
The pawpaw tree is rarely seen and hardly known, yet it is native to the U.S. and Canada, hardy in zones 5 through 8 as well as cold and shade tolerant. The pawpaw, Asimina triloba, bears edible and desirable fruit and aesthetically gives off a tropical vibe. It has large, dark green, tropical-looking foliage, produces purple…
Soil ecologists from Colorado State University (CSU) recently collected about 600 soil samples from Manhattan’s Central Park. The are hunting for soil microbes in support of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, which researcher Kelly Ramirez formerly of CSU heads. They were pleasantly surprised at the richness of diversity found in this urban environment. Microbes have…
I’m at Virginia Tech attending the Annual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. Continuing education is required to maintain Arborists’ certification. The Mid-Atlantic Chapter has a 2-day meeting. The first day is a field day, the second day is indoor sessions. Topics such as tree biology & ecology, tree pests,…
We all love to bring a little of the outside in, especially coming on to winter when we ache for the greenery. However, we all end up with struggling, browning, leaf-dropping sicklings somehow. What are we doing wrong? Well, here are a few common errors people make in caring for our indoor green friends. Watering regime…
