Aug 09 2022
Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,And here on earth come emulating flies,That though they never equal stars in size,(And they were never really stars at heart)Achieve at times a very star-like start.Only, of course, they can’t sustain the part. -Robert Frost, Fireflies in the Garden When the heat of the summer puts …
Jul 29 2022
In an effort to double the tiger population from 2010 to 2022, World Tiger Day (July 29) was created by TX2 (Tigers times two), a group consisting of 13 tiger range governments. In 2010, the world tiger population was at an alarmingly low number of 3,200. Currently, there are only 3,900 tigers in the world, …
Jun 29 2022
Our planet’s lush tropics cover 40% of the land, and account for approximately 80% of Earth’s biodiversity, yet it is under constant threat from human activity and climate change. Today is International Day of the Tropics, which was created as a reminder to appreciate and respect our rich, tropical lands. Here is a poem by …
Jun 22 2022
This World Rainforest Day I am celebrating novelist, poet, environmentalist, diplomat, and mother of five, Astrid Cabral, who sings the songs of her Amazon home in her exemplary poetry. Some of Cabral’s most well-known books include Through Water (2003), Anteroom (2007), and Cage (2008). In Cage, Cabral explores the real and symbolic animals of the Amazon. She …
Jun 08 2022
June 8th is World Oceans Day, a day to appreciate and respect our life-giving oceans. We are at a crucial point with our oceans and action must be taken now to reverse the devastating effects of overfishing, pollution, and climate change, with half of the coral reefs now destroyed and 90% of big fish populations …
Jun 05 2022
June 5th marks World Environment Day. Are you sick of hearing about the environment? Do you roll your eyes every time someone declares that we humans are fouling the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat? Do you rate Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth” an alarmist film to appease …
Jun 04 2022
Happy National Trails Day! National Trails Day, celebrated on the first Saturday of June, is a time to appreciate the natural beauty of our trails, and a time for people and businesses to clean up and advocate to protect our trails. Many of America’s best trails reside in the National Parks and protected lands. If …
May 23 2022
Happy #WorldTurtleDay! As I mentioned in my recent endangered species post, the Hawksbill Turtle is on the critically endangered list, and turtles everywhere are threatened by plastic and other unwanted debris in the ocean every day. A few ways you can help show your love for these beautiful creatures is by using less plastic, recycling …
May 22 2022
May 22nd is the International Day for Biological Diversity, a time to reflect on the importance of different species around the globe that are threatened by human activities. Here are thoughts on preserving our biodiversity (which comes from the term “biological diversity”) and ecosystems. Our global ecosystem is home to earth’s entire collection of living …
May 20 2022
Just how crucial are honeybees to our food supply? According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), honeybees pollinate nearly 80% of the flowering crops in our country which is about 1/3 of everything Americans eat. Losing these under-appreciated workers would not just affect our dietary staples such as nuts, asparagus, cucumbers, broccoli, apples, …