Category: Green Living

Light Up Your Backyard with Firefly Conservation

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 …

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International Day for Biological Diversity: Biodiversity and Ecosystems

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 …

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If the Honeybee Disappears from the Earth, How Would This Affect Us?

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, …

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Make an Herbal Medicine Chest from Backyard Weeds

What could be easier than growing an herb garden with no effort? Of course, you’ll have to harvest your weeds, but you would do that anyhow: it’s called weeding. Spring is an especially fertile time for harvesting your weeds – roots and all – and turning them into medicines. Here then are some tips on …

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5 Ways to Teach Kids to be Environmentally Friendly

Have you ever thought about what you can do to be more green? A great way to start is by teaching your kids about foods and gardens to help them build a deeper appreciation for the environment. 1) Teach your kids about seeds and where they come from. A good starting place is putting a bean …

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Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Those Old Candles

Have you ever wondered what to do with those old candles that you have finished using?  The wick is done, but you still have almost half a candle left. The wax is almost completely demolished with black streaks and beads of hardened drips.  You can’t really keep them and drop a tealight into the center …

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Aerobic Composting: 7 Steps to the Perfect Compost Heap

Earlier I posted about The Town with No Waste for Earth Day awareness, and if you’re interested in moving towards a waste-free life, recycling and composting are key elements. Composting can be daunting, but here are seven simple composting tips to help any beginner get started. When it comes to making a compost heap you can, if …

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Earth Day Awareness: Plastic

One of the largest concerns on the planet today is plastic waste, especially with poisonous expanding landfills and the growing Pacific Garbage Patch. TED-Ed has an informative lesson on where plastic waste goes, how the patch is formed, points out that there are more patches in the ocean, and tells us why it’s important to …

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Earth Day Awareness: The Great Barrier Reef

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure, yet at alarmingly rapid rates, it is becoming the planet’s largest dying structure due to rising ocean temperatures. The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 134,000 square miles off of the coast of Queensland, Australia, and is home to a vast array of fish species, turtles, …

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Earth Day Awareness: Slowing Climate Change

Earth Day is just around the corner on April 22, so I wanted to take a few days to share awareness videos and discussions. TEDTalks has an educational radio hour called “The Big Five,” where experts talked about five massive crises in today’s world, number one being climate change.  One of the clearest and most …

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