May 19 2023
Some endangered animals are now so rare that every surviving population matters. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, classifies a species as Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. That category includes animals threatened by habitat destruction, poaching, illegal …
Feb 02 2023
Wetlands are easy to overlook because they do not always look dramatic. Some are broad marshes filled with reeds and waterbirds. Others are wooded swamps, wet meadows, bogs, floodplain forests, prairie potholes, or seasonal pools that may appear dry for part of the year. What they have in common is water. Wetlands occur where water …
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 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 …
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, …
May 20 2022
Today is Endangered Species Day, a time to remember the importance of different species on our connected planet and the importance of protecting them. Here we are observing seventeen of the most threatened animals on the planet. These are animals currently on the critically endangered list according to the WWF, which means that they are …
May 08 2022
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 …
Apr 22 2022
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 …
Apr 22 2022
In 2018 I posted about the town of Kamikatsu, Japan, that had started a plan in 2000 to have zero waste by 2020. At the time, they had achieved 80% of the goal, and today they are very close to the goal, and serve as an excellent example for the rest of the world. Kamikatsu …
