Most of us have too much stuff and it doesn’t make us particularly happy. As the holidays come round we struggle to think of things to buy friends and relatives and often don’t know what we ‘need’ ourselves. On Black Friday, and during seasonal sales, grabbing something at the mall or clicking ‘buy now’ on […]
How I went from Climate Despair to Climate Action
Three years ago, climate change worries were consuming me.I felt like I was drowning in my inability to do anything meaningful to save the planet. The problem seemed so huge and complicated. What hope was there for my children’s generation?I started searching on the internet for something productive I could do. That’s when I found […]
A guide to cloth diapers
According to the EPA, around 20 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills each year in the US alone, causing 3.5 million tons of waste. If you’re considering the switch to cloth diapers, here’s everything you need to know… Confession: I didn’t cloth diaper with my son. As a first-time mother, just keeping a small […]
How to help bees
It’s World Bee Day! Let’s take a moment to appreciate the vital role of bees and other pollinator insects for our eco-systems.Caring for bees is part of the fight against world hunger. Bees allow many plants, including food crops, to reproduce. This contributes directly to food security and preserves biodiversity. Bees are actually very gentle […]
Preserving the Monarch
Every year thousands of monarch butterflies make a migration pitstop at Natural Bridges State Park near Santa Cruz in California. They can be found in the heart of a eucalyptus grove, a short walk down a leafy boardwalk, behind Natural Bridges beach. It is a pleasant spot. The trees are fragrant and provide the monarchs with shelter from the […]
Climate Action in Greenville!
Taking immediate action to lower carbon emissions is crucial. Recently, 13 federal agencies warned that climate change will likely have a devastating impact on our lives, including shrinking the economy by hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century. South Carolina, in particular, is threatened with worsening heatwaves, flooding, and reduced air […]
A bad bag habit
The average American home takes home 1,500 plastic bags a year, of which only about 1% are recycled. All too often, these single-use bags end up polluting the environment and being eaten by birds, sea turtles, and fish. It harms us too when the toxins from plastic make it into the food chain. By committing to […]
Why you need your nature fix
Last year I read The Nature Fix by Florence Williams and it really resonated with me.In the book, journalist Williams talks about how nature makes us happier, healthier, and more creative. She explores – with credible science from around the world – how being outside can improve your health, prevent depression, and strengthen relationships.The need […]
Could your city save monarch butterflies?
In 2017, the Illinois nature center I work with achieved something wonderful. It teamed up with the local mayor to build a pollinator garden for insect populations and to inspire a city to help monarch butterflies. You can read about it here. In good eco news, mayors and other local and tribal government chief executives […]
10 easy actions to cut your carbon footprint
The science on climate change is settled. Climate scientists across the globe state that climate change is real, manmade, and we are running out of time to prevent climate breakdown. So it’s time to get to work. With daily emissions from our homes, cars, air travel and more, the average American has a carbon footprint […]