Education

Think Twice before Installing a Fake Lawn

With our draconian water restrictions in place, many people are swapping out their front lawns for artificial grass. Hailed as a sustainable alternative to the traditional lawn, is it really? It’s true that you’ll reduce your water use, eliminate the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and no need for power tools to keep it looking […]

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International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

While we are all dealing with climate change today, 35 years ago there was another environmental threat that was successfully abated.  Damage to the ozone layer, that fragile shield of gas that protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, was happening at an alarming rate.  Caused by a number

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Watch out for invasives!

Some of the worst invasive plants in California, brooms and yellow starthistle, have caused substantial changes to California’s wildlands. The organism that causes sudden oak death was inadvertently introduced to California forests on nursery stock and is estimated to have killed more than 1 million oak and tanoak trees during the last decade. Insect-carried diseases

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Snakes are good for the Garden

It’s a good time to recognize these natural pest controllers!  Gardeners should be glad to see snakes glide through the garden. These much-maligned reptiles consume garden pests, including slugs, grubs, mice, voles, and rats. Garter snakes are the most common type found in our area.  They’re medium-sized slender snakes with a head barely wider than

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It’s World Bee Day!

May 20 is World Bee Day.  The United Nations designated this day to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development. Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities. Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival

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