The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) occurs December 14 to January 5 every year. The CBC is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 100 years of community science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out […]
Christmas Bird Count Week Read More »
“An invasive plant is a plant that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration, and whose introduction is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human health” says Plant Right, a California non-profit working with California’s nursery industry to keep invasive plants out of our landscapes and to promote the sale of
What is an invasive plant? Read More »
Neonicotinoids (commonly referred to as neonics) are the most widely used insecticides in the world, commonly used on farms, in our gardens, schools, and city landscapes. They are systemic insecticides – they are absorbed into plants and can be present in pollen and nectar, making them toxic to bees and many other beneficial insects. These
You bet! Rat poisons or rodenticides are pesticides designed to kill rodents, like mice and rats. They are formulated as baits that include tasty ingredients like peanut butter, molasses, and grains to attract animals. These ingredients can be also attractive to children and pets. Rodenticide baits are not only poisonous for rodents, but they can
Can Rat Poison Hurt Kids and Pets? Read More »
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
Think Twice before Installing a Fake Lawn Read More »
With hot weather and water restrictions, lawns are definitely not looking their best. Do you really want to keep the swath of green growing or make a change and swap it out? If you’re up for trying something different, now’s a great time to do it. You can get financial rebates from the local water
Time to ditch the lawn? Read More »
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
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer Read More »
It’s almost National Lemon Meringue Pie Day, celebrated annually on August 15. The holiday is dedicated to a pie that has been around since the late 18th century and through various points in American history was either an extremely popular pie or a pie that few people thought of making. It’s a great way to
Get ready for National Lemon Meringue Pie Day Read More »
National Water Quality Month is dedicated to making the most of the relatively small amount of fresh water we have – only 3 per cent of the total water on the planet, and two thirds of that is locked up in ice caps! Having clean water is vital to our individual health, our collective agricultural
August is National Water Quality Month Read More »
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
Watch out for invasives! Read More »
