Is It Passe to Care About the Environment? In the world of trendy “isms,” one day you’re in, the next, you’re out. Take environmentalism, for one. In the ’90s, everyone wanted to be an environmentalist; the trend was so palpable that in early 1990, Fortune magazine declared it “the Earth Decade.” Fast forward to today, … Read more
While some seeds appear immortal, most seeds don’t last forever—unless they’re carefully stored in seed banks or, in some cases, preserved in liquid nitrogen or as part of living collections. This is huge because many plants are under threat of disappearing forever—about 68 percent of evaluated plant species, to be exact. Take a crash course … Read more
Date Check: Do Seeds Last Forever? — by Jessica B. Turner, PhD candidate, West Virginia University It’s a classic blind date story…in the garden. You find a packet of mystery seeds in the back of a drawer, unmarked, no expiration, and you think, I’ll plant these next year, no problem! Come summertime, you’re swooning over … Read more
— by Jessica B. Turner, PhD candidate, West Virginia University Mary, Mary, quite contrary…how does your garden’s plant diversity grow? As we recently explored in Myth form, preserving seeds is critical to ensuring we don’t lose entire species to threats like disease spread and climate change. Seeds are super cool when you think about it—especially … Read more
—by Danielle Nierenberg, President, Food Tank One of the most overlooked ingredients in farming exists right beneath farmers’ feet—healthy, fertile soils. Food Tank’s mission is to dig up sustainable solutions for our food system. Unfortunately, this vital ingredient is being degraded and eroded at unprecedented rates across the world. According to the U.N. Food and … Read more
Fired Up for a Greener Wood-Burning Experience? Throwing a couple of logs on the fire may seem like the ultimate in green warmth, but the fact that wood is as natural as it gets doesn’t make burning it earth-friendly. That’s because inefficient old fireplaces and woodstoves lose a lot of heat, plus the smoke can … Read more
Nature vs. Art? Dirt trails or marble floors. Wildflowers or gilded frames. Open sky or vaulted ceilings. Too often, we think of nature and art as unrelated experiences. One is outside, the other is inside. Appreciating one means getting dirty, the other means getting cleaned up (at least cleaner than this guy). But the way … Read more
There’s nothing like a good ol’-fashioned November flurry to remind us that winter is on its way. And since for many of us, that’ll mean spending a whole lot more time at home, we thought we’d put together some handy tips and tricks for keeping your digs toasty all season long. 1. Fill in small … Read more
For our regular segment on WBEZ Chicago Public Media, Alaka Wali, anthropology curator at the Field Museum, joins Kate Sackman and Jerome McDonnell to share why she believes, “engaging with art, whether viewing or making it yourself, gives you a visceral experience. This aesthetic, emotional experience [can be a] great way to engage with nature.”
Quick—what’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word fireplace? Cozy, right? Yeah. The word itself just makes you want to pull up a chair and settle in wrapped in a nubby blanket with your honey. That said, you may have also noticed you might actually need that nubby blanket, because … Read more
