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
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
Bringing Home Your Best Friend—Eco-friendly Edition —by Jessica B. Turner, PhD candidate, West Virginia University Dogs are (hu)man’s best friend, but getting one means you have to be ready for a fun, exhausting, and crazy transition…and if you’re like me, that includes keeping things earth-lovin’, too. Having recently done the homework to prep for my … Read more
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
—by Beth Kosson, EcoMyths Education and Outreach Director I had some moments of transformative understanding this past weekend at the International Wildlife Conservation Expo. Moments that blew my mind, brought tears to my eyes and above all, changed what I thought I knew about wildlife conservation. Hosted by the Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo (CZS), the … Read more
Ever wanted to get behind the studio glass at WBEZ? Tour the city’s greenest greenery with the true experts on the subject from Chicago Wilderness? Journey through the forests of the Morton Arboretum with world-class scientists guiding your adventure? Now you can have your pick of the litter during the silent auction at the EcoMyths Naturally … Read more
Has it become a hassle to care for the environment? Or worse, has it actually become passé to care in the first place? While the ’90s made environmentalism cool again, some statistics indicate that identifying as a greenie may have gone the way of the erstwhile high-waisted jean or Friends hair. Yes, according to a … Read more
Do All Plants Score Eco-Gold? Let the gardening games begin! For many of us, the hottest sport of the spring season is prettying up the yard or garden. Eager homeowners can be spotted across the country lining up at their local nursery to seize upon the brightest flowers, the shapeliest shrubs, and the most climbable … Read more
“Don’t sweat the small stuff” is a great mantra…except when you’re talking about plastic pollution. Devilishly tiny plastics, a.k.a. microplastics, are adding up to one massive problem in the world’s waterways – acting as a sponge for other pollutants, not to mention confusing and harming wildlife. In this EcoMyths/Worldview segment, we find out how and … Read more
Do Herbal Remedies Count as Real Medicine? —by Jessica B. Turner and Daisy Simmons You don’t have to travel back in time to leech-sucking days to see that all claims for medicinal value were not created equal. Today, miracle cures are everywhere—including, sometimes, the natural products aisle. Unfortunately, because they’re not regulated as drugs by … Read more
