ASK OUR NATURE & COMMUNITY EXPERTS!

If you don't want to use bleach to disinfect your feeders or nesting boxes, plain white vinegar is a great alternative. A 5-percent vinegar solution kills the majority of bacteria, viruses and molds. Tea tree oil is also an effective disinfectant — you can find it at most health food stores. Simply mix a teaspoon of the oil in a gallon of warm water and scrub away.

July 22, 2008

It’s OK to feed birds year-round. The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to bird feeders is that birds really only use them to supplement natural foods. That includes insects and all manner of seeds, berries, fruits and nuts, as well as sap and nectar (depending on the species). With that in mind, it’s less important when you feed than how you feed. If you really want to help birds the most, you should focus your efforts on planting the native plant species they rely…

April 18, 2008

The League of Conservation Voters’ (LCV) Web site is a great place to start. You can find scorecards for each of the 2008 presidential candidates — based on their environmental voting records — here.

The LCV doesn’t only cover presidential races. You can find out how your state ranks overall on environmental issues, and look up the environmental rankings (based on voting records) for every senator and house representative in your state, as well. Click here to get started.

For more in…

April 4, 2008

First, thank those industrious bees for gracing your garden! Bees are terrific pollinators, and they’re presence in your garden is great news for the flowers you enjoy so much. With so much concern over Colony Collapse Disorder, there are many people who would love to have such a worry.

And, actually, honeybees aren’t likely to bother you unless you disturb them or their hive. You go about your business, they’ll go about theirs (making sure the flowers keep coming back!). Pay attenti…

March 21, 2008

Making Earth- and people-friendly laundry soap is simple and inexpensive. For starters, try this easy whitening formula from Natural Home magazine:

Bleach/Brightener Substitute
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup lemon or grapefruit juice
12 cups water

Store in a labeled plastic jug. Add 2 cups per load.

You also can find great recipes for Washing Powder and Pre-wash Stain Spray here.

March 7, 2008

A lot of people scratch their heads about this. A good starting place is to consider the great fortune each United States citizen has: We inherit 623 million acres, thanks to the foresight of earlier generations. Those lands come in four varieties: national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and western areas overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM, the largest of the four).

The Wild…

The United States is home to 416 mammal species and about 9 percent of the world’s total, placing us sixth among nations in mammal diversity. Currently 83 mammals are listed under the Endangered Species Act as either threatened or endangered. One-fifth of the U.S. mammals on the list of endangered species are bats, which may surprise many, but not when you consider the fact that bats (order Chiroptera) also represent approximately one-fifth of mammal species worldwide. 

Some of the mammals on the…