An article published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology showed that people felt “comfortable, soothed, and natural” after potting plants and had lower diastolic blood pressure compared to when they carried out computer-related tasks. Not only have plants been linked to an improved mood, but also they are known to improve indoor air quality. Here are some other things that everyone should know about indoor air. Continue reading
Shot hole disease. Pic from tree and ladder blog.
Deforestation is a daunting issue that seems to be a consequence of human existence. Not only are trees harvested for timber and fuel, but also clearing trees allows us to build shelter and create infrastructure that will improve our quality of life. Many people see reforestation as the solution to all environmental problems. Trees are expected to serve humanity while also negating the ugly effects of industrialization. That’s a lot to pressure to place on a single organism. First, let’s explore the reasons why deforestation occurs.
Oh, how I miss having a back yard. Living in an apartment complex has limited my ability to do back yard things such as reading a book in a lawn chair, or picnicking without having to take an elevator down ten flights and bike to the nearest park. Some days I explore the bike paths around town to see all the green and brown and blue that surrounds this city. Other days, I prefer the view standing still instead of whizzing by me in a blur of color. I still want a back yard, but the flower garden and nearby lake are passable substitutes. Continue reading
Standing in the cranberry bog.
Beautiful vistas clog up my phone memory at the moment. I don’t want them to clutter up this post, so I’m only sharing the best from my orientation trip for grad school. We visited many agricultural sites including a potato farm, cranberry bog, dairy farm and free range cattle operation. We also stopped at Frank’s Hill, Kickapoo Valley Reserve, and other natural environments along the way. Continue reading
Mountain Lion, Torres del Paine, Chile by Gregoire Dubois. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The time has come for the second post in the collaborative blog series “Pumas in the Eastern United States”. This article was written by Josh Gross from The Jaguar and I encourage you to follow his blog and learn about his work on big cats. Let’s begin.
On June 11, 2011, a car traveling along the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut hit an animal that was crossing the road. But this was not a creature that Connecticut motorists were used to encountering: it was a puma (AKA mountain lion, cougar, or Puma concolor). Continue reading
Communicating science to the public is a delicate art. Eco Blogger Award commends bloggers who explore environmental topics in their writing, encompassing anything from gardening to wildlife conservation to hiking or even research. Once you are nominated for the award, you can choose to continue the tradition by thanking the person who nominated you, answering the following questions, and nominating 6 other blogs for the award. Here are the questions: Continue reading
Laura Markley is a PhD student in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University. Previously, she attended Eastern Connecticut State University for her BS and Lehigh University for her MS in Environmental Earth Science. Her blog focuses on her waste-free living lifestyle. On it, you can find anything from healthy recipes to tips on recycling and even research articles. The following is a Q&A with Laura about her decision to go zero-waste.
Laura Markley. Photo from Waste-Free PhD.
