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You may as well collect! The upcoming dry summer months are probably the last thing on your mind during heavy late winter and spring rains. At this time of year, it may seem like it will never dry out, but it’s important to remember that a hot summer is just around the corner. So why not collect that [...]

The five Great Lakes provide us with some of the finest drinking water found anywhere. Drinking water quality was measured in the Great Lakes region, scoring the water on 10 different health-related measurements. The Great Lakes were found to have “some of the finest drinking water sources found anywhere in the world,” according to State [...]

A “snag” is a standing dead tree. If it does not have the potential to fall on any buildings, a snag can be a good thing to have. And, the removal of any tree can be very expensive. Snags make excellent habitats for owls, bats, insects and other fascinating creatures. All the residents of your [...]

Grasshoppers are an all-too-common invader of gardens across the country. They’re difficult to control because they are highly mobile and can do large amounts of damage in a very short period of time. You might think grasshoppers are just a summer problem, but there’s plenty you can do this spring to gauge what this year’s [...]

Friday, March 24 is New Mexico Arbor Day. Trees add beauty to our landscape, but they also provide many other benefits:

Just one acre of forest puts out about four tons of oxygen – enough for four people for an entire year.
Adding trees around your home can increase its value by up to 15 percent.
One [...]

March 7-14 is California Arbor Week! Trees add beauty to our landscape and they also provide many other benefits:

Just one acre of forest puts out about four tons of oxygen – enough for four people for an entire year.
Adding trees around your home can increase its value by up to 15 percent.
One young, healthy tree [...]

Many homes and buildings are adjacent to woodlands and parks, which provide beautiful views and peaceful settings.  But wildfire risk can be especially high in this “wildland-urban interface,” where the built environment blends with natural landscapes.
Viewer Tip: You can protect your home from wildfire by reducing the amount of flammable material between your home and a natural area. An easy way [...]

It’s March Madness for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) – the want to see how many volunteers sign up this month to measure precipitation in their backyards. CoCoRahS is a nationwide network of citizen scientists who are measuring and mapping precipitation in their communities. CoCoRaHS volunteers help to provide quality rain, hail and [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip.
Have you noticed salt left on our roads and sidewalks after a storm? A recent study shows that road salt is a major source of chloride in our waters. In some urban streams, chloride is found at levels that can harm fish and other wildlife.
In the mid-1950’s, highway [...]

Did you know the burns are a common form of injury during  heavy snowfall or freezing rain events? Winter storms may break utility polls or disrupt electric lines, cutting off some households from power, heat and communication. Those unaccustomed to using candles, wood stoves and other heating devices can suffer from burns and other injuries. Wood burning and use of [...]

Winter strips everything down to the bare essentials and often adds a coat of white in the process. Most people plan their gardens with shapes that are full of color, striving to maximize excitement during the spring and summer months. New England winters are quite long, often providing cold temperatures for five to six months of the [...]

With half of the world’s population now living in cities, many urban dwellers have never experienced the wonderment of pristinely dark skies and maybe never will. This loss, caused by light pollution, is a concern on many fronts: safety, energy conservation and effects on wildlife, as well as our ability to view the stars. Some [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Oklahoma.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Oklahoma, including tornadoes, flash floods and thunderstorms.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure you and [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Louisiana.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Louisiana, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure you [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Arkansas.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Arkansas, including flash floods, thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Arizona.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Arizona, including flash floods, thunderstorms and damaging winds.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Alabama.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Alabama, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Texas.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Texas, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure you [...]

Our forests are finely attuned to seasonal changes in weather. Cold damage, like fire damage, is a natural disturbance that strongly affects ecosystems. Ice storms may break the branches of trees or cause them to fall completely. Winter rains soften the ground so that tree roots loosen their grip, ice weighs heavily upon their upper [...]

The Great Lakes account for nine-tenths of North America’s surface freshwater, but less than one percent of their water is renewed each year by snow and rain. It would take 100 years for nature to replace even one gallon of water lost from the lakes. This slow recharge rate means we must take care to [...]