Viridescence - be green!

If you are a dog owner that loves to explore the great outdoors then you most likely take your pooch with you. Before heading out for your outdoor adventure with your furry four-legged friend, take note of the following guidelines and rules. Why does my dog have to stay on the leash? The most important reason is to protect wildlife and their habitat. Dogs are not known for staying on the trail when they are off leash. In some places it is of the utmost importance to stay on the trail in order to prevent erosion or to prevent disrupting wildlife breeding areas. 1. Check before you go! Some parks and hiking trails prohibit dogs. Also check the intensity of the trail to ensure your pup is up for the challenge.  US National Forests – Dogs are allowed off leash expect for developed areas, unless otherwise posted (campgrounds, picnic areas, visitor center, etc.). Some US National Forests have seasonal restrictions on pets. Check before you go!  2.   ...

This adaptation of the Boy Scout’s Buddy Burner is a great way to upcycle and empty cookie or coffee tin, old candles, newspaper, and cardboard. This Upcycled Emergency Stove is prefect for keeping in your car and backpack in case of an emergency that leaves you stranded overnight. It will keep you warm and can be used to boil water. This Upcycled Emergency Stove is also good for fun times like to warm up while playing in the snow. Materials: Empty cookie or coffee tin (the larger the tin, the longer the fire burns) Plain cardboard Newspaper or brown packing paper Candles (used, old, broken, any color) (of course new ones will work yet defeat the purpose of upcycling) Directions: 1. Clean cookie or coffee tin 2. Cut plain cardboard into strips that fit your tin. In this demonstration, we are using a short cookie tin, so we used 1 inch wide strips of cardboard. If you are using a 2-lb. coffee tin, you would use 6-1/2 inch wide strips of cardboard. 3....

Did you know that 2%  [ 1 ] of the total energy consumed in the U.S. is by data centers?  That’s right! In 2014 that equated to 70 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which equals the same amount of energy used that year by 6.4 million American homes. [ 2 ] The expectation is that energy use will continue to raise at a rate of 4% per year between now and 2020. [ 3 ] That means by 2020 data centers will use 73 billion kWh . That is why before you upload that cute picture of your cat to Facebook or upload your photo album to “the cloud”, you should think twice about the importance of sharing and preserving your photographs compared to the vast quantity of resources used to preserve your memories. Do you know how much water is used by data centers? On average, for every kilowatt hour , a data center uses 1.8 liters of water , which in 2014 equaled 626 billion liters of water. [ 4 ] Most of the water used by data centers is from the generation of...

Founded in 1964, the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex became part of the Willamette Valley Ecoregion (FWS, 2010 and DFW, 2006). The coordinates of the Ankeny Wildlife Refuge are  122 degrees 36 minutes 44 seconds West Longitude, 45 degrees 05 minutes 18 seconds North Latitude (DFW, 2006) situating it between Salem and Albany, Oregon. Ankeny Wildlife Refuge comprises a total of 2,796 acres; 1,765 acres of cropland, which provides forage for wintering geese, 600 acres of riparian forests and 500 acres of shallow water seasonal wetlands (FWS, 2011). A map of Ankeny Wildlife Refuge is available at  http://library.FWS.gov/Refuges/Ankeny_map.pdf . During my research, I was unable to come across any information regarding major changes to the boundaries of the Ankeny Wildlife Refuge.  In the mid-twentieth century, wildlife managers came to the consensus there was a need to take action against the increasing limits imposed on the winter habitats for t...

Travel increases during the holiday seasons. During the Christmas season, traveling long-distance by vehicle increases by fifty percent and tens of millions of passengers will travel by air. This extra travel equals an increase in carbon emissions and an increase in waste all and all the holiday season is not a good time for the environment. There are steps you can take to reduce your carbon emissions and energy use this Christmas season. Road Travel If you are traveling on the roads this holiday season there are ways you can reduce your carbon-footprint. Empty your car after all driving trips – an extra 100 pounds can increase your gas cost up to $0.08 per gallon Carpool or take public transportation Go easy on the gas pedal and brakes Maintain your vehicle before you go Oil change Tire pressure Don’t let your vehicle idle – now that the weather is cold it is more tempting to keep the vehicle idling to keep warm. This wastes fuel, increase carbon emissions, a...

“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” John F. Kennedy It is easy to think that what you do on a daily basis does not matter or make a difference; this is not true. Every small act matters and can make a difference. Even if you cannot recycle every piece of debris, recycle what you can when you can – it matters. Even if you forget to turn off the lights and television when you leave the house – do it when you do remember – it matters. Even if you throw away a container you could have reused – don’t fret and give up – just do it when you remember. The more we practice resource conservation, the easier and more natural it becomes. “In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa Reduce, reuse, recycle…we’ve heard it before. Do it when you can! And spread the word. Word of mouth is a powerful tool. Let others know that you do what you can when you can to conserve resources. Maybe your famil...

Storm water is water and snow melt that does not soak into the ground. Storm water eventually runs off into the waterways. The flowing water picks up pollution off rooftops, paved areas and lawns. Pollution can include pesticides, fertilizers, motor oil, sediment, litter, and animal waste to name a few. The Problem Storm water and ditches drain into streams and rivers carrying the pollutants with it. Storm water polluted with fertilizers and excessive nitrogen damage the quality of rivers, lakes, and wetlands by introducing excessive nitrogen, which promotes algae overgrown and depletes oxygen. Pesticides, herbicides, and automotive toxins harm water quality and aquatic life. Additionally, animal waste has bacteria that when washed into the storm water can make rivers and lakes unsafe for swimming and fish consumption. The Solution When possible, buy household products labeled “nontoxic”. Clean water-based paints in sinks that go to the sewer system. For oil-base...