Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, most commonly known as DDT, became manufacturable in commercial quantities during WWII and quickly became the military insecticide of choice for everything from mosquitoes to bedbugs. It went public immediately following the war, leaving ecological destruction nationwide. When I was a child, an extensive vegetable farm ran behind our street and in 1946 or …
Supporting Nature Where They Are Like many Iowans, Jeff Klahn and Elisabeth Swain love the outdoors. Both lifelong biologists — Jeff with a PhD in animal behavior and Elisabeth with a PhD in botany — they firmly believe in the value of environmental education and conservation. (Elisabeth is the executive director of Iowa Master Naturalists, …
In Their Own Words: Jeff Klahn and Elisabeth Swain Read More »
IOWA CITY – The derecho last August revealed a need for chainsaw skills. A new course offered by a local land trust aims to give participants those skills, especially women. “Access to chainsaw trainings for anyone can be especially hard to come by due to high enrollment fees or location,” said Bur Oak Land Trust …
Powerhouse: Chainsaw Course for Women Builds Skills, Confidence Read More »
In previous notes to you, I have occasionally referred to plants as the master chemists, being especially good at defending themselves via the chemicals they create. Today, let us take a brief look at the species which kills the most people, every year, round the world. No, it is not some exotic, tropical, intoxicating berry …
How would you like to generate solar energy to run your home or fuel your car? Would you like to store it away for a rainy day or sell to a power company? How about joining a kind of solar cooperative, where you buy or lease solar panels at a community-owned site? When Iowa City …
Iowa City Launches Survey Seeking Input on Solar Energy Read More »
Sometimes my mind drifts back 75 or 80 years ago, when life was a little different than now. But the opportunities to meaningfully interact with nature are still available today, if we choose to go there. Let me tell you about my first garden. When I turned six years-old in November, I decided that I …
Sadly, local newspapers reported on Easter Sunday that a woman tending a ditch fire near Marion died when she was engulfed by flames. So today, let’s review a few aspects of fire management and safety in the context of management of small natural areas. My first question is whether a burn is the best option. …
Some time ago, late in the last century, an older lady named Cornelia Cameron took Sandy Rhodes and I on a little field trip to the westside outskirts of University Heights and Iowa City. She had been born and raised on a farm just south of what is now Finkbine Golf Course, when Melrose Avenue …
IOWA CITY – Appalachian banana, custard apple, banango; The pawpaw has many names, but whatever you call it, Bur Oak Land Trust is bringing it back to eastern Iowa. “Pawpaws used to be common in our state and now hardly anyone knows about them,” said Executive Director Jason Taylor. To grow several pawpaw patches, Bur …
Pawpaw proud: Local land trust bringing fruit back to Iowa Read More »
When I was a boy, a barbershop in our neighborhood had a large north-facing display window which was shaded in summer by a silver maple tree. The only display was an immense Christmas cactus which overflowed a washtub, and every winter it became a glorious mound of brilliant red flowers for a month or two. …