Honey Hitch

Since 2006 farmers across the U.S. have reported the disappearance of honeybees. Scientists, lacking a concrete explanation for this phenomenon (nearly one-third of all honeybee colonies in the country have vanished), have dubbed it Colony Collapse Disorder. Many blame the rampant use of pesticides for the poor health of this crucial species, but the verdict is not out yet.



Honeybees are responsible for pollinating nearly $15 billion (source) worth of crops in the United States alone. Fewer pollinators mean fewer crops (which translates into higher prices for those foods). Read more.

Honey Do List: Until the true cause of Colony Collapse Disorder is known, we can take these simple steps to help the honeybee along. Grow a large variety of native plants in your garden, and avoid using pesticides. Doing this will create a healthy environment for bees (and for your family)!

Keeping Up on Environmental News

One of my favorite ways of keeping up on environmental news is to listen to two podcasts by NPR. The first is NPR: Environment. This podcast is a collection of stories (focusing on the environment) from their various shows (20 to 40 minutes each). The second is the weekly show, Living on Earth (about an hour each). Subscribing is easy, free, and then you can listen to these shows whenever you have time. Doing chores around the house, commuting, at the gym. You get the picture. Just one easy way to keep yourself in the know.

A Sand County Almanac

To start off this blog, I'd like to introduce everyone to a book that inspired me. A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold is a collection of short stories written by an amazing writer and naturalist. He was a great man with a long career in land management and was even an advisor on conservation to the United Nations. Pick up this book (try and find it used) and I promise you will not be disappointed.

"Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild, and free. For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television, and the chance to find a pasque-flower is a right as inalienable as free speech." -from the foreward