Reading and math are important, but there are equally important skills that kids aren’t taught in school. As parents, it is up to us to model healthy lifestyles for our kids, and we can do so with green parenting practices. By showing our kids that their family strives to make eco-friendly decisions with what we buy and eat, we can …
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How do Arizona communities ensure that they have sufficient water to meet their future needs? The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center’s February 1, 2019, annual conference, Arizona Runs on Water: Scarcity, Challenges, and Community-based Solutions will examine answers to this question. Communities across Arizona are working to identify and implement solutions to water issues, both current and future. The …
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When we think of wastewater, we usually think of sewage. However, it is also comprised of any used domestic water produced from showers, disposals, washers, and sinks. Furthermore, wastewater can include any used water and water-carried solids from a community that flows to a treatment plant, such as stormwater, surface water, and industrial water. Fact: 99 percent of wastewater is …
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Last April, I had my Water – Use It Wisely table set up on the back patio of a community center for an Earth Day event. A mom and her two young children were walking by and I heard the older one, about four years old, say, “Hey Mom, look, there’s a hummingbird on that tree.” I was shocked but …
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Just because you’ve heard that the Earth is made up of 71 percent water, it does not mean that you can go ahead and waste it. We all need to appreciate it. If you have not realized how lucky you are that you’re living in a country where fresh water seems to be unlimited, then how about some demonstration? In …
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Welcome to the third installment of our early fall series on water-wise edible gardening. So far, we’ve talked about The Basics of Water-Wise Edible Gardening and introduced you to harvesting edibles from the landscape in our blog Putting The Desert In Dessert. Now it’s time to talk about seed saving and sharing. Survival of the fittest is the basic tenet …
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We’re back with the second part of our four-part series on edible gardening! Did you miss us? We missed you! Last time we introduced you to the basics of water-wise edible gardening, and now that we’ve given you a week to mulch, plant and tend to your bountiful harvest (maybe), it’s time to talk about another favorite topic of ours: …
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It’s October! Let’s rejoice with a sigh of relief for the unofficial end of summer, shall we? All at once now: ahhhhhh. Doesn’t that feel good? With cooler temperatures on the horizon, many of us in Arizona will be trading in the flip-flops for the trowel and tending to our vegetable gardens. All October long, we’ll be posting some of …
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Greywater systems are a great way to increase a household’s water efficiency. Overall, these systems are quite intuitive, but those that are new to greywater use can benefit from understanding where mistakes might be made along the way. It’s no secret that freshwater shortages are growing across the globe. One creative solution embraced by those concerned with the health and …
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PROPER PLANTING OF WINTER GRASS Preparing to overseed your summer bermudagrass with ryegrass for a winter lawn? You’re way too early. That’s just one of the warnings offered by turfgrass researchers at the University of Arizona’s Maricopa County Cooperative Extension program. Overseeding now could leave large bare patches in your Bermuda lawn next summer. Avoid these three common mistakes for …
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Ten miles southwest of Flagstaff along Woody Mountain Road, out beyond the Arboretum, lies Rogers Lake. It’s a lake only ephemerally, during springs with heavy snow runoff. At these times, the lake also draws in waterfowl and eagles. More often, and especially this year, Rogers is grassy and wildflowery grazing land for cattle and elk. Coconino County owns more than …
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Growing up in Florida, surrounded by water, I’ve always enjoyed the many recreational opportunities on its lakes, rivers, springs, and beaches. Spending so much time in such beautiful and pristine surroundings instilled in me an appreciation for the natural environment, as well as a sense of its fragility and need for its preservation. These feelings persist, perhaps even more strongly, …
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