What do these all really mean? When we want to understand how high our rivers and creeks are likely to rise in the future, or when we think about daily weather forecasts, we often think in thin straight lines – deterministic forecasts that tell us exactly what to expect, and when. For instance, the hydrograph,... Read More
“Start with the soil!” is accepted, time-honored garden wisdom. But … what if you don’t? What if you just accept the dirt you are given and make it work for you—without adding compost or fertilizer, without increasing the Nitrogen content or upping the percent of Organic Matter? And what if that dirt happens to be... Read More
Do you feel connected to the Earth? Do you think you can affect global systems through your local actions? Nurture Nature Center is currently halfway through a two-year NASA funded grant project, entitled “6 Degrees of Influence – Understanding the Interconnectedness of Earth Systems,” intended to educate middle school students about Earth systems and inspire... Read More
Does the way we display information about weather hazards affect someone’s likelihood to prepare? Could communities have better outcomes during flood events if weather forecasts were improved to be more understandable? Does understanding the true wide range of possible weather outcomes during an imminent flood event help people to make better preparedness decisions? These are... Read More
Written for Home Garden Seed Association www.ezfromseed.org Even lifelong gardeners are constantly discovering books, tools, and experiences that will make the job easier, richer, and more rewarding. Here are ideas for holiday—or anytime—gift giving. Books to hold in your hands. Some reading is best done the old-fashioned way, on the page. Here are a few... Read More
Right now, the conversation about communities at risk from flooding and related weather hazards is one of the most important to be had. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria have brought billions of dollars of damage, loss of life, and tremendous disruption and suffering in the past two months, and the path to recovery for these... Read More
2017 has been quite the year for hurricanes and it is only a little more than half over at the time of this blog post (late September). Hurricane Harvey (late August 2017) was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2005 Hurricane Wilma. It set the record for rainfall, with... Read More
Did you know: – that owls have ears that are unevenly located on the sides of their heads? Most nocturnal (night-time) owls have offset ears, higher on one side than the other. This allows sound to arrive at one ear microseconds before the other, and helps the owl, along with its enormous eyes, to locate... Read More
Why do some types of vines always wind clockwise while others turn counter? Have you ever noticed that your garden always blooms in a particular succession, only to be completely thrown off by the weather one year? These are examples of questions that beg to be answered by those who are watchful of the natural... Read More
There are so many materials that we use every day that can be recycled. When an aluminum can is recycled we save enough electricity to run a TV set for 3 hours or lit 15 light bulbs of 7 watts a piece for 4 hours. When an aluminum can is thrown it will not break... Read More