The Most Beautiful Green Places World Nature

Best Photos Around the World

2011-05-30T10:56:00.001-07:00

http://bestphotosaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/

Best Photos Around the World

2011-05-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

http://bestphotosaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/

Tomato Hornworm

2011-05-21T12:30:00.001-07:00

Hornworms have voracious appetites. If you find that your perfect tomato suddenly looks like it became an all-you-can-eat buffet, the culprit is most likely hornworms (who have no problem eating either the leaves of fruits of tomato plants.)

Most of the above information was written either by myself or insect expert Debbie Hadley, who is a colleague of mine at About.com. I hope the photos, descriptions of damage, and organic control options outlined in each article help you keep your garden healthy and bountiful.

Squash Vine Borer

2011-05-21T12:29:00.005-07:00

Your perfectly healthy zucchini or pumpkin has a withered vine here and there. Cut open the vine just about where the problem starts, and you'll probably find the grayish-white larva known as squash vine borer. The good news is that once you find them, you can halt the damage. Simply slice the vine open and dig the borer out. Then you can trim off any yellow or wilted parts of the stem, and bury the rest in the soil. It will grow new roots, and keep growing happily.

Squash Bug

2011-05-21T12:29:00.003-07:00

Yellow spots on the leaves of your pumpkins, winter squash, or summer squash are one sign of squash bugs. Another is wilting vines, or vines that wither and turn black. It can be a bit confusing, because the symptoms (wilting vines) are easily confused with that of squash vine borer (below). One good way to determine the difference is to look for dusty looking frass (dropping) on the stems -- that's usually an indicator of vine borer rather than squash bugs.

Slugs

2011-05-21T12:29:00.001-07:00

The main crop that slugs damage in most gardens is lettuce. These slimy pests just can't get enough of my Amish Deertongue lettuce. Happily, they're fairly easy to get rid of. You can hand pick and squish them, handpick and throw them into a bucket of soapy water, let them drown in some beer, or use a grapefruit rind to trap them.

Mexican Bean Beetle

2011-05-21T12:28:00.001-07:00

It's late summer, and the foliage on your beans is reduced to almost nothing but the veins. Look under any remaining leaves, and you'll probably find a Mexican bean beetle larva or two. Mexican Bean Beetles are found just about everywhere in the

U.S.

Flea Beetle

2011-05-21T12:25:00.002-07:00

Tiny holes in the leaves of eggplants, peppers, radishes, pumpkins and squashes, melons, or tomatoes ( as well as other plants) are a sure sign of flea beetles. While the photo shows a gold-colored flea beetle, they are also often shiny black beetles. You will see them hopping around on the plants like, well, fleas.

Cutworm

2011-05-21T12:25:00.001-07:00

So, you planted out a bunch of perfect tomato seedlings only to find them toppled over, as if chopped down by tiny axes, the next morning. You have a cutworm problem.You can make simple collars from empty toilet paper rolls to protect the stems until they are too large to sustain damage from cutworms. The rolls will break down in the soil, or you can compost them.

Cucumber Beetle

2011-05-21T12:24:00.004-07:00

Besides gnawing on the leaves and fruits, cucumber beetles also spread bacterial wilts. Handpicking is a great option here, as are floating row covers to provide a barrier to these pests in the first place.

Corn Borer/Corn Earworm

2011-05-21T12:24:00.003-07:00

Not just corn, but also peppers, beans, and potatoes can fall victim to corn borers. If any of these plants start toppling over, chances are good that a corn borer has made its way into the stem. Bacillus thuringiensis is an effective natural control for these pests.

Colorado Potato Beetle

2011-05-21T12:24:00.001-07:00

If the foliage on your potato plants is starting to get chewed, chances are good that you have a potato beetle problem. A little work and vigilance, and you can still protect your potato crop. Colorado Potato Beetles overwinter in the soil, so crop rotation can be a huge help in reducing the damage your garden sustains.

Cabbage Worm

2011-05-21T12:23:00.003-07:00

You know those pretty white butterflies you see hovering around your garden in early summer? Yeah. You may want to start checking your cabbage, kale, broccoli and other cruciferous veggies for holes in the leaves. Look underneath, because most likely the culprit is a light green larva that hatches from the eggs deposited by those pretty white butterflies. One of the easiest ways to control them (besides covering your crops with floating row covers and eliminating the problem all together) is to hand pick them and drop them in a cup of soapy water.

Asparagus Beetle

2011-05-21T12:23:00.001-07:00

If those eagerly-awaited stalks of tender asparagus are showing brown spots, scarring, or are bent, asparagus beetles are probably to blame. One of their main predators is a parasitic wasp -- another reason you don't want to use broad spectrum pesticides in your yard. In addition to encouraging the wasps, you can also handpick the larvae, eggs, and beetles from your plants.

Common Vegetable Garden Insect Pests

2011-05-21T12:22:00.002-07:00

These tiny pests cause damage by sucking the juices from the leaves and stems of plants, and spreading disease while they do so. They are fairly easy to get rid of -- sometimes all it takes is a strong blast from your hose to knock them off of the plant.

Get Rid of the Most Common Vegetable Garden Insect Pests - Without Poisoning Your Garden

2011-05-21T12:22:00.001-07:00

When I wrote my post about summer vegetable gardening, some of the most common feedback I got was "this is great -- but how do I get rid of whatever's chowing on my zucchini plant?" It's true that insects, including insect pests, are part of gardening. However, the vegetable garden is definitely not the place to use harmful chemicals in the name of bug control.

With that in mind, I hope this post helps you identify and eradicate (in an Earth-friendly manner!) any pests you come across in your vegetable garden.

Cures To Common Tomato Plant Problems

2011-05-21T12:21:00.001-07:00

Home gardening is a favorite hobby for millions of people around the world. Tomatoes are one of the most popular fruits (or vegetables if you want to engage in that argument) people grow. They are not very expensive, easy to grow and produce a bountiful harvest of fresh, juicy tomatoes that are a summertime treat.Unfortunately, tomato plant problems are very common. Problems may include harmful insects, diseases and fungus that can be caused by severeweather conditions, inconsistent watering, nutrient deficiencies or inherent genetic factors bred into the seeds or plants.

We will explore some of the more common problems home tomato gardeners might face and provide tips on how to prevent or cure most of them.Brown circular spot on the blossom-end of the tomato.Symptom: This is a common issue with homegrown tomatoes. It initially appears as a small, depressed, leathery, brownish area on the blossom end of the fruit and grows in size as the fruit ripens. The spot may end up being as large as a dime or half-dollar if left unchecked.

Cause: Blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency coupled with wide fluctuations in available moisture. Training and pruning the tomato vines may also increase blossom end rot.Remedy: Remove the affected fruit so other fruits on the plant will develop normally. Keep the plants well watered. Mulch around the base of the plants to maintain a more uniform moisture supply. Avoid cultivating or hoeing near the roots of tomato plants. Some gardeners also add crushed eggshells to the soil before planting seedlings to fortify calcium availability.Flowers form but drop before tomatoes develop.

Cause: “Blossom Drop” is usually caused when the tomato plant experiences a sudden change in the weather, typically earlier or later in the season when night temperatures are lower than 55 degrees F. The heat of the summer is also a common time when this occurs, when day temperatures are higher than 95 degrees F or when night temperatures remain above 75 degrees F. Hot drying winds and a sudden lack of moisture for the plant may also intensify the problem.

Remedy: Add mulch around the plant to retain available soil moisture. You can also use a tomato blossom set spray, available from your local garden store. It is an all-natural plant hormone that helps blossoms set fruit in spite of poor weather conditions, producing larger, meatier tomatoes with fewer seeds. Improving weather conditions may also solve the problem without any further action.

Cause: Splitting or cracking typically happens when the fruit experiences accelerated growth which can be brought on by a sudden increase in moisture after being too dry, like a sudden summer rain after an extended dry period. Cracking also may occur when the fruit is overripe.

Remedy: The good news is that splitting or cracking does not affect the flavor and the tomato can still be eaten, however unsightly it may appear. To avoid the problem, provide consistent moisture to the plant or research and select varieties that are resistant to cracking. With cherry tomatoes, pick ripe or nearly ripe fruit right before a forecast rain storm to limit the risk of cracking.

Tomato plants have a stunted appearance

Symptom: Nematodes live in the soil and cause swelling of the plant root which, in turn, causes stunted plants and discolored plant leaves. The only way to confirm diagnosis is to pull the plan and inspect the roots.

Cause: Root-knot nematodes are soil-born microscopic eelworms.

Remedy: The bad news is there is no treatment for an existing nematode infestation. The good news is the affected plants can still grow and produce edible fruit. Preventative measures to stop nematodes in the future include selecting varieties labeled with “N” and planting marigolds with your tomatoes. Many varieties of marigolds, including’ Nema-gone’, ‘Golden Guardian’, or ‘Tangerine’, release a chemical into the soil that kills nematodes.

Visibly chewed leaves and tomatoes

Symptom: Chewed up plant leaves and damaged fruits that are still unripe are clearly visible.

Cause: Tomato hornworms are large, green-grayish caterpillars that feed off tomato fruits and plants.

Remedy: Although they can blend very well with surrounding foliage, once discovered, they can be easily picked off by hand and disposed of.

Although some of the more common tomato plant problems have been highlighted, it is important to remember that there are many more diseases and pests that may affect your plants. If you have a problem that you can’t easily diagnose, please check with your local extension agent or garden center to learn what treatment is best for your specific problem.Visit the author’s detailed, illustrated article Preventing and Solving Common Tomato Plant Problemsfor more information about preventing, diagnosing and fixing tomato plant problems… and make sure you spend a little time in Suzy’s Garden – a great place for more gardening and crafting information and fun !

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TOMATO TIPS

2011-05-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

If you are starting your first tomato garden, or are an old pro at it, there are always tips that can make your enterprise easier, and more successful. Following are 5 tomato growing tips that I found make the greatest difference in the health of your plants. When buying tomato plants always look for plants that have not begun to flower or fruit, that have straight sturdy stems and dark leaves. Also, give them time to harden off before you plant them. This will avoid any shock transplanting will have on them. Wait until the threat of frost has past.

It is important to always plant tomatoes as deep as possible. Because tomatoes can grow roots all along their stem, you can either bury them up to the top leaves, or plant them horizontally. The extra roots that will grow will make your tomato stronger. Staking your tomato plants is very important. Since tomatoes are a vine they will not grow upright on their own. Having the vines lay on the ground will make them more prone to insect attacks and disease problems. Do not skimp on the stakes, as your plants will get tall and heavy. You should stake the tomatoes when you plant in order that you don’t damage their roots. Maintenance of your tomato plants is critical. Watering your plants regularly will avoid splitting of the tomatoes, as well as blossom drop. As your tomato fruit begins to ripen you can reduce the amount you are watering. By reducing your watering at the fruiting stage your tomatoes will concentrate sugars in the fruit. Don’t hold back to much on the water though because the plant will stress and wilt. If the plant becomes stressed it can cause it to drop blossoms and possibly it’s fruit.

Always prune off any suckers that are growing between the branches. These only use energy that could be going into growing bigger plants. Removing some of the leaves will help the fruit ripen by allowing the sun to reach it. Just make sure that you don’t remove to many leaves. The leaves are what provide sugars for the roots and fruit, if you remove to many your tomatoes will suffer. If you love tomatoes, caring and nurturing your plants will give you higher yields of fruit and make your tomato garden the envy of the neighborhood! These are just a few tomato growing tips I hope will help you have your best tomato crop ever.

Reasons to Save Tree

2010-02-02T06:36:00.000-08:00

Trees are Effective Sound Barriers: Trees are as effective as stonewalls in stopping sound. They muffle urban noise almost as effectively as stonewalls. Trees, planted at strategic points in a neighbourhood or around your house, can mitigate major noises from crowded roads, railway stations and airports.
Trees Produce Oxygen: A mature leafy tree, in a few months, produces as much oxygen as that required by 10 people for one year.
Trees become dustbins for harmful gases: a tree absorbs and locks away carbon dioxide, and other harmful gases which warm the environment. An urban forest is a carbon storage area that can lock up as much carbon.
Trees Shade and Cool: Shade from trees reduces the need for fan, coolers and air conditioning in summer. Studies have shown that parts of cities without cooling shade from trees can literally be "heated islands," with temperatures as much as 4-6 degrees Celsius higher than surrounding areas. In winter, trees break the force of winter winds.
Trees Act as Windbreaks: trees break the force of the wind. This protects houses, farmland and vegetation.
Trees Fight Soil Erosion: Trees fight soil erosion, conserve rainwater, and reduce water runoff and sediment deposit after storms.
Trees help in lowering the dust levels and pollution levels in the cities.
Trees decrease respiratory problems: Children staying in areas and localities with trees have much less breathing problems that children staying in localities which have no trees.

Nature Conservation

2009-06-12T23:34:00.000-07:00

Nature conservation issues, the welfare of the natural world and the wildlife, plants, and animals that we share this planet with are connected to our everyday lives in many different ways. Yet modern society is set up in such a way that we are often not aware of this reality.

For the most part in the Western world, our technologically advanced lifestyles alienate and disconnect us from our natural environment. We often do not know where the food we eat comes from or how it is grown. We are not aware of how the earth’s weather patterns, forests, and oceans have an impact on things we take for granted, such as the water we drink, and the air we breathe. We are so plugged into the latest technologies that we have forgotten that we are a part of the earth and its living ecosystem, not outside of it or separate from it.
The truth is that the state of our planet has an impact on human survival, global and local economies, community life, and human health and well-being. Yet many of our natural resources are at risk more than ever before.
Most of us are already aware that pandas and tigers and polar bears are threatened. We know that forests and natural habitat areas are vanishing due to human encroachment, development, and urban sprawl. We know about the threat of global warming. Yet, amazingly, the situation is a lot deeper and more serious than most of us probably realize. The good news is that with awareness and nature conservation efforts, we can reverse the situation if we get involved.

This section gives an overview of nature conservation issues and the status of the planet in the main areas which are threatened: wildlife, forests, oceans, and wetlands. You will also find a list of different conservation organizations to support in each category and ways in which we can all help...and be a part of the solution.

Through the jungle

2009-01-03T02:27:00.001-08:00

The 5km walk through the semi-virgin forest reserve proved to be a lot more challenging than any one of us had expected.
The three-hour hike was no piece of cake as we had to continuously trudge up steep hills and down slippery slopes, manoeuvre around thick, snake-like buttress roots of the gigantic Dipterocarp trees, cross rivers by walking on shaky fallen tree trunks and be constantly vigilant of where we plant our feet on for muddy ground.
The air smelled of a potent mixture of insect repellents, lotions and other chemicals at the start of the journey, but still, all of that was no match for the little inhabitants of the jungle. Shrieks and squeals were heard as the blood-sucking creatures were discovered in the most unexpected of places on the bodies of the BRATs.
So, it isn’t a surprise to hear the sigh of relief on everyone’s face when the specks of red tiles of the roof from the building we were headed towards were sighted among the green of the forest.
Yet, the journey ended with a note of triumph and left a sense of achievement in everyone as 31 young mostly-urban teenagers had successfully undertaken the challenges and the trials posed by the jungle and its inhabitants ... and survived!
There is more than what meets the eye with the journey through the forest, though. Personally, I feel that it was a great way for us to learn new things about ourselves.
In the course of our trek, we passed many big trees which tops seem to be out of sight no matter how hard we craned our necks and squinted to try to see it. Even though most of the time my eyes were fixed on the ground trying to avoid the hungry clutches of the leeches, I couldn’t help but look in awe when I stood between the roots of a huge tree. The roots itself was as tall as me.
Together with the luminous mossy-green glow of the tree as the rays of sunshine shone on it through the layers of the canopies, they made me see the wonders of the rainforest.
The journey also forced us to push ourselves and it was a trying test of our strength, both physically and mentally. The temptations to just give up on the journey was great, when we were drenched in sweat and our muscles felt as if they weighed heavier than our backpacks.

Characteristics of a bottomland hardwood forest under greentree reservoir management in East Central Arkansas

2008-10-07T09:53:00.001-07:00

Greentree réservoirs sont une option viable pour la création de l'habitat et la chasse des possibilités de migration de la sauvagine. Malheureusement, l'inondation annuelle prolongés souvent associés à la gestion des réservoirs de Greentree peut être très préjudiciable à la plupart des espèces d'arbres souhaitable dans ces stands. Au cours de l'été 2004, un total de 327 plot centers ont été créés dans un réservoir de Greentree en vertu d'un régime annuel des inondations. À chaque parcelle center, une parcelle de conception imbriqué a été utilisé pour établir une 1/5-acre overstory parcelle, une parcelle 1/40-acre midstory, 1/100-acre et une sous-intrigue. Notre objectif était de caractériser la composition de multiplication végétative et l'abondance des bas-fonds dans un stand de bois qui avait été dans le cadre d'un régime d'inondation annuelle de plus de 50 ans. Les résultats indiquent que overcup chêne est dominant dans les trois couches verticales tandis que le plus souhaitable saule chêne commun est que dans le overstory.

Tips to Keep Your Attic Cool

2008-08-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Don't Let Your Roof Take the Heat

By Marc Richmond-Powers, City of Austin Green Building Program
It's a hot and humid Austin summer day. You head for the indoors and some relief from your trusty air conditioning (A/C) system. Three hours later, you're slightly cooler, but you're wondering why your A/C unit hasn't shut off yet. Here's why: all day long, solar radiation has been heating up your home through the windows, walls, doors and especially the roof. Your attic temperature can easily reach over 140 degrees. That heat up there is working its way through your meager attic insulation into your home and through the A/C ductwork, located in your attic, into your cooling system. Your A/C system has to fight that added heat to change all that hot air in your home into cool air.

You can install solar screens for the windows, porches around the house for shade, and plant trees around the home, but what do you do about the roof which accounts for a third of all the heat build-up of your house?

Here are a few options:
Ventilate your attic with ridge and soffit vents. Vents are louvers, grills, or screen materials which allow passage or air through them. They are typically installed along the top peak (ridge) of your roof, at the top of the side wall (gable), and on the underside of your roof overhang (soffit). Ventilation moves air through your attic by force of wind or by heat rising through natural convection. This leaves cooler air sitting on top of the insulation on the attic floor. Ventilation also has the ability to remove humidity which has built up in your attic and which reduces the effectiveness of your insulation. It is often best to hire a contractor to install these.

Insulate your attic floor to R-30. R-30 is roughly a10 inch thick layer of insulation material above your ceiling. This is a job for any handy homeowner or it could be handed over to a contractor. When installing the insulation, be careful not to block your vents.

Install a radiant barrier between your roof and your attic insulation. A radiant barrier is an aluminum foil material which prevents 95 percent of the heat that radiates from your roof from reaching the insulation on your attic floor. It comes in a roll and is stapled to the underside of your roof rafters. Radiant barriers are sold in most building material supply centers and can be easily installed by a homeowner. This system can save you up to eight percent on your summer cooling bills.

Two Timber Firms Pretending To Be 'Green,' Groups Allege

2008-07-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

Two of the nation's largest timber companies, Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek Timber, have polished their public images for years by participating in a program that certifies that their logging is environmentally friendly.
But in separate challenges this month from the far corners of the United States, environmental groups in Washington state and in Maine are accusing Weyerhaeuser Co. and Plum Creek Timber Co. of using the forest industry's green-labeling program as a cover while they log in ways that harm endangered spotted owls in Washington and violate forestry laws in Maine.

The Seattle Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Council of Maine have demanded in documents sent to the Sustainable Forestry Board that it revoke certification for the companies until they comply with standards they have pledged to uphold.
Both companies say the demands are unjustified and show ignorance of relevant facts.
The requests mark the first time that mainstream environmental groups have publicly attempted to turn the forest industry's green certification process against big timber companies by insisting that they be suspended from the program, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, said William H. Banzhaf, president of the forestry board, which oversees certification.
Green labeling is a major marketing tool in the timber industry. It allows companies to reach a bigger marketplace while assuring increasingly sophisticated consumers that their purchases are not harming the environment.
As worry about global warming increases, green building codes are becoming politically fashionable. They have recently been adopted for private construction in the District, Montgomery County and Pasadena, Calif. Eighteen states and 11 federal agencies use such codes for their own buildings. And green codes often give credit to builders who use timber certified to have been logged in a sustainable way.
The timber industry's main lobby, the American Forest & Paper Association, developed the Sustainable Forest Initiative in 1994. That was a year after the Forest Stewardship Council, a group of environmentalists, forestry experts, sociologists and indigenous groups, created another certification system that is often described as far less friendly to the interests of big timber companies.
The competing certification regimes are usually referred to by initialisms -- SFI and FSC -- that can be easily confused. Some environmentalists say this is an intentional industry effort to muddy the green-labeling waters and confuse the public. Timber companies dispute that assertion.
Unlike the industry-created SFI program, FSC rules allow virtually no cutting of old-growth forests, nor do they allow operators to log off a diverse stand of trees and replace it with a plantation forest dominated by a single species, which is often done to enhance the commercial value of forestland.
Home Depot, Ikea and Williams-Sonoma are among the major retailers that have announced their preference for FSC-certified lumber or paper. The U.S. Green Building Council, which oversees green standards for construction in the District and Montgomery County, among other places, credits only builders that use FSC lumber. But other retailers, such as OfficeMax, have preferences that do not distinguish between certification systems.
The Seattle Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Council of Maine argue that the Sustainable Forest Initiative could lose all credibility if its board does not suspend Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek until they clean up their forestry practices.

Forest environmental services

2008-06-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Forests are commonly known for the goods that they provide - timber, fuelwood, fodder and other non-timber forest products. Less commonly known is the fact that forests also provide a number of crucial ecosystem services, for example, their role in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, protecting upstream watersheds, conserving biodiversity and gene-pools for future generations and in providing landscape beauty. Forest environmental services also include regulation of the water cycle and climate, soil formation, nutrient recycling, and plant pollination. While the ever-increasing demand for forest goods is widely recognized, the increased demand and need for forest services is often not as well known.

One reason for this is the failure of markets, and society in general, to adequately value these services in economic or financial terms. Consequently, forest environmental services are rarely accounted for in national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) statistics and few well-developed markets exist for them. However, today there is growing awareness of the need to adequately acknowledge and measure the value of these services, so that decisions involving forest land use change are based on the true worth of forests, rather than on the immediate tangible goods that they provide. There is also an urgent need to develop appropriate mechanisms, market-based or otherwise, that can generate income flows to communities or institutions protecting forests and providing these services, so that there is a direct incentive for them to continue doing so.

Forests and Water Linkages
Water in theory is the most renewable of resources. Yet, careless use, population growth, and increasing demand all mean that provision of adequate safe supplies of water is now a major source of concern, expense, and even international tension. The links between forests and watersheds are complicated and vary with geography, weather patterns, and management. Forests in catchments generally result in cleaner water downstream, thus significantly reducing the costs of purification (to what extent depends on the level and type of contamination). In addition, particular forests such as tropical moist cloud forests appear to increase flow into catchments as well as ameliorate local flooding.

With water shortages increasing in many parts of the world, the importance of this link is being rapidly realized today. Twenty-eight per cent of the world's forests are located in mountains and these forests are the source of some 60-80% of the world's fresh water resources. They are also natural barriers for landslides, torrents, and floods. Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCFs), which have unique hydrological values and high rates of species endemism, are today being lost faster than any other major forest ecosystem. However, nearly 30% of the world's major watersheds have lost more than three-quarters of their original forest cover.

Recognizing this problem, some countries have already started protecting or replanting trees on degraded hill slopes to safeguard their water supplies. Generating more knowledge on this forest environmental service, and developing appropriate payment or compensation mechanisms between upstream watershed service providers and the downstream beneficiaries, will be a key challenge for the forestry sector in the coming years.

Festivals in India

2008-06-24T00:04:00.001-07:00

India, the land of festivals and fairs. It is a land of festivity - religious as well as folkloristic. Whether you go to the East or the West, North or the South you would be able to enjoy every month a festival or a fair. Every day of the year there is a festival celebrated in some part of the country. Be it cultural or religious, it gives everyone an opportunity to enjoy and join the festivity. More... http://www.pagesofindia.com

Green Tree Ant

2008-06-23T04:04:00.001-07:00

Some Special Trees of Green Lake

2008-06-23T04:03:00.001-07:00

Green Lake is Seattle's most heavily visited park. In its fame as a local natural attraction it may not be as dominant as New York City's Central Park, but only because in comparison Seattle offers such an enviable abundance of parkland and greenery. Green Lake's trees are a most impressive collection, and I recently wrote a book about them because so many people love the place.
An acquaintance of mine who has utterly no knowledge of trees besides what we all possess in common, was moved to expressions of delight when the silent songs and mute histories of Green Lake trees were revealed by my booming voice, as, like an uncorked bottle, I let forth on the subject so dear to me. Since people respond to love, here is some for you --three Green Lake trees that stir my heart.

HAUTE NATURE

2008-06-04T03:59:00.001-07:00

Climate change warms Arctic, cools Antarctica

2008-05-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

The Arctic and Antarctica are poles apart when it comes to the effects of human-fueled climate change, scientists said on Friday. 'In the north, it is melting sea ice, but in the south, it powers winds that chill things down.'
The North and South poles are both subject to solar radiation and rising levels of climate-warming greenhouse gases, the researchers said in a telephone briefing. But Antarctica is also affected by an ozone hole hovering high above it during the austral summer.
"All the evidence points toward human-made effects playing a major role in the changes that we see at both poles and evidence that contradicts this is very hard to find," said Jennifer Francis, an atmospheric scientist at Rutgers University in New Jersey. An examination of many previous studies about polar climate, to be published on May 6 in the journal Eos, "further depletes the arsenal of those who insist that human-caused climate change is nothing to worry about," Francis said in a telephone briefing.
In the Arctic, Francis and co-authors of the research said, warming spurred by human-generated carbon dioxide emissions has combined with natural climate variations to create a "perfect Arctic storm" that caused a dramatic disappearance of sea ice last year, a trend likely to continue.
"Natural climate variability and global warming were actually working together and they've sent the Arctic into a new state for the climate that has much less sea ice," said James Overland, an oceanographer at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "There's very little chance for the climate to return to the conditions of 20 years ago."
In Antarctica, the ozone hole adds a new factor to an already complicated set of weather patterns, according to Gareth Marshall of the British Antarctic Survey.
The changes in air pressure that go along with depleted stratospheric ozone are responsible for an increase in the westerly winds that whip around the Southern Ocean, at latitudes a bit north of most of Antarctica.
These winds isolate much of the southern continent from some of the impact of global warming, Marshall said. The exception is the Antarctic Peninsula, which reaches northward toward South America. There, the effects of warming have been dramatic, he said, because the winds that protect the rest of Antarctica do not insulate the peninsula.
The stratospheric ozone hole, caused by the ozone-depleting release of chemicals found in refrigerants and hair sprays, is likely to fully recover by 2070 as less of these chemicals are in use, as a result of international agreements.
The ozone layer shields Earth from harmful solar radiation, but its recovery is likely to open the way for warming in central Antarctica, the scientists said.

Everest turning into world's highest cesspool

2008-05-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

A deadly peril lurks on Mt Everest, the highest summit in the world, which is far more dangerous than the freezing cold, gale winds and recently posted security forces who are empowered to shoot at the sight of political activities. The new hazard comes from human waste scattered along the mountain slopes, which could run into hundreds of tonnes.
"Toilet paper and human excreta litter the Everest base camp (at an altitude of 6,400 metres), the slopes, and even the summit (8,848 metres) itself," says Ang Tshering Sherpa, chief of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, which is entrusted with promoting mountaineering in this country.
"In summer, when the snow melts, the frozen human waste comes into sight and starts raising a stink. The grave health and environmental hazard the untreated excreta pose is a matter of great concern," Sherpa added.
While conscious mountaineers have been trying to clear the garbage left on the mountains, nothing has been done so far to treat the human waste lying there.
In the past, expeditions have collected used oxygen cans, tents, food tins and other litter and brought much of it down but the human waste remains.
"As it remains frozen during the expeditions, it is very difficult to remove it and bring it down," Sherpa said.
In a bid to prevent the world's tallest mountain from turning into the highest cesspool, an expedition is now introducing, for the first time in the history of the Everest, bio-degradable toilets.
Sherpa's son Dawa Steven Sherpa is leading the 24-member Eco Everest 2008 expedition to the summit in memory of the peak's greatest benefactor, Edmund Hillary, to try and clean the garbage.
The team is carrying three "Clean Mountain Cans" with them, a portable toilet manufactured by an American company. The bins are lined with bio-degradable bags that decompose the human waste deposited in them.
The expedition is armed with 200 such bags. Besides using them, the team members will also try to remove the frozen waste on the summit, put it in the bags and bring it down to the base camp.
The cans, which can be bought for $75 a piece in the US, cost a thumping $150 when brought to Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world.
"The cans were gifted by the American Alpine Club, while some of the bags were donated by the factories that made them," Sherpa said.
Sherpa, who runs Asian Trekking, one of the leading trekking agencies in Nepal, said his company would henceforth use the cans and urge other agencies to employ them too.
The expedition, that is also highlighting the dangers of climate change in the Himalayan slopes, is tying to put into action a banner in Kathmandu that urges citizens to use garbage wisely and turn it into money.
It is offering each climber who brings down human or other waste down from the peak to the base camp $1 for each kg of junk.

Meet JJ and Jake

2008-05-01T01:50:00.000-07:00

Meet Jake -- a 14 year-old Chihuahua who is making his way to the World's Ugliest Dog Contest -- or at least trying! Adopted by JJ about four years ago, Jake survived many struggles, including a nine year stint as a stud dog at a puppy mill.

Read about Jake's adventures in a weekly blog written by JJ.

Come back soon for more blogs -- and find out if Jake makes it to the Competition!

Top 10 Secluded Beaches

2008-04-30T00:21:00.000-07:00

Seeking out sun, surf, and sand is an easy enough task, but is it possible to stir seclusion into the mix, too? Our editors say “shore”!

We’ve dug deep into our arsenal of secret sands to present our top picks for secluded beaches around the globe, where quiet coasts invite in-the-know sunbathers to savor their relative solitude. Sure, some of these destinations are downright remote, and require off-the-path travel to far-flung locales in Thailand, Spain, and Down Under, but some of the most isolated shores are right under beachgoers’ noses, in popular stateside spots like Florida, California, and Hawaii. We’ve also included some secluded beaches in hotpots like the Caribbean, Brazil, and the Greek Isles for good measure. You’ll just have to plan a visit soon — while these semi-private sands remain undiscovered for the moment, the cat’s officially out of the bag.

Ao Phra Nang Beach, Thailand
Often cited as “Phuket 10 years ago,” the beach resorts surrounding the Thai port town of Krabi remain, for the time being, far less trodden than those of its famous island neighbor, some 100 miles to the west. Accessible only by long-tail boat from Krabi or from the more frequented beach resort of Ao Nang, the far-flung headland of Laem Phra Nang, or Railay (also called Rai Leh) Beach, is our preferred destination, thanks to its stunning surroundings of karst cliffs (making it popular with rock climbers), lush jungle and the warm waters of the emerald Andaman Sea. Here, four neighboring white-sand beaches unfold, of which Ao Phra Nang Beach is the most secluded with its snorkeling-friendly reefs, soft sands and singular luxury hotel. Visitors are free to relax in relative solitude, or to seek out adventure with a swim to “Happy Island,” just offshore, or by poking about in Tham Prah Nang Cave at the cliff’s base. Go now before it’s discovered by the masses.

Baía de Sancho, Brazil
Red-tinged sands and turquoise-trimmed shores define this pristine bay, which unfolds on the main and only inhabited island of Fernando de Noronha, an Atlantic archipelago off of Brazil’s northeastern coast. Protected as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and a national marine park, the ecological sanctuary of the beach and its environs can be explored in near solitude, thanks to strict restrictions on commercial development and controlled visitation. The few visitors that do access the isle are thinned out even further by the precarious approach to the remote Baía de Sancho, which entails climbing down a cliff face along a series of ladders (although the faint of heart can arrange to arrive by boat on snorkeling or diving excursions). The waters here thrive with an array of marine life, from live coral to manta rays and sea turtles to dolphins. Just be sure to pack provisions, as there’ll be no bars, peddlers, or the like on these isolated shores.

Bowman's Beach, Florida
The secret’s out about the beauty of Sanibel Island’s linen-white sand beaches — situated about 25 miles southwest of Fort Myers— so you won’t be alone in searching for a stretch of sand to call your own. But that’s just what you’ll get when you leave your car and make the quarter-mile walk to Bowman’s Beach, Sanibel’s most peaceful place. The island is well-known as one of the best shelling spots in the country, but you’ll find little competition here. There’s minimal development and ditto for amenities — though Bowman’s does have one perk not found on any other beach on Sanibel: barbecue grills. Enjoy the pristine sand at Casa Ybel Resort (www.casaybelresort.com) and slurp down briny oysters at The Lazy Flamingo (www.lazyflamingo.com), where staff let you bring a glass of wine to the beach to watch the sunset.

Beyond the forest veil

2008-04-16T03:27:00.000-07:00

Little by little a rainforest island was persuaded to share some of its innermost secrets, revealing a richness and beauty worth waiting for.

Hidden treasures
A tropical rainforest is really good at hiding its treasures. I already knew this, as I had spent a year on Barro Colorado Island studying for a Masters degree. But when I returned to capture the essence of the forest on film, I was faced with a new set of challenges. Barro Colorado was once the top of a large hill in Central Panama. When the Chagres River was dammed during construction of the Panama Canal between 1911 and 1914, the hilltop was isolated, forming the largest island in the artificial water body now known as Lake Gatun. Covered with lush rainforest, the island has been studied and protected since the 1920s. Today, it is home to a modern research station run by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, which attracts scientists from around the globe and makes the island a Mecca for tropical ecology.

Stunning diversity
Within the forest live tens of thousands of different organisms, variations of life, each with its own individual qualities and role in the system. It is this stunning diversity, interwoven in a vivid and complex web, that makes the forest function as a whole. Most of this life happens secretly and quietly, hidden behind a thick, green curtain of vegetation or concealed by its miniature scale. My aim, working with tropical ecologist Egbert Leigh, was to lift this curtain for brief moments, to reveal the layers of the forest, to unravel its complex ecology and to convey its beauty.

In the dark

We decided to focus on certain animals and plants as ambassadors of the ecosystem, examples to represent the multitude of creatures playing a similar role. But the sheer number of species present made any particular one hard to track down, and even when I spotted what I was looking for, there were a thousand ways to miss the crucial moment. Only about 1 per cent of the light that hits the tree canopy ever reaches the ground, resulting in permanently low light levels, and the extreme climate - constant heat and moisture - was an ever-present threat to my camera equipment.

Waiting and watching
I spent 15 months in the forest, hours and days of waiting for the right animal or sufficient light, often in pouring rain. At times, I felt like giving up. But then there were single moments of magic, short windows in time and space when the forest was willing to share one of its secrets. Suddenly a bird would fly by, the sun would shine on just the right spot and I would grab one or two images before the forest closed in once again.

A quick look at the largest and smallest River

2008-04-10T04:07:00.000-07:00

Longest River, the Nile and the Amazon can both be called the longest river in the world depending on how you define longest. With several mouths, the exact point at which the Amazon ends continues to be uncertain. Counting the Para's estuary (the most distant mouth), the Amazon's length is approximately 4,190 miles. Once officially recorded as having a length of 4,145 miles, the Nile has since lost a few miles due to the formation of Lake Nasser behind the Aswan High Dam.
Deepest Lake, is Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. The Olkhon Crevice, the deepest point of the lake, has a depth of 5,370 ft, of which 3,875 are below sea level.
Biggest Lake, is the Caspian Sea, an inland sea which covers parts of Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. It is 760 miles long, with a surface area of 143,560 miles and an estimated volume of 21,500 cubic miles.
Biggest Ocean Covering 32.6% of the Earth's surface or 64,186,300 miles, the Pacific Ocean is officially the world's biggest ocean.
Smallest Ocean, more than ten times smaller than the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, which has a surface area of 5,105,700 miles, is the world's smallest ocean.
Biggest Lake Shrinkage Due almost entirely to the extraction of water for irrigation purposes, the Aral Sea has shrunk the most in recent times having lost almost two-thirds of its original size. By 1994 (with 10,500 miles left compared to 26,300 miles in 1950) it had divided into two smaller bodies of water.

TOP Websites

2008-04-04T23:42:00.000-07:00

Crafting a Green World - DIY for Environmentalists
Crafting a Green World features do-it-yourself projects that incorporate reused, recycled, and natural materials. Find knitting, sewing, crocheting, ...
http://www.craftingagreenworld.com/ Naturalife Greenworld experience the harmony of life
Naturalife Greenworld. experience the harmony of life ... Copyright © 2008 Naturalife Greenworld. Powered by Drupal Validate XHTML CSS User Login.
http://www.biopharmaca.net/

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Aromatherapy & Essential OilsNatural Green Aromatics promotes beauty & wellness through our products of aromatherapy essential oils & hydrosols.
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Fruit development

2008-04-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

A fruit is a ripened ovary. After the ovule in an ovary is fertilized in a process known as pollination, the ovary begins to ripen. The ovule develops into a seed and the ovary wall pericarp may become fleshy (as in berries or drupes), or form a hard outer covering (as in nuts). In some cases, the sepals, petals and/or stamens and style of the flower fall off. Fruit development continues until the seeds have matured. With some multiseeded fruits the extent to which the flesh develops is proportional to the number of fertilized ovules.
The wall of the fruit, developed from the ovary wall of the flower, is called the pericarp. The pericarp is often differentiated into two or three distinct layers called the exocarp (outer layer - also called epicarp), mesocarp (middle layer), and endocarp (inner layer). In some fruits, especially simple fruits derived from an inferior ovary, other parts of the flower (such as the floral tube, including the petals, sepals, and stamens), fuse with the ovary and ripen with it. The plant hormone ethylene causes ripening. When such other floral parts are a significant part of the fruit, it is called an accessory fruit. Since other parts of the flower may contribute to the structure of the fruit, it is important to study flower structure to understand how a particular fruit forms.
Fruits are so varied in form and development, that it is difficult to devise a classification scheme that includes all known fruits. Many common terms for seeds and fruit are incorrectly applied, a fact that complicates understanding of the terminology. Seeds are ripened ovules; fruits are the ripened ovaries or carpels that contain the seeds. To these two basic definitions can be added the clarification that in botanical terminology, a nut is not a type of fruit and not another term for seed, on the contrary to common terminology.

Entering the Underwater Forest

2008-03-26T03:27:00.000-07:00

Underwater Harvester represents the first true arrival of viable marine technology in underwater forests. Developed and manufactured by Triton, it is the world's only deep-water logging machine, combining proven elements from timber-harvesting and submarine vehicle technology on an innovative platform.
Deepwater Access The Sawfish™ not only navigates precisely by a remote pilot, it can operate to any depth. Alternative systems (grapples or divers) are limited to approximately 25 m, even though 80 percent of submerged timber resources are found at greater depths.
Economical and Efficient While alternative systems use the same mechanism to cut and retrieve trees, The Sawfish™ achieves significant efficiencies by de-coupling the cutting and surfacing processes, enabling it to perform multiple cuts without returning to the surface. And with no new roads to build and no fires or pests to control, Triton’s system becomes even more economical.
Safety Triton’s harvesting operation does not involve falling trees or working with heavy machinery in tight spaces or sloped terrain. And by removing hazardous trees from reservoirs, Triton creates safer environments for recreational and commercial use.
7000 lbs on land and slightly buoyant in water
Fully remote with 8 video cameras and sonar
Powered by a 75 HP electric motor, using biodegradable and vegetable oil-based hydraulic fluids
Feller grapple and 55-inch chainsaw
Handles larger trees than any land-based mechanical harvester due to water buoyancy
50 inflatable/reusable airbags to float trees to surface (one bag per tree)

Forest - The Memory of Trees (Enya

2008-03-25T02:51:00.000-07:00

Shady Tree Forest lamp shade

2008-03-25T02:45:00.000-07:00

Bees and Trees

2008-03-24T01:49:00.000-07:00

The Green World Campaign is funding the planting of Calliandra trees in Ethiopia. These fast growing, multi-purpose trees increase soil fertility, prevent landslides and erosion, have leaves that support livestock, and turn unproductive land into agricultural fields.

And the sweetest part: of all: honeybees adore Calliandra flower pollen, supporting honey production that adds to family income. We’re also growing moringa trees, which not only heal the land but have delicious edible leaves and pods that contain up to 40 percent protein.

What Type of Fertilizer Do I Need?

2008-03-20T02:21:00.000-07:00

Fertilizers are made up of macronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) and micronutrients (such as Iron, Magnesium and Manganese). These minerals all have different effects on the growth of a tree and different trees need different formulations. It is important to ensure that you use the right fertilizer for your tree. To find out how to obtain the correct fertilizer for your trees or shrubs

Does My Tree Need Fertilizer?

2008-03-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Trees growing in their natural habitat should have access to all of the minerals they need to survive and grow. Anything you can do to mimic that habitat can reduce the need for fertilizer. This may include letting leaves remain on the ground in the fall instead of raking them up. Chances are, though, that despite your best efforts, the need for fertilizer will not be entirely eliminated.

When Should I Fertilize My Tree?
A good time to fertilize trees in most Northern temperate climates is from fall to mid-spring. At these times the tree's roots take the nutrients from the soil and apply them to important health-promoting functions such as root development and disease resistance, rather than simply putting out new growth.

During the growing season, fertilizing can help a tree overcome mineral deficiencies and fight off infections. If you are fertilizing in mid- to late summer, avoid formulations high in nitrogen as this will just promote weak, new growth that may be easily damaged in the winter.

Does My Tree Need Fertilizer?

2008-03-17T01:40:00.000-07:00

How to Fertilize a Tree

2008-03-15T03:29:00.000-07:00

The main reason to fertilize trees and shrubs is to bolster their health so they are better prepared to fight off pests, disease, and environmental stresses. While fertilizer can't solve all of a tree's problems, it will go a long way to give it a fighting chance.
Does My Tree Need Fertilizer?
Trees growing in their natural habitat should have access to all of the minerals they need to survive and grow. Anything you can do to mimic that habitat can reduce the need for fertilizer. This may include letting leaves remain on the ground in the fall instead of raking them up. Chances are, though, that despite your best efforts, the need for fertilizer will not be entirely eliminated.
When Should I Fertilize My Tree?
A good time to fertilize trees in most Northern temperate climates is from fall to mid-spring. At these times the tree's roots take the nutrients from the soil and apply them to important health-promoting functions such as root development and disease resistance, rather than simply putting out new growth.
During the growing season, fertilizing can help a tree overcome mineral deficiencies and fight off infections. If you are fertilizing in mid- to late summer, avoid formulations high in nitrogen as this will just promote weak, new growth that may be easily damaged in the winter.
Where Do I Put The Fertilizer?
The objective of fertilization is to put the nutrients where they will best be taken up by the tree's roots. Therefore, it is necessary to fertilize throughout the entire root system. In general, the roots extend well beyond the outer reach of a tree's branches.
The fertilizer must also be placed underneath the roots of any competing plants such as grass or other ground cover. Spreading granular fertilizer on the lawn might make your grass greener, but it will likely not help your tree.
What Type of Fertilizer Do I Need?
Fertilizers are made up of macronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) and micronutrients (such as Iron, Magnesium and Manganese). These minerals all have different effects on the growth of a tree and different trees need different formulations. It is important to ensure that you use the right fertilizer for your tree. To find out how to obtain the correct fertilizer for your trees or shrubs

Planting Bare-Rooted Trees

2008-03-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

Planting bare-rooted trees is a little different as there is no soil surrounding the roots. Most importantly, the time between purchase and planting is a more critical issue. Plant as soon as possible. When purchasing bare-rooted trees, inspect the roots to ensure that they are moist and have numerous lengths of fine root hairs (healthy). Care should be taken to ensure that the roots are kept moist in the period between purchase and planting. Prune broken or damaged roots but save as much of the root structure as you can.
To plant, first build a cone of earth in the centre of the hole around which to splay the roots. Make sure that when properly seated on this cone the tree is planted so that the ‘trunk flare’ is clearly visible and the ‘crown’, where the roots and top meet, is about two inches above the soil level. This is to allow for natural settling.

Planting Container Trees

2008-03-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

Container trees (though subject to greater heat and drying conditions than B and B) can also be stored for a brief period of time after purchase as long as the soil in the container is kept moist and the tree stored in a shady spot. The procedure for planting container trees is similar to that for B & B trees. In the case of metal or plastic containers, remove the container completely. In the case of fibre containers, tear the sides away.
Once carefully removed from the container, check the roots. If they are tightly compressed or ‘potbound’, use your fingers or a blunt instrument (to minimize root tearing) to carefully tease the fine roots away from the tight mass and then spread the roots prior to planting. In the case of extremely woody compacted roots, it may be necessary to use a spade to open up the bottom half of the root system. The root system is then pulled apart or ‘butterflied’ prior to planting. Loosening the root structure in this way is extremely important in the case of container plants. Failure to do so may result in the roots ‘girdling’ and killing the tree. At the very least, the roots will have difficulty expanding beyond the dimensions of the original container. To further assist this, lightly break up even the soil outside the planting zone. This allows roots that quickly move out of the planting zone to be more resilient as they anchor into existing surrounding soil conditions.
Once the tree is seated in the hole, the original soil is then back-filled into the hole to the soil level of the container. Again, remember not to overly compress the back-filled soil especially by tramping it with your feet. Compress gently using your hands instead.

Fast Growing Trees

2008-03-12T00:53:00.000-07:00

Planting Balled and Burlapped Trees

2008-03-11T03:27:00.001-07:00

Balled and burlapped (B & B) trees, although best planted as soon as possible, can be stored for some time after purchase as long as the ball is kept moist and the tree stored in a shady area. B & B trees should always be lifted by the ball, never by the trunk.

The burlap surrounding the ball of earth and roots should either be cut away completely (mandatory, in the case of synthetic or plastic burlap) or at least pulled back from the top third of the ball (in the case of natural burlap). Any string or twine should also be removed.

Backfill soil (combinations of peat moss, composted manure, topsoil, etc.) is then placed in the hole surrounding the tree just to the height of the ball or slightly lower to allow for some settling.

Be careful not to compress the back fill soil as this may prevent water from reaching the roots and the roots from expanding beyond the ball.

How To Plant Trees

2008-03-07T04:53:00.000-08:00

While planting different types of trees differs in the details, all trees eventually end up in a hole. But not any old hole will do.
The most common mistake when planting a tree is a digging hole, which is both too deep and too narrow. Too deep and the roots don’t have access to sufficient oxygen to ensure proper growth. Too narrow and the root structure can’t expand sufficiently to nourish and properly anchor the tree.

As a general rule, trees should be transplanted no deeper than the soil in which they were originally grown. The width of the hole should be at least 3 times the diameter of the root ball or container or the spread of the roots in the case of bare root trees. This will provide the tree with enough worked earth for its root structure to establish itself.

When digging in poorly drained clay soil, it is important to avoid ‘glazing’. Glazing occurs when the sides and bottom of a hole become smoothed forming a barrier, through which water has difficulty passing. To break up the glaze, use a fork to work the bottom and drag the points along the sides of the completed hole. Also, raising the bottom of the hole slightly higher than the surrounding area. This allows water to disperse, reducing the possibility of water pooling in the planting zone.

When to Plant Trees

2008-03-05T00:59:00.000-08:00

Climate plays a deciding role when determining the appropriate planting time. Newly planted trees do best when exposed to moderate temperature and rainfall and they need time to root and acclimatize before the onset of intense heat and dryness of summer or the freezing temperatures of winter. Spring and fall, therefore, are generally the best planting seasons.

In the southern United States, however, which do not experience an intense winter, planting can take place during the winter months. Palm trees are an exception: they are best planted in the warmer, summer months.

Search Engine Optimization and SEO Tools

2008-03-05T00:53:00.001-08:00

Search Engine Optimization and SEO Tools

How to Prune a Tree

2008-03-04T01:06:00.001-08:00

A tree may need pruning for a variety of reasons:
· to remove diseased or storm-damaged branches
· to thin the crown to permit new growth and better air circulation
· to reduce the height of a tree· to remove obstructing lower branches
· to shape a tree for design purposes

Once the decision has been made to prune, your next decision is whether or not to tackle the job yourself. In the case of a large tree where you want to remove big branches in the upper area of the crown, it may be best to hire experts. Large tree pruning, in particular, can require climbing and heavy saws or even cherry-pickers and chain saws. However, there are new tools available that can make this a manageable job.

How to Prune a Tree

2008-03-04T01:06:00.000-08:00

Citrus Trees

2008-03-03T01:07:00.000-08:00

Orange
Oranges arrived in North America from Europe but they originated in China. Orange trees generally range in height at maturity from 22 to 30 feet. Leaves are dark green, pointed with a round base and from 3 to 5 inches in length. Leaves can live for as long as three years. Flowers are white. The fruit itself is technically a berry (hesperidium) ranging from 2 to 4 inches in diameter at full size. The number of seeds in the fruit can vary according to a variety of factors with some 'cultivars' like navels being almost completely seedless.

For the home landscaper, depending on the region, there can be a wide range of orange tree varieties from which to choose.
Like all citrus trees, oranges are cold-sensitive.

If you live in northern Florida, the southern areas of the other gulf states or other regions where the occasional freeze is always a possibility during winter, think about choosing an early season cultivar like 'Hamlin', 'Parson Brown', Ambersweet or 'Washington' navel. Early season cultivars bear fruit before December unlike late season cultivars, some of which may not bear fruit until March. For advice on the best choice of orange tree for your region and climate, consult your local tree care specialist.

World Nature Photos

2008-03-01T03:06:00.000-08:00

Old growth forest

2008-02-29T02:25:00.000-08:00

source : From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_growth_forest

Old growth forest, also called primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier forest or (in the UK) Ancient Woodland, is an area of forest that has attained great age and so exhibits unique biological features. Old growth forests typically contain large live trees, large dead trees (sometimes called "snags"), and large logs. Old growth forests usually have multiple vertical layers of vegetation representing a variety of tree species and age classes.

Forest regenerated after severe disruptions, such as clear-cut or fire is often called second-growth or regeneration until a long enough time passes that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. Depending on the forest, this may take anywhere from a century to several millennia. Hardwood forests of the eastern United States can develop old-growth characteristics in one or two generations of trees, or 150-500 years.

Old growth forests may be home to rare species which depend on this now-rare habitat, making them ecologically significant. Biodiversity may be higher or lower in old growth forests than in second-growth forests depending on specific circumstances. Logging in old growth forests is a contentious issue in many parts of the world.

Tree management

2008-02-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

Introduction
The Tree Section is responsible for the care, maintenance and management of all trees on Waltham Forest Council land. We provide expert advice, inspections and surveys, planting programmes, and issue any maintenance works to external contractors. This specialist service is provided for the Highways, Asham Homes, Education, Green Spaces and Social Services departments and Planning issues.

The Tree Section also provides advice to the public concerning privately owned trees, however we do not carry out maintenance works on private land.

At present there are approximately 20,000 Highways owned trees in the borough which are generally pruned every three years, however, financial restrictions have recently altered this pruning regime and the Tree Section is currently reviewing its maintenance programme. Although full surveys are yet to be completed it is estimated that there are another 35,000 trees owned by the other departments combined.

The Tree Section is also responsible for Larkswood and Ainslie wood in which there are numerous trees that are yet to be surveyed.As can be seen there is a large tree resource in the borough of which the community can be proud. The benefits of trees are well documented and for the tree resource to improve and continue to thrive within the borough it is imperative that they are managed correctly and responsibly.

Benefits of trees
The trees in the borough are for the benefit of the whole community and provide many advantages to the environment in which we live. Trees reduce energy use, clean the air, enhance wildlife habitats and offer psychological benefits for humans that research is just beginning to define. Older and larger trees often maximise these benefits - one large tree can provide oxygen requirements for approximately four people. Urban trees and forests come in many forms, varying from street trees to park groves and garden thickets. Regardless of what collective or solitary forms they appear in, all trees are capable of providing multiple benefits. Trees absorb pollution, prevent soil erosion, reduce glare, enhance recreation areas, protect against cancer-causing ultraviolet rays, turn vacant areas into playgrounds, serve as teachers, identify communities, provide employment and even catalyse spiritual and creative inspirations.

Ecological benefits
Planting trees combined with reducing impervious surfaces - such as car parks and pavements - buffers bodies of water from runoff and associated pollution. Trees provide shade and help reduce radiated temperatures from buildings and roads thereby reducing energy use in heating buildings. They provide habitats and food for wildlife and provide "green corridors" for wildlife to travel from one habitat to another. Trees also help to reduce noise pollution either by providing a dense barrier of sound deadening vegetation or by producing opposing sound waves - when leaves, twigs and branches rustle - to the obtrusive noise thereby helping to cancel the noise out.

Social benefits
Social benefits are well documented in a number of studies. Urban trees can have a positive impact on the financial success of commercial areas, a recent study indicates that shoppers are willing to pay as much as 10% more for goods and services if businesses are located in tree-lined streets. Studies have also shown that property values can be up to 15% higher in "green and leafy" areas. Perhaps more unexpectedly research has revealed that residential buildings with greener surroundings had fewer crimes committed in the area; this reduction included both property crimes and violent crimes. This study also linked green environments with reduction in mental fatigue, a condition that often accompanies violent behaviour.

Trees improve health
If an urban forest had no other benefits, this factor alone should establish trees as an extremely important resource within the borough: trees actually improve the physical and mental health of human beings. It is a fact that trees trap airborne particulates and reduce carbon dioxide. The result: pollution is reduced and the air becomes much healthier to breathe.

Believe it or not, research studies show that an environment with trees can reduce human stress and recovery time for hospital patients. Surgical recovery patients - looking out of windows at trees versus a barren landscape or concrete jungle - had shorter hospital stays. Also, these patients having access to natural views required fewer medications for pain and received two-thirds fewer negative evaluations by nurses.

A Green Environment for Now and the Future

2008-02-28T03:24:00.000-08:00

In the past, the major need of people in this world was arable land. Man did not have to think about animate things. However, now the adverse effects on forests through over-population and the development of various chemical elements in the atmosphere have led to irregular rainfall and global warming. This global warming has brought changes in climate, including making perennial snow mountains melt, thereby adversely affecting not only human beings but also other living species.

This dangerous situation is being taken very seriously by the world. In the past the perennial snow mountains of Tibet had very thick snow. Older people say that these mountains were covered with thick snow when they were young and that the snows are getting sparser which may be an indication of the end of the world. It is a fact that climate change is a slow process taking thousands of years to realize its effect. Living beings and plant life on this planet also undergo change accordingly. Man's physical structure too changes from generation to generation along with the change in climatic conditions.

Because of the growth in the population, a large number of trees are cur for fuel, and to reclaim land for agricultural cultivation. In the case of Tibet, too, the Chinese have now destroyed its ancient trees in a similar way to shaving a man's off. This is not simply the destruction of trees but it also means harming what belongs to the Tibetans. Similarly, the continuing decline in forests in many parts of the world, including America, is adversely affecting the already changing global climate, thus upsetting the lives, not only of mankind, but also of all living beings.

Nature's Best

2008-02-26T23:06:00.000-08:00

Wildlife worries over lack of rain

2008-02-25T03:57:00.000-08:00

-By Mark Kinver
BBC News science and nature reporter

The RSPB says 2006 is one the worst breeding seasons on record for wetland birds.

Rainfall in England and Wales over the past 18 months has been the second lowest since 1976, but water levels in parts of central and southern England are at their lowest level since the 1930s.

"If you have a dry winter like the one we have had then you are not able to make the wetlands suitable for the birds you are trying to attract," says Phil Burston, the RSPB's senior water policy officer.

He said fewer birds such as lapwings, redshanks and snipes have arrived at the charity's wetlands reserves.

"Our reserve at Elmley Marshes in Kent would, in a normal year, have about 200 pairs of lapwings.

"Last year it had 80 pairs, and this year it looks as if we have just 60 pairs. So the trend is downwards."

Mr Burston says that a number of birds that did arrive have made no attempt to nest because conditions are too dry.

He says although the breeding season closes towards the end of June, a dry summer will make matters worse.

"The adults and the young have to find food, such as invertebrates in moist soils. So if these wetlands dry up then the waders will not be able to get access to their food. If that continues, they will eventually die."

To help alleviate the problem, the RSPB has been granted a 28-day licence by the Environment Agency to pump water from a nearby creek on to the marsh.

Fears for fish Elsewhere, the Environment Agency says it is already seeing the consequences
of the prolonged dry period. These include an algal bloom in a lake in Hampshire, and the deaths of
hundreds of fish that became trapped in a shallow stream in Berkshire.

"Because it has been relatively wet during April and May, the impacts have been isolated," says Environment Agency water resources manager Glenn Watts.

A long, hot summer will hit aquatic wildlife, experts say

"However, as we head into the summer they will become more obvious. River levels will drop quite quickly this year unless there is relatively high rainfall."

Mr Watts warns that fish populations will be one of the main casualties of a hot summer: "We would see much lower river flows, oxygen levels dropping,
resulting in more fish being stressed, if not more deaths."

He says that low water levels would also mean that many species would not be able to reach their spawning grounds, remaining in the main rivers, leaving them within the easy reach of predators.

"We will also see more algal blooms, more weed growth, resulting in the
rivers looking quite different," Mr Watts adds.

'Ecological crisis'

This month has seen an increase in evaporation rates and soil losing its moisture, which the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) believes marks the end of the "recharge season" for this year.

In its latest hydrological summary, the centre says groundwater levels and river flows are set to decline through the summer, with the prospect of exceptionally low flows by the autumn.

"Winter rainfall does control how much water is available in soils to tide plants over dry periods in the summer," says CEH spokesman Barnaby Smith. However, he says it is too early to be talking in terms of an "ecological crisis".

"If we have a wet summer we will probably not see too many adverse effects, but we will not need a particularly long dry period before some plants start to suffer," Dr Smith adds.

Among the most vulnerable species of trees are birch and beech. The trees' shallow roots mean they are dependent on being able to access water near the surface.

One visible sign that trees were suffering from a lack of water would be the shedding of leaves much earlier than the autumnal norm.

In 1976, millions of trees were reported to have been killed by that year's prolonged summer drought.

"This is the sort of thing that we could see again happening this year, but it would depend upon a very long, hot, dry summer," says Glenn Watts.

Balancing act

Agriculture is one area that straddles both the demand for water abstraction and the environmental impact of water shortages. "It is too early to tell if the drought this year is going to be a problem for farmers because we have not got to the stage yet where crops are under stress," says National Farmers' Union (NFU) head of policy services, Andrew Clark.

"The concern for farmers comes in July or August when they want to know whether they will be able to use spray irrigation." Any water restrictions will particularly affect vegetable crops, such as potatoes and onions, which farmers need to continue watering over the summer months. "This is to make sure that we get the right size of potatoes, onions, parsnips, carrots etc that the retail market wants us to provide," Mr Clark
says.

He says farmers are offered guidance on irrigation. The NFU, Environment Agency, and the UK Irrigation Association have all issued advice on the wise use of water. "To be honest," says Mr Clark, "water is such a scarce resource that even in a relatively damp period all responsible irrigators would be looking at their
methods."

The Environment Agency's Glenn Watts says any savings that can be made now will prove invaluable if rainfall levels remain below average. "If we had average rainfall over the summer but another dry winter, similar to the previous two, then water companies will face similar difficulties to this year. "However, if we had a dry summer which was followed by a dry winter then we would face a very difficult situation."

Learning from the Trees

2008-02-23T01:55:00.000-08:00

What's a Druid without trees? For that matter, what's a world without trees? Yet most of us take trees for granted. When I was teaching honors and Advanced Placement English to gifted high school students, I gave the same assignment at the beginning of each school year. Go out tonight, I would instruct them, and hug a tree; then write about your experience.

My students were, of course, incredulous. This woman is nuts. Hug a tree? What's that have to do with learning English? But being the obedient little honors students that they were, everyone always completed her assignment.

The next day each student would read his journal entries aloud. Some were incredibly funny (usually written by self-conscious, he-man, athletic types who reported having crept about in the wee hours of the morning so as not to actually be SEEN doing this dirty deed). But ALWAYS, without exception, the students were amazed at what they felt. While they were aware that trees are alive, their awareness rested at some abstract intellectual level. Once they touched the living thing in its essence, they understood the meaning of the word "alive" in all its nuances.

For most of us, awareness is a touch (or a hug, if you will) away. I know of no other interaction that so immediately and intensely renders us aware of the life around us. So go hug a tree and write about your experience. Once you have completed the exercise, repeat it with another kind of tree. Was there a difference? In Charleston, we have a thousand-year old live oak which natives call "Angel Oak." The breadth and sheer power of this tree (protected in a city park) is incomparable. Each time I have visited and sat at its base, my back against its broad trunk, my feet on the humped stool of an exposed root, I am given what I call my "affirmations" (little signs that reaffirm for me the magic of the universe and my part in it). Sometimes it comes in the form of a visiting hawk; sometimes a horde of butterflies; sometimes I find unique feathers at its base. It provides acorns, moss, and ferns for my spellwork and, of course, a deep sense of peace.

I always leave three shiny copper pennies in its hollows in return. The crepe myrtles that adorn the city streets, on the other hand, are quieter trees. They stand like shy and beautiful women as I stroke their smooth, shiny, twisted trunks. Willows are sad trees whose song is a wistful whish-h-h in the breeze. Birches emote a sense of freshness and possibility. The tree has long been symbolic of life, but I also like to draw the analogy of the tree to the human brain.

Everything in the universe exists in macrocosmic and microcosmic forms. The solar system is mirrored by the atom, a factory by a colony of ants. So, too, are the branching dendrites of our brains which spread from each neuron like the branches of a tree. Dendrites pass information quickly from one neuron to the next, processing at an amazing rate. The better care one takes of a tree, the more branches it produces. The more one uses her brain, the more dendrites are produced. The more dendrites one possesses, the better one's potential for intellectual accomplishment. When Albert Einstein died and left his brain to be analyzed, the only real difference between it and the brains of other humans was in the amazing amount of dendrites Einstein possessed. Science has told us what the trees have always known, that proper use strengthens and enhances.