Browsing: Environment

“It’s not a day. It’s a movement.” The very first Earth Day was organized and held on April 22, 1970. Since that monumental day, EARTHDAY.ORG, the founders of developing a day to help protect the Earth and its inhabitants, has mobilized over 1 billion people each year on Earth Day and every single day to protect the planet. Since 1970, Earth Day has evolved into “the largest civic event on Earth, activating billions across 192 countries to safeguard our planet and fight for a brighter future.”

The Garden Guru will return to Lucedale on May 4 and promises to be both entertaining and informative. This guru, Felder Rushing, is a guy who begs you to get dirty.

It is impossible to pass up a dandelion seed ball and not blow out all the seeds. I have no recollection of who showed me that it was a rule, but I did disperse quite a few seeds in my youth. First you closed your eyes, made a wish, and then blew as hard as you could with the goal of leaving only the stem behind.  Oh, and dandelions have pretty yellow flowers

I absolutely love the Facebook page and the website for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP). Both resources offer outdoor enthusiasts in our great state a plethora of information, along with an ongoing calendar of upcoming activities.  

The Northern Mockingbird is one of the best-known backyard birds across the U.S. It is not shy, easily recognizable, and…

For Mississippians, the Natchez Trace Parkway is such an ever-present part of our world that we often forget just how unique it really is.

Of the many species of carnivorous plants that inhabit our world, sundews are my favorites. They trap their insect diet with a carpet of short glands with sticky tips that grow from the surface of their leaves. The glue-like substance at the tips of these glands glisten in the sun, giving these plants their common name – sundews.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are one of the more interesting of our North American woodpeckers. As their name implies, they do have…

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds return to the northern Gulf Coast on or about the Ids of March. And the first clue to…

Donna Yowell has earned the title of the “First Lady of Horticulture in Mississippi.” Born and educated in Mississippi, Yowell has a heart for farming and teaching, a passion for preservation and organization, and the determination to make a positive economic impact. For over thirty years, Yowell has worked tirelessly to bring a whole new growing and flowering cottage industry to farming in Mississippi. 

Looking to downsize? Some states are more ideal for a tiny house than others. The verdict: Mississippi is the No.…

For me, Sweetbay Magnolia is the unsung hero among magnolias of the Gulf and Atlantic coastal regions. Smaller than its showier Southern Magnolia relative, the species is nonetheless a prominent feature of our landscape. It gives Bayhead Swamps their name and, along with Southern Magnolia, are the more common among all seven species of Magnolias.

Of the many species of plants that I encounter, the spikey ones are often the most interesting. It is true that I do visit some odd habitats and locations, but Southern Prickly Ash always gets my attention when I spot it in the places I frequent. But the thorns and spines are just some of the traits of this curious tree.

Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi has a wide range of park programs planned for 2024. These educational and informative…

Have you seen cicadas in the news lately? There’s a lot of excitement about the periodic cicadas that only emerge every 13 or 17 years, depending on location.

As far as spiders that live in our homes go, the Southern House Spider is the largest and most imposing – certainly when you first spot one.