Practical information for consumers on going green.
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Thursday, September 25, 2003
Invasive Species
On September 20 I participated in a volunteer workday for a Front Range--Colorado restoration group called Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (www.wlrv.org). As a volunteer for this group, I've revegetated social trails (those trails people make when they don't feel like walking on the official trail or when there isn't an official trail), built new trail, and planted water-loving plants along streams to steady the banks.
I enjoy all this immensely, though it is hard work. On September 20 I decided to join the crew pulling diffuse knapweed, a noxious weed that is doing serious damage throughout western states. (Russian knapweed and spotted knapweed are also invasive in the United States.)
Knapweed is a 2 to 3-foot-tall, bushy plant that can be most easily identified by the spiky bracts from which the flowers arise. To see a picture, go to www.oneplan.org/Crop/noxWeeds/nxWeed06.htm. This site also provides links to information about other plants.
If' you are interested in learning what plants are invasive in your area, go to www.invasivespecies.gov and click on the link to Species Profiles.
posted by Beth at 8:23 AM
bapartin@yahoo.com
Thursday, September 04, 2003
Internet Action
Sorry, I'm not talking about porn. I'm talking about taking action to protect the environment online. There are many sites that enable you to express your views on issues. Here are a few I've used:
Conservation Action Network
Sponsored by World Wildlife Fund, otherwise known as the Panda People. Go to
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/
Action Center
Sponsored by Environmental Defense, the organization that was founded in 1967 to ban DDT in the United States. Go to
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/actioncenter.cfm
Global Response
This organization supports communities around the world in their efforts to protect their local environments. Global Response has a network of activists who write letters to government officials or corporate executives. They have an impressive track record. Go to http://www.globalresponse.org/.
These three action networks are my favorites, but there are millions of others. Try the RainForest Action Network (http://www.ran.org/), The Hunger Site (http://thehungersite.com), or the Forest Conservation Portal (http://www.forests.org/).
posted by Beth at 8:08 PM
bapartin@yahoo.com
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