I got firsthand experience with Habitat for Humanity in 1992 when I joined a crew of all women who built a house in a week in Washington, DC. At that time it was noteworthy that the construction was 100% female powered. I’m glad to say that such a feat wouldn’t garner that much attention these days but Habitat continues to push the boundaries — this time on an environmental note.

Habitat for Humanity International and The Home Depot Foundation just announced …read more of Setting a Green Building Example here

In many parts of the country, admiring fireflies flitting around with their flashing glow is a rite of summer for people of all ages, especially kids.

But there’s concern among some scientists and firefly lovers worldwide that firefly populations may be dwindling. I sure hope that’s not the case. Reasons given are loss of habitat and too much man-made light for them to interpret their flashes.

Their light shows aren’t pure whimsy for them — they need to be able to see the flashes of other lightning bugs because it’s an organized mating ritual crucial to their survival. Males fly around flashing light patterns unique to their species. …read more of Keeping the Firefly Flicker here

From Pooh Bear’s obsession with honey to the popularity of the novel (and movie), The Secret Life of Bees, and the animated Bee Movie starring Jerry Seinfeld, you would think that these striped insects are living the high life.  In actuality, it’s been no picnic being a honey bee lately.

A couple of years ago the buzzword Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) surfaced to describe the unexplained disappearance of millions of bees from their hives. While CCD is turning out to have multiple causes and there’s still much to be figured out, one teensy insect, the varroa mite, is a major player.

Unfortunately, it looks like the destructive varroa mite is here to stay but researchers have found some strains of bees with partial resistance to this parasitic mite.

I wondered what I could do to help honey bees …read more of Helping Honey Bees here

I can see the lawn mowing season on the horizon and I’m ready. I’ve got a reel mower and couldn’t be happier. No messing around with gasoline, no engine tune-ups, and best yet, no pollution.

If you’re jumping into the lawn care circuit for the first time or are contemplating a new lawn mower purchase, consider the merits of going electric or people powered. …read more of Greening Your Lawn Mower here

When my husband and I bought our house many moons ago, one of his few requirements was that it have a small yard. He didn’t want to dedicate a chunk of his summer weekends to the monotonous, sweaty job of mowing the lawn.

Our two kids, who came a few years after the house purchase, complain periodically that there’s no room for a swing set or big fort. I ask, “Which park do you want to play at today?” All in all, it works out fine.

My husband still chuckles with satisfaction when he hears about friends spending hours fertilizing, mowing, and trimming their seas of green.

A smaller lawn benefits the environment through less watering, fertilizing and chemical use. There’s also less time spent mowing (another green move) –  which translates to more free time. Who wouldn’t like that? …read more of Downsize Your Lawn here