I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, just a few miles west of Portland, Oregon, which, in my mind, is the most beautiful place in the world. Every summer we’d head east, driving past massive waterfalls, through mountain ranges and along the majestic Columbia River Gorge to visit my grandmother. Other times there were...
Rudyard Kipling called Milford Sound, or Piopiotahi, “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” It was named by the Māoris after an extinct bird, the piopio, and means “a place for the singing thrush.”
Vivek and I flew 11,929 km to see this iconic natural phenomenon. When asked, “Is it...
I had the honor of heading the Environment Team’s April 2024 Global Issues Book Discussion featuring The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (whose name in German means “good life”), and I wished to share my personal takeaway with a wider audience.
I have always loved trees and have organized or been involved in a...
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals characterized by a chain of carbon atoms that are bonded to fluorine atoms through a process called fluorination.1 PFAS are a class of thousands of chemicals known or suspected to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals. According to the Endocrine Society and the International...
*as gleaned from several urban nature walks taken during the summer of 2023 in and around Paris. This is presented here only as a general introduction to the subject.
WHO: Know which plant species it is you see.
Which characteristics are you relying on to identify the...
During the 2024 FAWCO Interim Meeting in Porto, Portugal, I enjoyed a tour of the Douro Valley. I learned that Portugal is the fourth largest grape-producing country in the world and the ninth largest wine producer. I was dazzled by the natural beauty and wine culture in the valley.
