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Plethora of Plastic by Katheryn Krupa

2/13/2021

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I've been hearing a lot of new information about the problem of recycling plastic.  The biggest issue is that China is no longer willing to recycle our massive amounts of used plastic. As we seek out new sources for plastic recycling in America, we should each do our own part to turn this situation around. First, I suggest we pay close attention to what we are purchasing. Is the same product available without the Styrofoam or plastic? Why not ask the butcher to wrap your meat or fish in butcher paper?  Can you find fresh fruit and vegetables from a farmer's market or your own garden?  Could you bring your own glass storage containers to the restaurant and ask them to put your order in the glass container instead of a Styrofoam container?  Are you carefully rinsing and cleaning your cans and bottles so they are more easily and safely recycled?  Can you put your cloth bags and reusable produce bags directly into your car so you don't forget them each time you shop. Involve your children and make it a type of scavenger hunt to find items to purchase that don't have plastic. Let's THINK about our actions and how they affect our environment.  Let's consciously avoid plastic as much as we possibly can!  Read this article for more detailed information: Plastic waste | Feature | RSC Education
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Trees - A Solution to Cool our Planet by Katheryn Krupa

10/30/2020

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It’s the day before Halloween and I was watching a NOVA program on how to cool our planet.  As scientists presented various solutions, one idea really stood out to me – plant trees.  Trees capture and hold carbon, which is a major overload to Earth’s delicate system.  Though it is estimated earth has over a trillion trees, far too many have already been stripped away.  One solution is to plant trees.  But where? Everywhere possible!  Areas that are struggling with desertification are increasingly important as well as in parks, subdivisions, land bordering agricultural areas, and especially Rainforests.  Matching native trees to the correct soil and conditions for the area is also important to prevent invasive influence or monocultures and to lessen their loss from disease and pest attack.  The NOVA special pointed to other possible ideas to deal with climate change but this was one of the easiest for all of us to handle.  Where to get them?  Transplant a tree from a median or roadside where it will be mowed down, find saplings in your yard to plant in a nearby open space, sprout your own acorns with your children (soak them in clean water), get bare root pines from your Department of Natural Resources.  Obtain permission to plant trees in local wild spaces or parks. You can also plant them in key places in your yard but don't plant them under power lines or too close to a structure.  Donate to tree planting and Rainforest restoration programs in other countries.  Have your children make this a class, scout, or church project.  Let’s all do our part to cool our planet!
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Extinction - a Terrible Loss by Katheryn Krupa

10/25/2020

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One of the champions for our planet and all of its unique species has been Sir David Attenborough, who has recently come out with a new documentary called Extinction.  Always the ambassador for earth's creatures, he raises the alarm about how rapidly we are reaching a climax of destruction from which it will be very difficult to return.  What I love about his shows (Life on Earth, The Living Planet, Planet Earth, and many other documentaries) are their beautiful photography and in depth examination of each animal and it's habitat. We need do much better than we have to help protect these rare animals!  The pangolin, clouded leopard, the northern white rhino, gray whale, western gorilla and the giant panda are among thousands of amazing animals soon to be lost to us if we don't act soon.  Watch this trailer for the Extinction video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbCR0KSU52g&t=18s and let's all do our part to stop global warming and save these amazing and very special animals.
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Get Outside and Enjoy Nature by Katheryn Krupa

8/29/2020

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One of the things Covid19 has done is isolate many of us from one another.  It has also inspired a lot of us to get outside into nature to go climbing, hiking, swimming, kayaking, boating and camping.  This is one positive out of this horrible pandemic.  I am currently climbing the mountains in Maine and New Hampshire, as well as kayaking and swimming with family here.  We are a "pod" and take every precaution during our adventures.  It has been a glorious summer with awesome weather!  I am truly impressed with the amount of families and others who pass us on the trails. Hiking groups are continuing, now with masks and social distancing, but these are becoming a part of our new normal.  When I sit on top of a mountain like Willard in the White Mountains or Pleasant Mountain in Maine, I am amazed at the sheer beauty of our earth.  The sounds of birds and crickets, the laughter of little children running down the path, the still quiet in the deep woods, the smells of pine and earth, the majestic changing hues of a sunset over sparkling waters, the broad expanse of stars spread out over the night sky.  So put down the electronics and get outside!  
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Corona Victory Gardens by Katheryn Krupa

5/1/2020

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Photo from Ecohome.net
I've been thinking alot about planting a "Victory Garden". This is a FUN activity to do with your children during our "Stay at Home" quarantine! I noticed our yard had a large, unused area in front of our house in the woods that MIGHT work as a vegetable and herb garden.  I have always wanted to grow a garden again, but normally I am gone so often I could not weed or water it.  So this year, forced to be home by the Corona virus, I decided to try my hand at a garden again.  The other issue I have is that we live in a thick woodland but last winter we lost three huge oaks to oak wilt, so this opened up a bit of sun for my plot.  First step was digging up the soil.  UGH!  I discovered a layer of huge rocks underneath the ground cover.  What?  So after pitchforking the rocks up, I lined them up around the garden. Next, I set out to prep the soil.  This meant pulling out weeds, myrtle, pachysandra, and grass.  Next, I made a trip to a local store for rich, organic soil to mix into the earth.  I pulled out a variety of pots from the garage to start my seedlings in.  Due to the area being still rather shady, I decided to try beans, lettuce, spinach, brussel sprouts, some herbs, cherry tomatoes (they'll go in the only sunny spot on the porch in a large pot) and snap peas.  I'll post updated photos once the weather warms and I can plant everything (after Memorial Day here in Michigan). 
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Reversing Environmental Protections by Katheryn Krupa

4/21/2020

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Earth day this year is strange and different... Yet these are the times we need to be extremely vigilant. Though some good has resulted in our being quarantined inside our homes such as lower car emissons (fewer cars on the road) and cleaner air due to many shuttered plants, the picture is not all rosy. Legislation is slipping by unnoticed while we are focused on our own survival. Recently, pollution laws have been relaxed to allow coal ash to be poured into rivers and creeks, killing fish and polluting the watershed.https://www.npr.org/2019/11/04/776174139/trump-administration-proposes-relaxing-rules-on-waste-from-coal-plants Now, with a wink and a nod, companies have been invited to disregard air pollution limits (such as limiting the dangerous release of methane and benzene). A March 27, 2020 article in the Guardian reported, " the Trump administration said it will not expect compliance with the routine monitoring and reporting of pollution and won’t pursue penalties for breaking these rules."  The worst in my mind have been changes to the Endangered Species Act, allowing for easier destruction of critical habitat for endangered animals.  Please do your own research on the current administration and then VOTE this fall for the candidates who will protect our earth and its creatures.  This year, every single vote will count!  https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/24/5-major-trump-climate-rollbacks-you-might-have-missed-in-2019.html

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Find Solace in Nature by Katheryn Krupa

4/1/2020

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We are struggling through an unprecedented time with this world-wide pandemic. One positive change I have seen personally nearly every day is this - people are outside hiking, biking, running and enjoying nature. This is so awesome to see! Today as I jogged around our lake I saw ducks skittering along the shoreline...I heard a loon calling with its beautiful tremolo. I heard tiny chickadees flitting from tree to tree, and I watched sandhill cranes flying overhead. It is so important for our mental health that we get outside (still practicing social distancing) and LISTEN to the earth's creatures, NOTICE the emerging beauty around us, and smell the leaves and damp soil beneath our feet.  I know I tend to get "busy" and need to remember to slow down, meditate and be more present in the moment. I am deeply grateful for the beauty of our earth!
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Extinct is Forever

12/9/2019

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There is an interesting TV show on Animal Planet these days, Extinct or Alive.  It follows an enthusiastic fellow, Forrest Galante, who searches for animals that have been declared extinct, seeing if he can find even one remaining living member of the species. He sometimes then removes the one remaining animal he finds to attempt to breed it with another of its kind (as he did with the Fernandina tortoise he found still alive in the Galapagos). I have mixed feelings about this.  This might possibly work in that hopefully then the offspring could eventually be reintroduced into the wild...IF...the pair are able to be bred in captivity.  Often this is problematic.  I'm happy he is finding creatures that were previously thought extinct...yet it worries me that meddling will destroy their desperate chances of long term survival.  At least the show highlights the sad fact that we are destroying earth's animals and their habitat at an alarming rate.  We need to each do what we can in our sphere of influence to teach others to treasure every single creature and the incredible diversity and beauty of our planet - before it is too late.
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A Changing World by Katheryn Krupa

10/18/2019

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Art by Sam Willcoxx
Think about what you notice has changed in our world today?  As a child, I remember chasing thousands of fireflies on a dark summer night.  Now, I typically only see a few at night.  I recall evenings hiking near the woods and seeing dozens of bats flying overhead chasing a dinner meal.  Now, I rarely see any bats at all in the night sky.  Butterflies used to be regular visitors in the fields, gardens and roadsides of my youth.  Now their numbers are significantly diminished.  Entire ecosystems are being affected by human life! Insecticides are wiping out insects from bees to butterflies.  White nose syndrome has devastated our bat populations as a result of climate change. Plastic suffocates our oceans and enters the ocean food chain building up in the bodies of marine wild life.  We are the cause and it is up to us to reverse the course of this deadly downward spiral.  STOP using plastic in its many forms.  STOP spraying fields with pesticides.  Start buying organic non-GMO food.  Plant flowers and plants like bee balm, milkweed or blazing star that offer a way station for monarchs, bees and other beneficial insects crucial to our fragile food chains.  One person at a time - we CAN make a difference.  
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Climate Change is Real by Katheryn Krupa

9/28/2019

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There are many amazing young people who have stepped up to the plate to fight for a better planet by trying to make a difference with regard to climate change.  Our earth is in serious trouble at this point - and these young activists are working hard to make a difference.  Of course, most people have heard of Greta Thurnberg, but have your heard of Isra Hirsi or Autumn Peltier or Mari Copeny?  CNN points out these youth are working hard to bring attention to the serious problems our earth is facing from water pollution, to global warming, to ecological devastation, to pollution and land destruction. For more info on these young activists, visit this link below: 
 https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/28/world/youth-environment-activists-greta-thunberg-trnd/index.html  
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A Healthy Lawn and a Healthy Lake by Katheryn Krupa

7/25/2019

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If you live near a lake, even just lake access, I highly recommend that you stop using Tru Green or any lawn fertilizer services!  Why? Fertilizer runoff enters the groundwater carrying harmful chemicals such as phosphorus that eventually work their way into nearby lakes and streams, causing harm to the water quality.  Pishaw you might say!  Do the research...check your local lake's water quality...it really does make a difference!  Our subdivision's lake, Dunham Lake, has experienced a degradation of quality due to people using excessive amounts of fertilizer (even those without nitrogen and phosphorus) and it is directly affecting the lake.  Sadly, people prefer a "perfect lawn" to a clean lake.  So let's all do our part! Let a few weeds creep in. Raise the blade a little higher and let the clippings stay on the lawn.  Cancel that contract with the fertilizer company.  For more info, read the resources on this link: ​http://www.canandaigualakeassoc.org/get-involved/lake-friendly-living/ 
Additionally, follow the below step-by-step guide to a healthy, lake-friendly lawn.  http://www.canandaigualakeassoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Cornell-lawn-care-guide.pdf
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Protecting Ancient Forests by Katheryn Krupa

7/4/2019

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While in Costa Rica this week, I visited an ancient Rainforest in Nosara.  This protected space was teeming with wildlife covered by a canopy of huge, ancient trees that were hundreds of years old according to our guide (one was over 600!).  I was reminded of America's redwoods and giant sequoias.  These massive trees are protected and it is illegal to cut them down, but only within the ecological preserve.  As we rode along on our horses, we heard the strange, haunting howls of howler monkeys, beautiful bird songs, and saw multi colored lizards and iguanas, red and black crabs, butterflies and trees with huge, emerald green leaves.  After our horseback ride through the forest, we left the preserve and I thought I could hear the distant sound of chainsaws.  As we came around a sharp bend, the dense forest opened up and I saw row upon row of hundred year old trees that had just been logged, lining the road.  Sadly, they would never grow into the giants we had just encountered.  Our code of life must include caring for our earth.  Our treatment of the environment around us MUST change, before we lose the beautiful, incredible diversity of plants and animals we have been lucky enough to enjoy.  I am reminded of a song by Crosby, Stills and Nash...

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good-bye.
Teach your children well,
Their father's hell did slowly go by,  
and feed them on your dreams
the one they pick
the one you'll know by...
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Water Pollution

4/8/2019

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Photo courtesy of Science.org
As spring brings warm weather and the snow has melted, creeks and rivers are flowing stronger and spring peepers are busy calling for a mate.  Thinking of kayaking in this warm weather reminds me of the importance of keeping our waterways and water sources clean and pure.  There are simple things we can do to make a difference - from properly disposing of medications (drop them off at the pharmacy or police station) to keeping our waterways clean (don't pour oil or chemicals down drains, sewers or on the ground.  They will eventually end up in our water.  These can either be taken to hazardous waste day (check your local government website) or take car oil or antifreeze to a car repair facility that can recycle it. Don't fertilize lake lawns but if you must, be sure to use low nitrogen lake-friendly fertilizer OR plant native plants to replace grass.  Finally, nothing belongs in the toilet except toilet paper (septic friendly) and human waste.  Let's all do our part to keep our water clean and safe!  For more information, visit this website:  https://www.basementguides.com/water-pollution/  Thanks to Tyler and The Green Teens Club for this important information!
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Reduce - Don't Just Recycle by Katheryn Krupa

12/9/2018

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REDUCE instead of just recycling plastic.  Just because you put something in a recycling bin, doesn’t mean it gets recycled!  50% of items put in recycling bins doesn’t get recycled.  Why? China is no longer accepting as much recycled material, so now it is going into landfills.  As a result, our earth is swimming in plastic.  It is estimated that 14 billion pounds of plastic per year ends up in our oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers 1.6 million square kilometers — 617,000 square miles — according to a new report from The Ocean Cleanup foundation. Wow!  We need to focus more on reducing or stopping our use of plastic. Plastic is choking our oceans, killing our whales, dolphins, turtles and sea life.  There are huge patches of floating plastic in the ocean, some bigger than the state of New Jersey!  All this started around 1950 and it keeps getting worse every year.  Let’s stop the madness!  I challenge you to purchase items not packed in plastic.  Don’t use plastic bags, don’t drink water from plastic bottles, don’t use straws or plastic or Styrofoam drink cups. Take it a step further and don’t purchase clothing made with polyester, nylon, acrylic and synthetic fibers.  Re-use old clothing for rags, woven rugs, or dog bedding.  If you must purchase polyester, buy polyester cotton blends which shed less plastic in the wash than pure polyester or acrylic clothing.  Bring a glass container to take home leftovers from the restaurant.  Place a thin mesh bag on the end of the washing machine hose to capture fibers.  Most of all, change your life style and live more mindfully.  
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Families of Trees by Katheryn Krupa

7/1/2018

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​Recently, my aunt told me she was planning to cut down trees on her Maine tree farm as part of her Forestry Plan.  I was glad she is protecting the area of old growth forest on her beautiful farm.  Everyone who visits her small patch of mature forest, falls in love with the ancient white pines that stand like sentinels watching over the fern lined, mossy forest as it slopes toward the nearby pond.  Oddly enough, I also stumbled across an article in a scientific magazine reviewing the amazing work of Peter Wohlleben who wrote The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate (public library).  In it he explains how trees form supportive networks, “families” if you will, nurturing and helping other trees to survive in surprising ways.  He discovered this when he found an ancient tree stump felled hundreds of years before that was still alive!  Trees nearby were “feeding” it with nutrients and sugars through their roots as well as using an interesting fungal network.  Again, I thought of clear cut forests and even woodlands where many, but not all, trees have been culled.  Often the few remaining trees die because they have lost their supportive network, their protection from wind, heat and sun provided by nearby trees.
 
“There are advantages to working together. A tree is not a forest. On its own, a tree cannot establish a consistent local climate. It is at the mercy of wind and weather. But together, many trees create an ecosystem that moderates extremes of heat and cold, stores a great deal of water, and generates a great deal of humidity. And in this protected environment, trees can live to be very old.”

Interesting to me was the discovery that “mother” or parent trees were supporting younger saplings that struggle to reach sunlight in the dense canopy and were unable to easily use photosynthesis to convert sugar into food.  Here the older nearby trees helped by sending sugar through their network of roots to feed the younger trees. We need to recognize that forests are families…interconnected ecosystems…and treat them with respect as we consider our forestry plans. 
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