Reasons to be hopeful

Plant food for pollinators

The environmental story, as it's currently unfolding, is sad, but there are reasons to be hopeful. 

This post begins a series on simple things you can do to help  turn things around.   

ONE: Now that spring is here, your backyard is a great place to begin helping pollinators, which are endangered due to habitat loss, monoculture, insecticides and pesticides. 

You can help bees, butterflies and moths (and their caterpillars), hummingbirds and bats by planting flowers that provide nectar and pollen. For example, plant milkweed for butterflies, especially Monarchs, which are in steep decline, and choose native plants whenever possible. You can even create a Monarch Waystation.



City dwellers with access to a patio, balcony or rooftop can participate as well with containers and window boxes. Watch this video for tips and learn more here.

All your stories are sad

Wild Sri Lankan elephants search for food in a dumpsite on the outskirts of a small town bordering the Wasgamuwa National Park. As their habitats become more fragmented, wild elephants are increasingly forced to venture into areas where people live. Photograph by Sean Gallagher

A friend and I were discussing the “sixth extinction” and what it’s like to be writing about the natural world today. What he said next continues to resonate: 

“Teetering on the edge as we are, I bet all your stories are sad.” 

The environmental story, as it's currently unfolding, is sad, but there are reasons to be hopeful.

I’ll have more to say in my next post.