News & Opinion

Sometimes our Climate Change and environmental problems seem overwhelming. But there are a lot of people working on solutions. Here are just two stories to inspire you.

Bees, butterflies… they fly all around us but do we notice? We should because without them our food supply would suffer irrevocably. Saving pollinators is really about saving us.

How well do you think you know other species that roam this incredible globe? We realize that to fully embrace the diversity of life on this planet, both flora and fauna, we could spend some time learning about some of them. We enjoyed a lighter read this past month, The Soul of an Octopus: A […]

According to a recent article in the Bay Journal, “The Maryland darter, one of the rarest fish in the world, has been missing in action for 33 years. Now, it is headed to the extinction list.” And what is the reason? “According to an evaluation by the [US Fish & Wildlife Service] USFWS, the largest […]

You love our Chesapeake Watershed. You love your neighborhood. Why not bring those two passions together and become an Anne Arundel County Watershed Steward. The Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) is recruiting the next class — the 14th — right now. You can be part of it and of this amazing environmental group […]

by Tom Guay, Executive Director Severn River Association Boy, do we have some great restoration news in the Severn River! Thanks to donors who love oysters, the Severn River Association and the Oyster Recovery Partnership just planted 24 million baby oysters and created a new oyster restoration reef. The new bivalve arrivals are now ensconced […]

If you have a yard, then this tip is perfect for you. Along with other plants, you can grow species that attract butterflies! Plants such as Black Eyed Susans, Lavender, and different variants of Milkweed are some examples. These provide habitat and food for the butterflies. Butterflies are an important pollinator, so increasing their habitat […]

Today’s Sustainable Action: Reusable and Washable Masks! Throughout this pandemic it was probably an easier option for most people to use disposable masks, but as the pandemic winds down please consider using washable masks. These are less harmful to the environment, for disposable ones often end up in waterways and in the ocean. They also […]

An online, collaborative initiative to raise funds for and increase awareness of 10 local, small environmental organizations… We have always said that we a tad different, “a different shade of green,” making us a unique partner in the GreenGive group. Our mission is to bring the community together, for the Greener Good, and we’ve been doing […]

Today’s Sustainable Action: Washable Towels! Paper towels use lots of trees and fossil fuels to make, and they also produce a massive amount of waste. A healthy alternative for drying your hands can be reusable and washable towels! Cloth rags and hand towels are more eco-friendly and will cut down on the money you spend. […]

Today’s Sustainable Action: Using Reusable Bags! Instead of using single-use plastic bags, you can use reusable bags. These can either be reusable plastic containers or reusable sandwich bags; these can be used for lunches and other everyday things. Using these cuts down on the amount of waste you produce that ends up in the landfill. […]

Rarely does a book come around that fills me with hope and inspires me with possibilities, much less shift my perception. In the shit storm of suffering that was 2020, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer was that book for me. Kimmerer is a lovely writer […]

When we moved into 92 Maryland Avenue, which Lynne quickly named the Annapolis Green House, five years ago, the garden was overgrown and planted with old, withering non-native shrubs that were shaded by three beautiful and huge elm trees on the property of the next-door neighbor and the State House. Sadly, these magnificent trees fell […]

Rather than put your natural Christmas tree on the curb for collection, put it in your garden as a bit of habitat for birds to help them survive the winter. Our little feathered buddies take protection from cold and wind in evergreens. Your holiday tree, wreaths and garlands can provide that protection too. Just take […]

We gave your Halloween jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins a dignified demise, back to the Earth. We’re turning them into Pumpkin Spice Compost that you can order now for delivery in a couple of months! NBC4 Washington featured our pumpkin collection during Meteorologist Amelia Draper’s climate segment on food waste. Five tons of pumpkins are now “cooking” […]

by Karen Grumbles I am looking out the window into my backyard at the marcescent light brown beech leaves all uniformly fluttering in the rain. The view comforts and entrances me. ‘Marcescence’ became one of my favorite words in the last few years when we planted a young beech sapling in our yard and I […]

by Karen Grumbles You know the experiences where you are walking through a nature area and you hear the sounds of many birds, see all the different bugs skittering around on the ground and the strikingly beautiful butterflies fluttering around above the shrubs? We all tend to gravitate to places like Quiet Waters Park and […]

Seasoned gardeners break into a smile when they talk about planting edibles in the fall By Rita Calvert For your second harvest: Start late summer and fall months and you can double your yield this year and enjoy homegrown flavor into fall and winter. When I tracked down Homestead Gardens’ expert Gene Sumi to ask […]

by Elvia Thompson (October 19, 2020) – The Severn River Association has been monitoring water quality in the creeks and main stem of our capital river for several years. This year it’s been doing this since early spring – even with the pandemic. Yesterday I joined in so see how it’s done. SRA executive director […]

Get outside and help clean up your local waterway or community! by Jocelyn Fillius Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCAMD) Seasonal Assistant & Lead of Chesapeake Clean-Up Week In partnership with the iAngler Tournament cellphone app, anglers (and all others) are being encouraged to photograph and track litter picked up shoreside or aboard a boat. Normally the […]

Join fellow gardeners, butterfly watchers and native plant enthusiasts in the butterfly garden. Volunteers weed, water, prune and otherwise maintain the Butterfly Garden at the Glendening Preserve’s Plummer House at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. Volunteers learn all about which plants support our native pollinators and how to take care of a vibrant and healthy garden. […]