Celebrating Plants and the Planet:

 

Welcome back! One of the joys of being a gardener is that after the Holidays, when the trees are bare and the ground is frosty, the plant catalogues arrive. Page after colorful page of possibilities. The mind races.  I guess that's why January's links at www.zooplantman.com  (NEWS/Botanical News) cover an odd assortment of topics.

                                                                       

·         What is your facility's or business' impact on the ecosystem? Do you know? Can you evaluate it? Here is a link to a number of useful assessment tools, all evaluated and compared.

·         If a tree caught fire in a forest, could it call for help? Yes, here is a tree-powered device that alerts authorities to forest fires.

·         The latest nail in the coffin of corn as biofuels is a new study of the effect on biodiversity and, consequently, the economic cost of losing insect diversity.

·         A fruit's dilemma: attract seed dispersers, but deter pests. A fruit's solution: spice! (Answering the age-old question: why do strong spices exist?)

·         My New Year Resolution is based on solid research: gardening and a stiff drink protect us against dementia and early death.

 

Need regional information on pollinators and how to attract and support them? This site has terrific ecosystem-specific brochures you can download (well worth a look!): http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm

 

Please share these stories with associates, staff, docents and -- most importantly -- visitors! Remember, over a hundred other stories can be found in the archive section of the website.

 

Rob

 

Zoo Horticulture

Consulting & Design

Greening design teams since 1987

 

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