Where Have all the Plastics Gone??
In the book, Saving the Places we Love, I described the major oceanic gyres and how they tend to concentrate the plastics that we discard. Many of the original pieces of plastic that have gotten into our oceans have broken down and now exist in many sizes down to micro-plastics. They are easily consumed by a wide range of marine life and eventually by us. These large, floating plastic enclaves, some as large as the state of Texas, can be harmful to marine life because along with the chemicals associated with the (more…)
Monarchs and Mojitos
Last night I, and 140 of my closest friends, spent the evening at the Howard County Conservancy’s Monarchs and Mojitos event. Mark Raup and Paula Shrewsbury, both professors in the entomology department at the University of Maryland, were our hosts for the evening. We heard a great deal of interesting aspects about the life of a Monarch butterfly and the challenges this beautiful species faces. Monarchs are threatened with extinction (more…)
Take These Courses for Fun, Inspiration, and Impact
There are several wonderful programs and short courses you can take to get more involved in your community and in saving and restoring our local and global environments. I encourage you to sign up now and take at least one of these. Everyone I know raves about how much they have learned and how they were inspired to get more involved in their backyards and in their communities. Please pass this notice on to others who may also (more…)
Behavior Change Requires A Spectrum of Actions
There is often a debate on “What can be done” when it comes to solving problems. Some people call on government actions to encourage or require an across the board change of behavior to fix the problem. Others will say that education is the answer. That people will do the right thing if they understand the problem – that all we have to do is provide everyone with the facts.
Well as it turns out from many decades of (more…)
Lake Elkhorn’s Past, Present, and Future – Join me for a Walk on Thursday Aug 20th
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Lake Elkhorn is my favorite lake to walk around. I have done it 3000 times. I have written about it in both of my books and on previous blogs. It has so much to offer and there is so much to see. I invite you to come take a walk with me this Thursday at 10 am to discover the past, the present, and discuss what the future might be like (more…)
Why I Lead Walks
I love walking through the woods, along streams, and around lakes because there is so much to see and discover. There are eagles, osprey, beaver, turtles, and a host of herons. There are old foundations, overgrown driveways, and ancient trees. I feel like an explorer finding new bits of (more…)
An Environmental Health Bill of Rights
Over the past 200 years we have attempted to establish what we think are our innate rights for the society we live in. We have made progress in identifying these rights in some areas of our lives. However there is much more that needs to be done, especially in the area of environmental health. These innate rights (described below) and our quality of life are threatened as our population and our consumption practices keep (more…)
Return of the Thrush (supporting the arts)
I always note with a great deal of pleasure each spring when I hear the first flute like calls of the wood thrush. His return in May is like an old friend showing up with a big smile. He calls from the tallest trees early and late in the day and when the clouds cover the sun. He slows down my pace and makes me turn toward the canopy and smile.
This year at about the same time as the return of (more…)
Ned’s Top Ten Radical Environmental Acts
These ten radical steps will greatly improve your life. They will directly improve your health, stamina, productivity, creativity, and financial well-being. They are also important for the future health of our communities and the planet. Best of all, you can take these steps without being thrown in jail. I consider them to be radical acts because they are not the norm. Most people have not taken the time to think through the negative impacts of their daily actions or develop the discipline to reduce their impacts. It is important that we all take (more…)
Ned’s Top Ten Canoe Trips in Maryland
This list is just to get you started on your paddling adventures throughout Maryland. At some point you might be good enough to kayak, canoe, or raft down the exciting Savage or Youghiogheny rivers in western Maryland. They can be very challenging so they are not included here. This list also does not include many of the (more…)
Now Available
Saving The Places 