When we picture the Piedmont region of North Carolina today, many of us envision forests dominated by pine or smaller hardwoods. However, two of North Carolina’s historic natural ecosystems have all but disappeared by today's 21st century: the old-growth, bottomland forest and the Piedmont prairie from which the region earned its name. “I would have […]
Spend three hours in the Triangle with our newest recommended weekend itinerary! 1 p.m. Arrive at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, 2616 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary. Though found in the traditionally Piedmont Prairie region of North Carolina, this state nature preserve features flora and fauna more typically associated with alpine ecosystems, including the famous hemlock trees […]
All over the world, national government entities and development groups have been investing in ecosystem restoration. While their efforts may be laudable, writes Richard Coniff for Yale Environment 360, the actual results are often not so positive. With multiple studies summarizing the failure of restored ecosystems to “match the performance of natural systems” or even […]
10 a.m. Arrive at Durant Nature Park, 8305 Camp Durant Road, Raleigh. Featuring 5 miles of walking trails in its 237 acres, plus a playground, fishing lake, and Bird and Butterfly Gardens, the park truly has something for everyone. 10:15 a.m. After taking a few minutes to explore the Butterfly Garden, head down the Lake […]
A few years ago, residents of Oregon walking out to their cars after a trip to the mall found thousands and thousands of dead bumblebees covering the pavement. 50,000 bees to be exact, in what “turned out to be the largest bumblebee die-off ever recorded,” writes Matt Miller for his Nature Conservancy blog. This die-off […]
I live in Carrboro, and our drinking water comes from streams and rivers, like Cane Creek, and Bolin Creek, right near our house flows into Lake Jordan, a regional water supply. And this is true for many of us – the majority of Americans get their drinking water from surface water, including streams and rivers, […]
In an interview with Roger Cohn, executive editor of Yale Environment 360, Wendell Berry, a long time author, teacher, and activist, talks about the importance of local, sustainable farming. His views on the future of land in the United States are both pessimistic and optimistic. On the negative side, industrial agriculture has spread, drowning small, […]
In just a few weeks, our local farmers markets will change from their winter to summer schedule! In Durham, April 5 will mark the new season with Saturday hours from 8am – noon and Wednesdays from 3:30 – 6:30pm starting April 16. It's a wonderful time to check out the local produce and pick up […]
9 a.m. Arrive at the Glennstone Nature Preserve, found on Glennstone Drive between Lady Slipper Lane and Amber Stone Way, Durham. Don’t be fooled by its proximity to a residential neighborhood, this 83 acre nature preserve is beautiful and includes trails that wind through a “new growth forest, past an old cabin site, and across […]
One hundred years ago, forests looked very different than they do today. Before 1900, “one in every four hardwood trees in the North America’s eastern forests was an American chestnut,” writes Ferris Jabr in an article published by Scientific American. Their flowers were so numerous in the spring that “from a distance, the hills appeared […]
