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 […]
10 a.m. Arrive at the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, 625 Virginia Cates Road, Durham. At 867 feet, it is one of the highest points in the Triangle, and features “oak forest, pond, field, heath bluff, and river habitats.” With three miles of trails found in the park’s 190 acres, there is certainly a lot […]
10 a.m. Arrive at Sandy Creek Park, 3510 Sandy Creek Drive, Durham, NC. Its 102 acre boundaries include vestiges of an old sewer treatment plant, but also a lovely, small lake, beautiful forest, and of course, the gurgling Sandy Creek itself. 10: 15 a.m. Follow the edge of the field and embark on the wooded […]
Insects smaller than your pointer finger are taking down the giant hemlocks, the “redwoods of the east” that can grow as high as 150 feet, says Randy Edwards in a Nature Conservancy blog. Only the most recent of a long line of devastating invasive species, the hemlock woolly adelgids are killing hemlocks from Georgia to […]
Photos courtesy of www.wattsgrocery.com 10 a.m. Arrive at the downtown Durham entrance to the American Tobacco Trail, 705 Willard Street, Durham. After a long awaited construction project, the 22+ rails-to-trails project has been completed and is open to the public. This historic trail connects with the East Coast Greenway, which stretches along the east coast […]
“More than 410,000 people live in 171 food deserts across North Carolina” – Jorge Valencia for WUNC North Carolina has a serious problem with food deserts, defined as “an area without access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet” in an […]
The weather was perfect for a morning walk outside. After a week of snow and sleet, the temperature gods had smiled upon us North Carolinians and granted a gorgeous weekend of sun. It was the ideal time to explore someplace new, and I chose the Little River Park and Natural Area. The park is managed […]
Take a spin around New Hill and Raleigh this weekend with a long walk in the woods at Harris Lake County Park, followed by delicious, farm-to-table appetizers at Glenwood Grill. 2:30 p.m. Arrive at Harris Lake County Park, 2112 County Park Drive, New Hill, NC. At 680 acres, the park sits on a peninsula stretching […]
Unilever, a multinational company that owns brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Dove, and Hellman’s mayonnaise, has emerged as a global leader in arresting deforestation. As an industry giant, “Unilever alone purchases about 3 percent of the total global palm oil output,” writes Tiffany Stecker in an article posted by Scientific American. As such, their […]
I arrived in mid-morning to the Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, my designated Great Backyard Bird Count site. The air was chilly but the sun was shining with the promise of warmer temperatures, and I could practically hear the snow melting from the forest floor and running into New Hope Creek. Even from the parking area […]
