Here’s the thing, you can never be too clean. Or can you? Recent studies show that our homes contain microbiomes of up to 9,000 bacteria, fungi, and viruses. “There is, however, tantalizing evidence that many microbes are quietly doing us a lot of good. While research into the health-promoting effects of specific microbes is still in its infancy, certain species of bacteria have been linked with improvements in our physical and mental health,” according to Andy Ridgeway of the BBC (,,Put Down the Disinfectant: Should we be encouraging helpful bacteria into our homes?). So this spring as we cl ..read more

You’ve read the statistics – “People who follow a plant-based diet account for 75 percent less in greenhouse gas emissions than those who eat more than 3.5 ounces of meat a day,” – and you’re ready to flex your diet to include more plant-based meals. February’s resolution is to move toward reducing meat consumption to 1.7 ounces or less daily in order to cut carbon emissions to under 12 pounds per day. That is equivalent to taking at least 8 million cars off the road if your normal daily meat consumption is 3.5 ounces or more. What, you ask, will I eat instead? Let’s begin with a review of th ..read more

It’s January and the post-holiday sales have begun - 70% off at H&M, 74% off at Zara, and a whopping 85% off at Shein. They’re practically giving it away! What do all these companies have in common? They are the top-selling brands marketing Fast Fashion, the term used for inexpensive clothes produced quickly to meet the latest trends. Unfortunately, the hidden cost of fast fashion falls on wildlife, habitats, and natural resources. As with many products, today’s consumers own much more clothing than they have historically. Consider this statistic: “,In 1930, the average American woman own ..read more

With our first snowfall behind us and the solstice just weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about winter. The beautiful orange and yellow leaves of autumn have fallen to the ground, leaving only bare branches. Most of our summer migrants – Bullock’s Orioles, Barn Swallows, and Turkey Vultures – have already left, migrating south to Central and South America. The little garter snakes that solicited squeals of delight from children – and shrieks of terror from others – as they slid across our sidewalks in pursuit of prey, have all retreated to their underground hibernacula, where they will ..read more

As we approach the holidays, let’s plan proactively for a sustainable celebration of the season, our families, customs, and the conclusion of another year by thinking about our grocery list. Food will inevitably be a part of our festivities and a good place to consider ways to lighten our impact on the rest of the species with whom we share our world. Project Drawdown, an organization dedicated to finding effective solutions to the climate change crisis, has rated “Reduced Food Waste” as the highest impact solution to keep global temperature rise to 2ᵒF or less by 2100. Granted, a lot of the ..read more

Have you ever felt sad for an animal when you’ve been visiting a zoo, seeing a beautiful, exotic animal deprived of the natural environment and experiences it would be enjoying in the wild? Maybe that feeling colors your attitude towards zoos in general. You might be surprised to learn that sometimes zookeepers and other staff members feel that way, too. But knowing that our work as part of the global network of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is necessary for saving animals from extinction steels our resolve to give these animals the best lives possible while under our care. We a ..read more

Mark Twain said, “Climate is what we expect, and weather is what we get.” And that’s a good way to summarize it, but I wonder what Twain would have said about climate change? This summer was a great example of weather vs. climate. Remember June? Remember how lovely the cool, crisp days were and all that rain that brought us the greenest spring in years? It felt so unexpected and bountiful, so unlike our usual spring which tragically turns to summer in a mere week or so. Then came July and we paid our good weather debt from June with day after day of triple digit temperatures. If we look at the ..read more

Contributing blogger - Anne Casey - Virtual education Coordinator I came across an interesting book recently, but it was the title of the book that really got me thinking. Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainier and Claudia West presents a plan to invite nature back into our built spaces. Great! But “Post-Wild World”? - what a depressing phrase. Have we really come to such a state? Maybe. A 2005 NASA study found that American lawns are our country’s biggest irrigated crop – larger than corn, wheat, and fruit orchards combined – covering a combined area of 63,000 square miles, almost 2 ..read more

What a difference a few months makes! Although this is welcome moisture for our gardens, lawns, and local agricultural communities, we humans still like to point out the bothersome things. APRIL 2023 JUNE 2023 So. Many. Mosquitoes. Many types of mosquitoes do not feed on blood but are in fact, pollinators. Additionally, mosquitoes ,serve as food for many other animals including bats, birds, salamanders, and frogs. So they do serve a purpose, but cause discomfort for others. It is ok to spray for mosquitoes when pollinator-appropriate solutions are available. ,The Xerces Society has numerous s ..read more

The peak of bird migration is winding down across our region. The evening of May 22nd was the busiest migration night, with ,449,200 birds crossing Pueblo County. Birds migrate north during the warmer months because of the abundance of food, like Miller moths, and blooming flowers. If you find yourself awake around dawn or even a little after, you may hear birds chirping and communicating with each other. The sounds many of us are familiar with belong to ,white-winged doves or ,robins. ,House finches bring a bright song to the mix too. If you listen carefully though, you’ll begin to hear othe ..read more