Look around almost any neighborhood in the United States and you’re likely to see acres and acres of turf grass. How we got to this point of ‘lawn-superiority’ is the result of a deep and troubling history that we explored in our first blog of this lawn series, but where we go from here is just as important. While lawns might be the American standard, that doesn’t mean they are the best choice for wildlife—or even for people. The Cost of Lawns (Literally and Figuratively) The American obsession with having not just a lawn, but one that is ‘perfect’ has enormous costs associated with it. It was ..read more

Lawns are often thought of as a staple of an American home, but what role do they play in the future of gardening? Read our related blogs in this series, Why We Have Lawns and Why We Shouldn’t Have Lawns, to catch up on the history and impacts of turf-grass landscapes as we now dive into ways to reduce and replace lawn. Some blooms that flourish in unmown lawns can actually pose a threat to our local ecosystems, including the invasive species pictured here, lesser celandine. Photo credit: Tess RenuschGoing Beyond No-Mow May No-Mow May is a trend that has been gaining steam among gardeners, enc ..read more

In the heart of Southeast Georgia, nestled within the vast expanse of longleaf pine forests, lies the Willie Hodges Estate Family Farm—a testament to the harmonious balance between economic prosperity and ecological stewardship. On a crisp February day in 2024, the Hodges property became the backdrop for a transformative event—NWF’s annually hosted Learn & Burn—an opportunity for fellow landowners to gather, learn, and ignite their passion for conservation. Herbert Hodges, a minority landowner and champion for Longleaf restoration, stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration in the realm of ..read more

Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a climate tool that removes carbon dioxide from the ambient air. Since our natural carbon sinks like forests and oceans are overwhelmed, excess emissions have built up in the atmosphere and are warming the planet. Scientists refer to these emissions as legacy emissions. The technology separates carbon dioxide (CO2) from air that passes through a very fine filter with chemicals that bind to the CO2. The separated CO2 is then condensed and either sold for other industrial uses, such as the CO2 in carbonated beverages, a feedstock for industrial products like plastics ..read more

Professional conferences provide a platform for like-minded organizations and professionals to come together to advance communication and collaboration around shared priorities that help shape the future of any given field. The early childhood education and nature-based outdoor learning fields are no exception, which is why the National Wildlife Federation’s Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) initiative makes conference participation a priority. ECHO’s team of educators and landscape architects engages early childhood education professionals and community stakeholders in collaborative proc ..read more

The National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Southeast Forestry Outreach Internship program is committed to cultivating the next generation of conservationists and professionals in the fields of forestry, prescribed fire, conservation and equity. NWF’s mission is rooted in conservation, restoration, and advocacy for wildlife and natural habitats. The expansion of our intern program fulfills this mission by incorporating a diverse pool of individuals studying forestry, environmental justice, and associated fields. The addition of interns, particularly those with ties to Historically Black Colleges ..read more

Many envision the ‘perfect’ American lawn as a lush, uniform green carpet that covers their outdoor space. But beneath this verdant facade lies a complex social history and significant environmental dilemma. The lawns that stretch across the United States, covering an astonishing 40 million acres—an area as expansive as Colorado—embody a tradition deeply rooted in cultural status but fraught with ecological consequences. These perfectly manicured landscapes, while picturesque, now consume around 9 billion gallons of water daily, introduce a myriad of toxins into our ecosystems, and offer scant ..read more

Following decades of their release into the environment, PFAS are ubiquitous and have been found in wildlife species in every continent. PFAS are commonly referred to as forever chemicals — they don’t break down in their environments. Extensive research has been done to observe the impacts of PFAS exposure on human health, but data gaps and questions remain regarding their impact on ecosystem and wildlife health. How can we better understand the effects on wildlife that share the burden of PFAS contamination and integrate wildlife health into solutions to address chemical pollution? Wildlife a ..read more

When Daniela Robles—a University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) senior and first-generation student in USCB’s Promise Scholars Program—connected with College and Community Partners Program (C2P2) through an internship in the summer of 2023, she connected with the organization’s commitment to centering community voices within broader movements for environmental justice.   Robles grew up on a ranch in California and always felt a deep reverence for and stewardship of the land. She notes that people’s visions for a sustainable world are integral to crafting justice-informed solutio ..read more

On Monday, April 8, Americans from coast to coast will have their eyes turned to the skies. But as this year’s solar eclipse approaches totality, they shouldn’t forget to look around them, too. Eclipses, one of nature’s most unusual and dramatic phenomena, have well-documented effects on animal behavior. In previous eclipses, observers have noticed a general quieting of animal activity around them, with many animals becoming inactive or going silent. A 2017 study at a South Carolina zoo — located in the path of totality of an eclipse that year — found that 75 percent of observed animals change ..read more