Museum of Science Educates Boston on Bee Decline

source image courtesy of DIYdreamer

Boston's Museum of Science is concerned alongside farmers, agriculturalists, economists and consumers with the sudden decline of the honey bee population.  Bees are responsible for the pollination of flavorful goods such as almonds, peaches, soybeans, apples, pears, cherries and many others.  They are commercially shipped en masse across the U.S. often for rental by farmers.  The bee population has fluctuated over time but this recent extreme loss of bees can is defined by Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).  The main factor in this phenomenon is that the bees seem to disappear.  In CCD Cases, there are very few dead bees found in the hive or around the apiary and sometimes the bees leave behind larvae and eggs.

Honey bee pollination supports an estimated $25 billion worth of agricultural production.   As of now, there isn’t an explanation for this drop in bee population.   A Museum of Science representative, Erin Ross, mentions that one theory may be, “Varroa mites, viruses, climate change, pesticides, and other factors - combine to create the ‘perfect storm.’” Many organizations, private and government funded, are committed to finding an explanation.

The Museum of Science’s Hall of Human Life offers a section on the bee’s role in food production, their social structure and their unique ability to reverse aging and return to a former body type.  Our Discovery Center allows children to dress up as bees and do the “waggle dance” in order to teach them about how bees communicate the location of pollen and nectar.  From this exhibit you can see three working hives located on the roof, one of which should be very active as the weather warms up. There is also another hive on display in the Museum.

5 Easy Green Lifestyle Tips for Spring

Image courtesy of Lets Go Ride A Bike

1. Forget driving, taking cabs, or even taking the T - bikes rule this time of year, and for good reason, they are a low carbon, quick way to get around the city.

2. No heat or air conditioning. Open up those windows and breath the fresh spring air!

3. Unplug your workout. Now that the weather is nice, there is no need to go to the gym and use energy-intensive machines. Instead, try jogging outside or taking a class.

4. In season, local foods. Strawberry season is right around the corner, so look for locally grown options. 

5. Air dry your laundry. This is one of the best ways to reduce energy use and save money. Plus, you'll be surprised how fast your clothing dries on a sunny day. 

Happy Arbor Day

source image courtesy of flickr

Movie Night Suggestion

image courtesy of tumblr

If you haven't already seen the eye-opening documentary Blackfish, I highly recommend you get on Netflix and watch it ASAP! As a lover of wildlife, I was horrified to learn of the conditions in which many orcas are kept around the globe. While SeaWorld claims that much of Blackfish is false or misleading, the documentary certainly does a good job of making people think of the human-animal relationships in zoos of all types. There are always more than one version of the truth, but an opinion on orca captivity simply should not be made without viewing this film. 

Eco Events in Boston This Week

source image courtesy of flickr

MONDAY:

• Go outside! Temps may hit 60 around noon!

TUESDAY:

• New England Women in Energy and the Environment Awards Gala

WEDNESDAY:

• Its Spring! Time to purchase your Hubway Pass.

THURSDAY:

• New England Aquarium Lecture Series: The Future of Forage Fish

FRIDAY:

• Cannoli Friday at Hub Bicycle Shop

SATURDAY:

• Lecture at Harvard Museum of Natural History - Avian Adaption in a Changing World

SUNDAY:

• Having a lazy weekend? Check out some of Boston Green Blog's Netflix picks!

5 Ways to Contribute to a Shared Outdoor Space

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More and more housing companies are turning away from homes with their own gardens to more vertical houses with shared, co-operative yard spaces.  If you live in a home with spare green space, you might be wondering how best to contribute to it.  Most co-ops ask their users to bring an item as a token of membership, so here are 5 great ways to contribute. 

• BBQ

There’s nothing better than a warm summer’s day outdoors with a barbecue.  Therefore, contributing the BBQ itself could be a very valuable contribution.  Even better, you could build your own using brick and mortar, as this is a great excuse to be outside and to rope in your neighbors to get to know them a little better.  

• Garden Furniture

If you’re looking to provide your shared space with a truly practical gift, there’s nothing better you could do than purchase outdoor furniture from a specialist like Garden Furniture Centre.co.uk.  This could be the beginning of a new social space for you and your neighbors, so providing a great place to relax would be a good start.

• Fun and Games

On the other hand, sometimes a serious, practical gift isn’t necessarily the right approach.  Instead, you could provide the entertainment for the co-op space.  A sustainably-made swing set for the kids or a set of goals for a weekly street soccer match might be a better path to tread, particularly if you’re looking to bring your community closer together.  

• Fruit and Veggie Garden

A fun yet useful approach might be to plant some fruit trees or a vegetable patch.  That way, you and your neighbours could prosper from the annual crop, and meanwhile, you could tend to the garden as a group, providing everybody with plenty of exercise and time outdoors.

• Tools of the Trade

Unfortunately, every garden requires maintaining.  Therefore, you could become everyone’s favorite garden co-operative member by bringing your own (efficient) lawnmower and maintenance tools.  After a few weeks, you could ask the others to join in with the work and you could maybe even create a rotation to ensure that everybody’s doing their fair share.

Good luck and happy gardening! 

Author: Pete, Garden Furniture Centre 

Green Gardening Solutions

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Not all gardens are ‘green’due to the use of chemical insecticides, wildlife-unfriendly paving, and water use. If you want to make your garden more environmentally friendly or if you’re interested in turning an urban space into a haven for wildlife, look no further than these top tips.

Put Down the Pesticides 
Attract bug-eating birds to your garden with a bird bath and a hanging feeder with nuts. Birds love to eat leftover crusts of bread too, so don’t throw these in the bin. To deter slugs and snails, you can make barriers of grit or crushed eggshells around plants. If you must use slug pellets, choose those that are not harmful to children or wildlife. Think about which insects you want to attract to your garden. Instead of using pesticides filled with chemicals that can upset the fragile balance of your garden’s ecosystem, why not plant some bright flowers like sunflowers or marigolds to attract ladybirds and lacewings. These insects eat crop-destroying aphids, including the dreaded blackfly.

Save Water
Install a rain catcher to reuse rainwater and cut down on your water bills. There’s plenty of rainfall during the year, and this can be utilized in your garden at no cost. Try to water your plants either very early in the morning or late in the evening so the water doesn’t evaporate quickly.

Start Composting

Composting is putting back into the garden what you take out when you cut flowers and pull weeds or vegetables. You can cheaply buy or build a compost bin for the garden and fill it with raw kitchen waste and old newspapers. Make sure you keep a balance between brown and green waste; brown waste includes cardboard and leaves and green waste is old vegetables. If you do this correctly, your compost heap won’t smell or attract vermin and will provide rich new compost to benefit flowers and vegetables. Compost makes a great mulching material and holds much-needed moisture around the roots of plants. 

Ponds

Ponds are a popular choice for gardens because they offer an important wetland habitat for insects, fish, birds and mammals. Badgers, foxes and common birds like to drink and bathe in ponds and they are favored by frogs and toads. Amphibians are great for your garden because they eat all sorts of unwelcome pests that attack plants. If your pond is in a shady site it will attract different wildlife to if it is dug in a sunny spot. Make sure that your pond stays clean to attract as much wildlife as possible. All Pond Solutions offers a large selection of pond filters. 

Author: Tom of All Pond Solutions

New Perspectives: Environmentally Fences

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Though it might not feel like it, Spring is just around the corner (I hope)!!! Now is a good time to start thinking about yard and garden solutions for when warmer weather (finally) rolls around.

Why you might need a fence
Living without a fence in your yard is the most environmentally-friendly option, but sometimes they are needed. So, putting the right kind of fence up in the appropriate areas can help to prevent unnecessary environmental costs. Some might need a fence in their yard to keep plants in your garden safe from animals that might want to eat or destroy them. Fences are also required around pools. And some need a fence to keep pets safe. Places like Buy Fencing Direct have a large choice of fencing available for these types of applications.

Types of environmentally friendly fencing

The best type of environmentally friendly fencing is natural hedging or shrubbery fencing. However, these may not be high or thick enough to keep animals out, or it may grow too slow. Using salvaged wood can also be a good way to have an environmentally friendly fence, but it might take a while to find enough supplies.

Other considerations

Wire fencing can potentially be harmful to animals - they can get caught if the gauge size isn't quite right. Also make sure that there is little or no gap between the ground and the bottom or your fencing in case any animals decide that they will try and go underneath it to get in your garden and get stuck halfway through!

Author:  Tom of Buy Fencing Direct

Spotlight: City Soil

As many of you know, the Massachusetts Food Waste Ban goes into effect this year, which makes composting increasingly important in Boston and beyond. This week's spotlight company, City Soil, has played a pivotal role in developing Boston gardens and farms, including at Revision Farm in Dorchester. Responding to the need for responsible compost management, City Soil employs Boston residents to operate the City of Boston’s leaf compost site in partnership with Casella Resource Solutions. City Soil is a leader in compost heat capture. Moving forward, City Soil will continue to responsibly manage Boston’s organic resources and develop opportunities to expand the urban food system.

Keep an eye out for their work! And read learn more here.

Daily Earthspiration

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Avoid Spreading Invasive Insects through Christmas Trees

source image courtesy of Miss 604

This holiday season, The Nature Conservancy in the greater Boston area wants to make sure people know the facts about possible invasive species that threaten our trees. For example, fir trees are very popular Christmas Trees, and several species of fir trees are under attack from the balsam woolly adelgid, a tiny bug that distorts tree growth that can kill the tree. Maple trees, which provide syrup for our pancakes, are under attack from the non-native invasive Asian longhorned beetle. This insect kills maples (and many other species of trees), which could  seriously impact the maple syrup producers in the Northeast.

By now, most of you have already purchased your Christmas Trees, so the important thing is to dispose of them properly:

• Dispose of your tree safely. When Christmas is over, don’t just toss it in the backyard to sit around. If there are any invasive bugs on the tree, - they may spread to trees in your yard or
neighborhood. Search for local municipal tree collectors who will properly chip and dispose of
the tree.

• Don’t move firewood! Remember that warm toasty fire? Make sure those logs came from a
nearby area. Transporting firewood for long distances can spread invasive pests and start a new
infestation in your neighborhood. Instead, buy your firewood from a local, reputable seller or
burn it on the property where it was cut. (This also applies to camping. When you go camping,
don’t bring your firewood with you. Buy it at or near the campsite.)

Reducing Emissions Caused by Car Idling

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When the weather is bad, it is tempting to leave your car running while running into Dunkin Donuts, or waiting at a bus stop, but emissions from idling can really add up. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, idling cars and trucks in New York City each year produce 130,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Yikes! Help improve Boston's air quality by abiding by the following:

1. Turn off your engine if you're car is stopped for longer than 1 minute. 

2. Keep emergency weather gear in your car - a jacket, gloves, and umbrella could come in handy and keep you warm and dry without turning the car back on for heat. 

3. Park in a garage. If possible, park indoors to avoid the need for "warming up" the car. 

4. Take public transit instead. 

How to Save the Oceans

Last Thursday, the New England Aquarium hosted the 11th lecture in its free fall series: Meet Your Local Garbage Patch. During the lecture, attendees were introduced to the Rozalia Project, an organization that works on implementing solutions for clean oceans. Trash in our oceans is of increasing concern as we discover more about the toxics that can leech from plastics and other man-made materials. After digesting  Rachel Miller's inspiring lecture, I present to you, 6 tips to save the ocean:

1. Stop smoking. In addition to the health concerns, cigarette butts take about 7 years to biodegrade in the ocean, and are one of the most common trash items found by the Rozalia Project on sea floors.

2. Use a refillable waterbottle. Water might be good for you, but plastic bottles take a lot longer to biodegrade than cigarettes - about 450 years! Avoid plastic bottles!

3. Watch out for urban trash cans. When they overflow, the trash can get swept up in rain water, down our storm drains and into the harbor. Wait until you see a non-overflowing trashcan to dispose of your trash - or better yet, alert area officials that the recepticle is in need of emptying.

4. Switch your facewash. Plastic beads from cosmetic exfoliants are of increasing concern to our oceans because of the incredible difficulty required to clean them. Use a facewash with naturally derived beads - or even better, switch to bar soap.

5. Picnic consciously. Unsurprisingly, most of the trash that the Rozalia Project finds in the harbors is food related - plastic cups, beer cans, food wrappers, etc. All are evidence that we love spending time at the beach and on the water, so make sure when you do these things that you dispose of all your trash appropriately.

6. Get educated. Learn about threats to the ocean and get involved with the solutions by following the Rozalia Project and other ocean-themed organizations.

Sponsored Post: Green Garden Projects for Autumn

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The days may be getting shorter but it’s not too late to tend to your garden. If you want to create a gorgeous garden this autumn, here are four eco friendly DIY projects that you will love.

Paint your Plant Pots
If your garden is need of a pop of color, why not add a little interest with painted plant pots? All you will need for this project is standard clay pots, neon paint and brushes. Paint your clay pots in a variety of neon shades, but make sure to choose paints that are non toxic. Simply go online and search for low VOC paints (you can get a range of colors delivered to your door). Once the newly panted pots are dry, apply a stroke of chalkboard paint to the front of the pot with an eco friendly brush and use chalk to label your pots. This is perfect for labeling herbs!

Reuse Old Household Items 
Before you go out and buy new accessories for your garden, take a look around your home for items that you could use instead. Old boots, for example, are perfect for planting seeds in and will add an interesting eco friendly feature to your garden. You can use them for a variety of purposes and they are ideal to house your gardening tools. Another great idea is to take an old chair that you no longer use and turn it into a chair planter. There are some great examples of this on Pinterest should you need a little inspiration.

Create your Own Eco Shed 
A garden building is a worthy addition to any autumn garden as it provides you with a cozy little hideaway over the colder months. An eco friendly shed is basically an extension of your home and as a result it can add value to your home. If you know your way around a tool box you could attempt to build your own or, alternatively, buy one online from somewhere like Sheds and Things.

Build a Herb Garden with Old High Heels 
If you have always wanted your own herb garden, now is the time to create one. Gather any old pairs of high heels and turn them into herb planters at speed. Simply fill your heels with soil and plant your herbs. Arrange your shoes around the garden on a wooden shoe rack and there you have another fabulous eco friendly feature for your garden.

This post was sponsored by Sheds and Things

Recap of BASG September Meetup

Last night was the Boston Area Sustainability Group meetup regarding the eccentricities of solid waste. It was a fun, inspiring, and educational evening. If you couldn't make it, here is what you missed:

1. "Zero-waste" means no burning or burying at the end of a product's life.

2. "recycling" is a specific process, whereas "zero-waste" is more encompassing of reduce/reuse/repurpose practices.

3. In 2010, each person in Massachusetts produced about 5 million tons of trash. 

4. Only a third of all waste is recycled, though most of the rest of it can be recycled/reused/composted.

5. The climate change / waste nexus is complicated and often undiscussed by policy-makers and legislators.

6. Single stream recycling is controversial since the recyclables are of lower value and more likely to be contaminated than in a dual stream recycling system.

7. Recycling rates are lower in urban areas.

8. Recycling can be cheaper for some businesses than traditional trash pickup.

9. Recycling/Repurposing clothing and textiles is easy because there is already infrastructure for in place for processing these materials. 

10. "Pay-as-you-throw" systems are very effective, and usually reduce a town's trash by about 40%.

BONUS: Reducing the amount of waste you create is THE most important thing you can do to address the issue of solid waste. 

Recap of Because Water's Charles River Rummage

photos courtesy of Carven Boursiquot

On August 10th, BeCause Water hosted the second Charles River Rummage where teams of 4 competed on Paddle Boston kayaks to clean as much debris and litter in 1 hour as possible. Once the rummagers got ashore, BeCause Water awarded $100 cash prize, NE Aquarium passes, a gift certificate to Safar Coiffure Salon and full access to the mobile app, DropIn. What remained of the trash was sorted, thrown away, and recycled through Save That Stuff. 

Sounds like an amazing event and I can't wait to see what BeCause Water plans next!

Green Tip Tuesday: 5 Beaches to Visit Before Summer Ends

1. Singing Beach, Manchester by the Sea 

Travel Time: 55 mins from North Station. (45 minutes on commuter rail, 10 minute walk). 

Pro: Clean

Con: Commuter rail schedule can be inhibiting 

2. M Street Beach, South Boston

Travel Time: 15 mins from South Station (8 minutes on bus, 7 minute walk).

Pro: Easily Accessible

Con: Water quality must be checked daily due to proximity to the city

3. Crane Beach, Ipswich

Travel Time: 1hr and 5 mins from North Station (50 mins on commuter rail, 15 mins on Explorer Shuttle)

Pro: Best beach in Massachusetts

Con: Explorer shuttle only runs on weekends, and ends service all together after Sept. 3. 

4. Spectacle Island, Boston Harbor

Travel Time: 15 mins from Long Wharf (ferry)

Pro: Beautiful views

Con: Water quality must be checked daily due to proximity to the city

5. Revere Beach, Revere

Travel Time: 30 mins from State Street

Pro: Easily accessible 

Con: Gets crowded

See You Tonight at Greenfest Boston!

source image courtesy of greenroofs.com

Spotlight: Hubway

Source Image Courtesy of nickaltschuller.wordpress.com

Today's spotlight focuses on Hubway. Hubway is the amazingly successful Boston bike sharing program that is now two years old and already boasts over one million rides taken! Affordable membership options and ubiquitous stations have made Hubway the model system for other major cities (including NYC).  Prices are $85 for the year, $12 for a 3 day pass, or $5 for a 24 hour pass. If you think that is expensive, just remember that an annual Hubway membership is about the same price as 4 days of parking at a garage downtown! EEEK! The great thing about Hubway is that it unites sustainability with convenience, making it the choice transportation for more than just the green-minded. 

Pencil it in: Boston GreenFest

WHEN: August 15, 12pm - 5pm; August 16, 12pm - 10pm;  August 17, 10am - 10pm

WHERE: City Hall Plaza, Boston (Government Center)

WHY: Its that time of year again folks: Green Fest Boston! Last year, I had a great time checking out the stands and exploring Boston's sustainable offerings. This year is sure to be better than ever before. A schedule of the weekend's events can be found here. See ya there!