Reconnect the Children With Nature

This next generation of children will have a lot to deal with regarding taking care of our planet. Sadly so many of today's children do not play outside let alone have the opportunities to run and walk and imagine all the possibilities that being out in nature conjures up. This is an important task laid at the "grown-ups" feet to try and get today's kids out of the house and into mother natures world to learn all that she has to offer. Please take the time to read this article and find out how you can help. Find a way to help the children in your neighborhood learn and enjoy nature. Share your experiences with them. You will never know what you might share that will spark a young mind into a whole new world.

As a result of the recently published book Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, many groups and organizations across the nation are searching for ways to reconnect children with nature. The benefits to children of time spent outdoors are endless. Spending time in natural settings is beneficial for physical and mental health, improving behavior, and faster learning. In an effort to bring increased attention and support to this important issue, we are asking for your organization’s participation. Please forward this email to your Iowa networks (colleagues, organizations, Listservs, websites, friends and family, students, etc.). Encourage others to complete the online survey located at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nYU56AJw5MLfcHiDiDzl3w_3d_3d With your help, we can identify the fundamental experiences that we believe children in Iowa should have in order to develop a healthy, active lifestyle. Results obtained from the survey will be used to guide creation of an “Iowa Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights.” This document will list the activities that Iowans recognize as invaluable experiences for our young people to have while growing up, along with a mission statement and goals for its use. Your organization has been chosen to participate in this survey because of your commitment to developing healthy, active, responsible youth. We appreciate your assistance in making this a successful state-wide project.
Barb Gigar Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Email: barb.gigar@dnr.iowa.gov
Phone: 641-747-2200
For those outside of Iowa here is a great resource. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/temporary/national-forum-on-children-and-nature-endorses-project

Arctic Temperatures Break Record Highs

October 24, 2008 Albuquerque, New Mexico - In October, scientists reported that the fall temperatures in the Arctic broke all record highs – averaging 5 degrees Celsius above normal, which is 9 degrees Fahrenheit above normal!
All that Arctic warming has caused the highest sea level rise on record. It doesn’t seem like a big number – only .254 centimeters a year – but it still means Arctic waters are rising as more and more ice melts from the warmer and warmer Arctic temperatures.
All the Arctic sea ice melt in 2008 was the second greatest since satellite measurements began in 1979. The volume of Arctic ice melt might be even more than 2007, which holds the number one spot for area of ice melt. That makes two years in a row of record-breaking Arctic ice melt.
The consequences so far are:
a) the decline of reindeer herds;
b) green shrubs are now moving into Arctic areas that used to be permafrost;
c) and the saltiness of the Arctic Ocean and North Atlantic is being diluted by all the fresh ice water runoff. Less salt in the North Atlantic water means less density. Less density could slow down – or even stop – the North Atlantic Oscillation that brings warm equatorial waters to the North Atlantic. It’s that oscillation of warm water from the equator to the British Isles that helps keep the U. K. and Europe warmer. The reason the oscillation might stop is that less salty water is lighter and won’t sink as deeply and rapidly.
If the North Atlantic Oscillation stopped, the warmer waters would not reach the North Atlantic. So, in one of the great ironies of global warming, the faster the warming North Pole melts, the more likely temperatures will drop in the U. K. and Europe.

Thoreau a Climatologist?

Although it is not what Thoreau was noted for he kept very precise records of plants in 1851, he started recording when and where plants flowered in Concord, he was making notes for a book he planned to write. Recently researchers at Boston University and Harvard are using those notes to learn patterns of plant abundance and decline in Concord and New England as a whole. They are linking those patterns to changing climate. Their conclusions are clear common species are flowering seven days earlier than they did in Thoreau’s day. Conservation biologists and Evolutionary biologists from Harvard and Boston University have determined that 27 percent of the species documented by Thoreau have vanished from Concord and 36 percent are present in such small numbers that they probably will not survive for long. Those findings appear in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Of the 21 species of orchids Thoreau observed in Concord, the researchers could only find 7. Researchers are busy studying the archives for any records of this nature to try and understand what is going on with our planet today. There hasn't been much interest in spending the money to record and find these old writings however maybe now with these kind of findings more interest will be sparked to find and preserve them.

Storm Water Run-Off, It's Everyones Problem!

By Vera Pappas
Storm Water Run-off is a problem in every section of the United States. Some areas of course are worse than others. Every time it rains there are massive amounts of chemicals, oils, heavy metals running off our roof, through our grass and flower beds, down our driveways and into our storm drains which leads out to our natural waterways, and streams which lead to lakes and rivers.
If our ground cannot absorb the water efficiently and effectively and perk back down into our underground water supply it ends up in the storm drain. The chemicals, oils, voc's, etc. break down the beneficial bacteria and micro-organisms that keep our lakes and streams healthy. What we end up with is an over abundance of algae which believe it or not is harmful to our eco-system. It cuts down on the oxygen levels in the water and the beneficial bacteria cannot do its job to keep the water clean and healthy for fish and fowl.
This is not something the average American sees everyday. We don't think about where the water goes when its rushing down the street and into the storm drains. For us...it stops there. But it is actually just beginning.
We can make a difference one yard at a time. If every homeowner made simple changes, we could save our lakes, streams and rivers. Our eco-system depends on it. Not only does storm water run-off affect fish, it affects water fowl, birds, and all the animals that eat the fish, and drink from the lakes, streams and rivers.
There are many ways to reduce the amount of water that runs from your property into the storm drain:
Install Rain Barrels -Thousands of gallons of water can be captured off the average roof each year, and clean rainwater is better for plants, shrubs and lawn, washing the car, the dog etc.
Go Organic!- The use of traditional chemicals to feed your lawn and garden leach into the water every time it rains. Chemical fertilizers and controls do the most damage. Organic fertilizers and control products do not leave residual effects in the soil. Organic products come from the earth. They will not damage it.
Use Native Plants- Native plants are plants that are naturally indigenous to your specific area. You can get a list of native plants for your area by doing a web search. They are usually put out by the state. Native plants will grow better, require less water and fertilizer (organic of course), and they provide a natural habitat for our wild creatures.

A Natural Flu Remedy

I recently had a conversation with a R.N. She had been collecting books on herbal remedies for a long time; however she had never really tried any of the remedies.
One summer she ran across a Yarrow plant for sale at an herb store and bought it, she transplanted it into a big pot. In due time it became a very large plant and it bloomed. She kept the flowers and dried them and really didn’t know what she was going to do with them.
The following winter she came home from her job at the hospital with a bad case of flu. She remembered that she had read about making a tea from the Yarrow plant to cure colds and flu. She made the tea, climbed into a hot bath and sipped the tea. After drinking the tea she rinsed off in cool water put on some warm pj’s and went to bed. The very next day she was able to go to work and felt fine, while her many of her working companions were miserable for many days.
It’s very interesting how many native plants have healing properties as well as providing beauty to the landscape. One might begin to believe Mother Nature knows what she is doing if left to her own devices and allowed to flourish in her natural state.
Ion Exchange - Helping You Create Your Own Natural Beauty

Fall Is A Great Time To Seed Your Lawn.

Fall is a great time to seed your lawn for next year. Whether you are over seeding an existing lawn or seeding a new lawn; four elements must be working together in order to establish newly planted turf grass seed. Just follow some of these tips.
Establishing a new seeding:
Loosen the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches with a roto tiller or tillage implement.
Spread the seed in at least two different directions at right angle to the first pass.
Lightly rake to seed to incorporate the seed to a ¼ to ½ inch depth. Care must be given to mix the soil and not to "drag" soil.
Roll the area to increase seed to soil contact.
Overseeding:
Mow the lawn as short as possible to the point of scalping.
Deep Core Aeration so that you achieve 15 to 20 holes per square foot.
Broadcast and/or slit seed mixture in two different directions
Apply Starter Fertilizer
Roll the area to increase seed to soil contact.
A great grass seed to use is No Mow/Low Grow

Howard Bright - Ion Exchange Inc.

New "Green" Product Mimics Nature and Cleans the Water.

Bio Floating Islands is one of the most exciting new concepts in efforts to “Go Green.” These Islands mimic nature in many ways. They are being used to add land mass, provide food for fish, grow vegetables, afford wildlife with a habitat and all the while cleaning the water!

With storm water management being a requirement of new developments, these islands can contribute greatly to the removal of unwanted and overloaded nutrients in ponds and other bodies of water as well as adding beauty and fish habitat.

Ion Exchange Inc. has been a leader in the Green life since its inception with native plants and seeds. They are planning on holding seminars in the late fall on successful techniques in construction and launching of these floating islands. For more information call Ion Exchange Inc. 800-291-2143 or visit their web site. http://www.ionxchange.com/bio_floating_island.htm