Across the world, countless trees, shrubs, and algae perform photosynthesis, where sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water are turned into organic matter by a series of complex chemical reactions. Perhaps you had to memorize some of the steps for a high school biology class. As a process that takes CO2 out of the air and can …
Tag Archives: Nature
Researchers Create Foster Care for Macaw Chicks
Macaws are large parrots found in central and South America that can live up to 60 years in the wild or 80 years in captivity. Most species of macaws that exist are endangered or under threat of endangerment. The main threats to the birds are habitat destruction and being captured for the international bird trade. …
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Ants Clean Wounds & Amputate Limbs
A new paper published in the journal Current Biology has documented an interesting behavior of ants. These small creatures sometimes treat the wounded limbs of other ants from their anthill. The specific ants investigated by the researchers were Florida carpenter ants. Ants have an adaptation known as the metapleural gland that produces antibiotic fluid. The …
Cicadas in the Midwest (For Those Who Are Curious)
If you live in the Midwest US, this blog will not be news to you. But for anyone not in the know, a remarkable event is happening spring and summer in the middle states. Billions, or perhaps even trillions, of cicadas have now crawled from the ground and are screaming in the trees. But this …
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Yosemite National Park to Require Reservations in 2024
For years, visitors to Yosemite National Park have experienced severe traffic jams when driving into the park. Those wishing to see this treasure of the US can often expect to wait for multiple hours to get to a parking spot. According to the National Park Service, Yosemite receives over 4 million visitors a year, and …
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New Contender for World’s Oldest Tree Found in Chile
We usually don’t think about it, but trees can have astounding lifespans. Giant sequoias, for instance, the tallest trees in the world, can live for 3,000 years, and many of the entries in the list of oldest trees in the world are sequoias. Until recently, the oldest tree on Earth was Methuselah, a bristlecone pine …
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Taking a Bold Stand Against Lawns
I’d written this blog during the winter with the intention of publishing it during the summer months. I then decided on this Thursday since lawn-mowing season is in full swing. But then I saw on an environmental news site that there was a history of lawns piece published last week, so now I look like …
Putting a Price Tag on Nature
To truly comprehend Earth’s biodiversity is to accomplish the incredible. Around 1.3 million species have been discovered by scientists, and an estimated total of 8.7 million species inhabit this planet. As one might expect, rainforests (which cover a mere 3% of the planet’s surface area) contain a disproportionate amount of species. The Amazon Rainforest alone …
Green Humanist 