Life on Land

We don’t know what the world will be like in 2030 so we asked the next generation. Hear what they say and how our new 2030 sustainability goals will help leave a better world for them.

Nature is full of wonder and beauty. The more time you spend outdoors, the greater your appreciation is for the natural world. Trees are some of the most fascinating natural phenomena, and these rare trees around the world prove it. How many of these trees do you recognize?

The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) South Asia Regional Programme recently launched a three-year project: Enabling Smallholders in Odisha to Produce and Consume More Nutritious Food through Agroforestry Systems.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 17 June the World Day to Combat Desertification to promote public awareness on land degradation, desertification and drought. The theme for 2018 was “Land has true value. Invest in it”. The European Union has taken the slogan seriously and invested in an ambitious five-year project aimed at reversing land degradation and improving food and nutritional security in some of the most vulnerable regions in Africa.

There are so many utilities and other right-of-way owners out there that are providing a commendable contribution to the environment and conservation, but the sustainability focus always seems to be on the "bigger" concerns, such as emissions or larger animals that people can relate to like a sweet manatee or a cute cougar cub. All of the good things that happen with right-of-way vegetation management remain unnoticed.

To help home gardeners protect honey bees and other native pollinators OrthoⓇ, a leading brand in lawn and garden, today announced a first-of-its-kind consumer education campaign with the Pollinator Stewardship Council. Titled “Bee Responsible,” the campaign shares tips for responsible pesticide use, including when and how to apply garden control products to avoid pollinators.

If there were a Guinness Book of World Records for trees, the quaking aspen would be in it – several times. First, it has the widest natural range of any tree in North America, spanning 47 degrees of latitude (equal to half the distance from the equator to the North Pole), 110 degrees of longitude (nine time zones) and elevations from sea level to timberline. It is also the largest living organism, growing in clones that reproduce primarily by sending up sprouts from their roots. And as far as the oldest … a clone in Minnesota has been estimated to be thousands of years old!

Consumers Energy is exceeding environmental requirements on the Saginaw Trail Pipeline, replacing 78 miles of aging natural gas pipeline with native grasses and wildflowers to attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

A new Instagram contest launched by the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, is inviting park goers – amateur and experienced – to submit pictures of themselves in national parks for the chance to win a variety of prizes. The contest, called Pic Your Park, is open now through September 28.

The Ray and the Energy Institute at the University of Texas, Austin will partner to create ground-breaking research in solar energy; specifically on highway right-of-way spaces.