tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24723364900653743182024-03-18T22:47:15.454-05:00Alison Pearce StevensAlison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.comBlogger280125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-39432118787232634092015-03-13T17:47:00.001-05:002015-03-13T17:47:37.696-05:00No longer hereIt's official: I'm no longer blogging here.<br />
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If you want to keep up with what I'm doing now, check out my author site at <a href="http://apstevens.com/">apstevens.com</a>.<br />
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If you use the resources here, never fear--this site will remain so people can continue to make use of old posts. :)Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-863084898052190402014-01-20T14:45:00.000-06:002014-01-22T21:10:58.850-06:00When patience pays offResearchers have aerial footage of a penguin colony taken by none other than a caracara (a bird of prey) that thought it was stealing an egg. If you haven't seen this, you have to <a href="http://youtu.be/IdR-WlciBlo" target="_blank">check it out</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IdR-WlciBlo" width="560"></iframe>
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(This is the work of <a href="http://jdp.co.uk/programmes/dolphins-spy-in-the-pod" target="_blank">John Downer Productions</a>, one of a series of films made by placing cameras in the midst of a group of animals to record footage of behaviors we don't typically observe.)<br />
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Impressive, no? <br />
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Footage like this reminds me how much I loved studying animals--of the incredible, unexpected things they sometimes do.<br />
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Of course, it also reminds me that in order to get this footage, someone had to spend countless hours sitting in a hide not far from the rookery. Creature comforts tend to be lacking, back muscles spasm, and a game of canasta (or any other activity that involves other people) beckons like the golden light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. But then, for a scientist or photographer out to capture something incredible, that's just part of the daily grind.<br />
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Sometimes, something happens to make all the waiting worthwhile.
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-83145997565565277932014-01-10T12:43:00.000-06:002014-01-10T12:45:00.524-06:00Celebrating successConfession time: I thought I'd be wrapping up 2013 with a big announcement. I had it written in my head. Things were about to happen. Then, in early December, it all fell through. After eight months of back and forth with a wonderful agent, she ultimately decided my work was too similar to those of her existing clients, and, well, it wouldn't behoove any of us for her to take me on. <br />
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It was devastating.<br />
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But she was right.<br />
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Now I'm trying to pick myself up and get my work out there again. It's not easy, not when I'd let myself get so invested. But I need to move on, and what better way to do that than to focus on recent successes!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AThames_Festival_Firework_Display_Blackfriars_-_geograph.org.uk_-_40284.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Christine Matthews [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Thames Festival Firework Display Blackfriars - geograph.org.uk - 40284" height="320" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Thames_Festival_Firework_Display_Blackfriars_-_geograph.org.uk_-_40284.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">by Christine Matthews</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have two new stories out in <a href="https://student.societyforscience.org/sciencenews-students" target="_blank">Science News for Students</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://student.societyforscience.org/article/caught-act-scientists-observe-species-process-evolving" target="_blank">Caught in the act</a> looks at how animals adapt to a rapidly changing world. Humans are changing the world faster than ever (in fact, we are now considered to be THE driving force of change on the planet, the focus of another story that should be out in a month or two), and only animals that can adapt in time will be able to survive the transition. "Caught in the act" provides some hope on that front.<br />
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<a href="https://student.societyforscience.org/article/why-are-bees-vanishing-pesticides-disease-other-threats" target="_blank">Why are bees vanishing?</a>, out today, examines the latest scientific findings that are unraveling the mystery of colony collapse disorder. With one-third of the food on our tables requiring pollination by bees and other pollinators, their disappearance is nothing to ignore. And pesticide use--around the home and garden--might be a major culprit, even when used in moderation. You can find out better ways to control pests in my explainer, <a href="https://student.societyforscience.org/article/how-limit-need-pesticides" target="_blank">How to limit the need for pesticides</a>.<br />
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Things are moving forward. As they should.<br />
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<b>What successes are you celebrating?</b><br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-86539869427787454612014-01-02T16:26:00.000-06:002014-01-02T16:26:19.492-06:00A fresh start<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Happy New Year!</span></h2>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirga-lj8FNPh56bN05GjlwgpMv5V8S-RX9_ktSodAMZ5LlFHTqFIfWaQRuMtnnwxedd0KoVCMlJWRHGfBK5wK_0BkNuDUN2Y26EDPQLycDob-dI30OzfscgV8AM_miEaaSqaX2B7Us1x6l/s1600/bluejay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirga-lj8FNPh56bN05GjlwgpMv5V8S-RX9_ktSodAMZ5LlFHTqFIfWaQRuMtnnwxedd0KoVCMlJWRHGfBK5wK_0BkNuDUN2Y26EDPQLycDob-dI30OzfscgV8AM_miEaaSqaX2B7Us1x6l/s320/bluejay.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May you unearth treasure in the coming year!</td></tr>
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It's a quiet time of year around here (if you don't count the invisible-nunchuck swinging children dancing around my living room as I write this). It's a time of reflection--looking back on the past year and taking stock of how well I worked toward my goals, devising a plan to further them in the coming year, and adding new goals to replace those I accomplished.<br />
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Here's hoping we all succeed in accomplishing what we set out for ourselves this year.<br />
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<b>What do you hope to accomplish?
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-57190855752488102482013-11-12T14:19:00.000-06:002013-11-27T17:58:46.750-06:00Seize the momentI was planning to post about something else, but that has to take a backseat to the exciting launch of this <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1022559326/my-love-for-you-is-the-sun-a-picture-book" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign</a> by my dear friend and critique partner, <a href="http://www.juliehedlund.com/" target="_blank">Julie Hedlund</a>.<br />
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Julie is an extremely talented writer, creator of award-winning storybook apps, and is now developing a hybrid publishing model for her newest book, <i>My Love For You is the Sun</i>. (As I said, she's talented.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.juliehedlund.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/DucksCropSize-1024x483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://www.juliehedlund.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/DucksCropSize-1024x483.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>My Love For You is the Sun</i> celebrates a parent's love for a child with lyrical words and stunning clay illustrations by <a href="http://www.susaneaddy.com/" target="_blank">Susan Eaddy</a>. (See above!)<br />
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The only way this beautiful book will become a reality is through a crowd-funding effort to fund the initial print run. This unusual approach allowed Julie to choose her own illustrator (anyone familiar with publishing will know that's typically taboo). And as you can see, the results will be out of this world.<br />
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If you have any interest in books that celebrate the bond between parents and children, please consider <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1022559326/my-love-for-you-is-the-sun-a-picture-book" target="_blank">supporting Julie's project</a>. I, for one, can't wait to have the book in my hands.
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-62374162857001204612013-09-09T11:10:00.000-05:002013-09-09T11:10:56.814-05:00Unexpected findsLook what we found!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoGAGBEEcVnROcvxvUO4scoh11JAQ4nGMDzZW3lum30J-lqd4C2OBsjfE9Nt3FRRb38hZiS0K21FsRwyfCXaHGsInDZO9s243ctqf-4w2oC9Bbp8V35a7R-_FkSQOWK2GRWw49FP2VBiM/s1600/mantis_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoGAGBEEcVnROcvxvUO4scoh11JAQ4nGMDzZW3lum30J-lqd4C2OBsjfE9Nt3FRRb38hZiS0K21FsRwyfCXaHGsInDZO9s243ctqf-4w2oC9Bbp8V35a7R-_FkSQOWK2GRWw49FP2VBiM/s1600/mantis_sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nothing quite like finding nature in the middle of a football stadium (that doesn't even have a grass field). Or maybe I should say nature found us--my husband scooped this no-so-little guy out of the air as it flew overhead. <br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-17827427985454062822013-07-31T10:47:00.001-05:002013-07-31T12:02:32.508-05:00Now out!As <a href="http://alisonstevens.blogspot.com/2013/05/putting-threats-in-perspective.html" target="_blank">I mentioned</a> a while back, I recently wrote an article about the importance of getting outside into biologically diverse areas in terms of keeping us healthy--specifically helping to prevent asthma and allergies.<br />
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It's now out: <a href="http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/07/dirt-could-even-lower-risks-of-serious-allergic-disease/" target="_blank">Some dirt won't hurt</a>, and I'm really excited about it. It was incredible to interview the scientists whose work is uncovering the links between health and microbial exposure. We <i>need</i> to expose ourselves to plants, dirt, and the microbes found in both. This is particularly true of small children, whose immune systems are still developing. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Awesome_Green_Roof.jpg/800px-Awesome_Green_Roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Awesome_Green_Roof.jpg/800px-Awesome_Green_Roof.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Awesome_Green_Roof.jpg/800px-Awesome_Green_Roof.jpg" target="_blank">Photo by Ryan Somma</a></td></tr>
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What to do if you don't live on a farm or out in the country?
One way to gain exposure to biodiversity is through green roofs and
living walls on buildings right there in the city. Check out more in the
July/August issue of <i>ASK</i> (arts and sciences for kids) magazine--my article "It's a Jungle Up There" covers how they're built and the many benefits that come from their construction.<br />
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But even without a jungle in the city, you can benefit from exposure to natural areas. Visit a park and get back to nature, but don't just look at the view. Get dirty. You'll boost your immune response while lowering stress. What could be better? Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-63240998133305188442013-07-01T07:04:00.000-05:002013-07-02T11:09:22.025-05:00An ounce of preventionI used to be a beekeeper. So when I learned about the <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2013/50000-bumblebees-dead-neonicotinoid-pesticide/">50,000 dead bumble bees in Oregon</a>, I was disturbed. But not just because of my affinity for bees. I'm currently teaching an environmental psychology class, and we just wrapped up a unit on biopsychology and neuropsychology--the study of how internal body processes and brain function affect behavior. We specifically looked at the effect of toxins on those systems. Toxins like neonicotinoids and other pesticides. <br />
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Let's look at the big picture, shall we? <br />
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The trees in the Oregon Target parking lot were sprayed to kill off aphids, which produce a sticky substance. The trees were sprayed so that customers' cars wouldn't get drops of the sticky stuff on them. It was a purely cosmetic application of the pesticide--as opposed to applications that support food production or human health. <br />
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Tragically, those 50,000 bees likely represented over 300 colonies of bees. As Mace Vaughan of the <a href="http://www.xerces.org/2013/06/21/pesticide-causes-largest-mass-bumble-bee-death-on-record/">Xerxes Society</a> notes, "Each of those colonies could have produced multiple new queens that would have gone on to establish new colonies next year." Which means the full impact of this event will be far greater than the initial death toll.<br />
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Why should you care about a bunch of bumble bees? To start with, they're the only bee that can pollinate tomatoes. Honey bees can't do it. They're unable to shake the pollen free. But bumble bees vibrate their bodies against flowers (a process called buzz pollination), which loosens the pollen. If you like tomatoes (and pizza and spaghetti and salsa and anything else with tomatoes in it), you need bumble bees.<br />
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Whole Foods recently made the extent of our dependence on honey bees (specifically) <a href="http://www.groceryheadquarters.com/2013/06/this-is-what-your-grocery-store-looks-like-without-honeybees/">visual</a> by removing all bee-pollinated items from the produce section.<br />
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<a href="http://www.groceryheadquarters.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/small-wholefoods-bees-releasephoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.groceryheadquarters.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/small-wholefoods-bees-releasephoto.jpg" width="475" /> </a></div>
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Striking, isn't it? That's just honey bees. And that's just the produce section. The dairy section would be all but empty, because the alfalfa that farmers feed their dairy cattle is pollinated by bees. And then there are all the other foods that use bee-pollinated crops as ingredients. Honey nut cereal for breakfast? Forget the honey. And the nuts. No apple cinnamon anything, either. <br />
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So how did the event in Oregon happen, anyway? What is it about pesticides that people feel free to use them with abandon, even on things that can't harm us? How did it become the norm in our country to spray everything, just because it might have an insect on it?<br />
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God forbid a leaf might have a hole in it, particularly when Americans spend 90% of their time indoors and don't actually take a close look at said leaf.<br />
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But Americans happily fork over a monthly payment to the lawn care company to come and spray their yard. It's necessary for a healthy lawn, the company says.<br />
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Is it?<br />
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No.<br />
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According to the <a href="http://pested.unl.edu/">UNL Pesticide Education Office</a>, those monthly contracts keep the company's income on even keel. That's all.<br />
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It's not for the good of your lawn. It's for the good of the company's bottom line.<br />
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Hmm.<br />
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Ever stop to think about what, exactly, they're putting on your yard when they come to spray? Or how it works? Let's take a look at the stuff they sprayed on the trees in Oregon.<br />
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Neonicotinoids act as a neurotoxin. Neurons work by opening
and closing ion channels on the cell membrane. By shuttling ions (charged atoms)
into and out of the cell at very high speed, neurons are able to "fire"
or send signals to other neurons, muscle cells, or other parts of the
body. Neonicotinoids work by holding those channels open. Ions
continuously flood across the cell membrane, causing paralysis and
death.<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Black_Widow_11-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Black_Widow_11-06.jpg" width="200" /></a>(Incidentally, black widow venom acts by causing an explosive release of neurotransmitter, which binds to ion channels, forcing them to stay open. The result is paralysis and death. Would you spray black widow venom on your yard to make it look good? I think not.)<br />
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Neonicotinoids are highly toxic and accumulate in the environment. A <a href="http://www.scienceomega.com/article/1142/do-neonicotinoids-harm-organisms-other-than-insects" target="_blank">recent study</a> by Dave Goulson at the University of Sussex shows that neonicotinoids have a three year half-life (that means it takes three years for half of the compound to break down). He estimates that when the compound is reapplied one year after the initial application, there is still 80% from the year before in the soil.<br />
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Bee scientists, including Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota are <a href="http://blog.ted.com/2013/06/12/the-big-bee-bummer-marla-spivak-at-tedglobal-2013/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TEDBlog+%28TEDBlog%29" target="_blank">calling for a change</a>.<br />
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We need to plant pollinator gardens--everywhere. In our yards, in our cities, surrounding our farms. And those spaces must be free of pesticides. No herbicides, no insectides, no rodenticides or fungicides. All of these are toxic to the pollinators we need for our survival.<br />
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<a href="http://www.xerces.org/imagesforcc/habitatsignfull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.xerces.org/imagesforcc/habitatsignfull.jpg" width="151" /></a>What can you do?<br />
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Join the Xerces Society's <a href="http://www.xerces.org/bringbackthepollinators/" target="_blank">Bring Back the Pollinators Campaign</a>: <a href="http://www.xerces.org/pollinatorprotectionpledge/" target="_blank">sign the pledge</a>, then order a <a href="http://www.xerces.org/pollinatorhabitatsign/" target="_blank">pollinator habitat sign</a> to let people know what you're doing.<br />
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There is no place for cosmetic use of pesticides. Not in our lawns and gardens. Not in our cities and shopping areas.<br />
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Not any more.<br />
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Our lives quite literally depend on it.<br />
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How, then, do you prevent insect pests from destroying your garden? <a href="http://ens.blogspot.com/2013/05/putting-threats-in-perspective.html" target="_blank">Biodiversity</a>. A diverse planting attracts predatory insects that keep the pests down. It attracts birds that eat the pests. It promotes a healthy ecosystem in your yard, so that no pest species has the opportunity to reproduce to such large numbers that they can decimate your favorite plants. <br />
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And if you plant regionally native plants, you won't need to fertilize them. You'll rarely need to water them. Your garden will be both beautiful and pollinator-friendly. It will boost your immune system and lower stress.<br />
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Eliminating pesticides used for cosmetic purposes is the single easiest thing you can do to help the planet while also helping your wallet and your health. <br />
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I think it's time, don't you?<br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-85209859723230989482013-05-06T06:59:00.001-05:002013-05-06T11:59:32.858-05:00Putting threats in perspectiveRecently, I got a letter from a lawn care company with "TREAT LAWN THREATS NOW!" splashed across the front of the envelope. It gave my husband and me a good laugh.<br />
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Sort of.<br />
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Actually, it was more frustrating than anything else.<br />
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When it arrived, I had just wrapped up an article on the hygiene hypothesis--the idea that our lives are excessively clean, a lifestyle that is thought to have given rise to an increase in health problems, including asthma and allergies.<br />
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Are we overly clean? Probably. And the end of my article addresses that (I'll link to it once it's published). But what really grabbed me as I researched the story is the <b>importance of biodiversity in keeping us healthy.</b><br />
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What does this have to do with that lawn care envelope? The so-called "threats" to the lawn are nothing more than biodiversity. I'll get to why biodiversity is so important in just a second, but first let's look at a couple of specific "threats": <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Dandelion_close_up.JPG/800px-Dandelion_close_up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Dandelion_close_up.JPG/800px-Dandelion_close_up.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Dandelion_close_up.JPG/800px-Dandelion_close_up.JPG">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Dandelions</b>. Every part of this plant is edible (as long as they haven't been "treated", in which case they're toxic as can be). Yes, they spread quickly. If you really don't like their sunny yellow faces in your yard, pull them. But read to the end before you decide dandelions are really enemy number 1.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Alpenklee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Alpenklee.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Alpenklee.jpg">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<b>Clover</b>. Clover is a legume, a member of the bean family. Like all legumes, clover is capable of taking nitrogen from the atmosphere and "fixing" it, or putting it into a form that plants can use. Clover in your lawn is good because it fertilizes the grass--<i>so you don't have to</i>. This is good for several reasons. (1) It saves you money. (2) Almost all synthetic fertilizers are over-applied, which creates water pollution downstream as the excess runs off. (3) Synthetic fertilizers require fossil fuels, thus contribute to climate change.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Lamium_amplexicaule_Kaldari_01.jpg/450px-Lamium_amplexicaule_Kaldari_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Lamium_amplexicaule_Kaldari_01.jpg/450px-Lamium_amplexicaule_Kaldari_01.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lamium_amplexicaule_Kaldari_01.jpg">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Henbit.</b> Unlike dandelions, henbit is an annual, so each year new plants grow from seeds. It's quick to fill in empty spaces in the lawn and spreads quickly. Henbit is not native to the United States, and many people consider it an invasive weed. But like dandelions, the entire plant is edible. Right now, lawns with dandelions and henbit in them are alive with color. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Most people respond to these dastardly weeds with a spritz of weed-killer. Or better yet, they cover their lawns with pre-emergent in the spring and fall, to prevent those unwanteds from ever growing a cotyledon. <br />
<br />
Ever stopped to think about just what those chemicals are? If they're designed to kill plants, what do you think they're doing to you? No, you're not a plant, and you lack some of the cellular structures plants possess. But that doesn't mean these chemicals are harmless. Far from it.<br />
<br />
But that's not what this post is about. Eliminating those weeds decreases biodiversity. Living in a house surrounded by a rigorously-maintained carpet of grass is like living in a biological desert. Why? Because different kinds of plants are covered with different kinds of <b>microbes</b>. Without a diversity of plants, we lack a diversity of microbes. <br />
<br />
Living in a place devoid of microbes might sound good, but from a health standpoint, it's a problem.<br />
<br />
<b>A really big problem.</b><br />
<br />
You see, microbes help us in many ways (probably more than we even suspect at the moment, since this is a fairly recent area of research). They provide us with nutrients, crowd out the germs that can make us sick, and prime our immune systems.<br />
<br />
It's looking more and more like <b>we <i>need</i> microbes</b>, specifically the ones found outside in the soil and on plants and in biologically diverse areas. Exposure appears to train the immune system, teaching it what's in the environment--teaching it what poses a threat and what's not worth a response.<br />
<br />
People who lack that exposure to a wide range of environmental microbes have immune systems that are overactive. Because those immune systems have never learned what's safe and what's a threat, they are primed to attack everything.<br />
<br />
<b>The result: asthma and allergies</b>. And more recently, researchers have learned that other diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, even some forms of depression, may have roots in an improperly-primed immune system, too.<br />
<br />
So back to that lawn care letter. What "threat" lurks in my lawn? Certainly not the weeds, nor the microbes with which they associate. That so-called "treatment", on the other hand, just might qualify.<br />
<hr />
Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-44855145625502229882013-04-22T06:00:00.000-05:002013-04-22T06:00:15.752-05:00Happy Earth Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/wGnxBxk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://i.imgur.com/wGnxBxk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
In case you missed it, today is Earth Day. Celebrations have been going strong all weekend long. So join in the fun!<br />
<br />
What can you do to note just how vital the earth is to our survival? (And it really is, down to the soil you walk on and the critters that burrow in it.) Tons of things! Pick one, try it out for today, then again tomorrow--see if you can keep it up all week. Make it a habit. But at least make an effort of some kind.<br />
<br />
Waiting in your car for a while? <b>If you will idle for longer than 30 seconds, turn off the engine. </b>The amount of gas your engine needs to start is equivalent to the amount used in 10 seconds of idling. Not only will it put money in your pocket (since you are burning money when you idle), it will also improve local air quality for all those people who are ...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Bike_share.jpg/800px-Bike_share.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Bike_share.jpg/800px-Bike_share.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>riding bikes!</b> Why not try a day without a car? I spent <i>five years</i> in Germany without a car (we borrowed one -- <i>once</i>). We walked, biked, rode buses and trains. And let me tell you, we were in good shape. It might have taken a little longer to get places, but we never had to go to the gym (hey look--more money in your pocket!)<br />
<br />
Not up for a two-wheeled commute? <b>Try carpooling.</b> Not only will it save you money (around $650 per person if you ride with one other person each work day for a year and up to $1000 per person if you fill the car - <a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/carpool-saving-money-tip#slide-2">source</a>), but fewer cars produce less pollution and reduce your <a href="http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm">carbon footprint</a>.<br />
<br />
Or, if you work from home, maybe you could make some changes there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Kilmeadan_-_The_Cosy_Thatch_Pub_rain_barrel_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1635414.jpg/400px-Kilmeadan_-_The_Cosy_Thatch_Pub_rain_barrel_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1635414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Kilmeadan_-_The_Cosy_Thatch_Pub_rain_barrel_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1635414.jpg/400px-Kilmeadan_-_The_Cosy_Thatch_Pub_rain_barrel_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1635414.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>Install a rain barrel.</b> Climate change means more extreme weather events happening more often. Ninety degree weather in March? Two feet of snow in April? Yep. This is the new normal. And that means there will be periods of drought intermixed with heavy rain events. Rain barrels are a great way to catch some of the precipitation to use during the dry spells.<br />
<br />
Head to your local garden center and ask for <b>regionally native plants</b> for your garden. they'll be better able to tolerate the extremes with a lot less input from you (they usually require little to no fertilizer, no pesticides, and little water other than what falls from the sky). Choose perennials and they'll come back year after year. <br />
<br />
<b>Or plant a tree!</b> Trees not only provide shade and cool the local area, they also play a critical role in maintaining the water cycle by drawing water up from the soil and releasing it into the air. This is why rain forests are rainy--the trees literally create rain by constantly releasing huge amounts of water into the air. Areas (like the Middle East) that have long been deforested eventually become too dry to support trees, which leads to further drying and eventual desertification. Don't want your area to become a desert? Take care of those trees.<br />
<br />
<b>What will you do to celebrate Earth day?</b> I'm waiting for the weekend to put in dozens of native plants, shrubs and trees. Can't wait to watch my yard transform.
<br />
<hr />
Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-44922654879083052372013-04-04T06:55:00.000-05:002013-04-04T06:55:17.016-05:00School visits!I know, I'm blogging twice in one week. I don't *think* the apocalypse is nigh, but I'm probably not the best gauge.<br />
<br />
I've been doing lots of school visits over the past couple of weeks, and I just want to say a big<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Thank_you_001.jpg/800px-Thank_you_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Thank_you_001.jpg/800px-Thank_you_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
to Belmont and Morley teachers and librarians for inviting me, and to their fabulous students for being so attentive, asking such great questions, and generally making my job a ton of fun.<br />
<br />
From researching and writing non-fiction with fourth and fifth graders to the adaptations of native plants and the extraordinary world of native pollinators with second graders (complete with getting dirty and planting some seeds), it's been an extraordinary series of visits.<br />
<br />
Thank you all for letting me share my knowledge and my writing with you! I hope someday soon to return with my books--in addition to my magazine articles--in hand.<br />
<hr />
Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-43993462254375067422013-04-01T07:55:00.000-05:002013-04-01T07:55:56.090-05:00Not so far and awayI recently visited "Away"--that place things go when you put them out with the trash, otherwise known as the landfill. It was a really eye-opening experience, and I highly recommend it. Really. It's not at all what you think it will be, and it makes you rethink what happens to all that stuff you throw out (although I do recommend visiting before summer heat hits). <br />
<br />
Think recyclables are reclaimed? <b>Think again.</b> It's too dangerous to go through garbage to remove items. So what goes into the trash truck by and large goes into the landfill. Appliances--"white goods"--are the exception. They are removed and the people who left them at the curb are fined (your trash collector will remember you if you leave out items they're not supposed to take). These are deconstructed to reclaim hazardous materials and scrap.<br />
<br />
Everything else? Into the day's "cell" it goes (more on that below).<br />
<br />
Perfectly good things, like used furniture, clothes that didn't sell in a big sidewalk sale or clearance (really--stores would rather throw them away than allow people--even the needy--to have them for free), and leftover food.<br />
<br />
That last one's a huge problem, because it attracts animals by the thousands. In fact, there are so many birds at landfills, they have to be located <a href="http://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/150-5200-33b/150_5200_33b.doc">at least six miles from the airport</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fkR5iwldocGNxByYruT7sOqvxX3YuLzTEe9Hz_NQoXsXwiv_YZWFzH7PPKkZfN7S4_QV7ivJbe_t7fQdry8ePJSUSJVjN72dUVzMkFE6eZtSXMsjqxxIiSqbcnz9LybF-51hAAjzR4jc/s1600/landfill_birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fkR5iwldocGNxByYruT7sOqvxX3YuLzTEe9Hz_NQoXsXwiv_YZWFzH7PPKkZfN7S4_QV7ivJbe_t7fQdry8ePJSUSJVjN72dUVzMkFE6eZtSXMsjqxxIiSqbcnz9LybF-51hAAjzR4jc/s1600/landfill_birds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gulls and starlings--tens of thousands of them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In 2007, our local landfill kept track of what went in:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>16% was compostable</b><br />
<b>46% was recyclable</b></blockquote>
Together, <b>62%</b> of what people threw away could have been put to better use, cut down on animal pests, and saved money. How much money? Over <b>16 million dollars of what is thrown away each year (in my small city's landfill alone) is recyclable. </b><br />
<br />
Why does that matter? <b>The energy saved by recycling ONE aluminum can will power a computer for three hours.</b> If you want to <a href="http://alisonstevens.blogspot.com/2013/03/change-can-be-good.html">save energy</a>, recycle. <br />
<br />
Ever wonder what happens to those bags of yard waste you leave out? The leaves wind up in huge rows.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZjepGg9HLxBc8QYOtBTqlj6-pFfuM1F4cnvWWJVcXKdaMGJn6WJswrXQNCk8cAatpeXinXsNsK9JV3ZKjLeypFuBfj9GVEOAnuhv8IKD5PNEtYxrX-SdPATJJ7r8bARj7nuaeWs-P7gd/s1600/landfill_leaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZjepGg9HLxBc8QYOtBTqlj6-pFfuM1F4cnvWWJVcXKdaMGJn6WJswrXQNCk8cAatpeXinXsNsK9JV3ZKjLeypFuBfj9GVEOAnuhv8IKD5PNEtYxrX-SdPATJJ7r8bARj7nuaeWs-P7gd/s1600/landfill_leaves.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those white things are the bags the leaves came in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So do grass clippings. Branches go into a brush pile 1.5 stories tall. Then the leaves, grass, and chipped branches are mixed in massive rows about 8 feet wide by 6 feet tall. A special machine straddles the rows, periodically turning the yard waste from the inside out.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kJeYWmbobIBbFNXLcRONSEajqrQkhBeqqMhAlCB4jARVURk2-vhy8ReR2YjIIvNuTN_59Rs0uK7p7yBQezXALNt_N37f0Ds49WojiNmyNJMPiiecI2d7ZDxcHqocefyhN0GlEP-oq_SM/s1600/landfill_compost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kJeYWmbobIBbFNXLcRONSEajqrQkhBeqqMhAlCB4jARVURk2-vhy8ReR2YjIIvNuTN_59Rs0uK7p7yBQezXALNt_N37f0Ds49WojiNmyNJMPiiecI2d7ZDxcHqocefyhN0GlEP-oq_SM/s1600/landfill_compost.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quarter-mile of compost.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The temperature inside gets up to 140 degrees (F), where the landfill employees try to keep it for at least 3 weeks--compost that hot will kill disease pathogens and weed seeds. Months later, they've got mountains of compost that's pretty much free for the taking. <br />
<br />
<b>The landfill itself</b> is a carefully engineered, highly organized structure
where the trash trucks dump your garbage. They don't back up to a big
hole in the ground and let loose. They have to go to that day's "cell"
to dump their load, and someone with GPS marks the location. That way,
if they ever need to recover something that was thrown out on a
certain day, they know where it is. What could you possibly want to
recover from a landfill? A diamond ring, maybe. Or a body (sad but
true). <br />
<br />
Heavy (100,000-pound) equipment compacts the loads.
Their goal is to fit <b>1700 pounds of garbage into one square yard of
space</b>. Think about that for a second--just <i>how much</i> garbage they're cramming into landfills that fill within just a few decades.<br />
<br />
If everyone composted and recycled, the life of the landfill would almost <b>triple</b>. That's pretty phenomenal.<br />
<br />
<b>Want to do your part?</b> Here are some resources for getting started:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6957" target="_blank">Build a compost bin</a>. This can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be (we have the three-bin one, which is great because we fill one of the side bins and leave it to compost while we fill the other. We put all finished compost in the middle until we're ready to use it). Not for you? Near the bottom of the link are the two simplest methods.<br />
<br />
And in case you're wondering,<b> NO, it doesn't smell</b>. Not unless you put in too many "greens" (grass clippings and kitchen waste) and not enough "browns" (dried leaves, paper bags, sawdust, <a href="http://www.compost-info-guide.com/browns.htm">etc.</a>) As long as you've got a good balance, it just smells like soil.<br />
<br />
<b>If you're not recycling, start</b>. Check out the programs in your area. Most offer curbside recycling. To make it easy, look for one that doesn't require you to sort. Some take more than others, so do your research and find the ones that accept more recyclable goods. <br />
<br />
Frustrated by the things your local companies won't take? (All that food packaging, for instance?) <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.recyclecartons.com/">RecycleCartons</a> takes paper milk and juice cartons. If they're not available close to you (and you don't mind spending a little money now and then), you can mail your cartons in.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/">TerraCycle</a> takes all kinds of "unrecyclables." Sign up for a brigade (or two or three). TerraCycle pays for shipping for most brigades. The best part? You earn points that can be donated to your favorite school or charity. Want to have a positive impact on your school? Have them set up a station for families to bring in their packaging and <b>turn recycling into a fund-raiser</b>.<br />
<br />
Remember, you don't have to do everything at once: <b>even small steps make a difference</b>. But often people who start with small steps decide to take additional steps once they realize it's really not all that difficult or painful. I hope that's true for you.<br />
<br />
<b>What's your first step going to be?</b>
<br />
<hr />
Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-67161976367440077362013-03-18T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-18T06:00:00.453-05:00Change can be goodI've been working toward becoming a <a href="http://www.theresourceinnovationgroup.org/storage/Nebraska%20Climate%20Masters%202012.pdf" target="_blank">Climate Master</a> -- an expert (of sorts) on all things related to the climate and our environment. It's a lot like the Master Gardener program, just with a different focus. I've learned some pretty incredible things, and I'm going to spend the coming weeks sharing them here.<br />
<br />
My main focus will be on things you can do to reduce your impact on the environment. And if you don't really care about the environment, or don't accept that humans are changing the climate, those things will still help you save money and eat healthier.<br />
<br />
<b>Change can be good</b>--individually, locally, and globally.<br />
<br />
Do you need to take out a second mortgage to install geothermal or solar? No. Do you need to trade in your car for a hybrid or electric? Nope. They're great if you can afford them, but they're not necessary.<br />
<br />
See, change doesn't have to be difficult. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Change for the better can be as simple as a series of small steps that cumulate to become something greater. If everyone commits to making small changes, just think what our collective actions can do.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/CrumpleEarth.jpg/799px-CrumpleEarth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/CrumpleEarth.jpg/799px-CrumpleEarth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/CrumpleEarth.jpg/799px-CrumpleEarth.jpg" target="_blank">coremediagroup (source)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So to get you thinking, here's a breakdown of how a typical U.S. household uses energy (from <a href="http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/energy_savers.pdf" target="_blank">Energy Savers</a>):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
45% - heating<br />
18% - water heating<br />
9% - cooling (e.g., air conditioning)<br />
6% - computers and electronics<br />
6% - lighting<br />
5% - other<br />
4% - cooking<br />
4% - refrigeration<br />
3% - wet cleaning</blockquote>
<br />
<b>How can you easily reduce your household energy use? </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Heating your house is by far the biggest chunk of that bill--Turn down the heat! For every degree you lower your heat, <b>you save 3%</b> off your heating bill. Set your daytime temperature at 68 and wear a sweater.</li>
<li>Get a programmable thermostat (one that's easy to program). Use it to turn the heat down 8 degrees at night, when you're bundled up under a pile of blankets (yes, if you're doing the math, that would be 60). Then have the heat kick in about 30 minutes before you get up, so the house isn't freezing.</li>
<li>Wrap your water heater with an insulating blanket. Yes, touching your water heater can be scary if you haven't done it before, but the insulation will make a big difference.</li>
<li>Hang your clothes to dry. This one is a huge energy saver. If you live in a dry area with lots of sun, you clothes will be dry in about the same amount of time as using the dryer, but with zero emissions and zero addition to your electric bill. (As an added bonus, sunlight will erase vegetable- or fruit-based stains. For serious, try it out sometime. It doesn't work on grease or dirt, but other stuff, like tomato or blueberry? Sunlight, baby, all the way.)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Those are things that will put a big dent in your utility bill. Line-drying clothing in summer will also help reduce the energy needed during peak times, which will help prevent an overloaded electric grid. That reduces the need to build new power plants, which <b>saves you money in the long run</b> (since the power company will pass on those costs to their customers).<br />
<br />
See? Small, painless, and puts money back in your wallet.
<hr />Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-15004031750730928502013-03-04T06:00:00.000-06:002013-03-04T06:00:02.536-06:00Marketing Monday - Gail Gauthier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5oUNCl1tKYC8Ow3tz8iScVw_LCFhYCv2jc8xCiQ35Q9Y35WmZyBjIS4SNKW378Ut__bjq_1JcAhujNAfAnu4SOFa7MEcK3Ww_DZj1o_7gWkWbyKv1241gTPRkBqOaXioPipBuQNwgvzH/s1600/GailGauthier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5oUNCl1tKYC8Ow3tz8iScVw_LCFhYCv2jc8xCiQ35Q9Y35WmZyBjIS4SNKW378Ut__bjq_1JcAhujNAfAnu4SOFa7MEcK3Ww_DZj1o_7gWkWbyKv1241gTPRkBqOaXioPipBuQNwgvzH/s1600/GailGauthier.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://alisonstevens.blogspot.com/p/marketing-and-promotion.html" target="_blank">Marketing Monday</a> is back!<br />
<br />
Please welcome <a href="http://www.gailgauthier.com/" target="_blank">Gail Gauthier</a>, author of eight children's books, including <i>The Hero of Ticonderoga</i>, an ALA Notable Book, and the <i>Hannah and Brandon Stories</i> series. Gail just re-released her book <i>Saving the Planet & Stuff</i>, this time as an eBook. She's here to share what it's like to go through the eBook marketing process with a book that was originally released in hardback.<br />
<br />
So without further ado ... welcome, Gail!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Saving the Planet & Stuff</i> first appeared in 2003 as a hardcover book traditionally published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons and marketed for grades 5 and up. This year it has been re-released as a self-published eBook marketed for YA and up.<br />
<br />
Back in 2003, my marketing efforts were pretty much limited to the website and blog I was already maintaining and a few press releases that I sent out to publications in Connecticut, where I lived, and Vermont, where the book was set. The bulk of the marketing was done by my publisher, while I worked on my next book.<br />
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I am the publisher of the eBook, so this time I’ll be doing all the marketing. Ten years have passed and my platform is a little more extensive, anyway. In addition to the <a href="http://www.gailgauthier.com/" target="_blank">website </a>and <a href="http://blog.gailgauthier.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>, I have a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AuthorGailGauthier1?ref=hl" target="_blank">professional</a> as well as personal Facebook page, an author page at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gail-Gauthier/e/B001ITVYW0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, and I’m active on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/240578.Gail_Gauthier" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, where I have a second blog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLV-5nWjgXGdEPxV1xDTmDvZvdurH0n12w46cdIhT7OWoSbOwy6121exIWZKg6zvn71W1CNdeIPPe039i4teE4dSlaAtIW8Hlc8UYqAp64z8G6fQGQBHXzYvdF3zdoNpiye7MCWAcYudZ/s1600/STPAS-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLV-5nWjgXGdEPxV1xDTmDvZvdurH0n12w46cdIhT7OWoSbOwy6121exIWZKg6zvn71W1CNdeIPPe039i4teE4dSlaAtIW8Hlc8UYqAp64z8G6fQGQBHXzYvdF3zdoNpiye7MCWAcYudZ/s1600/STPAS-300.jpg" /></a></div>
Beyond that, my marketing plan has been developed around the fact that <i>Saving the Planet & Stuff</i> is now an eBook.
The first marketing task was acquiring a new cover, which was created by <a href="http://www.eric-bloom.com/illustration.html" target="_blank">Eric Bloom</a>. This eBook cover carries a little more weight than the covers of my traditionally published books did. For one thing, it includes the tag line “An Eco-Comedy” because I wanted to make sure potential readers knew that this book is funny.<br />
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In addition, you’ll see “Gail Gauthier Author of <i>Happy Kid!</i>” printed at the bottom of the image. It’s not unusual to see an author’s earlier work noted on the cover of a traditionally published book. The reference to the earlier book could help sell the new one.<br />
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With eBooks, it’s supposed to work the other way, too. If readers like the new eBook they’ve just read, it’s possible they’ll buy another eBook by the same author, assuming they know it’s available. That explains why <i>Happy Kid! </i>is on the eBook cover of <i>Saving the Planet & Stuff</i> instead of my ALA Notable book, <i>The Hero of Ticonderoga</i>. G. P. Putnam’s Sons has published an eBook edition of <i>Happy Kid!</i> while <i>Hero</i> is out-of-print. With my new <i>Saving the Planet</i> cover, I’m trying to market two books, <i>Saving the Planet</i>, of course, and <i>Happy Kid!.</i><br />
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I understand readers moving from one eBook to another because I’m an eBook reader myself. I’ve been known to finish reading one eBook and buy another in the same series in the middle of the night while I’m in bed. My own eBook purchasing habits have shaped another aspect of my marketing of <i>Saving the Planet & Stuff</i>. With an eBook, you don’t have to wait to go to a bookstore to purchase it. You don’t have to pick up the phone and order it from a store or go on-line to do so. You don’t have to wait for the book to arrive in the mail. You can order the book from your e-reader and be reading it seconds later. I wanted that kind of availability for anyone who saw or read anything about <i>Saving the Planet & Stuff</i>.<br />
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While I have been talking about this publishing project at my blog, website, and Facebook pages, I waited until the eBook had actually published before posting the book trailer to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvWUvmtLbYs" target="_blank">YouTube</a> or approaching many bloggers to request reviews or guest posts.<br />
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I didn’t want people to see a trailer or early review and not be able to buy the book right at that minute. I’m making the assumption that other eBook readers shop the way I do.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dvWUvmtLbYs?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>
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I’m also considering doing some paid advertising through Amazon at some point. Because <i>Saving the Planet & Stuff</i> is an eBook, I don’t have to worry about making big sales right out of the gate in order to keep a traditional paper and print book on store shelves.<br />
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This whole project is an experiment for me. At this point, the experiment is going to involve approaching bloggers and continuing with on-line marketing for quite some time, instead of putting everything up front, at time of publication.<br />
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Thanks so much for the glimpse into the marketing differences between traditional and e-publishing, Gail! Best of luck with your marketing efforts. <i>Saving the Planet & Stuff </i>looks like a lot of fun--can't wait to read it! <br />
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* * *<br />
<br />
Gail Gauthier is the author of eight children's books, including <i>The Hero of
Ticonderoga</i>, an ALA Notable Book, and the two volumes of the <i>Hannah and Brandon
Stories</i> series, <i>A Girl, a Boy, and a Monster Cat</i>, and <i>A Girl, a Boy, and
Three Robbers</i>, which were both selected as Junior Library Guild offerings. Her books
have been nominated for readers' choice awards in six states, and published in foreign
editions in Italy, Germany, France, and Japan. She has spoken in schools in Connecticut,
Massachusetts, and Vermont, as well as at professional conferences. She maintains the
weblog <i>Original Content</i>, where she writes about children's literature, writing,
and time management for writers.Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-13742348172844874942013-02-25T06:48:00.000-06:002013-02-25T06:48:17.230-06:00Death by Snow DayYou know how deadlines tend to cluster? No? Well mine do. And I've got a bunch coming up. So naturally last week was a complete bust in terms of getting any writing done. President's Day on Monday, sick child Tuesday-Wednesday, snow days Thursday-Friday.<br />
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Two days off of school for a whopping 6 inches of snow. Every parent I know was tearing their hair out last week. And then yesterday, the local weather people said it would snow from last night until tomorrow.<br />
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So far, not a flake. Which is a good thing. School's in session today, and I might actually have a shot at squeaking in under these deadlines. Of course the flip side is that, once again, we're going to get no snow, and we desperately need the moisture.<br />
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And my boys and I didn't get to build an igloo, which I'd really wanted to do. Because really, if there's no school due to snow, you ought to be able to build an igloo. Don't you think?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Igloo_outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Igloo_outside.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Igloo_outside.jpg" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But on the positive side of things, my article on <a href="http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/02/concussion-more-than-getting-your-bell-rung/" target="_blank">Concussion</a> came out in <a href="http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/" target="_blank">Science News for Kids</a>. If your kids are out sledding, playing hockey,<b> </b>ice skating, or doing other winter sports, you might want to check it out.<br />
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<b>How do you get work done when life gets in the way?</b>
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-4278801773737417672013-02-11T07:07:00.002-06:002013-02-11T07:07:18.396-06:00Staying curiousSaturday was one of those wonderful days when my contributor copies landed in the mailbox. This time it was the March issue of <i>Highlights for Children</i>, which has an article I wrote about a scientist and her research on black howler monkeys.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Howler_monkey_belzie_wen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Howler_monkey_belzie_wen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black howler monkey by LeaMaimone. (<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Howler_monkey_belzie_wen.jpg" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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She discovered that they can count, just by listening to the roars of other troops. Very cool stuff. Highlights isn't available online, but I have also written about her work (and research on many other clever critters) in <a href="http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/animal-cognition-96639212" target="_blank">this piece on Animal Cognition</a>, if you'd like to learn more.<br />
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Many of the non-fiction pieces I write profile a scientist or scientists and their work--all of my <a href="http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/?s=alison+pearce+stevens" target="_blank">Science News for Kids</a> stories do this, and most of the ones I've written for <i>Highlights</i>, too.<br />
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I absolutely LOVE that part of my job. Scientists do the coolest stuff. I mean, who else would think to drag a sled filled with speakers, poles, a tape player, an amplifier, and a boat battery into the Belizian jungle to find out whether or not howler monkeys can count?<br />
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Who else would take life-sized stuffed-animal lions with removable, velcro-able manes into the Serengeti to find out why lions have manes at all? You can find out more about that one in the March issue of <i>ASK</i> (Arts and Sciences for Kids) magazine. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Just_one_lion.jpg/729px-Just_one_lion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Just_one_lion.jpg/729px-Just_one_lion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Robek (<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Just_one_lion.jpg/729px-Just_one_lion.jpg" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Scientists look at the world around them and see things they can't explain. They ask interesting questions and design fascinating experiments in their search for an answer. They are the most curious people on the planet, second only to kids. Some are probably more curious than your average kid.<br />
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And that's what makes science so much fun.<br />
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Which is why I have a hard time understanding why our school kids, who are naturally incredibly curious people, aren't doing well in science. I don't teach in K-12, so I'm not in the classroom to know what activities they're doing to learn about science. I do know that many elementary teachers don't have a background in the sciences, and perhaps that's a contributing factor. I really don't know.<br />
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Are we not letting kids observe and ask questions? Not giving them the directed freedom to figure out how to find an answer? Kids are good at that. It comes naturally to them. Just imagine what could happen if we harnessed that potential. All it takes is a <a href="http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/05/how-creativity-powers-science/" target="_blank">creative mind</a> and a supportive atmosphere. Science <a href="http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/11/pathways-to-research-pursuing-a-passion/" target="_blank">doesn't have to be costly</a>. Some of the best experiments are incredibly simple.<br />
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<b>So why aren't our students performing well on science tests? Scientists are just kids who never lost their curiosity about the world. How can we help our kids keep theirs? </b><br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-37712223737199302012013-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:002013-02-04T06:00:09.738-06:00Putting warmer winters to good useI've been trolling the garden catalogs lately. Seems to happen this time of year, when a burst of warm days catches everyone by surprise, although early spring seems to be rapidly becoming the norm. Even the groundhogs say so.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.unadillanebraska.com/images/stories/Im_a_rodent_not_a_meteorologist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.unadillanebraska.com/images/stories/Im_a_rodent_not_a_meteorologist.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Punxatawney Phil's not the only game in town.<br />
Meet Unadilla Bill. (<a href="http://www.unadillanebraska.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=403&Itemid=132" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This year, as we enter our second spring in our home, my husband and I (well, mostly me) are determined to do something with the front yard. The grass pretty much died last year. Drought does that. And I must admit, I encouraged it. I tried to kill off a couple of shrubs, too, but they were hardier than I'd expected.<br />
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My husband and I want a beautiful flowering, fruit-producing tree out front, surrounded by beautiful, habitat-producing native plants. The tree's the sticking point, though. We really want to put in a Mexican plum.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3599/3362175518_4eb18d3d6c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3599/3362175518_4eb18d3d6c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexican plum trees in full bloom by TexasEagle.<br />
Lovely aren't they? (<a href="https://secure.flickr.com/photos/texaseagle/3362175518/lightbox/" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why choose a tree that grows naturally in our state but is nowhere to be found in local nurseries? Several reasons, actually.<br />
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They are drought tolerant. (Number one biggest criterion: check!)<br />
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They are native to our region. (Number two biggest criterion: check!)<br />
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They like full sun. (Important when putting a tree on the south side of the house.) <br />
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But for some reason, they are listed as doing best in zones 6-8. (If you're not a gardener, all you need to know is that the country is divided into zones, depending on how cold it gets in winter, and plants are grouped depending on their cold tolerance.) My husband and I live in zone 5, which means winters would be too cold for this tree.<br />
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That's not so good. Because this tree seems perfect in every other way.<br />
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Then I stumbled on <a href="http://www.arborday.org/media/mapchanges.cfm" target="_blank">this</a>. Unfortunately, I can't import it into the blog, but it's worth the jaunt over to the <a href="http://www.arborday.org/" target="_blank">Arbor Day Foundation</a> to check out <a href="http://www.arborday.org/media/mapchanges.cfm" target="_blank">the animation.</a> Seriously. It's pretty eye-opening. I'll wait. <br />
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Incredible, isn't it? The zones are migrating north at a rapid clip, and that animation showed the change over a 16 year period. Only 16 years! Winters aren't getting nearly as cold as they used to. There are some benefits to that (like lower heating bills and planting the plum tree!), and some drawbacks (like flea outbreaks due to lack of a hard freeze to kill off the eggs). <br />
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That's why I'm working so hard to put in regionally native plants that can tolerate the harsher climate we seem to be moving toward. I don't want my yard to turn brown in summer. I want it to be full of color and life.<br />
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Curious about what kinds of trees and plants would be native to your area?<br />
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There are a couple of great resources that I use on a regular basis. The <a href="http://www.arborday.org/" target="_blank">Arbor Day Foundation</a> has a <a href="http://www.arborday.org/trees/index.cfm" target="_blank">searchable tree database</a> based on where you live (caveat: they only list the trees they carry in their nursery, so you might not find what you're looking for, but it's a good starting point).<br />
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My favorite resource is the <a href="http://www.wildflower.org/" target="_blank">Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center</a>, which has <a href="http://www.wildflower.org/collections/" target="_blank">lists of recommended species</a> for each state and for all kinds of native plants.<br />
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<b>Have you noticed a warming trend in the winters? How has it affected you?</b><br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-13326082750232806472013-01-28T06:00:00.000-06:002013-01-28T21:20:31.886-06:00Soothing the soulI just placed an order for 100 trees and shrubs. Keep in mind that I don't live out in the country, not even on a small acreage. I think 100 trees might be a bit much for my family's quarter-acre property, and we're not planning to surround our house with a forest.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Serviceberry_or_Shadbush.jpg/800px-Serviceberry_or_Shadbush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Serviceberry_or_Shadbush.jpg/800px-Serviceberry_or_Shadbush.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Serviceberry_or_Shadbush.jpg" target="_blank">by Amos Oliver Doyle</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Why, then, would I order so many? To start with, because I have to. It's the minimum order I can place with our natural resource district. Also because I want a nice privacy screen between my house and the neighbor who lurks in his garage smoking cigars. It would seem that he's our self-appointed neighborhood watch. While that has its benefits, I don't like that my windows are in his direct line of sight. I work at home. And every time I look out the window, he's there.<br />
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But the main reason is because I want to create a place in our yard where my kids can play, where they can explore the natural world and all it entails. Where they can pretend they're in a forest or a fort or a cave. Where they can experience nature first-hand and reap the benefits.<br />
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I'm working to create a place that will keep them, my husband, me--even that neighbor--healthy.<br />
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Because when trees die, so do people.<br />
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<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/when-trees-die-people-die/267322/" target="_blank">This article</a> in <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/" target="_blank">The Atlantic</a> describes the most recent piece of research linking trees to human health. <a href="http://www.ajpmonline.org/webfiles/images/journals/amepre/AMEPRE_3662-stamped_Jan_8.pdf" target="_blank">The researchers discovered</a> that as ash trees in the Midwest began to die by the million (thanks to an introduced pest, the emerald ash borer), more people in the areas with dying trees died of cardiovascular and lower-respiratory-tract illnesses. Now I'm not suggesting that if a tree in your neighborhood dies, so will you or one of your neighbors. But the relationship is there. <br />
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We need nature, and we are just beginning to understand the extent of our dependence. Sadly, we are dangerously close to the tipping point--the point at which we will have pushed nature beyond its ability to spring back from the punches we keep delivering.<br />
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But it's not too late. We can take small steps to help heal the natural world. Small steps to heal <i>ourselves</i>, as well.<br />
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My husband and I are replacing large sections of our yard with regionally-native plants. No sprays, no fertilizers, but lots of habitat for wildlife (including our boys). If the rest of the yard turns out as well as the small strip of native plants we put in last year, it will thrive even in drought. To watch something thrive when everything around it struggles? That's good for the soul.<br />
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As for the eighty-some trees and shrubs we won't use? We'll share them with others. We will happily give them away to friends and neighbors who want to add a little nature to their yard. I can only hope to find each seedling a home.<br />
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<b>Out of curiosity, do studies like the one above make you stop to think about your relationship to nature? Why or why not?</b><br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-65855127119311663602013-01-21T06:00:00.000-06:002013-01-21T06:00:11.049-06:00In search of the perfect workspaceI have lots of goals for the year (though I'm <a href="http://alisonstevens.blogspot.com/2013/01/it-lives.html" target="_blank">not going to disclose most of them</a>), one of which was to write without pain. That's right: <i>was</i>. Past tense. Because even though we're only three weeks into the year, I've already accomplished this one! <br />
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I'm one of those people who has a terrible time with neck, shoulder, and back trouble, especially when I sit for long periods of time. Yoga helps, but not enough to counter the sitting.<br />
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Toward the end of last year, as my writing career started taking off and I found myself spending more time sitting in my desk chair, I started to have hip pain, too. It was awful, to the point where I seriously wondered if I would be able to continue writing.<br />
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So one of my goals for 2013 was to write without pain.<br />
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My original plan was to get a treadmill desk. We don't have a treadmill, which meant that not only would I have to buy the desk for one, but I'd also have to buy a treadmill. And that gets really expensive really quick. <br />
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Factor in my tendency to stop walking when an idea pops into my head, and I wasn't sure a treadmill was what I really wanted. The last thing I needed was for a treadmill to shoot me off the end and into the bookcase on the far wall. Kind of goes against the whole pain-free thing.<br />
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I looked into manual treadmills, given their potential benefits: less expensive, non-motorized and therefore incapable of throwing me against the wall, <i>and</i> environmentally friendly (relatively speaking) because they don't use electricity.<br />
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Naturally, all the reviews I found indicated a manual treadmill wouldn't work. It turns out that you have to hold on in order to gain enough traction to make the tread go. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a treadmill desk if you can't type when you use it.<br />
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And then, just to further complicate matters, my husband said he wanted to be able to use the computer. The kicker? He wanted to be able to <i>sit down</i>.<br />
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I threw my hands up in frustration, and started researching desks all over again. And guess what? I happened across <a href="http://www.masnick.com/2012/01/04/my-new-sitstandelliptical-desk/" target="_blank">this blog post</a>, which addressed every single issue I'd encountered. <br />
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I researched the components individually, weighed people's complaints against what I was looking for, and took the plunge. This is the result:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVAiCj16FfKSHk30wFdTNz-_UKg5zGrZzgYk_4fO9uJaMAhMtfHR1bPq68xfMSpsh3cGJ-yxoC8bdT7Y4SweFWHFlk0Hjt1Vjb-axxnI6QU2xqlZ5O1dTknbIFbLLqez8el0W4uDlYHGb/s1600/ellipticaldesk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVAiCj16FfKSHk30wFdTNz-_UKg5zGrZzgYk_4fO9uJaMAhMtfHR1bPq68xfMSpsh3cGJ-yxoC8bdT7Y4SweFWHFlk0Hjt1Vjb-axxnI6QU2xqlZ5O1dTknbIFbLLqez8el0W4uDlYHGb/s1600/ellipticaldesk.JPG" width="177" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://www.ergotron.com/tabid/640/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Ergotron Workfit S</a> workstation (the thing on the desk itself) raises and lowers with minimal effort (you do have to adjust it so that it stays when you move it, but once you get it set right, it's a piece of cake). In its lowest position, I can sit, but I rarely do. I'm usually on the <a href="http://staminaproducts.com/products/product_details.cfm?PID=55-1610C&cat=Ellipticals" target="_blank">mini-elliptical</a>, although sometimes I move it out of the way and just stand.<br />
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It takes getting used to the up-and-down motion, but I find that if I go slowly enough, it's not a problem. Except when I need to use the mouse. Clicking on a link is nearly impossible while actually ellipticating (that's a word, isn't it?), so I've had to learn a lot of keyboard shortcuts. There's a bit of time invested in that, but once I've got them down, it's much faster to get things done, whether I'm using the elliptical machine or not.<br />
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The one thing I would love to add is a dynamo. How great would it be to charge up the dynamo with the elliptical, and use that energy to power the monitor? Talk about motivation to keep moving! But that's somewhere down the line.<br />
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But I absolutely LOVE this set-up. I'm far more productive with this than I ever was sitting in a chair. I'm no longer in pain. And I've already accomplished one of my goals for the year.<br />
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<b>Do you experience pain when you work? How do you deal with it?</b><br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-70183812193665926412013-01-14T06:00:00.000-06:002013-01-14T06:00:12.686-06:00It lives!Those were my husband's words when the 4YO bounded down the steps, chattering away like a happy, non-feverish child (for the first time in a couple of days--thank you flu virus, for invading our house before our vaccines could take effect). <br />
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Like a child awakening from a long, feverish delirium, the blog is making a similar comeback. It might be sluggish at first, or it might burst with energy like the 4YO. I really don't know how that's going to play out--it will be interesting to see.<br />
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I was actually planning to get back to blogging right at the start of the year. I sat down, ready to write a post about my goals for 2013, when a friend sent me this:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NHopJHSlVo4" width="560"></iframe><br />
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How could I possibly share my goals with the world--or the very small part of it that stops by here (I love you all for doing so)--when sharing them would stop me from accomplishing them? Then I realized that not posting about my goals was stopping me from accomplishing at least one goal--blogging. Make of that what you will.<br />
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But here I am! I do plan to get back to blogging. Be forewarned that the topic of my posts will focus less on writing (thought there will be some--always) and more on environmental stuff.<br />
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Don't worry. You will not find any out-to-scare-the-pants-off-you posts about how the world is going to end if you don't sell your car and become a vegetarian. Not here. I promise. Doomsday predictions accomplish nothing but an overuse of hashtags (#apocalypse, anyone?).<br />
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I'm all about sharing the latest research on changes we can make to improve our lives. And not only ours, but the lives of our kids and their kids and generations to come.<br />
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I realize it's infinitely easier to keep on keepin' on, but I'm not talking about major changes. I'm talking about small things. Things you can do at home, at a local school, in your town or city. Things that will benefit YOU. The kinds of things that will reduce stress, improve health, make your neighborhood safer, and save you money (zoiks, I sound like a used-car salesman). Things that will make life different--but better. Really.<br />
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But as I said, it won't just be about the environment. I'm sure I'll share my new writing set-up soon (because I loves it, Precious, loves it). I have a delightful author lined up for a new Marketing Monday. And I'll be unveiling my new citizen science project soon, too.<br />
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<b>Welcome to the <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/12/20/167626648/maya-expert-the-end-of-times-is-our-idea-not-the-ancients" target="_blank">14th ba'k'tun</a>! It's a brand new world (literally, for the Maya). What wonderful things is it bringing you? </b><br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-36265194453278163502012-10-31T13:06:00.002-05:002012-10-31T13:06:53.630-05:00KidLit Cares: Superstorm Sandy Relief Effort<br />
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<a href="http://www.katemessner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/kidlitcares-300x115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.katemessner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/kidlitcares-300x115.jpg" /></a></div>
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I'm swamped, as usual, but I wanted to pop by to let you know about an awesome auction taking place over at <a href="http://www.katemessner.com/kid-lit-cares-superstorm-sandy-relief-effort/" target="_blank">Kate Messner's blog</a>. She's auctioning off a variety of writing-related goodies, and the proceeds will go to benefit people affected by Superstorm Sandy.<br />
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So go see what delightful things are available! Support your fellow country-people.<br />
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And have a spooktactular Halloween!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/5144862325/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Jack-o'-lanterns by wwarby, on Flickr"><img alt="Jack-o'-lanterns" height="204" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1327/5144862325_f18ee72d38.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by wwarby (<a href="https://secure.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/5144862325/" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-27345744145483233792012-10-01T15:21:00.001-05:002012-10-01T15:21:36.450-05:00What are you reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://albanypoets.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/BannedBooksWeek2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://albanypoets.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/BannedBooksWeek2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I just took my kids to the library, and I was shocked by the sheer number of my family's favorite books that have been banned for one reason or another. Wow!<br />
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It got me thinking about what makes someone ban a book. Inappropriate language. Situations that are inappropriate for young adults (or tweens, or children--did you know that <i>James and the Giant Peach</i> is a banned book? <i>Captain Underpants</i>--some of my boys' favorite books--as well.) Even books for adults have been banned because someone out there doesn't like what the author had say.<br />
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But what they say matters.<br />
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Their stories open us up to subjects or language that might make us uncomfortable. They may confront us with ideas that make us question our thoughts and beliefs. But the operative word there is <b>open</b>.<br />
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Such stories open our eyes, hearts and minds. They show us a side of life that might be utterly different from our own. Just because it isn't our experience doesn't make it wrong. It's someone's experience, and it would behoove each and every one of us to learn more about experiences that are different from our own. How else can we show compassion to those who need it? <br />
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I had the good fortune to hear a talk by <a href="http://www.chriscrutcher.com/" target="_blank">Chris Crutcher</a>--one of the most banned YA authors around--at the Rocky Mountain <a href="http://www.scbwi.org/" target="_blank">SCBWI</a> meeting. Chris has worked with kids whose lives have been anything but easy. And as he pointed out, those kids don't use nice language. So when he writes a novel about a kid in a similar type of situation, he uses true-to-life language, and he describes events that many of us might like to pretend don't exist.<br />
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But hiding our heads in the sand does nothing. Opening our hearts and minds to kids who live through those experiences does a lot.<br />
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<b>What are you reading?</b><br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-876862299021433932012-09-27T14:01:00.000-05:002012-09-27T14:01:48.321-05:00Nurturing curiosityLast weekend, I attended the <a href="http://www.rmcscbwi.org/" target="_blank">Rocky Mountain SCBWI</a> conference in Denver. It was a terrific meeting (such an enthusiastic, involved group!), and I had the opportunity to talk with agent Karen Grencik of <a href="http://redfoxliterary.com/" target="_blank">Red Fox Literary</a>, and editors Emily Clement of <a href="http://www.arthuralevinebooks.com/" target="_blank">Arthur A. Levine Books</a> and Sylvie Frank of <a href="http://www.holidayhouse.com/" target="_blank">Holiday House</a>--gracious women, every one.<br />
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As a non-fiction writer, I paid close attention when the <a href="http://www.corestandards.org/" target="_blank">Common Core State Standards</a> came up. Both Karen and Sylvie mentioned the importance of tying books to the Common Core. If a story has the potential to be used in the classroom, it will be much more likely to get published.<br />
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More and more, teachers are looking for books that allow them to <b>"teach smarter, not harder,"</b> as a principal at a nearby school so eloquently put it. What does that mean? Teachers need books that teach literacy while providing curriculum-related content. Books that kill two birds with one stone, if you will.<br />
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(As an aside: If you teach science, <a href="http://pinterest.com/mstewartscience/" target="_blank">Melissa Stewart</a> has a <i>terrific</i> Pinterest board to help you find books to fit some of the Common Core standards.)<br />
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Teachers need to find ways to teach math and science simultaneously. Science and math are closely connected, and yet I get the sense that they're typically taught as completely distinct subjects. Do they have to be? Can't we interweave them, thereby increasing the amount of time available to dedicate to both?<br />
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For example, in a life cycles unit a class may order caterpillars. Watching them pupate and emerge as adult butterflies is a remarkable experience, but it can be so much more.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Painted_Lady_on_Heather.jpg/800px-Painted_Lady_on_Heather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Painted_Lady_on_Heather.jpg/800px-Painted_Lady_on_Heather.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Painted_Lady_on_Heather.jpg/800px-Painted_Lady_on_Heather.jpg" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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Order caterpillars that are smaller, those that have more time to grow. Then have the students measure them. Weigh them. Graph the change in size over time. Weigh plant material before it's given to the butterflies, then again a day later. How much weight was lost? Was the same amount gained by the caterpillars? Why or why not? If the plants lost more weight than the caterpillars gained, where could the rest have gone?<br />
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Think you don't have enough science time to extend the life cycles unit? That's the beauty of "teaching smarter"--you can squeeze science into the daily math routine. And numbers are so much more interesting when they mean something. <br />
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I think--or rather hope--that the Common Core will encourage just this kind of cross-over in the classroom. After meeting with the principal mentioned above, and one of the teachers at her school, I strongly believe that we can again foster a love of science--and math--by returning to a hands-on approach and blurring the lines between subjects.<br />
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Math is fun and cool when it has real-life application. And science is all about curiosity--after all, what is a scientist but a kid who never stopped asking "Why?" <br />
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<b>The possibilities for exploration and discovery, critical thinking and
inquiry-based learning are endless if we can just start to see the
curriculum in a new way.</b> <br />
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Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-5757596799597386152012-08-08T20:51:00.000-05:002012-08-08T20:51:10.230-05:00Looking for a few good teachers!Hey teachers! Want to get your students out of the classroom? Connect them with the critters in their own neighborhood? Give them the tools they need to work toward positive change? All while working toward meeting National Science Education Standards?<br />
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I'm looking for a few adventurous elementary/middle school teachers who would like to incorporate some hands-on, inquiry-based activities into their classroom curriculum.<br />
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The activities in question address the following National Science Education Standards:<br />
<ul>
<li>characteristics of organisms </li>
<li>organisms and environments </li>
<li>regulation and behavior </li>
<li>populations and ecosystems </li>
<li>diversity and adaptations of organisms
</li>
</ul>
Curious? Interested? Send me an email at alison [at] apstevens [dot] com to find out more! (If you're not a teacher, but you know someone who is, please pass this along!)<br />
<hr />Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472336490065374318.post-62664872731896345262012-07-30T10:22:00.000-05:002012-07-30T10:22:27.226-05:00Look who made the centerfold!Guess who made the centerfold of <i>Highlights for Children</i>? Yes, me! (Get your mind out of the gutter, it's not that kind of centerfold; I write for <i>children</i>, people.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HzqMQ1THOOvI9YF4SpJjJkOFJRO6ggAtM7fzR_2K7mX732-5L0YiunmDZUkJOdNDst3lct9xtWLPe1O_RPvs9jFfNOExA_b-V6uCMuL6sOlWL_DuhRYLJRppBfqfeujn0BtlGUBsjlww/s1600/UndertheIce_title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HzqMQ1THOOvI9YF4SpJjJkOFJRO6ggAtM7fzR_2K7mX732-5L0YiunmDZUkJOdNDst3lct9xtWLPe1O_RPvs9jFfNOExA_b-V6uCMuL6sOlWL_DuhRYLJRppBfqfeujn0BtlGUBsjlww/s320/UndertheIce_title.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Highlights for Children</i> (Sept. 2012) used with permission.<br />
Image copyright Michael Cameron, NOAA.</td></tr>
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I can't show you the whole thing, but see that by-line? Off to the right there are staples (well, you can't see them, and since my son absconded with the magazine, I can't retake the image, but trust me, there are staples). Definitely staples... as in the staples that hold everything together and signify the center of the magazine. The staples that cause a magazine to fall open more often to the center spread than any other page (once the little subscription card thingies are torn out). <br />
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I am so, so thrilled to have my first <i>Highlights</i> article "drop" (I'm trying to pick up the lingo; still not sure I'm using it right). Doesn't that sound as though stacks upon stacks of the magazine, balanced precariously upon a hinged platform, suddenly find themselves in free-fall as the platform falls away? I imagine they plummet down long, windy Willy Wonka's factory-like chutes that divide and subdivide until each magazine plops into a kid's mailbox.<br />
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The kids race out to collect the mail, jump up and down when they see that lovely red <i>Highlights</i> banner, and speed inside to read it from cover to cover. Or maybe that's just my kids. And me. Not now (well, yes, now, but not ONLY now). I did it back when I was a kid, too. <i>Highlights</i> was my favorite magazine, and I never dreamed I would be published in it (well I did, but not way back then).<br />
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So that's my big news for the week. I'm still all smiley about it, and absolutely in love with the photos they chose, all taken by a friend of mine, Michael Cameron of the NOAA National Marine Mammals Laboratory Polar Ecosystems Program. The man's got some talent, no?
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<hr />Alison Pearce Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00955543150406880055noreply@blogger.com4