environment
Mount Auburn lays gas-powered equipment to rest
A crowd gathered at Mount Auburn Cemetery watched as James Farlowe powered on an electric weed whipper and showed off its near-silent operating capabilities, symbolizing a milestone moment for it as it became first cemetery in the United States to put its gas-powered handheld landscaping equipment to rest. Read more Lack of EV charger installations […]
Pesky rabbits and jumping spiders
A reader asks:Why do rabbits eat plants in my garden but not my neighbor’s garden? Read more Four new films explore war, gender, and crime true and comedic This is an excellent question, but unfortunately there is not an easy answer. It could simply be that you grow plants that are more attractive to rabbits. […]
Regional politics will make climate change impact worse for Cambridge, Boston
As Cambridge and nearby communities brace for extreme heat and flooding, researcher and journalist Courtney Humphries argues that the region’s patchwork political landscape is a major obstacle to climate action. Her new book, “Climate Change and the Future of Boston” (Anthem Press), looks at the city’s 400-year-old history of development, and how that shapes the […]
The once familiar bobolink now in decline
A reader asked me recently about ground-nesting birds. Here is the story of one such bird, the bobolink. Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) breed in open grasslands and prairies. When European settlers arrived in North America, they cleared forests for hayfields, pastures and farms. Bobolinks, native to the Americas, thrived in hayfields, which were plentiful even near […]
If only humans could breathe like yellow-rumped warblers
Mammals, including humans, inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, which sounds like a fairly simple process. But compared to birds, we’re very inefficient. When we breathe, we inhale oxygen-rich air into our lungs. This fresh air mixes with old oxygen-poor air already in the lungs. When we breathe out, we breathe out this old stale […]
Charles River Task Force in full feedback mode
The Charles River Task Force is in the late stages of drafting a report on how state departments engage and communicate with local residents, particularly underrepresented communities, in the area between the Longfellow and Eliot bridges. Read more Council drops ShotSpotter in close vote Gaps in communications between state departments and local communities have been […]
A new walking trail steps us through our urban wilds
Cambridge and Somerville are part of a new urban trail that roams more than 80 miles around the perimeter of Boston, which debuted Tuesday, May 12. Read more Secret Salmon Burger at Henrietta’s Table The trail is the brainchild of Miles Howard, an avid hiker and writer, who wanted to connect towns and people across […]
Horrid Zale moths aren’t so horrible
One of my favorite Zale moths is the Horrid Zale moth, worthy of note for its name alone. If you have only ever read about Zale moths, including now, you are probably mispronouncing the name. You might think zale rhymes with tale, but it is actually a two-syllable word that rhymes with ballet, pronounced zah-lay. […]