tree day.A greener world.
A life well lived.
IDEAS TO TAKE INTO EVERYDAY LIFE
Explore practical guides on trees, climate, gardens, wildlife, water, food, homes and community life.
321 articles
People & places · Guide
Choose a community garden site by testing access, land control, sunlight, soil, water and long-term use before making a commitment. The best-looking vacant lot may be less workable than a smaller site with reliable agreements and infrastructure.
Trees & forests · Guide
A quick hand check below the mulch is more useful than judging by the surface alone. Learn where to inspect, how to interpret what you feel and when to check again.
Trees & forests · Guide
During drought, protect a tree’s root zone by checking moisture, watering deliberately when needed, and reducing avoidable soil stress while following local water guidance.
Homes & energy · Guide
Estimate an appliance's energy use by converting watts to kilowatts and multiplying by the time it runs. The method works best when you account for cycling, changing settings and the difference between rated and actual power.
Waste & circular living · Guide
Second-hand buying is most useful when it replaces a new purchase you needed, suits your real use and lasts long enough to avoid another replacement. Check fit, condition, repair needs and transport before you commit.
Seasons & outdoor life · Guide
Give nesting birds space by staying on established routes, keeping people and pets back, and leaving when a bird changes its behavior. Follow local closures and viewing guidance, since the safest distance depends on the species and site.
People & places · Guide
A focused street-tree request explains the location, the public benefit residents seek and the site constraints officials should assess, while leaving species and placement to local review.
Food & land · Guide
Beans fit into familiar meals when you add them for texture, body or protein rather than treating them as a separate side. This guide offers easy swaps, a practical example and ways to store and use quantities you can finish.
Water & oceans · Guide
Plastic can travel from streets and yards through storm drains, streams and rivers before reaching coastal waters. Preventing that journey means reducing litter and keeping loose waste out of runoff pathways.
Wildlife & biodiversity · Guide
Outdoor light can change when and how animals move, feed, and interact, while also spilling into homes and neighboring habitat. Use lighting only where needed, direct it downward, and switch it off when the task is over.
Trees & forests · Guide
There is no reliable watering interval for every new tree: soil, rain, heat and species change how quickly roots dry. Check moisture where the roots are and water deeply when that zone needs it.
People & places · Guide
Green spaces can support shade, stormwater management, recreation and ecological recovery, but the benefits depend on design, access and ongoing care rather than greenery alone.
Food & land · Guide
Farming can shape biodiversity through land conversion and day-to-day management. The effects vary by crop, place, and practice, with consequences for wildlife habitat, soil life, and food production.
Climate & change · Guide
Trees cool urban spaces mainly by shading surfaces and releasing water through leaves, but the effect depends on canopy, species, site and water. Learn what trees can change on a street and what to consider before planting for shade.
Homes & energy · Guide
A home battery stores electricity for use later, but its value depends on what it is meant to do, system design and local utility arrangements. Learn the questions that make proposals comparable.
Homes & energy · Guide
A heat pump water heater moves heat from surrounding air into a tank of water. Learn how that differs from direct heating, what to assess in its location and what to clarify before replacement.
Wildlife & biodiversity · Guide
Habitat loss is a reduction in the amount of suitable living space; fragmentation breaks remaining habitat into separated patches. They often occur together, but distinguishing them helps explain different pressures and possible responses.
Water & oceans · Guide
Greywater and rainwater come from different places and suit different jobs; compare their sources, handling needs, and local rules before choosing a reuse system.
