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
Climate & change · Guide
Read the axes, baseline, time span and units before interpreting a climate graph. Those details reveal whether it shows a local observation, a global average, a short-term fluctuation or a long-term trend.
Gardens & growing · Guide
Choose a suitable mulch for the crop and season, apply it without smothering plants, and watch how it affects soil moisture, weeds and young seedlings.
Water & oceans · Guide
A wetland works through the interaction of shallow water, saturated soils, plants and wildlife. Together they can slow and store water, support food webs and influence water quality, with results shaped by local conditions.
Homes & energy · Guide
Embodied carbon comes from making and installing a home’s materials; operational carbon comes from running it. Understanding both helps homeowners compare upgrades over a building’s life without treating one measure as the whole climate picture.
People & places · Guide
A green corridor is a connected or linked strip of vegetation through a developed area, but its value depends on what it connects, which species or people it serves and how it is maintained.
Water & oceans · Guide
Reduce runoff by slowing, spreading, and soaking up rain where it falls; choose measures that fit your soil, slope, roof drainage, and local guidance.
Water & oceans · Guide
Read a water quality report by checking what water and location it covers, which measurements were taken, and what the results mean for your intended use. A report is a dated snapshot, not a universal safety guarantee.
Climate & change · Guide
A warmer atmosphere changes how water moves through the air, but rainfall shifts differ by region and season. Learn why heavy downpours and longer dry spells can both become concerns.
Homes & energy · Guide
Efficient cooking usually means matching the appliance and cookware to the meal, using lids and residual heat where appropriate, and avoiding unnecessary preheating. Your best option depends on equipment, food and cooking time.
Waste & circular living · Guide
Usually the aim is to empty containers and remove enough food residue to meet local instructions, not to scrub every item spotless. Rinsing can help with accepted containers, but preparation rules vary by program.
Trees & forests · Guide
Most newly planted trees do not need support, but staking can help where wind, mower damage or vandalism pose a real risk. Decide based on movement and exposure, and keep any support temporary and flexible.
Food & land · Guide
Seasonal eating means choosing foods that are naturally harvested or available in your region at a particular time of year. Here is how to identify what is in season, adapt the idea to real kitchens and avoid turning it into a rigid rule.
Food & land · Guide
A farmers market is easiest to shop when you arrive with a loose meal plan, ask a few clear questions and buy quantities your kitchen can use. Learn how to compare produce, support local growers and avoid impulse purchases that go to waste.
Gardens & growing · Guide
Reduce garden water waste by matching plants to the site, checking soil moisture, preventing runoff and directing irrigation toward the root zone.
People & places · Guide
A useful nature journal records dated observations separately from guesses, then returns to the same place to notice change. Keep entries short, consistent and suited to what you can actually observe.
Homes & energy · Guide
Insulation slows heat transfer through a home's walls, roof, floors and other boundaries, helping indoor spaces stay closer to their intended temperature. Its performance depends on coverage, installation and how well air leaks are managed.
Trees & forests · Guide
Many deciduous trees shed leaves as seasonal conditions change and continued leaf maintenance becomes less useful. Leaf drop is normal for these trees, though timing and pattern vary by species and local conditions.
Water & oceans · Guide
Rivers flood when water entering a channel exceeds what it can carry, often after heavy rain or snowmelt; watershed shape, land cover, and floodplain storage affect the outcome.
