quercus

I planted 10 tubers last spring in this awkward space between the shed and fence. Things were much more sparse last fall when they bloomed and I could still see the ground 😅 Hopefully the switchgrass blocks their forward march.

Most of the natural world has been altered by humans in some way. Ecosystems that are dominated by humans or man-made structures, such as cities, can still provide meaningful and essential habitat for insects. Today, we are going to discuss research being done in various human-dominated landscapes to answer the question: how do we restore and conserve insects in these ecosystems?

Guest Information

Dr. Chelse Prather is an associate professor and environmental biology coordinator at the University of Dayton. As an ecologist, Chelse has worked with insect communities in forests, grasslands, and urban ecosystems. She has managed a variety of projects from understanding basic insect ecology, like what nutrients limit insect communities, to very applied projects, such as how the installation of solar arrays affects insect communities.

Nine to five, yeah
They got you where they want you
There's a better life
And you think about it, don't you?
It's a rich man's game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin' money in his wallet

Over 12 expert-led weekly challenges, transform your lawn into a vibrant ecosystem teeming with life. Discover simple techniques to create habitat that butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects can't resist. Ready to turn your patch of earth into something extraordinary?

Live Kickoff on May 1st @ 12 pm est / 9 am pst

Featuring Doug Tallamy
Renowned Ecologist,
Founder of Homegrown National Park

• Weekly Challenges
• Expert Speakers
• Free Land Assessment
• Prizes & Badges

Sign up for this free challenge at lesslawnmorelife.com

Emma is joined by writer, activist and professor Naomi Klein about her new essay The rise of end times fascism. Naomi points out the new form that right wing authoritarianism has taken in finding ways to exit society and Earth itself.

Naomi co-wrote the essay with Astra Taylor, which you can read here in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/13/end-times-fascism-far-right-trump-musk

Started working on this area underneath a tree last spring. Common blue violet, eastern columbine and wild geranium make up the groundcover.

I planted Virginia spiderwort too, but the cottontails feasted on them 🐇

And an update on my violet post from last year. They're filling in this area nicely under the elderberry:

Authors: Chris P. Kale, Len Tilbürger
Topics: #anarchism #animalliberation #animalrights #FoodNotBombs #hardcore #intersectionality #music #punk #UnitedKingdom #Vegan
Date: 2014

This zine examines the frequent overlap between punk culture and animal rights^[1]^ activism/vegan consumption habits. It is argued that this relationship is most strongly and consistently expressed, and most sensibly understood, in connection with anarchism.

Examining this relationship is important in several ways. Firstly, it is under-researched and overlooked – as environmental journalist Will Potter argues, given the importance that punk plays in the political development of individual activists, it is surprising that ‘there is a shortage of research into punk’s impact on animal rights and environmental activism.’^[2]^ This zine, which brings together material from numerous bands, zines, patches, leaflets, and newly researched interview material, addresses this absence by considering the relationship between animal rights/veganism and punk. Secondly, the themes raised in this zine resonate far beyond the punk scenes from which material is collected: diversity and difference within activist communities, how these differences are managed (even ‘policed’), the prioritisation of certain forms of activism over others, and the role of culture are all issues which cut right to the heart of contemporary activist and community organising. Thirdly, the topic is of personal importance to the authors, both of whom are writing the zine from the impetus of their own life experiences.

In the first part of the zine the ways in which punk culture and veganism/animal rights coincide will be laid out, to stress the connection’s existence and to explore the different ways in which this connection is expressed. Next, the theme of politicisation will be raised, examining the link between people’s exposure to animal rights/veganism through punk, and the adoption of vegan consumption habits or involvement in animal rights activism. Thirdly, the tension between individual choice and subcultural expectation will be explored, followed by an examination of the supposed dichotomy between consumption and activist politics in animal rights. The zine will conclude by examining how anarchist perspectives cut across and inform these debates in an intersectional manner.^[3]^

Jamie Peck and Sam Beard are joined by Zhandarka Kurti and Jarrod Shanahan to discuss their new book “Skyscraper Jails: The Abolitionist Fight Against Jail Expansion in New York City” from Haymarket Books. What happens when politically underdeveloped abolitionists team up with ladder-climbing non-profit directors and big money philanthropy? Nothing good, that’s what!

Join us as we discuss the heartbreaking, cautionary tale about how a fight to shut down Rikers Island prison was taken over, watered-down, and channeled into a movement to built four of the tallest prisons in the world.

Why does the prison industry develop in response to the failures of capitalism? How was the movement to shut down one prison turned into a movement to open a network of skyscraper jail facilities? Will Rikers Island ever close? Was “Defund the Police” actually just a betrayal of the George Floyd Rebellion? How can our movements win?

Extra credit reading from Jarrod & Zhana :) https://urbanomnibus.net/2017/12/jail-end-jails/
https://brooklynrail.org/2020/07/field-notes/Prelude-to-a-Hot-American-Summer/

Currently resisting the spring cleaning urge! The grass in the front yard is starting to grow, so it won't be too much longer.

The first on my list is thinning out the orange coneflower to make beds in the backyard. The second is grouping up the late boneset that sprouted in random places.

Is the Easter Bunny pagan? Probably not. It seems to have been invented by German-speaking Protestants sometime in the 1600s.

Bibliography:

Stephen Winick, "Ostara and the Hare: Not Ancient, but Not As Modern As Some Skeptics Think," Library of Congress Blogs, April 28, 2016.

Stephen Winick, On the Bunny Trail: In Search of the Easter Bunny, Library of Congress Blogs, March 22, 2016

Nonagenarian cook and great grandmother, Clara, recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. Learn how to make simple yet delicious dishes while listening to stories from the Great Depression.

Guidance for safe foraging

Brian d'Souza, also known as DJ Auntie Flo, has been experimenting with making music from plants and fungi for the past five years. He uses the plant biodata to trigger notes on his specially built modular synthesizer in a process called biosonification, with the intention of bridging the gap between the natural world and electronic music. He currently runs the A State Of Flo label and substack, focusing on the biological basis for music, new ecosystems and the creation of acoustic ecologies. As Auntie Flo, he recently released his fourth album 'In My Dreams (I'm A Bird And I'm Free)' with one of the singles of 2024 'Green City' - the follow up to the acclaimed 'Radio Highlife' released with Gilles Peterson's Brownswood. His nature based music has been featured on the BBC, 6Music, V&A, Discovery Channel, Tate, Glastonbury, National Trust and more.

'Plants Can Dance (and Mushrooms Sing)', Brian's new concept, debuts on MAJ, combining the realtime sounds of the plants in the MAJ studio with a choice selection of rare ambient, new age, electroacoustic and polyrhythmical vinyl. Records featured include music by Mort Garson, Midori Takada, Nuno Cannavaro, Suzanne Ciani, Flore Libertine and more.