Monthly Archives: November 2013

Like many others I decided I would try putting a layer of chicken wire down to prevent gophers from destroying plants (in my case trees) I tried two different ways and thank goodness I didn’t go whole hog and do … Continue reading →

Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny. An observation that a human’s developing embryo goes through stages appearing to be similar to stages in our evolutionary history. Early on we look like some very early chordates (sort of worm like). [and of course men … Continue reading →

A couple of months ago I attended a great class offered by the Southern California Rare Fruit Growers Association. It was on air-layering. Air-layering is a technique to propagate woody trees by tricking them into believing that a branch has … Continue reading →

I think often, about how I can live on my property without killing the animals that were already there – even accidentally kill them. That is one of the reasons I spent so much time and effort on my gopher … Continue reading →

So I just spent a couple of hours exchanging several emails with a wonderful guy who has the website www.Californiaherps.com He is very knowledgeable and has a lot of information on his website that will help one identify a snake … Continue reading →

^quote Radioactive polonium-210 contained in phosphate fertilizers is absorbed by the roots of plants (such as tobacco) and stored in its tissues.[109][110][111] Tobacco plants fertilized by rock phosphates contain polonium-210, which emits alpha radiation estimated to cause about 11,700 lung … Continue reading →

I have a lot of pill bugs in my vermiculture area. Or at least had. I opened it up today and not one was visible and in looking around I suddenly saw…. A Western spadefoot toad. They come out in … Continue reading →

^quote In June 2013 the Center and Pesticide Action Network filed an amended complaint in their ongoing efforts to protect the nation’s most vulnerable wildlife from toxic pesticides. The lawsuit seeks to compel the EPA to evaluate the impacts of … Continue reading →

^quote The scientific community is increasingly recognizing the role of chemical pollutants in amphibian decline. Though sadly, regulatory agencies do not: pesticides are not even required to be tested on amphibians before the pesticide is approved. Brühl commented to The … Continue reading →

For Immediate Release, November 4, 2013 Contact: Justin Augustine, (415) Settlement Will Safeguard Endangered California Frog From Harmful Pesticides SAN FRANCISCO— A federal district court approved a settlement today requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to better protect California … Continue reading →