Citizen Science - Volunteer to Learn

Trying to think of ways to keep your kids busy this summer?  Look beyond summer camp – how many woven bracelets or birdhouses do you need anyway? – and check out some great interactive citizen science programs.  Citizen science is a network of volunteers recruited to observe and collect data to help the scientific community learn more about environmental and ecological subjects.  Many citizen science programs are geared towards children and are easy to participate in.  Here are a few worth checking out:

• FrogWatch USA


• Project BudBurst


• Firefly Watch


• Monarch Larvae Monitoring Project


• Celebrate Urban Birds


• The Great Sunflower Project


• Spider WebWatch


• NestWatch


• Cooperative Weather Observer Program


• MonarchWatch


• Journey North


• Project Roadkill

Other citizen science projects can also be found at Citizen Science Projects.

Source: The Daily Green

Repel Bugs the Natural Way

Summer means sunshine, which also means we all want to be outside.  Unfortunately, that’s exactly what mosquitoes and other biting insects are hoping for.  Most commercial bug repellents contain DEET, a chemical that can cause skin irritation and, in extreme cases, seizures and neurological problems.  While the EPA reports that correct usage of DEET-based repellents rarely cause these kinds of problems, the environmental community has encouraged the use of natural oils as a chemical-free alternative.

There are several oils that act as natural bug repellents.  Citronella, lemon eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, peppermint, and clove, in oil form, are all considered to have repellent qualities to biting insects.  The oils can be mixed with water to create a spray, or added to an oil diffuser for area coverage.  Citronella and rosemary can also be used as a repellent on your pets.  The only downside to these natural alternatives is their staying power – if you’re working up a sweat or playing in the water, you’ll need to re-apply the repellent often.  But when the alternative is a chemical concoction that might be harmful to your health, it might be worth the effort.