I live in a lovely neighborhood, full of mature trees and sprinkled liberally with parks. My neighbors are all friendly, and many people walk regularly, usually with dogs and sometimes with kids. People have beautiful yards for the most part. Yet every fall, my neighbors unwittingly do something very bad for the climate, for the soil, and for the trees…
Tag: soil carbon
On the one year anniversary of the release of Kiss the Ground
I teach four sections of 10th grade Earth and Space Science this year at a public charter school where I have been teaching for eleven years. I feel like the luckiest teacher on the planet. We get to learn about my darling planet and it’s place in the universe for a whole school year. We started the year learning about…
The Squash Bug War – and cultivating a truce with other species
Now I remember why I have never successfully grown squash in New Mexico. At our last house, squash plants were killed so early and so quickly by the squash bugs that I hardly remember having squash in my garden at all. Here at the Mothership garden, I began the season in pleasant forgetfulness, and by the end of July I…
Carbon Imports Part II – The Dark Side
Back in February I posted about adding carbon in the form of compost or mulch to a young garden. Importing carbon in the beginning of a new garden’s life helps it establish. But it bears repeating that the carbon you import should be local, and your imports should be ever diminishing. Why? Let’s think about all the carbon we are…