home.social

#stewardship — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #stewardship, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Space junk punched a new hole in the moon. It’s not ours to abuse

    "The space industry treats the sky as a place to dump what it no longer wants. We must develop a new model of accountability...Stewardship asks what we owe a place. Ownership asks what we can extract from it before anyone stops us."

    "It’s the same hubris a mining company has about a river, or a fleet has about a fishery, right up until the fish are gone. We are simply exporting the same appetite further out, because the moon, unlike the ocean or the atmosphere, has no way to fight back."

    "This is the same posture empires have always taken toward frontiers they didn’t build and don’t have to live inside the consequences of. Plant a flag, extract the value, leave the mess for whoever comes next, and call the mess someone else’s problem, or better yet, call it nobody’s problem, because there was never an owner to complain. People love to own the profits without owning the consequences of them left in their wake."

    "Ownership was never really the problem. Nobody owned the lands where Native Americans thrived either. The problem is that we are acting out ownership’s oldest habits, extraction without accounting, expansion without consequence, on a body we all agreed, on paper, to hold in common." >>
    theguardian.com/commentisfree/
    #stewardship #accountability #extractivism #mindset #frontier #expansion #harm #technology #SpaceIndustry #JunkSpace #abandonment #dumping #entitlement #moon #OuterSpaceTreaty #FirstNationsPeoples

  2. As #EastAfrica’s oceans change, coastal women build new livelihoods

    By ALLAN OLINGO, July 5, 2026 at 10:36 pm

    MALINDI, #Kenya (AP) — "The unfinished restaurant is still little more than concrete walls and wooden beams. As her daughter sweeps away the last piles of sand, 54-year-old Nuru Mohammed directs women hanging fishing nets to serve as decor. In a few days, the beachside restaurant on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast will open, offering another way to earn a living.

    " 'For us women, this is hope,' says Mohammed, who, for most of her life, was one of the few fisherwomen in Malindi, a town northeast of the port city of #Mombasa. 'It will help support many families that have depended on the ocean for decades.'

    "Across East Africa’s coast, fisherfolk are increasingly turning to tourism, #EcosystemRestoration and other conservation-based businesses, reinventing their relationship with the sea as #ClimateChange, #overfishing and declining ocean health threaten their livelihoods.

    "In Kenya, women are turning restored #MangroveForests into sources of income through #beekeeping and #ecotourism. In #Tanzania’s #Zanzibar archipelago, fishing communities are protecting #CoralReefs through locally managed closures. In #Mozambique, #SeaGrassRestoration is creating jobs while reviving marine habitats. Together, these efforts are redefining resilience, not as leaving the ocean behind, but as restoring it while building enduring livelihoods.

    " 'Communities that depend on the ocean are also its best stewards,' said Andreane Martel, project director for a conservation program dubbed #ReSea. 'When local people, especially women, lead conservation, they protect #biodiversity while creating more resilient and inclusive livelihoods.' "

    Read more:
    seattletimes.com/business/as-e

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/LTBNs

    #SolarPunkSunday #ClimateResilience #OceansAreLife #Stewardship

  3. In #Guatemala, #Indigenous women build #ClimateResilience with old and new farming methods

    #AncestralKnowledge combined with #climatesmart techniques is boosting #FoodSecurity and increasing family incomes in the #LakeAtitlán region

    Adam Wentworth, July 2, 2026

    Excerpt: "The impacts of #ClimateChange on Indigenous communities can often lead to further #environmental damage as farmers are forced to rely on unsustainable practices, such as cutting down trees to clear more land. This can accelerate water scarcity, soil erosion and ultimately food insecurity.

    "An ongoing adaptation project led by Natün has sought to reverse these impacts, working with local people to combine modern climate-smart agriculture and ancestral knowledge. The approach involves the use of #DroughtResistant crops, organic pest management and #SoilConservation techniques. This is increasingly recognised as an effective way to strengthen climate resilience.

    " 'Our approach is based on soil analysis and the use of locally resilient, endemic tree species, significantly increasing survival rates and ensuring sustainable water availability despite changing rainfall patterns,' Wason explained."

    Read more:
    climatechangenews.com/2026/07/

    #SolarPunkSunday #NaturalPestControl #ClimateChangeGardening #SoilHealth #IndigenousKnowledge #TEK #Stewardship #OrganicFarming #Mayan #NewTechnology #NahualateRiverBasin #AgriculturalResilience #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

  4. #OntarioGreenbelt is a Refuge for Species at Risk

    #Toronto, May 22, 2026 – "On World #Biodiversity Day, a new report published by #OntarioNature demonstrates the critical role that the Greenbelt plays as a safe haven for some of Ontario’s most vulnerable species.

    "The report – Species at Risk in the Greenbelt: Successes, Challenges and Opportunities – shows that since 2004, the number of species at risk living in the Greenbelt has increased by 68%, rising from 72 to 121 species. That growth far outpaces provincial trends, confirming the Greenbelt’s critical importance for biodiversity in southern Ontario.

    "The 121 at-risk species that inhabit the Greenbelt represent 42% of the total species at risk in Ontario – including rare birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and plants. Some, like the hooded warbler, are showing signs of recovery thanks to protected habitats and coordinated conservation efforts. Others, like redside dace and Jefferson salamander, are struggling as habitat fragmentation and pollution harm breeding and feeding grounds. The habitats the Greenbelt provides for the hooded warbler, redside dace, Jefferson salamander and many other species not only sustain this diversity of life but play an essential role in human health by ensuring the flow of clean water, filtering the air and providing a natural buffer against flooding.

    " 'The Greenbelt shows us what’s possible when nature is given space to breathe,' said Ontario Nature’s Acting Conservation Science and #Stewardship Director, Jenna Quinn. 'But we can’t expect it to do all the work on its own. Species at risk need action to ensure their recovery.'

    "According to Ontario Nature’s Conservation Policy and Campaigns Director, Tony Morris: 'The #Greenbelt isn’t just a buffer against #UrbanSprawl, it’s a refuge for a diversity of life. Greenbelt #forests, #wetlands and #rivers are vital strongholds for many species that have lost habitats elsewhere in southern Ontario.'

    "The Greenbelt is a cherished public policy that celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025. On this #WorldBiodiversityDay, we reflect on the importance of the variety of life on Earth and encourage actions to protect it. The Greenbelt’s role in protecting habitats and vulnerable species is more important than ever. Collectively, we must do everything we can to protect, strengthen and expand the Greenbelt to keep Ontario self-reliant, secure and ready to meet future challenges."

    Learn more:
    ontarionature.org/news-release

    #SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors
    #PreserveTheForest #ReconnectNature #Canada #Biodiversity #ProtectNature #Interconnectedness #NatureCorridors #EndangeredSpecies #HabitRestoration

  5. Reconnecting the Wild #Midwest

    Explore how #TNC is rebuilding connections between habitats to help #MidwestWildlife—and people—thrive in a changing climate

    Published March 02, 2026

    "Wildlife needs room to roam, and the Midwest is full of amazing habitats—such as forests, prairies, wetlands and rivers—that aren’t connected, leaving wildlife stuck and struggling. That's why TNC is linking forests, prairies, wetlands and rivers across the Midwest so wildlife can move, adapt and thrive.

    "What Is a Wildlife Corridor? Why Are They Important?

    "#Habitat Crridors can be interconnected land-based environments, such as #forests and #prairies, as well as #rivers and other freshwater passages that allow aquatic species to move freely. These healthy, #biodiverse areas are beneficial for people too, as they can help reduce flood risk to communities and provide more recreational opportunities in nature.

    "However, the Midwest region is highly fragmented. #Habitats are subdivided across different landowners, and many are highly degraded.

    "To address this, TNC serves as our own type of corridor, coordinating protection and #stewardship efforts across properties owned by many different partners. Through these collaborations, we help secure funding to connect science with #conservation on the ground and in the water.

    "Our work includes large-scale #HabitatRestoration projects that create and improve pathways, like our #CoastalRepair efforts in #SanduskyBay, #DamRemoval efforts in Southern #Indiana and our prescribed fire work in Southern #Illinois."

    Learn more:
    nature.org/en-us/about-us/wher

    #SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
    #Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation

  6. If Acts Happened Today, Would We Call It Communism?

    For many, "communism" has become less a political philosophy and more a conversation stopper. But is every effort to use our shared resources to care for the poor, the sick, and the vulnerable really communism? This article examines the difference between political labels and biblical principles, comparing the teachings of the early Church with today's political rhetoric.

    polymathchristian.wordpress.co

  7. Study finds #landback returns of #IndigenousLands happening across country, can lead public planning

    By Lindsey Gloede
    Jun 17, 2026

    “People, individuals, families, churches, city, county and state governments, nonprofits are all engaged in returning land to Native tribes with centuries and millennia of being connected to that land. It’s centering 500 years of Native efforts to reclaim the land. It’s a story of healing and #restoration."

    Read more:
    news.uwgb.edu/phlash/mediacove

    #SolarPunkSunday #LandIsLife #LandRestoration #LandConservation #LandPreservation #TraditionalUses #Stewardship #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #TraditionalStewards

  8. #BreakingNews! 🚨 #LandBack in #Maine!

    Land returned to #MikmaqNation will double tribe’s territory

    Nearly 3,400 acres have been returned to the Aroostook County-based tribe.

    by Reuben M. Schafir, June 22, 2026

    "The #Mikmaq Nation is expanding. The tribe on Friday obtained title to #MesgilgMaqamigew, a nearly 3,400-acre parcel near #BridgewaterME. The land return is so large it will more than double the tribe’s holdings.

    " 'For decades the Mi’kmaq citizens have seen their traditional hunting and gathering grounds disappear to development or private ownership not allowing access,' Chief #SheilaMcCormack said in a news release. 'This property will give our people a place for outdoor recreation, a place to teach our children how to hunt and fish, and a place we can pass down the traditions of our ancestors before they are forgotten.'

    "Of the four #Wabanaki tribes, the Mi’kmaq Nation received federal recognition last, in 1991. It and the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians hold far less land in Maine than the #PassamaquoddyTribe and #PenobscotNation, which each have more than 150,000 acres.

    "#TheConservationFund negotiated a below-market value sale and purchased the parcel last year from #forestry company #HCHayne, then held it on behalf of the tribe. The organization worked with an alliance of tribes known as the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship, and #FirstLight, a group of non-native, land-based organizations, to secure $1.9 million for project.

    " 'Indigenous land return projects are a cornerstone of our conservation efforts,' Tom Duffus, Northeast representative for The Conservation Fund, said in a statement. 'I’m thrilled that this special place is once again managed by the Mi’kmaq Nation, whose citizens have stewarded this landscape since time immemorial.'

    "Mesgilg Maqamigew means 'big land,' a name chosen in recognition of the significance to the tribe of a parcel so large, contiguous and lush with resources.

    "The property contains #forests, #wetlands and more than three miles of #NorthWhitneyBrook, a stream with a thriving #BrookTrout population, according to Mi’kmaq Environmental Health Director Shannon Hill.

    "The tribe has already located #fiddleheads there, and Hill said they plan to use the land for #hunting, #fishing, gathering and timber. Snowmobile and ATV trails are available for public use.

    "#RichardSilliboy, a basket maker and former Mi’kmaq vice chief who sits on the commission, is hopeful the parcel has #BrownAsh for weaving — but expects, at least, 'some decent fishing.'

    "#MesgilgMaqamigew is the sixth to be completed in a series of projects spearheaded by the commission that are collectively known as the tributary land returns. The tributary returns comprise 52,000 acres in 11 discrete projects involving all five tribal governments in Maine at an estimated cost of $52 million."

    Read more:
    pressherald.com/2026/06/22/lan

    Archived version:
    archive.md/Bkbl0

    #WabanakiAlliance #Dawnland #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #LandConservation #NativeAmericanNews #IndigenousNews #MaineSettlementAct #NativeAmericans #Indigenous #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #LandStewardship #Stewardship #SolarPunkSunday

  9. Small creeks are essential life feeders in forests. This small creek is a part of our local watershed. It is small, yet mighty with it's life-source; sustaining life for many cedar trees & the plants that grow on forest understory. Creeks need protection as much as big rivers do 💧🌲💧

    #nature #hiking #Saanich #waterway #cedar #trees #watershed #creek #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #TakeAHike #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #ecology #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WaterIsLife #NatureEducation

  10. #SwanLakeNatureSanctuary - the #NatureHouse. This is where I worked out of in my late 20s, as a nature interpreter/educator for public school field trips for a few months. I taught out of the nature house, an outdoor gazebo & on the central dock at the nature sanctuary.
    There's been several upgrades to the nature house & to the nature sanctuary, since the early 2000s.

    swanlake.bc.ca/the-nature-hous

    #Saanich #VictoriaBC #NatureEducation #LearnAboutNature #Naturalists #architecture #CommunityEducation #nonprofit #NatureConservation #stewardship #ProtectNature #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #VisitAndLearn

  11. #SilentSunday

    A small, relatively unknown, Saanich community park. I discovered it over a decade ago. Jada found it about 2 years ago. She was surprised that I'm very familiar with this park because no one else she knows has been there before. We both love it because we see no other humans while visiting & exploring trails. I was telling her that you can find native sundew plants by lakeside & it's a good place to harvest fiddleheads & look for mushrooms. Told her about the beaver history of this tiny lake/wetlands spot too. The older huge beaver lodge was decimated a few years ago, due to human impact/road construction near their wood harvesting areas. The beavers weren't seen for awhile after that. They returned sometime over past 2 years & built a new beaver lodge - it's currently about 1/3 size of the previous lodge. No photos of it because we didn't go close to lakeside on our hike. Neither of us were into getting super muddy yesterday.

    This park space features:
    - multiple hiking trails from relatively easy to moderate levels
    - diversity of native plants/wildflowers
    - native amphibians are present; many frogs & turtles live there
    - healthy biodiversity of insects & invertebrates
    - birds diversity
    - beavers habitat
    - trees diversity
    - wetlands & marshes
    - fish bearing habitat
    - mix of sunny & shady rest spots; no benches or tables but some larger, open spaces that are good for resting at
    - community stewardship

    Super limited parking space. Only room for 2 cars on side of road, by the small park sign. Very easy to miss the sign if you're not paying close attention.

    #nature #hiking #Saanich #CommunityPark #forest #trail #footpath #wetlands #ferns #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #lake #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #TakeAHike #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #DisabledPhotographers #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WorldInMyEyes #photography #NatureLovers

  12. Why this tribe is buying up hundreds of acres of farmland — and flooding it

    A new levee built by the #StillaguamishTribe separates farmland from newly restored #wetlands

    by John Ryan, May 3, 2026

    "Tribal officials say their habitat projects will help people as well as #salmon the next time floodwaters rise.

    "With restored #floodplains, more of the #StillaguamishRiver's destructive surges can spread out and dissipate before causing harm.

    "The Stillaguamish Tribe built a new levee last year, farther back from the river, before removing the old levee.

    " 'By giving the river more space, we are reducing the damage and the expense to society to maintain infrastructure. It's cheaper to maintain if you stay further away,' Griffith says."

    Read more:
    npr.org/2026/05/03/nx-s1-58060

    #SolarPunkSunday #WetlandRestoration #Stewardship #NativeAmericans #Rewilding #RestoringNature #MarshRestoration #AdapatingToClimateChange #RestoringHabitat #WildlifeHabitat #WetlandRestoration #WashingtonState

  13. Building #Resilience in Your #Garden for Challenges

    April 17, 2024 by Hellen James

    "Gardening can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges. From unpredictable weather patterns to pests and diseases, maintaining a thriving garden requires resilience. In this article, we’ll explore practical strategies to build resilience in your garden, ensuring it can withstand whatever challenges come its way.

    Takeaways
    1. Choose resilient plant varieties suited to your climate and soil conditions.
    2. Improve soil health with #compost, #WormCastings, and cover crops to support plant resilience.
    3. Implement water-efficient strategies such as #DripIrrigation and #rainwater harvesting to conserve water.
    4. Utilize #NaturalPestControl methods like introducing beneficial insects and #CompanionPlanting.
    5. Adapt to changing climate conditions by incorporating climate-resilient gardening practices.
    6. Plan and prepare for each season to optimize plant growth and resilience.
    7. Foster #biodiversity through companion planting and native plant selections to enhance garden resilience.
    8. Create microclimates to tailor growing conditions to the specific needs of your plants.
    9. #Mulch to suppress weeds, regulate soil temperature, and retain moisture for improved resilience.
    10. Embrace #SustainableGardening practices to build long-term #resilience and environmental #stewardship.

    Full article:
    unifiedgarden.com/building-res

    #SolarPunkSunday #GardeningChallenges #ClimateChangeGardening #EnvironmentalStewardship #RainwaterHarvesting #BuildingResiliency #FoodSecurity

  14. Please consider becoming a member!

    The #CoastalISC is a #nonprofit organization composed of local citizens, representatives from First Nations, governments, utilities, natural resource industries, academia and conservation groups, and others who share a common concern about the impacts of invasive alien plants in #CoastalBC. The Coastal ISC serves the geographic area of #VancouverIsland, the #GulfIslands, and the #SunshineCoast.

    coastalisc.com/become-a-member

    #Naturalists #NatureGuardians #BCInvasivePlants #conservation #stewardship #Environmentalists #EarthFirst #ProtectNativeSpecies #BritishColumbia #Canadian #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #PNW

  15. This is potentially a game-changer when it comes to dealing with #Knotweed (which just laughs at #Glyphosate)!

    #MeshTech: A New Strategy for Managing Knotweed

    February 24, 2026

    "Knotweed (#Reynoutria spp.) is a severely invasive plant originating from Eastern Asia. Introduced to the East Coast in the late 1800s as an ornamental, knotweed has since become ubiquitous across North America, reaching over 40 US states and 8 Canadian provinces. Knotweed has proven extremely detrimental to a wide variety of ecosystems in which it has established. Forming tall, dense thickets, knotweed shades out native plants, preventing them from growing. Additionally, knotweed is #allelopathic, meaning it releases organic compounds into the soil that inhibits the growth of native plant species.

    Knotweed also increases erosion along streams and riverbanks. By shading out native groundcover species and reducing the diverse root reinforcement provided by native species in riparian zones, riverbanks lose considerably more soil when infested with stands of knotweed (Hammer 2019, Matte et al. 2021). This erosion can increase turbidity of waterways, potentially affecting fish and other aquatic species (Henley et al. 2000). The reduction of native plants in riparian zones paired with winter dieback of knotweed stems also leaves riverbanks extremely vulnerable to winter and early spring flooding. This degradation of the riparian area creates a feedback loop in which floods carry knotweed propagules downstream, where they can colonize and increase erosion in new areas (Colleran et al. 2020).

    Historically, management of knotweed has been extremely time-and-resource intensive. Large populations require years of consistent treatment, often combining mechanical and chemical approaches to be effective. This commitment to diligent, multi-year mechanical treatment can be discouraging and can lead many to abandon treatment plans before completion. However, a new knotweed management technique could reduce labor inputs.

    Developed by Dr. Eric Donnelly, the MeshTech management technique has produced promising results at managing the growth and spread of knotweed while dramatically reducing labor inputs. This method involves cutting knotweed stems down to the soil level and laying -inch galvanized steel hardware fencing over the cut stems. When knotweed resprouts, it grows through the openings in the fencing. As stems mature and thicken, the metal fencing will begin to cut into the stems.

    The knotweed will continue to grow through the fencing, effectively girdling itself at its base. This method aims to impact knotweed's nutrient pathways while also damaging the structural integrity of the plant. Alone, this method cannot eradicate knotweed populations. However, the MeshTech method can potentially reduce the health and vigor of knotweed, thus reducing the amount of cutting required in a growing season and the rate of spread in an area.

    At the #PleasantHillPreserve in #ScarboroughME, the #ScarboroughLandTrust (#SLT) has begun implementing the MeshTech method to manage a portion of their knotweed infestation. An effort led by SLTs #Stewardship Director Sami Wolf and Nathan Hjort, owner of Absolutely Complete Property Services, initial results indicate that the hardware fencing is proving successful. The knotweed forced to grow through the hardware fencing at Pleasant Hill Preserve showed clear signs of strain. Stems demonstrated significantly stunted growth and had even begun flowering early, an indication that a plant is under stress. While knotweed struggled to grow through the -inch holes, #NativeFlora had begun to sprout up through the hardware fencing. Other knotweed management practices, such as #tarping or mowing, often discourage the growth of native species in a management area. Over time, the presence of native flora could provide an extra level of #BioticResistance that could help slow the growth of knotweed and help kickstart #NativeRevegetation efforts. Eventually, supplemental plantings of native woody species can take place by cutting openings in the fence to allow for these larger species to grow. The fence can also be easily staked down, preventing knotweed or moving water from moving it out of place.

    It is important to note that knotweed is a resilient plant and there is no single management action alone that will completely eliminate a population. The most effective knotweed management strategies use creative combinations of multiple approaches. Knotweed is a rhizomatous species, meaning it has an extensive, underground nutrient storage system made up of horizontal rhizomes that store nutrients. Draining this underground nutrient storage is the key to effectively managing an infestation. Consistent cutting of knotweed forces the plant to exhaust its below ground resources. By combining a cutting regimen with the MeshTech method, land managers could potentially see a significant reduction in their management timeline.

    The effectiveness of this method provides promising implications for the future of knotweed management in Maine. Paired with consistent management, the MeshTech method could provide Maine with another tool to mitigate the spread of knotweed and reduce our reliance on chemical treatments."

    Source:
    maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news

    #SolarPunkSunday #NaturalSolutions #NoHerbicides #HerbicideAlternatives #JapaneseKnotweed #LandTrusts #Rewilding #NativePlantSpecies #RestoringNativePlantSpecies #InvasiveSpecies #InvasiveSpeciesWeek
    #MaineDepartmentOfAgricultureConservationAndForestry

  16. Note - #AsianLadyBeetles, another #InvasiveSpecies, actually feeds on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid! A reason to shoo the beetles outside if they are in your house!

    #Maine [and #NewEngland] - Help Track a #Hemlock Pest

    February 26, 2026

    "#HemlockWoollyAdelgid (#HWA) is an #aphid-like invasive insect that feeds on and can kill hemlock trees in Maine. To find HWA, look:

    - On hemlock trees. In North America, HWA is found only on hemlock trees.
    - On the undersides of hemlock twigs. At this time of year, HWA is covered in white tufts of wax and is easy to see. Look for discrete 'woolly' masses.
    At fallen twigs on top of the snow, as this will give you a picture of what is happening high in the crown. Unless you are in an area where HWA is commonly found (such as southern coastal towns), please let us know if you find it.

    Unless you are in an area where HWA is commonly found (such as southern coastal towns), please let us know if you find it. "

    Wikipedia: "Accidentally introduced to North America from Japan, HWA was first found in the eastern United States near Richmond, #Virginia, in 1951. The pest is now found from northern #Georgia to coastal# Maine and southwestern Nova Scotia as well as areas of western #Michigan near the eastern #LakeMichigan shoreline. As of 2015, HWA has affected 90% of the geographic range of #EasternHemlock in North America."

    Read more [includes photos for identification]:
    maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news

    #SolarPunkSunday #HemlockTrees #SaveTheTrees #Forestry
    #Stewardship #InvasiveSpecies
    #InvasiveSpeciesWeek #NaturalPestControl
    #NewEngland #EasternCanada
    #Massachusetts #EasternSeaboard #MaineDepartmentOfAgricultureConservationAndForestry

  17. #MDACF - #BrowntailMoth in #Maine - Spotlight

    February 27, 2026

    "BrowntailMoth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea L.) populations decreased in some areas in 2025, but are still elevated in others. Check trees this winter to see whether your community may be impacted by browntail moth this spring. If you find winter webs, take action to make a difference!

    Browntail Moth (#BTM) is an invasive insect of forest and human health concern that feeds on #oak, #apple, #cherry, #crabapple, #elm, #birch, #poplar, #shadbush, and #rugosa rose bushes in Maine. BTM caterpillars have irritating hairs that break off their bodies and settle in the environment, causing an #ItchyRash for humans that come in contact with the hairs.

    In the winter, look for palm-sized BTM winter webs at the tips of trees to see if you may be dealing with BTM caterpillars in the spring and summer. Actions to take in the winter and spring:

    - Scout for and remove winter webs with hand snips or an extendable pole pruner in areas you can safely reach. Destroy webs in a contained fire or soak the webs in a bucket of soapy water for a few days before disposing.
    - Find professional help if you can't reach and remove winter webs. Licensed arborists, pesticide applicators, and FAA-certified drone operators may be able to help you remove webs or treat your infested trees to reduce BTM populations.
    - Insecticide treatments in mid-April to mid-May may also be effective at reducing populations.

    In mid-April, BTM caterpillars will emerge from their winter webs and begin feeding on the buds and leaves of their host trees until late June. Actions to take in late spring and summer:

    - Learn how to identify the browntail caterpillar and avoid areas where these caterpillars have been.
    - Change clothes and shower after working in infested areas to wash away irritating hairs and prevent the rash.
    - Keep outdoor lights off in July to dissuade BTM adult moths from flying near your dooryard and laying eggs in nearby trees."

    Source:
    maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news

    #SolarPunkSunday #SaveTheTrees #NaturalPestSolutions #Forestry #Stewardship #InvasiveSpecies #InvasiveSpeciesWeek #Maine #NewEngland #EasternCanada #Massachusetts #MaineDepartmentOfAgricultureConservationAndForestry

  18. So, I missed the #EAB update from #MaineDACF, but since I registered for the event, I was sent the link to the video update. One thing I learned is that #Woodpeckers are #EmeraldAshBorer's natural enemy. But once EAB sets in, it's too much for the woodpeckers to handle. But if it's an early infestation, they *might* be able to control it! Just another reason to #GardenForBirds and #FeedTheBirds in the winter (and my woodpecker friends LOVE the wormy suet I make for them).

    Here's a screenshot from the presentation. Also, the term "blonding" mentioned in the image refers to the process of older gray bark falling off an ash tree that has an EAB infestation, leaving behind lighter-colored newer bark.

    The full video can be viewed at this link (includes transcript):
    youtube.com/watch?v=1ogbMReBx38

    #InvasiveSpecies #AshTrees
    #SaveTheForests #ProtectTheTrees #ProtectTheSacred #Stewardship #Wabanaki #Basketry #SolarPunkSunday #Biocontrol #MaineTrees #MaineForestryService #MDIFW

  19. The Case for Returning U.S. #PublicLands to #IndigenousPeople

    by Joe Whittle, Mar 6, 2025

    "Since the start of Trump’s second term, his administration has fired thousands of federal workers across multiple public lands agencies, including the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The effects of this are vast: It’s going to have a profoundly negative impact on the environment and the way millions of Americans enjoy public lands, cause immeasurable harm to America’s wildest places, and devastate the economies built around them.

    "After serving 12 years as a backcountry wilderness ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, I'm convinced there is an alternative: the U.S. needs to return its public lands to Native Americans. In fact, I believe that might be the only way to save our parks and forests from corporate privatization and destruction, as well as preserve public access to them. If the U.S. won’t properly care for its public lands, why not return them to their original caretakers?

    "This isn’t a new idea. #NativeAmericans argued that treaty law required
    'abandoned' federal land to be returned to tribes during the occupation of #Alcatraz Island by the #AmericanIndianMovement in the 1960s. In more recent years, the #LandbackMovement has given rise to increased calls for the return of territorial land to #IndigenousNations, and the return of land management based in #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge—expertise gathered from thousands of years of having deep relationships with specific environments. There’s a strong legal argument that land return is constitutionally required as damages due for hundreds of treaty violations. However, there’s also a lot of data showing Indigenous land management is more ecologically sound than government or industrially managed land. For instance, #ProjectDrawdown, a global leader in science-based #ClimateChange solutions, estimates that returning 1,000 million hectares of land to Indigenous tenureship by 2050 would sequester over 12 gigatons of carbon dioxide."

    Read more:
    time.com/7262838/us-public-lan

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/QnF32

    #LandBack #AIM #StolenLand #StolenLands #NationalParks #TEK #ClimateCrisis #ClimateSolutions #IndigenousPeoples #IndigenousPeoplesMonth #GiveItBack #Stewardship #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #AlcatrazIsland #Resistance #USPol #TrumpSucks #RespectTheTreaties

  20. The #VictoriaBC Urban Food Table #UFT is a #volunteer #AdvisoryCommittee dedicated to providing informed support to Victoria City Council in matters related to #FoodSecurity policy & decision making. We meet the second Wednesday of each month. Our members are #FoodSystems & #sustainability professionals and include urban and rural farmers , local businesses, educators, community association and garden representatives, health workers, dietitians & environmental stewardship not-for-profit staff. We view local #FoodProduction as fundamental to a healthy & sustainable food system, and share the common goal of a #FoodSecure region.

    Our strategic goals focus on urban farming, community and home gardening, food equity, soil restoration, land and biodiversity stewardship, waste-reduction and composting, pollinator support, First Nations Reconciliation, and celebrating local food.

    The Urban Food Table meets in a hybrid/online format on the second Wednesday of every month from 4:30pm - 6pm. If you are interested in joining the UFT, or to learn more - email at [email protected] or through the form below.
    victoriaurbanfoodtable.com/con

    #YYJ #Nonprofits #CommunityFood #FoodSystemsPlanning #FoodWasteReduction #Environmental #FeedingCommunity #UrbanFoodTable #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #GetInvolved #SoilRemediation #biodiversity #composting #FoodEquity #WaterReduction #ClimateAction #Stewardship #CommunityBuilding #CommunityEducation

  21. So, I heard back from #MDIFW about #EAB in our area. Apparently, my town is one that was recently identified to have Emerald Ash Borer outbreaks. They gave me information about treating the #GreenAsh trees (or taking them down), and an arborist friend of mine down the road was recommended to deal with infested trees. #MDOT may be responsible for taking down the ones by the road that are too far gone, but I'll let them know that there's someone nearby who they could hire to do that. I'll be talking to the neighbors who have the tree that might be saved about pesticide application. The #WhiteAsh tree by the #SacoRiver (which I don't think is infected), would be tricky to deal with, since pesticides could get into the river (though it's not like the Saco is potable water anyways -- but still. And it flows into the ocean). Anyhow, I have a plan of action. I'll provide updates on the trees as needed.

    #MaineTrees #CitizenScience
    #EmeraldAshBorer #SaveTheTrees #InvasiveSpecies #ProtectTheTrees #Stewardship #YorkCountyMaine

  22. #AshTree update. I went down to the Saco River and positively identified a White Ash tree that might *not* have #EAB (Emerald Ash Borer). It did have a lot of invasive vines choking it out (Oriental Bittersweet being one), so I did my best to cut and remove the vines. The tree also had some sprouty bits emerging. Not sure what that means. I'm wondering if I could safely remove those and get them to root, but I'll leave them alone until I find out. I still have to report the infected Green Ash trees down the street to #MDIFW, and find out what should be done with them (not on our property, but a parcel that's about to be developed). I want to make sure the owners know to how to dispose of them safely without spreading more EAB.

    #MaineTrees #CitizenScience #EmeraldAshBorer #SaveTheTrees #InvasiveSpecies #ProtectTheTrees #Stewardship

  23. So, I identified two of the nearby #AshTrees -- they are both green ash -- and both of them are not doing well. I saw evidence of something digging holes into them, but not 100% certain it's #EAB. I'll be taking another picture when it's sunny to send off to #MDIFW for positive ID. A friend said there might be two more nearby that are in better shape. Checking those out later this week...

    #EmeraldAshBorer #MaineTrees #InvasiveSpecies #CitizenScience #Stewardship #ProtectTheTrees

  24. Returning land to tribes is a step towards justice and #sustainability, say #Wabanaki, #EnvironmentalActivists

    by Emily Weyrauch, December 1, 2020

    "Last month, the Elliotsville Foundation gave back 735 acres to the #PenobscotNation, a parcel of land that connects two Penobscot-held land plots. While this return of land is a significant milestone in terms of the work of conservation groups in Maine, it also reflects a larger shift in thinking about land ownership, from property and caretaking toward #IndigenousStewardship.

    "Before European settlers arrived, the land in Maine was stewarded by the Wabanaki people—a confederacy of five nations including Penobscot, #Passamaquoddy, #Maliseet, #Mikmaq and #Abenaki.

    "Early treaties between Indigenous tribes and settlers were signed, but not upheld. Early Maine court cases set the precedent for #LandTheft. The state legally prohibited treaty obligations from being published in its constitution. Ever since the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, the state government has significantly limited tribes’ sovereignty and access to ancestral lands. Now, the Maine legislature is preparing to take up a bill that would make 22 law changes to the 1980 act to promote Wabanaki sovereignty and correct the impacts of the 40-year-old piece of legislation that placed Wabanaki people in a separate category from other federally-recognized tribes.

    "Currently, a vast majority—90 percent—of land in Maine is privately owned, unlike in states like Nevada, Utah and Idaho, where the vast majority of land is owned by the U.S. government. Less than one percent of Maine land is owned by #Wabanaki people.

    "To many Indigenous people, the legacy of white-led conservation groups in Maine and nationwide represents a failure of true environmental stewardship.

    "'Across the country, land conservation groups and land trusts participated in depopulating, cutting off Indigenous access to certain lands and resources,' said Dr. Darren Ranco, associate professor of Anthropology and coordinator of Native American Research at the University of Maine.

    "Dr. Ranco said that the history of environmental protection in the U.S. starts in the 19th century and focuses on two movements: conservation and preservation.

    " 'On the one hand, you have people saying, ‘You want to use the public lands wisely’ — and that often led to extreme forms of exploitation through oil and gas contracts. The other side of it was, ‘Let’s just keep it wild and preserve it as-is, as a wild space,' " said Dr. Ranco, who is a member of the Penobscot Nation. 'Ironically, both of those approaches in the 19th century sought to displace Indigenous people.'

    " 'A lot of the [conservation] practices in the past actually marginalized native people, and didn’t allow for their voice to be heard, and discouraged their voices,' said Suzanne Greenlaw, a #Maliseet forestry scientist and PhD student at the University of Maine.

    " 'The native approach is very much in the center—we do harvest, but we harvest in a sustainable way that actually forms a relationship with the resource,” said Greenlaw, who conducts research on the sustainable harvesting of sweetgrass by Indigenous people.

    "In fact, the way that Indigenous people understand land is markedly different from western ideas of ownership.

    " 'The idea of private property puts us in this framing where the land, the water, and the air, and the animals, and everything else—all our relations—are meant to serve us, they are things below us, things to dominate and control and take ownership over,' said Lokotah Sanborn, a Penobscot activist.

    " 'For us, it would be absurd to say ‘I own my grandmother,’ or ‘I own my cousin,’ or ‘I own my brother.’ You don’t talk about things like that. And so when we’re talking about land ownership, it’s that same idea —these are our relations, these are things that hold a lot of significance to us,' said Sanborn.

    "While the planet’s Indigenous people make up less than five percent of the global population, they manage 25 percent of its land and support 80 percent of global biodiversity, research shows.

    " 'We’ve been led down this path toward climate catastrophe and the extinction of millions of species, all to drive #ExtractiveIndustries,' said Sanborn. 'If we wish to reverse these things, we need to give land back into the hands of Indigenous peoples and to respect our ability to protect those lands,' said Sanborn.

    "This growing recognition of Wabanaki #stewardship is part of the mission of First Light, a group that serves to connect Wabanaki people with conservation organizations who seek to expand Wabanaki access to land. Currently, 50 organizations are participating, including #MaineAudubon and #TheNatureConservancy.

    "Lucas St. Clair, president of the Elliotsville Foundation, participated in First Light’s year-long educational program before fulfilling a request by #JohnBanks, Natural Resources Director for the Penobscot Nation, to return the 735-acre property to the Penobscot Nation. This comes four years after the foundation gave 87,500 acres of land to the federal government for the establishment of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. St. Clair said the foundation currently holds 35,000 acres of land.

    " 'In the grand scheme of things, this is not a lot of land,' said St. Clair, about the foundation’s recent transfer of 735 acres. 'It was more about justice, relationship-building and awareness.'

    " 'You see this move toward Indigenous knowledge and practices of management and conservation that have existed for hundreds of years, and this possibility with land conservation groups and Wabanaki people having a more central role in understanding and managing the lands is coming to the fore,' said Dr. Ranco.

    "And while organizations undergo the learning and transformational processes that precede giving back land, and as the legislature and courts are taking up questions of Wabanaki sovereignty and stewardship, people are working on the ground everyday to re-imagine relationships with land.

    "Alivia Moore, a Penobscot community organizer with the #EasternWoodlands #Rematriation collective, said that a crucial part of the work of expanding Indigenous access to land in Maine is recognizing and restoring the history of matriarchal Indigenous societies.

    " 'To restore land to Indigenous #matriarchies is to make sure that everybody has what they need on and from the earth. There’s enough for everyone,' said Moore

    "With #EasternWoodlandsRematriation, Indigenous people are growing their connections to #RegenerativeFoodSystems. Whereas cultural use agreements are more formal ways Indigenous people can access resources from the private land of people and organizations, Moore said other relationships can form and strengthen even informally.

    "Years ago, a white farmer offered land to Indigenous women to use for farming to restore their connection to the land. That has been an ongoing relationship that became one of mutual exchange of information and resources, shared learning and shared meals, said Moore.

    "The movement to give land back to Indigenous stewardship is not confined to a single organization, legal battle, or project. For Indigenous people—and a growing number of environmental organizations—it is a step toward justice and a sustainable future.

    "'Land back is not just about righting past wrongs. The point of land back is that it’s the future, if we wish to adequately address and avoid further global devastation from climate change,' said Sanborn."

    mainebeacon.com/returning-land

    #LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay

  25. #DuarteCA #CommunityGarden to be developed at #TzeitelParasCaracciPark

    March 12, 2025

    "Duarte residents will soon have a new space to grow fresh produce, connect with neighbors, and enjoy the outdoors. Last month, the Duarte City Council approved the development of the Duarte Community Garden at Tzeitel Paras-Caracci Park (2701 Royal Oaks Drive).

    "'This project exemplifies our dedication to creating #sustainable, #accessible spaces for our residents,' said Mayor Cesar A. Garcia. 'This garden will not only enhance the beauty of our park but also provide a space where our community can come together, learn, and share in the joy of nature. I am excited to see this project grow and look forward to it becoming a vibrant part of our community.'

    "The goal of the Duarte Community Garden is to increase #FoodSovereignty by creating garden plots for community members to grow healthy food, cultivate agricultural literacy with educational programs, gather community by creating a welcoming and accessible garden space, and perform ecosystem services by removing grass, installing a sustainable #DripIrrigation system, building a #NativeHabitatGarden, and collecting #compost.

    "The garden will feature 20 plots and two #ADAAccessible raised beds, available for rent at $5 per month. Community members can plant edible (excluding smokable) plants and flowers for personal, noncommercial use. It will include a storage shed with garden tools, an irrigation system promoting sustainable practices, and ADA-accessible decomposed granite pathways.

    "The garden will be run in partnership with Food Exploration and Discovery (#FoodEd), a nonprofit organization that collaborates with San Gabriel Valley communities to create edible education sites and provide programs on #ecosystem #stewardship, healthy living, #environmental innovation, and entrepreneurship.

    "Food Ed’s educational model will support gardeners of all skill levels, providing supplies and plants for beginners while experienced gardeners can use their own resources. The garden will also offer picnic benches for community #gatherings and host educational programs on topics like #VegetableGardening, #composting, #DroughtTolerant landscaping, and #SoilHealth.

    "As the lead on this grant project, Food Ed will be responsible for building the #DuarteCommunityGarden. This includes overseeing site construction, collecting infrastructure bids, contractor management, program management, community engagement and workshops/events, processing plot holder applications, plant and soil replenishment, above ground irrigation repairs, developing the garden’s webpage and branding and overall garden management through October of 2026.

    "For more information on the Duarte Community Garden, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (626) 357-7931."

    Source:
    heysocal.com/2025/03/12/duarte
    #ThirdSpaces #SolarPunkSunday #CommunityGardens #FoodSecurity #BuildingCommunity #California #SolarPunk #Composting

  26. #ThrowbackThursday
    4 years ago, I first met this gentle giant.
    It's one of the only older Western red #cedar #trees left at #W̱MÍYEŦEN #NatureSanctuary. Most of the land had been logged more than once before it was acquired for conservation & rewilding. This is a 2nd growth cedar & it is over 150 yrs old.

    The W̱MÍYEŦEN #Nature Sanctuary is a 42 acre protected forest and riparian area ​that supports biodiversity while preserving ecosystems and wildlife habitat. The tranquil natural environment, inspires an awareness of nature as teacher and essential ally.

    wmiyetennaturesanctuary.com/

    I'm a member of this local, biodiverse nature sanctuary. They mainly rely on memberships & public donations. They work with #Indigenous leaders/educators/naturalists from #Wsanec First Nations. The name was changed from the former Mary Lake Sanctuary to W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary to respect that the property is on native lands.

    #Forests #TreeLovers #TreeHugger #CedarTreeOfLife #YYJ #Saanich #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #DisabledHiker #Environmentalist #NatureConservation #Stewardship

  27. This is the who and the what of some plant care practice. #RussianTortoise named #SillyGoose eats spicy greens, sweet greens, squash flowers and more. This #Stewardship relationship means a lot to me. We have a good time, we're both silly geese 💐

  28. Trekking through tribal lands as the #PenobscotNation plans to reacquire 30,000 acres

    [Many] see the land return as an opportunity to reconsider what conservation looks like. Studies have found that #Indigenous-managed lands have #biodiversity levels equal to or greater than protected lands, and conservationists have become increasingly interested in what is known as #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge.
    Story by Nate Hathaway
    3/17/2024

    "The Trust for Public Land [#TPL] is working with the Penobscot Nation to return 30,000 acres near #MountKatahdin to the tribe, which would solidify #Wabanaki #sovereignty over land their ancestors have stewarded for generations.

    "The parcel would create a contiguous stretch of conserved land from existing Penobscot Nation holdings near the East Branch of the #PenobscotRiver all the way to #Jackman and #MooseheadLake, combining to form 1.2 million acres.

    "The land — which is being called #Wasehtek, a Penobscot word that corresponds to the #EastBranch of the Penobscot River — was owned by Conservation Resources, a #timber investment management organization. In December 2022, the Trust for Public Land announced it had purchased the property for approximately $29 million.

    "The land is currently accessed by a limited network of logging roads, which vary in quality. With over 53 miles of rivers and streams, and a diverse population of game species, the land offers substantial fishing and hunting opportunities.

    "This move in northern #Maine fits into a nationwide effort to return ancestral lands to #Native tribes. The federal Land Buy-Back Program for #TribalNations, a decade-long initiative that concluded in December [2023], restored nearly 3 million acres to tribal ownership and paid over $1.69 billion to individuals."

    Read more: msn.com/en-us/news/us/trekking

    #LandBack #Stewardship #TraditionalKnowledge #TraditionalOwners #WabanakiConfederacy #IndigenousPeoplesDay

  29. Another reason NOT to mine in the American #Southwest! If we need "critical minerals," than RECLAIM THEM FROM CIRCUIT BOARDS AND BATTERIES!

    Is the Southwest too dry for a mining boom?

    Critical minerals for the #CleanEnergy transition are abundant in the Southwest, but the dozens of mines proposed to access them will require vast sums of water, something in short supply in the desert.

    by Wyatt Myskow, Inside Climate News

    Jan 28, 2024

    "To understand mining in the U.S., you have to start with the #MiningLaw of 1872. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill into law as a way to continue the country’s development westward, allowing anyone to mine on federal lands for free. To do this, all one needs to do is plant four stakes into the ground where they think there are minerals and file a claim. Unlike other industries that make use of public lands—such as the oil and gas industry—no royalties are paid for the minerals extracted from the lands owned by American taxpayers.

    "The #SanCarlosApache tribe has fought for years to stop #ResolutionCopper’s proposed mine. It would be built on top of #OakFlat, a #SacredSite to the Apache and other #Indigenous communities, and a habitat of rare species like the endangered Arizona #HedgehogCactus, which lives only in the #TontoNationalForest near the town of #Superior. The fate of the mine now rests with the #USDistrictCourt in Arizona after the grassroots group #ApacheStronghold filed a lawsuit to stop it, arguing its development would violate #NativePeople’s religious rights.

    "But for communities located near the mine and across the #PhoenixArizona metropolitan area, the water it would consume is just as big of an issue.

    "Throughout the mine’s lifespan, Resolution estimates it would use 775,000 acre feet of water—enough for at least 1.5 million Arizona households over roughly 40 years. And experts say the mine would likely need far more.

    "'By pumping billions of gallons of groundwater from the #EastSaltRiver alley, this project would make Arizona’s goal for #stewardship of its scarce #groundwater resources unreachable,' one report commissioned by the San Carlos Apache Tribe reads. In one hydrologist’s testimony to Congress, water consumption was estimated to be 50,000 acre feet a year—about 35,000 more than the company has proposed drawing from the aquifer.

    "The Resolution #CopperMine isn’t the only water-intensive mining operation being proposed. Many of what the industry describes as 'critical minerals,' like #lithium and copper, are found throughout the Southwest, leading to a flurry of mining claims on the region’s federally managed public lands.

    “Water is going to be scarcer in the Southwest but the mining industry is basically immune from all these issues,” said Roger Flynn, director and managing attorney at the #WesternMiningActionProject, which has represented tribes and environmental groups in mining-related lawsuits, including the case over Oak Flat."

    Read more:
    grist.org/drought/is-the-south

    #WaterIsLife #SaveOakFlat #Arizona #RioTinto #CopperMining #CorporateColonialism #ClimateChange #ExtremeDrought

  30. Dozens of #bison from a mountain park outside #Denver were transferred Wednesday to several #tribes from across the #GreatPlains , in the latest example of #NativeAmericans #reclaiming #stewardship over #animals their #ancestors lived alongside for millennia.
    Following #ceremonial drumming and singing and an #acknowledgement of the tribes that once occupied the surrounding landscape, the bison were loaded onto trucks for #relocation to #TribalLands .

    townandcountrytoday.com/indige

    #GoodNews #Colorado

  31. The #Taku #River #Tlingit #First #Nation (#Atlin, northwest #BC) has declared 1.8 million hectares of the Taku River watershed to be an #Indigenous #Protected and #Conserved #Area. 60% of that is to be off-limits to #mining or other development.

    The BC government needs to rapidly work toward #respecting and supporting the Tlingit Nation’s #stewardship of their land.

    #IPCA #conservation #biodiversity

    cbc.ca/news/canada/north/taku-