Blog Archives

Properly inflate your tires to reduce carbon emissions

3/24/2022

According to Treehugger.com, improperly inflated tires can add approximately 1.5 tons of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere per 12,000 miles driven. This occurs because underinflated tires require more energy to move, increasing the vehicle’s gas mileage. To avoid these additional emissions and save yourself some money from the cost of additional fuel, check your car’s tire pressure monthly and maintain it at the PSI recommended by the manufacturer. To get the most accurate reading, check the pressure before driving when the tires are cold.

Source: Larry West, https://www.treehugger.com/keep-tires-inflated-save-the-planet-1203959
Photos by Sean O'Donnell

Learn how to create wildlife habitat in your own yard at a Q & A with Doug Tallamy on March 31. Pre-register through the Swarthmore Public Library

3/17/2022

Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Back Yard
Swarthmore Public Library, Swarthmore Horticultural Society, & the Swarthmore Environmental Advisory Council present a Q&A with Doug Tallamy about his book
Thursday, March 31st at 7pm on Zoom
Registration required.

In Nature’s Best Hope, Douglas Tallamy uses his
expertise as a Professor of Entomology and Wildlife
Ecology at the University of Delaware to teach us
about ecosystems and how to protect them.
Specifically, he celebrates the power of private
landowners and the choices we can make in our own
backyards.

Tallamy shares practical advice about how to
transform your yard, along with information about the
best plants to use and those to avoid. Nature’s Best
Hope lays out all you need to know to participate in
one of the greatest conservation projects of all time!

In addition to reading the book, you can view three of
Tallamy’s online talks, in advance of the Q&A:
Nature’s Best Hope
Making Insects: A Guide to Restoring the Little Things
That Run the World
The Nature of Oaks

Upcycle old soap ends into a new bar of soap

3/11/2022

Frustrated with those tiny ends of soap that seem like they could be useful but are too small to produce much lather? Save them up and reconstitute them into new bars. It takes only a few minutes to set them up. Give them a few days to dry, and you have new soap!

Cut up the soap: Using a knife on a protected surface, cut all of the soap ends into small pieces. Shred and scrape as small as possible. Place all of the cut soap into microwave-safe glass or cup. Push the soap down so that it is snug in the cup. Fill the cup with enough water to reach the same height as the soap in the cup. Be careful not to add too much water – this will make it take longer to dry later.
Microwave: Place the cup in the microwave on top of a plate or napkin to catch any overflow. Microwave for about 30 seconds, watching carefully for any water to boil over. Stop the microwave as soon as the water-soap mixture rises to the top of the cup.
Press into mold: Pour the heated mixture into a mold for your soap. Silicone cupcake molds or a disposable cup work great. Using the back of a spoon or a small bottle, press the soap down in the mold.
Dry: Let the soap sit for about a week until all of the water evaporates and the soap is dry. Pop out of the mold, and you have a new bar of soap!

Adapted from: http://www.instructables.com/id/Reuse-Your-Old-Soap/
Photos by Susan O'Donnell

You can blow or vacuum your leaves and shred them at the same time with a new crop of electric leaf mulchers

3/2/2022

Treehugger.com recommends electric leaf mulchers to help you use the leaves to enrich the soil in your yard. Author Stacy Tornio points out that "leaves are some of the most underutilized resources in the backyard. You can use them as organic mulch, compost, and cover for your plants and garden beds, saving you a lot of time and money over time. Having a good leaf mulcher is the key to making this possible.
When you have fallen leaves in the garden, one way to take care of them is by bagging them up and putting them out as yard waste. A more eco-friendly way to take care of them is to put them back into your own yard and garden. Yet, this can take up a lot of space and be slow to break down in your flower beds. By shredding and mulching the leaves instead, you can save a lot of space. Plus, it’ll make it easier for the material to break down in the garden soil or your compost bin."* She distinguishes them from leaf blowers in that "leaf mulchers will have a functionality much like a vacuum that sucks up the leaves into a compartment while shredding them at the same time."

Stacy Tornio, May 17, 2022, "The 7 Best Leaf Mulchers of 2022," www.treehugger.com

Properly inflate your tires to reduce carbon emissions

Learn how to create wildlife habitat in your own yard at a Q & A with Doug Tallamy on March 31. Pre-register through the Swarthmore Public Library

Upcycle old soap ends into a new bar of soap

You can blow or vacuum your leaves and shred them at the same time with a new crop of electric leaf mulchers

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