Let's Get The Lead Out

 Lead popped up in my news feed this week with two stories impacting our health and the health of wildlife. 

      The first was Troy, NY's desire to declare an emergency due to lead water pipes. Like many old cities in America, Troy's water pipes need an overhaul to remove dangerous lead that impacts the health of all residents as well as visitors who eat in their restaurants. 

     I wrote about how lead impacts the quality of our drinking water in WHEN THE WORLD RUNS DRY. Flint, Michigan became the poster city lead poisoning. While their contamination was caused by reckless management, the water crisis there highlighted a problem many communities can face. 

      The other story focused on the needless death of a beloved, young, California condor, in one of America's western national parks. The 5-year-old male condor, named 1K was the 1,000th hatched since the successful California Condor Recovery Program began in 1982. The bird, like the majority of released endangered condors, became poisoned by lead ammo left behind in animal carcasses. I wrote about the recovery and lead poisoning of California condors in BACK FROM THE BRINK. 

     Lead is a dangerous substance that impacts our health and the health of the entire environment. Lead ammo can be easily replaced. Lead pipe removal requires adequate funding. 

     Explore the ways you can rid lead from your community. Support lead ammo bans and funding to replace old water pipes. 

Earth Day 2024

  As a naturalist, environmental educator, and journalist, I can't avoid celebrating Earth Day's purpose and mission. I appreciate the stories on national media that acknowledge the beauty of nature and the need to protect our planet. However, I also feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. I wonder if my fellow environmental journalists and activists share this experience. 

I watched a video of a young Italian activist crying this morning. I get it. I feel like crying often, too. Immersing ourselves in the fate of our planet, watching species go extinct, experiencing the disinterest in people around us, and bearing witness to it all is overwhelming. 

So how do we move forward? I counter my research and writing on issues that often frighten me with stories of hope and success. I turn to celebrating the small victories, which I believe are the seeds of change. I'll admit, on Earth Day I also turn off media, go outside and let nature do its thing. I listen to the bird song when I wake up and breathe in the world around me. I spend time watching spring unfold, a small victory in itself. 

How will you celebrate Earth Day today?

Galapagos Books and News

      Visiting the Galapagos Islands to research Back from the Brink was one of my favorite research trips. When I was a budding naturalist in college I became focused on herpetology - all things reptile and amphibian. As an adult I became a trained turtle rehabilitator, so visiting and learning about the tortoises on the islands was on my bucket list. And so, I've also kept up on the islands long after my visit. I'm happy to share that the Galapagos Conservancy announced improvements to Isabela's giant tortoise breeding center. Read about it here. 

Here are additional books focused on the islands for adults and kids to enjoy: