World Turtle Day!

I have always loved turtles! In fact, I even trained to be a turtle rehabilitator. Have you wondered about the difference between turtles and tortoises? Well, both are reptiles that belong to the order Tesdunes, but they fall into different classification families. A major difference, and easy way to tell them apart, is that turtles live in or near the water and tortoises live on land.

I have swam with sea turtles and walked among giant tortoises, but you don't have to go far to enjoy these special creatures. I bet that you can find some turtles out sunning themselves on a rock in your local pond. Most common of these are painted turtles. They are easy to spot since they live across North America.

If you are itching to know more about turtles, check out these books.  And for a look at sea turtles and giant tortoises read my latest BACK FROM THE BRINK!

2018 Free Monthly Skype Visits

Would you like a free short Skype visit for your students? If your class has read one or more of my books you are eligible to book a time during one of my monthly  FREE SKYPE VISIT DAYS.

Skype visits enable students to meet an author and ask questions about research and writing -- especially if an in-person visit isn't an option.

There are limited times available for January 19th.

The next available date is the afternoon of February 14th -- following my National Biodiversity Teach In Webinar.


You can also book a visit for March 15th.


Of course, I love to visit schools in person. I'm currently booking spring and fall author visits.

For more information and to contact me please visit my web site .

Our National Monuments, Our Public Land

President Trump has announced his plans to reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase National Monuments this week.

National Monuments are lands that are protected from development by presidents through the Antiquities Act. This Act is the foundation of American conservation legacy.

Mr. Trump is not the first president to shrink our national lands. President Wilson reduced Mt. Olympus and FDR reduced the Grand Canyon monument at the request of ranchers. However, this act will put Mr. Trump in the record books for giving away the most public land.

As upsetting as this must be for many Americans, myself included, I know that there are many groups who will fight this in court, claiming that only Congress can legally shrink a monument.  And there is still time for the public to voice concerns. If Mr. Trump's action is not prevented this will change the landscape of our country forever.

With all of this in the news this week I thought I'd try to turn a positive look at our public lands and the scientists who work in them by highlighting Mary Kay Carson's book, PARK SCIENTISTS: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard. This title is part of the well-known Scientists in the Field series published by Houghton Mifflin (my publisher). This well-researched title introduces readers to Yellowstone's grizzly bears, cacti and Gila monsters in Arizona, and fireflies in Tennessee.

Spend some time exploring our public lands -- their beauty, their value, and their protection. 

 Here are a few groups working on protecting our public lands who could use your support:

The Sierra Club

NRDC 

Center for Biological Diversity 

Environmental Defense Fund 

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Book Shopping -- Food, Seeds, and Biodiversity

It's spring! Not only am I in the garden, I'm shopping! And I just had to include some of my latest seedy finds with you!


First stop  -- a local Hudson Valley indie bookshop to find Diana's White House Garden by Elisa Carbone. Fans of Michelle Obama's garden will enjoy this historical look at another White House garden. A perfect pairing for a classroom read with book about seeds and gardening. It's the perfect read for students working in their school garden!

Next stop is for seeds  -- and some of my favorites are from the Hudson Valley Seed Company! (You'll find them listed and photographed in THE STORY OF SEEDS! ) All these seeds have a story behind them. You'll love their beautifully designed packets and the heirloom varieties for your garden.

I might just pick up a packet of Polar Bear Zinnias this year!

And to finish out the week, I took part in some great STEM panels at @nerdCampNJ and met Jennifer Vogel Bass. I fell in love with her two board books - Edible Numbers and Edible Colors! I love them so much - tiny books about biodiversity and heirlooms! I swapped her a copy of THE STORY OF SEEDS for these two treasures!

So there you have it -- a book about a historical garden, a great seed company, and a look at some wonderful heirlooms!   I hope you love these all as much as I do!   Seed on!

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The Green Earth Book Award

Thank you to the Nature Generation for selecting THE STORY OF SEEDS as the Green Book Earth Award winner for YA Nonfiction! 

Happy Earth Day! 

For the complete listing of all the winners. 

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OK to GMOs?

What brings me back to this blog?  A new report on GMOs has been released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on genetically engineered crops.  This quote was cited on CBS This Morning: "...no substantiated evidence that foods from GE crops were less safe than foods from non-GE crops." Monsanto and other companies selling GE seeds are basking in this validation.

But, it also determined that genetically engineering crops did not produce substantial yields as the companies promised.  This was the main reason for producing them in the first place.
So, both sides are claiming a victory here.

But there is a bigger picture --  the impact of GE crops on our environment.  The impact on biodiversity is vast.

Most of what we eat is genetically modified -- 90% of US corn, soybeans, and sugar beets.

And what about labelling? We still deserve to know what we are eating and the ability to make our own choices.

I feel like we are race horses with blinders on speeding ahead without looking around us. My only hope is that this, and other studies, further our discussion on this subject.



Read more about genetically modified seeds in THE STORY OF SEEDS: From Mendel's Garden to Your Plate, and How There's More of Less To Eat Around The World.

Love the Earth this Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's Day and what better way to show our love for the environment than to become inspired by someone who has dedicated their life to it?

Jane Goodall, featured in many books, has inspired me and so many others. Check out this video.
It will bring tears to your eyes and put hope in your heart!

Bring Jane to your classroom with these wonderful titles.

 

And this one.

 

"Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall all be saved." ~Jane Goodall

Happy Valentine's Day!  

Great Famine Spud Returns!

With St. Patrick's Day just a week away I thought this an interesting time to share some news I learned about the Lumper.  Hmmm, it's not ringing a bell?  Well, the Irish Lumper was the potato species behind the Great Hunger.  And the Lumper is in the news again! Thankfully, the news is not dreadful.  On the contrary, the Lumper is making a comeback after 170 years!

The Irish Lumper was known for it nutritional value.  It was introduced to Ireland in the early 19th century, and, as you all know, met a dire fate with the onset of the blight that wiped out the Lumpers in the 1840s.  A farmer decided to try to bring back the Lumper five years ago.  Last summer Michael McKillop of Glens of Antrim Potatoes took the Lumper to the Delicious Ireland consumer show and was amazed by the positive reception it recieved.

The Irish Famine was one of the worst environmental/agricultural disasters in history.  Who could imagine that the Lumper would ever be found on tables again?

Read more about the Iris Famine in Susan Campbell Bartoletti's book, Black Potatoes.  And keep an eye out for the Lumper  -- you might find it at a grocery store soon.

Biodiversity and New York City

Biodiversity and New York City.  You won't hear those words too often in the same sentence, unless you are talking about the lack there of.  Well, last week that changed.  Thanks to my writer friend, Loree Griffen Burns, I was alerted to news of a new frog species.  I am always excited about any discovery of a new species, especially since most are discovered in a rainforest.  But this time I was over-the-moon excited and immediately posted the article on my Facebook page…. This new frog species was not found in a rainforest, but an urban setting right here in my very own state!  It was found in New York City.  New York City, were the population of pigeons outnumbers every other species and the biodiversity among people is far more interesting to that of wildlife!

The frog is a type of leopard frog, in a beautiful shade of green, with it's own distinct call.  In fact it was it's call that got it noticed!

I have thought about the discovery of this frog for days.   When I wrote Keeping Our Earth Green I was bogged down with oodles of daunting issues.  And it was challenging for me to write ways that would encourage kids to make a difference.  I had to constantly focus my brain on the hope for the future.

This little frog did that for me this week like nothing else has!  If something new and special can be found amidst the urban wilds of New York City, then why not everywhere else?  Why shouldn't we get as excited about our own backyards as all of these other exotic and bio-rich locations?  

 I'm sparked! And I'm hopeful!