May 2017

Climb into the Salt Lake foothills for lessons in conservation and beauty. Gardeners, prepare for a seduction of the senses: After over five years of planning and two years of construction, on May 20 Red Butte Garden will unveil their long-awaited thre …

A conversation with six Utahns who have found their way in the new economy, and some who help others find green paths as well. As a recent grad from the University of Utah’s Environmental and Sustainability studies program, I am constantly being asked: …

Explorer of Earth’s mycological mysteries — and new Curator of Mycology at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Dr. Bryn Dentinger, recent arrival to the University of Utah’s academic forces, is a mycologist. Yes, a scientist who studies mushrooms, here …

Raccoons are cute. So cute. Those leathery little hands. The bandit mask and poofy striped tail. So. Darn. Cute. They’re crazy-smart, too, particularly city-dwelling raccoons. Like smarter than cats and dogs; maybe even smarter than rhesus monkeys. The …

The behind-the- scenes story of Salt Lake’s downtown bike share program. You may have seen them before, those green bikes parked on the long racks downtown, peddled by tourists toting cameras or men and women in business suits. Those green bikes are pa …

Observations in the rain, waiting for Washington, DC’s March for Science to begin. Music emanating from behind a low hill by the bottlenecked security gate shifted to a more rhythmic beat. The masses gathering inside and outside the fence began to wigg …

A monthly compendium of random wisdom for the home, garden and natural world. MAY 1 May Day/Beltane. The Sun rises at 6:25 a.m. today and sets at 8:24 p.m. Start hardening off warm-weather seedlings: Set them outside, at first in the shade, for increas …

Begin experimenting now! What does it mean to “eat local”? Where do I find locally grown food? Each fall during Utah Eat Local Week we explore these questions as we celebrate all the great food that is grown and produced in Utah. Eat Local Week—a partn …

News and resources! The 2017 Dirty Dozen: Strawberries, spinach top list of pesticides in produce The latest Environmental Working Group Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ is out. Analysis of tests by the U.S. Department of Agriculture fou …

Intuitive patterns for May 2017. Osho Zen Tarot: Aloneness, Participation Medicine Cards: Antelope, Snake, Skunk Mayan Oracle: Chuen, Chicchan Ancient Egyptian Tarot: Prince of Swords, The Hanged Man, Ace of Wands Aleister Crowley Deck: Fortune, The Su …

Asana practice has the unique ability, among physical activities, of helping us replenish the prana (life energy) we spend during our daily activities. We spend prana when we talk, move about and use our brains to think and/or solve problems as we move …

Utah playwrights explore the psyche of the nation with stories about everyday people. Plan-B is a theatre company known for producing plays that provide an opportunity for patrons to think a little differently, to consider a point-of-view that may have …

Whirlwind downtown tour in a pedicab. I took my first bike taxi ride this weekend. My friend Jeff invited me to see where he works at Salt City Cycle Cab. So I did. Jeff’s been working as a Salt Lake pedicab driver for a year now. He makes his own hour …

Overcoming ignorance, one book at a time. I just got back from a road trip to the Redwoods and Portland with my brother. The best part of Redwood National Park was closed because of downed trees. Fortunately, another objective of my trip, a visit to Po …

Environmental news from around the state and the West. “The biosphere gave rise to the human mind, the evolved mind gave rise to culture, and culture will find the way to save the biosphere.” – E.O. Wilson (2016: Half-Earth) Utah may lose protection fo …

Cheer up, snowflakes. I know that my fellow snowflakes are going through the typical stages of grief associated with the loss of a loved one. Our loved one was not Barak Obama so much as the liberal agenda that we clutched like a squeaky dog toy. Three …

The latest Environmental Working Group Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ is out. Analysis of tests by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that nearly 70% of samples of 48 types of conventional produce were contaminated with residues of one …

We lament the disposable culture that we have created over the last few decades. But who among us fixes things any more? Broken vacuum? Into the landfill. Hole in your socks? Easier to buy new ones than to darn it. But what if we didn’t allow ourselves …

Wasatch Community Gardens is looking for innovative, creative, or just downright awesome gardens that owners are willing to show to others. If you have backyard chickens, bees, composting systems, rain barrels, a food forest or combination thereof and …

On May 30, The Moth Radio Hour will happen live on stage at the University of Utah Kingsbury Hall. The night’s theme: Between Worlds, hosted by Dame Wilburn. If you’re a fan of the KUER radio program or a regular aspirant at The Bee, SLC’s own version …

The Utah Arts Festival depends on more than 1,000 volunteers every year. Specific volunteer opportunities include: set-up crew, greeters, makers workshop assistants, booth sitters, Fear No Film attendants, face painting, tear-down crew and more. To lea …

As everyone with a flock of hens knows, every day brings presents (“oh, for me!?”) when it’s time to gather eggs. That pleasure is more or less available, depending where you live. If you live by the rules, looks like only the landed gentry can have he …

The annual SLC Neighborhood Cleanup Program for oversize items is back. Collection runs through October. Not everything is appropriate for pickup. Remember these guidelines: If it fits in the can, put it in the can. Separate green waste from other item …

Utah may lose protection for some of its most treasured landscapes if Utah Republicans get their way. At the urging of Utah’s congressional delegation, President Trump has signed an executive order telling the Interior Department to review national mon …

After a wet winter, Great Salt Lake water levels are at last bumping up from record lows. Lake levels have been declining since 2010 due to drought and human water use. Low water levels in the lake have significant consequences such lost bird habitat a …

Photo credit: Stefan Poulos On April 22 (Earth Day), thousands of Utahns took to the streets again. People carried signs supporting evidence-based inquiry with slogans like, “Cancer doesn’t care about politics,” “Evidence over ignorance,” “We are made …

At his recent Salt Lake City townhall meeting, Congressman Chris Stewart (R-Ut-2) boasted of his outdoor prowess and wondered why people assume that conservatives are anti-environment. The 2016 National Environmental Scorecard from the League of Conser …

Salt Lake City’s urban trail network keeps growing! You can see new Parley’s Trail construction along the south side of I-80 where 1.2 miles of new trail and pedestrian bridges will connect Sugar House Park to Tanner Park. When it is complete, Parley’s …

A new report from American Rivers names the Lower Colorado as America’s most endangered river. Water users in the Lower Basin currently use so much water that the river dries up before it reaches the Gulf of California. “The river is at a breaking poin …

A coalition of 11 nonprofit organizations must raise $3 million before June 15, 2017 in order to save 1,350 acres in the Wasatch Mountains from upscale development. Bonanza Flat, at the top of Guardsman Pass, lies between Brighton, Park City and Deer V …

President Trump is busy appointing climate change deniers to his cabinet and threatening to renege on the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate action signed by President Obama. Without federal leadership on climate change, U.S. Cities have to lead the way t …