Nature
Bull Kelp on the Windshield
Bull kelp was caught in the windshield wipers on the cabin of the boat. We had been slicing through the waves, too heavy to crest them. Riding in a steel skiff, with a six person cabin. The sound of the water on metal was like being inside a tuning fork. My parents were taking me to town, across Johnson Straight, a wide open swathe of ocean that got a bit unmanageable at times.
By Yess Bryce5 years ago in Earth
The Dandelion Seed
As I sat scrubbing an old kitchen floor, grateful yet discouraged by my new yet difficult cleaning job, I noticed a dandelion seed floating towards me. “It must be my lucky day” I thought to myself. For, who is lucky enough to find a perfectly formed dandelion seed floating around, dancing amongst the dust and dirt in this old, gross place? I lightly picked it up with the tips of my right thumb and index finger, carefully set it in the palm of my left hand, and gently blew it out the already open door and into the wind with a wish in mind. A wish that the wind would blow me away with this seed. The wind, however, blew it right back into me, and no matter how many times I tried to blow it away the wind kept blowing it right back to me. That is when I noticed the field of dandelions this one perfect little seed flew away from, and that is when I realized that I was not lucky at all. There was a whole field of mesmerizing white dandelions, and I was just in the right place and time to notice the one little seed that got away, dancing in the wind, and searching for its new home to plant itself in. “Maybe the seed is stupid” I thought, feeling stupid myself for wishing upon the little seed, and a little sad for the seed. Because I mean, look at the field of dandelions it came from. All of those dandelions came from seeds that were smart enough to stay in the same area and plant themselves one right after the other. Those were the seeds that knew to stay close, the smart ones, and although they created a field of weeds, they were beautiful when put together. Put together, they were all enough for each other. This seed, however, thought it knew that it did not belong and flew away with the wind, searching for a home away from the obvious home, but why would it float to me? It was floating away from the home it knew it should have had, and right into an old, worn out townhome that I was feeling stupid enough to clean for a measly $15 an hour. When I had first accepted the job it seemed like a lot of money, but after 6 hours of scrubbing dirt and dried paint off of linoleum that my new boss gave to me because she did not want to do it herself, it felt like my own personal Hell, and this seed happened upon me there, with the wind lightly whistling, asking me to carry its tiny piece of nature off to somewhere new. Trying again and again to come back to me because of the way the wind was blowing. Maybe it never wanted to come to me, and the wind forced it to be there. Maybe it was asking me to fly away with it, off away on a new adventure. I wanted to. I longed to go off with this seed. But then maybe it was just trying to tell me something, maybe it was begging me to plant it somewhere, anywhere, over and over again. But who plants weeds? Not me. Not anybody that I knew. That is not the way we were taught to live. “This seed does not want me” I said, sure that I was right. So, I left it on the kitchen ground, figuring if I did a good enough job at cleaning the place that it would eventually find its way back to some dirt, somewhere, all on its own.
By Sierra Peck 5 years ago in Earth
9 Oldest Trees In The World
There are many wonderful moments in the outdoors. Whether it's a crisp autumn morning, the smell of a campfire, or watching your dog chase after squirrels through the meadow, we've compiled the top 9 oldest trees in the world (not in the order).
By Roy's Corner5 years ago in Earth
The Yellow Cedar Tree
Hello, I am a yellow-cedar, and I live in Canada's oldest forest in the Caren Range on the Sunshine Coast. I still remember the day a Megalonyx fertilized my seed 1835 years ago. I fought hard to sprout up from the ground. I wasn't sure I would make it, but my fighting spirit prevailed. Now I'm the tallest and the oldest tree in the forest.
By Suzanne Bennett Mcelroy5 years ago in Earth
Carbon footprint
Every living thing depends on the ocean. Covering more than 70% of our planet’s surface, it contains an astounding diversity of life and affects everything from global weather patterns to food systems. So when we hear the ocean is in trouble from the effects of overfishing, climate change, and pollution it’s easy to feel powerless. While many of these issues will require leadership from governments and businesses, there are plenty of actions you can take that will make a big difference for the ocean. There’s a good reason why flights take the brunt of environmentalists’ ire. They can account for a huge proportion of your annual carbon footprint – particularly if you’re a habitual or long-haul flyer. Research from The Guardian has found that one long-haul flight can produce more carbon emissions than the average citizen produces in a year in a number of countries. For example, a long-haul return flight from London to New York produces around 986kg of CO2 per passenger, more than the annual carbon emissions of citizens in 56 countries, including Burundi and Paraguay.
By Jaramie Kinsey5 years ago in Earth
'The year the world changed', a love song to planet Earth in times of pandemic
David Attenborough could have retired a long time ago to his magnificent house located on the outskirts of London to enjoy a peaceful retirement, savoring the honey of a full life in which he has achieved absolutely everything by dedicating himself to the greatest of his passions: scientific dissemination. But this legendary naturalist is fireproof, and at almost 95 years old he refuses to hang up his field boots, willing to continue giving his best until his last breath. There is a powerful reason that compels you to do so: as you have said countless times, never before has planet Earth been more threatened than now.
By Harsh Mehta5 years ago in Earth
