Celebrate Wilderness

Celebrate Wilderness Activity Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Adapted with permission. The Wilderness Act, signed into law September 3, 1964, celebrates its milestone 50th anniversary in 2014. The legislation poetically defines this natural resource: “A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. [Read More]

Soil Moisture

Soil Moisture Activity Source: Soil Science Society of America Soil moisture is the water stored in the soil and is affected by precipitation, temperature, soil characteristics, and more. These same factors help determine the type of biome present, and the suitability of land for growing crops. The health of our crops relies upon an adequate supply of moisture and soil nutrients, among other things. As moisture availability declines, the normal function and growth of plants are disrupted, and crop yields are reduced. [Read More]

What Covers Our Land?

What Covers Our Land? Activity Source: NASA, Adapted with permission. Looking at Earth from space is inspiring. All of the colors you see in a satellite image tell you a lot about the world around us. What is on the land around you? Pavement? A grassy lawn? A forest? What covers our land matters because we depend on and pasture to produce food, forests for wood products, plants for clean air, and water to support wildlife. [Read More]