Erika Zambello

Creating Partnerships to Save the Rare Georgia Aster

May 31, 2014

Photo courtesy of http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=6271&picture=pink-aster-blooms In a world where the sad and scary news stories vastly outnumber those that are optimistic, a unique partnership keeps a beautiful flower species, the Georgia aster, from going extinct. Unlike many other rare species, this flower is not being protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “Instead,” writes John Platt […]

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Exploring Horton Grove Nature Preserve

May 27, 2014

I couldn’t believe how many birds were singing. I had arrived at Horton Grove a little past 9 a.m., and I stood, camera in hand, scanning the field in front of me. The grass was green and waving slightly in the breeze, dotted here and there with fully leafed-out trees. A few clouds skirted the […]

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The Triangle’s First Solar Farm

May 22, 2014

Photo courtesy of http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=3058 The Triangle now has its first solar farm! Strata Solar, based in Chapel Hill, finished its 43-acre solar panel farm in Rougement last week, which will create enough power for 750 homes. What is a solar farm? The idea is simple. Build a large array of solar panels and create energy […]

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Local Food and Farmers’ Markets: Durham Farmers’ Market

May 16, 2014

Welcome to TLC’s summer blog series, “Local Food and Farmers’ Markets!” Each week we will take a closer look at local farms, farmers’ markets, and innovative food systems around the Triangle. This week features the Durham Farmers’ Market. Located at 501 Foster Street, the Durham Farmers’ Market was founded in 1998 and has grown to […]

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Parents around the World Agree that Nature is Important

May 15, 2014

The Nature Conservancy has teamed up with Disney to disseminate a global survey to parents asking about the importance of nature to kids around the world. The results and the reality are surprising. What’s not surprising is the level of importance parents place on nature for their kids. 82% see “spending time in nature as […]

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The Farmery: Innovation and Urban Farming

May 8, 2014

Right after I graduated from college, I moved to Washington, DC for a year. I lived in a great neighborhood with cool restaurants and easy metro access, but there was one problem. The closest grocery store was about two miles away, and it was nowhere near a metro. Like many Washington residents I had no […]

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Discovering Rooftop Farms

May 3, 2014

Picture a traditional city rooftop. Most of us would envision a gray, concrete, rather drab urban environment. Ben Flanner, head farmer and president of Brooklyn Grange, on the other hand, sees a farming opportunity. As part of a movement that has spread around the world, Flanner and his colleagues are taking the idea of a […]

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Salamanders: Critical Components of a Forest Ecosystem

April 24, 2014

Photo by Charlene Wu A few weeks ago, I was trooping through some local woods on the look-out for herpetofauna (snakes, lizards, salamanders, and frogs) for my graduate Wildlife Surveys course. As part of our search, we would carefully lift up wooden boards and tin pieces in the hopes that creatures would be hiding underneath. […]

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