Sustainable Houston

On this final day of the Earth Month Ecochallenge 2025, I have very mixed feelings about the event. First: Thank you to all the enthusiastic Ecochallengers who performed tasks, learned about issues, and shared their knowledge and experience! I benefited from reading your feed posts. BUT: It appears that many so-called participants are not...

For my last daily goal of learning about a native species, I again turned to iNaturalist for a species reported by a neighbor. My native species is the Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor). It is a small heron, breeding on the Gulf states of the USA (and stretching through Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean to Brazil and Peru). It is...

Random thoughts about things I've been doing in connection with my chose activities for this Ecochallenge: We know that salads (at least if we don't put too much fatty dressing on them!) are good for us, and most of us enjoy eating them...but sometimes when you come home tired, it seems like too much work to tear the lettuce, slice the...

The biobliltz I attended WAS THE CITY NATURE CHALLENGE 2025. This biobliz is an independent activity, using iNaturalist. I am a senior citizen, and do not know young people to form a cooperative for this activity. I was able to participate in this sporadically and identified a range of insects, reptiles, and plants not in someone's garden.

In support of my daily research on a native organism, I researched a moth reported by a neighbor: Exposed Bird Dropping Moth (Tarache Africa). The species is found from Ontario and Quebec south to Florida, and west to Kansas. The moth is an excellent nighttime pollinator. This is one of the rare species that hosts its caterpillars (i.e. they...

I know that some roaches are pollinators, but I am really creeped out by the huge ones that can fly around! Many people who move to the Texas Gulf Coast are surprised by the high humidity, the frequent flooding, and THOSE GIANT FLYING NASTY BROWN THINGS known as palmetto bugs. Eww! Ick! I greatly prefer pollinators like butterflies, birds, and...

GREENWASHING ALERT: Uh oh, a lawsuit is claiming that Amazon has been lying about toilet paper! From https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/amazon-hit-with-greenwashing-class-action-over-basics-paper-products/: Amazon hit with ‘greenwashing’ class action over Basics Paper Products By Top Class Actions | April 21,...

Today, I met my daily goal of learning about native species by researching an insect observed by a neighbor in the iNaturalist system. My native is the black-bordered lemon moth (Marimatha nigrofimbria). Adult black-bordered lemon moths, are yellow, and their wings have a black edge. There are no other lines present. There usually are two...

I love the concept of an animal ambulance! Until I read a feed post from Ulrike Lindstrom about donating to the Swedish animal ambulance organization and was motivated to do an internet search, I had no idea that the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offers this service. According to their website, it's the only one in...

Today my co-captain and I took part in a greenway clean-up effort organized by another participant in this Ecochallenge. Lisa is a leader in environmental activities in our city and has organized many events like this over the years. The greenway administration changed the main goal for the day from trash pick-up to mulching, so we spent most...