Here are some of the most recent
Plants & Gardening posts.
First-grader starts a ‘buddy bench’ epidemic
A Pennsylvania student came up with a simple idea to eliminate loneliness and foster friendship on the playground Sometimes it's the simplest ideas that can make the biggest difference. Everyone knows it can be tough for some kids to make friends. Some kids are just...
Elon Musk, billionaires, and the United Nations: The 1% solution to global development
Billionaires can impact billions of lives Until recently, even the wealthiest individuals did not have enough money to make a material dent in global problems, let alone “solve” them. Compared to the size of national economies, or the budgets of the governments of...
8 Smart Money Habits for Big Financial Success
Achieving financial success does not require drastic measures or major lifestyle changes. In fact, simply being consistent with applying better money habits often paves the way for greater gains over time. As James Clear wrote in his bestseller Atomic Habits,...
Are ancient grains better for you? The surprising truth about quinoa and spelt
Is the hype around the health benefits of ancient grains justified? Scientists say its not as clear-cut as you might think. Ancient grains are those that have barely changed for hundreds of years. Unlike commonly farmed crops like wheat, which humans have selectively...
From the Ground Up
Alicia Pirani Brumfield, a Farm Educator and graduate of Growing Home's program, walks a cart by the greenhouse. Growing Home What might we build after the world ends? It’s a question I’ve asked myself amid narratives that we’re careening towards catastrophe. I’ve...
An Education in Joy
Positive Tomorrows is the kind of school you would have wanted to attend as a child, or the kind of school you hope your own kid may one day find themselves at—a light-filled building designed by student request and staffed by caring adults. Positive Tomorrows is a...
Mahjong Keeping the Mind Sharp
Does Mahjong Improve Memory? Key Findings From Recent Studies Clinical evidence strongly supports Mahjong's memory-enhancing effects. Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Denise Park's longitudinal research documented these specific memory improvements: Working memory:...
Stevia may provide more benefits than as a zero-calorie sugar substitute.
This sugar substitute does more than sweeten — it kills cancer cells When fermented with bacteria isolated from banana leaves, stevia extract kills off pancreatic cancer cells but doesn't harm healthy kidney cells, according to a research team at Hiroshima University....
Partnership focused on Aboriginal health and wellbeing awarded prestigious prize
The Tarrn-doon-nonin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research Project Award is one of the most prestigious awards given by the Lowitja Institute. Tarrn-doon-nonin is the Woiwurrung word meaning “trust”, which vital in research partnerships....
Rethink the 10,000 a day step goal, study suggests
Walking 7000 steps a day can lower the risk of an early death by up to 47 percent. by Professor Melody Ding from the School of Public Health, the study was published in The Lancet Public Health and analysed data from 57 studies from 2014 to 2025 that were conducted in...
Benefits of Learning and Playing Mahjong
Here's why you might want to learn the game today. In a May 2021 Time magazine interview, Annelise Heinz, the author of Mahjong: A Chinese Game and th e Making of Modern American Culture, talks about how the game became a timeless hobby for an intercultural audience....
The Medicinal Plants You’ll Have in Your Backyard:
Chicory – The Painkilling Plant You Should Grow in Your Backyard This is the wild plant that Native Americans used to look for more than any other. They’d harvest and use chicory to make a natural painkilling extract for a wide range of physical discomforts,...
The truth about plants – Seven fun, fascinating (and frightening) facts
How many of us have unthinkingly bought apples wrapped in plastic? Don’t worry, this isn’t another diatribe about plastic (we’re saving that for later). It’s a rant about plants. Wrapping a layer of superfluous plastic around food items that come with their own...
Tulips from Kyrgyzstan.The threats to Kyrgyzstan’s wild tulips include overgrazing and climate change.
Fauna & Flora works closely with local conservation partners in almost 50 countries worldwide. Together, we are safeguarding some of the world’s most threatened species and the habitats on which they depend, including a wide range of wonderful, beautiful but...
Global Ocean Treaty: how people power helped protect the oceans
Governments have finally agreed a Global Ocean Treaty at the United Nations, after almost two decades of negotiations. It sets the rules and tools for protecting ocean life over nearly half of our planet. Most importantly, it provides a pathway to creating marine...
When running away is bad
So what’s wrong with being an escapist? Therapist Lyn Reed cites its precariousness. “I would argue (this) escapism is an unhealthy way of coping with the challenges in our lives. With the stresses of modern life, escapism is pervasive. It comes in many forms and...
Respiratory Relief Syrup: A Natural Remedy to Balance Kapha
Seasonal changes, cold weather, and damp conditions often lead to an increase in Kapha dosha, which can manifest as congestion, cough, or a feeling of heaviness in the respiratory system. Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, offers simple yet effective...
Anuvasana Basti in Ayurvedic Wellness
In the heart of Ayurvedic wisdom, Panchakarma stands as a beacon of detoxification and rejuvenation, guiding individuals back to their natural state of balance and vitality. Among the myriad treatments constituting this ancient system, Basti therapy holds a...
Tips to Get Your Home Ready for Spring
1: Clean Out Those Gutters It’s not the most pleasant job but it certainly needs doing and there’s no better time than just before Spring’s arrival. So grab your work gloves, hop on up a ladder, and get down to business. If that doesn’t sound like your kind of thing,...
You’ve heard of the Big Bang. Now astronomers have discovered the Big Wheel
Deep observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have revealed an exceptionally large galaxy in the early universe. It’s a cosmic giant whose light has travelled over 12 billion years to reach us. We’ve dubbed it the Big Wheel, with our findings published...