Earth Day, 2011
April is a special month for our planet as the world prepares to celebrate Earth Day on Friday, April 22. The first Earth Day was held in 1970 in the United States, and is now considered the start of the modern North American environmental movement. A host of modern challenges must have been unimaginable at the first Earth Day, held 41 years ago. This year marks the 41th annual event...now world-wide.
Mention ‘hybrid’ and most envision hybrid vehicles –one viable path towards a greener future. The technology is simple: add an electric motor and rechargeable batteries to the conventional gas engine—and increase efficiency up to 50 percent.
Hybrids occur in nature as well. Hybridization is the process of interbreeding between individuals of different species (interspecific) or genetically divergent individuals from the same species (intraspecific).
Hybrid animals are cross-bred between animals of similar genetics. Dogs and wolves crossbreed rather freely, resulting in a dog-wolf hybrid. Less frequently, when a grizzly mates with a polar bear, a grolar/pizzly hybrid is produced, although the two animals normally avoid each other in the wild.
Plants hybridize more often and more successfully than animals do. Humans use intraspecific hybridization (between strains of a single species) to develop high-yielding crops or bigger, better flowers (although it’s sad that the scent has all but been bred out of greenhouse roses). Some 90 percent of today’s corn is of hybrid origin.
Earth Day provides Earthlings an opportunity to honour and help the planet. If joining a trail clean-up seems like hard work (in truth, it is), then a simple nature walk might be an option. The humble Prairie Crocus will soon be popping out all over Calgary hillsides, and finding them is a thrill worthy of Earth Day.
HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERYONE!
Wild lilies in time for Easter
Photos: Brian Kyle.So while florist shops brim with lilies of every stripe and hue, Mother Earth did it first, still does it best…and all for free.
On Canada's west coast, April’s wild woodlands have burst into bloom with showy Western Trilliums (Trillium ovatum) –of the lily family. A large and majestic plant, which can rise to 20-45 cm (8-20") in height, the trillium boasts one solitary three-petalled white flower that ages to a regal magenta.
“Trillium” derives from the Latin for three; the plant bears leaves, petals and sepals in whorls of three, reason enough for its nickname “Trinity” flower. Likewise, the Latin species name "ovatum" refers to the trio of egg-shaped leaves.
Trilliums and ants wouldn’t normally be mentioned in the same breath, yet ants play an important role in helping trilliums proliferate across the forest floor. The flowers attract ants with their perfume, and ants then carry away the nutritious seed, to eat the oil organ containing unsaturated fatty acids. This arrangement works wonderfully well for plant and insect.
Trilliums prefer semi-shade and tend to have wet feet so look for these glorious beauties in moist forests, seepage areas or alongside streambanks and riversides.
At this time of year, fawn lilies, both white and pink, often grow alongside trilliums. This spectacular springtime species can form carpets in shaded woodlands where soil conditions are optimum.
White fawn lilies (Erythronium oregonum), while smaller than the trillium, are nevertheless great natural beauties, with six striking white petals curved upwards, and six golden stamens dangling like shiny bells.
Celebrate nature's gift of wild lilies, wherever they grow in your area.
