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April 16, 2021

Rylee just described a mosquito as "a vampire that uses a straw"
--Justine Miller, @JustineBYV

weekly survival tip

It’s National Poetry Month, so how about reading some as a source of “comfort, release, connection, understanding, inspiration and acceptance” during this still-challenging time? This piece suggests why it may be so effective.

trail talk

“What’s for dinner?” this recent article from The Atlantic asks, noting that on a planet withering from the impacts of climate change, “that’s a fraught question to answer.” Why? Because what we eat – and don’t eat – has enormous consequences for the earth. Food production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, about a quarter of all made in the world. And there will be no way to slow global warming, experts say, if we don’t make some big changes to how we all eat. But, as it turns out, the two most significant and effective changes are not so hard to do: throw away less food and eat less meat. That means better portioning food, eating your leftovers, storing food well and more. To consume less meat, most importantly less beef, try tactics like having meatless Mondays, learning to cook more vegetarian dishes and offering veggie options at parties and work events. These two small fixes will do more to reduce the harmful ramifications of global warming than almost anything else you can do.

On a totally different note, have you heard about the British mom who got pregnant three weeks after confirming she was already pregnant?? Her condition, which is exceedingly rare, is called superfetation. While it’s unclear how many such pregnancies like this have ever occurred, a 2008 report published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, found less than 10 cases of the phenomenon ever recorded at that point worldwide. Her “super twins” as she calls them on her instagram account – Noah and Rosalie – were born at 33 weeks. Although Noah remains bigger and more developmentally advanced than his sister, she’s catching up to him quickly, her dad says. These two medical miracles are seriously adorable, especially when they’re holding hands.

Here’s some plain old really good news: bald eagle populations in the lower 48 United States are soaring, literally. From a record low of 417 known nesting pairs in 1963, their numbers have since climbed to more than 71,400 nesting pairs and more than 300,000 individual birds. It’s all thanks to many decades of efforts to protect them including the banning of DDT, a toxic pesticide, and placing eagles on the endangered species list. The deputy director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, Martha Williams said the bird’s resurgence is “one of the most remarkable conservation success stories of all time.” We couldn’t agree more.

Spring is here, the snow is melting, the roads are drying and warmth is creeping into the air. If you’re anything like us, you’re starting to put all your ski and winter gear away for the season and dust off your bike, because, after the streets, the trails will be dry soon enough. But what about your little ones? Do they know how to ride a bike? And, if not, do you want / are you ready to teach them? If you’re feeling anxious about it, don’t. If you follow a couple important rules, your children will be zooming along on their own in no time. This teaching guide from Bicycling should help you avoid some common pitfalls, as will this piece from REI. Key is to start them with a balance bike, not training wheels, not to use a bike that’s too big, not to hold the bike while they learn to pedal and not to push them too much before they’re ready. After that, it should all be cruising fun!

Geniuscomes in many forms.