I'm starting an animal welfare advocacy venture that also creates opportunities for local residents and communities to exercise creativity & innovation through ecosystem-based agriculture installations
We will be publishing research and resources to improve animal husbandry frameworks and establishing a local organization to turn vacant lots into skill-incubator sites that model dignity in ag.
Providing a voice for animals and putting habitat back for everyone! - #solarpunksunday #birds
Warming oceans fuel the spread of Sargassum, a floating seaweed that grows rapidly. It’s escaped its native habitat and is growing huge swaths around the Atlantic and Caribbean. When it dumps on shore, it releases sulfiric fumes that smell terrible and the seaweed itself contains toxic heavy metals.
There are now numerous startups to explore it for carbon sequestration, bio-plastics/construction material, fertilizer, cosmetics…
Participating in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census is very simple! You don't need an official event to make your count count!
Anyone living in NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, or MS can participate right from their home garden, balcony, or neighborhood park.
🎥 WEBINAR: August 13, 2026 • Knowledge is Pollinator Power Webinar (Virtual)
A free NC State Extension webinar featuring researchers and educators discussing monarch butterflies, pollinator conservation, native garden design, and practical strategies for supporting pollinators in North Carolina landscapes. Runs from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST.
Get ready to level up your pollinator knowledge! We are thrilled to announce the return of our annual Knowledge is Pollinator Power (KPP) webinar for its fourth consecutive year.This webinar marks a…
#LeedsUK - The city closing down streets so children can play
Kate McGough, 8/4/2026
"The idea of regularly closing down residential streets for children to play was started in 2009 by a group of parents in Bristol, who wanted to show that 'playing out near home should be normal, it doesn't have to be a special event'. "
In Leeds, streets are being temporarily closed to traffic so kids have more space to safely play - an initiative proving beneficial to both children and adults.
Want to help support an endangered bumble bee? We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wanted to recommend some native plants known to be favored by the rusty patched bumble bee to get you started! Be sure to include varieties that bloom from early …
A major housing project in Nevada used to be a fairway. Other states should take a swing.
by Sara Herschander Updated Aug 3, 2026,
An old #GolfCourse in #LasVegas is about to be transformed into the largest affordable housing complex in Nevada’s history.
Except: "If all 16,000 golf courses in America turned all of their land — about 2.3 million acres — into housing with the same density as #DesertPines, it would be enough space to build 22 million homes. If you applied that approach to only those courses that are, like Desert Pines was, municipally owned, then you could still build 4.3 million #
A major housing project in Nevada used to be a fairway. Other states should take a swing.
by Sara Herschander Updated Aug 3, 2026,
An old #GolfCourse in #LasVegas is about to be transformed into the largest affordable housing complex in Nevada’s history.
Except: "If all 16,000 golf courses in America turned all of their land — about 2.3 million acres — into housing with the same density as #DesertPines, it would be enough space to build 22 million homes. If you applied that approach to only those courses that are, like Desert Pines was, municipally owned, then you could still build 4.3 million #affordablehomes which would make an enormous dent in the nation’s current shortage of about 7.2 million affordable homes.
"That’s not to say that every golf course in every land-constrained city ought to be bulldozed to make way for new apartment buildings [Nah. Rewild some of them, turn others into #CommunityGardens and #GreenSpaces]. Golfing, for the record, has made a bit of a comeback lately, much like its most famous star. And even if fairways were still closing at the rate they were a few years ago, there’s no way that they could solve Nevada’s housing gap alone, much less overcome the shortage nationwide. But they can still help close the gap.
"Ramos, who is among the local leaders organizing community meetings around the Desert Pines redevelopment, believes it could be transformative for the community over time. She says that in her neighborhood it’s become a luxury for many families just to live alone with their spouse and kids, rather than doubling up in cramped apartments, pooling together money each month to keep up with rising costs.
"When the Desert Pines redevelopment opens about a decade from now, it will include not just 1,500 housing units, but also a soccer pitch, #WalkingTrails, and a job training center. In East Las Vegas, the temperature often feels more than five degrees hotter than it does in the Badlands’ affluent suburbs, where residents enjoy over nine times as much parkland per person.
" 'This project brings a lot of hope,' said Ramos, who’s especially excited about the prospect of more #accessible, #KidFriendly #GreenSpaces. 'We’re all human. We need equity, respect, and to live with dignity, and that’s why we urgently need #trees too.'
"As it turns out, you can do a lot with an old fairway. Even with all of those bells and whistles, the new development will still likely use less water than the golf course did. And, because the plot of land is already enmeshed within the community of East Las Vegas — close to existing sewer, water, and electricity lines — it will be much cheaper to build there than it would be to try doing so on the outskirts of the city, said Antonio Bermúdez, vice president of McCormack Baron Salazar, the developer working with the city and state government on the proposal.
" 'What I’ve seen so far in the state of Nevada is that the political will is there,' he said, though the question is, 'how do we make this happen not just in Nevada and the city of Las Vegas, but everywhere else where affordable housing is needed.' "
Flowering plants supply #pollinators like #bees and #butterflies with essential pollen and nectar. #PollinatorFriendly plants also provide a safe shelter for our hard-working insect friends. The most important aspect of any pollinator garden is diversity. Because pollinators are active from April to October, make sure you have a colorful array of continuously blooming flowers from early spring through fall and keep your plants free of pesticides, fungicides, and insecticides.
Flowering plants supply #pollinators like #bees and #butterflies with essential pollen and nectar. #PollinatorFriendly plants also provide a safe shelter for our hard-working insect friends. The most important aspect of any pollinator garden is diversity. Because pollinators are active from April to October, make sure you have a colorful array of continuously blooming flowers from early spring through fall and keep your plants free of pesticides, fungicides, and insecticides.
Plants should be selected based on the space they will occupy. Specifically, consider your space’s soil type, sun exposure, and moisture levels.
You may also choose to select plant species to support specific pollinators.
- To help monarch butterflies, include #milkweeds and high-quality nectar plants like blazingstars. - To support #Bumblebees, include plants like #WildBergamot, #hyssop, and #goldenrod. - #Sunflowers offer not only a supportive perch but also seeds to help attract #hummingbirds and other feathered friends to your garden. #Honeysuckles are also a great way to attract hummingbirds.
To ensure that the pollinators will have something to forage from spring through fall, select various natives that flower at different times throughout the growing season. Choosing plants with a variety of flower colors and shapes will also help attract an assortment of insects of a variety of sizes and foraging habits. Larger clusters of a plant species are better for attracting pollinators than several smaller clusters in and around the garden space."
Tagging for #SolarPunkSunday! Very cool thread. (I have some old speakers in the barn that I might try and get working again. Thanks for the inspiration!)
Well, somebody (some bunny?) has been nibbling on my rainbow chard in containers. Moved them into the fenced-in backyard (where the dog hangs out). I might have to do more of that as the season winds down.
"Have you been collecting native seed? Do you have some to share? Are you seeking any particular species or have questions on how to process them?
Participate in the native seed exchange to meet others working with seeds!
Upon registration you will have the opportunity to pass along the seeds you brought to share, and a volunteer will organize them by habitat/seed type (tree, shrub, grasses, tallgrass prairie, woodland etc.). You can peruse the seeds between sessions and there will be a set time to exchange seeds.
There will be a seed processing area to learn about seed processing techniques and try your hand at processing a small amount of your seeds.
What to bring: -Seeds to share and trade if you have abundance *Please label all seeds with species (both common name and scientific name), approximate date harvested and where the t
"Have you been collecting native seed? Do you have some to share? Are you seeking any particular species or have questions on how to process them?
Participate in the native seed exchange to meet others working with seeds!
Upon registration you will have the opportunity to pass along the seeds you brought to share, and a volunteer will organize them by habitat/seed type (tree, shrub, grasses, tallgrass prairie, woodland etc.). You can peruse the seeds between sessions and there will be a set time to exchange seeds.
There will be a seed processing area to learn about seed processing techniques and try your hand at processing a small amount of your seeds.
What to bring: -Seeds to share and trade if you have abundance *Please label all seeds with species (both common name and scientific name), approximate date harvested and where the the seeds were gathered from* -Your favourite seed processing equipment and any tips or tricks you could share"
Have you been collecting native seed? Do you have some to share? Are you seeking any particular species or have questions on how to process them? Participate in the native seed exchange …
German startup Revolta presented its new sodium-ion high voltage battery for solar-power residential use at Intersolar Europe 2026.
Sodium-ion batteries are more thermally stable and safer than lithium-ion batteries besides sodium being abundant and more cleanly, sustainably obtained.
German technology startup Revolta AG has presented a sodium-based, high-voltage residential battery storage system for photovoltaic installations, offering increased safety for private homes.
Hello #solarpunk and #diy folks! I'm working on a page about High Context Living for the slrpnk.net/c/writing worldbuilding resource wiki (wiki.slrpnk.net/writing:start) and I'd love to hear any examples/stories you have from your own systems or ones you've seen!
What's high context living? I'm working on a definition but I think the zine that named the concept is probably the best way to introduce it (used with permission from the author who wishes to remain anonymous):
News From Knepp Nancy Burrell writes about her PhD thesis. "Rewilding, it seems to me, offers a genuine alternative pathway for tackling climate change, and one that delivers biodiversity, resilience and a host of other benefits alongside the carbon." knepp.co.uk/2026/07/rewilding-…
British Dragonfly Society Identification Guide "Dragonflies (order Odonata) are divided into two distinct sub-orders, the Zygoptera or Damselflies and the Anisoptera or Dragonflies." british-dragonflies.org.uk/odo…
"Ecological design applied", 2003, John Todd, Erica J.G. Brown, Erik Wells
> The five case studies presented here represent applications of ecological design in five areas: sewage treatment, the restoration of a polluted body of water, the treatment of high strength industrial waste in lagoons, the integration of ecological systems with architecture, and an agriculturally based Eco-Park.
Arundel Wetland Centre Dragonfly Festival 23.7.26 - 31/8/26 "Explore the magical world of dragonflies and dive into a summer full of wondrous new wetland experiences" wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/aru…
Celebrate the summer with WWT’s Dragonfly Festival at Arundel Wetland Centre. Explore events & activities featuring dragonflies, 23 July to 31 August 2026.
News From The Beaver Trust "The first beaver kits in 400 years have been born in world-famous Glen Affric in the Scottish Highlands, as part of a successful reintroduction project by rewilding charity Trees for Life and government agency Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS)." beavertrust.org/first-baby-bea…
