Forests are more important than most of us realize. Forests make rain, cool the temperature, and send moisture to regions around the world. In many cases, forests have become monoculture “tree plantations” for the timber industry, lacking biodiversity and moisture. In a biodiverse forest, the soil soaks up water like a sponge, preventing wildfires, drought,…

Trees & Forests December 5, 2024 – January 30, 2025 Thursdays: 12 noon -or- 7 pm ET Course Description Trees & Forests is an eight week online course (Dec 5 – Jan 30) that explores the many benefits and wonders of our trees and forests, as well as the threats they face.  We will study…

Bio4Climate is excited to co-host the 2024 Midwest Beaver Summit alongside many outstanding environmental nonprofits, land trusts, restoration practitioners, and other organizations dedicated to conservation, implementing coexistence strategies, and cultivating awareness of the importance of beavers as keystone species in our ecosystems. Join us on Wednesday, August 28 from 11 am – 3 pm Central…

How can we find cool insights as we dive into a summer of heatwaves and weather extremes? It hasn’t always been this way. Many of us remember carefree summers with morning dew on the grass or a breeze by the beach or river. Everyone knows it’s cooler by the water! Nations and communities have favorite…

Healing Our Land & Our Climate! July 9 – September 24, 2024 Tuesdays: 12 noon -or- 7 pm ET What if we could deal with the causes of climate change and at the same time deal with its effects? What if we could prevent flooding, drought and wildfires and at the same time cool our…

Most of what you hear climate activists talk about when it comes to beef or cows is methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas and cows emit methane as part of their digestion process. What you don’t hear is that this is primarily a problem of the commercial cattle industry and that nature has an ingenious…

Cabezon Peak after rain, Photo by John Fowler (CC BY 2.0) Although climate change is a global issue, it can and must be addressed locally. Our overall climate is shifting drastically, but local climates are also changing, and they don’t always get the same amount of attention. Local climates change when the environment is drastically…

Jan Lambert’s take: This article by Charles Hegberg, talks about the importance of soil restoration in urban settings for optimal stormwater infiltration. He writes: “We have hundreds of years of experience in making ‘Dirt’ – It’s time we start re-making ‘Soils’ on a landscape level, quickly.“ “It’s no secret: Americans take their lawns seriously –…

Water plays a critical role in restoring a livable climate. A New Water Paradigm is emerging to help us restore landscapes naturally, so we no longer wastefully “drain the rain” but instead “retain the rain” with water catchments, soil, plants and animals. The result? We can renew our climates through local action, by allowing rainwater…

Jan’s Quick-Take: Didi is a world class educator and a real Vermonter who knows her stuff, and how to teach it to anyone who cares about soil and water. She is the great source for all aspects of the famed “soil carbon sponge.” We at Voices of Water for Climate consider her to be a…

Happy New Year! Over the holiday season, I had the luxury of sharing many meals with family and friends, including latkes and apple sauce; Tofurkey and yams; and locally caught shrimp and farm-raised oysters.  In discussing my work, I was asked several times, “But how can you not eat meat and be so passionate about Holistic…