🌱 Sustainability

• 💎Nine Ways to Make a Diamond

  Explore how minerals shape life on Earth and beyond in our latest study, revealing nine unique ways to create a diamond.

• 🌍Best. Toys. Ever?

  Reflecting on the timeless joy of play, Jonathan Liu highlights the simplicity and creativity that come with Dirt as a toy.

• 🦈Leaves and teeth

  This beautiful tiny basket, adorned with shark's teeth, symbolizes Nauru's rich cultural heritage amidst its modern challenges.

• 🌽The daily grind

  An exploration of the impact of maize processing on Mexican culture and women's roles in society.

• 🌿Due finocchi, by Trevor Haddrell

  I admire this stunning wood engraving of fennel that evokes the image of a Spanish galleon at full sail.

• 🌱A great old time classic American melon

  An insightful interview with Jeremiah "Jere" Gettle on the passion for seed-saving and cultivation from the heart of his historic seed bank.

• 🌳Tree gender and pollen counts

  Exploring the unintended consequences of urban landscaping choices on seasonal allergies and pollen distribution.

• 🌱Flinty and grassy with finesse and subtlety

  From Beth Ann Fennelly, a look at how soil influences our food and our lives through the practice of geophagy.

• 🌿Marginalia

  Reflecting on Wendell Berry's thoughts about the importance of margins and wildness in our lives.

• 🐾This Is Why I Subscribe to the Invasive Species Twitter Feed

  A fascinating insight into how trained dogs like Ofira can help combat invasive species, along with a reflection on the sensory experiences of labradors in our world.

• 🌵Desert Reality, by Ed Freeman

  An appreciation of Ed Freeman's evocative photography, particularly his Desert Reality series, captures the intimate relationship between nature and abandoned structures.

• 🍵Present to our food

  In this reflection on mindfulness and cultural connections to food, the importance of being present while eating is highlighted through wise teachings and personal anecdotes.

• 🍈Ode to a mangosteen

  I've always been curious about mangosteens, despite never having tasted one.

• 🌾The man who saved a billion lives

  An insightful tribute to Norman Borlaug and his revolutionary contributions to agriculture.

• 🌳Wakirlpirri Jukurrpa (Dogwood Tree Dreaming), by Liddy Napanangka Walker

  In exploring Warlpiri culture, I discovered this stunning painting by Liddy Napanangka Walker that captures the essence of the ‘wakirlpirri’ tree.

• 🌴Heart of palm

  This careful schematic cross-section of a palm stem evokes striking similarities to Pacific Northwest art despite the palm’s tropical origins. Based on the content, relevant geolocation coordinates for the Malay Peninsula might be approximately

• 🍳Light breakfast, by David Sykes

  One of my favorite questions in the world is "What did you have for breakfast this morning?"

• 👗Fashion fasts and feasts

  Exploring the concept of sustainable fashion through creativity and an enduring uniform, Sheena Matheiken's Uniform Project champions both style and social impact.

• 🌍Forty-seven kinds of greens

  Reflecting on the insights of Fran Osseo-Asare about the complexity of African cuisines and the risks of ethnocentrism.

• 🌳Tapumes, by Henrique Oliveira

  Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira transforms discarded wood into vibrant sculptures in his latest installation, _Tapumes_.

• 🌊Ponte Vecchio 5, by Leigh Wen

  Taiwanese-American artist Leigh Wen captures the essence of water in her stunning mural-size paintings, like "Ponte Vecchio 5."

• 🚂Shipping the fridge

  A reflection on the once-thriving railroads and their efficient transport of goods in America.

• 🧀Cheese and ashes

  Reflecting on a memorable cheese experience shared with a friend, especially highlighting Morbier's unique features and flavor.

• 🦗Eating grasshoppers has gotten so commercial

  Here's an intriguing look at the changing dynamics of the Ugandan grasshopper harvest and its cultural significance.

• 🚗Old man, look at my ride

  Meet the mechanic blending green innovation with American muscle.

• 🌷Tulip fields, Northern Holland

  A beautiful aerial view of Dutch tulip fields evokes the intricate designs of woven tapestries.

• 🍃Virtue as vice

  A reflection on how our perceptions of virtue often intertwine with cultural tastes, highlighting the complexities of our choices and environmental impact.

• 🏡Love throws a line

  The impact of technology on our expectations of laundry, contrasting high-tech solutions with simpler alternatives.

• 🫒Sorting olives

  Witness the olive-sorting process as captured in this poignant image of a Palestinian woman during the harvest.

• 🌱The dignity of plants

  An exploration of the ethical considerations surrounding genetic modification and the dignity of plants in Switzerland.

• 🍳Strawberries and reindeer

  An exploration of the profound significance of cooking in human culture.

• 🌳Gourdon’s Garden, Provence, France

  The perspective captured in this photo beautifully contrasts the cultivated gardens with the wild canyon below, showcasing the gardeners diligently tending to the hedges.

• 🌳Tree of life

  From Vijaysree Venkataraman, a reflection on the journey of the moringa tree and its potential in addressing malnutrition across cultures.

• 🌍Out of that came the Googles of the world ..

  The Whole Earth Catalog ignited a cultural shift, blending creativity, small-scale entrepreneurship, and a new vision for commerce.

• 🍳L’oeuf à soixante-cinq degrés

  An exploration of the exquisite results achieved when cooking eggs at precise temperatures.

• 🍽️The trayless cafeteria

  The removal of cafeteria trays at universities aims to reduce food waste and promote sustainability.

• 🍽️Eating clay in Haiti

  A heartbreaking account of how rising food prices have led to the rise of "mud cakes" in Haiti, a troubling yet culturally significant response to hunger.

• 🌱More than playgrounds

  A glimpse into how outdoor classrooms are transforming student behavior in Boston’s schoolyards. “[The kids] sort of recognize this as kind of a special place. They’re quieter, more orderly,” Ms. Whittemore said.

• 🍗“The food here is awful!”

  Sudhir Venkatesh explores the stark contrasts between a millionaire's experiences and those of a local squatter in Chicago's impoverished neighborhoods.

• 🌱Tracking global warming, one garden at a time

  The beauty of citizen science allows gardeners to contribute to our understanding of climate change through careful observation of plant behavior.

• 🐍Victorian leeches to the rescue!

  A fascinating look at modern uses of ancient leech therapy for serious medical conditions.

• 🦫Would I be making a stronger statement with willow?

  A comedic take on a beaver grappling with artistic integrity while constructing his dam.

• 📚Room to Read

  Room to Read is dedicated to providing education and resources, focusing on building schools, multilingual libraries, and supporting girls' scholarships.