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All those gifts you and your children received for Christmas... are they safe? The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products. More details
Standing Dead Trees — "Snags" — Benefit Many Animal Species
Standing dead trees, or snags, may appear to be useless, even eyesores, but a state wildlife biologist says actually they are important components of wildlife habitat and frequently in short supply. "That snag may provide a secure home for many kinds of animals and a virtual smorgasbord of insect food," said Johnny Stowe, wildlife biologist and forester with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR). More details
Peregrine Falcon Pair at Jocassee Gorges Fledges Two Birds for Fourth Year in a Row
When Dan Rankin, regional fisheries biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, looked at a map of existing brook trout streams along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, a large blank spot along the Jocassee Gorges section was pretty conspicuous. "There is a big hole there," Rankin said, "where brook trout should be, but they’re not." More details
DHEC Encourages Residents to Test Homes for Radon
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to educate residents about the dangers of radon exposure. “Radon is a naturally-occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air, that can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings,” said Sandra Flemming, director for DHEC’s Division of Analytical and Radiological Environmental Services. More details
Heating with a Fireplace or Wood Stove?
With the increased cost in utilities, more homeowners may return to using their fireplace or wood stove for additional heating. With this in mind, there are some safety precautions that need to be followed to insure a safe heating season. More details
Wildlife Often Struggle With Colder Weather
People are constantly reminded of the gracious plenty of the holidays. But what of wildlife—will their holidays be merry? More details
Tips for Saving Energy this Fall and Winter
With winter setting in across the nation, the Environmental Protection Agency encourages Americans to continue to take action to save energy and cut heating costs this winter. Maintain heating equipment: Dirt and neglect are the main causes of heating system failure, so be sure to maintain your equipment.
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Red Cross Offers Safety Tips during Severe Weather Conditions
The American Red Cross is on the scene in areas of the country that are experiencing extreme weather conditions, offering shelter, food, and a helping hand to those residents affected. For those in tornado prone areas, the Red Cross offers the following tips to help your family stay safe.
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Recycle Your Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are recycled into many different products. Most plastic bags are recycled into composite lumber, but they can also be reprocessed into small pellets or post consumer resin, which can become feed stock for a variety of products such as new bags, pallets, containers, crates, and pipe. More details
Protect Your Pet: Hot Weather Warning For Animals
The Humane Society reminds us that high temperatures can be deadly for pets left without a cool, shady place to rest and plenty of water. Take these precautions to make sure your pets are safe during this heat.
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Take Some Good Tips to Help You Drive Greener
Whether you are road tripping across the country or just making the morning commute, you should always try to drive green. Driving green means adopting a few simple, inexpensive driving habits to decrease the amount of fuel you use and put more money in your pocket. More details
Eat Smart - Certified SC Grown
What’s your favorite color? Red, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, white? Pick a little color for your plate. It’s the season to buy South Carolina grown. Watermelons, beans, tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches, squash, eggplant, sweet corn . . . the list of fresh produce available during South Carolina’s peak summer produce season is endless. More details
Baby Your Lungs with the Power of Beans!
Imagine slashing your risk of lung cancer – no matter what your health history – by 50 percent. And here's the bean that may help you do it: chickpeas, also called Garbanzo beans. More details
10 Easy Tips to Save Money & Fuel
With gas prices continuing to rise, here are some simple ways to keep money in your wallet and gasoline in your tank while helping out the environment at the same time. Using these tips can help you save 15-33% on your fuel spending. More details
Watch Out for Toxins in "Everyday" Products
In spite of the listing of ingredients and clearly marked warnings on many products, people often use cleaning agents, personal care products, pesticides, paints, hobby products and solvents without taking the time to read the labels. There are a multitude of potentially harmful chemicals found in these items. The average home contains some 45 aerosol products alone. More details
Clemson University Institute to Study 'Vertical Farming' Feasibility
in Charleston
Clemson University’s Institute of Applied Ecology received EPA funding to develop a design-feasibility study to build a "vertical farm" in downtown Charleston.
The study, being done in collaboration with Clemson's Centers of Economic Excellence in Urban Ecology and Sustainable Development and the city of Charleston, will evaluate the repurposing of an existing building to house a vertical farm. More details
BMW Ranks 4th on EPA’s Top 20 Green Power Partners for On-Site Power Generation
BMW has announced that its South Carolina plant has increased its ranking to No. 4 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Top 20 On-site Generation list of the largest green power users. In 2010, through BMW’s on-site landfill gas energy system, the company generated nearly 62 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power. More details
Polar Fish Could Hold Clues to Climate Change Adaptability
Multitasking may be a useful skill in the office, but don’t try it behind the wheel of a vehicle, a Clemson University researcher says. “Nobody thinks they are an average or worse-than-average driver." More details
Electric Vehicles Are Coming
Yes, high speed plug in electric vehicles are on their way! Cars on the way include the Nissan LEAF all electric vehicle with a 100 mile range and the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle that runs on its battery for 35 miles before switching to a gas-electric hybrid mode with an extended range of 379 miles. More details
Are You Prepared in the Event of an Emergency?
While our attention has been on the disaster in Japan, let's not waste this opportunity to check our own preparedness. Do you have what you would need to survive on your own after a disaster or emergency? More details
Clemson University's Landscape Becoming Edible
Fig, pomegranate and blueberry plants have been planted outside Clemson University's Fernow Street Café as a part of Campus Edible Landscape, a project that aims to make Clemson's campus more environmentally friendly — and tastier. Michael Whitmire, a graduate student studying planning, design and the built environment, is coordinating the project. More details
Have You Checked Your Credit Report?
In these difficult economic times, it is more important than ever to have good credit. Why is a credit report important? Your credit report is important because lenders, insurers, employers, and others may obtain your credit report from credit bureaus to assess how you manage financial responsibilities. More details
Announcing the 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year
The Perennial Plant Association’s Perennial of the Year for 2011 is Arkansas Blue Star, Amsonia hubrichtii. From late spring to early summer, two-to three inch wide clusters of small, light blue star-shaped flowers are displayed above the fern-like foliage. More details
Practice Fire Safety Year Round
Home fires are the single most common disaster across the nation. Unfortunately, they kill more people in the United States each year than all other types of disasters combined. More details
College Expenses Can Be Overwhelming, Take Some Tips to Be Prepared
Parents need to know how to maximize their children's eligibility for financial aid; they need to understand how financial aid formulas work so they can take advantage of ways to lower out-of-pocket costs. Even paying expenses in the most tax-efficient way is a benefit to families who get aid as well as families who do not. More details
Don't Forget to Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries
As the daylight savings time clock change passes, the greenville Fire & Rescue Department is reminding residents to make another change that could save their lives - changing the batteries in their smoke alarms. greenville Fire & Rescue urges all citizens to adopt a simple life safety habit to change smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks back from daylight savings time. More details
Waste is Not Waste, Say South Carolina Recyclers
Amid blue bins and carts, schoolchildren with signs, economic impact posters, artwork, and about seventy-five attendees; political, recycling-industry and conservation leaders promoted a new ABC recycling bill and announced the economic impact of recycling to the state earlier today in the lobby of the Statehouse. Senator Ray Cleary (R-Georgetown) discussed his bill (S.461) which calls for establishments that are permitted for on-site consumption of alcohol to implement a recycling program in the next two years for plastic, corrugated cardboard, aluminum and glass. More details
Volunteer at Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve
Get out the gloves and hand pruners... Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve needs your help to keep the Garden growing! Meet Jeff or Peggy at the pavilion, beside the parking lot, to find out what needs to be done. No experience necessary, Jeff and Peggy always have plenty for you to do. More details
Check Out These Great Tips for Buying Green
As you walk the aisles of grocery stores and your one-stop-shopping stores, you may see bright green labels saying organic or eco-friendly. While some of these products may truly be sustainable, some may be green-washed. More details
Sliding Rock is Mother Nature’s Chilly Answer to Water Parks
Water parks are everywhere, and as the summer heats up, young kids (and their parents) start thinking about whether they would rather go to Charlotte’s Carowinds or Atlanta’s Six Flags or even one of the parks over in Pigeon Forge. When making plans for the summer, the “true” water park aficionado might also want to make plans to visit Mother Nature’s very own – and original – water park, Sliding Rock. More details
Rare American Chestnut Trees Found in Southeast
A grove of very rare American chestnut trees has been discovered in Georgia. The find is exciting to the scientific community and tree lovers alike, as the American chestnut had virtutally disappeared in a blight in the earlier part of the 20th century. More detailsMeeting the Challenges of Forest Conservation; Our Forests, Our Way of Life
Forests are intrinsic to our way of life. We hunt and hike and bird watch in them, and depend upon them for wildlife habitat, water purification, timber and jobs. In Minnesota, for example, the timber industry is the fourth largest manufacturing industry in the state, based on employment numbers alone, and generated more than $6.4 billion in forest product shipments in 2002. More details
Study Examines Air Pollution’s Effects on Ecosystems; Finds Widespread, Serious Impacts
No ecosystem type in the eastern United States is free of the effects of air pollution, according to a report released by The Nature Conservancy and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. From streams and rivers to forests and wetlands, air pollution reduces the benefits these ecosystems provide to society, and damages human health and economies. More details
Pack it in for the Environment: Why We Should Compost
With cold winter weather so far away, it’s hard not to think about the summer season. But with our waste problems, as well as the increasing amount of urban pollution, we can do our part to help the environment this winter while providing our gardens with excellent soil for the spring. More detailsChimney Rock Park Sees Return of Peregrine Falcons
After coming a hair’s width away from extinction, the peregrine falcon is in the process of staging a remarkable comeback in the wild, untouched regions of certain areas in the US. Fortunately for environmentalists and bird watchers in North Carolina, Chimney Rock Park in Chimney Rock, NC, is one of those lucky places that is now playing host to this special bird.
More detailsCarl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is a Great Stop While Enjoying The Mountains.
The Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, located in Flat Rock, North Carolina, is a great place to visit while you are enjoying the mountains. Carl Sandburg, the nationally renowned poet, biographer and folksinger, retired in Flat Rock, North Carolina, in 1945.More detailsEndangered Species Spotlight- Gopher Tortoise
The gopher tortoise is one of the oldest living species, originating in North America over 60 million years ago. Today their range includes many parts of Florida, southern areas of Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and the tip of Eastern Louisiana. More detailsU.S. Fish and Wildlife Species Respond to Global Warming
Everyone who owns pets knows how sensitive they are to the weather. Dogs and cats fidget and fuss before a big storm. More detailsU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Recovery Team for Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Less than a month after the Big Woods Conservation Partnership partners announced the ivory-billed woodpecker had been rediscovered in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service named the first members of a range-wide recovery team that will craft a roadmap for the conservation of this extraordinary bird. The team, which held its first meeting in June, includes representatives from state fish and wildlife agencies, The Nature Conservancy, and other conservation organizations and universities.
Hatcher Garden: An Oasis in The Middle of Spartanburg
Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve, a ten-acre green space contains a native oak/hickory forest, a series of ponds and babbling brooks, perennial display beds and a grassy front lawn. There is a tremendous population of songbirds, a family of mallards and red shouldered hawks, small mammals including squirrels and chipmunks, four different varieties of turtles, frogs, fish and the occasional raccoon and possum. More details
More detailsTreasured Waterfalls, Mountain Scenery the Reward of Scenic Drive through Gorge
As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, many visitors to Western North Carolina find themselves drawn to any number of the region’s pristine waterfalls for the visual entertainment and cooling respite that they offer from the day’s heat. But some of these popular spots require a bit more hiking, climbing, and crawling over rocks, boulders, and trails than some folks are willing or able to do.More detailsHatcher Garden: An Oasis in The Middle of Spartanburg
Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve, a ten-acre green space contains a native oak/hickory forest, a series of ponds and babbling brooks, perennial display beds and a grassy front lawn. There is a tremendous population of songbirds, a family of mallards and red shouldered hawks, small mammals including squirrels and chipmunks, four different varieties of turtles, frogs, fish and the occasional raccoon and possum. More detailsSaving Natural Habitats Begins At Home; Learn About Sustainable Gardening Practices
Disappearing habitat is a problem worldwide. Most endangered species have that status because of habitat loss. Two thirds of the world’s forests are already gone. More detailsThe Ivory-Billed Woodpecker; Natural History And Facts
The ivory-billed woodpecker ( Campephilus principalis) -- is among the world's largest woodpeckers. Only the imperial woodpecker of Mexico, now thought by many to be extinct, was larger than the ivory-bill. More detailsPack it in for the Environment: Why We Should Compost
With cold winter weather so far away, it’s hard not to think about the summer season. But with our waste problems, as well as the increasing amount of urban pollution, we can do our part to help the environment this winter while providing our gardens with excellent soil for the spring. More detailsMonarch Butterfly Migration Is Fueled With Milkweed; Plant Milkweed Seeds to Aid Migration
180 Million Monarchs are now on the move! Milkweed plants are the only food source for Monarch caterpillars.More detailsHabitat Hightlight- YOUR Backyard!
South Carolina has more certified Backyard Wildlife Habitats than any other state! We are very proud of this honor, and want to stay at the top of this list. More detailsHow to Grow And Make a Gourd Birdhouse
You can grow your own Birdhouse gourds, and it is so much fun! They make a beautiful addition to any sunny garden spot. More detailsJocassee Gorges Passage of Palmetto Trail Another Link on Statewide Trail
South Carolina’s Palmetto Trail – currently a work in progress – will span the state with over 425 miles of hiking trails once it is completed. Started in 1997, new passages open each season, with the spectacular Jocassee Gorges Passage in Upstate South Carolina setting itself apart from many other passages with its stunning scenery and dramatic terrain. More detailsAttracting Hummingbirds to Your Backyard WildlifeHabitat Site
Tiny, iridescent hummingbirds are an exciting addition to your habitat. Hummingbirds visit SC from March through November and you can attract them by planting red, tubular flowers. More detailsRoper Mountain Science Center is an Eye-Opening Experience Any Time of Year.
With a bird's eye view, Roper Mountain Science Center keeps a close watch on the skies over the Upstate. Owned and operated by the School District of Greenville County, the Science Center's primary purpose is to provide high quality enhancement to the Upstate's classroom curriculum. Through its numerous hands-on and attention-grabbing science programs available to school-age children, the Science Center has earned a reputation throughout the state of providing students with dynamic, entertaining and thought-provoking science programs that, no doubt, are leading many of today's students into future careers in science.
More detailsRed Wolf, An Endangered Spcies, Is Making a Slow Come Back
Originally, the red wolf roamed as far north as Pennsylvania and as far west as central Texas. Like its relative the grey wolf, the red wolf was wiped out from its former range by large scale predator control programs. More detailsCaesars Head State Park is Close, But a World Away
Spartanburg is a terrific place to work, raise a family and enjoy what life has to offer, but that doesn't take away the need to get away from it all every once in a while, away from paved streets, traffic noise and all the signs of civilization. Caesars Head State Park, so close, yet so far, is the perfect day trip to what seems like another world.More detailsAbundance of Water, Natural Gas and Plant Sites Makes the Upstate a Top Choice For New Manufacturers.
They say you have to be good and lucky to be successful in business. The South Carolina Upstate certainly qualifies for the category of the "good and lucky." With a skilled work force steeped in the Southern tradition of a strong work ethic to complement its abundance of natural resources, the Upstate is considered by the world's manufacturers to be one of the top areas to locate a new manufacturing plant. More details  Now is the Time to Attract Bluebirds to Your Backyard
"The bluebird is like a speck of clear blue sky seen near the end of a storm, reminding us of an ethereal region and a heaven which we had forgotten." Henry David Thoreau, 1859. Eastern Bluebirds are small, charming, non-aggressive birds that are a conservation success story. With their bright blue wings and heads, rust-colored breasts, and delightful array of songs and calls, they are about as appealing to the Southern summer garden as hummingbirds and butterflies.More details Wild Turkey Flock Finds Asheville, NC, To Its Taste; Pays Recent Visit to Historic Manor Inn
Veritable traffic stoppers, and the topic of much conversation around the office, a rather large flock of wild turkeys has decided, like so many others, that Asheville is the place for them. A somewhat unlikely choice, given that wild turkeys tend to gravitate toward more rural and less populated areas in which to reside, Asheville has embraced its wayward flock. The feathered tribe of maybe twenty or so can be found at any number of locations in central and north Asheville, casually strolling across parking lots and lawns - or right down the center of streets - stopping traffic all the while, as amazed and amused drivers patiently wait for the crowd "turkus maximus" to meander on their way. More detailsNC Arboretum Operates State-of-the-Art Greenhouse Complex Just a short Drive Up the Mountain
At the end of the short drive into the mountains of western North Carolina lies one of the finest examples of "gardening heaven" that can be found in our area. For both the regular visitor and the uninitiated, the splendor of the North Carolina Arboretum, located on the west side of Asheville just off of I-26, begins with the entry road into this massive and picturesque facility. Owned and operated by the University of North Carolina system on 426 acres in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest, the road winds gently past woodlands, trails, high stone retaining walls, and some glorious landscaping.More detailsBiltmore Industries Holds Distinguished Position in Appalachia's Arts and Crafts History
Biltmore Industries, for many years an exceptional outlet for traditional mountain arts and crafts and the one-time beneficiary of George and Edith Vanderbilt's generosity, is a long-running example of Appalachia's propensity toward fostering local mountain arts and crafts. The following article, posted with the permission of Asheville, North Carolina, author, historian, and antiques authority Bruce E. Johnson, provides an in-depth look at Biltmore Industries and the impact it had on Appalachia's artisans and crafts people throughout the 20th century.More detailsLinville Caverns a Great Addition to a Weekend Ski Trip It all started from a inquiring nature and a willingness to explore … how could there be fish swimming out of the mountain? So began the curious journey of eastern Carolinian, H. E. Colton, and his local guide, Dave Franklin, over 100 years ago. More detailsRecycling Center Paves Way for Innovative Uses of Scrap Tires.
A one-of-a-kind research and outreach facility dedicated to finding new uses for old tires was dedicatedat Clemson University. Officials said the newstatewide Asphalt-Rubber Technology Service (ARTS) will pavethe way toward creating various uses for millions of scraptires.More details[More news]
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