This month brings good news for wild spaces such as the banks of the Patuxent River. After years of advocacy and regulatory work, Maryland has prohibited the sale of a new list of invasive plant species....

More than 1,400 certificates approving lead inspections have been revoked in Maryland after three children tested positive for elevated lead levels. The action calls for the reinspection of tenant-occupied...

By Audrey Bengtson If you don’t want to mow your lawn this month, that’s OK with the city. College Park has waived the usual 12-inch limit for the height of grass, weeds and other lawn cover for...

It was with great interest that I read the article by Paul Ruffins, “A landfill full of food is a recipe for methane,” in the March Life & Times. I trained in nuclear physics at George Washington...

By JIMMY ROGERS Gardens grow and mature in cycles, and each year a garden becomes more mature and more predictable. Time is the biggest factor for all gardening, as many activities must be done in their...

By JIMMY ROGERS When suburbia began to blossom across America in the 1950s, the mowed front lawn cemented itself as a part of the residential landscape. Now, new homeowners often tell me they look out...

By AGNES PASCO CONATY Nature plays such a vital role in my life, and I so often write about our natural world, right here at home. In previous columns, I’ve written about Patuxent Wildlife Refuge and...

By JIMMY ROGERS Often our built environment can feel harsh, structured and devoid of natural beauty. We plant specimen trees and create gardens to provide visual relief, while pushing back wild spaces...

Zoning is complicated, but it is a crucial county-level policy to get right if we want to improve our quality of life and fight climate change. I worried after reading “County councilmembers tussle over...

Kit Slack’s recent article, “County councilmembers tussle over zoning, sprawl,” discusses the impact of development projects on floodplains, stormwater control, pollution and energy demands — issues...

By RICK BORCHELT It’s enough to make you believe in alchemy. Pluck a leaf of jewelweed and hold it underwater: It becomes a shiny, shimmering silver coin. Or watch rain drops bead up onto jewelweed...