Tree limbs that hang low over Frisco’s streets and sidewalks can damage emergency equipment and other vehicles and can also create traffic and pedestrian hazards. The City is asking for your assistance in maintaining these trees to a height of fourteen feet above the street and to seven feet above sidewalks, which are located in [...]

We know that air quality has a huge impact on allergy and asthma sufferers, and that endocrine disruptors, contaminants often found in dust, can harm reproductive health during fetal and infant exposures. But did you know that some of the worst air quality we encounter is in our homes, on airplanes and in offices?

“In the U.S., we spend most of our time thinking about outdoor air pollution but Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, that’s over 21 hours a day,” said Richard Corsi, a professor in civil, architectural and environmental engineering and director of the University of Texas at Austin’s Indoor Environmental Science and Engineering Program. “So if we really want to impact the quality of the air we breathe, we must pay far more attention to pollutants in homes, offices and schools.”

Monarch butterflies can be found in every continental state in America. Seven states have even named the monarch their “state insect,” according to the Environmental Defense Fund. That’s good news for those who would like to create a backyard space to attract monarchs as they make their way north or south for their long annual migrations.

The first step is a to do a little research to learn what monarchs and other butterflies are fluttering around your community. Books can provide information, but lepidopterists (people who collect and study butterflies and moths) or butterfly organizations in your area also will have details.

By Harriet Blake

Count yourself lucky if you live in a part of the country that has rich organic soil. Dirt in the Midwest and Mid Atlantic states tends to be easy to work with, while soil in warmer, drier Southwestern states requires some help. However, even if you live in an area with hard-to-work clay soil, there’s something that will enrich your dirt: organic matter, or compost. You can buy compost products at area garden centers, but consider taking advantage of what falls from your area’s trees. They provide free organic matter every fall.

According to The Nature Conservancy, we can all play a huge role in helping detect forest pests and prevent their spread by paying attention to the trees and forests around our homes and nearby natural areas while gardening, hiking and performing our other outdoor activities.

“More often than not, the presence of an invasive insect or disease that has spread to a new area of the country has been detected by a concerned member of the public,” says Faith Campbell, a senior policy representative in the Conservancy’s Forest Health Program. “If we can better educate people about these non-native pests, the chances of controlling them will dramatically increase.”

By Melissa Segrest

How old are your washer and dryer? If you can’t remember, odds are they’re nearing their golden years: Washers last about 11 years and dryers about 12, according to the Department of Energy. And we usually hold onto them as long as they work.

Here’s some household math: The typical U.S. family spends almost $2,000 a year on utility bills. Of that, heating water consumes about $240, and appliances eat up $180. That average family also washes about 400 loads of laundry a year, according to federal statistics.