Environmental Solutions Group

06/18/2026

Tomorrow is Juneteenth! There are plenty of ways to celebrate with all the events going on downtown, both tomorrow and Saturday. Check them out!

06/17/2026

It's a wonder most of us still have all of our fingers.

06/16/2026

Using bemotrizinol creates a safer, more effective sunscreen.

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new sunscreen ingredient in the U.S. for the first time in 20 years. It's been used for decades in Europe and Asia.

06/15/2026

Having a birdbath in your yard actually helps support other wildlife as well, especially in these hotter months. If you're concerned about mosquitoes, see our previous post about mosquito dunks, which are safe for other wildlife.

You installed a birdbath for the birds. Within a week it became the most important water source on your property — not just for birds, but for everything alive in your yard that needs fresh water and can't turn on a faucet.

Honeybees and native bees drink from the shallow edges. They need water to cool their hives and dilute honey. A single honeybee colony consumes over a gallon of water per day in hot weather. Your birdbath may be the only accessible water source within their foraging range.

Butterflies puddle — they land on the wet edges of the birdbath and drink dissolved minerals from the stone. Males need the sodium for reproduction. Puddling isn't random. It's mineral supplementation.

Dragonflies and damselflies patrol the airspace above the birdbath — it's a water source that attracts their prey. A birdbath creates a micro-territory for aerial predators.

Hummingbirds bathe in shallow birdbaths — splashing, dipping, shaking. They need clean feathers to maintain insulation and flight precision. A dirty feather is a slow hummingbird.

The birdbath you bought for cardinals is also a bee bar, a butterfly mineral station, a dragonfly hunting territory, and a hummingbird shower.

Keep it clean. Change the water every two days. Add a stone for shallow edges. You're running a public utility.

06/14/2026

Hope you had a great weekend! This one's almost over, but undoubtedly there will be more in the future.

06/13/2026

Apparently NC is on the list of places the cheese was distributed, so avoid or throw away any soft cheese from Clover Hill Dairy. These cheeses may also be sold under other brand names, but if the permit number on the label says "24-128," it is a Clover Hill Dairy product.

The Maryland Department of Health has suspended Clover Hill Dairy’s operating license.

06/12/2026

If this sounds like you, you'd probably get along well with the Arctic ground squirrel. 😄

Others: What are your hobbies?

Me: I love coming home and being at home and sitting inside my home and staying home.

Ah, home is where the heart, umm, arctic squirrel is. The Arctic ground squirrel is the ultimate homebody, snoozing through most of its life in snug underground burrows to dodge predators and winter weather. Picture them popping up in spring, single and ready to mingle, meet and raise their little fluffballs, and chow down and bulk up for the next big nap.

Each squirrel’s got its own private pad (following a credit check and depending on availability). Squeaking of hobbies, interior design is popular. The arctic squirrel decks out their showplace with a plush nest of dry grass, leaves, lichens, and even fur for that extra toasty vibe. Tonight on Burrow on a Budget: Lichen or leave it!

06/11/2026

Are you making the right decisions about how you heat and cool your home? Learn top HVAC tips from industry experts.

06/10/2026

It's the season of trying-to-kill-a-mosquito-but-just-slapping-yourself-instead😄

06/09/2026

Mosquito dunks are a great way to control mosquito populations, because they're only harmful to mosquito and fungus gnat larvae. They're safe for other animals and they're even approved for organic gardening.

How do Mosquito Dunks work? The natural BTI bacterium in Mosquito Dunks kills mosquito larvae before they become biting adults.