Grandma Weavre's Garden

02/26/2026

We need your help to

02/25/2026

It’s National Invasive Species Awareness Week! Invasive species are organisms moved—often by human activity—outside their native ecosystems where they cause economic and environmental harm. This week, learn how they spread and the simple steps you can take to stop the spread.

The photo shows the size of a full grown quagga mussel. They grow on just about anything under water...by the billions!

Watch the NPS explainer video and join the conversation with . Then put prevention into practice with every time you hit the water.

🎥 Learn more & watch: NPS “Celebrate NISAW” page → https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/d3b8ecbf-386f-4086-aa87-e6b6ca18a839720p.mp4

02/25/2026

Supporting local journalism and local science is not charity. It is an investment in the data, transparency, and accountability that keep fresh water safe.

02/24/2026

We now occupy a nearly natureless world.

02/19/2026

What a beautiful afternoon and evening to go chase thawing water with a joyful friend, collecting samples and entering data for a salt study for the Stroud Water Research Center!

* Five sites sampled.
* Three bails because of no safe access to the water. (Edited because I forgot one at first 🤦)
* One SUV freed after getting it stuck in ice and snow 😂

And SO. MUCH. FUN.

If you'd like to participate in future stream studies, please let me know! We're planning good things for the future. :)

Also, let me know if you're interested in learning more about the Pennsylvania Master Watershed Stewards.

Stroud Water Research Center

01/11/2026

Today I answered the call of the holler and headed into the woods. I went on a nice, long hike and re-upped on some old man's beard (Usnea lichen). 👴🏼

If yer aimin’ to ID old man’s beard, it's that wispy, green stuff danglin' from wood. When ya gently pull it apart, it’s got a lil’ white stretchy cord inside. That there is proof ya went and picked yerself the real deal. It is NOT Spanish moss.✔️

Now, don't go rippin' it off livin' trees like a heathern! Ya only wanna pick it off fallen logs/branches or off of the ground. I found gobs of it today just chillin’ on the forest floor. We respect the woods around here. Momma Nature don’t forget and you’ll be cursed with 7 years of bad foragin’ luck if ya ain’t a steward of nature. If it’s on a livin’ tree, leave it be. 🌲

Folks have been usin' old man’s beard as mountain medicine for a looong time. It’s a powerful antimicrobial that can help with lung stuff, colds, infections, and other ailments ya might tend to blame on the weather turnin’. This Kentucky winter is INSANE! It was 68 degrees today. I take my harvest home and make tinctures and elixirs with it like the good ol’ Appalachian alchemist I am. 🧪

OMB is not intended for daily, regular use and is usually taken only in short spurts when yer actively sick. Too much ain’t no good on yer liver. As always, make sure ya research herbal remedies to see if they could interact with preexisting medical conditions or prescribed medications. 🫶🏽

GO FORTH AND FORAGE! ✌🏼

01/03/2026

01/01/2026

(no paywall)

Mariangela Hungria won the 2025 World Food Prize for her work on microbes that feed plants nitrogen, allowing farmers to slash fertilizer costs and pollution.

11/22/2025

Jessica Letteer - can you believe it's been 3 years now since the Wilkes-Barre Area Community Gardens hosted its first GWG event??

https://facebook.com/events/s/plants-fungi-and-foraging-host/462888115819230/

11/22/2025

10/11/2025

09/29/2025

In the Brdy region of the Czech Republic, officials spent seven years planning a million-dollar dam to fight water shortages. Permits stalled the project but then nature stepped in. In January, just eight Eurasian beavers built their own dams in only two days, completely free of charge.

These “ecosystem engineers” used sticks, mud, and rocks to hold back water and create wetlands, saving the country $1.2 million. Beaver ponds don’t just store water they also filter pollution, slow floods, store carbon, and provide food and shelter for countless species, from insects and fish to herons, cranes, and even moose.

Once nearly extinct in Europe, beavers are now making a comeback, reshaping rivers and valleys. Experts say Czech officials were right to let the animals do the work because the beavers simply did it better.

Source / Credit:
BBC News – “Beavers Save Czech Republic Millions by Building Natural Dams.”