Shed Winter, Visit A Greenhouse

Discovery takes a drive, curiosity and a goal - the things found along the way - from food, shops, history and people - just make the going all the more worthwhile.

In winter, we long for humidity, soil and color - all of which can be found inside greenhouses. A list of greenhouses open to the public are included on the Rhode Island Center for Agricultural Promotion and Education's site www.NEFarmWays.org a gateway to interesting events and activities.

In Connecticut, the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology greenhouses on the main campus of the University of Connecticut at Storrs are open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Note that they are closed weekends and most state holidays.

Logee's greenhouse in Danielson, Conn., is world famous for their tropical plants - including a Ponderosa lemon tree - and what an oasis for all who love to grow, especially this time of year.

What's On And In Your Lawn?

Children and pets can absorb pesticides and chemicals through their skin and feet. Learn more about healthy lawns at the NOFA's Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care, now in its 10th year.

The five-day course will be held in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

In Mass., starting Jan. 12 at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport. Contact is Kathy Litchfield (kathy@nofamass.org) or call (413) 773-3830.

In Conn., Jan. 24 at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. Contact Robert Mercede (robert@ctnofa.org) or (203) 888-5146.

In Rhode Island, Feb. 17 at the Save The Bay Center in Providence. Contact Sheryl Ellal (sheryl@organiclandcare.net) or (401) 330-6869.

Ask about early bird discounts and partial scholarhips.
Early Bird Discount available until January 28! Three (3) partial scholarships. More information can be found at www.organiclandcare.

French Ambassador Tours Heritage Route

French ambassador to the United States Ambassador Pierre Vimont saw the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and toured sites in Vermont as part of the effort to mark the recent enactment of legislation that created the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail.

Ambassador Vimont is traveling through New England to promote France and its historical ties to the United States.

He stopped in Vermont to join the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Lake Champlain by the 17th century French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who also founded Quebec City in Canada.

The trail commemorates the route a combined French and American force traveled from Rhode Island to Yorktown, Virginia, where they defeated the British in 1781.

Prime Tick Time, Take Precautions

Ticks are popping like hot corn in a skillet. With the warmer weather and recent rains, the ticks are hungry and looking for a warm-blooded host. Arm yourself with knowledge and know thy enemy, especially if you have children, pets or host visitors who travel with pets.

Ticks can live an entire life cycle indoors, so remember, even if those who don't venture near woods or fields, should regularly do tick checks on children and pets. (Good health depends on it.)

There are a host of diseases that ticks can transmit and many ticks carry more than one variety. The litany includes babesiosis, bartonella, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky mountian spotted fever, tick paralysis, and tick relapsing fever - and more. Each has different symptoms and some overlap.

The ehrlichia bacteria can cause human granulocytic ehrlichiosis and human monocytic ehrlichiosis. The first occurs when the bacteria starts to infect granulocytes, which are cells involved in immune responses and allergies. Symptoms appear a day to 30 days after the tick has bitten, and can include fever, headache, aches and pains (sometimes a rash).

Those who travel anywhere near an ocean on the east coast should be especially vigilant - tick disease is especially prevalant on Cape Cod, Nantucket, Long Island, Rhode Island, coastal Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Pets can unknowingly transport ticks inside, and anyone who hosts visitors who travel with pets from all over the country should be aware that ticks can drop off at any time. Even areas which do not normally report tick-borne diseases can feature "hot spots" where travelers have been and ticks (with somewhat exotic diseases to the local area) have been left behind.

For CDC guidelines about tick-borne diseases across the USA, see this link.

For a detailed site about the danger for pets (and how to treat even when everyone says there are no tick diseases where you live) see Tick Disease in Dogs by Gil Ash's informative pages at http://blackgsd.googlepages.com/home.

Top photo by Chris Brunson, studying ticks at Middletown's BioBlitz. Center image courtesy of CDC.