Natural Awakenings Greater Pittsburgh Edition April 2022

E R F

E

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

EARTH DAY

2022

EATING WITH THE PL ANET IN MIND BUZZ-FREE DRINKING

BEST APPS FOR NATURE LOVERS

RESTORING WILDERNESS IN OUR LIVES & YARDS

April 2022 | Pittsburgh, PA Edition | naturalawakeningsswpa.comApril 2022

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

PITTSBURGH, PA EDITION Publisher Michelle Dalnoky Managing Editor Sven Hosford Lead Editor Martin Miron Production Assistant Joann Dalnoky Design & Production C. Michele Rose Sales & Marketing Michelle Dalnoky

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letter from publisher

Happy Earth Day!

Let us show some love to our planet and ourselves. As food and fuel prices keep climbing, it’s a perfect time to start our gardens.

With ongoing warnings about food insecurity, what better way to spend some time and energy providing nutrition for you and your family while being in nature? If you have the space and the energy, make a garden. If you only have limited space or energy, make a container garden. Did you know you can grow just about anything in containers? You can grow potatoes, tomatoes, peas, beans, radishes and more. If you can’t manage that, how about some herbs and microgreens? They will add flavor and vitamins to your food, are super easy to grow, and you can get everything you need to grow them at the dollar store. I have these plants growing on my window sill. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

I’ll never forget the last time I was in Strasbourg, France. We were on a busy street and saw these bright things dangling from the windows of an upstairs apartment. I had to go and see what they were—they were hanging plant baskets. There was no balcony on this apartment, so this person found a way to grow some plants despite the challenges.

While I’m thinking about Europe and fuel prices. I’m also reminded of what a robust public transportation system they have. While Pittsburgh does a pretty good job of it, the surrounding counties have very limited service, requiring people to use a lot of fuel driving their cars and creating real hardship for the rural poor. This area where I live in Fayette County was once covered Potted plants - Strasbourg, France in trolley and train tracks that could take you just about anywhere. Europe is still that way. You can take a bus from any rural area to a streetcar in small towns or villages to fast cars into the bigger cities and even high-speed bullet trains to nearby major cities or other countries. In Germany, disabled people ride the local public transport for free.

Streetcar - Strasbourg, France I have talked about doing small things at home for the planet, and that is one approach. Now I want to challenge you to do something bigger. Let’s choose a cause, like improving regional and national public transportation and lessening our dependence on fossil fuels. Or protecting our waterways, or even the oceans.

We have such an amazing watershed in this area. We should be able to rely upon it for our drinking water, Streetcar - Karlsruhe, Germany fishing, swimming and recreation to protect the natural beauty and abundance that is bestows. How about getting involved in protecting it or reducing the litter in our beautiful nature. There are plenty of organizations to get involved with for any of these causes; the Regional Transportation Alliance of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Allegheny Cleanways, Three Rivers Waterkeeper and so Streetcar - Prague, many more. Do it before it’s too late.

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Contents 8 MELODY ACRES IS A HOBBY IN NAME ONLY

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10 EATING FOR THE PLANET Diet for a Climate Crisis

12 BUZZ-FREE DRINKING The Healthy Rise of Non-Alcoholic Beverages

14 TECHNOLOGY MEETS NATURE

Apps Bring Us Closer to Flora and Fauna

16 WHY WE NEED WILD PLACES

How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes

19 ALLEGHENY LAND TRUST

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20 NATURE SPEAKS

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It Takes a Village to Preserve an Ecosystem

Storytelling Connects Kids to the Natural World

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ON NATIONAL MEDICAL CANNABIS REPORT CARD

Keeping Dogs Safe from Ticks and Fleas

DEPARTMENTS 6 news briefs 7 health briefs 8 community spotlight 10 conscious eating 12 healing ways 14 green living

19 nonprofit 20 24 26 30 31

spotlight healthy kids natural pet calendar resource guide classifieds April 2022

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news briefs

Go Green at Market Square

P

ittsburgh Earth Day, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., April 22, at Market Square will be a hub for live music, eco-friendly activity booths, an alternative energy and electric transportation corner and a green wellness area.

Entertainment on the hour beginning at noon includes Kelsey Friday & the Rest of The Week, Elias Khouri, Starling My Darling, Wave Trails, the Evan Dean Band, Bindley Hardware Co. and the Clinton Clegg Trio.

Location: Forbes Ave. and Market St. For more information, visit Tinyurl.com/PittsburghEartDay2022. See ad, page 9.

kudos Sustainable Pittsburgh Executive Director Dr. Joylette Portlock has been selected by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to serve as a member of the Environmental Justice Advisory Board (EJAB).

Portlock’s technical background and familiarity with state issues of environmental concern, including climate change, are based in prior work and experience at the local, state and national level. She will provide informed input on Pennsylvania environmental justice community priorities such as permitting and development practices, recommendations for monitoring and enforcement of regulations, ensuring environmental justice issues are integrated into more state agency practices and policies and exploring more innovative opportunities to address environmental concerns in our most vulnerable communities.

The EJAB will leverage their collective expertise with state leaders to create a path forward that supports environmentally overburdened and under-resourced communities across the Commonwealth.

For more information, visit SustainablePittsburgh.org.

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health briefs

Avoid Formaldehyde to Sidestep Cognitive Problems olga/AdobeStock.com

Eat Lots of Fiber to Improve Melanoma Outcomes

A new type of immunotherapy that enables T-cells to fight cancer cells is proving hopeful for people with the deadly skin cancer melanoma, and a new study has found that a high-fiber diet improves the effectiveness of the therapy.

Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported in Science that, by analyzing the gut microbiome in hundreds of patients, they found that higher dietary fiber intake was linked with disease nonprogression among patients receiving immune checkpoint blockade therapy compared to patients eating little fiber.

The results were strongest in patients that ate the most dietary fiber, but did not take probiotics, a finding that was replicated with lab animals.

Workers exposed over years to formaldehyde may experience thinking and memory problems later in life, researchers at the University of Montpellier, in France, have concluded. Their study published in the journal Neurology surveyed and tested more than 75,000 people with an average age of 58. Of those, 8 percent were exposed to formaldehyde through their occupations as nurses; caregivers; medical technicians; workers in the textile, chemistry and metal industries; carpenters and cleaners. The risk of developing thinking and memory problems was an average of 17 percent higher in people that were exposed to formaldehyde on the job than those with no such exposure.

People exposed to formaldehyde for 22 years or longer had a 21 percent higher risk of cognitive impairment.

Try Fenugreek to Boost Male Fertility and Health

When used together, the plant alkaloid berberine and the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve work synergistically to significantly improve total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, reports a new study in Gut Microbes from Shanghai Jiao Tung University, in China. Researchers tested 365 diabetes patients at 20 centers throughout the country, giving them either a placebo, one of the two substances or both. Comparing post-meal blood samples after 12 weeks, patients that had taken both the berberine and the probiotic had significantly better cholesterol readings and experienced positive changes in the gut microbiome, as well as better fatty acid metabolism.

Fenugreek, an herb used in Indian curries and Middle Eastern cuisine, has been shown in studies to increase breast milk production in women, and a 12-week study of 100 men has found that it also boosts male testosterone and fertility. A research team at King George’s Medical University, in Lucknow, India, gave 500 milligrams a day of an extract made from fenugreek seeds to men that ranged in ages from 35 to 60. Sperm motility, or movement, significantly increased at eight and 12 weeks of treatment, while abnormal sperm morphology significantly decreased at 12 weeks. Testosterone levels, cholesterol markers and libido also improved. Higher levels of alertness were documented, along with lower blood pressure.

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Consider Berberine and Probiotics to Improve Cholesterol

April 2022

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community spotlight

Melody Acres is a Hobby in Name Only

by Martin Miron

M

elody Acres Hobby Farm began 11 years ago as a hobby.

Owner Christine Yankel says, “My passion for gardening started at a very young age, where I would often help my mother in the garden. I have so many wonderful memories of us growing our food and cooking together. My mother had an amazing green thumb—she Christine Yankel could get anything to grow, and I hope some of that magic rubbed off on me! I wanted to grow many of the wonderful, rare heirloom vegetable plant varieties that are not for sale, so I started collecting seeds myself and growing plants. Soon, friends and family wanted plants.

They loved them so much word started to spread, and that’s how Melody Acres began.” She is working now to turn the farm into a full-time business.

“My husband and I were both Marines and met while stationed in North Carolina,” she shares. “When our children were young, we decided to move North to be closer to family. We moved to Southwestern Pennsylvania in 2006 and settled in the beautiful countryside of Eighty Four in 2011.”

Melody Acres grows heirloom vegetable plants and eggs using organic, natural and chemical-free growing practices.

All are 100 percent non-GMO. Permaculture and regenerative agriculture methods restore the Earth. They plan to add premium, hand-grown teas that are completely grown, dried and packaged on the farm, plus matching bath teas and other products later this year. Everything is sold directly to patrons at the farm or online.

“Our chickens are our pets,” says Yankel. “We have a small flock that are all named. We don’t eat our chickens, and they live out their whole lives peacefully here on our farm. We don’t force our chickens to lay year-round, and they spend all of their daytime outside. Egg sales are not our first concern, our flock’s health and happiness come first, and eggs are a nice bonus!” She stresses that this is the most ethical practice.

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Their mission is simple. “We want more people to organically care for and naturally restore the soil on their little plot of earth. If we each focus on organic soil regeneration and diversify our garden plantings on our little pieces of land, we can make a huge difference in the world. I truly believe that if my customers fall in love with their plants, they will be much more interested in organically caring for their gardens and yards. By loving these rare plants, understanding their history and making them a part of family recipes, we sow the seeds and traditions needed to save rare plants from extinction.”

She notes, “I’ve already seen this happening with my customers.

They love the plants so much that gardening connects them closer to the Earth, and they just want to learn more and more about how to naturally restore their yards and save seeds. It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of. We invite our community to tour our gardens and check out what we’ve got going on here, as well as offering many online and in-person workshops throughout the year.

We also post educational information and videos on YouTube and social media for free.”

The in-person workshops teach many skills, including seed starting, fermenting, making elderberry syrup, growing mushrooms and organic pest control. Yankel teams with local herbalist Jen Dalke, owner of Blue Heron Nature Skills, to put on a yearly event, Grow Your Own Medicine, where students learn to identify and use medicinal plants already growing in their yards and learn about many new herbs to grow for teas and wellness.

A new class series for 2022 is From Soil to Sustenance, a collaboration between the farm and Meredith Hartlage, a board-certified holistic nutritionist and owner of Growing the Seed, LLC. “In this series, we connect to our land, our food and our personal well-being,” advises Yankel. “Beginning with learning to grow and care for our foods as they take root in our gardens, we then explore how these foods nourish us from the inside-out, and finally how we can be inspired in our kitchens to use them in fun and delicious ways! We have an information-packed online webinar the last Thursday of every month, and are offering in-person workshops to dive in deeper.”

Melody Acres Hobby Farm is located at 731 Brownlee Rd., in Eighty Four. For more information, call 724-249-6411, email MelodyAcresHobbyFarm@gmail.com or visit MelodyAcresHobbyFarm.com.

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green living conscious eating

Eating for the Planet

DIET FOR A CLIMATE CRISIS

by Sheila Julson

He adds that cows belch methane, a far more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and that grass-fed cows belch even more of it than grain-fed, feedlot cows. In addition, nitrogen fertilizers used to grow animal feed run into waterways. Overfishing and ocean warming threaten populations of phytoplankton, which sequester carbon dioxide and seed clouds. Deforestation to create grazing land may be the single greatest future threat to our climate because forests also sequester carbon and provide a home for diverse flora and fauna.

W

hat we choose to put on our plates influences not only our physical health, but also the health of the environment. While much of the climate conversation focuses on the burning of fossil fuels, commercial food production—particularly livestock—uses large amounts of land, water and energy.

Wasted food contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Leigh Prezkop, food loss and waste specialist for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), says agriculture accounts for about 70 percent of the world’s fresh water use, while pasture and crop land accounts for about 50 percent of the Earth’s habitable land.

“The environmental impacts begin with the soil,” Prezkop explains. “Soil that’s depleted of nutrients loses its ability to capture carbon and produce nutrient10

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rich foods. The long chain continues with the processing and packaging of that food, and then transporting it to grocery store shelves and, eventually, to the consumer’s home.”

Eat Less Meat

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, argues author, screenwriter and playwright Glen Merzer in his latest book, Food Is Climate: A Response to Al Gore, Bill Gates, Paul Hawken & the Conventional Narrative on Climate Change.

“When we have 93 million cattle farmed in the U.S. and 31 billion animals farmed globally each year, they create mountains of waste,” says Merzer, a dedicated vegan of 30 years. “That waste infiltrates water supplies and causes contamination, such as E. coli outbreaks, in foods like lettuce and tomatoes that are grown downstream.”

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Prezkop emphasizes that despite these problems with the industrial food chain, changing the way we produce food is also the solution. The WWF works with suppliers to educate and promote regenerative production practices. On the consumer side, changing the way food is produced can be achieved by changing people’s dietary demands.

“We don’t prescribe people to eat a certain way. We do believe different people and cultures have different dietary needs,” she says. “The global north eats a lot of meat, so we do recommend a plant-forward diet while still incorporating animal proteins, depending on individual dietary needs.”

Merzer argues that we have little control over fossil fuel burning, but we can control our diets. He promotes plant-based eating as a primary solution to climate change.

Changing mindsets about “normal” traditions, such as having hamburgers on the Fourth of July or turkey on Thanksgiving, can be difficult, but achievable with the planet at stake, he says.

Sophie Egan, founder of FullTableSolutions.com and author of How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good For You, Others, and the Planet, advises to start small by looking at the foods eaten most frequently and identifying ways to make simple swaps. “If you have toast with butter every morning, that could be changed to a nut butter. A sandwich with cold cuts every day for lunch, that can be replaced with a roasted vegetables and hummus sandwich

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Make Simple Swaps

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When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted— the water, the fertilizer and the land.

–Leigh Prezkop or an avocado sandwich. You can still eat something in a familiar form, but replace ingredients with lower-emissions options,” she says.

If someone is intimidated by switching to an all plant-based diet, a flexitarian option emphasizing foods from the plant kingdom while enjoying meat only occasionally may be more sustainable throughout a person’s lifetime. Her book contains a “protein scorecard” from the World Resources Institute that lists animal and plant sources in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein from the worst offenders to the least, with beef (along with goat and lamb) being at the top.

Prezkop recommends eating a wide variety of foods. “Currently, 75 percent of food produced is from 12 plant species and five animal species, despite that there are thousands of varieties. This means there’s less diversity happening in the field. Diversity helps with regeneration and healthy soils. Producing the same crops over and over means there’s no crop rotation and no diversity happening, leading to degraded soils and deforestation to produce more of the same crop.”

Egan adds that diets that are overreliant on just a few food sources like corn, wheat, rice and soy threaten the Earth and can lead to food insecurity.

“Think of it as risk management with a financial portfolio: We have a diversified portfolio of foods available to feed a growing population, but as the climate warms, extreme weather events threaten yields because lack of fresh water and unhealthy soil threaten the planet and, ultimately, food production.”

Eating food that is as close as to its original state as possible is better for the planet. “The more food is processed, the more resources it took to get it to market,” Prezkop notes.

Cut Food Waste Prezkop says approximately 40 percent of the food produced globally is lost while still on the farm or further up the supply chain. “When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted—the water, the fertilizer and the land.”

A recent WWF report entitled Driven To Waste cites new data indicating that food waste contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions—nearly twice the emissions produced annually by all the cars in the U.S. and Europe.

Egan suggests using a shopping list; impulse buys can be forgotten and are prone to spoiling. Keeping food visible by putting fruits and vegetables front and center ensures they won’t be forgotten. Leftovers can be kept from languishing by designating a section of the refrigerator for food to eat first or a day of the week to eat leftovers for dinner. “You can freeze just about anything,” Egan says, from leftover bread to cheese, which can be shredded

before frozen. Even scrambled eggs can be poured into a freezer container to use later. (For more ideas, check out SaveTheFood.com and Dana Gunders’ Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook.)

Nonprofits throughout the country are creating solutions to divert food waste from the landfills. Keep Austin Fed, a nonprofit comprised of mostly volunteers, helps neighbors experiencing food insecurity by redistributing wholesome, nutritious, surplus food from any food-permitted business.

Volunteers pick up leftover food from urban gardens, rural farms, grocery stores and caterers serving area tech firms. All prepared food accepted and redistributed is handled by licensed food handlers. Executive Director Lisa Barden says that Keep Austin Fed redistributed 982,428 pounds of food, or the equivalent of 818,695 meals, in 2021, thus keeping it out of the waste stream.

Similarly missioned organizations exist nationwide. FoodRescue.us, with 40 locations in 20 states, provides assistance and even a dropoff/pickup app for people starting local groups. Since its founding in 2011, it has provided 85 million meals and kept 109 million pounds of excess food out of landfills. Its website offers a potent plea: “Fight Hunger. Help the Planet. Be the Rescue.”

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

April 2022

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healing ways

Buzz-Free Drinking THE HEALTHY RISE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

by Ronica O’Hara

photo courtesy of Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi

A

SOUR MOCK-A-RITA 1 cup and 2 Tbsp lime juice ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp orange juice 3 Tbsp agave nectar, plus more to taste 2½ cups and 2 Tbsp coconut water Few dashes of salt Lime wheels for garnish Lime wedges and sea salt to rim the glasses To salt the rims of four to six lowball or margarita glasses, pour a thin layer of salt onto a plate or a shallow bowl.

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Slide a lime wedge around the rim of the glass to wet it, or use a finger to apply the juice to the rim, then dip and twist the glass in the salt. Combine all of the drink ingredients in a pitcher. Stir.

Fill the rimmed glasses with ice. Divide the margarita mix among the glasses.

Garnish with lime wheels.

From Mocktail Party: 75 Plant-Based, NonAlcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion, by Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi.

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s a former bartender, Katie Cheney enjoys mixing drinks for friends, and one night recently, in her San Francisco apartment, she tried out something new: an alcohol-free “Noquila Sunrise” made with a distilled, plant-based spirit. “I was actually pleasantly surprised.

Even though we were drinking nonalcoholic drinks, we still had just as much fun as usual!” recalls Cheney, who blogs at DrinksSaloon.com.

In New York City, Marcos Martinez has begun drinking virgin piña coladas when out on the town with friends. “The feeling is surprisingly great since I don’t wake up with hangovers. More importantly, I’ve realized that I don’t have to use alcohol as a crutch for my social anxiety,” says Martinez, who owns the black gay lifestyle blog TheMenWhoBrunch.com.

At Chicago’s Kumiko Japanese cocktail bar, owner Julia Momosé offers a menu of what she calls “Spiritfrees,” crafted without alcohol and with ingredients like yarrow, ume—a Japanese fruit—and cardamom.

“Folks comment on how they appreciate that it is ‘more than just juice,’ or how surprised they are at their depth, texture and complexity,” she says.

The “sober-curious”—people experimenting with alcohol-free beverages as a way of prioritizing their health and fitness over a short-lived buzz—are changing America’s drinking culture. For the first time in 20 years, fewer Americans are regularly drinking, reports Gallup, and tipplers are drinking measurably less than they did 10 years ago.

No longer stuck with a seltzer while dodging questions from inquisitive imbibers, today the sober-inclined can sip from a vast array of sophisticated choices—from

photo courtesy of Vanessa Young/ ThirstyRadish.com

You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning.

–Kerry Benson faux vodka in exotic, crafted drinks to prize-winning sparkling wines to low- and no-alcohol craft beer. No-booze options can be easily ordered at restaurants, picked up at supermarkets or delivered at home with a few online clicks.

“The best part about having a fun, non-alcoholic beverage in hand is that you get the taste and experience of a cocktail or beer, just without the alcohol and potential negative side effects,” says dietitian Kerry Benson, co-author of Mocktail Party: 75 PlantBased, Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion. “You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning. And alcohol-free drinks are usually less expensive than their alcoholic counterparts.”

Sober-curious strategies range widely. Some people start tentatively, but increasingly turn to non-alcoholic drinks because they prefer the taste, price and lower calorie count, as well as the diminished risk of heart and liver disease. Others may go cold turkey for a month or two to break a pandemic-induced habit, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at a game or bar to avoid getting tipsy, or drink a Bloody Mary for a weekend brunch and virgin versions during the week to enhance work productivity.

The sales of non-alcoholic beverages shot up 33 percent to $331 million in 2021, reports Nielsen, and online sales of non- and low-alcoholic beverages skyrocketed 315 percent. To compete for the Millennials-heavy market, distillers like Seedlip, Suntory and Lyre’s have created beverages evoking tequila, Campari and vodka; breweries like Guinness, Budweiser and Carlsberg and small crafters are offering robust-tasting near- and no-alcohol beers; and wineries are using distillation and reverse osmosis to produce fine, low-alcohol Cabernets, Chardonnays and other varieties. Niche products are growing: for example, Los Angeles-based Optimist Botanicals bills its gin-, vodka- and tequila-like botanical blends as being vegan, gluten-free and paleo- and keto-friendly.

On the home front, people are making their own concoctions, often with natural and herbal ingredients, such as pears, tomatoes, cilantro and spices. “Garden-grown produce, windowsill herbs and farmers market finds are the ideal foundation for recipes, from tea sangrias to shaken mocktails,” says New Jersey cooking instructor and recipe developer Vanessa Young, creator of ThirstyRadish.com. As an example, she says, “A slice of brûléed fruit gives a non-alcoholic drink a touch of smoky sweetness, plus it is so appealing in the glass.”

Substance abuse counselors caution that beverages that mimic alcohol may not be a good route for recovery from serious alcohol abuse because they can reawaken destructive patterns. And consumers are advised to look carefully at labels. “Alcohol-free” beer

contains 0.0 percent alcohol. “Non-alcoholic” beer can contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol, but some have been found to contain up to 2 percent—not desirable if pregnant or in recovery.

Still, says Karolina Rzadkowolska, author of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You, “The popularity of alcohol-free drinks is changing a culture. We are going from a culture that glamorizes drinking at every social situation, with little valid excuse to decline, to a culture that gives people healthier options.”

Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be contacted at OHaraRonica@ gmail.com.

MAPLE PEAR SPARKLER ½ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup filtered water 1 rounded tsp fresh pomegranate arils (about 12 arils, or seeds) 1 tsp fresh lemon juice ½ oz maple simple syrup 2¼ oz pear juice 2 oz sparkling mineral water Bartlett pear slices for garnish For the syrup, whisk to combine ½ cup maple syrup with ¼ cup filtered water in a small saucepan, and heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edge. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In the meantime, to prepare the jewel-like pomegranate arils, score a fresh pomegranate cross-wise. Twist to separate into halves. Loosen the membrane around the edges and tap firmly with a wooden spoon over a bowl to collect the pomegranate arils. Continue to loosen the membrane and tap to release all the arils.

For each drink, gently mash the pomegranate arils with lemon juice in a muddler, then add the mixture into a cocktail shaker, along with the syrup, pear juice and ice. Shake to chill, and strain into a glass to serve.

Top with sparkling mineral water. Add a slice of ripe Bartlett or brûléed pear.

Courtesy of Vanessa Young of ThirstyRadish.com.

April 2022

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TECHNOLOGY MEETS NATURE

APPS BRING US CLOSER TO FLORA AND FAUNA

by Sheryl DeVore

W

hile exploring Seattle, Jackie Lentz Bowman noticed some bushes filled with pink and orange berries.

She discovered she could safely eat them by using the smartphone nature app called iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org). “I learned they were salmonberries and edible,” says the Chicago area photographer and birder. “I just had to try them. They were very similar to raspberries.”

Bowman is among a growing number of people using their smartphones to enhance their nature experiences. Phone apps are available for free or a modest price to identify mushrooms, bugs, birds, dragonflies, reptiles, beetles, wildflowers and other flora and fauna.

“Whether it is to help identify a plant I’ve taken a photo of or to familiarize myself with what a bird looks like and sounds like, these are tools I’m always glad to have in my back pocket,” she explains.

At least 6,300 nature apps were available in 2015, according to Paul Jepson and Richard Ladle, Oxford environmental scholars and co-authors of “Nature Apps: Waiting for the Revolution,” a research paper published in the Swedish environmental journal Ambio. Such programs are only beginning to scratch the surface of what is possible. They write, “As most people own a mobile phone today, the app—though a small device—is a major way conservationists could be reaching a huge audience with transformative possibilities.”

Right now, some apps allow the user to point a smartphone to a plant or animal to get instant feedback on its common or scientific name. Others ask the user questions about what they are seeing and suggest an identity based on the answers. Some allow the user to interact with scientists, share their knowl14

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edge, record their observations and contribute to science.

Perhaps the most popular nature app is iNaturalist, which has all those features and more. “Our mission has been to connect people to nature through technology,” says Scott Loarie, co-director of iNaturalist, a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. “By 2030, we want to connect 100 million people to nature to facilitate science and conservation.”

The app began as a master’s degree project at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008, and today 2 million people have recorded about 100 million observations, covering one in six species on the planet. “iNaturalist has grown to the point where it’s helping take the pulse of biodiversity,” he adds.

Newcomers are often mentored and helped with identifications by volunteers that are experts in different fields. One example is a worldwide competition called the City Nature Challenge in which beginning and advanced naturalists document urban flora and fauna for several days. During the event, people share their photos of plants and animals on iNaturalist.

During Chicago’s Challenge, Eric Gyllenhaal, who blogs about nature on the city’s west side, found an uncommon species. “A Canadian expert helped confirm the identification as a bronze ground beetle native to Europe,” says Cassi Saari, project manager of natural areas for the Chicago Park District. “It’s an introduced species in Illinois and could have implications for wildlife in the region down the line.”

Two other nature apps that Loarie likes are eBird (eBird.org) and Merlin (Merlin.AllAboutBirds.org), both administered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in Ithaca, New York. With eBird, users can report on their phones a list of birds they’re seeing in the wild, including when and where, and the sightings are added to a database for scientific research.

Merlin is a field guide app to help folks identify the birds they are seeing. “Merlin has taken on authoring content with great descriptions of birds, something iNaturalist doesn’t do,” Loarie points out. “Merlin also just released sound recognition in the app, so people can identify birds by sound. It’s huge for birders.”

Award-winning nature photographer Adriana Greisman, of Phoenix, says she uses both Merlin and iBird (iBird.com), another field guide app, to identify birds in the wild and when processing photos. “These are great resources to identify unknown species and to learn about their behavior.”

The favorite app of Joyce Gibbons, a volunteer at the Natural Land Institute, in Rockford, Illinois, is Odonata Central (OdonataCentral.org), which focuses on her passion—dragonflies and damselflies, collectively called odonates.

“I’ve loved solitary walks in the woods, prairies and other natural areas since I was a child,” she says. “I’ve always taken photos and tried to ID the many species I’ve observed. Now, with these apps on my phone, I feel like I am actually contributing to the scientific body of knowledge and connecting with other enthusiasts and not just keeping all this joy of discovery to myself.”

Sheryl DeVore is an award-winning author of six books on science, health and nature. Connect at SherylDevoreWriter@gmail.com.

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15

WILD PLACES

How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes

by Sheryl DeVore

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n a blustery day, Julian Hoffman stood outdoors and watched wild bison grazing in the restored grassland of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, fewer than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. For him, it was a wild place, affording a glimpse of what North America looked like hundreds of years ago when bison roamed the continent by the millions. “We’re witnessing, in a way that’s both terrible and tragic, just what the profound cost is of continuing to destroy the natural world,” he writes.

Saving wild places is critical for human health and wellbeing, say both scientists and environmentalists. But defining what a wild place is or what the word wilderness means can be difficult, says Hoffman, author of Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places. “If wilderness means a place untouched by humans, then none is left,” he says. Even the set-aside wildernesses where no one may have ever stepped have been altered through climate change, acid rain and other human interventions.

Humans are also losing the wilderness that is defined as land set aside solely for plants and creatures other than humans. Prominent naturalist David Attenborough, whose most recent documentary is A Life on Our Planet, says that in 1937, when he was a boy, about 66 percent of the world’s wilderness areas remained. By 2020, it was down to 35 percent.

A wild place can be as spectacular as Yellowstone, a 3,500-square-mile national park in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, filled with hot springs, canyons, wolves, and elk. It can also be as simple as a sky filled with a murmuration, or gathering, of thousands of swooping starlings, which once caused two teens to stop taking selfies and photograph the natural scene above them instead, as Hoffman witnessed in Great Britain.

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Such regions that offer vast tracts of natural beauty and biodiversity are even found in and around major cities like Chicago, says Chicagoland nature blogger Andrew Morkes. “A wild place is also where you don’t see too many people, or any people, and you can explore,” he says. “You can walk up a hill and wonder what’s around the next bend.”

“A wild place could be a 15-minute drive from home where we can walk among plants in a meadow, or a tree-lined street, or front and back yard, if landscaped with wild creatures in mind,” says Douglas Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard.

Sustaining Our Species

“We need these places to save ourselves,” says Tallamy, who heads the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. “Humans are totally dependent on the production of oxygen and clean water, and that happens with the continued existance of flowering plants, which are dependent on the continued existence of all the pollinators. When you lose the pollinators, you lose 90 percent of the flowering plants on the Earth. That is not an option if we want to stay alive and healthy.”

Our mental and emotional health is also at stake. According to a recent overview in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, studies have shown that natural settings can lower blood pressure, reduce depression and anxiety, and help the immune system function better.

People have saved wild places over time, of course. “The world’s ancient redwoods are still with us today because people in the early 1900s fought to protect and preserve what they could already see was rapidly diminishing,” Hoffman says. “In

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Why We Need

the year 2022, we are the beneficiaries of those past actions. Yet less than 5 percent of those old-growth redwood groves are left, and we live in an age where we’re losing an extraordinary range of wild species; for example, 3 billion birds have disappeared from the skies of North America in just the past 50 years. That’s why people need to continue to fight for wild spaces.”

Community Crusaders In researching his book, Hoffman went looking for wild-space struggles. In Glasgow, Scotland, he met people that fought to save an urban meadow from being turned into a luxury home development. “I’d never experienced as much joy in any one place as when I spent time with the community fighting to preserve this tiny meadow,” he recalls. “They campaigned and lobbied politicians, and eventually, the government backed down. And now the whole community is able to enjoy this site where a lot of urban wildlife thrives.”

Once-wild places may also need human help to again become wild refuges. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, where Hoffman saw the buffalo, “was once an arsenal for the production of extraordinary quantities of ordnance for a number of wars,” he says. After hundreds of die-hard volunteers dug out invasive plants, scattered seed and documented wildlife on the 18,000-acre prairie, visitors can now walk among big bluestem and golden alexander, and listen for the sweet song of meadowlarks in the grasslands and chorus frogs in the wetlands.

Conservation volunteers working to save wild places hail from every state. In fact, nearly 300,000 volunteers contribute more than 6.5 million hours of volunteer service a year to the U.S. National Park Service, from leading tours to studying wildlife and hosting campgrounds.

One doesn’t have to be an environmental crusader to save wild places, Hoffman stresses. Exploring local wild places and sharing them with others can help save them, as well. “We can only protect those places that we love,” he says. “And we can only love those places that we know.”

Sadly, roughly 100 million people, including 28 million children, do not have access to a quality park within 10 minutes of home, according to The Trust for Public Land. Projects, such as the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, which enables urban communities to create outdoor spaces, can help. The U.S. Department of the Interior committed $150 million to the program in 2021. “Every child in America deserves to have a safe and nearby place to experience the great outdoors,” says Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

A Homegrown National Park Tallamy says one of the most important ways to get people to appreciate and save wild places is to begin in their own yards. “We have wilderness designations. We have national forests. We have national parks. We have 12 percent of the U.S. protected from development,” he says. “Yet, we are in the sixth great extinction. Our parks and our preserves are not enough. My point is that we have got to focus on the areas outside of parks and preserves.” He urges

what he calls a “homegrown national park,” in which homeowners, land managers and farmers create a habitat by replacing invasive plants with native species.

Tallamy speaks from experience. He lives on a 10-acre former farm in Oxford, Pennsylvania. “It had been mowed for hay and when we moved in, very little life was here,” he says. “We have been rebuilding the eastern deciduous forest here, getting invasive plants under control and replanting with species that ought to be here.” He’s now counted more than 1,400 different species of moths on his property and documented 60 species of birds nesting within the landscape. “We have foxes who raise their kits in the front yard,” he says.

Lots of acreage is not required, he says. In Kirkwood, Missouri, homeowners created a wild place on six-tenths of an acre on which they’ve documented 149 species of birds. “If one person does it, it’s not going to work,” he stresses. “The point is to get those acres connected. When everybody adopts this as a general landscape culture, it’s going to help tremendously. By rewilding your yard, you are filling in spaces between the true wild places and natural areas. The reason our wild spaces are not working in terms of conservation is because they are too small and too isolated. Even the biggest national parks are too small or too isolated.”

CREATING A WILD SPACE AT HOME In their book The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, University of Delaware ecology professor Douglas Tallamy and landscape designer Rick Darke show how to create wild spaces in yards, including what and where to plant and how to manage the land. They advise homeowners to: Stop using pesticides and herbicides.

Replace non-native plants with those native to the region.

Reduce lawn space, converting it to native plants.

Leave leaf litter, withering plants and dying trees alone to provide shelter and food for wildlife. n Create a small pond or another water feature. n n n n

“Mourning cloak butterflies overwinter as mature adults. If you say, ‘Hey, let’s just clean up all of that so-called leaf litter,’ you could be cleaning up the habitat of mourning cloaks and killing them,” says Darke, who has served as a horticultural consultant for botanic gardens and other public landscapes in Texas, Maryland, New York, Illinois and Delaware. “That’s not litter. It’s meaningful habitat.

“A dead tree in your home landscape, called a snag, often contributes as much to the local ecology as a living tree,” he adds.

“For example, woodpeckers build nests in holes or cavities in a snag, and countless insects find shelter and nourishment in the organic material of the snag.”

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Sheryl DeVore has written six books on science, health and nature, as well as health and environmental stories for national and regional publications. Read more at SherylDeVore.wordpress.com.

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Tallamy says people can create wild spaces in their yards by reducing the amount of lawn they have or even getting rid of it. They can grow native plants and discontinue the use of pesticides and herbicides, which are disrupting ecological function of wild places the world over, as research shows. Hoffman agrees, “We’ve cultivated a culture of tidiness. It’s actually very easy to welcome wildlife into your home places, often by doing fewer things, by not bringing the leaf blower out and by leaving some dead wood where it fell, which creates important shelters for insects, for example.

“Such wild yard spaces encourage wonder. Suddenly, the kids are out there and they can be absolutely fascinated by a small glittering beetle. For me, to experience the wild is to go to the shore of a lake, to be present in the mystery, to be among the lake’s reed beds, to see a marsh harrier sleek out of those reeds and to know you’re part of something much larger,” he says. “There’s so much joy and beauty and complexity in being in the presence of other lives besides human.” That in itself is reason enough to save wild places.

LEARN MORE The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative, by Florence Williams Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places, by Julian Hoffman

Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard,

by Douglas Tallamy The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy

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A Life on Our Planet, Netflix documentary by David Attenborough

nonprofit spotlight

ALLEGHENY LAND TRUST

It Takes a Village to Preserve an Ecosystem

by Martin Miron

T

he nonprofit Allegheny Land Trust (ALT), founded in 1993 to implement the Allegheny County Greenways Plan and protect land identified in the Allegheny County Natural Heritage Inventory, is dedicated to conserving and caring for local land as a resilient region with abundant green space that is easily accessible and recognized as essential to the quality of life for current and future generations.

They are currently working to acquire 90 acres over three different purchases that could connect ALT conservation areas and multiple municipal parks to expand a scenic and recreational greenway in Ohio Township, Franklin Park Borough and Sewickley Hills Borough.

ALT is one of only 35 percent of nationally accredited by the land trusts, certifying that the organization adheres to the highest standards of excellence in operations, fiscal responsibility, land stewardship and conservation practices. Chris Beichner is the president and CEO; Roy Kraynyk is vice president of Land Protection and Capital Projects; Emilie Rzotkiewicz is vice president of Land Stewardship; and Thomas Dougherty is vice president of Development and External Affairs. The board of directors has 17 members.

To date, ALT has protected more than 3,500 acres in 36 municipalities in the Allegheny County area. The conservation land trust has strategically accelerated its

pace of land protection in recent years to address the aggressive conversion of green space in the region, leading to the protection of more than 500 additional acres since August 2020. In 2008, they created the ALT Greenprint, a regional land conservation plan based on scenic beauty, biological diversity, water management and greenspace connections. This is now supplemented by the online Greenprint planning tool, developed in collaboration with the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center in 2018.

ALT conservation benefits include absorbing more than 1 billion gallons of storm water annually, the cleansing of the region’s air and drinking water, the preservation of critical wildlife habitat, the protection of the area’s overall scenic character and the creation and maintenance of numerous green spaces for outdoor recreation. The ALT education team teaches children and adults to understand environmental issues and actively care for the world around them.

This year, their first stewardship priority is the Churchill Valley Greenway.

ALT will manage this special place in perpetuity by maintaining existing trails and bridges, improving wildlife habitat, restoring Chalfant Run, providing environmental education opportunities, partnering with the community on conservation initiatives and using best practices of stewardship for the nurturing of the land.

Sustainable stewardship is a long-term process, and ultimately will be guided by a professional management plan to be developed in 2023 with community stakeholder input. However, stewardship must undertake a prioritized list of immediate actions over the next year to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the large number of visitors that have already begun to use the site, and to safeguard the natural resources from the outset.

For more information, visit AlleghenyLandTrust.org.

April 2022

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STORYTELLING CONNECTS KIDS TO THE NATURAL WORLD

by Carrie Jackson

C

hildren are natural storytellers with imaginations that shape their play and learning. In outdoor settings, everything from puddles to pine cones can engage children and draw them closer to the natural world, opening up a lifelong appreciation of natural environments. Connecting with nature also improves creativity, academic performance and attentiveness, while reducing stress and aggressive behavior, a body of research shows.

Organizations, like the Wilderness Awareness School, a Duvall, Washington-based nonprofit, work to help children and adults cultivate healthy relationships with nature, community and self. “We find that children who feel at home in the outdoors are often more resourceful, creative and allow for curiosity to naturally unfold,” says Leah Carlson, director of marketing and communications at Wilderness Awareness School. “Allowing them to play freely and explore in nature is a wonderful way to build resilience and resourcefulness. When children can be intrigued through a story, it also allows them to understand their own outdoor experiences. They become more adept at finding new solutions to problems using the tools they have access to and creative thinking.”

Weaving storytelling into their programs helps children understand their outdoor 20

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Nature Speaks

experiences. “Regular time spent with experienced nature mentors, playing games, exploring unique plants and animals and getting excited about the possibilities of nature is how a connection begins.

When children are outside, the characters of these stories are the plants, animals, rocks and landforms around them. The suburban tree that was always an obstacle on the sidewalk can be seen through new eyes as a dragon, monkey bars or a red alder,” Carlson explains.

Megan Zeni, a public school teacher in Steveston, British Columbia, says there is a global body of research that shows every measure of wellness is improved through time spent outside. She teaches solely outdoors, ensuring that her students have exposure to nature regardless of which neighborhood they live in.

“In our modern world, higher-income families generally have better access to green spaces. Incorporating outdoor activities into the school day gives children equitable exposure to nature and outdoor learning,” she explains.

Zeni uses both non-fiction and fiction storytelling approaches to teaching. “To learn about water cycles, I’ll have kids jump in puddles, observe where the water goes and track where it is in the community.

They’ll then relay a fact-based story based on their observations and experiences. For a lesson on squirrels, I’ll ask the students to imagine where their habitat is, who their family is and what they eat. We use loose parts, which are open-ended items, such as pine cones and sticks, to creatively illustrate the story.

“By using storytelling as a measure of knowledge, it is more equitable for students who don’t perform as well using traditional test and essay methods,” she says. Listening to a child’s story can also reveal misconceptions that can be clarified through further exploration and instruction.

Storytelling can take on many forms and be enhanced with the use of props.

As the artistic director of Rootstock Puppet Co., based in Chicago, Mark Blashford performs puppet theater rooted in stories that promote mutual kindness

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healthy kids

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We find that children who feel at home in the outdoors are often more resourceful, creative and allow for curiosity to naturally unfold.

–Leah Carlson

and ecological awareness. “Puppets are remarkable storytelling agents because, not only can they play characters and support narrative through movement, they can also tell a story from the very material they inhabit,” he says. “Puppets invite kids to exercise empathy by compelling them to accept and invest in the thoughts, feelings and life of another entity.”

By making puppets out of wood and using them to weave environmental awareness into his shows, Blashford helps to put the natural world in perspective. “My show TIMBER! is about an entire forest and a single tree which is home to a family of spotted owls. I want children to see the role of both the forest and the

tree in the lives of an owl family. When they fall in love with little wooden puppet owls, they are able to convert the giant concept of deforestation into a manageable scale,” he says.

He encourages parents to regularly engage their children with their natural habitat. “Go to your local forest or park, find a tree, name it and check on it as often as you can. Prompt children to ask questions about who they think lives in that tree, why the branches stretch out how they do and what happens at night. As children learn to see the outdoor world as part of their own characters and setting, the stories will develop naturally,” he advises.

Connect with writer Carrie Jackson at CarrieJacksonWrites.com.

LEARN MORE Rootstock Puppet Co.: rootstockpuppet.com Wilderness Awareness School: wildernes sawareness.org Megan Zeni: meganzeni.com

April 2022

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Pennsylvania Ranked on National Medical Cannabis Report Card

by Sven Hosford

A

mericans for Safe Access Churgai says, “There was (ASA) is a Washington, plenty of room for improvement D.C.-based nonprofit in every state. States were graded spearheading the effort to ensure on patient rights, parental rights safe and legal access to cannabis and protections, employment for therapeutic use and research. protections for patients, and In a new ASA State of the States pediatric patients and their annual report card on the efaccess to medicine.” They were ficacy of each state’s medical also graded on patient access, Debbie Churgai cannabis laws and programs, the affordability of the products and commonwealth did well in patient rights other costs, and product safety. “Taxes are a and civil protections, but not so much with huge issue. Sometimes, patients are paying access to medicine. Executive Director more in taxes than they are for the actual Debbie Churgai says they’ve been working medicine. We totally advocate for no taxes on it for 20 years, always focused on the for medical patients,” she says. patient. “Our mission is to ensure safe and Pennsylvania’s grade was C+, which may legal access to medical cannabis. Educatseem average, but Churgai notes, “We had ing lawmakers, educating medical profesto grade on a curve. Every state’s score was sionals, educating the public, ending the so low, every state would have received a stigma, getting more research out—these D.” Maine was awarded the only B, Illinois are all of our missions here.” the only B-. Pennsylvania’s C+ was the

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third-highest score, the same as cannabis powerhouses like Colorado and California.

“Pennsylvania did okay compared to the other states,” she says.

Churgai describes how the grades were assigned. “It’s a very, very lengthy process.

We started many, many months ago. We added two new sections, one on affordability and one on social health and equity, which is also a big, hot topic these days.”

This includes ensuring there is no list of qualifying conditions. “We believe that a doctor should be able to recommend for anything that they see fit,” she says.

Pennsylvania’s program got off to a rocky start after dispensary doors opened in February 2018. The biggest problem was the unpredicted popularity of cannabis as medicine. Growers that planned on 50,000 patients in the first year were stunned when more than 100,000 people signed up. According to the report, today Pennsylvania has 384,254 registered patients, one of only five states with more than 300,000, which means 2.68 percent of the total population has a card. Access remains a problem, with a person-to-retail-outlet ratio of 2,403. Churgai says, “In Oregon, it’s about 50 patients per dispensary.”

According to Churgai, “Pennsylvania did well on patient rights and civil protections, with an 80 out of 100 score, which is pretty good compared to a lot of other states. And program functionality, which is about purchase limits, possession limits, telemedicine, caregiver standards, things like that. They did decently in consumer protection and product safety as well, where they got 148 out of 200. Pennsylvania is doing pretty good and they are making improvements.

Every year they do try to improve the program. There are some great legislators who are really focusing on this.”

Pennsylvania’s lowest scores are in access to medicine. “The [lack of] retail locations is probably a big one. [Lack of] personal cultivation is huge. That is really important for patients, as it helps with affordability.

Pennsylvania lost 20 points for not having reciprocity,” says Churgai, which means

permitting patients with cannabis cards issued from other states to purchase in Pennsylvania dispensaries. “Pennsylvania also scored low in health and social equity, especially housing protections. It’s really important for patients to be able to utilize medicine in their own home and feel protected.”

Nationally, the general trend is for growth. “Not only are there more states with programs, but the number of patients in most states increased over last year, even in states with adult-use programs,” Churgai explains. “Last year’s report had 4.4 million patients, and this year that number is up to 5.1 million patients.”

Of course, states won’t reach their full potential until after the federal government legalizes cannabis. “What’s going to happen after legalization? What will be the government agencies in charge of all these issues?” Churgai asks. “We have draft legislation that talks about how to protect all the state medical programs by making sure every state has a bare minimum of what they are allowing for patients.”

We have a plan of what can happen after legalization occurs.

We have to have full legalization in order to get health insurance companies to pay for it, get tax breaks, get banks to allow access, things like that. Federal coordination is so important to get patients everything they need and deserve.”

Visit NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com to listen to the entire conversation. Find the full report on SafeAccessNow.org.

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23

natural pet

KEEPING DOGS SAFE FROM TICKS AND FLEAS

by Karen Shaw Becker

F

leas and ticks are different types of pests; so, when considering how best to protect a dog, it is important to make a distinction—fleas are an annoyance, but ticks can be life-threatening. Many veterinarians recommend specific chemicals as a preventive solution, but this is often just a knee-jerk approach that uses chemicals to control nature. Instead, consider more natural alternatives that are both effective and non-toxic.

Fleas 101 Fleas are related to ants and beetles, feed on blood, and their bites can lead to irritation and skin allergies. They aren’t typically attracted to healthy pets; so, one of the best defenses against flea infestations is to feed a dog a nutritionally balanced, species-appropriate, fresh-food diet that will help keep their immune system functioning optimally.

It is also important to remove the environmental factors that can negatively impact immunity, including: n Poor water quality. Make sure to provide fluoride- and chlorine-free drinking water. n Too many vaccines. Insist that the veterinarian runs titer tests instead of giving un-

necessary shots.

n Toxic household chemicals, including cleaning products and dog beds treated with

flame retardants.

n Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used in the yard. n Toxic levels of electromagnetic fields from electrical devices in the home.

The Trouble with Ticks Ticks are a type of arachnid related to mites, spiders and scorpions. Because ticks feed on many different animals (including humans, dogs, cats, squirrels, mice, opossums and deer), they are quite good at acquiring and transmitting diseases, some of which can be life-threatening.

Unfortunately, a single tick bite can expose a dog to multiple pathogens, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and babesiosis. Luckily, most dogs mount an effective immune response. Up to 90 percent of dogs may have been exposed to tick-borne pathogens, but most are able to fight off infection on their own.

The only way to know if a dog has effectively eliminated harmful bacteria is to follow up the typical blood test with a second test called a quantitative C6 that differentiates exposure from infection. Large numbers of dogs each year are unnecessarily treated with extensive antibiotic therapy because their veterinarians panic after seeing a positive expo24

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sure and fail to check for infection.

To catch tick-borne infections before they take hold, ask the veterinarian to replace the standard annual heartworm test with the SNAP 4Dx Plus (from Idexx Labs) or the Accuplex4 tests (Antech Diagnostics), which screen for heartworm, Lyme disease and four other vector-borne diseases. Completing one of these simple blood tests every six to 12 months is the best way to protect a dog. In tick-infested areas, if a dog tests positive on either of those two tests, it should also be screened for babesia exposure with a polymerase chain reaction test.

Before Reaching for a Chemical Pet parents should not automatically apply potentially toxic chemical agents to their dogs or around their home to repel or kill pests. The use of spot-on products may cause skin irritation, paralysis, seizures and even death, if used improperly, and there are effective, natural alternatives that are far safer. If these chemicals are used, follow these precautions: n Be very careful to follow dosing direc-

tions on the label. If a pet is at the low end of a dosage range, use the next lowest dosage. Monitor the pet carefully afterwards for adverse reactions. Do not under any circumstances apply dog product to a cat.

n Every other month, rotate chemicals

with natural preventives, including diatomaceous earth, pet-friendly, essential oil products and natural deterrent col-

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Pest Control

lars. In many parts of the country, people can successfully control ticks with one chemical dose in the spring and one in late summer. n To detox a dog’s liver afterwards, give them a supplement

such as milk thistle, a detox agent that helps to regenerate liver cells, or chlorella, a super green food. Work with an integrative veterinarian to determine the dosage; one dose daily for seven days following any chemical flea-, tick- or heartworm-preventive application is recommended.

Safe Options to Chemicals

There are safe, non-toxic alternatives for flea and tick control for dogs, and they do not have side effects, unlike virtually all forms of chemical pesticides. These include:

n Cedar oil, specifically manufactured for pet health n Natural, food-grade diatomaceous earth, applied topically n A fresh-food diet that is nutritionally optimal and species-

appropriate

It is important to bathe and brush a dog regularly and perform frequent full-body inspections using a flea and tick comb to check for parasite activity. If they spend a lot of time outdoors, be sure to check pets and people for ticks every night during tick season.

Veterinarian Karen Shaw Becker has spent her career empowering animal guardians to make knowledgeable decisions to extend the life and well-being of their animals. Visit DrKarenBecker.com.

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calendar of events

FRIDAY, APRIL 1

Heineken 0.0 Pittsburgh Earth Day Run – 11:30am. Hosted by RUNwithP3R, this Heineken 0.0% (alcohol free) 5K run brings a sustainable race to Pittsburgh. Paperless check-in; no cups (bring your own reusable); shoe recycling; carbon offsets; recyclable bibs; Part of proceeds benefit Tree Pittsburgh. Runners get a race shirt and finisher’s medal (21+only - doubles as bottle opener.) $15/$30. Register at raceroster.com/events. info@ p3r.org 412-586-7785.

Celebrate Earth Month – Every day is Earth Day at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Let’s honor our planet and leave it better than we found it. Visit PittsburghParks.org/earthMonth for fun and active ways to celebrate Earth Month with events ranging from Forest Bathing to tree hikes, clean-ups, and Wild Edibles Foraging. info@pittsburghparks.org.

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

NOTE: Events were accurate at the time the magazine went to press – please call ahead to check for date or time changes. All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review submissions guidelines at NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com or email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com for more information.

Basic Land Navigation 9am-4pm Hosted by True North Wilderness Survival School at Hartwood Acres County Park. Learn the fundamentals of map reading and compass use to explore with confidence. $125 at ExploreTrueNorth.com. 412-913-6000.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2 Introduction to Birding Hike in Frick Park – 10am-Noon. Hosted by 3 Rivers Outdoor Co. Spring migration in Frick Park. $15 at 3RiversOutdoor.com/ events/BirdingHike. Meet at 3 Rivers Outdoor Co, 1130 S Braddock Ave, walk to the park. 412-871-5038.

8th Annual Vintage Pittsburgh Retro-fair – 10am-3pm hosted by Heinz History Center and The Neighborhood Flea. Shop for far-out finds and groovy goods with dozens of local makers and vendors. Visit Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood; take a selfie with a giant ketchup bottle; see the exhibit Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation - How Pittsburgh changed the world. Vintage Pittsburgh included with regular museum admission $9 - $18 at HeinzHistoryCenter.org.

Township Nature Center. These workshops focus on living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle through home sustainability practices. The focus this night will be improving the quality of your indoor air. Participants receive home air quality monitor valued at $120 thanks to generous funding from EQT Foundation. Info AlleghenyLandTrust. org. Tickets $10 at alleghenylandtrust.networkforgood.com/events/36405-sustainability-at-homeseries-air-quality.

Chatham Baroque: Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater – 2 and 3 April: Sat 8-9:30pm, Sun 2:30-4pm at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Hosted by Chatham Baroque. Sublime music of the Lenten season. Rich ensemble of strings, organ, theorbo and violone with the voices of Pascale Beaudin and Reginald Mobley. Tickets $15 to $38 at ChathamBaroque. org/21-22-chatham-baroque-stabat-mater. 116 South Highland Ave. Info ChathamBaroque.org.

Sound Bath Meditation – 7-8pm Hosed by The Space GBG. Join Nicole for a lovely sound bath session of relaxation on another level. $20 at checkout. square.site/buy. The Space GBG, 203 Old Route 30, Greensburg. 724-672-3294.

SUNDAY, APRIL 3 Second Annual Seed Swap – 11am-2pm. Hosted

by Center for Coalfield Justice. Take what you need, leave seeds if you can. Register on the Center for Coalfield Justice Facebook page, click the events tab. Get gardening tips, a free Grow-Your-OwnFood kit (container, dirt, and potato sets) and lunch!

Free. 30 E Beau St, Washington, PA. 724-229-3550.

Family Wellness: Mindfulness for Kids – Awareness & Yoga Movement Egg Hunt – 1:30-3pm.

Join Sara Remington’s workshop for children ages 3 to 12 and their adults. Yoga egg hunt, interactive story, and vision board to manifest and notice spring. $30/family. The Space GBG, 203 Old Rt 30, Greensburg. RSVP SaraRemington13@gmail.com.

Intro to Reiki – 6-7pm. Hosted by The Space GBG. Part of a series of four introductory sessions about regularly offered courses at The Space. (Apr 3, Reiki; Apr 11, Reflexology, Apr 18, Crystals & Cacao; and Apr 24, Tarot). $20/each or sign up for all four for the price of three at checkout.square.site/ buy. The Space GBG, 203 Old Route 30, Greensburg. 724-672-3294.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 Sustainability at Home Series: Air Quality – 6-7:30pm. Hosted by Allegheny Land Trust at Ohio

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FRIDAY, APRIL 8 Friday Night at the Museum – 6-10pm. Hosted

by Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Visit some very old fossil friends and enjoy an evening at the museum. Beverages (alcoholic and non) and light snacks available for purchase. $15 at CarnegieMnh.org/event/friday-night-at-the-museum.

4400 Forbes Ave. Woodcock Walk – 7-9pm at Powdermill Nature Reserve. Hosted by Carnegie Mellon Museum of Natural History. Track down amazing timberdoodles to hear and see their stunning sky dance. Familyfriendly event. Free event. Register at CarnegieMNH.org/event/woodcock-walk-at-powdermillnature-reserve-2. Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 State Route 381 Rd, Rector.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9 Family Wellness: Mindfulness for Kids – Awareness & Yoga Movement Egg Hunt – 1:30-3pm.

Join Sara Remington’s workshop for children ages 3 to 12 and their adults. Yoga egg hunt, interactive story, and vision board to manifest and notice spring. $30/family. Wellness Center, 6 Oliver Square Plaza Suite 101, Uniontown, PA. RSVP SaraRemington13@gmail.com.

Spring Flower Festival – 2-6pm. Hosted by WVU Core Arboretum. Celebrate the ephemeral beauty of wildflowers in our old growth Appalachian forest.

Free. Check for updates on activities, music, and food trucks at arboretum.wvu.edu. 304-293-0387.

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

Wetlands and Their Amphibian Wonders – 2pm Hosted by West Virginia Botanic Garden. Join us for a spring walk around WVBG’s wetlands to explore wetlands conservation, birds, and amphibians. Dress for wet and muddy on this hands-on walk. All ages. $5/members, $15/non-members. Tickets at wvbg. org. Self-guided tours free and open to the public.

1061 Tyrone Rd, Morgantown, WV.

MONDAY, APRIL 11 Intro to Reflexology – 6-7pm. Hosted by The Space GBG. Part two of a series of four introductory sessions about areas regularly offered at The Space. (Apr 3, Reiki; Apr 11, Reflexology, Apr 18, Crystals & Cacao; and Apr 24, Tarot). $20/each.

Sign up for all four for the price of three at checkout. square.site/buy. The Space GBG, 203 Old Route 30, Greensburg.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 Salt Cave Crystal Bowl Sound Bath Meditation w/Brooke Smokelin – 6-7pm or 7:30-8:30pm Hosted by Vox Lumina, Chakra Yoga Healing at Salt of the Earth. Relax and unwind with a beautiful crystal bowl sound bath in the salt cave. Relaxation, meditation, guided visualization. $55. Tickets at SaltOfTheEarthPGH.com.

Know Your Bike Class – 6-8pm. Hosted by Bike Pittsburgh and Free Ride. Basic maintenance class.

Stands and tools provided. Bring your bike and learn basic bike anatomy, maintenance, and adjustments and fixing a flat. MUST Register by following link at BikePGH Facebook page.

savethedate WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 Pittsburgh Earth Day Presents: Ecolution Fashion Gala – 7-10pm. Because “Earth Matters Now!” Celebrate sustainability at the exquisite, one-of-a-kind Ecolution Fashion Gala in the Carnegie Museum Music Hall. This Frenchthemed event celebrates the Paris Climate Accord and features a fashion show highlighting recycled and reused materials by local designers, an esteemed panel of judges, and local music performances. Brazilian chanteuse Lily Abreeu will channel songs of France in the VIP lounge. $45 general admission, $75 VIP at ShowClix. com. Details and info at PittsburghEarthDay.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16 Ostara Spring Equinox Egg Hunt – 10am-3pm Hosted by Sankofa Village Community Garden/

Farms and Word is Bond Bike Rental Company.

Sign-up for Youth Bicycle Safety Classes. Susquehanna St and N. Brushton Ave. Vendors welcome - call Ayanna to reserve a table 412-537-7895. Info nugziayanna55@gmail.com.

the basics and benefits of heartfulness. Be casual.

Winchester Thurston Lower School in Shadyside, Rm 202. Info: Heartfulness.org.

Spring Ephemeral Guided Wildflower Walks – Noon-3:30pm Hosted by WVU Core Arboretum Sundays through April. Free, but registration is required. Wvuarboretum-springwildflowerwalks-2022.eventbrite.com. Contact zfowler@ mail.wvu.edu to schedule group walks. Open to the public for self-guided walks with info at the kiosk.

WVU Core Arboretum, Intersection of Monongahela Blvd and Evansdale Dr, Morgantown, WV. 304-293-0387.

SUNDAY, APRIL 17 Free 7-day Mindfulness Challenge – April 17-24.

8am. Online event hosted by Cuppa Yoga. Celebrate Spring by cultivating awareness, grounding, and peace! 10 minutes per day of focused attention & breath to help feel calm, centered, engaged. Join the Cuppa Yoga Community page on Facebook to find the pinned video, participate in daily check-ins for chances to win one giveaway on the last day of the challenge. Free. Info at CuppaYogaStudio.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 Stephanie’s Pottery Live Sale – 12:15pm. Online event hosted by Uniontown Art Club. Join us for a live Lunchbreak Sale on our Facebook page. To participate in the live auction, comment on our page during the auction. Check out Stephanie’s work on her Facebook page, Stephanie’s Pottery Shop.

Payment and pick-up info at UniontownArtClub page. 724-562-9517.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

savethedate

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 Earth Day Go Green at Market Square – 11am-7pm. Community celebration hosted by Pittsburgh Earth Day. Educational and inspirational activities for all ages. Live music, ecofriendly vendors, fun and educational activities, a green wellness area, and information about local, green businesses. Free. Tickets at ShowClix. com/event/go-green-at-market-square. Details and info at PittsburghEarthDay.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23 Earth Day Spring Garden Walk – 10am-12:30pm.

Hosted by West Virginia Botanic Garden. Begin with tulips at the Tyrone entrance, proceed through the premier garden beds. $5/members, $15/nonmembers. Tickets at wvbg.org. Self-guided tours free and open to the public. 1061 Tyrone Rd, Morgantown, WV. Align: A Free Yoga & Mindfulness 101 Masterclass – 11am-12:30pm Online workshop by Cuppa Yoga and Bridget Nyland. All skill levels; tailored for beginners. An introduction to yoga & mindfulness, guided meditation, and the Bhavana journaling technique. CuppaYogaStudio.com.

Spring Handmade Market – Noon-5pm hosted by Mon River Trails Conservancy at the Morgantown Wharf and Warehouse Historic District, rail-trail mile 10. Enjoy shopping for hand-crafted jewelry, paintings, prints, wood art, and local artisan products. Live music and kids’ activities outside of Morgantown Flour and Feed, Mountain State brewing, Oliverio’s, and Table 9 restaurants. Info at montrails.org.

An Earth Day Evening with Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad – 7pm. Hosted by The Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Carnegie Library Lecture Hall. Join Dr. Nicole Heller, associate Curator of Anthropocene Studies at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Jad

Abumrad, founder of Radiolab, as they explore the power of Abumrad’s process in bridging science, art and humanities in storytelling to interpret complex social-natural science necessary for sustaining a healthy planet. $10/members and students, $15/nonmembers. Tickets at Warhol.org/events. Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave.

MONDAY, APRIL 25 Cold Blooded Beasts with the Allegheny Land Trust – 4pm Hosted online by the Allegheny County Library Association Youth Services. What does it mean to be cold blooded, and what fascinating creatures are cold blooded? This short program will be a Facebook premiere. AlleghenyLandTrust.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 Know Your Bike Class – 6-8pm. Hosted by Bike Pittsburgh and Free Ride. Basic maintenance class.

Stands and tools provided. Bring your bike and learn basic bike anatomy, maintenance, and adjustments and fixing a flat. Register by following link at BikePGH Facebook page.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 Sustainable Business Breakfast – 8-10am. Hosted

by Pittsburgh Earth Day at the Fairmont Hotel featuring a panel of industry experts discussing sustainability innovation in business. Enjoy continental breakfast and be inspired by sustainability successes in Pittsburgh. Free. Tickets: ShowClix. com/event/sustainable-business-breakfast-2022.

Info PittsburghEarthDay.org.

Sacred Sounds – 1-2:30pm. 3rd Sun. Hosted by Sacred Centered You and Visions Reiki & Soul Spa. $25. Join Leza for a relaxing, powerful meditative experience, sound immersion with crystal bowls, and individual healing vibrations through the gong.

206 Alexander Ave, Strabane. 724-745-1785. Tickets at Eventbrite.

Sunday’s Restorative Rejuvenation – 5-6:30pm.

3rd Sun. Hosted by Morgantown Power Yoga. All levels welcome. Learn to use breath, props, and focused awareness to decrease stress and anxiety in the body and the mind. Compliment your power yoga practice with restorative rejuvenation. $25.

235 Spruce St, Morgantown, WV. Tickets: Clients.

MindBodyOnline.com.

monday Yoga for Wellbeing – 5:30-6:30pm. Wellbeing Solutions hosts in-person (limit four) or online to harmonize body, mind, spirit, and breath with your

coming in the may issue

Women's Wellness

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 Spring Ephemeral Excursion – 10am-12:30pm.

Hosted by Forbes State Forest. Explore the season’s wildflower diversity on a moderate 2-mile trek in the laurel Mountain area of Forbes. Free. Location provided upon registration. Contact rmahony@ pa.gov or 724-259-2201.

Yoga and Hiking Adventure – 10am-2pm Hosted

by HIP Yoga with Kate Mackin and Todd Williams.

Hike the Emerald Trail. Not a lazy stroll – you will feel the burn! Meet at Olympia Park, 455 Hallock St. Start the hike with a special tea blend for hydration, finish the hike with a healthy vegan lunch, winddown yoga and stretching. $60 at HIPyoga.org.

ongoing events

sunday Heartfulness Meditation – 11am-noon. 1st Sun. Hosted by Heartfulness Pittsburgh. Age 15 and up.

Cost-free guided relaxation and meditation. Learn

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dedication to attendance. Colleen Harshbarger, ERYT-500 and MS in Exercise Science Biomechanics, provides alignment-based instruction. All levels. $8. 304-508-2398. Wellbeingwv.com.

Monday Evening with the Wellness Warrior – 6:30-7:15pm. Learn about a different health and wellness topic every week. Zoom in at Zoom. us/j/92446493853. Meeting ID: 924 4649. Steve@ WellnessWarrior.coach.

1 Hood Power Hour – 7-8pm. A virtual forum hosted by 1 Hood Power to discuss all things political in SWPA and beyond. A virtual public affairs forum featuring elected officials, policymakers and thought leaders. 617-517-7600. Facebook. com/1HoodPower.

Herbal Support for Long COVID with Andrew Bentley. 8-10pm Mondays in April 2022. Online pre-recorded event hosted by American Herbalists Guild. Learn about clinical strategies and materia Medica that can be helpful in dealing with long-term effects of COVID on the respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, and endocrine systems. $150. Info and registration at AmericanHerbalistsGuild.thinkific. com/courses/long-covid.

tuesday Spring Bird Walks – 7:30am Led by Mountaineer Audubon at WVU Core Aboretum, Tuesdays from 19 April thru 17 May. No registration required.

WVU Core Aboretum, intersection of Monongahela Blvd and Evansdale Dr, Morgantown WV. 304-293-0387.

Managing Career Transition and Life During Uncertain Times – Noon-1pm. Online event by The Salon – a Female-Forward Space to Gather and Grow. $10. Tickets: Eventbrite. TheSalonPGH.com.

Family Night at the Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh – 6-9pm. 2nd Tue. Hosted by Hofbrauhaus. Kids eat free with each adult entrée purchase. 2705 S Water St. 412-224-2328.

collection. Each week is unique! $10/household ($5/ members). 412-622-3131. Register at Carnegiemnh. org/explore/live-animal-encounters/.

Yoga and Sound Bath – 7-8:15pm. 1st Wed. With Susannah Azzaro. $25. Himalayan Institute of Pittsburgh, 300 Beverly Rd. 412-344-7434.

thursday Yoga Classes – 9:30-10:30am. 1st & 2nd Thurs.

Hosted by Spruce Street United Methodist Church.

All ages and abilities with variations to accommodate health and movement issues, with students sitting or standing next to a chair. Emphasis on meditative practices. Wear comfortable clothing.

386 Spruce St, Morgantown, W Virginia. 304292-3359.

Zoom Family Storytime – 10:30-11am. Free online event hosted by C.C. Mellor Memorial Library. 1 Pennwood Ave. 412-731-0909. Tickets via Eventbrite.

Wellbeing Solutions Webinars – Noon-1pm. 2nd & 4th Thur. Self-Care as Healthcare with BoardCertified Health and Wellness Coach and Yoga teacher Colleen Harshbarger and Natalie Geary, MD and Ayurveda Therapist. COVID rate: $25 1st (trial class); $40/thereafter. 4-pack: $150; 8-pack: $280.

12-pack: $399 includes one-year Wellness Inventory subscription ($49.95 value). On-demand times for groups. 304-508-2398. Info/register: Wellbingwv. com/webinars.

Group Meditation and Reiki Virtual Healing – 7-9pm. Last Thurs of the month. Online event by Prana-Veda Studio and Victoria Zaitz. Virtual group energy healing with reiki and shamanic techniques.

In-depth guided meditation followed by distance work. $25. 412-390-5245. Tickets: Vagaro.com/ pranaveda/classes.

friday

Online Yoga – 6:30-7:30pm. Hosted by WVU Collegiate Recovery. All skill-levels welcome. A password is required, but anyone can join! Free.

Email Olivia.pape@mail.wvu.edu to get the code.

Morgantown, WV. WVBG.org Preregistration required at Forms.donorsnap.com.

First Friday Walk/Hike – 10 – 11:30am. Hosted

by Allegheny Land Trust at various interesting parks and green areas around greater Pittsburgh.

For info on location, focus, and cost go to AlleghenyLandTrust.networkforgood.com/events.

412-741-2750.

Laser Cutting Workshop – Thru Nov. 7-9pm.

Meets once a month. Hosted by Prototype PGH. Learn to use the Full Spectrum Muse CO2 Laser at Prototype PGH for etching and cutting. This laser cutter can cut acrylic, fabric, leather, paper, rubber and wood. It can also etch coated metals, glass, and stone. $10 at Eventbrite. 460 Melwood Ave, Oakland. Info: PrototypePGH.com.

Friday Family Walk – 10am-noon. Hosted by West Virginia Botanic Garden. First Friday of every month. Enjoy a short story followed by a walk around the Garden, conclude with a simple craft. Trail accommodates off road strollers.

Members/free, $15/donation per family suggested. Preregistration required: wvbg.org or Forms.donorsnap.com/form.

wednesday Yoga for Wellbeing – 8:30-9:30am. Wellbeing Solutions hosts in-person (limit four) or online to harmonize body, mind, spirit, and breath with your dedication to attendance. Colleen Harshbarger, ERYT-500 and MS in Exercise Science Biomechanics, provides alignment-based instruction. All levels. $8. 304-508-2398. Wellbeingwv.com.

Wild Wednesday: Virtual Live Animal Encounter – 1:30-2pm. Online event hosted by Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Join museum educators via Zoom to meet members of the museum’s living

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Write Now! – 10am-noon. Zoom Writer’s Group hosted by Sewickley Public Library. Participants enjoy writing from prompts in an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. Register: us02web.zoom. us. SewickleyLibrary.org.

Bakery Square Toastmasters Weekly Meeting – Noon. Online event hosted by Bakery Square Toastmasters. Practice public speaking, improve communications, and build leadership skills. People from diverse backgrounds find a warm, supportive group that shares your goals. Visit BakerySquareToastmasters.com for login info.

Friday 101 – Carnegie Science Center Fab Lab Public Workshops – 1-2pm. Hosted by BNY Mel-

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

lon Fab Lab Carnegie Science Center. Take a crash course in maker technology – learn the basics of 3D printing, laser cutting, vinyl cutting, and more. $30/nonmembers, $25/members. One Allegheny Ave. 412-237-3400. Register: CarnegieScienceCenter.org. #Unblurred: First Friday Art Crawl by Green Mountain Energy – 2-10pm. Hosted by Penn Avenue Arts & Commercial District. Monthly art and entertainment crawl on the first Friday of every month. Stroll Penn Ave from the 4800 to the 5500 block to meet artists and local business owners. Family friendly mix of every form of art.

412-441-6950.

saturday Loving Myself First: Personal Development Series – 10-11am. 2nd Sat. Free online event hosted

by Visions 2020 LLC. Learn real life principles to improve and maximize your personal and professional life. Tickets at Eventbrite. 412-376-2110.

Watercolor Workshops – 10-11am. 1st and 3rd Sat. Hosted by April Ryan and Thistledown Boutique. $25 includes materials, $20 bring your own. Learn basic drawing and watercolor techniques. 151 S Main St, Washington, PA. 724-470-3775. Tickets: Paypal.com/paypalme/ArtbyAprilRyan.

3D Printer Workshop – Noon-2pm. Hosted by Prototype PGH. Learn to use the Elegoo UV Photocuring 3D resin printer. $10 at Eventbrite. 460 Melwood Ave, Oakland. Info: PrototypePGH.com.

Prototype PGH – Monthly Open House – Noon-2pm Second Saturday of the month. Meet with members of our team to ask questions about Prototype and the events, workshops and services offered. Donations appreciated to cover free events and workshops. 460 Melwood Ave #208. RSVP on our Facebook page.

Code and Coffee – Noon-2pm. Thru May. In partnership with Node PGH Meetup. Practice your skills, make new friends, get help. Bring your laptop, recent projects, programming problems. All skill levels and programming languages welcome.

Free. Donations welcome. Prototype PGH 460 Melwood Ave, Oakland. Info: PrototypePGH.com.

Chakra a Month Workshop Series with Brooke Smokelin – Thru July. 1-3pm, Sat; 7:30-8:30pm, Wed. Online or in person: sessions recorded. Take a transformational journey of self-discovery, deep dive into self, activate and explore chakras one at a time, learn specific yoga poses and practices for each chakra.

25 CEUs for yoga instructors. Two levels: $385 or $1060. Info/register: Brookesmokelin.kartra. com/page/2022ChakraAMonthONLINEJan-July.

Live Streaming Musical Cooking Class – 2-3pm.

With Gabrielle Reyes, One Great Vegan. Free online event on TikTok, Instragram, and Facebook. Check the menu, get your groceries, sing and cook along in the comfort of your own kitchen. OneGreatVegan.com.

Sacred Sounds Healing Meditation Series – 7-8:30pm, first Saturday through July with Visions Reiki and Soul Spa and Sacred Centered You. Explore higher levels of guided meditation using Sound Healing, Reiki, and Self-awareness. $25/event or $111/series at SacredCenteredYou.com/registration. Visions Reiki and Soul Spa, 206 Alexander Ave, Strabane. 724-745-1785.

Nature’s Virus Killer Copper can stop a virus before it starts

S

By Doug Cornell

cientists have discovered a with a tip to fit in the bottom of the natural way to kill germs fast. nostril, where viruses collect.

Now thousands of people When he felt a tickle in his nose are using it against viruses and bacteria like a cold about to start, he rubbed the that cause illness. copper gently in Colds and his nose for 60 many other seconds. illnesses start “It worked!” when viruses get he exclaimed. in your nose and “The cold never start multiplying. got going. That If you don’t stop was 2012. I have them early, they had zero colds spread and take since then.” over.

“We don’t Copper kills viruses almost In hundreds of make product instantly studies, EPA and health claims,” university researchers confirm copper he said, “so I can’t say cause and effect. kills microbes almost instantly just by But we know copper is antimicrobial.” touch.

He asked relatives and friends to try That’s why ancient Greeks and it. They reported the same thing, so he Egyptians used copper to purify patented CopperZap® and put it on the water and heal wounds. They didn’t market. know about microbes like viruses and Soon hundreds of people had tried it. bacteria, but now we do.

Feedback was 99% positive if they used “The antimicrobial activity of copper copper within 1-3 hours of the first sign is well established.” National Institutes of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or of Health. a scratchy throat.

Scientists say the high conductance Users say: of copper disrupts the electrical balance “It works! I love it!” in a microbe cell by touch and destroys “I can’t believe how good my nose it in seconds. feels.”

Some hospitals tried copper “Is it supposed to work that fast?” for touch surfaces like faucets and “One of the best presents ever.” doorknobs. This cut the spread of “Sixteen flights, not a sniffle!”

MRSA and other illnesses by over half, “Cold sores gone!” which saved lives.

“It saved me last holidays. The kids The strong scientific evidence had crud going round and round, gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. but not me.”

He made a smooth copper probe “I am shocked! My sinus cleared, no ADVERTORIAL

more headache, no more congestion.”

“Best sleep I’ve had in years!”

The handle is curved and textured to increase contact. Copper can kill germs picked up on fingers and hands after you touch things other people have touched.

The EPA says copper works just as well when tarnished.

Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the science teams. He placed millions of viruses on a copper surface. “They started to die literally as soon as they touched it.”

Customers report using copper against: Colds Flu Covid Sinus trouble Cold sores Fever blisters Canker sores Strep Night stuffiness Morning congestion Skin infections Infected sores Infection in cuts or wounds Thrush Warts Styes Ringworm Threats to compromised immunity CopperZap® is made in the USA of pure copper. It has a 90-day full money back guarantee. Price $79.95. Get $10 off each CopperZap with code NATA28.

Go to www.CopperZap.com or call tollfree 1-888-411-6114.

Buy once, use forever.

Statements are not intended as product health claims and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not claimed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

April 2022

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community resource guide

HERBS

Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our Pittsburgh community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com to request our media kit.

BIOLOGIC DENTISTRY JANET LAZARUS – BIOLOGIC DENTIST Dr Janet Lazarus, DMD, NMD Mail: 4313 Walnut St, Ste 178 Office: Olympia Shopping Ctr Arcade, McKeesport • 412-754-2020 • Dr.Lazlo@hotmail.com

Dr. Lazarus practices compassionate biologic dentistry by looking at the whole body to offer preventative care and health maintenance. She offers compatibility testing on dental material, safe mercury removal, extraction and a host of other treatments including ozone therapy. She has been practicing for 28 years. See ad, page 6.

CHIROPRACTIC PANTHER FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE AND CHIROPRACTIC Dr Danielle Marra, DC Murrysville • Greensburg 724-387-1014 • PittsburghHealthPro.com

Dr. Danielle Marra has nearly 20 years’ experience helping patients regain their health through conservative and holistic approaches utilizing functional medicine, chiropractic, diet modifications, and nutritional support. The practice provides advanced lab testing, allergy relief, spinal decompression, CDL physicals, massage therapy, thermography and more. Their philosophy is treating the root of your symptoms, naturally. See ad, page 6.

FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION TERESA TAO HOLISTIC HEALTH Teresa Tao Hi@TeresaTao.com TeresaTao.com

Teresa is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who helps people find the root cause of their health concerns and symptoms and restores their health through functional nutrition. Areas of specialty include digestion issues and chronic symptoms. Schedule a free discovery call to take back control of your health and heal.

HEALTH COACH WELLNESS WARRIOR COACH

Steve Manns, NB-HWC, PHC2, CPT Monroeville and Online Health and Wellness Coaching 724-516-2244 • WellnessWarrior.Coach A national board-certified health and wellness coach offering well-being collaboration through behavior change. A healthy body and mind lead to a happy and healthy life. Come start your adventure to reconnect with a better you through education, nutrition, coaching and accountability.

HEALTH FOOD EVEREST EATS

EverestEats.com • Orders@everesteats.com A local Pittsburgh plant-based meal delivery service providing, sourced, sustainable, flavorful, and nutritious meals to the Pittsburgh community.

ESSENTIAL OILS NATURAL WELLNESS

Colleen Anthony 2001 Kinvara Dr, Pittsburgh 412-491-2319 • My.Doterra.com/cmanthony Provides natural options for a variety of health concerns using essential oils and natural products. A DoTerra essential oil advocate that offers a natural, holistic approach that empowers you to take control of your health and well-being.

Connellsville, PA TheKefirChicks.com TheKefirChicks@gmail.com Facebook.com/TheKefirChicks

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE Dr. Danielle Mara, DC Murrysville • Greensburg 724-387-1014 • PittsburghHealthPro.com

Dr. Danielle Mara has nearly 20 years’ experience helping patients regain their health through conservative and holistic approaches utilizing functional medicine, chiropractic, diet modifications and nutritional support. Plus advanced lab testing, allergy relief, spinal decompression, CDL physicals, massage therapy, thermography and more. Their philosophy is treating the root of your symptoms, naturally. See ad, page 6.

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Pittsburgh, PA

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

Lisa Cunningham Old-Fashioned Family Herbalist 308 Liberty St, Perryopolis, PA 724-736-2400

Nothing fancy here; just hundreds of organic bulk medicinal herbs at your beck and call. Heal yourself ~ help others. In service and gratitude always. No Facebook, no website, no social media. Not enough thyme! Just you and I and your blessed healing herbs.

HOMEOPATHY MELANIE KRNETA

DIP HOM. ACH, Reiki Master 1215 B Liberty St, Franklin, PA • 814-428-9895 Facebook: Melanie Krneta Homoeopathy Plus Classical homoeopathic consultations providing individualized care for t h e e n t i r e f a m i l y.

Migraines, hormonal imbalances, PTSD, grief, arthritis, digestive imbalance. Reiki sessions are beneficial for relaxation and pain management.

Other services provided are far infrared sauna with medical grade color therapy and Himalayan salt and ear candling.

NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS NAPTURAL BEAUTY SUPPLY 724-307-8487 NapturalBeautySupply.com

Naptural Beauty Supply was created to end the stigma around natural hair by empowering men and women to love themselves naturally. We do this by instilling confidence in our community and increasing convenience by having the tools and services in one place, such as hair and body butters, beard care and apparel. We are beauty supply with naturals in mind!

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

THE KEFIR CHICKS

PANTHER FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE AND CHIROPRACTIC

OLD THYME HERB SHOP, LLC

Kathy and Haley, The Kefir Chicks, are two chicks on a mission to bring awareness to everyone about whole foods and gut health through whole, probiotic-packed food medicine – water kefir. See ad, page 3.

DR. ARETI, LLC

Dr. Areti Fitsioris 421 Cochran Rd, Pittsburgh 412-419-1537 (call/text) • Facebook.com/Dr.Areti Dr. Areti is a board-certified naturopathic physician who implements manual therapy, lifestyle medicine, nutritional analysis, and non-invasive methods to address functional and structural imbalances – services are 100% grounded in evidence-based science. She goes the extra mile to identify and address root causes of conditions and to provide ongoing support.

The forest makes your heart gentle.

You become one with it.

No place for greed or anger there. ~Pha Pachak

SPIRITUAL SACRED, CENTERED, YOU, LLC

412-258-0766 • SacredCenteredYou.com Leza is known widely for her abilities as a sound healer, inspirational speaker and interfaith spiritual counselor. Healing arts services include vibrational sound healing, past life and soul regression, journey work counseling and conscious relationships counseling. Private and group services offered. Lesa Vivio, MS, LPC, CMHIMP, DDiv, DSM.

URBAN FARMING GROW PITTSBURGH

Raqueeb Bey, Garden Resource Coordinator 6587 Hamilton Ave, Ste 2W, Pittsburgh 412-362-4769 ext 215 • GrowPittsburgh.org Raqueeb@GrowPittsburgh.org Grow Pittsburgh is an urban, agriculture nonprofit that teaches people how to grow food. They envision the day when everyone grows and eats fresh, local and healthy food. Get involved. Take a tour, become a member, learn, volunteer! Visit their website for workshops and events.

VIBRATIONAL MEDICINE ROOTED IN SOUND

Wyatt Melius 2000 Smallman St, Pittsburgh 412-609-8999 • RootedInSound.com Sound massage, Nada yoga, forest bathing, and acoustic-induced meditation. Check the calendar for sound baths on Sundays and Thursdays. See ad, page 23.

SACRED, CENTERED, YOU, LLC 412-258-0766 SacredCenteredYou.com

Offering individual and group experiences that promote healing through self-discovery and personal acceptance. Special focus on sound healing, life coaching, qigong, and vibrational medicine.

WELLNESS 360 CAFÉ LLC

Tyleda Worou Pittsburgh • 724-374-8089 • 360CafeLLC.com 360 Café LLC is an alternative health and wellness business with the goal of helping others to heal from the inside out while taking a holistic approach to healing by offering distance reiki, and crystal healing sessions to help our consumers restore physical and emotional balance.

SALT OF THE EARTH

Himalayan Salt Cave and Crystal Boutique 504 Valleybrook Rd,McMurray, PA 15317 724-260-0472 • SaltOfTheEarthPgh.com Experience the known ancient healing benefits of halotherapy in the Himalayan salt cave, built from 16 tons of pure Himalayan salt. 45-minute sessions scheduled on the hour. Can be rented for private groups up to 10. Provides an inviting and relaxing environment for events and classes: yoga, meditation, sound healing, and reiki. The crystal boutique offers an array of authentic crystals, jewelry, candles, locally-made bath and body, and Himalayan salt products. The knowledgeable staff will help find the right crystal for you or your home décor. See ad, page 15.

VISIONS REIKI AND SOUL SPA

206 Alexander Ave, Strabane 724-745-1785 • VisionsReikiAndSoulSpa.com As a full-service energy-health and wellness center, our goal is to empower people to be the best version of themselves. With the understanding that all wellness begins with a healthy energy system, Visions Reiki and Soul Spa offers holistic services, workshops, and coaching to help you establish a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.

YOGA AND MEDITATION CHAKRA YOGA HEALING Brooke Smokelin

For more than 15 years helping people feel better and shine brighter through a unique combination of chakra activation tools and vibrational restoration techniques. Come in for a chakra tune-up and get your chakras right and bright for the New Year! How brightly do you want to shine?

JENNY DAYTON YOGA

Jenny Dayton, E-RYT, YACEP MountainYogaShala@gmail.com 724-550-3661 Jenny offers indoor and outdoor yoga throughout the Laurel Highlands. She also offers private therapeutic yoga lessons, Ayurveda and aromatherapy sessions by appointment. Virtual options are also available. For more information and to view the class schedule and locations, visit JennyDaytonYoga.com.

THE HIMALAYAN INSTITUTE OF PITTSBURGH 300 Beverly Rd, Pittsburgh 412-344-7434 • HipYoga.org

The Himalayan Institute of Pittsburgh is committed to creating and supporting programs for wellness in body, mind and spirit. Their purpose is to promote personal peace and global unity. Offering a daily schedule of yoga and meditation classes and healing services including massage, reiki and Ayurvedic health consultations. They are a leader in education, providing authentic yoga and Ayurveda certification programs.

classifieds

Fee for classifieds is a minimum charge of $20 for the first 20 words and $1 for each additional word. To place an ad, email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com.

OPPORTUNITIES ADVERTISING SALES – Natural Awakenings magazine is looking for experienced advertising salespeople covering the Greater Pittsburgh area, SW Pennsylvania and Morgantown WV to help others grow their natural health & wellness and sustainable living or green businesses. Commission-based. Full- or part-time. Paying 25% commission. Unlimited potential income. Be a part of something magical! Send resume to Michelle: Publisher@ NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com.

PRODUCTS McCORMICK FAMILY FARM – 100% grass-fed/finished beef, pasture-raised chicken, and pure maple syrup following beyond organic, regenerative farming practices. 293 McCormic Rd, Portage, PA. 814-472-7259. Facebook: @ TheMcCormickFamilyFarm.

SERVICES READING POETRY RELAXES – Inquire at: wewuvpoetry@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 4725, Pittsburgh, PA 15206-0725.

Natural Awakenings Client Testimonial I have been advertising since the beginning of Natural Awakenings and I have to say. that it has been a great choice! I have gotten a lot of new patients from her magazine. The covers are always colorful and fun! Michelle has been very helpful and she is always available when I need to talk to her. I would highly recommend this magazine if you are considering advertising. ~Dr Janet Lazarus

April 2022

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