Happy Dancing Blog

What Exactly is a Lichen? A lichen isn’t a single organism, but an example of symbiosis. It’s made up of a fungus and an alga living together so closely they function as one. The fungus provides structure and protection, while the alga produces food through photosynthesis. Together, they form a resilient team capable of surviving in some of the harshest conditions.

Winter sometimes comes and goes within the blink of an eye, which is unusual for an area that usually spends months covered in snow with freezing temperatures. It is so interesting to go outside and see how nature has taken to this weather-wackiness, and wonder what is to come.

Fall is in the air, leaves have changed colors, days are shorter, and temperatures are dropping. All these environmental cues are a signal to birds (and even some humans!) to start preparing to head south. Despite the misconception that birds don’t like the cold, many birds can survive freezing temperatures, so it’s not necessarily the cold that drives them away. It’s our waning resources.

On Air Quality Alert days, we are becoming more familiar with how to take precautions and still go about the work/fun of daily life. This...

Rs for Resilient Living Series For most of us by this time of year, the idea of getting out to work in your yard, seeing the change of season first-hand, is a delicious dream that can’t come true soon enough. No question–being outside is good for all of us. But some of our go-to yard activities can be detrimental to beneficial insects if we jump into them before the weather has truly changed. Here are some tips: Hold off cutting down plant stems leftover from last season un

Spending time with hands in the soil has been shown to provide significant mental health benefits. Gardening, farming, or simply...