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The tradition of Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1872. Raising awareness of the importance of trees, people continue to use the day to plant saplings and improve the health of forests. Trees help clean the air, provide habitat for wildlife, help conserve soil and water, and are the source of an entire industry that support jobs and the economy. Land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the US Forest Service oversee hundreds of millions of acres of forests across the country. more »

Joan L. Cannon writes: Should we not be reviewing ancient philosophical and religious traditions on the premises where they agree? While eastern prescriptions aim to remove mankind from life as we live it here, the western ones by and large seem to advocate a faith that whatever follows this life may mirror it. The older I get, the more it seems to me that the rift grows ever larger as each approach becomes more and more insistent. more »

Rose Madeline Mula writes: "A while back I was hospitalized for five days for a surprise bout of pneumonia which floored me. When an attendant wheeled my gurney from the ER into a room, I was upset to see an old woman there. They had promised me a private room. I did not want to share space with that old crone. Oh, wait. That wasn't my roommate. It was a mirror." more »

Roberta McReynolds writes: A rather large mound of dirt had now taken up residence in the sink. Fine dust floated in the air and was slowly drifting over every surface within a three-foot radius: kitchen curtains, countertop, flooring, and me. Phoebe, our cat, peeked cautiously around the corner as I coughed from somewhere deep within the haze, staring at me with a curious look as though to say, "Seriously, I thought you were trying to get rid of that stuff." She turned away, flipping her tail aloft as a sign of superiority as she marched off in search of a place to nap ... and shed more fur. more »