Welcome to the 72nd Hippie Dabble Digest! If you’re new to the Hippie Dabble Digest, welcome! You will find interesting and useful information and links first, including sections like Just for Fun, In the News, a Weekly Recipe, Physical & Mental Health & Wellbeing, In the Garden, and more. Subscribe below and you’ll also receive links to past posts that you may have missed and our product section. In our product section you’ll find the current sales and reader only discount codes.
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Let’s pick up where we left off last week. I started you on a journey of the plants in my garden and yard, both edible and nonedible. Here’s a little recap with links to past Digests.
Last week I featured the staghorn sumac, and you can find that information here:
Check out information on chicory in Digest number 70 here: Hippie Dabble Digest 70: Squirrel maze, environmental news, chicory recipes, health benefits & growing chicory, beneficial moths, flower tea, & more!;
the raspberry information here: Hippie Dabble Digest 69: Substack Note, Always Judge a Book by its Cover, The Cannabis Question, environmental news, raspberry recipes, raspberry info, & more!;
the daylily information here: Hippie Dabble Digest 68: Maze Toys, 8 Japanese habits, environmental news, Daylily recipes & information, exercise & the aging brain, & more!;
and all the lovage here: Hippie Dabble Digest 66: Ambicular, mini habits, environmental news, lovage & lemon roasted chicken, lots of lovage, summer health tips, & more!.
This week it’s a northern catalpa tree, another tree I just planted. See the In the Garden section below.
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Just For Fun and/or On YouTube
A couple of Digests ago, I shared a video with you of a squirrel obstacle course that was extremely entertaining. I bring it up because in this week’s video, there is a throwback to the squirrel video. This video (by the same Youtuber) is of an octopus underwater maze. Not only is it entertaining, but it has lots of cool and interesting information and makes learning super fun. The best part – it has a nice hippie, animal-friendly ending. Watch by clicking the picture below.
In the News
In Brazil’s Semi-Arid Region, Small Farmers Work Exhausted Lands, Hoping a New Government Will Revive the War on Desertification (Inside Climate News)
“Deforestation, erosion and overgrazing, compounded by government neglect and climate change, created a crisis. But Brazil’s new leaders have made land restoration a priority and are looking to the international community for funding.” Article dated June 9, 2024, read more here: War on Desertification.
Green roof bus shelters: A cool idea takes root in East Harlem, NYC. (Happy Eco News)
“East Harlem, a vibrant New York City neighborhood, faces a scorching reality – stifling summer heat. Dense concrete development traps solar energy, creating an urban heat island effect that pushes temperatures far beyond those in greener areas. A recent study revealed a grim fact: East Harlem experiences surface temperatures over 30 degrees hotter than wealthier counterparts like the Upper West Side.” Article dated May 30, 2024, read more here: Green Roof Bus Shelters.
Giant viruses discovered on Greenland ice sheet could reduce ice melt (Phys.org)
“Algae lying dormant on the ice start blooming in spring, blackening large areas of the ice. When the ice blackens, its ability to reflect the sun diminishes and this accelerates the melting of the ice. Increased melting exacerbates global warming. But researchers might have found a way to control the snow algae growth—and maybe in the long run reduce some of the ice from melting.” Article dated June 4, 2024, read more here: Viruses That Reduce Ice Melt.
NASA Says Official US Methane Estimate Is Wrong (Newsweek)
“NASA has reported that an official U.S. methane estimate is wrong. In a new satellite analysis, an international team of scientists found that methane emissions in the U.S. were higher in 2019 than previously estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to the NASA Earth Observatory.” Article dated June 7, 2024, read more here: US Methane Levels.
Weekly Recipe
How about a recipe in which you might be able to use some of your home grown garden vegetables? This recipe is from Serious Eats, which not only has tons of recipes, but also tons of cooking info on everything from world cuisines to equipment. Make sure you take a look around the whole site while you’re there.
Asparagus, Mushroom, Leek, and Cheese Galette Recipe (Serious Eats)
“Easy to throw together, this springtime vegetable tart is loaded with tender fresh green produce and flavorful cheese.” Screenshots below. You can find the recipe by clicking on the title or any of the screenshots below.
Physical & Mental Health & Well-Being
Women who do strength training live longer. How much is enough? (NPR)
“Resistance training does more than help us build strong muscles. A new study finds women who do strength training exercises two to three days a week are more likely to live longer and have a lower risk of death from heart disease, compared to women who do none.” Read more here: Live Longer With Strength Training.
In the Garden
As I mentioned earlier, I just planted a northern catalpa tree. It attracts hummingbirds, helps the bees, and looks like it’s going to be another beautiful addition to my yard.
Here’s information on the northern catalpa tree’s appearance, growing conditions, uses, care instructions, etc:
Johnson’s Nursery (screenshot below)
Catalpa Tree Facts, Uses, and Planting Tips – Dengarden(screenshot below)
Make sure you explore this website while you’re there. It has tons of useful gardening information.
The northern catalpa tree has some medicinal uses also. Take a look at this article by Netmeds. Catalpa: Benefits Of Extracts And Tinctures Of This Plant For Good Health And Great Skin- Infographic. The link includes a video, a writeup, and an infographic.
The catalpa tree is the sole host to the catalpa sphinx moth. It’s habitat is mostly in the southern United States, so I probably won’t see any. The catalpa sphinx moth is a great source of food for birds, and from what I’ve read, great fishing bait too. Want to see what a catalpa sphinx moth looks like? See pictures and find information on it from InsectIdentification.org here: Catalpa Sphinx (Ceratomia catalpae). This is another website that is great to explore further.
Here’s a few places to buy a northern catalpa tree. I got mine from Northern Ridge Nursery (the first link).
This and That
Ecolabel Index
American Grassfed, Certified Humane, Certified Vegan, USDA Organic. What do all those labels on our food and other products mean and who’s doing the certifying? Find out on the Ecolabel Index. This site has 456 labels so far with pictures, what it means, and who certifies it. The database is searchable too. Go to http://www.ecolabelindex.com/ to browse or search for a specific label. Screenshot below.
Quote of the Week
