Animal Tracks GreenZine

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

Have you signed up yet? You can run, walk or even skip this 5K and support our rescue. For more information about the event and to sign up visit: https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Dublin/colonycats The route is also included on this link.

05/02/2026

Franklin County residents - are you aware of the Community Backyards program offered by Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District that offers rebates on the purchase of native plants, rain barrels, and more? We are a participating vendor in this fantastic service where you can redeem your rebate as an immediate discount at the time of purchase!

Visit communitybackyards.org for complete information and to register, but here are the basics.

First, you'll need to take an online course or attend a local in-person workshop in order to receive your voucher. These courses will teach you about water quality and backyard conservation practices. Once you have finished your learning, you'll get the voucher and be included in GreenSpot, Columbus Water & Power's sustainability program.

Next, you'll need to choose what rebate you would like to use. Different participating communities in Franklin County may offer different options or amounts, but regardless of your options, each household is only eligible for one rebate per year. You can participate each year, however! Options include rebates toward native plants (perennials, shrubs, and trees), rain barrels, compost bins, and rain barrel installations.

Finally, you redeem your rebate! Some participating vendors, like Scioto Gardens, will be able to process the rebate as an immediate discount at the time of purchase. Tax is not included, and the physical copy of the rebate MUST be brought to us or the other participating vendors (emailed/digital copies will not be accepted). If you're shopping somewhere that is not an immediate discount vendor like us, you can still submit your rebate with an itemized receipt/invoice online after you have purchased and installed your plants.

This is a great program that we are grateful to be a part of. Rebates are LIMITED and subject to availability, so don't wait long to apply and take your course! Visit communitybackyards.org to get started 🌸

05/02/2026

05/01/2026

Effective oversight starts and ends with full transparency about all aspects of Ohio’s fracking operation, along with functional and effective regulatory oversight and enforcement, writes the editorial board of The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

04/27/2026

At the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, a quiet act of kindness is unfolding during a time of hardship.

As many pets were left behind due to difficult circumstances, the campus became a safe place for them.

Today, around 1,600 cats live there, cared for by students, staff, and volunteers who feed them daily and provide medical care.

They are vaccinated, treated, and protected — given a second chance at life.

But the impact goes both ways.

In a time filled with stress and uncertainty, these cats have also become a source of comfort for students.

What started as simple care has turned the campus into something more — a place where humans and animals support each other. 🐾💛

04/27/2026

In Ohio, where spring soil often swings from soggy to compacted to crusty in a short stretch, structure matters more than many people realize. Good soil is not just dirt.

04/26/2026

I AM NOT A W**D. I AM YOUR LAWN'S FREE FERTILIZER.
I know how you see me. An invasive nuisance ruining your perfect, uniform grass. You see my patches of green leaves emerging this spring, and you reach instinctively for the chemical herbicide.

I didn't ask to be labeled an enemy. Until the lawn-care industry changed the rules in the 1950s, I was a standard, essential part of every healthy American yard. I am White Clover (Trifolium repens), a resilient legume, and I am just doing my job.

Right now, as the April soil warms, I am working beneath your feet. Through a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, I pull nitrogen directly from the air and push it down into the earth, constantly feeding the grass around me. While shallow grass roots dry out, my ten-inch taproot reaches deep into the soil, keeping the ground green and drastically reducing the need for watering.

You don't have to love me, but please understand my purpose. My early blooms fill a dangerous "nectar gap," providing thousands of crucial feeding visits for emerging native bumblebees who desperately need food right now.

I am not the invasion. I am the repair for a broken, sterile ecosystem. Put away the sprays. Don't poison the very plant trying to heal your soil. This is simply my life. Let me bloom.

04/25/2026

You may notice this sign in our Worthington Resource Pantry plot within the McCord garden. We were lucky enough to receive fifteen five gallon buckets of compost donated by community members who utilize Compost Exchange for their food scraps ♻️ Thank you!

04/24/2026

"The Collapse of Environmental Enforcement Under Trump’s EPA," a new report by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), warns that plummeting pollution enforcement actions are likely to contribute to health harms in vulnerable communities located near waterways that are filled with “algae blooms, bacteria, or toxic chemicals” and near energy and chemical industry infrastructure, where people are more likely to suffer asthma attacks and heart disease caused by smog and soot.

“Enforcing environmental laws ensures that polluters are held accountable and prevented from dumping their pollution on others for profit,” said Joanna Citron Day, general counsel for PEER and a former senior counsel at DOJ’s Environmental Enforcement Section. “For the sake of our health and the environment, Congress and the American people need to push back against Lee Zeldin’s dismantling of EPA’s environmental enforcement program.” Please don't be a boiling frog. Don't let this abnormal state of affairs be considered normal because it's not. Use your voice and use it often.

Read more: https://www.commondreams.org/news/epa-regulations