Tread Lightly is a resource created to help residents and visitors to Mayne Island make ecologically responsible and sustainable lifestyle choices.
Are you trying to use less plastic? We are not using plastic plant tags. We are using metal plant tags instead that we make. We aren’t using plastic tags because they are bad for the environment and break down into little pieces that are even worse for the environment because Read more
People know that a fed bear is a dead bear, but what are the implications of feeding the wild animals that can be found on SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island? Feeding our island’s wild animals, including deer, river otters, mink, and raccoons is detrimental to their health and well-being and can Read more
I write this as Florida and its environs begin to deal with the aftermath of two back-to-back fierce hurricanes, Helene and Milton. The devastation will likely match Katrina by many measures; physical, financial, sociological. The unprecedented rainfall and wind speeds can be attributed to global heating. We are fortunate that Read more
If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember the Looney Tunes cartoon characters Tweety the canary and Sylvester the cat. Tweety always managed to avoid Sylvester’s predatory ways, much to viewers’ amusement. Unfortunately, the reality is that wild birds all too often do not manage to escape alive from Read more
Even after such a long dry summer, it seems we always have the wet winter waiting for us, and indeed the average rainfall here amounts to just under three feet (838 mm) annually. So where exactly does all that rain go, and why do Mayne Islanders need to be careful about water consumption?
When you pour yourself a cool, fresh glass of water, remember it comes out of an aquifer in the ground, sometimes not too far from where our household wastewater (sewage) ends up. Many of us moved to Mayne from a city where smelly waste is whisked away in big pipes Read more
Groundwater is a critical element that supports the health of our ecosystems and the hydrological function of watersheds. The concern today is that changes in seasonal precipitation, evapotranspiration, recharge, and saltwater intrusion are threatening this precious resource. Groundwater – A Primer The unsaturated zone above the water table contains soil Read more
In this article series, we have been exploring ways we can learn to live lightly on Mayne Island, and one important consideration when trying to lessen our impact on fragile ecosystems is how we manage our waste. Because Mayne Island does not have a landfill, it is easier (and cheaper) Read more