Happy Friday {{first name | my friend}},

Feeling inspired by Earth Day? Here’s 12 creative nature walk activity ideas for kids— or, for adults who are a kid at heart! 🐝

ECL TRIVIA: What is the name of the natural process where water moves through a plant and evaporates from leaves, helping pull water up from the roots? (Answer below)

🦗 CRICKET LEGACY: For over 4 decades, this gentleman researched and shaped what we know about listening to “singing insects,” like crickets and katydids. He was known for his “willingness to share information without claiming ownership,” creating open-source resources available to anyone curious, like “Singing Insects of North America.”

🦋 MESSY = GLORIOUS: If you love a wild garden, care about butterflies and bees, and despise the societally popular form of “lawn care” that rips up and mows everything down to a stump before it barely has a chance to grow, this OPINION PIECE is for you. You’re not alone in wishing more people “resisted the urge, or external pressure, to keep things tidy” when it comes to nature.

🌊 NEW WATER DISCOVERY: There’s “freshened” (low salt) water trapped beneath the ocean floor in the Atlantic, scientists say. Likely 10k+ years old, it could provide some clues about past ice ages, climate differences, and even future freshwater sources. Learn more about the discovery HERE.

👔 PARKINSON’S CHEMICAL: This known carcinogen industrial chemical (found in metal degreasers, dry cleaning, and even coffee decaffeination processes) is now linked to a “500% increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.” Though the EPA is recently prohibiting its use, the effects of exposure are still being studied. Read more HERE.

👵🏼 SUPER AGERS: After studying genome sequences of 1.4k people, research shows the immune system is fundamental in keeping people healthy as they age into their 80s and beyond. Watch this special Horizons episode on PBS about “super agers,” learn how to decrease health risks as you age, what “inflamm-aging” means, and more.

🧠 REWIRE YOUR BRAIN: Can just one week of meditation change your brain chemistry? This NEW BRAIN RESEARCH says yes, citing “measurable changes across the brain and body” after just 7 days at a meditation retreat. While this study was small, "the same mystical experiences and neural connectivity patterns that typically require psilocybin, [were] achieved through meditation practice alone," the lead author of the study says.

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A few reasons it stands out for me:

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Transpiration. It acts like a plant’s internal cooling system and helps drive water and nutrient flow upward.