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

This week marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse. The 60-year cycle of the Lunar Calendar’s 12 animals and 5 elements means the last time we saw a Year of the Fire Horse was 1966! 🔥🐴

ECL TRIVIA: What is the word for the earthy scent you notice after rain hits dry ground? (Answer below)

🌏 RAINFOREST RECOVERY: Brazil’s Amazon deforestation is on track to be the lowest level on record, slowing down the forest loss that results in biodiversity collapse and carbon emissions. See the deforestation data since 1988 and LEARN what’s being attributed to this encouraging decline.

♻️ CIRCULAR ECONOMY: Grassroots repair and reuse networks are expanding across Ireland and Europe, turning “repair cafés” and sewing rooms into practical ways to extend lifespans of products and build community. A few months back, Ireland even launched a new online hub to connect “circular change” activists. DISCOVER the hub, and learn why circular living is crucial for sustainable life.

🍴 REDUCING PLASTIC WASTE: The “most robust ‘Skip the Stuff’ legislation” in the country was just passed in my home state of New Jersey. Restaurants will only give out single-use utensils and condiments on request and require reusable ones for dine-in. Find out why this matters HERE, and consider traveling with THIS bamboo cutlery kit – the exact set my wife and I have traveled with for years (not an ad).

🚬 C*NCER PREVENTION: A new analysis finds cancer risk is strongly tied to modifiable lifestyle factors — with “smoking tobacco” the leading preventable cause, linked to 15% of all cases in 2022. Click HERE to find out the second most common factor, and several others like air pollution and UV radiation.

🍩 ULTRAPROCESSED LOOPHOLES: Nearly 7 decades ago, “GRAS” (Generally Recognized as Safe) earned classification in the US, allowing the food industry to add “thousands upon thousands” of new ingredients into our packaged food. It’s “something that our biology was never intended to handle,” says the former head of the FDA in THIS 60 Minutes feature with Bill Whitaker.

🥋 TAI CHI FOR SLEEP: Ever tried tai chi? New research in the British Medical Journal says 2X a week sessions is “just as good as talk therapy” for chronic insomnia in adults over 50.  Read the study HERE, then FIND a certified Tai Chi instructor near you.

The reviews keep rolling in from gardeners around the world about the Joyful Gardener Docuseries.

Our friends at Grow Your Own Vegetables (I’ve been a featured speaker in many previous years) have been flooded with requests from people who missed a session – or want to experience the whole event again. So...

Great news! Now through February 22nd, you can catch up on any episodes you missed or rewatch the entire docuseries – as much as you want!

>>> Watch the Joyful Gardener Docuseries Replay 🎥

Grow Your Own Vegetables is all about helping you grow with confidence, and they aren’t stopping with the docuseries. They’re also sharing next steps to keep you thriving in your garden long after the replay is gone.

It’s time to dig in and grow!

Petrichor. It comes from plant oils and compounds released from soil, often carried into the air by rain.