improving the quality of life
Did you know that all native mussels are protected in Ohio? Since mussels are protected, scientists must determine the presence or absence of freshwater mussels before any construction activity disturbs a stream or river with a drainage area greater than 10 square miles. When we find evidence of mussels, we must conduct a larger survey […]
For our environmental science team, spring marks the beginning of the field season, when we trade our interior workstations for field visits to project sites. The official field season is typically timed to match the growing period of most plants, but may be designated by each agency. For example, ODOT projects only accept data collected […]
Sustainability has origins in ecology and is described in that field of study as the endurance of systems and processes. Today, we most often link the term “sustainability” to environmentalism. One generally accepted definition for sustainability is: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. […]
We often hear pleas to reduce our carbon footprint, but what does that mean and how can you do it? According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint is defined as the total emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, or product. As we consume food, fuel, manufactured goods, and materials, and utilize roads, buildings, transportation, and […]
For the final “R” in our blog series on The Five Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replace, Refuse, we have focused this post on ways that you can refuse items to minimize your impact on the environment. Do we really need all this stuff? In the United States, we are bombarded with free stuff from […]
As we continue our blog series on The Five Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replace, Refuse, we have focused this post on ways that you can replace items to minimize your impact on the environment. A major way to reduce your overall impact on the environment is to consider items we throw away that could […]
In this installment of our blog series on The Five Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replace, Refuse, we are focused on ways to recycle to minimize your impact on the environment. If you don’t recycle, you can start now and make an immediate impact by sending less stuff to a landfill. Why Recycle? Recycling is […]
As we continue our blog series on The Five Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replace, Refuse, we have focused this post on ways that you can reuse items to minimize your impact on the environment. Reuse: Don’t throw it away just yet! In addition to replacing disposable items, we can re-use “disposable” items to keep […]
While most of us agree we need to “do more” to be good stewards to our planet, we can’t always figure out the best, most practical ways to integrate these activities into our lives. In honor of Earth Week, we are providing some real, actionable steps to minimize your negative impacts on the environment. Our […]
The Spot 
Lesson Learned from the Pandemic: Communities Need Safe & Accessible Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
Communities across the country experienced sharp increases in sidewalk and trail use during the pandemic. An entirely new group of users were exposed to these facilities as they found themselves looking for ways to get out of their homes, which had also become their school, office, restaurant, and gym. Pedestrian and bicycle facilities are beneficial […]