Hey guys!
Here is a recap of the Plant With Us Meeting!
Overview of topics we went over: Invasive species, bamboo propagation, future environmental political plans, & Australia's plans for the Great Barrier Reef
Invasive Species:
Invasive species (especially ones outdoors) can be aggressive and compete for the same resources as the native species. Native species are better because they are better suited for that specific environment and keep the local ecosystem in balance (as intended). Some of the Native species we saw were Texas Ash tree, Pride of Houston Holly Tree, and Texas salvia plant.
You can pot down a propagation once roots grow out
Healthy roots are typically white, though some plant species have darker colored roots (like sansevieria/snake plant)
Tips on keeping Live Houseplants
Don’t overwater! You can always add more water, but it's much harder to take moisture away :)
It’s best (for most plants) to let soil dry out and then saturate the soil thoroughly
Make sure there’s drainage
Don’t give up! Plants are living things and yes they will die so don't feel bad if they do
Environmental Updates:
On Tuesday, July 14 Joe Biden announced two new climate plans, one of them would invest two trillion dollars over four years in climate solutions. The other would focus on a decarbonized electricity sector by 2035. In his proposal he planned to establish a national clean energy standard and amend climate injustices.
Early this month, Joe Biden assembled a Climate Engagement Advisory Council in order to gather more people in the fight against climate change.
In late last June, the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming released a Climate Crisis Action Plan that was 500-plus pages.
In Australia, a government-backed research program is developing a way to aid the Great Barrier Reef to become more resilient from the damaging effects of global warming.
The method they are using to help the Great Barrier Reef is by spending millions to develop technologies to be able to shade corals and by making clouds more reflective during the marine heatwaves. It is known as Marine Cloud Brightening and along with that method, controlling the population of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish is also a method being used to aid the Great Barrier Reef as Crown-of-Thorns Starfish mainly eat corals and with a recent outbreak of these starfish, many corals are being eaten at an increasing rate.
These solutions are only band-aid solutions however as looking at the bigger picture, there is a continuing growth of global warming occurring which is a much larger task to be handled.
The bamboo pictured above is not very healthy, but I will hopefully show an update as it recovers!
Here is an example of some propagation stations! it doesn't need to be fancy, you just need a container, water, and a cutting!