We revisit stories about native plants: Saving a plant so rare, few have seen it, gardening with native plants and how an invasive shrub and foraging mice could be bad for forests. Our reporter seeks refuge from the upheaval of 2020 on a 70-mile hike. Plus, residents speak out after an air inversion caused a string of bad air days in Allegheny County.
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Essay: A 70-mile Hike Provides a Refuge from a Stressful Year - "Henry David Thoreau went into the woods to 'live deeply and suck out all the marrow of life.' Me? I just wanted to stop looking at my phone."
The Race to Save a Rare Mountain Lover - One of the rarest plants in Pennsylvania may go extinct. Scientists are trying to save it, armed with squirt bottles and notepads.
Creating Native Habitat, Yard by Yard - Native plants can transform your yard into habitat for insects, birds and other wildlife, but the occasional peony is okay, too
Allegheny County Residents Demand Stronger Pollution Regs for U.S. Steel Plant - An air inversion in early November caused a string of bad air days near the Clairton Coke Works. Residents are sick of it.
Invasive Barberry and Small Mammals Could Be Bad Combination for Pennsylvania’s Woodlands - New research shows Japanese barberry shrubs give small rodents cover to eat tree seedlings. This doesn't bode well for future forests.
