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By JACOB NELSON

WORTHINGTON — “Agriculture is going to have to look different,” says Lincoln Fishman of Sawyer Farm in Worthington, given the climate crisis. “And I’m just not interested in farming the old way.”Well-read and well-spoken, Fishman has a keen ability to...

By EMILY THURLOW

EASTHAMPTON — A several-month experiment aimed at reducing the growth of algae blooms at Nashawannuck Pond appears to be working and will be used again next year, according to officials with the pond’s steering committee.Since April, nearly 100 onion...

By EMILY THURLOW

SOUTHAMPTON — A 3.5-mile railroad corridor that has been inactive for more than 30 years is one step closer to seeing some movement along its rails. The town has secured a $300,000 MassTrails grant that enables it to begin the design, engineering and...

By BILL DANIELSON

Today’s column will discuss two separate events that illustrate the powerful ability of birds to bring joy to the lives of humans. The first event took place at my school last week, while the second happened in my brother-in-law’s front yard. Both...

By EMILY THURLOW

SOUTHAMPTON — Fish will soon be able to swim through a portion of the Manhan River in Southampton that’s been blocked by a dam for nearly 300 years.Throughout last week, workers from Witch Enterprises of Agawam cut portions of the Lyman Mill Pond Dam...

By EMILY THURLOW

SOUTHAMPTON — When Ted Hendrick wanders around the woods along Cold Spring Road, he’s reminded of a “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” The song, released by singer Burl Ives in the 1940s, speaks of the “buzzin’ of the bees in the cigarette trees,” which...

By EMILY THURLOW

EASTHAMPTON — Lakes and ponds around the world are experiencing an increased occurrence of algae blooms as a result of warmer temperatures.This has had a particularly significant impact on water bodies that are shallow, stagnant and rich in nutrients...

By FRAN RYAN

EASTHAMPTON — As the world tries to combat global climate change and find workable clean alternatives to energy production, a small Easthampton company says it has a patented new way of creating electricity, one that could revolutionize how power is...

By JACQUELYN VOGHEL

EASTHAMPTON — Once a controversial project in Easthampton beset by delays and unanticipated expenses, the city’s fish ladder, which allows fish to pass through the dam on the Manhan River off Northampton Street, quietly entered its seventh season in...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

WILLIAMSBURG — Attorney General Maura Healey filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a Pennsylvania developer alleging “irreparable harm” caused by polluting of the West Branch Mill River and damage to more than two acres of protected wetlands.The lawsuit...

By VALERIE REISS

When Cat Thomson and Steve McDonough moved onto their ¾-acre lot in Leeds, the landscaping consisted of dirt, dirt, and more dirt.“It was a blank slate,” said Thomson, a freelance writer and editor. They built their house on developed land that was...

By DAVID SPECTOR

If you sit on a city park bench you’re likely to see birds, especially house sparrows. This species, native to Europe and Asia, was first introduced into North America in 1851 and is now common where farms or cities provide both grain on the ground...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

AMHERST — Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have published three lists detailing the 100 worst air, water and greenhouse gas polluters in the country.The lists — the Toxic 100 Air Polluters Index, Toxic 100 Water Polluters Index...

By Cassandra McGrath

Ray Asselin, creator of the documentary “The Lost Forests of New England,” is a filmmaker and naturalist who works to raise awareness about preserving the natural world. Through his hourlong film that debuted last year and has been shown at events...

By MIMI KAPLAN

After your hauler picks up your trash and recycling, or you deposit it at a transfer station, what happens to it? This question has taken on more importance as landfill space in the northeast dwindles, and China restricts recycling imports.TrashTrash...

By NAILA MOREIRA

One of the most popular alternatives to fossil fuels, solar energy, has a problem — it needs land. With that land hunger comes inherent conflict, recently highlighted in Belchertown where a vigorous local fight has sprung up over proposals to build...

By Lawrence J. Winship

For many years my wife and I have stayed warm by burning locally harvested firewood in a high-efficiency, EPA-certified airtight woodstove. Adding insulation, replacing leaky windows with low-E thermopane units, putting this stove into our inefficient...

By NAILA MOREIRA

The other day, wandering the back alleys of social media, I discovered a Facebook group to fall instantly in love with: “Slime Mold Identification & Appreciation.” Joining the group, I was amazed to discover that it boasted 5,422 members (today, it’s...

Dear EarthTalk: Is there any truth to the assertion that e-bikes recharged off the fossil-fuel grid actually generate fewer carbon emissions overall than conventional human-powered bikes? — Sandy McClave, New York, New YorkWell, actually,...

By David Spector

Now is a good time to get outside to look for cedar waxwings, a striking songbird with an interesting story. Indeed, any time is a good time, as they are here year-round and always interesting, both for what they do and for what they don’t do.As you...