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Moose on the Loose

The once-endangered moose has begun to repopulate much of its former range. Moose are showing up in areas where they haven't been seen since the 1700s. New Hampshire now has an estimated 2,000 moose, and Vermont, 600. Even New York and Massachusetts report frequent sightings. Maine, whose moose population is conservatively estimated at 20,000, seems to be the seedbed of the comeback.

But the folks in Michigan aren't going to wait for the moose to emigrate from Maine. The Wolverine state has some prime habitat that hasn't seen a moose since the loggers arrived in the 1880s. So Michigan traded grouse to Missouri for wild turkeys, adding them to a cache of Michigan gobblers, which, in turn, was traded to Ontario for 15 moose, with an option for 15 more. Wildlife biologists hope the moose will thrive in Michigan's forests.

Gardens for Almost All

Here are figures that speak for themselves: In 1984, 40% of U.S. households had a vegetable garden. Those households spent, on the average, $32 for gardening materials, worked one to four hours a week tending their gardens, and harvested produce worth $356. The total yields of household gardens in the U.S. came to 13.5 billion pounds, with a retail value of $12 billion. It's interesting to note that the wealthiest households—those with incomes over $40,000—were the most likely to have gardens, while households bringing in less than $7,000 were the least likely. Lack of space and too little time were the most common reasons given for not planting.

Milk Does More

A few extra glasses of skim milk daily may be better than calcium supplements for postmenopausal women, who are often prone to osteoporosis. Scientists stumbled onto this while trying to determine if milk could be as effective as calcium carbonate supplements. Not only was the extra milk just as effective at retarding bone loss, but it did not suppress bone renewal, as the supplements tended to do. By the way, a glass of warm milk before bed might be good for something more than just a good night's sleep: The body has to draw on the bones' calcium reserves at night, a critical loss for people prone to osteoporosis. Some scientists believe that an extra calcium boost before bed would forestall this loss.

Other studies suggest that calcium could play a vital role in fortifying the body against heart disease and cancer. Researchers report that men whose diets were low in vitamin D and calcium had a colorectal cancer rate better than twice that of men who had a relatively high intake of these nutrients. And the February Journal of Nutrition cites a study indicating that calcium might discourage the formation of plaque in blood vessels. Just don't take too much vitamin D with your calcium: The same study warns that excessive levels of vitamin D might promote calcification, the deposition of calcium in the form of plaque.