Hold That Soil
(Page 2 of 3)
March/April 1988
By the Mother Earth News editors
Knutson writes, "Why an animal is on the road and what it was doing there a few hours or days earlier are recorded in its flat remains as surely as the history of a tree is recorded in its annual rings."
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The 88-page paperback, illustrated with sketches of ironed-out animals, provides fascinating information on the eating, mating and territorial habits of more than three dozen North American roadside animals, and discusses roads as habitat. It's available for $4.95 from Ten Speed Press, P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707.
Rails to Trails
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has published two excellent books on converting abandoned railroad beds to trails for recreational use. A Guide to America's Rail-Trails ($6.50) is a directory of the 125 existing railtrails in the U.S., which together total over 1,900 miles of trails ideal for hiking, running, biking, horseback riding and other activities. The guide lists each trail's location, length, surface type and suitable uses, and the name, address and phone number of the trail's manager. The second book, Converting Rails to Trails: A Citizen's Manual ($15), offers how-to information on effective trail construction methods and provides advice on such subjects as negotiating with the railroad and dealing with public officials. Both are available from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 1325 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005.
Taking a Breather
Shoppers in Tokyo, Japan, can refresh themselves at any of several O 2 bars, increasingly popular hangouts where oxygen is served instead of drinks. For the equivalent of less than one dollar, a customer can breathe for three minutes through a face mask hooked up to an oxygen tank. The bars are spin-offs from a marketing venture that began with the selling of oxygen in cans to athletes, to be used as mid-game pick-me-ups.
Poison Patrol
Wildlife deaths due to pesticide poisoning are on the rise. In an attempt to track the extent of the problem and substantiate the need for controls, Defenders of Wildlife has established a Poison Patrol hot line. Anyone in the continental U.S. who encounters a suspected wildlife poisoning can report the incident to an operator at a toll-free number: 800/858-7378 (a toll call is required from Alaska and Hawaii to 806/743-3091). The information you provide will be recorded and forwarded to the Environmental Protection Agency, which will use the data to help identify areas of the country where pesticide problems are most severe. For a brochure that provides guidelines to help you determine whether a bird or animal may have been poisoned, contact Poison Patrol, Defenders of Wildlife, 1244 19th St. N. W., Washington, DC 20036, 202/659-9510.
