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Affordable housing across the nation and in parts of Idaho is at a crisis level. Half of U.S. renters are living paycheck to paycheck because they’re spending more than 30 percent of their incomes on housing.1 Meanwhile, the U.S. Green Building Council says buildings account for 39 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions per year…

Meet my friend, Tree (Mr. Tree in formal settings). Now Tree isn’t one to brag. He’s more of a strong, silent type. In fact, with all that standing around in the woods, some folks might think he’s kind of lazy. Truth is, Tree and all his buddies are pretty much saving the world. See, carbon…

The world’s oldest tree, a 9,550 year old spruce, was recently discovered in Sweden.1 This new-found spindly record holder is old even for a tree… right? Perhaps you are asking: How long does a tree live? While there are a few ancient giants (and dwarfs) who have seen humans move from tribal life to the…

The idea for Arbor Day originally came from Nebraska, where a lack of trees led to the founding of Arbor Day in the 1800s. Among pioneers moving ,into the Nebraska Territory in 1854 was J. Sterling Morton from Detroit. He and his wife were lovers of nature, and the home they established in Nebraska was…

10. Learn how Arbor Day began. 9. Find out about Idaho’s state tree, the Western White Pine.. 8. Buy a forest license plate and support forest education programs. 7.Learn how paper is made and try it with your friends or family. 6. Proudly wear an official Idaho Arbor Day T-Shirt. 5. Learn about all the neat things we get from…

Coeur d’Alene’s Winton Elementary School moved into temporary quarters in Hayden, Idaho, for the 2014-15 school year, while their permanent school facility is undergoing a complete ground-up rebuild. An all-staff meeting of Winton employees produced the idea that the school should choose an “identity” or focus area in which to distinguish themselves during and beyond…

When young Ashley Tate was hired right out of Eastern Washington University to teach earth science, physics, and to create a brand-new environmental science class at rural Idaho’s St. Maries High School, she knew exactly where to turn. “I had discovered Project Learning Tree via a mentor professor,” she recalls. “I found out I would…

An Oklahoma transplant who fell in love with the Idaho outdoors, Deanna Kinziger has a special appreciation for all things Idaho. She does everything she can to share her enthusiasm with her 10th-12th grade students at Lewiston High School. “I love being outside and sharing the wonders of biological diversity, the processes of the natural…

You may not be familiar with the name Will Nelson, the famous illustrator behind this year’s beautiful Arbor Day tee shirts and education posters, but it is almost a sure bet that you know his artwork. For the past 50 years, Nelson’s amazing watercolors of fruit, automobiles, airplanes and other items have been turned into…