A wholehearted Valentine for Earth this year will be realized through contributions from each of us in support of biodiversity in wild and cultivated landscapes. While cultivating a patch of ground for edibles and beauty, employ traditional organic methods. Purchase food from farms that implement the same organic methods, sometimes referred to as sustainable agriculture. In so doing, we contribute to nature’s communities of micro- and macroorganisms. Be alert to and eradicate invasives* immediately upon sighting even a single-one! “Be part of the solution, not part of the pollution.”
An aside for hands-on astronomy: From the winter solstice, December 21, 2024, to the vernal equinox, March 20, 2025, there are 89 days. The seasons are known as quarter days. Tomorrow, February 2, is designated Ground Hog Day. At 43 days since the first day of winter, Groundhog Day is close to halfway to the first day of spring. It is a cross-quarter day marker. Valentine’s Day seems a celebration in the same spirit, although, at 12 days after the groundhog tests the weather, we are closer to the romance of spring.
*As the growing season approaches, plan for stewardship of our native landscapes and become well acquainted with the threat of invasive organisms. Here are vivid illustrations of common invasive plants in our region.

succession. Photograph © Judy Isacoff, 2016.
The Invasion Curve diagram vividly describes invasive species as severe environmental and economic hazards. Written in the left margin of the diagram, “Area Infested,” matched with the right margin, “Control Costs,” a cost-benefit analysis for invasive plant management is highlighted. The longer invasive plants are left unchecked in the landscape, the more expensive they are to eradicate. At a given threshold, the environment is an unrecognizable wasteland that does not support native flora and fauna.
Stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum) is an invasive weed that is spreading along Berkshire roadsides and is jumping fences into our gardens and wild lands at an alarming rate. I have discovered it in my gardens and have begun to feel that I have weeded out our familiar weeds only to open the ground to marauding stilt grass. In this time of climate change, road-maintenance machinery will have to be powerwashed to stop the spread of invasive organisms. Also, washing our boots will help stop the spread from one location to another.
From addressing the menace of invasive organisms, we move to acting to prevent the ravages of climate change.

Let’s make it a groundswell!