Environment Blog Posts
October 27, 2023
Want your feathered friends to have a supplemental source of food this winter? Set out a bird feeder for them. There are many types of bird feeders, but they are not all created equal. Check out the common types of feeders and decide which ones will work best in your yard.
October 20, 2023
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love having pumpkin carving parties with friends. Pair the night with apple cider and a bonfire, and it’s my ideal day!
October 16, 2023
To rake or not to rake? Some people believe you should rake up fallen leaves, while others think they shouldn’t be touched. So, what is the right answer?
September 29, 2023
As of September 23, it’s officially fall! Cue the pumpkins, apple cider, and bonfires! The weather normally takes a while to realize that it’s actually fall but isn’t this cooler weather glorious!
September 27, 2023
The tufted titmouse is a bird you’ve likely seen in parks, woodlands, and in your back yard. They’re native to the eastern parts of the United States and are attracted to areas where there is an abundance of broadleaf trees, such as oaks, hickories, and maples.
September 21, 2023
Early fall is one of the best times to test your soil. A soil test can tell you if your lawn or garden needs critical nutrients and how much. This way, your plants and your wallet will stay healthy. You won’t waste your money applying fertilizer or lime that your plants don’t need.
September 8, 2023
Figs are in season from July to October. So, now is the perfect time to find some figs to eat and cook with! There are two main fig varieties found in Mississippi: Celeste and Southern Brown Turkey.
September 1, 2023
“Rockin’ robin, tweet-tweedle-lee-dee!” You sang that sentence as you read it, didn’t you?
August 29, 2023
September is one of my favorite months. The scorching hot temps will soon turn into nice cool weather, and the leaves will start to change colors.
August 18, 2023
You’ve likely heard of companion planting, but do the principles work?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no; and other times maybe.
August 4, 2023
If you hear a bird call that sounds like a fast, high pitched “chick-a-dee-dee-dee,” you can confidently say it’s coming from a Carolina chickadee– they get their name from this distinctive call.
July 31, 2023
August is typically a busy month for many people! The kids are back in school, and people are returning to their fall routines after summer.
July 24, 2023
If you’ve ever had an encounter with a horsefly, you know they are annoying. If you’ve ever been bitten by one, you know it hurts! So, how can you keep these pesky critters from spoiling your outdoor summer fun? The answer probably isn’t what you want to hear.
July 21, 2023
Believe it or not, fall is right around the corner. I know, I know, you probably just rolled your eyes as sweat dripped down your face from the summer heat.
July 7, 2023
Every Mississippian is familiar with the northern mockingbird. In 1944, it became the official bird of Mississippi.
July 3, 2023
And just like that, our mild, rainy summer has turned hot and steamy.
June 28, 2023
A lot of time and energy is put into caring for your lawn: mowing, fertilizing, watering, and everything in between.
June 23, 2023
While scientists know bats eat mosquitoes, the insect makes up only part of their diet. So the question is: Do bats significantly lower mosquito numbers?
June 19, 2023
What do turkey, water, willow, swamp chestnut, and white all have in common? If you guessed they’re all native oak trees in Mississippi, you’d be a winner!
June 9, 2023
During summer nights, something magical happens. Tiny insects light up the night sky, making summertime just a bit more special than it already is.
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About Extension for Real Life
Extension for Real Life is a product of the MSU Extension Service’s Office of Agricultural Communications.
That’s a long way of saying we are professional communicators who get to talk about food, families, 4-H, flowers, and farming for a living. Pretty good gig, right?
The three main writers for the blog are Ellen Graves (Seamstress of Social Media Strategy), Susan Collins-Smith (Content Connector) and Keri Lewis (Captain Cat Herder). But we get by with a lot of help from our friends in Ag Comm and Extension!
You can reach us at 662-325-2262 or extreallife@msstate.edu