Earthwise Aware

48 'low carbon' initiatives assessed and found integral to the fossil fuel problem.

We reviewed 48 ‘low carbon’ projects and found they were becoming part of the fossil fuel problem These projects amplify the green credentials of fossil fuel firms while leaving their core business model untouched.

✨ Celebrating Melodie’s EwA Phenostories

Our community science work keeps growing thanks to dedicated contributors like Melodie. She was with us at Bellevue, and since moving to Chicago, she has found creative ways to remain actively engaged with EwA by developing resources for our participatory scientists.

One beautiful example of her contribution is the EwA Phenostories guide entry she created for buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), accessible in our Phenostories library that we develop on the iNaturalist Guides platform. This Phenostory presents this wetland shrub as a “living calendar,” helping observers read seasonal change through its buds, spherical “button” flower heads, and seed structures. Drawing on photos of buttonbush contributed by our community of observers across our various data platforms, Melodie’s entry turns buttonbush from just a name on a species list into a phenology companion, making it easier for observers to move from “I see a shrub” to “I see buttonbush in early flowering,” the level of detail that powers our climate and habitat change work.

By curating these guides from Chicago, Melodie shows how community scientists can stay connected and impactful from anywhere, through careful species storytelling, phenology coaching, and practical tools that support better field observations. And by weaving in community-contributed images, this Phenostory also celebrates the entire EwA community and the rich dataset you are all building together. Melodie is now working on the Phenostory of the red maple, so stay tuned for the next chapter in this growing phenology library!

Read more about Melodie ⧽ https://tinyurl.com/EwA-Melodie-VH
Check Melodie's Buttonbush Phenostory ⧽ https://tinyurl.com/EwA-Buttonbush-PS