We have many plans to improve our Hawaiian greenhouse this winter, including the installation of a heat system and possible introduction of tropical reptile such as geckos or anoles. Yellow 'Ilima, a coastal endemic vine i found in Hawaii last year Though doable, such plans will take time and effort to implement, as they are expensive and might take convincing from my parents (especially letting feral lizards in a backyard greenhouse). For now, we can focus on what’s doable-p

Termites. The bane of a homeowner's existence. Known for their greed and their voracious demolition of wood, termites are often regarded as major pests in the United States and Canada. People often overlook termites as pest insects. That's 100% true - many species such as Incisitermes minor and Reticulitermes hesperus are major pests in California. But termites are much more than just pests. Termites are more intelligent than you think as they make the some of the most ef

We have sadly decided to shut down our biggest marine tank, the Happy Nature Sanctuary, due to a combination of reasons. Algal blooms . Algal blooms were extremely persistent in the tank. No matter how hard we tried, it was near impossible to remove them. Temperature control. Since the tank gets direct sun exposure each day, this contributes to algal blooms and fluctuating temperatures, which damage and kill our animals, who prefer waters below 60ºF. Water chillers were an o