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On an unseasonably warm winter afternoon, three women armed with baskets and shears made their way along a nature trail in the woods of Pike County, Georgia. Peering into the underbrush, they stopped occasionally to examine spots of interest in and under the trees and around fallen logs and decaying stumps. A curious observer might wonder what they were searching for with such intent — unless they overheard the trio’s conversation. 

Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., but it can be detected and mitigated with the help of local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service offices across the state. Radon comes from the breakdown of uranium in granite and rocky soils, so Georgia’s wealth of granite bedrock increases the chance of household radon for its residents.

As autumn approaches and the stifling heat of summer begins to cool down, spending more time outdoors may be on your radar. But, as Georgia is home to many stinging and biting insects, fall fun can turn into a minefield of discomfort. Elmer Gray, a research entomologist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and specialist for UGA Cooperative Extension, shares information on some of the season's most common culprits, urging residents to stay vigilant and take preventive measures.

It’s summertime, and there are a few things residents of the Deep South can count on this time of year — heat, humidity and insects. Fireflies and cicadas are popular topics these days, but of all the creeping, crawling, buzzing creatures that bug us, one is met with near-universal revulsion — the cockroach. Whether you’re new to the South or a lifelong resident, you’ve likely run into one of the several species of cockroaches that are common in the region.

Three years after its debut, the Georgia Green Landscape Stewards program is expanding throughout the state with the assistance of University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener volunteers. Using a points-based system, the program has certified more than 200 private properties, public spaces and pollinator gardens in 47 counties as Georgia Green Landscapes, with new applications coming in every month.

Spring is approaching and now is a great time to schedule a community clean-up event. These events can be organized by citizens, civic groups or local governments and often have a theme or targeted area in a town or community. Clean-up events provide many benefits to a community including raising the awareness of litter prevention, developing pride in our communities and restoring the natural environment.

Composting has become a popular topic in recent years, and many of us have heard that it is something we should be doing in some form. But why? There are many reasons that individuals, communities and governments promote composting, with some focused on diverting compostable waste from landfills and others who are in it for the dirt.

Uttam Saha, member of the University of Georgia Radon Team and program coordinator of the UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories, said that while indoor air has traditionally been the focus of radon testing, another, lesser-understood route of exposure to radon is through household water — primarily when it is supplied by a private well.

University of Georgia researchers in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering are wrapping up the final year of a study to develop improved, cost-effective treatment systems with advanced technologies for removing polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances from water, wastewater and biosolids. The team was awarded nearly $1.6 million through a congressionally mandated grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to mitigate PFAS.

They have been described as palm-sized, parachuting creatures with the potential to spread up the East Coast. Now dozens of webs are appearing in trees, on fences and in gardens around the Southeast, and social media and message boards are buzzing with Joro spider sightings. Discussions of eradication methods ranging from chemical sprays to “Joro sticks” are rampant. Joro season is here.