Published

12 months ago

December 24, 2024

Alice Rush

The amount of rain that falls affects our environment in various ways, from river flow to the availability of freshwater, but it can also shape the diversity and distribution of ecosystems within different regions of the globe.

A new long-term study of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) on Cousin Island has revealed that rainfall during the breeding season can affect “divorce” rates between the birds, highlighting the complex effects climate change can have on animal reproduction and conservation.

The study, conducted on a closed Seychelles warbler population, uncovered major findings on how rainfall and other environmental factors can negatively affect the stability of pair bonds in birds, a press release from Macquarie University said.

“This instability can occur because of the effects rainfall patterns have on the ecological environment of the warblers, where rainfall influences food availability, and nest/habitat conditions, all of which can affect the health of the birds before and during the breeding season and affect their ability to produce offspring,” A. A. Bentlage, a researcher in the School of Biological Sciences at Australia’s Macquarie University, told EcoWatch in an email.

Seychelles warbler pairs tend to stay together in favorable weather. Charli Davies

For species like the Seychelles warbler, who are socially monogamous, “divorce” refers to the breaking up of a pair bond when both individuals are still living. The mating strategy of pair bonding, observed in various species, has often been associated with lower reproductive success, or the number of offspring they produced as a pair.

Social monogamy implies that birds form a pair bond and spend many years — even lifetimes — with the same partner. Birds in these partnerships typically live and raise their young together, but they are not always sexually monogamous.

The relationship between divorce and environmental factors — especially fluctuations in climate — is still poorly understood.

“We analyzed 16 years of data from a longitudinal dataset to examine the influence of rainfall on the prevalence of divorce and the possible underlying mechanisms. First, we performed climate window analyses to identify the temporal windows of rainfall that best predict reproductive success and divorce. Then, we tested the effects of these temporal windows of rainfall on reproductive success and divorce and the influence of reproductive success on divorce while controlling for covariates using generalized linear mixed models,” Bentlage told EcoWatch.

The study, “Rainfall is associated with divorce in the socially monogamous Seychelles warbler,” was published in the Journal of Animal Ecology.

“We… found a complex, non-linear relationship between rainfall patterns and divorce rates, with divorce being more likely during years of both low and high rainfall,” said Frigg Speelman, a member of the science and engineering faculty at Macquarie University, in the press release. “This relationship was notably influenced by an extreme climatic event — the 1997 El Niño-induced rainfall spike.”

The researchers found a correlation between the extreme rainfall associated with the 1997 El Niño event and divorce rates of the Seychelles warbler. However, when they excluded this exceptional event from their analysis, it became clearer that there was indeed a negative relationship between rainfall amounts and the birds’ divorce rates.

The study did not find any direct link between the reproductive success of the birds and divorce likelihood, however, which suggested that there may be other factors influencing partnership stability.

Bentlage said rainfall extremes have a significant effect on the food sources and habitats of the Seychelles warbler.

“Extreme rainfall can greatly affect the ecological environment of our study population. For example, low rainfall significantly diminishes food availability by disrupting the development of insects that often lay their eggs in water, and heavy rainfall can destroy habitats/nests and make maintaining optimal body temperatures difficult for birds. Therefore, both rainfall extremes can impact the birds’ health and make raising offspring difficult,” Bentlage told EcoWatch.

The researchers found that the highest divorce rates occurred in years with extremely high or low rainfall occurring during breeding season, possibly affecting how the birds viewed their partners.

“Whereas divorce in many species is often correlated with poor reproductive success, our study found no evidence for this in the Seychelles warbler, suggesting that other, more complex factors may be involved. For example, the aforementioned rainfall effects may cause an increase in stress for the birds, increasing the instability of their partnerships as they associate the stressful period – that was caused by extreme weather – with their partner. Thus, extreme rainfall could misinform these birds about the quality of their partner, causing them to reconsider their choice of partner and separate,” Bentlage said.

The study builds on mounting evidence demonstrating how environmental factors — especially those associated with climate change — can have a direct effect on the reproductive strategies and social dynamics of wildlife.

The Seychelles warbler is a native species of the Seychelles islands. The rare birds are already facing a number of conservation challenges, which make the study particularly relevant. The findings of the research suggest the species could experience further stress to population stability and reproductive success due to environmental changes.

“As climate change intensifies, it is critical to understand how fluctuations in environmental conditions, such as rainfall, affect the stability of socially monogamous species,” Speelman said in the press release. “This research not only enhances our understanding of animal behavior in the face of climate variability but also provides valuable insights that could inform conservation efforts for species vulnerable to the effects of climate change.”

What other environmental changes and stressors are Seychelles warblers facing due to climate change?

“The Seychelles warblers are a great conservation success story as they were once on the brink of extinction, with just 26 individuals left in the world. After Cousin Island and the surrounding sea became a nature reserve in the 1960s/70s the population bounced back to stable numbers. Thus, they are doing quite well at the moment. Nevertheless, as a result of climate change, extreme rainfall events are predicted to become more prevalent and alongside them, other stressors such as extreme winds may also become more of an issue. Wind can influence territory quality on Cousin because wind-driven onshore salt spray negatively affects vegetation. Thus, habitat destruction that influences territory quality/food abundance may become more prevalent in a changing world,” Bentlage told EcoWatch.

Bentlage said the research team does not know how divorce driven by rainfall extremes will impact Seychelles warblers in the long-term, but once that is understood it could help improve future conservation efforts.

“We do not yet understand whether rainfall-driven divorce in the Seychelles warbler is adaptive, maladaptive, or has no effect on short/long-term reproductive fitness. As we discuss in our paper, it is essential to investigate the fitness consequences of divorce in the context of these extreme environmental effects to understand to what extent plasticity in breeding behavior may enable socially monogamous species to adapt to a rapidly changing world,” Bentlage explained. “Once that is understood, combined with our current knowledge of the negative effects of extreme rainfall on reproductive success, our findings can greatly inform population modeling and monitoring, such as using environmental indicators as early warning signals for potential declines in population stability. Also, for some species, such knowledge may even inform habitat management and conservation approaches that have specific climate change adaptations in mind. For example, efforts could be made to protect habitats or create refuges that provide optimal conditions during poor climatic periods.”

The post ‘Divorce’ Rates of Seychelles Warblers Linked to Rainfall Fluctuations During Breeding Season appeared first on EcoWatch.

https://www.ecowatch.com/seychelles-warblers-divorce-rainfall-fluctuations.html

Green Living

How Toad&Co’s Clothes Help Everyone Enjoy the Outdoors

Published

2 weeks ago

November 25, 2025

Alice Rush

This is a sponsored article about a brand that was independently assessed by our rigorous ratings system. We’re proud to only collaborate with “Good” and “Great” rated brands. Learn more.

US brand Toad&Co has a socially and environmentally responsible approach to clothing, creating pieces inspired by the outdoors and with a lower impact on the environment. Not to mention an enduring commitment to helping everyone get outdoors through its work with non-profits. Read on to discover the brand’s environment-first ethos.

Focusing on what matters most

“We make feel-good clothes for positive impact—fostering community around doing good, enjoying life’s simple pleasures, and embracing the unexpected,” says Sarah Palladino, director of people and impact at Toad&Co as she introduces the Californian brand. This “simple pleasures” concept applies to Toad&Co’s approach to design, too, and prioritises quality and responsibility over trend-led items. This, in turn, means the brand focuses its energy on clothes that are comfy and practical enough for everything from work to outdoor exploring, and on maintaining its ongoing commitments to using lower-impact materials, partnering with cleaner factories, and looking for new ways to do more with less.

Since day one, it’s been about more than just clothes. From choosing sustainable practices in every corner of our business to supporting programs that protect the planet and make the outdoors more accessible to everyone—knowing we stand for more is what keeps us going

Gordon Seabury – CEO at Toad&Co

Lower-impact materials and producer responsibility

Opting for lower impact materials is one of the core ways brands can address their impact on the planet: “Sustainable materials make a world of difference,” Toad&Co says. “We use organic cotton, recycled fibres, and other high-quality materials known for low-impact growing and cleaner manufacturing.”

The brand’s selection of more sustainable materials includes organic cotton, hemp, TENCEL Lyocell, and recycled fabrics like wool, cotton, and polyester. It also looks to third party clothing certifications like bluesign®, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, and Global Organic Textile Standard, and it publishes its list of restricted substances for all to see.

Toad&Co also operates a resale platform, called ToadAgain, online and at its IRL store in Maine, US, to keep its clothes in the loop.

Supporting non-profits and access to the outdoors

Toad&Co donates 1% of its profits to organisations working to empower others and, in particular, enable better access to the outdoors for all.

In 1996, Toad&Co partnered with Search, Inc. to co-found the Planet Access Company, a full-functioning warehouse that trained and employed up to 70 adults with disabilities annually.

Determined not to stop at the front door, the brand also co-founded Search for Adventure in 2004, a unique travel program to facilitate vacations for adults with disabilities. Over 20 years later, the social venture partnership has evolved—and includes a flagship store in Chicago, a program called Visibility Arts that nurtures creativity through sharing Search, Inc. artist’s work, neurodiversity and disability awareness training, and an expanded Search for Adventure program. In 2024, the brand supported 147 nights of camping for adults with disabilities through the program.

We give back to—and partner with—organisations that align with our three pillars of giving: conservation for human enjoyment, equity and accessibility, and do the right thing

Sarah Palladino – director of people and impact at Toad&Co

One of Toad&Co’s key partnerships is with Brave Trails, which is dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth leadership, to support it in putting on accredited camps, mentorship programs, and meet-ups for LGBTQ+ youth.

Shop favourites from Toad&Co’s new collection

Read on to discover some of the standout items that balance style with practicality from Toad&Co’s lineup.

Merino Heartfelt Hoodie

Woven with a beautiful alpine jacquard pattern, this hoodie is made from non-mulesed Merino wool and features pockets at the sides. It’s ideal as a mid-layer under a longer coat when you’re out exploring, or as a cosy item for grabbing a post-walk hot chocolate.

person wearing white knitted alpineglo jumper from toad&co

Alpineglo Sweater

This Alpineglo sweater is a blend of 50% organic cotton and 50% non-mulesed Merino wool, so it’s going to help regulate your temperature in most climates. On top of that, the neutral tone and straight fit make it really versatile—you’ll be reaching for it on the regular.

printed floral chaka trousers from Toad&co

Chaka Wide-Leg Trousers

Toad&Co calls these cropped trousers “sweatpant comfortable, going-out presentable”, which makes sense, given they’re made with organic cotton and Tencel Lyocell for softness and have a comfortable wide waistband, not to mention a pretty floral pattern.

people wearing reversible nomader jacket from toad&co

Nomader Reversible Jacket

This Nomader jacket is reversible, packable, and water-resistant. In other words, it’s the ideal item to take with you for outdoor adventures. It’s made from recycled nylon and lightly quilted for warmth.

person wearing printed padded manzana jacket from toad&co

Manzana Quilted Jacket

Toad&Co picked the crepe-like organic cotton for this jacket so that you could fold it away in a bag and have it still look presentable when you pull it out. It’s also packed with recycled polyester padding for extra warmth.

Balsam Cutoff Trousers

These Balsam Trousers are made with a tiny bit of stretch and a special waistband for comfort, so they’ll flex with you and feel good all the time. The neutral brown colour also goes with so many options.

Kennicott Shirt Jacket

Going from a walk to dinner? From the office to drinks? This Kennicott shirt jacket fits the bill for all of the above. The smart twill fabric incorporates recycled Italian wool.

Airsmyth Shirt

This is Toad&Co’s Re-Form Herringbone: a blend of recycled cotton and polyester that offers a soft drape and an attractive herringbone weave that looks smarter than the average checked shirt.

Balsam 5-Pocket Trousers

Like the women’s equivalent, these Balsam trousers have a touch of stretch and a comfortable ‘FlexForm’ waistband that mean they’re going to feel comfortable from the get-go—and you won’t need to worry about a belt, either.

Discover more of Toad&Co’s clothes.

The post How Toad&Co’s Clothes Help Everyone Enjoy the Outdoors appeared first on Good On You.

How Toad&Co’s Clothes Help Everyone Enjoy the Outdoors

Green Living

50 DIY Christmas Presents Anyone Can Make

Published

2 weeks ago

November 21, 2025

Alice Rush

Last Updated on November 21, 2025

If you’re on the handmade Christmas kick this year, you’re not alone. So am I!

I’m choosing presence over presents this year and bringing back the 90s Christmas I loved as a kid – simple, crafty, low pressure, and full of small moments that feel meaningful.

If you want to gift thoughtfully, and without breaking the bank, these DIY Christmas presents are for you. There’s something for everyone on this list – whether you prefer easy or complex DIYs.

I’ve included all kinds of DIYs – beauty, cooking, fashion, and practical gifts alike. Best of all? Many of these tutorials are zero waste (or close to it).

what are good homemade Christmas gifts?

Good homemade Christmas gifts include consumable items, like homemade nut butters, vanilla extract, or jams. But not all homemade gifts are edible – you can also make items like bath bombs, candles, body scrubs, beeswax wraps, and so much more.

If you’re extra crafty, you could even make wooden gifts (like shelving or tablet holders), ceramic items (like mugs or jewelry), or knitted/crocheted pieces (like blankets, scarves or hats).

It all depends on your level of skill, time at your disposal, and ingredients/materials you have access to.

50 DIY Christmas Presents Anyone Can Make

what are good inexpensive Christmas gifts?

Some good inexpensive Christmas gifts are DIY cornstarch ornaments, handmade body or lip scrub, seasoned salt blends, and homemade treats (like these chocolate chip cookies or vegan sugar cookies).

And never forget to hit up your local thrift store – you can find so many great items that would make affordable gift baskets!

Wrapping DIY Christmas gifts also doesn’t have to be expensive. Reusing gift bags and ribbons from last year, upcycling packaging paper, or even repurposing a scarf for furoshiki wrap are all low-waste and affordable!

how can I make a last minute gift?

You can make a last minute gift by getting crafty using the materials you have on hand!

For example, if you have a cardboard box, why not try making an upcycled cardboard dollhouse, vehicle, or pirate ship for a child? For adults, a DIY storage container or a shoe rack works.

One of my fav last minute gifts is scented bath salts in an upcycled glass jar – just a little Epsom salt and essential oil blends will do the trick!

Here’s my list of DIY Christmas gifts – something for everyone and every skill level.

Bath salts
DIY makeup like mascara/eyeliner, or lip to cheek
Bath bombs
Lip scrub
Lip balm
Face mask
Body lotion
Natural perfume
Dry shampoo
Shampoo bar
Body soap
Deodorant
Rose water toner
Hand-poured coconut/soy/beeswax candles
Simmer pot in a jar
Cookie, brownie, soup mix or hot cocoa mix in a jar
Handmade seasoning blends
Vanilla extract
Vegan caramels or plant-based butter wrapped in compostable parchment paper
Herb or citrus infused olive oil
Peanut butter + jam
Beeswax wraps
Apple or pumpkin butter
Sourdough or no-knead artisan bread
Finished embroidery hoops
Embroidered pillows, tote bags, clothes or cloth napkins
Sewn cotton rounds
Knitted scarf, hat, gloves, sweater, or blanket
Hand warmers
Quilt blanet, quilted coat or quilted wallet
Tie dyed secondhand silk scarves, clothing or sheets
Hand painted or drawn artwork
Air dry clay paint palette
DIY wooden frame for paintings or print photos
Handmade ceramics (mugs, chawan, chasen holder, vase, spoon rest, etc.)
Woodworked items (birdhouse, shelving, bookcase, wall guitar mount)
Carving wooden bowls by hand
Natural branch coasters
Plant propagations in one of these DIY planters
Seed balls using native seeds
Handwoven baskets or bowls
Macrame produce bag
Macrame plant hanger
Fabric paper mache bowls
Upcycled paper earring jewelry
Clay earrings
Handmade plush toys
Felt ‘food’ toys
Wooden toys (like vehicles, blocks, or dollhouses)
Knit or crocheted baby clothes

What do you think of these DIY Christmas presents? Let me know in the comments!

The post 50 DIY Christmas Presents Anyone Can Make appeared first on Going Zero Waste.

50 DIY Christmas Presents Anyone Can Make

Green Living

8 Best Non Toxic Rugs For a Sustainable Home

Published

4 weeks ago

November 6, 2025

Alice Rush

Last Updated on November 6, 2025

Did you know most rugs are made from polyester, aka plastic? Arguably, a good chunk of our furniture and home decor is nowadays.

And lets not forget – rugs can get a lot of foot traffic. If it’s made from polyester, chances are those plastic fibers are going to shed and get onto us. Or worse, in us.

8 Best Non Toxic Rugs For a Sustainable Home

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links; for more information please see my disclosure policy.

Microplastics have been found in human feces, blood, and even placentas. And according to a study from Stanford University, those who had microplastics in their plaque had a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and death than those who didn’t.

On top of this, 5 billion pounds of rugs go to waste each year – that’s 2% of total US landfill. And if they’re made from plastic? They won’t biodegrade.

It’s more important than ever to reduce our exposure to microfibers where we can. Which is why I’ve rounded up the best non toxic rugs on the market.

what is the least toxic rug?

The least toxic rug will have sustainable materials and use no harsh chemicals (like PFAs) in their production.

Here’s what to look for when purchasing a non-toxic rug:

Sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, jute, sisal or wool
Low-waste packaging + delivery
Natural, non-synthetic dyes
Third-party certifications like OEKO-TEK, Fair Trade, GOTs
Easy to spot-clean or machine wash
Available in various styles, patterns + colors to suit your needs

do all rugs have PFAS?

According to Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), only four samples of 201 carpets and rugs were found to contain more than 100 parts per million in their fibers, indicating PFAS were intentionally added to the products.

However, while PFAs may not be a huge concern for rugs, microplastic pollution is, specifically if your carpet is synthetic. Your best bet is to check the material your rug is made from and choose natural fibers whenever possible.

what is the best non-toxic rug for nursery?

The best non-toxic rug for a nursery would be made from natural materials like wool and organic cotton (which are soft on baby’s skin).

I recommend also checking for natural latex for the rug backing and underlay pads. Brands on this list that offer kid-friendly sizes and patterns include Lorena Canals, Nestig, Quince, and Loomy (more on each below).

what brand of rugs are non-toxic?

The brands of rugs that are non-toxic are listed below. I’ve gone ahead and highlighted some of my favorite features of each brand, but it isn’t an exhaustive list. Be sure to check out their websites for more information.