Broadleaf plantain is one of those common "yard plants" that many people recognize as a skin-soother, but fewer people think of as food. The flowering shoots — the young, tender stalks that rise from the center of the plant — are a particularly practical edible part: they're easy to harvest in quantity, they cook quickly, and they contain many of the same plant compounds that … [Read more...] about Why People Eat the Flowering Shoots of Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major)
Wildlife & Nature
Woman Checks Shelter Adoption Site and Finds Her Dog Who Disappeared Two Years Ago
A Pennsylvania woman has been reunited with her dog more than two years after he disappeared, following a chance discovery on a local animal shelter's adoption website. Aisha Nieves, from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, had a close bond with her pitbull-rottweiler mix, Kovu. "He was my baby. He would go with me everywhere. He would sleep in my bed," she told WFMZ. … [Read more...] about Woman Checks Shelter Adoption Site and Finds Her Dog Who Disappeared Two Years Ago
A £50 “Fox Head” Bought at a Market Just Sold for £60,000 — Because It’s an Extinct Tasmanian Tiger
Someone paid £50 for a taxidermy "fox head" at a West Country antiques fair because its slightly ridiculous googly eyes made them laugh. Weeks later, it sold at auction for £60,000 — after two sharp-eyed bidders independently realized it wasn't a fox at all, but the head of a thylacine: the extinct Tasmanian tiger. A Mislabeled Rarity The mount had been catalogued at … [Read more...] about A £50 “Fox Head” Bought at a Market Just Sold for £60,000 — Because It’s an Extinct Tasmanian Tiger
A Pigeon Dyed Pink for a Gender Reveal Died After Being Abandoned in a NYC Park
A domestic pigeon found wandering New York City's Madison Square Park in bad shape turned out to have a far more disturbing backstory than a simple case of a lost bird. He'd been dyed bright pink — and abandoned once whatever event he was used for was over. Found in Bad Shape A passerby spotted the pink-colored pigeon near the Flatiron District park in late January 2023 … [Read more...] about A Pigeon Dyed Pink for a Gender Reveal Died After Being Abandoned in a NYC Park
Woman Reunites With Her Emotional Support Dog Who Was Missing for 2 Years: “Not a Dry Eye in the Room”
It's always heartbreaking when a pet goes missing, especially when it's a pet you depend on for emotional support. But sometimes lost pets return when we least expect them — months or even years after they disappeared. That's exactly what happened for one Indiana woman, reunited with her emotional support dog after two years apart. Two Years of Not Knowing Samantha … [Read more...] about Woman Reunites With Her Emotional Support Dog Who Was Missing for 2 Years: “Not a Dry Eye in the Room”