WILDLIFE

Everglades' wood stork enjoys a rebirth

A boom in breeding by the rare wood stork has added fuel to developers' argument that the bird no longer belongs on the endangered list.

'Green' Staples earns gold certification

A Miami Staples is the only retail store in the city to earn a gold LEED certification.

Greening up the house

Rebates and tax credits are motivating people to make their homes more energy efficient.

Don't let precious water just run away

Environmental advocates and folks with green thumbs are revving up interest in rainwater. Specifically, they're keen on snatching a valuable resource that otherwise just washes away.

AIR CONDITIONING

Five things you need to know about cooling your house

Spring is the season to start thinking about air conditioning -- or at least to have the gizmos looked over. The cooling systems in this country are due for a big change come Jan. 1, 2010 -- in an effort to comply with an international green treaty and spare the ever-depleting ozone layer.

Rebates, tax credits motivate people to make homes energy efficient

What's new about saving energy this Earth Month? Saving money. Solar power is powering along so well in the Florida Keys that Thomas and Mary Ellen Operchal received a check from the Florida Keys Electric Co-op for $122 this month. That's because they produced more electricity than they could use from the rooftop photovoltaic system on their Marathon house so they sold the excess for use on the Co-op's distribution system.

Pricey solar panels worth it in long run

As he looked over the top of a ladder at the roof of a Miami Beach home, developer Ronald James Migoya was amazed by what he saw. ''You have to see this,'' he called to his business partner below.

KITCHEN

8 ways to save energy

Cooking habits can have a significant impact on energy efficiency. Here are a few ways to save energy while working in the kitchen:

HOME ENERGY

How much money is saved by turning off the lights?

Q: I've seen you write a number of times that turning off lights when you leave a room that is empty will help save energy. I appreciate the thought, but come on, how much energy and money does this really save?

HELP WANTED

Volunteers to plant mangroves at John U. Lloyd Park in Dania

The Kids Ecology Corps and the Audubon Society invite you to participate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 19 for a TogetherGreen Volunteer Day at John U. Lloyd Park, Sheridan Street and A1A in Dania Beach.

April 5-11

National Week of the Ocean

WEEK OF THE OCEAN Pick up debris you see along the beach before you hop on your boogie board -- do your part to celebrate the 24th Annual National Week of the Ocean Sunday to April 11. Volunteers encourage 'activities to create awareness of the beauty and fragile nature of the oceans.' For more information: www.national-week-of-the-ocean.org.

FAIRCHILD CHALLENGE

Nature program for Miami-Dade students deemed a success

Through debates, school gardens and art competitions, the Fairchild Challenge engages 60,000 Miami-Dade students in environmental issues.

SOLAR POWER

Put the sun to work at home

You may not be able to spend thousands of dollars to convert your house to solar power. But there are smaller, less expensive ways to do your environmental part with the sun's help.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Tweak gardening practices as the weather goes to extremes

As climate change brings weather extremes, hotter temperatures and increasing demand on a diminishing water supply, not only our gardens but our gardening techniques must be fine tuned.

Go green online at college

Miami Dade College North Campus is offering online courses for green professions, including energy efficiency, photovoltaic system design and installation, green purchasing fundamentals and fundamentals of solar hot water heating.

FAMILIES

Attempt to go plastic-free encounters unexpected challenges

Amid a recent flurry of worrisome reports about plastic, a simple question came up: Could we live without it? Could my typical family -- a mom, a dad, a 3-year-old girl and a 7-month-old boy -- put aside the very material of American lives, the products that greet us after birth in the diapers we wear?

As climate change turns up the heat, how can our gardens survive?

Climate change promises hotter temperatures, heavier downpours and more intense hurricanes -- and changes in our gardens. Scientists predict that in the near future the southeastern United States will be wetter, but Florida may be drier. That could mean more wildfires and more stress on the water supply even though water restrictions are already in place.

FESTIVAL

Everything green on display in Coral Gables

A green dorm room and urban garden, solar power, recycled glass and other green building products will be part of A Tropical Green Festival at the Coral Gables Farmers Market from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in front of City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way.

Renewable energy gets push in Florida Legislature

Florida electric companies would have to rely on an increasingly heavy mix of wind, solar and biomass to generate their power over the next 11 years, under a proposed rule state regulators voted to send to the Legislature late Thursday.