“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be
judged by the way its animals are treated.”
—Mahatma Gandhi
by Sarah Lane
Now that school’s out and we’re heading down the front steps of summer, our children will rekindle their complicated relationships with insects and arachnids, frequently picking up and trapping, occasionally screaming at and running away from, and too often stomping and squishing them. But there are many good reasons to model a different way of interacting, helping our kids observe closely, admire and appreciate, and tread lightly when in …

by Sarah Lane
Living in an island community I am somewhat accustomed to the completely unnecessary exhaust-spew from idling cars in line to board the ferry. Even though drivers are told to keep their engines off until the ferry directors signal for them to start, some people simply ignore the rules and keep their engines rumbling ridiculously, chewing up expensive fuel and polluting the air. But this human tendency toward idling is never more annoying as it is when done during school pickup and drop off, when children with their young …