The Rural Blog

A digest of events, trends, issues, ideas and journalism from and about rural America, by the Institute for Rural Journalism, based at the University of Kentucky. Links may expire, require subscription or go behind pay walls. Please send news and knowledge you think would be useful to benjy.hamm@uky.edu.

The Rural Blog

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Scientists 'drill, baby, drill,' and find freshwater deep beneath the ocean floor off the North Atlantic coast

Beachcombers find their treasure in washed-up items from the sea. Items include rubber ducks and diamond rings.

The U.S. is developing wave energy, and its success could help remote areas with no access to electricity

Simply adding ground limestone to rivers and oceans could decrease global warming, but the challenges are many

Flora & Fauna: Considering Waygu cattle; bot swims like a fish; maple syrup debates

Nature bits 'n bites: Unearthly fish; plant memories; forest tardigrades; gray wolves return; a very hungry beetle

The Earth is getting saltier, which threatens freshwater supplies, a new study shows

Finally Friday quick hits: Top rural restaurants, the 70-ingredient sandwich; farmer side hustles, Snoopy therapy

Flora and fauna: Terrier sniffs out turtles; mow less and pick more flowers; vultures threaten livestock; snap-pea science

Scourge of invasive plants and animals is an 'extinction event on par with the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs'

Chumash tribe's marine sanctuary proposal is progressing

Fur/feather/fin quick hits: Red knots gain from crab-harvest ban; overfishing hurts sharks; rabbits eat gardens and trees

Flora/fauna nibbles: Time to bake with rhubarb; bison hunters; it's okay to feed the birds; eat more beans

As offshore wind sails forward, fish habitats will suffer, and fishers fear getting 'squeezed out' of their livelihoods

Oil and gas industry has failed to keep pledges to limit methane emissions; 'There's no excuse,' world agency says