Could your garden shrub be giving you Lyme disease? Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a low-maintenance, brightly colored staple in yards across North America... but it harbors a dark secret: it’s an invasive species that's directly connected to the spread of Lyme disease. Notes: This is a critical thinking site, but ecology is my first love. In ecosystems everything is connected. Systems thinking can help us understand complex realities and offer a better chance at finding effective so

Welcome, brave soul, to the elite world of tick pet ownership! Forget cats, dogs, or goldfish—ticks are the low-maintenance, blood-sucking companions you never knew you needed. Here’s your satirical step-by-step guide to adopting and caring for your very own tick, guaranteed to make you the talk of the town (or at least the local ER).---### Step 1: Choosing Your TickNot all ticks are created equal. You’ll want to pick a tick with personality—think of it as adopting a tiny, eight-legged vampire w