Lexington Park Elementary School students create homes for oysters - SoMdNews.com

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• Lexington Park Elementary School students create homes for oysters - SoMdNews.com
• Mold Allergies May Be Making You Sick All Year - Newsmax
• Spring Cleaning for Your Health: 9 Tips - Thrive Global

Lexington Park Elementary School students create homes for oysters - SoMdNews.com Posted: 25 Apr 2019 09:15 PM PDT STEM students at Lexington Park Elementary School built new homes for oysters in the school's parking lot this week. "These are basically artificial reefs," John Spinicchia, who teaches the natural resources management program at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center, said. The reef balls will be placed in local rivers as habitat for oysters. The project is run by the St. Mary's River Watershed Association, Maryland's Coastal Conservation Association and Friends of St. Clement's Bay, with help from the natural resource management students from the Forrest center. The organizations brought the project to Christina Sterling's fifth-grade STEM class on April 24. The students were instructed to use hammers, rubber balls, sand and concrete to build the reef balls. The balls, which will eventually mimic a reef, are designed to create a healthier marine habitat by allowing bunches of baby oysters to attach and grow. The bivalves are described as filter feeders; a single oyster can filter 50,000 gallons of water a day. "Lots of other species depend on how they filter the water," Lyla Jolly, a fifth-grader, said. Over the years, the number of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has plummeted. Liam Shilling, a fifth-grader, said he learned that only 1% to 2% of the amount of oysters that existed during the time of the first settlers remain today. His classmate, Davion Parker, added that the goal is to increase the oyster population to 10% by 2025. Sterling said her students have been learning about oysters and their role in the environment. "Oysters are basically in some of their backyards," she said. Sterling called her students future scientists and engineers, and said it's best to start these kind of projects and lessons early. In attendance Wednesday was Jason Hayes, the school system's supervisor of science. He described the work as "fantastic" and "amazing. These kids, being in fifth grade now, in four to five years they'll see the fruits of their labor," he said about the project. Students formed groups of three and hammered together the reef ball molds made of fiberglass. Eli Jiang, one of the fifth-graders, said he enjoys building the reef ball. He described it as a place "where oysters will live when it's safe. And there's holes in it so other critters like crabs and fish — that's where they'll hide." Once the mold was put together, the students stuffed nine rubber balls inside, which will eventually create holes in the concrete. The next instruction was to create the cement by mixing sand, gravel and water together and pour it inside the mold. Once the concrete is dried and the balls are removed from the mold, the reef balls will look like half-circles with nine circular holes all around. "These reef balls can hold up to 1,000 oysters," Parker said. Once complete, the reef balls will be placed in the Chesapeake Bay. Twitter: @KristenEntNews

Mold Allergies May Be Making You Sick All Year - Newsmax Posted: 08 Apr 2019 12:00 AM PDT If your allergies seem to be more year-round than seasonal, you may be allergic to mold spores. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America while the really severe mold season lasts from July to mid-fall, mold and mildew can become a nuisance anywhere and at any time of the year. "It's estimated that 25 percent of people who have allergies are allergic to mold," Dr. Andy Nish, MD., an allergy and asthma specialist from Gainesville, Georgia, tells Newsmax. "The symptoms of mold allergy, particularity from indoor molds, may be even more insidious than springtime pollens would cause. "That is because the exposure may be more prolonged instead of occurring in peak and valleys when you are outdoors. Mold allergies can cause more inflammation in the body so you may have more nasal congestion and if it triggers asthma, you may have difficulty exercising or sleeping through the night," says the expert. AAFA explains that if mold spores get into your nose, they can cause allergy symptoms, and if they get into your lungs, they can cause asthma. Typical allergic symptoms, besides nasal congestion, include: Itchy, watery eyes Sneezing Rashes Stomach cramps Vomiting Diarrhea Bloating Typical asthma symptoms include: Coughing Wheezing or making a whistling noise when you breathe Shortness of breath Rapid breathing Chest tightness Nish says that in preventing mold allergies, "the best offense is a good defense." Here are some suggestions: Wear a dust mask if you are working outdoors cutting grass, digging around plants, picking up leaves or disturbing other plant materials. Keep the windows of your car and house closed to minimize exposure to mold. Limit your exposure to mold spores outside when the mold count is high, says AAFA. Stay indoors. To reduce your exposure to mold inside the home, use a certified asthma and allergy friendly filter with your central air conditioning. For more allergy-friendly products check out the asthma & allergy friendly certification program. Lower your indoor humidity. No air cleaners can work efficiently if there is too much moisture in the air. If your indoor humidity is above 50 percent, mold spores will thrive. AAFA recommends keeping the humidity in your home below 45 percent but 35 percent is better. Pay close attention to mold building up in areas like the basement, laundry room or bathrooms and be aggressive in reducing dampness. Improve the air flow throughout your rooms and use exhaust fans if necessary. Fix any leaks promptly. Make sure that rainwater drains AWAY from your house. If these steps do not alleviate your allergies, speak to your healthcare provider about taking medication or having allergy shots to reduce your symptoms, says Nish.

Spring Cleaning for Your Health: 9 Tips - Thrive Global Posted: 10 Apr 2019 12:00 AM PDT Tips to make your home healthier this Spring. When you're cleaning your home this spring, think about all the benefits it brings. Yes, a good scrubbing removes harmful allergens and bacteria, but spring cleaning also improves your mental health. A cluttered home raises stress levels. Over time, higher stress levels lead to health issues. So think of it as cleaning for your body and mind. And don't forget that cleaning and maintaining your home leads to annual energy savings — that makes for a healthier wallet. Understanding all these implications helps you make better decisions about how to clean your home. Here are nine spring cleaning tips that will have you healthier and wealthier. 1. Clean Your HVAC Air Ducts Replacing your HVAC system's air filter will eliminate the spread of allergens, bacteria, and mold. But don't forget your system's ductwork. It also collects mold, dust, and debris that your filter can't catch. Check for signs of dust and mold around your air vents. These indicate you're in need of a duct cleaning. Or if your home is ten years or older and has never had a duct cleaning, it's time to get your HVAC system serviced. Test your A/C to make sure it is in working order and the right size for your home. Regular maintenance ensures your system will last many seasons. 2. Check for Leaking Water Pipes As winter snow thaws, it may reveal leaking or busted water pipes. Left untreated, wet areas around your hot water tank or under your sink can grow toxic black mold. The spores from black mold can cause a range of problems, from chronic coughing to bleeding in the lungs and nose. Check all the areas of your home where water pipes are present, especially those within external walls. Look for evidence of mold around the base of your shower, dishwasher, and clothes washer. Even better, install a smart home leak detector. These devices will automatically alert you to leaks before they destroy your home and threaten your health. 3. Inventory Your Medications Now that cold and flu season is on its way out, inventory your medicine cabinet. Throw away any expired medication, both prescription and over-the-counter. Out-of-date meds and vitamin supplements aren't effective. They won't help you or your family when you need allergy or pain relief, so replace them instead. But don't throw them in the garbage or flush them down the toilet. Chemicals from medications can seep into the water table or poison animals that take them from the trash.  Follow FDA guidelines for how to dispose of unused medications. 4. Prepare Your Humidifier for Storage If you use a humidifier during the winter months, clean it properly before storing it for summer. Left uncleaned, humidifiers are ideal breeding grounds for mold, bacteria, and germs— serious health hazards for those with asthma or allergies. And dirty humidifiers can even cause infections of the lungs. 5. Clean Your Pillows and Mattresses Many people are allergic to dust mites — those microscopic bugs that live within our pillows and mattresses. When you remove these small critters by cleaning your pillows and mattresses, you eliminate symptoms of hay fever, sneezing, and runny nose. If you don't want to go to the trouble of cleaning your bedding, you can always buy new ones. Replace your mattress every ten years and your pillow every year or two. 6. Vacuum Under Your Bed By springtime, the space under our beds harbors a menagerie of dust bunnies and cobwebs. These nasty allergens are only a few feet from your sleeping face. Cleaning under your bed will cut down on allergy symptoms. Use your vacuum attachments to reach underneath your bed, or remove your mattress so you can vacuum and dust. 7. Replace Your Detector Batteries Most smoke and CO2 detectors alert you to batteries gone bad. But that doesn't mean these failsafes always work. Take time to test and replace your detector batteries. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced from burning fuels like propane, gasoline, charcoal, or wood. Unlike fire, you can't see or smell it coming. That's why CO2 poisoning is so dangerous for people who are asleep. They often can't feel the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning until it's too late. 8. Revamp Your Pantry The best way to spring clean your way to a healthier you is to throw out all expired and processed foods in your cupboards. Check the nutritional labels for added sugars and refined carbohydrates. Toss those unhealthy processed foods in the garbage bin and replace with mixed nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, organic fruit snacks, and kale chips. We tend to grab the first snack we see in the pantry, so place healthier options towards the front. Same goes for your refrigerator and freezer. And keep both well-stocked: A full refrigerator takes less energy to cool than an empty one. 9. Organize Your Bedroom for Better Sleep Your health depends on getting regular, restorative sleep. Without it, our stress levels rise, and our health declines. Clean sheets, mattresses, and pillows help. But so does an organized bedroom. While you clean your bedroom, rearrange it to be more conducive to sleep. Here are some ways to improve your bedroom's feng shui: Keep the air clean with an air-purifier or by opening the windows Cover up distracting light sources (e.g., alarm clock displays) Block external light sources like the sun or a street lamp with blackout curtains Install dimmer switches so you can control the brightness of your bedroom Cover up hardwood floors with rugs to dampen down noises Repaint the walls with calming colors like taupes, grays, whites, and beiges These nine spring cleaning tips are a good start. Some are simple, and others need more time and money investment. But all will help most people create a healthy home for their families. Your home is unique, so look for other ways to make it a healthier space, from rearranging your living area to investing in a new HVAC system.

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