The omnipresent nature of plastic waste threatens the environment in all sorts of ways, particularly as it is broken down into tiny fragments known as microplastics. This includes contaminating soil ...

“When Latvians drink birch sap, it’s a sign of spring coming,” says Ervins Labanovskis. It’s been consumed here for centuries; folk songs reference the birch tree’s alleged magical and medicinal ...

The trees are largely Scots pine and birch, with birch being one of the earliest deciduous trees to come into leaf.