http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/exotic/vegman/

From the Missouri Department of Conservation, this online manual for vegetation management in Missouri and the Midwest "was compiled from numerous publications and personal communications with land managers who are engaged in combating unwanted plant species. The primary source of information for many of the guidelines included in this manual is the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission's Vegetation Management Manual." The Missouri Manual includes management guideline sections for 24 problem species including: Canada Thistle, Reed Canary Grass, Autumn Olive, Garlic Mustard, Kudzu, and many more. The guideline sections generally contain: scientific and common name; a brief section on Species Character including habitat, distribution, similar species, and life history; Control Recommendations including recommended practices for high-quality natural areas when applicable, and Failed or Ineffective Practices. The entire Manual is available for download. [NL]

http://www.fatbirder.com/

Fatbirder website creator Richard Crombet-Beolens notes that his site "is an attempt to put as many birders in touch with each other throughout the world as possible to encourage friendship and conservation." Mr. Crombet-Beolens certainly seems to have succeeded with a website that contains a vast array of annotated birding links for a multitude of interest areas and locations around the world. The site's main sections include World Birding, Birdnews, Travel, Library, Bird Families, Ornithology, and more. The site also includes an Equipment/Supplies section, a Fun Pages section, and an Images and Sound section. Based on his extensive Internet surfing, Mr. Crombet-Beolens offers up a Fatbirder Top 10 Birding Sites as well. [NL]

http://www.ttorchids.net/database/index.php

Trinidad has long been a center for botanical study, both in regards to its own botanical treasures and as a base for botanists on collecting expeditions to South America and other Caribbean Islands. The Trinidad & Tobago Orchid Society carries on this tradition with projects like the Database of Native Orchid Species. The Database "was completed in 2003 with a listing of over 100 orchid species." Separate orchid profiles include a recently taken photograph, and many also provide a brief description that addresses color, size, flowering period, and habitat. Site visitors can locate orchid species by browsing the alphabetized index or by using the keyword search engine. [NL]

http://www.cityfarmer.org/

The award-winning Urban Agriculture Notes, published by City Farmer (Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture), presents a very impressive assemblage of annotated links to urban agriculture-related information in Vancouver and around the world. There are so many links that the site can feel a little overwhelming at first, but simply scroll down to the site search options, and you will be set to surf the different areas. Site visitors can search for information by geographic area (continents), and by such topics as Allotments/Community Gardens, Children, Urban Forestry, Livestock, Solid Waste/Composting, and more. Visitors can also browse a list of the most recently added pages and links, as well as a list of popular site pages. In addition, City Farmer hosts an Urban Agricultural Discussion Forum. [NL]

http://www.beesource.com/

BeeSource.com, a great resource for both amateur and professional apiarists, was created by Barry Birkey, a Web designer, remodeling business owner, and beekeeper. A stand-out website feature is the Plans section, which contains downloadable plans (with images) for a variety of beehives, honey extractors, pollen traps, an Apidictor, and more. The site contains many relevant news stories, and opinion articles, as well as links to suppliers of bees and beekeeping equipment in Australia, Europe, Canada, South America, South Africa, and the United States. The site includes a Bulletin Board with multiple forums, links to apiary discussion groups, and a page of annotated links. The site also contains hyperlinks to Beekeeping Journals and U.S. Beekeeping Associations. [NL]

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/coffee/

This artful National Geographic website serves up a virtual cup of coffee legends and information. The website is better suited for coffee novices than experts, as it provides mostly introductory information about this widely loved beverage. Site features include brief descriptions of significant moments in coffee history (beginning in Ethiopia around A.D. 800), an overview of basic roasts, and statistics for top coffee-producing countries (with links to country maps). The site contains a National Geographic magazine article about coffee from 1981; a list of related books and articles; and links to related websites. Site visitors will also find a Coffee Talk forum, which has not seen much activity in the past year, but has the potential to be a center for coffee-related conversation on the Web. [NL]

http://www.whfoods.com/

George Mateljan developed this not-for-profit foundation "to discover, develop and share scientifically proven information about the benefits of healthy eating, and to provide the personalized support individuals need to make eating The World's Healthiest Foods enjoyable, easy, quick and affordable." The World's Healthiest Foods offers a smorgasbord of information under the three main categories of Eating Healthy, Cooking Healthy, and Feeling Great. Site features within these categories include: Seasonal Eating, Essential Nutrients, All About Organic Foods, How Foods Help You Stay Healthy, About Popular Diets, and much more. One stand-out section is the Over 100 Quick and Easy Recipes section which provides a well-organized index of recipes, as well as a search engine with specification fields for foods to include, foods to exclude, and nutrients to require. The site also invites visitors to receive a free weekly bulletin, and to send in favorite recipes for posting. [NL]

http://www.pbs.org/edens/costarica/index.html

Part of the Living Edens natural history series at PBS, this attractive website shares biotic wonders from Costa Rica. The site's emphasis is primarily on animals with brief descriptions for crocodiles, monkeys, poison dart frogs, butterflies, four species of marine turtles, and more. For teachers, the website offers two lesson plans--on frogs and volcanic soil--designed for grades five through seven with lesson objectives, national science standards, material needed, assessment recommendations, and more. For anyone planning a visit to Costa Rica, the site contains an overview of several national parks. The website also contains a collection of annotated web resource links. [NL]