So, what goes into determining Golf Digest's ranking of America's Best New Golf Courses? In 2019, over 1,600 Golf Digest panelists across the U.S. and Canada played and evaluated Best New candidate courses, scoring each in eight evaluation categories: Shot Options, Layout Variety, Challenge, Distinctiveness, Aesthetics, Conditioning, Character and Fun. The average scores of five of the seven categories were totaled, with the average for Shot Options doubled, to determine the final score for each course. Because all were new or totally remodeled courses, and thus still growing in, Conditioning scores were not included. Likewise, because of their immaturity, Character was not considered in the formula to determine the winning courses. We were tempted to include the Fun category scores, but decided its inclusion should wait for another survey in some future year.

Best New Private: No. 1: Ohoopee Match Club

Cobbtown, Ga.; 7,325 yards, par 72;

Gil Hanse, designer

Gil Hanse first looked at this piece of land back in 2005, when it was known as the Beaver Creek Hunting Plantation. When digital media expert Michael Walrath wanted to build his own course, Hanse showed him the land and suggested it was as good as any available. Walrath bought the plantation and Hanse started constructing the course in 2016. It was completed two years later as a match-play layout, thus allowing Hanse and team to design more bold, heroic holes you might not find on stroke-play layouts.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: Ohoopee offered one of the most unique and refreshing golf experiences I've ever hadCourse is located in a very remote onion farm area in southeastern Georgia, chosen for its sand-based soil, ideal for creating firm and fast conditioningAn amazing piece of property with four extra holes and two different routings. I especially liked the emphasis on match play and the half-par concept. No specific teesThe winner of the previous hole picks the next teeEvery hole was unique and they all seemed to fit seamlessly togetherTerrific piece of property and a great new design by Hanse that flows naturally with the terrain. I played with a tour pro, who found it to be a nice challenge requiring a variety of shot-making, and a double-digit handicapper, who found it playableThe four alternate holes in the Whiskey routing are beautifully paced as well and include two outstanding architectural features: the massive punchbowl green on the A hole and the boomerang green with a fronting grass swale on the D holeCoolest design feature was probably the elastic 13th on the original routing that can play as a drivable par-4 or as a long par-3. There's a fronting mini-Biarritz that dictates so much on the hole. It really makes the player think and execute. I should also mention that the par 3s were very well done. Each one felt like a completely different setting and the flexibility in yardages offers lots of varietyOverwhelming Aesthetics. At times, it felt like the South Africa Serengeti. At other times, it was like Yeamans Hall, Pine Valley, Tobacco Road, and the Australian sandbelt"

RELATED: A complete examination of how Ohoopee Match Club earned Golf Digest's 2019 Best New honor

Best New Private, No. 2: Summit Club

Las Vegas; 7,457 yards, par 72;

Tom Fazio, designer

Summit Club is the latest venture of Discovery Land Co., which develops luxury private residential communities throughout the country and in the Caribbean. It has used Tom Fazio as architect for a majority of its golf projects. Fazio told Golf Digest that much of the earthmoving required for the Summit Club project was centered around creating home pads on slopes of the golf holes, which he says fit naturally into the seams of the rolling desert next to Red Rocks park.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: In the city that makes outrageous the norm, Summit Club oozes with understated New Vegas coolLocated in scenic Red Rocks area west of Las Vegas Strip. Generous driving areas with lots of shot options into difficult and quick bent-grass greensThe aesthetics could be a little better but the water features are really nice and it also frames The Strip really well on several holesVery solid layout from start to finish with a good bit of variety among the holes in between. Many holes offer the opportunity to attack from various angles, particularly the par 5sThis width is welcome in a desert setting where, on other courses, shots just mildly offline lead to an unplayable lie amidst rocks and cacti. Here the opportunity for a recovery shot exists. Similarly, the greens are large but full of undulation, both marked and subtle, rewarding the properly-placed approach shotThe view of the Vegas Strip in one direction and towering mountains in the other provide phenomenal sceneryInteresting attempt by Fazio to create luxurious yet interesting golf in a more natural desert environment than at Shadow Creek. He has mostly succeeded, but I feel that it took more manufacturing and plantings as backdrops than anticipated to make it feel beautiful yet natural...Hidden agave bushes on multiple holes, where the finder gets a free shot of Casamigos TequilaWhile Discovery Land courses sometimes value the extras over the golf, Summit Club keeps the extras a bit to the side and allows the golf to shine throughThe practice facility is World Class with a multitude of targets, views of the Vegas strip and light rock playing on the speakersFirst time I've been to a course that had their driving range set up like a Tour event. The employees ask you what type of ball you play and then they bring you the same brand of balls to use in warming up on the rangeIt is very similar to many of Tom Fazio's high-end layouts in style and appearance and plays as a normal desert layout with each golf hole being individually laid out among the large property. However, it is more walkable than most desert coursesI would rank the golf course as second best in Las Vegas, trailing only Shadow Creek.

Best New Private: No. 3: TPC Colorado

Berthoud, Colo.; 7,991 yards, par 72;

Art Schaupeter, designer

Golf architect Art Schaupeter had designed Highland Meadows north of Denver in 2004, and half a decade later its owners retained Schaupeter to design another residential development course in the area, this time along Lake Heron in Berthoud. Work started in 2014, and within a year, the designer was told that the owners had contracted with the PGA Tour to become a TPC-licensed facility. So Schaupeter modified a few holes to accommodate the demands of hosting a professional golf event (it hosted a Korn Ferry Tour event in 2019 and will do so again in 2020). Among his additional features were several stacked-sod bunkers.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: Many risk-reward options on numerous holes. The second hole has a classical Biarritz green. The bunkering was very strategicTPC Colorado takes a tour around Heron Lake with excellent views of the front range of the Rockies. There are a variety of long and short holes, with a liberal dose of risk/reward to challenge your confidence on distance controlTPC Colorado is a thinking mans golf course with strategy off the tee and into greens necessary if you want to score well. One minute you can be playing well, and the next minute a pesky pot bunker ruins a hole and you make double bogeyPot bunkers make it a very appealing course to the eyeThe bunkering is truly unique, a lot of pot bunkering and giant stacked-sod sidewalls blocking recovery shots. They are a true one-shot penalties should you find yourself in oneThis course is going to rise up through the ranks quickly as it is very unique to Colorado, given the number of lakes it hasThe course doesn't play true to the length on the scorecard, due to angles, but the 773-yard par-5 13th sure does play true to its yardageOne hole I didn't like is the par-3 16th. The short length of this par 3 did not fit the flow of the rest of the course. With the total back tee length coming in at 7,991 yards, one has to wonder if the 16th was kept intentionally short in order to keep the total distance under 8,000 yards. Additionally, this hole is a severe downhill shot, which does not exist elsewhere on the courseReminiscent of Scottish links golf, but instead of blind shots off the tee, there are a few blind or semi-blind shots into greensThere are more blind or obscured shots than I expected, along with some forced carries to reach a fairway or green that average golfer will find very intimidating. The course felt unfair, too dependent on course knowledge at timesSod-stacked bunkers were exceptionally well-crafted and well-placedCourse markets itself as a Scottish links-style but it doesn't run firm and fast and the sod-faced bunkers look fake to me. They aren't made of natural materials and you can see they aren't real sod from 250 yards awayThe golf course is expansive, stretching out to almost 8,000 yards, but at the same time there are enough sets of tees that it can be played at 4,000 yardsGreen complexes seemed to repeat the same design of mounds and closely-mowed areas over and over. They were a bit overdone.

Best New Private, No. 4: Links at Perry Cabin

St. Michaels, Md.; 7,023 yards, par 72;

Pete Dye and P.B. Dye, designers

Pete Dye and his brother Roy laid out Martinham Golf & Country Club, later renamed Harbourtowne, in 1971. It was a primitive, low-profile design with small greens, shallow bunkers and, given the lowland site, soggy fairways. In 2012, Dye was asked to totally revamp the course for its new owner, Richard Cohen. The new Dye design follows the same corridors, but he vastly improved drainage by elevating fairways and greens. Dyes younger son, P.B. Dye, handled the project and finished the design after his father could no longer participate.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: This is a very good toned-down Pete Dye design. It plays through a housing development but the homes are well set back and do not influence play. The course has Pete's distinctive shaping and even includes his original trademark wooden sleepers, which he mostly abandoned later in his careerThis course might be labeled Pete Dye Reasonable. Fairways are generous, lots of green undulations, bunkers are fair, mounding significantDistinction is in the green designs of the par 3s including replica features of a Pinehurst No. 2 Turtleback, Yales Biarritz 9th and the island green at TPC SawgrassLots of risk-reward tee shots, my favorite being No. 14, a dogleg-right that bends gradually right all the way to the green, guarded on the right side by a long narrow bunker and water far rightWith the exception of No. 17 (a reverse replica of the 17th at TPC Sawgrass) and No. 18, which is a difficult cape hole with water up the entire right side, the course is eminently playable and fun for all levels of golfers. It didn't wow me but I enjoyed itIt's inland on eastern shore of Maryland, so were not going to see much undulation, but it has some scenic holes through the trees. Fair test and enjoyable courseThe course was overly fair, in that a scratch player would not find the course very challenging, particularly on drives. Many driver-wedge holes. Approach shots presented some challenge, as the greens often were quite sloped or had a couple of tiersLots of mounding but everything looked natural as a part of the terrain and not forced into the fairways. The mounding around the greens is much more pronounced and is smoothly carried into the putting surfacesWith the exception of holes 7, 8 and 10, this course began for me on No. 13 and proceeded to the 18th in Pete Dye fashion. They call it Pete Dye's Final Act with a Good Night Kiss, and those last six holes lived up to that moniker. Unfortunately, there were 9 other holes that were not up to Pete's established standard in design variety and shot options, in my opinion. But he did go out with six holes of which he can be proudPete Dye's last, but not one of his best.

Best New Private, No. 5: Aberdeen Golf and Country Club

Boynton Beach, Fla.; 7,091 yards, par 72;

Jim Fazio, designer

Aberdeen was once the most notorious course in Florida, a 1987 Desmond Muirhead design with a great landplan but some ridiculous holes, including a par 3 shaped like a snorting dragon (sand bunkers serving as eyeballs, nostrils and puffs of smoke) and an elevated tee box complex that that resembled a ski jump. Jim Fazio was hired by the club to resolve recurring drainage issues, and in the process, he totally redesigned Aberdeen, replacing every feature of Muirhead save one, the alternate island green on the par-5 fourth, which Jim altered and expanded. The course is wall-to-wall salt tolerant Platinum Paspalum irrigated by effluent water, a million gallons per day which the course is required to use.

PANELIST COMMENTS: Huge improvements over the previous course by Desmond Muirhead. Much more playable, and terrific green contoursThe layout design was strong, given the circumstances, but distinctiveness was low beyond a few significantly memorable holes Aberdeen is a fun golf course with a nice blend of shot options and distinctiveness. The options are best exemplified by the island fairway par-5 4th hole. You can take a 220-260 yard shot at a small island fairway, which brings in the opportunity to get home in two. Or you can play around the water as a three-shot hole. Even with that route, options exist on the layup depending how much of the water you want to take onHole No. 4 is 615 yards with a double fairway and Biarritz green!...Well-conditioned members course in a residential community. Entertaining and should appeal to a broad range of golfersThe best feature of Aberdeen Golf and Country Club is, by far, its conditioning. Its firm and fast with the greens holding fairly well. Beyond that, the course is ordinary at best.

RELATED: Ohoopee Match Club and Ozarks National: Golf Digest's 2019 Best New Golf Course Winners

Best New Public, No. 1: Ozarks National Golf Club

Hollister, Mo.; 7,036 yards, par 71;

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, designers

Johnny Morris, who founded the now-mammoth Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo. in the mid-1970s, is determined to transform the Branson area of the state, home to many country-music theatres, into a national golf destination. He started with buying Top of the Rock, a nine-hole par-3 course designed by Jack Nicklaus, and having Jack redesign it. He then bought Branson Creek, a Tom Fazio design which Morris renamed Buffalo Ridge, and brought in Fazio to redesign it. Next, Morris bought the defunct Murder Rock course, which listed John Daly as a co-designer. He kept the clubhouse but had Gary Player add a 13-hole par-3 course, called Mountaintop, and then hired Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to create Ozarks National, the flashiest course of the bunch, on rugged ridgetop land east of the clubhouse. On much of the old Murder Rock site, Morris has Tiger Woods building another new 18, called Paynes Valley. Sitting 200 feet below the clubhouse, it opens in 2020.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: Was totally blown away by Ozarks National. The rugged Aesthetics: High grass on the perimeter, asymmetrical traps and views of the Ozark mountains. It was as good as any course in the MidwestI was skeptical about the kind of course Coore & Crenshaw could build on hilly, rocky Ozark terrain. Well, they pulled it off. Built upon the tops of ridges, nearly every hole gives a great view of the Ozark mountains, with skyline greens and nods to some Golden Age design principlesWhile no pushover, wide fairways and large, relatively tame greens make this an enjoyable option for all players. But it is the setting and views that steal the show Stunning views from nearly every hole, minimalist teeing areas, very large greens, most with collection areas, some with false frontsThe setting is incredible and the commitment to a golf destination is eye poppingReally nice layout by the Coore-Crenshaw team. Surprisingly walkable course in the Ozarks with tees near greens. Holes skirt along a ridgetop with great views, allowing for some nice rolling terrain without being overly hillyThe course runs along the top of a ridge. We could see forever as we played... Possibly the biggest surprise of my course-ranking travels. With the severity of the land, I expected a really choppy experience, but was treated to a flowing, beautifully-routed course with unreal views. The playability was a little tight at times, but overall, they made excellent, strategic use of the landInfinity greens and sight-lines that stretch for miles add to the pleasure of the experienceEvery hole at Ozarks National was memorable and clearly distinct from every otherLove that you can walk off the green to the next teeing area. Very Old SchoolAn eclectic mix of classic-inspired golf holes, including drivable par 4s and stout two-shot holesMust do your scoring on front nine. The back nine is much more difficult. Holes 14 and 16 are very difficult par 4sAmazing views throughout, and some great risk-reward holes that can get you over or under par in a hurryYou have to pay attention to your target lines, as a combination of the routing and blind shots brings trouble into play...As a Missourian, I've been waiting for one day to have a course that belongs in the discussion for the Top 100, and I think we may now have one.

RELATED: A complete examination of how Ozarks National earned Golf Digest's 2019 Best New honor

Best New Public, No. 2: Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & Country Club (No. 4 Course)

7,227 yards, par 72;

Gil Hanse, designer

The No. 4 Course at Pinehurst dates to the early 1950s, when it was laid out by then-owner Richard Tufts. Several architects have since remodeled it, including Tom Fazio in the 1990s. Five years ago, Pinehurst hired Gil Hanse to remodel No. 4 to serve as a championship companion for famed Pinehurst No. 2 in the 2019 U.S. Amateur. Hanse completed the task in 2018, after first creating a nine-hole pitch-and-putt layout called The Cradle, on land right outside the clubhouse.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: Gil Hanse did a superb job in redesigning this courseSome of the routing has stayed the same, but the end result is much more natural and pleasing. The course seems to meld itself into the landscape. There are times where you see Course No. 2 next door; the two look like they belong togetherRouting changes in the Hanse redesign give the course a nice balance of length and flowA considerable improvement from the previous Fazio design. Much more compatible with the natural aesthetics of the Pinehurst sandhillsI have had the opportunity to play the old No. 4 and now the Hanse redesign. Hanse had great bones to work with and a large property with sandy soil to improve an already strong course. He delivered and built a really strong compliment to Pinehurst No. 2 What a change! This went from boring pot-bunker wannabe-Augusta to a super-cool mix of sandy wasteland and sandbelt-type stuffAn awesome experienceLoved the redo. Really put some bite into No. 4. Visually, much more stunning. This greatly improved the Aesthetics for meMuch the way No. 2 has the pine-to-fairway scruffy-and-scratched-out look, Hanse replicates this with a twist. There are quite a few more bunkers, specifically around the landing areas. As a theme and design concept, I wasn't 100% in favor with some of the fairway bunkering. The complex on No. 8 seemed overly contrived in comparison with the rest of the course. The faux Hells Half Acre on the reachable par-5 9th hole seemed to fit the theme of the course betterNew, wider fairways really highlight and utilize undulations that are not as prominent on the other Pinehurst courses. The cross-bunker on No. 9 really highlights the strategy and decision-making that is now required throughoutPrior to playing it, I was most interested to see how the pond would be incorporated into the new design. Those holes now stick out in my mind as very challenging and aesthetically pleasingThe only weak revision is the new par-3 fourth. While the interesting green complex makes a bunker on the left more forgiving than the dreaded downslope to the right, it still lacks the drama and excitement of the previous designThe elevation changes and the exceptional use of sandy, wooded, and lakefront property into each hole design set apart Pinehurst No. 4No. 4 is much more undulating than famed No. 2. Wonderful green complexes that, at times, feel like they're perched on top of mountainsKudos to Pinehurst for experimenting with complimentary push carts on No. 4.

Best New Public, No. 3: Arcadia (Mich.) Bluffs Golf Club (South Course)

7,412 yards, par 72;

Dana Fry, designer

When hired to design a companion 18 to Arcadia Bluffs the 20-year-old glacial beauty overlooking Lake Michigan thats ranked No. 68 on Golf Digests 100 Greatest, architect Dana Fry was given a disappointing site two miles south of the main course. It was seven different parcels of land, mostly flat, containing apple and peach orchards, a Christmas tree farm and a barley field. Knowing he couldnt compete with the dramatic topography of Arcadias ranked course, Fry opted to do something entirely different, a geometric style inspired by Chicago Golf Club.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: Course designed by Dana Fry, modeled after C.B. Macdonalds Chicago Golf Club. Fry very successfully accomplished his goal of building a very strategic course based on Macdonalds design principalsVery cool channeling of McDonald & Raynor in this new course. Very much a throwback, and a great, completely different compliment to the original (now Bluffs) course down the road. Nothing like it, but great in its own wayWhat appeared from the street to be a wide-open course proved to be anything but when playing itBrilliant in both concept and execution. An ultra-modern minimalist design that appears to have been diagrammed onto the site. The linear bunkering makes club and shot selection a geometry assignment, and the squared greens challenge the golfer to aim for actual quadrantsThis is a true links-style course with fast, firm, undulating fairways and greens and over 120 bunkers scattered throughout the course. Many of the holes require accurate shot-making and strategic club selection off the tee to avoid daunting bunkers visible everywhere... Back nine has different topography, much more elevation change and some very interesting holes, including the Lions Mouth par-3 12th and the short par-4 17th with Church Pew bunkers staggered up a hill on the left side. Lots of cross-bunkers add shot options and strategy off of the tees. The blind shot on dogleg-left par-4 13th plays to a punchbowl green, which has a lot of characterI have never felt more conflicted about an evaluation. This is an elegant, subtle course that was an absolute delight to play, providing endless strategic options and a look and feel that conjures up Chicago Golf Club. On the flip side of the coin, the holes are mostly flat and straight with similar looks and obstacles, and the property offers almost nothing to enhance the aesthetics. Still, I found the holes themselves to be amazingly beautiful. I could play this course every day, but there are some of our categories where it just doesnt measure up, which is a shameA course deserving of significant recognition and attention. The golf world needs many, many more courses like this one.

Best New Public, No. 4: Sage Run Golf Club

Bark River, Mich.; 7,375 yards, par 72;

Paul Albanese, designer

In 2008, Paul Albanese designed and built Sweetgrass on Michigans Upper Peninsula as an amenity for the Hannahville Indian Communitys Island Resort Casino operation. The links-style layout with tallgrass roughs was created from open farm fields. Over a decade later, Albanese has created another course for the casino, this one in hilly, tree-covered terrain nine miles from the casino. Named Sage Run, its been described as a thrill ride for golfers. Albanese was delighted to work on a totally different site than the first 18. Sage Run has a rough and tumble look with earth tones natural to that landscape, he says.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: The second course designed by Paul Albanese for the Island Casino on Michigans Upper Peninsula is excellent. It is a combination of open prairie links and holes with wide corridors carved through trees. A dramatic piece of property in terms of elevation changesCompletely different that sister course Sweetgrass Golf ClubThe architect used a massive ridge running through the property for tees, greens and even entire holes, like the uphill fifth and 16th. The third is an awesome par 5 with awesome bunkering in both the landing area and layup, reachable in two with great options off the tee, great options on your second and a cool small green perched on hillThe course plays along, up and over drumlin terrain. This creates a variety of unique holes. The course seems well balanced with holes being uphill, downhill, dogleg lefts and doglegs rights. This probably is its strongest attributeSage Run surprised me. I was not expecting such dramatic elevations in comparison to nearby, relatively flat Sweetgrass. Sage Run is a breathtakingly beautiful course but was very difficult to evaluate. It has to be played a number of times before you have any idea where to go and what to doBuilt to be rugged...Features old rock pilings from the original farm and sharp bunker edges with thick fescue around many bunkers. Many large tees have the natural motion of the landA beast of a course that conjures visual comparisons to Shinnecock. Wide variety of green complexes and a number of unique holes. Exceptional conditioning for such a new course, and I expect this should improveA truly exceptional layout that probably won't get the attention deserved, due to its remote locationThis was worth the drive. The property is beautiful.

Best New Public, No. 5: Corica Park Golf Complex (South Course)

Alameda, Calif.; 6,874 yards, par 72;

Rees Jones, designer with Steve Weisser, design associate

When George Kelleys Greenway Co. took out a long-term lease on the Chuck Corica Golf Complex from the city of Alameda, Calif., it promised to revamp the 45-hole complex, which sits on an island in San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. With Australian Marc Logan serving as project manager, Kelley hired Rees Jones to redesign the tournament-venue Jack Clark Course. But before Rees could begin, fill had to be brought in to elevate the property, which had sunk below sea level in some places. Sand excavated from the Bart Rapid Transit Systems new bay tunnel was trucked in, 400 truckloads a day, 12 cubic yards per truck. It took three years to deposit all the sand that Rees and the construction crew then pushed around to develop the brand new Corica Park South Course.

PANELISTS COMMENTS: Virtually unrecognizable compared to the tired muny it used to be. It is now an absolute gem and a terrific valueAnother great addition to the Bay area and a great valueThe makeover of Corica is remarkable. The course has been transformed into one of the finest public-access courses I have played on the West Coast. The addition of sand to provide contour to the fairways turned a flat golf course that lacked character into a course that contains a number of distinctive holesA links-style course with a reasonable amount of open area to recover, but punitive if too far off lineNow described as an Australian Sandbelt layout, it is a super-fun track, but by no means a pushoverStarts off with a rather sublime par 5. When you step onto the first green, you quickly see contours and levels that will require accuracy to get close to pin positions. Such contours are representative of all the green complexesJones gave low-stress options for higher handicappers on virtually every hole, but there are risk/reward lines as well for the stronger players. There are birdies to be had for sure. There also are demanding par 4s in the mix and the par-3 11th measures 240 yardsFor the most part, the course is very open and offers a lot of shot options. With firm greens, you actually need to anticipate the ball releasing and running out. However, holes 10-14 put a premium on target golf with very narrow landing areasHoles 13 and 14 felt very cramped-in and were disappointing, given that the rest of the back nine was really solid and had more creativity than the front If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, get out thereIf you have time, venture over and play the par-3 course as wellOverall, a course a lot of people will enjoy for years and years.

RELATED: Ohoopee Match Club and Ozarks National: Golf Digest's 2019 Best New Golf Courses

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America's Best New Golf Courses, 2019: An in-depth look at the public and private winners - Golf Digest

As the prophet of climate fiction, Jeff VanderMeer occupies a singular space in literature. His novels and stories exist at the vanguard of art and activism, with each one not only pushing the formal boundaries of literary science fiction, but advancing the conversation about climate crisis. Through novels like Borne and the Southern Reach Trilogy (whose first volume, Annihilation, was adapted into a 2018 Natalie Portman movie), VanderMeer has become a pioneer of the New Weird, a genre that subverts cliches of speculative fiction to create something dark, terrorizing, and wonderful.

Dead Astronauts, his latest novel, returns to the post-apocalyptic world of Borne, where three dusty spacesuits fallen from the heavens and embedded in the terrain made for a memorable, mysterious image. Dead Astronauts is a prequel of sorts, following those three astronauts as they square off against a nefarious biotech corporation known only as the Company, which devastated Earths biome by releasing bioengineered creatures into the wild. This is a Mobius strip of a novel, with each chapter containing worlds upon nested worlds, all of them dreamlike and dark. In this shattered landscape, VanderMeer explores urgent ideas about capitalism, greed, and natural destruction. VanderMeer spoke with Esquire about animal sentience, mindfulness in nature, and the relationship between beauty and morality.

Esquire: One line that struck me was this line of dialogue from the foxs narration: Do you have the new phone yet that someone made continents away because they were forced to, and then someone else starved to death because when they mined the components they destroyed all the croplands and the forest? I thought that was such a stunning encapsulation of late-stage capitalism. How much do you think about systems and their interconnectedness when you write?

Jeff VanderMeer: I think this book is all about systems. With Borne, the prior book set in the same universe, I had a decision to make: do I just call it City and Company? Because of late-stage capitalism, I thought that Company was actually not too coarse a granularity. Were literally surrounded by Company. If Id been writing this novel twenty years ago, I probably would have tried to name the company and give it more characteristics, but in fact were surrounded thanks to late-stage capitalism with systems that are hard to interrogate or push back against, because theyre often invisible to us, or theyre so tentacular that its hard to get to the center of them.

This book is meant to interrogate that world we live in, even if its a future of that world, and also to get at ideas of resistance that are not the normal ones you find in fiction. I found the idea of failure really compelling. In part because of capitalism, weve come to see activism as our metric of success by the same kinds of ways we assess success in our personal lives. There are ways in which an ambitious failure can still push things forward. If youre fighting something that is just so pervasive, theres never going to be one clear victory. Its going to be all these different things, where people may feel theyve failed, but they may have actually done just enough to make a change that eventually leads somewhere.

Paramount/Moviestore/Shutterstock

ESQ: As we think about activism and capitalism, the layers go up and up. If you buy buttons for protestors to wear, for example, youre likely participating in a corrupt system wherever the buttons were manufactured. Even our best intentions are corrupted.

JV: Exactly. We as novelists participate in our own corruption all the time. Even in writing a novel thats pushing back against capitalism, you get an uneasy feeling when you get to the promotion stage of it--a feeling that youre actually being counterproductive to what youre seeking to do. Its a tricky thing, but I thought that getting out of my comfort zone with different narrative effects would at least make people uncomfortable in a way that could get them thinking outside the normal bubbles.

ESQ: This is a novel very much concerned with multiples and doubles. You have multiple Mosses, multiple ducks, multiple timelines. What interests you about that idea?

JV: What I found hilarious about it was that multiple versions means continuity doesnt really matter anymore. That was very compelling. In all seriousness, I like the idea of characters coming into contact with different versions of themselves, and what that might mean emotionally and metaphorically. There are a lot of different things I thought those echoes might achieve. Theres also a playful element there in thinking about all these different versions of these same characters. I did try to keep track of them to the point where it would actually be dysfunctioning continuity, but not seem like a continuity error that wasnt planned.

ESQ: Whats the process of world building like for you? Where does it start and how does it pick up steam?

JV: Often its very character-based. Some people were frustrated with the Southern Reach trilogy because I was not willing to let characters know things that they wouldnt in real life know, which meant there couldnt be formal closure of plot by the end of the story. In this case, I think theres a semi-omniscient feel to some of the sections, so its a little different in that there does seem to be some authorial intrusion, but in general in Dead Astronauts and Borne, the idea is that the creatures and the biotech are the things that stand out as part of the setting. First of all, you pick whats going to be in the foreground. With prior novels, which needed intense history and world building, all that stuff was centered, and animals were in the backdrop. But here, that stuff is pulled forward, which speaks to the idea of symbolic imagery, because then those objects or animals have to resonate in a way that they wouldnt otherwise have to.

But really, its just by feel. You think about what a system like the Company would be in terms being so pervasive and seeming to have no centerthat helps with world-building. This novel was very organicnot that the others arent, but sometimes the material comes at you out of the blue, and large portions of this were like that.

ESQ: Speaking of the animals, we have to discuss the fox. In his narration, he rejects the construction of being a fox, saying that foxes dont agree with it. He muses, Do you ever wonder what it would be like not to live in the world of humans? How do you inhabit the minds of animals? What are your ways not just into the physical experience of being a fox, but the emotional experience?

JV: Obviously its impossible in the first place, but there are two things. One is that were often told as writers not anthropomorphize. In the current era, even pop culture anthropomorphizes animals in horrifying ways. There are all sorts of propaganda that literally have animals participate in their own objectification, which helps us avoid thinking of them as individuals. The other thing is that I always have a situation where the animals have been modified in some way. I have this idea in my head that they maintain the attributes of the animal, but they are in some sense an artificial construct, or have been somehow altered. Thats the way in for me. Even the fox, who is openly, blatantly rebellious, is still caught in the system. The fox never buys into these ways in which we in fiction want to have animals forgive us for what we do, or to overlook what we do to the animal world and how we exploit it. I did have to inhabit a different persona, because the fox is very extreme, but that was very liberating. Fiction should be a laboratory where you can express dangerous ideas.

Fiction should be a laboratory where you can express dangerous ideas.

ESQ: The fox also says, Humans were garlanded by us and yet never saw us. How do we get back to a place of seeing the animal world around us? How do we develop compassion and empathy for that world?

JV: I think its really important that we are literally in contact with it on a daily basis. On my social media, I talk about birds a lot; one reason I do that is because there are a lot of them in our yard, but also because theyre the kind of animal that a lot of people see. If people can actually begin to see the individual bird, can begin to disallow birds to become just part of the landscape, then thats one way of doing it. Before we wound up with this yard, I had no knowledge of plants whatsoever, and when I would hike, I was always looking for birds and animals. Now that I know the plant life, even our yard seems much more overwhelmingly alive. Suddenly the plants are no longer part of the landscapetheyre in the foreground.

I do think it is tough, because a lot of us are removed from that. Theres a lot of propaganda that tries to make us be at a remove. We cant get back to a pre-industrialized situation, even though there are activists that want to do thatwhich is problematic in some ways. Its a tough thing. I actually had somebody in an environmental class say, Im from a huge city, where we never see any animals. Why should I care about nature? I didnt really have a good answer except that we need it to survive. Its ethically and morally wrong to exploit all this life in the way that we do.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

ESQ: That connects to something you highlight in this book about how we rather erroneously center the human experience as the beating heart of life on earth, and thats just not true.

JV: I think it would be much improved if we were to decentralize. There was a point where we seemed to be decentralized. Once we realized that the earth was not the center of the solar system, that the sun wasnt revolving around us, that had a huge convulsive effect on how humans thought of themselves. Unfortunately, that hasnt continued, but it would be in our own best interest to decentralize ourselves and to see ourselves as part of a larger picture.

ESQ: Maybe things like the death of the bees will help nudge people toward that realization.

JV: I do think more and more people are seeing this. I was shocked when I started talking about our yard, posting photographs and talking about the process. I thought for sure I was going to lose thousands of followers. In fact, I gained thousands of followers. Every week, I get people emailing me or tweeting me about how theyve changed their feelings about their yard. I think there is a moment here where people are understanding that there are things you can doand its not one of those problematic privilege things, either. You literally can help the planet just by not raking your leaves and not mowing. You can make a difference just by putting out one pot of wildflowers. Its very scalable.

ESQ: You write, Chen cared nothing for beauty that declared itself, for the beauty that had no morality. When we talk about nature, particularly when we talk about what we stand to lose through climate change, we often talk about it in terms of beauty. Take the coral reefs, for examplepeople always cite them as something beautiful, as something we stand to lose. They dont talk about the creatures that depend on the reefthey talk about the aesthetics of the reef. Is that the wrong approach to this conversation, to think of nature as categorically good and beautiful?

JV: Its a difficult question. The reason its a difficult question is because we have done such a terrible job of researching and observing animal sentience. It was just a couple of years ago that we realized birds have the capacity to be twice as intelligent as we thought they were, because they have more neurons per micro-inch in their brains than we do. We realized that fish dream and that theyre social animals. Theres so much about the world we dont actually know. Im not advocating that all creatures have an intelligence and an awareness similar to ours, but at the same time, were learning that a lot of the things that we think of as consciousness are actually not really about free will. That combination of things is really important in terms of thinking about how connected we really are and how aware, in their own way, other animals are.

ANNIHILATION (The Southern Reach Trilogy)

Unfortunately this is something that scientists have had to buy into, too, which is to say that to convince people that somethings worth saving, they have to find the thing thats cute or beautiful. Thats often been to the detriment of animals that are not cute or beautiful. Were not seeing the full system. I understand the impulse of rescuing the frog from the snake, but my sympathy is partially with the snake. I think thats part of our disconnect from naturethere are things in nature that can be seen as brutal, but are really just part of the process. Of course, we do a lot of brutal things, ourselves.

ESQ: Elsewhere in the novel you write, No one should feel responsible for the whole world. Is that the direction you see us moving in, or our children and grandchildren?

JV: Obviously social media can be really good about spreading the word and helping people connect, but it also freezes you, because theres too much bad news coming in even when theres good news. I do think people are beginning to feel like they need to do more, like they need to do everything. You see these debates with regard to individual behavior versus changing systems. I tend to think its a combination of both, depending on the situation. You have to evaluate where individual action will make the most sense in terms of boycotts, and where you can systematically change the actual systems we live under. However, people just take on too much and get frozen. Ive been thinking about climate scientists, who suffer PTSD and depression almost constantly now. You have to find some way to get past that, to keep moving, to keep doing stuff. For me, as someone who isnt a climate scientist but still monitors this subject, its definitely working in my yard every day that gets me past that point and trying to just focus on the moment, which is something I think weve lost touch with, living in the moment.

I think weve lost touch with living in the moment.

ESQ: How can we regain touch with living in the moment?

JV: I think nature is a big part of that. Being out in nature is very restorative in terms of living in the moment, especially if you have the opportunity to hike in unfamiliar terrain. It reboots your senses. Its hard not to be in the moment unless youre the most careless person in the universe. I think its a mindfulness that we have to relearn, that we have to consciously think of. You have to consciously say, Okay, Im going to leave all the accoutrements of technology behind if I go to a public park or walk around my neighborhood. Im going to try in this moment to see the things that Ive rendered invisible.

ESQ: We now have a word for the genre you write in: climate fiction. As we continue to negotiate what the genre can do and be, what do you see as the purpose of climate fiction? Is it art, activism, or some of both?

JV: I think you see a lot of artists grappling with this in different mediums. You think, If Im trying to get across a message and if I go too far away from what you might call commercial modes of fiction, then I begin to potentially lose readers. Then again, if I convey my message in very commercial narrative strategies, then Im also losing something, because Im unable to effectively convey the complexity of what it is that Im trying to convey.

People are misconstruing climate fiction with science fiction. Because were actually living through it, climate fiction should be anything that grapples with the climate crisis, including contemporary fiction that has no speculative element whatsoever, as well as poetry and other forms. Everyone should realize that if you want to grapple with this, you dont have to write science fiction. In actual fact, I think it can be very effective if theres a small element of climate change within a novel that otherwise has nothing to do with it. That intrusion can be very jolting. If youre writing message fiction in some form, the person youre trying to convince is not the climate change denier, but the person who thinks nothing is going to happen for 30 years. Youre trying to make someone think differently who doesnt do anything to push the narrative in the right direction.

The rest is here:
'Dead Astronauts' Author Jeff VanderMeer On the Powerand Dangerof Climate Fiction - Esquire

Andrew BurtonGetty Images

Of all the many reasons to oppose the Keystone XL pipelinethe continent-spanning death funnel and conservative fetish objectthe utter bad faith of TC, the Canadian energy giant formerly known as TransCanada, is right at the top of the list. It is a truism in this shebeen a) that pipelines leak, and b) that, when an inevitable leak happens, the companies that build and own pipelines will lie about it.

What many people dont realize is that TC already owns and operates the Keystone 1 pipeline. Last month, because it is a pipeline and pipelines leak, the Keystone 1 loosed almost 400,000 gallons of oil onto the landscape of North Dakota. And, because it is a pipeline company, TC is now accused of low-balling the extent of the damage. From CNN:

Honest to blog, enough with these people. There is no reason in the world to allow this company to run so much as a filling station at this point, let alone allow it to build and operate a death-funnel that transports the dirtiest fossil fuel ever discovered through some of the most delicate and valuable farmland on the planet.

Leakers and liars, all of them.

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The Company Behind the Keystone Pipeline Shouldn't Be Allowed to Run a Gas Station at This Point - Esquire.com

Allison Watkins, Special to San Angelo Standard-Times Published 6:40 a.m. CT Nov. 24, 2019

Thanksgiving is a great time of year to start a compost bin if you dont have one. There are fallen leaves to rake up to get it started, and plenty of fruit and vegetable scraps like potato peels, apple cores, and coffee grounds.(Photo: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service)

A compost pile or bin is something that should be in every home landscape.

Its not an attractive addition that makes a good a focal point, but its important to have an out-of-the-way spot in the yard to put fallen leaves, plant trimmings and vegetable scraps in to decompose.

Organic matter is a critical part of soil that plants need to grow well, and yard waste like leaves and grass clipping shouldnt be wasted by going into the landfill with the trash to take up space.

It all becomes "black gold" when broken down, decomposed and turned into compost that can be used in the landscape.

To get good quality compost, keep a good balance of oxygen and water, as well as the right balance of nitrogen and carbon.

A compost bin needs to have open sides to allow air flow to provide oxygen, and if it gets dry it needs to be dampened.

To provide the good balance of carbon and nitrogen just add the right plant-based waste materials.

High carbon materials are nicknamed browns and are things like fallen leaves and twigs - materials that are tougher and slower to decompose.

"Greens" have a higher nitrogen ratio, and are softer-tissue things like grass clippings and fruit and vegetable scraps. Dont add meat, dairy or fats. Turn the pile weekly to speed up decomposition and create great compost to use in the landscape.

Remember the phrase "compost once, mulch forever" when starting a new bed or planting project, till up the soil and apply a three-inch deep layer of compost, then mix in as deep as possible.

This provides immediate improvement to the soil structure and helps plants grow better. After planting apply a three-inch deep layer of wood-based mulch and keep it replenished to three inches from then on.

As the mulch gradually decomposes, is also adds good organic matter to the soil. Except for when planting desert plants and those that prefer lean soil, compost helps gardeners be more successful.

Thanksgiving is a great time of year to start a compost bin if you dont have one. There are fallen leaves to rake up to get it started, and plenty of fruit and vegetable scraps like potato peels, apple cores, and coffee grounds.

To learn more, visit the website earth-kind.tamu.edu and view the publication on composting.

Allison Watkins is the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent for horticulture in Tom Green County. Contact her at aewatkins@ag.tamu.edu.

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Every home can benefit from a compost pile - Standard-Times

Theres just one week left in the 2019 college football regular season. The time has flown by.

And that means that conference championship weekend is just two weeks away. And theres still a lot in flux as we head to the last weekend of the season. Just four of the 10 conferences know who its title game participants will be. The seven others wont until the final week of the regular season is over.

Heres a look at how each conferences title race is playing out with our best guess for the matchups in the conferences still looking for division winners.

East: No. 19 Cincinnati clinched the division with a win over Temple on Saturday night.

West: No. 18 Memphis clinches the division with a win over Cincinnati on Friday. If Memphis loses and Navy beats Houston, Navy wins the west.

Likeliest conference championship game: No. 18 Memphis vs. No. 19 Cincinnati.

Atlantic: No. 3 Clemson clinched the division with its win over NC State earlier in November. The Tigers were off on Saturday.

Coastal: Virginia and Virginia Tech play on Friday. The winner of that game gets to lose to Clemson in the title game. The Cavaliers beat Liberty on Saturday while Virginia Tech posted a shutout against Pitt and knocked the Panthers out of the division race in the process.

Likeliest conference championship game: No. 3 Clemson vs. Virginia. The Cavaliers get the edge because theyre at home, snapping a 15-game losing streak to the Hokies.

Baylor is heading to the Big 12 Championship Game. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)

The Big 12 title game is set. No. 9 Oklahoma will play No. 14 Baylor. Both Oklahoma and Baylor have one loss in the conference. Every other Big 12 team has at least three conference losses. Oklahoma beat TCU on Saturday night 28-24 in a game that was unexpectedly close and tense in the fourth quarterwhile Baylor easily dispatched Texas on Saturday afternoon.

East:No. 2 Ohio State clinched the East with a 28-17 win over No. 8 Penn State on Saturday.Had Penn State won, the Nittany Lions could have clinched the East with a win over Rutgers on Saturday. Instead, Ohio State only has bragging rights on the line against No. 13 Michigan on Nov. 30.

West: No. 10 Minnesota plays No. 12 Wisconsin on Saturday. The calculus there is simple too. The winner takes the division and plays Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. The Gophers beat Northwestern on Saturday while Wisconsin beat Purdue.

Likeliest championship game: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Minnesota. Like Virginia, Minnesota gets the edge because its at home.

East: Florida Atlanticwins the division with a win over Southern Miss on Saturday. If FAU loses, Marshallcan win the division with a win over Florida International.

West: Lets get crazy. UAB beat Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Both teams are tied with Southern Miss atop the division. If all three teams have the same result in the final weekend, UAB wins the tiebreaker. If two of the teams are tied at the end of the season the tiebreaker is head-to-head between the tied teams.

Likeliest championship game: FAU vs. UAB

East: Miami (Ohio) clinched the division with a win over Akron on Wednesday.

West: Western Michigan and Central Michigan are tied atop the division. Westernbeat Central earlier in the season and owns the tiebreaker. If WMU beats Northern Illinois on Tuesday, it wins the division. If WMU loses, CMU can win the division with a win over Toledo on Friday.

Likeliest championship game: Miami (Ohio) vs. Western Michigan

The Mountain West title game got determined late Saturday night. No. 20 Boise State beat Utah State to clinch the Mountain division while Hawaii beat San Diego State to clinch the West division. The two teams will play in two weeks for the conference title.

Story continues

North: No. 6 Oregons loss to Arizona Statedidnt do anything to its chances of winning the North. The Ducks had the division wrapped up before Week 13.

South: No. 7 Utah controls its own fate. A win against Colorado in the final week of the season means Utah is in the title game. A loss means USC wins the division.

Likeliest championship game: No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 7 Utah

LSU is No. 1 and will meet No. 4 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

Like the Big 12, the SEC championship game is set. No. 1 LSU won the West with a victory over hapless Arkansas on Saturday. No. 4 Georgia clinched the East with a win over Auburn in Week 12 and beat Texas A&M on Saturday. LSU ends the season against A&M in Week 14 while Georgia plays Georgia Tech.

The Sun Belt title game was figured out on Saturday. No. 24 Appalachian State locked up the East with a win over Texas State while Louisiana won the West with a win over Troy.

Here are this weeks winners and losers.

Virginia Tech: After Virginia Tech lost 45-10 at home to Duke on Sept. 27, there were legitimate questions about Justin Fuentes job status especially on the heels of a losing season in 2018. Since then, however, the Hokies have completely flipped the script and are now in a position to go to the ACC title game. Saturdays 28-0 win over Pitt was the sixth in seven tries since the Duke loss. On top of that, it was the final game at Lane Stadium for longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster and he went out with a shutout. How cool is that? It marked the second straight shutout for the Hokies. The program hadnt accomplished that since 2005. The ACC Coastal champion will be decided next week against rival Virginia. The Hokies have won 15 straight in the series.

Michigan is 9-2 and plays Ohio State in Week 14. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

No. 13 Michigan: Michigan has really hit its stride in the month of November. Since losing to Penn State on Oct. 19, the Wolverines have reeled off four straight victories in dominating fashion. The latest was a beatdown of Indiana, 39-14, in Bloomington. Shea Patterson had another huge outing in the win, throwing for 366 yards and five touchdowns to help his team improve to 9-2 with archrival Ohio State visiting Ann Arbor next weekend. The second-ranked Buckeyes improved to 11-0 and clinched the Big Ten East by beating Penn State on Saturday. Michigan hasnt knocked off OSU since 2011.

No. 10 Minnesota: Minnesota bounced back from its first loss of the season and is another step closer to winning the Big Ten West. The Gophers knocked off Northwestern 38-22 behind a four-touchdown performance from Tanner Morgan, three of which went to Rashod Bateman, the Big Tens leading receiver. With the win, Minnesota improved to 10-1 on the year. The Gophers reached the 10-win mark for the first time since 1905 and got to seven Big Ten wins for the first time ever. Next week, Minnesota will host Wisconsin with the Big Ten West on the line and College GameDay in town.

Kedon Slovis, QB, USC: No. 23 USC closed out its regular season with three straight wins, capped off by Saturdays 52-35 victory over UCLA. The Trojans were dominant offensively, and freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis led the way once again. Slovis completed 37-of-47 passes for a program record 515 yards and four touchdowns in the win. It marked Slovis third straight game with at least 400 passing yards and four touchdowns. Not bad for a true freshman, huh?

USC finishes the season at 8-4. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Navy: Navy kept its AAC West hopes alive with a come-from-behind victory over SMU on Saturday. The Midshipmen trailed 21-10 at halftime but stormed back to win, 35-28. The winning score came on a 70-yard burst from speedy QB Malcolm Perry. Perry carried 38 times for 195 yards and two scores in the win. He also had 162 yards and a touchdown through the air. With the win, Navy can win the division if it beats Houston next week and Memphis loses to Cincinnati, who clinched the AAC East by beating Temple, 15-13. Now 8-2, Ken Niumatalolo has engineered quite a turnaround after going 3-10 in 2018.

Cal: Cal finally won the Big Game, and it did so in dramatic fashion. The Golden Bears dropped a nine-game losing streak to rival Stanford by pulling out a 24-20 road win on Saturday. Cal fell behind 20-17 with 2:23 to play, but responded by going 75 yards in just six plays to take the lead on a Chase Garbers touchdown run with 1:19 to go. The Cal defense then stuffed Stanford on fourth-and-short on the ensuing drive to seal the win and clinch bowl eligibility. The Golden Bears can clinch a winning record with a road win over UCLA next week.

Charlotte: Charlotte is bowl eligible for the first time in program history. The 49ers have only been playing since 2013, but reached the five-win mark three separate times. But it took the first season under Will Healy to get to win No. 6. That came on Saturday in a 24-13 victory over Marshall. Charlotte trailed 13-10 entering the fourth, but two Victor Tucker touchdowns one on the ground and another through the air gave the 49ers the victory.

Zach Hintze, K, Wisconsin: Want to see one of the longest field goals in Big Ten history? Of course you do. Wisconsins Zach Hintze blasted a school-record 62-yarder as time expired in the first half. It is tied with two others for the second-longest field goal in Big Ten history. Pro Football Hall of Famer Morten Andersen holds the record. He booted a 63-yarder at Michigan State back in 1981.

Ohio coach Frank Solich: Ohio probably hasnt played as well as it expected this year, but it still had reason to celebrate its 66-24 win over Bowling Green on Tuesday night. The win was No. 111 for Frank Solich at the school, setting a Mid-American Conference record. Solich, 75, has been at Ohio since 2005. He previously was the head coach at Nebraska.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron: LSU crushed Arkansas on Saturday night. The Razorbacks havent won an SEC game since beating Ole Miss on Oct. 28, 2017. Thats a span of 18-straight games. So what Orgeron said after the Tigers win isnt untrue.

Miami: Miami had been playing really well in the second half of the season until Saturday. The Hurricanes, winners of four of their last five, were upset 30-24 by Florida International at Marlins Park in a miserable performance, one of the worst in recent memory. FIU led 13-0 at halftime and 23-3 early in the fourth quarter. Miami managed to make things interesting, cutting the lead to 23-17 with 3:10 to play, but FIU put the final nail in the coffin after a failed Miami onside kick. FIU, led by former Miami coach Butch Davis, clinched a bowl berth with the win. The Hurricanes dropped to 6-5.

Texas: What was supposed to be a big season for Texas just keeps getting worse. The Longhorns dropped to 6-5 with a 24-10 loss at Baylor on Saturday. And the game wasnt as close as the final score may indicate. Texas wouldnt reach the end zone until there was just one second left in regulation. The loss was another underwhelming performance from Tom Hermans offense, and now the Longhorns need to beat Texas Tech just to ensure they finish with a winning record. Herman has a lot of work to do to get his program back on track.

Maryland: A miserable season for Maryland may have hit rock bottom. The Terps dropped their sixth straight game on Saturday, falling at home to Nebraska in embarrassing fashion. Final score: 54-7. Yikes. Nebraska entered the game on a four-game losing streak of its own, but it managed to absolutely demolish the Terps at Maryland Stadium. The Terps, who mustered only 57 passing yards against Nebraska and are now 3-8, have been outscored 165-28 in the month of November.

Maryland head coach Mike Locksley looks on prior to an NCAA college football game against Nebraska, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Will Newton)

SMU: SMU had a chance to get the ball back one last time in the final minute against Navy, but a boneheaded mistake doomed the Mustangs. Leading 35-28 with 1:05 to go, Navy brought its offense out onto the field at its own 31-yard line on fourth-and-2. There was no way Navy would risk giving the ball back to SMU deep in its own territory, but Ken Niumatalolo decided to try to draw SMU offsides. Remarkably, it worked. SMUs Rodney Clemsons jumped offsides, giving Navy a first down. From there, the Midshipmen took two knees to run out the clock and wrap up a win.

Kansas: Kansas put up a really good effort against Iowa State, but ultimately fell 41-31 in Ames. The Jayhawks took a 31-27 lead with 10:42 to play, but ISU scored twice in the final five minutes to pull out the victory. The loss dropped KU to 3-8 on the year, and also clinched a remarkable stat. Kansas went the entire decade without winning a conference road game. Thats an 0-43 mark. Yikes.

NC State: NC State might be the worst team in the ACC. The Wolfpack fell 28-26 to Georgia Tech on Thursday night, dropping to 4-7 overall on the season with a 1-6 mark in conference play. NC State staged a comeback after trailing 28-10 late in the third quarter, but still came up short against a Yellow Jackets team in its first year under Geoff Collins. It was the fifth straight loss for the Wolfpack, who will miss a bowl game for the first time in five seasons.

North Texas: North Texas had the chance to keep its bowl hopes alive, but instead it lost to a one-win Rice team, 20-14. Rice jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead and was able to hang on for its second straight victory after an 0-9 start. With coach Seth Littrell back in the fold alongside heralded QB Mason Fine, this was supposed to be one of the better teams in Conference USA. Instead, the Mean Green are just 4-7 on the year.

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Winners and Losers: What the conference championship landscape looks like heading into Week 14 - Yahoo Sports

By Emily Moran, University of California, Merced

If you have oak trees in your neighborhood, perhaps youve noticed that some years the ground is carpeted with their acorns, and some years there are hardly any. Biologists call this pattern, in which all the oak trees for miles around make either lots of acorns or almost none, masting.

EarthSky 2020 lunar calendars are available! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!

In New England, naturalists have declared this fall a mast year for oaks: All the trees are making tons of acorns all at the same time.

Many other types of trees, from familiar North American species such as pines and hickories to the massive dipterocarps of Southeast Asian rainforests, show similar synchronization in seed production. But why and how do trees do it?

Benefits of synchronized seeds

Every seed contains a packet of energy-rich starch to feed the baby tree that lies dormant inside. This makes them a tasty prize for all sorts of animals, from beetles to squirrels to wild boar.

If trees coordinate their seed production, these seed-eating animals are likely to get full long before they eat all the seeds produced in a mast year, leaving the rest to sprout.

For trees like oaks that depend on having their seeds carried away from the parent tree and buried by animals like squirrels, a mast year has an extra benefit. When there are lots of nuts, squirrels bury more of them instead of eating them immediately, spreading oaks across the landscape.

Getting in sync

Its still something of a mystery how trees synchronize their seed production to get these benefits, but several elements seem to be important.

First, producing a big crop of seeds takes a lot of energy. Trees make their food through photosynthesis: using energy from the sun to turn carbon dioxide into sugars and starch. Theres only so many resources to go around, though. Once trees make a big batch of seeds, they may need to switch back to making new leaves and wood for a while, or take a year or two to replenish stored starches, before another mast.

But how do individual trees decide when that mast year should be? Weather conditions appear to be important, especially spring weather. If theres a cold snap that freezes the flowers of the tree and yes, oaks do have flowers, theyre just extremely small then the tree cant produce many seeds the following fall.

Harm to the trees flowers in spring doesnt bode well for the acorn crop come fall. Image via almgren/Shutterstock.com.

A drought during the summer could also kill developing seeds. Trees will often shut the pores in their leaves to save water, which also reduces their ability to take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.

Because all the trees within a local area are experiencing essentially the same weather, these environmental cues can help coordinate their seed production, acting like a reset button theyve all pushed at the same time.

A third intriguing possibility that researchers are still investigating is that trees are talking to each other via chemical signals. Scientists know that when a plant is damaged by insects, it often releases chemicals into the air that signal to its other branches and to neighboring plants that they should turn on their defenses. Similar signals could potentially help trees coordinate seed production.

Investigation of tree-to-tree communication is still in its infancy, however. For instance, ecologists recently found that chemicals released from the roots of the leafy vegetable mizuna can affect the flowering time of neighboring plants. While this sort of communication is unlikely to account for the rough synchronization of seed production over dozens or even hundreds of miles, it could be important for syncing up a local area.

Mastings effects ripple through the food web

Whatever the causes, masting has consequences that flow up and down the food chain.

For instance, rodent populations often boom in response to high seed production. This in turn results in more food for rodent-eating predators like hawks and foxes; lower nesting success for songbirds, if rodents eat their eggs; and potentially higher risk of transmission of diseases like hantavirus to people.

If the low seed year that follows causes the rodent population to collapse, the effects are reversed.

The seeds of masting trees have also historically been important for feeding human populations, either directly or as food for livestock. Acorns were a staple in the diet of Native Americans in California, with families carefully tending particular oaks and storing the nuts for winter. In Spain, the most prized form of ham still comes from pigs that roam through the oak forests, eating up to 20 pounds of acorns each day.

So the next time you take an autumn walk, check out the ground under your local oak tree you might just see the evidence of this amazing process.

Emily Moran, Assistant Professor of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Bottom line: Explanation of masting: the pattern of trees for miles around synchronizing to all produce lots of seeds or very few.

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Tons of acorns in your yard? It must be a mast year - EarthSky

Leaf Burrito Reusable Yard Debris Bags

Multiple Leaf Burritos get the job done!

Leaf Burrito

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Have you heard of a Leaf Burrito Reusable Yard Debris Bag? It is an innovative and eco-friendly reusable yard-debris bag invented, designed and manufactured in the USA. Leaf Burrito makes collecting and transporting yard debris easier, quicker and safer and its unique design opens completely flat then zips up like a sack. It is helping the Green industry, Landscapers and homeowners save time and money, as well as replace short-lived tarps and single-use plastic and paper bags.

Gone are the days of lifting heavy tarps, burlap and brown paper bags, now there is a solution called Leaf Burrito. People working in landscaping, grounds management, horticulture, and all areas of the Green industry now have a revolutionary option to speed up their lawn and landscaping work. It is easier, safer, more efficient and better for the environment as compared to methods being used currently.

Leaf Burrito was designed to solve several problems at once:

Robert Daniels, owner of Cherry City Landscape, attests: Leaf Burrito saves me a ton of time. I did an 8-hour job in 4 hours by using Leaf Burritos. Every landscaper should have these bags on their truck. It definitely helps my labor problems by making my crews more efficient.

To pilot using Leaf Burritos for your grounds or horticulture crews, they recommend you start with both sizes of the bags and determine which size works best for your applications and employees. Leaf Burrito recommends that every truck or trailer carry a 6-pack to replace tarps, garbage cans and wheelbarrows. Multiple burritos are also suggested because they can be zipped together to create a longer hedge-clippings drag or as a trailer cover for various trailer sizes.

Inventor Marc Mataya states, If ground crews are looking for a more sustainable and efficient solution for doing landscaping, our Leaf Burrito bags are going to be a great investment and your employees are going to love using our product. And, personalizing our bags with your logo makes your company stand above the rest.

If you want to learn more about how Leaf Burrito can make your company, hotel or university safer, more efficient, and more profitable, while achieving your zero-waste goals you may contact them at sales@leafburrito.com.

About:Leaf Burrito is a reusable yard-debris removal tool made in the USA of customized industrial-grade mesh and heavy-duty YKK North America zippers. Our product eliminates bags and tarps and preserves landfills. It has 10 strong handles for ergonomic loading and lifting onto trailers or trucks and comes in 5-foot and 7-foot sizes. For big cleanups or as a trailer cover, multiple Leaf Burritos can be zipped together. For various sized jobs and for linking them together, every landscaping trailer could be equipped with a 6-pack which stores compactly. Leaf Burritos goals are to reduce single-use plastics, make the arduous task of bagging leaves, weeds, grass, hedge and garden clippings a simple and eco-friendly experience.

For Media inquiries: Lauri Eberhartpress@leafburrito.com800-Burrito | 800-287-7486 EST LeafBurrito.com | Facebook| Instagram| LinkedIn

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9fcee6d5-7858-47ca-8dc3-5da979f3e6e5

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Leaf Burrito, the Reusable Yard-Debris Bag, Saves Hours of Labor, Helps Prevent Injuries and Provides the Green Industry With a Zero-Waste Solution -...

A backyard is an extension of what's going on inside our home, maybe more colorful, casual, fun, and without a ceiling to put a lid on our needs and desires. In a yard, trees and vines can climb to their ultimate heights, light and weather can quickly change, and the possibilitieswithin the confines of our property linesare up to the terrain, our design skills, and our do-it-yourself know-how.

If your DIY design and construction skills aren't up to tackling a major backyard remodeling project, you can hire a landscape designer or architect to help your outdoor space realize its potential. A skilled professional can guide you through the process of figuring out a style, deciding who will be using the yard, creating zones of activity, choosing materials and plants, and recommending builders and contractors for everything fromswimming poolsto outdoor structures to installing irrigation.

Explore50 ideas showing how a backyard can be transformed into everyone's favorite space. In this first example, notice how the curved lines of the patio fit with the casual nature of the nearby wooded area.

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50 Backyard Landscaping Ideas to Inspire You

Start Up Front

If youre wondering where to start a landscape transformation, look no farther than your front yard. Its the first thing that you see driving up to your house, and you can wow guests before they even enter your home. Just remember that curb appeal is important, but no matter how pretty your landscape is, it needs to be functional.

Do all of your hardscaping projects before you set out any plants. Hardscaping can include a porch, sidewalk, driveway, parking areas, decks, fencing, patios and arbor. These projects usually involve construction, which can compact your soil or damage turf and plantings, so its important to complete any heavy work before plantings begin.

Your foundation planting should embrace your house and not cover it. Low-growing shrubs or groundcover should be planted in front of low windows and porches. Larger rounded shrubs or small trees work well planted on the corners of your home. These larger plants will frame up your house and help soften the box-like structure. Remember to create a small bed in your front yard for annual color. Flowers will add instant charm.

Your backyard should be an outdoor living area to enjoy. If you need privacy, install wooden fencing or large shrubs around the perimeter to create walls. Decks and patios make great sitting or dining areas when the weathers appropriate and they create a nice overflow for guests during parties.

Grilling stations or outdoor kitchens can be used to cook your meals and not heat up the kitchen. Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces are very popular and allow you to enjoy your yard even when theres a little chill in the air. Both of these options make for easy entertaining or a fun family activity.

Consider your options and the space you will need. If you have a sunny backyard you might consider putting in a kitchen garden where you can grow a few herbs or vegetables. Just be sure the area you choose receives several hours of sun. Do you need a childrens play area? If so, position it where you can see it from your deck or patio to keep a watchful eye on the young ones.

Side yards are often narrow strips that are rarely seen. They can be a good place to house your utilitarian needs. Garbage cans, firewood, storage and garden sheds often work well tucked into your side yard. If you have dogs it might be a good place to install a dog run. Youll probably need a walkway on at least one side of your house so you can easily navigate from the front of the house to the backyard.

Know a tree or shrubs ultimate size before you put it in the ground. A small yard is not a good place for trees such as river birch, red maples, sugar maple, oaks or magnolia. Trees such as Japanese maples, crepe myrtles and redbud would be better suited for little landscapes. Avoid planting brittle trees such as river birch or silver maples next to your house or close to parking areas to avoid damage from falling limbs.

See more here:
The Essential Steps to Landscape Design | DIY

Do you have a backyard, a garden, or a large piece of land in Hoboken that has a drainage problem, and needs a solution? Here's a few reasons you should set up an appointment with us.

* Fast, Professional, Friendly and Dependable* We Work With All Types of Landscapes and Lawns* We Always Come Prepared With The Proper Tools and Equipment* We Never Leave a Landscaping Project Unfinished* Free Quotes, Cost Estimates, and Recommendations For Lawn Drainage

When your yard doesn't drain properly, you're at risk at flooding your basement, killing all of your grass, flowers, plants and trees, and basically having a mud pit for a yard. There are all types of landscape drainage systems you can install, but first and foremost it's imperative our Hoboken, New Jersey drainage landscapers survey your specific landscape for what drainage system will work best.

Downspout Piping, Dry Wells, Channel Drains, Trench Drains, French Drains, Dry Wells, Catch Basins, Grates And Emitters, Dry River Beds, Bogs, Grassy Swales and More!

Our Hoboken, NJ landscaping and drainage company has the experience needed to understand everything that goes into creating the perfect drainage system for your yard and specific terrain. We know how to work with and install drainage systems with terrain layouts so we can affordably save your property from potential flooding and water damage. We offer you more than experience, we are up-to-date on the latest tools, methods, and regulations, and we charge fair prices for our services for all types of yard drainage solutions.

If you have a particular landscape drainage project on your mind, use the contact form on this page to tell us about it. One of our licensed Hoboken drainage landscapers pros will get back to you with an assessment of costs and a free quote to install a new drainage system or repair a new one.

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Landscape And Yard Drainage Installation in Hoboken, New ...