Troy Sambajon

3 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Troy Sambajon

Remember your first pillow fort – a kingdom of couch cushions with wobbly walls and a roof that collapsed again and again? I do. And I remember the joy of trying, the thrill of failing until I triumphed. As National Children’s Day (June 8 in the United States) approached, I spoke with Robin Meisner, senior director of exhibits and research at Boston Children’s Museum, to better understand why children play. “Play isn’t just about having fun,” she says.

3 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon

In Latin America, 13 countries either gained tree coverage or halted losses between 2015 and 2023Monitoring forest restoration in Latin America has until now proved difficult. But new satellite data shows some effectiveness on commitments to protecting and regrowing forests. Both Guatemala and El Salvador saw increases in tree cover, likely because of strong government programs.

4 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Troy Sambajon

What if the solution to homelessness wasn’t more shelters, but fewer evictions? In Santa Clara County, a new model backed by tech money and data-driven strategy is quietly redefining how a community tackles housing insecurity. Its method is simple: Catch families before they fall. Working directly with landlords, a county program provides short-term cash assistance for tenants facing an eviction. The approach is proving far more effective – and cost-efficient – than many traditional programs.

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Troy Sambajon |Cameron Pugh

The “Stockholm tree pit” nurtures urban forestsUsing more breathable materials reduces the need for irrigation and increases tree survival. The design, pioneered in Sweden, involves giving a tree an underground structure of soil, stone, and biochar to aerate and fertilize. These layers allow trees surrounded by concrete to absorb more oxygen and rainwater.

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon

The collaborative experience of owning their company raises home health care workers’ job satisfactionMore older Americans are depending on home care workers, but at the same time, studies suggest that poor working conditions in most of the industry exacerbate staffing shortages. In contrast to traditionally run care companies, co-ops are owned and run by the workers and generally have lower turnover.