Environmental Conservation Glossary

verb to keep away from; to prevent from happening

• It is advisable to avoid making any hasty decisions without proper consideration.
• I try to avoid eating fast food as much as possible.
• I always steer clear of drama at school to avoid unnecessary trouble.
• She tried to avoid facing her fears, but eventually had to confront them.

noun a gate that controls the flow of water, especially one in a dam or river

• The floodgate was opened to allow for controlled release of water from the dam.
• Once they announced the sale, it was like opening the floodgate for customers to come in.
• When she started gossiping, it was like she opened the floodgate of drama.
• The new technology has opened the floodgate for innovation in the industry.

verb taking cover or protecting someone or something from harm or inclement weather

• The city is currently sheltering hundreds of homeless individuals in temporary housing facilities.
• I saw a stray cat sheltering under the porch during the rainstorm.
• We're just sheltering at home tonight, watching movies and ordering takeout.
• Her kind words were like a warm blanket, sheltering me from the harsh realities of life.

noun an area of land covered with trees suitable for timber production

• The timberland was carefully managed to ensure sustainable logging practices.
• Let's go for a hike in the timberland this weekend.
• I love the smell of fresh timberland after a rainstorm.
• The forest stood tall like a proud timberland guardian.

noun a change in direction or course

verb to reverse direction and go back

adverb in a direction opposite to the original

preposition used to indicate a return to a previous point or position

• The hikers decided to turn back when they realized they were lost.
• We should probably turn back before it gets too dark.
• Let's bail and turn back, this party is lame.
• Sometimes you have to turn back in order to move forward in life.

noun a place or region close to the shore or coastline

• The company decided to outsource some of its operations to a nearshore location to reduce costs.
• Let's take a trip to a nearshore island for the weekend.
• I heard there's a cool nearshore spot where we can hang out and surf.
• The project is currently in a nearshore phase, meaning we are close to completion.

noun a person who searches through dumpsters or skips for discarded items, often for the purpose of reusing or recycling them

• The skip diver was arrested for trespassing on private property.
• I heard that skip divers were scavenging for valuable items in the construction site.
• Those skip divers are always looking for a quick way to make some cash.
• Being a skip diver in the world of business means always looking for opportunities in unlikely places.