Nature Notes

Audubon Zoo review and learning activities

2010-11-26T10:19:00.004-06:00

The Audubon Zoo is an excellent local attraction, a great place to take family and visiting friends. Here are 10 things to know before you go:

1. It's big. - Plan to take an entire day to do the zoo. With young children, it might be better to separate it into two or even three visits. In order to do that. . .

2. It's worth it to buy a membership pass. - The membership passes get you free admission to the zoo, which would otherwise be $13.50 for each adult and $8.50 per child. However, they also get you in free to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas ($18.50 adult / $11.50 child) and they drop the price of a visit to the Insectarium from $15.00 to $5.00 and the IMAX ticket price from $9.00 to $ 5.00. The membership not only supports Audubon's important conservation work, it can pay for itself in one holiday weekend!

3. Cooler temps make for better wildlife viewing. - The next few months are prime time to visit the zoo! The cooler weather not only makes it more comfortable for the human visitors, it makes the animals more active. If you want to see animals doing their thing, don't ask them to do it when it's 90-plus degrees out! When it's that hot, nobody is perky and active. November through February in New Orleans means temps in the 60s and 70s, so you can see real movement and action from the animals! If your only zoo-visiting days are hot ones, though, just try to schedule your visit for early in the morning or late in the afternoon, the coolest parts of the day. (The zoo is open from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.)

4. Don't dare miss the great apes. - The orangutans and gorillas on exhibit are truly great apes! The viewing platforms are incredibly close to the animals and one look in their knowing eyes will have everyone interested in a deeper study of evolution.

5. Make time for reptiles. - The reptile house is an excellent one, with a high

number of exotic and poisonous snakes, as well as rainforest poison dart frogs and super-cool lizards. These are the most active and interactive reptiles at any zoo this examiner has ever visited!

6. Learn about amazing Louisiana animals. - While you visit, make sure to stroll through the Louisiana Swamp exhibit. Though cooler temps do make the cold-blooded alligators less active, there are still many, many gators to gawk at in the swamp exhibit. By the end, though, you'll see that the gators aren't the only amazing animals in the swamp - from egrets and herons to snakes and turtles, awesome animals abound in the bayous, marshes and swamps. Seeing them up close and personal at the zoo will open your eyes to seeing them everywhere in the New Orleans area!

7. The feeds and chats are worth the time. - Whether you're trying to educate kiddos or not, the feeds and chats are lead by tremendously knowledgable professionals who welcome your curiosity and questions. Take advantage and you may even get to touch or feed an animal yourself!

Zoo Activities & Links

A to Zoo - find an animal for every letter in the alphabet and correctly spell their names (from informative signs).

Zoo Bingo - learn which animals are mammals, reptiles, and amphibians and which continents they come from as you try to be the first to get Bingo!

Audubon Zoo Visitor Page

Great green, learning gifts for new parents and babies

2010-11-11T09:36:00.004-06:00

August is the month with the highest number of births in the U.S., according to the CDC, and it has held the top spot for ten of the last 16 years.

Doing a bit of gestation subtraction, its easy to see that there are going to be a lot of folks who are newly pregnant between now and Christmas.

If you're looking for a gift for an expectant parent or a brand new bundle of joy, why not make it a great, green one? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Baby Bee Getting Started Kit - made by Burt's Bees, this $13 set includes Apricot Baby Oil, Buttermilk Lotion, Shampoo & Wash, Buttermilk Soap, Diaper Ointment, Buttermilk Bath, Dusting Powder, and a cute Baby Bee Comb. The scents are natural and soft, not overwhelming, and the products are free of parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, and phthalates, which are bad for everyone, but especially bad for babies! Most moms who have received this kit end up buying it for all of their pregnant friends! The only downside is that the products are so good, your friends will blame you when they can never go back to anything else for their sweet babies. . .and themselves! Available online at Burt's Beesand at many major retailers.
Kiddopotamus & Co. Organic Cotton SwaddleMe - this baby "burrito" wrap is excellent and easy to use; a lifesaver especially for new parents who are stymied by swaddling protocol and flustered by a crying infant who just wants to be wrapped up in a little chemical-free warmth and love. Additionally, a little extra love goes to the planet because standard cotton is an extremely chemical intensive crop; organic cotton has all of the softness, but none of the chemicals! The organic cotton SwaddleMe is available in a variety of colors and patterns and two sizes, with prices ranging from $10-25 at retailers including Amazon,Target, and WalMart.
Dandelion Classic Organic Toys - at just $10 each, you may choose to gift the new baby with more than one of these adorable little creatures - the frog rattle, the crinkle bear, the squeaker duck, or the baby doll. Each features a handy hanging loop and stimulates babies' hand eye coordination and brain development. Available at Amazon.
Eco-Friendly Disposable Diapers & Wipes - new parents can never, ever have too many diapers! Unfortunately, the planet can. While many parents opt for cloth diapers, they have their own environmental impact through the need for washing. And, to be perfectly blunt, disposables are just easier. The gift of ease is a big one for new parents or, really, all parents. So, the disposables that are best for the planet? Earth's Best and Seventh Generationoffer chlorine-free diapers and wipes that perform as well as their traditional disposable diaper brand counterparts. They will set you back a good deal more than the traditional disposable diapers, but its the planet that profits through less nasty, toxic chlorinated hydrocarbon pollution.
Made With Love Organic Cotton Infant Set - one of many super-cute and planet-friendly options available at UncommonGoods, these organic cotton onesie and cap sets are available for $35 in three colors: vanilla, chocolate, and mint chocolate chip. (If you think those are sweet, just wait till you see the baby in these adorable onesies!) If the parents have a good sense of humor, you should also consider the organic onesies available with sayings on the front, such as "Ask me about my compost pile," "All natural," "Produced Locally," and "Thanks! for all the global warming," ($28 each) or the Nerdy Baby "I love, love, LOVE my microsope," and dinosaur babysuits ($25 each).
Recycled Plastic Tugboat Toy - also available from UncommonGoods, this $13 toy is made from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs and contains no BPA, PVC or phthalates that could go into baby's mouth when the tugboat inevitably does. (Because everything,everything, will eventually go into baby's mouth.)
the little seed for Target Organic Bodysuits & Pants - tagless for extra baby comfort (and, therefore, less baby fussiness), these organic clothes are available in a variety of colors and sizes up to nine months - mix and match for just $8 each at Target.com.

And, if you're not into clothes or diapers, there's just about nothing better for baby humans than when their local, loving grown-ups read them books! Wrap up one of the classics listed below, write an inscription in the front, and tuck in a coupon for babysitting and/or book reading - mom, dad, and baby will love you for it!

Excellent Books for Greenie Babies

Try to get the board books when you can - they'll stand up better to baby's gnawing and so will make it to the used bookstore instead of the landfill.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle - a wonderful introduction to caterpillars and butterflies

Green Start book series, by Innovative Kids - each of these board books features a different "green" topic, including endangered animals, trees, green gardening, and the rainforest.

On the Day You Were Born, by Debra Frasier - a beautiful tribute to the earth and a warm welcome for the newest member of the human family, babies will enjoy the bold illustrations and parents will be truly touched by the message. This is an heirloom book.

Baby Einstein book series, by Julie Aigner-Clark - an outstanding primer on things in nature for babies under one. The simple shapes and iconic images along with easy to understand sentences will entertain and inform baby, and the books come in board book or bath book format!

Stay tuned - next up are great, green and educational gifts for kids ages 7-10. If you have a great, green gift idea, please share it with others by adding it as a comment on this article!

Great green, learning gifts and books for ages 4-6

2010-11-11T09:30:00.002-06:00

The school year is only one quarter over and already Pre-K student Abigail Birch has been invited to six birthday parties.

While no one wants to be the mom who always gives the educational gift instead of the fun one, there comes a time (just about the same time as you receive the fourth party invitation in as many weeks) where shelling out a large amount of cash for one more piece of plastic junk makes you feel like a brainless cog in the overly-consumerist, made-in-China, mercilessly-marketed American buying machine.

With more birthday parties looming, not to mention the holidays fast approaching, here are a few excellent, green and/or educational and fun gifts for the four to six year old set, all for under $25:

Green Toys Tea Set by Green Toys, $20.17 - made in the USA (less pollution because it doesn't have to ship from overseas) out of recycled milk jugs! Includes tea pot with lid, sugar bowl with lid, four cups and saucers and four teaspoons in lovely shades of pink, purple, blue, and green. Green Toys also makes a dish set, chef set, dining set, tool set, dump truck, and sand play set.
Sprig Adventure Toys - a full line of toys made from recycled woods and plastics, encouraging imaginative play in which the characters explore the outdoors. Prices range from $6.95 for an Adventure Guide to $24.92 for the Dolphin Adventure Playset or $19.99 for the Side Kick Vehicle Baja Scout.
Idbid Eco-Friendly Character Kits - Choose Waverly the Water Drop, Lola the Flower, or Scout the Cloud. Includes plush toy, organic cinch sack, and story book, and field guide that makes the concept of environmental sustainability simple for children. Packs in frustration-free packaging (no hard plastic cases or bindings - annoying and wasteful) and 50 cents of each purchase is donated to the Nature Conservancy.
Melissa & Doug - classic wooden toys of all varieties, from kitchen pots and pans and pantry items to puzzles, trucks and trains. Also arts and crafts supplies, learning mats, doll houses, puppets and stuffed animals. These are well made, high quality toys that will not disappoint the child or the Earth! Available at Target, Amazon.com, and www.melissaanddoug.com.
- ImagiPlay ColorMe Up Animal Puzzles - 3D wooden animal puzzles that come with water color paint kids so that children can paint and assemble their own chick, stegosaurus, bunny, love cows, or butterfly. Prices range from $10 to $15. Made from renewable, sustainable, and fair trade materials.
- Global Green Pals - Recycle Kyle, Carbon Offset Chet, Pink Coral Laurel, Clean Air Kate, Pani Rani - each available for $25, are made of organic cotton and stuffed with 100% post-consumer recycled plastic stuffing. Each comes with a character tag with tips on how kids can help save the Earth. Adults help save the planet with each purchase, as a portion of proceeds go to environmental efforts around the globe via One Percent for the Planet. This toy won the Creative Child Magazine seal of excellence in 2009 as well as Dr. Toy's Best Green Product 2009 and Mom's Best 2009.
- Eco-Friendly Arts & Crafts Supplies - Did you ever wonder what happens to all those broken crayons? Well, the lucky ones get recycled! Crazy Crayons makes recycled crayons in classic colors as well as crazy shapes and color mixes for less than $9 per pack. Pair that with a roll of recycled newsprint art paper ($12.90) and you've got an eco friendly, artistic afternoon for one kid or a bunch!
If you'd like to pair an eco-friendly or earth education book with the gift you give, here are a few favorites for young children:

I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Recycle by Alison Inches, published by Little Green Books, $4
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, published by Random House for Young Readers, $10 (a classic, worth twice the price!)
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, published by Harper & Row, $10 (a tree-hugger's primer, not to be missed!)
The Let's Read and Find Out Science series of books, published by Collins, $6 each - this series covers everything from Clouds to What Makes Day and Night to How a Seed Grows to What's It Like to Be a Fish and Oil Spill (particularly appropriate for Gulf Coast kids right now). Series is divided into levels which are clearly marked on each book. Levels 1 and 2 are appropriate for ages 4-8. Outstanding introduction to all things earth science related; kids will love them and adults will learn something, too!
Why Should I series of books, published by Barron's Educational Series, $7 each - includes Why Should I Recycle?, Why Should I Protect Nature?, Why Should I Save Energy?, and Why Should I Save Water?. All are right on target for this age group, simple and entertaining.

As a last note, prices listed above are retail. There are great deals to be had on like-new items at tremendously reduced prices - and buying these is even better for the Earth than buying new!

And, don't forget, wrapping in the colored Sunday comics or, even better, with your own child's art drawn on a roll of recycled newsprint will save money, paper, and the planet!

Stay tuned for green gift and book recommendations for other age groups, from infant to adult!

Autumn's long nights a great time for lessons on night sky

2010-11-03T12:08:00.000-05:00

At 2 a.m. this Sunday, the first Sunday of November, it will be time to “fall back” into Standard Time.

As you set the clock back one hour, sigh sadly, and contemplate the short days and long nights ahead, remember that long nights aren’t just a sun-lover’s curse, they’re a star-gazer’s blessing! An excellent lesson on the Earth’s rotation around the sun and how seasons change is attached below.

Especially here in southeast Louisiana, where the temperatures are still in the 60s and 70s at night, it’s a great time of year to gather the family, spread a blanket in the back yard, and check out the free show in the sky every night.

Saturday, November 6 brings the new moon, which means a dark sky and extra visibility for checking out nearby stars and planets. In fact, the whole weekend will have a relatively dark sky thanks to the late-rising moon, a great opportunity for nights outside.

The moon returns to fullness on November 21. With a clear sky and a full moon, you won’t need a telescope just a pair of binoculars or even the zoom lens on your camera to get a great look at some of the moon’s craters, mountains, and seas.

The moon’s magical waxing and waning in the night sky (plus the calm talking time on that backyard blanket) may even pique the interest of your youthful stargazers, which will give you an opportunity to teach them about the moon’s cycle. An excellent lesson on the moon’s phases is attached below.

If your young astronomers in training are ready to journey past the moon and into the outer reaches of the solar system, it’s time for them to learn that not all “stars” are stars. The planet Jupiter is extra bright this year, brighter than any star in the sky and found in the southeastern sky in the evening. Though a telescope could help you see some of the amazing cloud tops and the Great Red Spot, you can see a few of Jupiter’s moons using only binoculars!

An excellent lesson on the planets of Earth’s solar system is attached below.

So, whether your backyard blanket conversation covers stars and seasons, moons and magic, or planets and philosophy, bundle up and get out there! The celestial show and the learning it inspires are a gift from the universe, literally!

Next up: an awesome meteor shower, the Leonids, is headed our way on November 17. Stay tuned for an article on icy comets, dust on fire, and shooting stars!

Sources:

EarthSky

StarDate

Astronomy

The Sky – Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2010

Lesson Plans:

ITU – 01 – Rotation & Revolution

ITU – 02 – Spotlight in the Night

ITU – 03 – First Planet I See

No booing vultures, nature's clean-up crew

2010-11-02T19:31:00.006-05:00

Happy Halloween! And yes, it's Halloween, not April Fool's Day. The following is a true and long overdue love letter to the vulture, full of fantastic fact, not fiction, and no kidding around!

Too often a child's voice will rise and hush in awe as she watches a huge, soaring bird circle in the sky, only to deflate in an "oh," or worse "eww," when she's informed it's "just a vulture."

Vultures are seen hunching, Igor-like, on headstones in Halloween images everywhere, as if waiting to harvest the parts of a passing trick-or-treater.

Yes, vultures should be associated with death, but they're cleaners, not killers!

As scavengers, not predators, vultures' closest association with killing is cleaning up road kill. If they're seen in a graveyard, it's because there must be a good roosting tree there. They may have an impressive wingspan and large talons, but neither is capable of digging six feet down to get a quick meal on the recently interred.

What vultures are capable of, however, is fairly fantastic. Read on, future vulture lovers:

There are two types of vultures native to the southeastern U.S., turkey vultures (Cathartes aura), named for their red, turkey-like heads, and black, or southern, vultures (Coragyps atratus), who have black heads - go figure.
If you want to identify the difference between these vultures at a distance, the turkey vulture always flies with its wings tilted up, making a broad V. (This is called a "dihedral" by ornithologists.)
The black vulture flies with its wings flat.
Additionally, the turkey vulture's underwing is half white and half black along the length of the wing, whereas the black vulture's wings look like black "arms" with white "hands".
Vultures are well adapted to be the carrion clean up crew - they can eat up to one fifth of their body weight in one sitting!
Vultures have special digestive acids that dissolve anthrax, botulism, and cholera. By eating decomposing bodies of wild animals, vultures dramatically reduce the spread of dangerous diseases to humans, including rabies and anthrax.
Vultures' naked heads are an adaptation for their messy diets - guts, gore, and bacteria bake right off in the heat of the sun.
Their dining might be gross by human ideals, but they don't dine alone. Vultures are social and mate for life.
Turkey vultures' wingspan can be as long as six feet and they can weigh up to 25 pounds.
A group of vultures is called a "venue" and when circling in the air they are called a "kettle."
Vulture poop, because of its strong uric acid content, is actually an antiseptic!
Vultures are gentle animals. In fact, their only form of defense is to vomit - counting on the foul smell of the partially-digested meat to keep dangerous intruders away.
Vultures soar on rising columns of air, or "thermals" in order to conserve energy during flight. They circle within the thermal's column while gaining altitude for a long flight or searching for food. They rely on a keen sense of smell (the turkey vulture) and keen eyesight (the black vulture) to spot their next carrion meal. North American vultures do not circle dying animals.

These amazing, soaring janitors deserve our thanks and, rather than "ewww," a good deal of awe.

Now that Halloween's creepy creature myths have been debunked, go out and enjoy the tricks and treats of the night. And please, pick up your candy wrappers and any litter you see along the way. The vultures have enough to clean up!

Sources:

The Vulture Society

16 Cool Facts About Vultures on International Vulture Awareness Day

E nature.com

Photo: Jim Conrad via Wikimedia Commons

Beautiful, brilliant bats de-bug night skies

2010-10-28T11:26:00.002-05:00

Okay, so Halloween creepy-crawlie poster child number two is up for examination today; here's a closer look at the wonderful world of bats!

First there are a few myths we need to dispose of – please bury these silly notions under those fake headstones currently decorating the front yard:

Bat Myth 1: All bats are vampires.

No! There are over 1,100 species of bats and only three species are known to suck blood! Those three species, all of which are quite small and are mostly limited to South America, where they suck a meal the size of a teaspoon from forest animals. Most other bats eat insects, fruit, nectar, and/or pollen.

Bat Myth 2: All bats carry rabies.

A big no here, too! Bats can catch rabies, as can any other mammal. According to batworld.org, “Less than one half of one percent of bats actually contract [rabies] . . . more people die annually from contact with household pets than have died from contact with bats in all [of] recorded history.

It’s still not a good idea to grab at or handle a wild bat, however. Remember that compared to a bat who weighs a few ounces, you’re larger than and scarier than Godzilla, even without your Godzilla costume. And if Godzilla tried to grab at or handle you, you’d get scared and bite him, too!

Bat Myth 3: Bats will fly so close to you that they’ll get tangled in your hair.

Not even if your hair is as big as the Bride of Frankenstein’s. Bats are not blind. In addition to seeing as well as humans do, they also have a sonar system that allows them to sense and catch tiny insects in total darkness. They have absolutely no trouble sensing and avoiding something the size of a human! If a bat swoops close to you, it’s probably just eaten a mosquito that was about to bite you. The appropriate thing to do is not to duck and shriek, but to say “Thank you, bat!

Now to some mind-blowing bat facts:

• One little brown bat can catch and eat up to 1,000 mosquito-sized bugs per hour. In fact, the Mexican free-tail bats that live in Bracken Cave in Texas can eat up to 400,000 pounds of insects in one night!

• Bats fly fast! The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) common in all North American habitats can fly at 40 mph!

• There are 47 species of bats in the U.S., eleven of which make their homes right here in Louisiana.

• The world’s smallest bat, Thailand’s bumblebee bat, weighs less than a penny.

• The giant flying fox bats of Asia, however, can have a wingspan of more than six feet!

• The North American little brown bat can live up to 30 years.

• Bat guano is an extremely effective phosphorous-based natural fertilizer and can be used to improve garden soil, kill fungus that harms plants, control nematode plant pests, and activate compost piles for better decomposition.

• Bats pollinate many important night-blooming plants. One example is agave (the plant from which we make tequila) – without bats, agave seed production drops to 0.03%. So, if you’re drinking a margarita, (or eating a banana, mango, cashew, or fig) once again, say “Thank you, bat!”

The scariest thing about bats is, in fact, that 50% of the bats in North America are in population decline.

To keep bats healthy and happy and eating the insects that would otherwise be eliminated with harmful pesticides, try building a bat house!

Instructions for building bat houses are available from many sources, and it will be a great project to keep the kiddos out of their candy stashes during the three-week, candy-induced blood sugar hangover of Halloween.

Now that’s scary.

Spider facts prove arachnids are cool, not creepy

2010-10-28T11:07:00.006-05:00

Okay, so there's a reason spiders, bats, and other nocturnal creatures are associated with Halloween: the whole blood sucking concept is scary.

However, the amazing abilities of spiders and the many services they provide far outweigh any creepy factor. Today's article will be the first in a series that focuses on the cool-not-creepy facts about Halloween's various animal associates.

So, without further ado, a few notes on awesome arachnids:

One spider can eat 2,000 insects each year! Source That’s a lot of mosquitos not biting you, thanks to our eight legged friends.
Not all spiders make webs - about half of known species stalk and hunt their prey. Many of the web or "orb"weavers, however, create such distinctive patterns in their webs that their species can be determined from the web design alone.
The large and lovely orb webs found in backyard gardenswere likely created by a female spider.(Talk about a web design expert!) The male orb weavers are smaller and not often seen. Source
There are more than 40,000 different species of spiders, and 3,500 species of spiders living in North America alone. Source
The largest spider in the world is the South American Goliath Birdeater spider (Theraphosa leblondi), which has a legspan of up to 10 inches and weighs more than a quarter pound hamburger! Source
Scientists estimate than in a field habitat, there are over 400,000 spiders living in every acre. Soucre
Spiders’ silk is tremendously strong; it can rival the tensile strength of steel and has been suggested for use in bulletproof vests. Source
If a young spider loses a leg, it can grow a whole new one! Source Testing this theory is not recommended, of course, as "playing" with a spider will send the normally shy, retreating creatures into fight or flight mode. And when flight isn't an option, bite is! (Then again, what creature wouldn't try to bite you if you cornered it and threatened to remove a limb?)
Another way spiders avoid being legless or being lunch is by playing dead! They'll drop to the ground and curl their legs up, but if you're patient, they'll eventually uncurl and scamper away. Source
Spiders don’t actually suck the blood of their prey. They actually use digestive juices to dissolve most of the edible parts of their insect meal, doing the little bit of needed chewing with their chelicerae (“jaws”). Source If the dining spider doesn't have jaws strong enough to chew that particular meal, it will inject the digestive juices into the insect and then suck the dissolved innards out like soup.

Okay, so that last one was a little graphic, but no one wants to take all the

frightening fun out of Halloween!

Enjoy the excellent spider links and resources below, and stay tuned: the next creepy critter up for demystification is that un-frightening furry flyer, the bat!

Spider Education Links

Environmental Education for Kids!

Spider Activities

Kinder Korner Along Came A Spider

Spider Indentification.org

Myths, Misconceptions, and Superstitions About Spiders

Spinning Tales of Spiders - An Arachnid Book List

Eight Legs by D.M. Souza

How Spiders Make Their Webs by Jill Bailey

Spiders and Scorpions by Dr. Paul Hillyard

The Lives of Spiders by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Spiders and Their Kin by H.W. Levi. A Golden Guide

Spiders by Watts, Barrie.

Trapdoor spiders by Gerholdt, James E.

Spiders, insects, and minibeasts by Clarke, Penny

The private life of spiders by Hillyard, P. D.

Wolf spiders by Gerholdt, James E.

Jumping spiders by Gerholdt, James E.

Tarantula spiders by Gerholdt, James E.

Bird-eating spiders by Gerholdt, James E.

Black widow spiders by Gerholdt, James E.

Spider’s lunch: all about garden spiders by Cole, Joanna Payne

Simon & Schuster Children’s Guide to Insects and Spiders

Spinning spiders by Berger, Melvin

Amazing spiders by Schnieper, Claudia

Nature activities for the drive to school

2010-10-18T17:12:00.001-05:00

he first quarter of the school year is already over!

Though the past nine weeks have flown, most parents will agree that the time spent driving kiddos to and from school does not go as fast as one would hope.

When parents are just getting their first sips of morning caffeine, children in the back seat are already in hyper-chatty mode.

An essential tool for commute survival is a “Backseat Box” with quiet, solo activities that the kids can do while the parents keep their eyes on the road. While common Backseat Box items are books, coloring and activity books, and crayons or washable markers, just a few easy additions can turn the daily drive into a nature safari!

Encourage kids to lift their eyes from their handheld electronic games long enough to notice the incredible sights outside the car windows by creating nature scavenger hunts! Simply print out a few free nature scavenger hunt pages (or create your own) and put them on a clip board for your student commuter.

The scavenger hunt pages described below have been a hit with kids ages three to thirteen, and all are attached as printable documents at the Nature Notes blog, simply follow the hot links associated with each.

Nature’s Colors – the challenge here is to attune the eye to the many colors of the natural world. Kids and grownups alike get used to thinking of trees as green and skies as blue, but if you pay attention, the whole spectrum of colors – from crimson to lavender and all of their tints and shades in between are visible every day of the year. Either create or print this page of color blocks and let your younger student write what they saw in its corresponding color block. For a challenge or for older children, cut up paint swatch cards from the local home improvement store and keep them in a bag by the front door. Then, each passenger can blindly choose a paint color before the ride begins. The first to find their color on something in nature wins the competition! Scavenger Hunt – Colors
Outdoor Alphabet – With a page full of letters and blank lines, kids can spend the car ride finding something in nature that starts with each letter. Here in the deep south, the unfortunate road-crossing habits of armadillos will often provide kids with an easy answer for A right by the side of the road. (And giggles to go with it.) Depending on age and skill level, kids might find that B is for blue sky or blue jay or buckeye butterfly or basswood tree. Their creativity will really blossom when they get to Q, X, and Z! Scavenger Hunt – Alphabet
Nature’s Treasures - This page can be used as a scavenger hunt or cut into cards to be pulled from a “treasure box” (or treasure hat, or treasure cloth bag). Its clear visuals are great for even the youngest children to start honing their observation and identification skills by matching pictures to what they see out the window. Backyard Treasure Hunt Cards
Shapes of the Wild – For the very youngest of nature lovers, this page teaches shape recognition. The moon in the early morning sky will match the crescent. The shining sun can be their circle. Seeing nature through these simple shapes will also translate to improved drawing skills by helping child and parent alike translate plants and animals into assemblies of simpler shapes! Scavenger Hunt – shapes

With any luck, their eyes will be glued to the windows and their pencils busy on the page, so your eyes can stay stuck on the road and your hands on the wheel. Well, at least one hand on the wheel, and one wrapped around that warm coffee mug!

Northshore nature attractions for fun fall weekends

2010-10-18T15:54:00.006-05:00

Autumn in Southeast Louisiana is prime time for outdoor activities. The weather is cooler (though not yet actually cool!), the sun is shining, and wildlife and wildflowers that had been hiding from the summer heat are coming back out for one last hurrah before winter.

Today Big Branch Marsh Wildlife Refuge hosted "Wild Things" an interactive festival and showcase of some of the region's best nature destinations and wildlife organizations in the area, plus great crafts and attractions for the whole family.

For those that didn't make it to today's festival to scope out future day trips and weekend adventures, however, here are a few local family fun favorites:

The Tammany Trace - This 28-mile long, no-charge paved trail stretches along a scenic route from Covington to Slidell. Goldenrod, asters, and other fall wildflowers decorate both sides of the trail, inviting lovely fluttering butterflies to come and sip. Also, the surrounding forest provides excellent opportunities for bird watching. There are also more than a dozen stream crossings that allow a great vantage point to stop and see turtles, water snakes, and other wetland wildlife from a safe distance. Whether you prefer to walk, run, bicycle, or ride a horse, the Tammany Trace is not to be missed! Plan your Tammany Trace trip at their website.
The Northlake Nature Center - Known as St. Tammany Parish's secret garden. With mixed pine forest, a beaver pond, and Bayou Castine, the opportunities to see wildlife here are endless! Come dressed in comfy shoes, ready to stroll down one of three loop trails. At .75, 1.2, and 1.75 miles, respectively, these trails can be completed even with preschoolers. The 400 acre nature center is open from dawn to dusk daily and there is no entry fee. On November 6, 2010, the autumn installment of their Walk in the Woods Nature series will start at 8 a.m. However, if for those more in the mood to visit freestyle, but who want to sneak in some extra education for the kiddos, print free nature activities right from the Northlake Nature Center website.
Pearl River Wildlife Management Area - This is the section of the Pearl River where the swamp tours companies run their boats. Though the tours are not free, local residents can usually get a significant discount simply. Whether you're local or visiting, the swamp tours are a must-do. While water temperatures stay above 70 degrees, you're likely to see both small and large alligators on the tour, which may visit the boat to get a little snack from the captain. (They get their snacks from the captain, and only the captain. Feeding gators is not encouraged for anyone else. There's a fine line in the gator's mind between providing a snack and becoming a snack.) Even after waters cool to below gator-active temperatures, swamp tours regularly see egrets and herons, osprey, nutria, and lots of other swamp denizens. The captains are extremely knowledgeable about swamp ecology, swamp culture and history, and how wetlands are both affected by and protect people from the ravages of hurricanes. Two of the more popular swamp tour companies are Cajun Encounters Swamp Tours and Pearl River Eco-Tours.

So, if your Sunday isn't already swamped, get out there and swamp it . . .or trace it, or center it around nature!

This piece was originally written for Examiner.com.

Nature Rules, Polllution Drools: Brown Pelicans

2010-06-11T15:27:00.003-05:00

I'm starting a new project: gathering and sharing awesome animal facts. I chose the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) first because of its current struggle with the still-leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.

The brown pelican's pouch holds more than three gallons! (But its stomach holds only one gallon - they have to drain the water out before they can swallow fish they've caught.)

Brown pelicans incubate their eggs with their feet.

Though their wingspan is almost seven feet, brown pelicans weight only about eight pounds.

Brown pelicans rule!

Big Problems, Little Steps

2010-05-02T16:48:00.005-05:00

In the face of the massive oil leak caused by the sinking of British Petroleum's leased oil drilling rig, the Deepwater Horizon, it's tough to feel like you're doing enough to protect the environment.

The fact is, I could jump into the political protest realm with both feet. I could have majored in environmental policy instead of environmental science; I could have used my communication skills to fight the battle with pen and microphone and oil-soaked-mud slinging slingshot.

I could have, but I didn't. Those of you that know me know I'm just not a fighter. I want to hear the science, not the rhetoric. I want to focus on the positive, while encouraging others to eliminate the negative from the consumer side of the equation.

I've never been a great fan of the oil companies, but of all of them, British Petroleum has the most green reputation and the best green record.

It's sad that this tragedy and environmental catastrophe had to happen to the greenest petroleum company, but maybe it's also what was needed. It would be too easy to write off the whole incident as a case of negligence if it were the fault of one of the companies with an uglier track record (you all know who I'm talking about - that "tiger" hasn't been in my tank since I had a car of my own).

If an environmental disaster of this magnitude could result from the work of a careful, pro-green oil company - imagine what might befall us at the hands of the less careful oil companies - and there are many of them.

So, do I want greater regulations on the production and transport of crude oil? Yes, of course I do.

Do I want a moratorium on expanded offshore drilling? Yes, of course I do.

Do I want to eliminate all oil drilling off our shores? Eventually, maybe. Certainly not with the flick of a switch now - the resulting shortage of oil would be a kick in the gut to our faltering economy and would make us more reliant on foreign oil.

What I really want is to see our consumers vote with their actions and their dollars - and cast that vote in favor of energy conservation and energy diversification.

There are more than 300 million people in America. We are arguably the most powerful group of consumers in the world. Let's act like it.

Here are a few little steps I take every day to reduce my use of crude, and how they connect to the need for less drilling:

1. I drive a hybrid car, a Toyota Prius. Correction: I don't just drive they hybrid Prius, I LOVE driving my Prius. I average over 40mpg on every tank, and it fits my family of five (two adults, one kiddo, and two large dogs) and all of our stuff happily!

We bought the 2004 model Prius used in 2006. It currently has 130,000+ miles on it and runs like a champ.

2. I use cloth grocery bags. Plastic comes from oil, folks. Use fewer plastic grocery bags, and we need less oil. (Besides, if I see one more plastic grocery bag blowing in the wind or stuck in a tree or filling the stomach of a sea turtle who thought it was a jellyfish, I'm going to lose it.)

3. I don't buy water in plastic bottles. We have about a dozen BPA-free reusable water bottles in the house and we use them constantly. The second benefit of this is that we don't have plastic bottles clogging up the trash. (There's still no recycling in Slidell. That's a whole other blog entry, though.)

4. I buy local produce. Whether from the farm stand, from the local produce market, or from the grocery store, I choose the most local fruit and veggies I can find.

I miss certain fruits when they're out of season, but the local stuff tastes so much better, and I'm not encouraging people to fly/ship/drive my produce all the way from Timbuktu. I figure I'm helping to save a few of the millions of gallons of fuel we use to get our pineapples here from Hawaii or our grapes here from Chile.

5. I buy organic products whenever possible. Most of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the U.S. are made from yes, you guessed it, oil. So, when we choose organic, not only are we choosing a healthier ecosystem and a healthier product, we're choosing something that wasn't doused with oil-derived chemicals.

Okay, I'll now step down off of my plastic (but re-usable and likely post-consumer recycled) crate.

Because I live in south eastern Louisiana, I've volunteered to help with oil spill clean up operations. I will have a chance to do something with my own two hands to undo this environmental disaster. That makes me one very lucky "tree-hugging, bunny-loving, dirt worshipper".

But those of you farther away can make the choice to prevent disasters like this one every day - in what you choose to buy, in when you choose to drive less, in how you make the effort to wash and re-use rather than drink and dispose.

Environmentally speaking, it's not just the big choices, but the little, every day ones, that will keep us out of the deep water. Let's make them before we're in over our heads.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-21T18:37:00.000-05:00

In honor of Earth Day tomorrow (April 22) all purchases on the website will receive 22% discounts via refunds!

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - April 7, 2010

2010-04-07T18:56:00.003-05:00

A hummingbird visited my nectar feeder this morning! To watch that emerald gem dart, sip, and hover was a blessing and a gift. This one's for you, ruby-throated hummingbird:

"A flash of harmless lightning, A mist of rainbow dyes, The burnished sunbeams brightening From flower to flower he flies. " - John Banister Tabb

Nature Quote - March 25, 2010

2010-03-25T09:59:00.006-05:00

The mockingbird singing in the oak tree outside my window lifts my heart better than chocolate. For him, and for the fair lady he woos with his sweet spring singing, I found these quotes:

Spring would not be spring without bird songs.
- Francis M. Chapman

I sincerely congratulate you on the arrival of the mockingbird.

Learn all the children to venerate it as a superior being in the
form of a bird, or as a being which will haunt them
if any harm is done to itself or its eggs.
- Thomas Jefferson

I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven.

- Emily Dickinson

Nature Quote - March 18, 2010

2010-03-18T18:13:00.002-05:00

"All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind." ~Martin H. Fischer

This one is for the wonderful eighth graders of St. Margaret Mary's school (and their learned, local parent and teacher chaperones), with whom I was lucky enough to spend the day.

We laughed and learned together at a marsh pond near the University of New Orleans' Coastal Education Research Facility.

I got to teach them how to touch fish and not to be afraid of spiders.

They got to teach me my favorite new word "cockaho" minnow.

Thanks, guys and gals of St. Margaret Mary's - it was a blast!

Nature Quote - March 15, 2010

2010-03-15T13:50:00.006-05:00

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." ~Charles Dickens

This is exactly the kind of weather we're having today! Of course it's Dickens who can capture the moment perfectly in words.

In pictures, today's weather reminds me most of Windflower. Check it out:

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com/Gifts/Unlimited%20Photographs/Gallery_Unlimited_Floral.html

Winter’s Well-Timed Waiting Game

2010-03-14T09:00:00.002-05:00

This article was written for the March issue of Moonshine magazine online.

While most of the north is still wrapped in a winter blanket of white, here on the Gulf Coast there are already signs that spring is waiting just round the corner.

Waiting being the key word.

Though my toes ain’t froze and my streets ain’t snowed, I’m still anxious for spring. I note each tiny sign of impending primavera with a little heart’s leap for joy.

The red swamp maples are blooming. Joy!

It’s time to start putting out nesting materials for future pairs of mama and papa birds. Joy!

It’s no longer dark when I serve dinner (we eat on a three-year-old’s schedule, which is early, but I’m still counting this one)! Joy!

And so my mind finds two types of creative input from Mother Nature late this winter season: a.) Treasure the tiny things. Revel in the smallest details, and b.) Enjoy the waiting. The longer you have to hold back, the more energy with which you can spring forth!

These are not easy tasks to accomplish, especially in a world so full of over-inflated words and gestures, big screen TVs and high-definition speculation, loud and louder personalities. But, then, the best accomplishments are never easy.

Though the end of winter is when we long for color and indulgence most, through a little focus and restraint we can learn and grow creatively and re-ignite our artistic passions even before the spring sun begins to heat them up.

A few suggestions to get you going (or stopping, as the case may be):

Don’t touch the instruments of your preferred medium for a week. If you’re a photographer, no camera. If you’re a painter, no canvas. If you’re a writer, no keyboard. Though most of us have been taught to work on our craft every day, a purposeful break will renew our perspective and appreciation for our work. Keep a journal of ideas you have, or write them down on scraps of paper, but refrain and restrain from action.

Take an extra hint from the animals, though, who have spent their winter break feeding themselves well and stockpiling supplies . . . when you’re done with your break, you’d better have materials ready, because you’ll be as busy making art as the spring animals are making babies!

Refuse to accept that winter is a colorless season. Each time you go out, look for Roy. ROY G. BIV, that is. At first, brown, white, and green will be the only shades you see, but nature will give you an example of each color, I promise. (The advanced version of this little exercise is to grab a few paint chips at the local home improvement store, and grab one each time you leave the house. Find the exact colors on your paint chips, and you’ll train your eyes to see much more accurately.)

And, as always: go outside. (Being in a car doesn’t count.) Your body needs the vitamin D from winter’s weak sunshine and your mind needs some space into which it can expand.

So, even if you’re bundled from head to toe and it’s only for five minutes, be in nature purposefully. You may not yet be able to DO anything outside, but you can be there and think there and let your heart beat a little there. You can relish the tension of winter’s waiting and delight in the dream of spring.

# # #

Banner Day for Birds

2010-01-22T11:01:00.004-06:00

Well, yesterday was a banner day for backyard birds and bugs!

Why? Well, because I finally went outside and spent a few minutes outside looking around.

It seems as if one of the major lessons in my life is that if you're not looking, you're not seeing.

I went (outside), I looked, I saw!

Our weather has turned absolutely gorgeous - clear blue skies and seventies, so yesterday afternoon was perfect for playing in the backyard.

This is the first time that's happened since we moved! So, like a bad housewife but a good mother, I ditched my housework (a minor mountain range of laundry) and took Abbey out back.

And, oh, the reward for slacking on housework! The afternoon sun shone gold on the water and the birds were soaking up the rays in the sky.

Laughing gulls flew over head, one starling showed off every song he knew (more than I thought he had) in our neighbor's oak, tiny warblers flitted and sang between that oak and our willow, the lesser scaups dove in the water snatching up fish with their powder blue bills, and a yellow bellied sapsucker poked around and pecked at the many old knots and holes in the willow's bark.

A yellow bellied sapsucker! My first! Woohooo!!!!

Then, we also saw a large leaf footed bug - we're talking almost 2 inches long here - that let us get close enough for Abbey to touch it!

Awesome, awesome, awesome afternoon! And this was just in the space of an hour or so.

How am I supposed to do laundry when there's all of that outdoors??? I swear it's only the need for the neighbors not to see me naked that keeps the clothes cycling through the wash. Otherwise we'd be out back in the buff, I swear.

Our Eco-Location Part 1: Water

2010-01-19T15:48:00.004-06:00

Giving directions to our home is easy - we're right off of Interstate 10, four quick turns and you're at our doorstep.

(Unless, of course, you miss the exit - it's the last before the bridge and you'll have to drive 17 miles, turn around, and come back all 17 till you can exit again. We know this because we've done it.)

There are so many required change of address forms with a move that our street address is branded on my brain. Including zip code. With the extra four digits.

In fact, even our three year old, Abbey, can reel off our address from memory.

But I want to know more about my location. I want to know the natural aspects of my home.

I'm inspired to start with the water aspect of my home ecosystem because 1) it's literally in my backyard and 2) I spent the last 15 minutes with Abbey, watching Lesser Scaup ducks diving back there. Holding their breath, feeding underwater for five or more minutes at a time.

So what, and what kind, of water are they diving in?

I can already tell you that we're in the Lake Pontchartrain watershed. So close to it, in fact, that any excess pesticides or fertilizers that I put on my landscape would be washed into the lake minutes after the start of even a light rain.

This is why I won't use either in this landscape. The lake is already challenged enough.

The water quality reports indicate a good amount of dissolved oxygen in the water at the testing site a mile from our house, but after every rain the Fecal Coliform Bacteria numbers (yup, poop germs) spike so high that you can't even swim in the water.

I don't know what the water quality was like before Katrina and Rita, but I just met some wonderful educators at the Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Studies who taught me that 217 square miles of wetlands were destroyed by those hurricanes.

Wetlands are nature's sponge filters for surface water. They clean the fertilizer, pesticide, and most especially poop (wild, domestic, livestock - all varieties) out of the water before it gets to the lake.

A loss of 217 square miles - that's about the same size as the entire city of Austin, TX - is a significant set of holes in that water filter. It's bit like trying to use swiss cheese as a sponge.

Yes, I hear you - "But the hurricanes did it!"

But we are putting the vast amounts of additional chemicals (and pet poop - that's washing off and through the lawn, too) into the water to be filtered. We are polluting the atmosphere and warming the planet that increases hurricane intensity.

And it doesn't matter that we've just moved here (my family, I mean - though you know you're welcome to visit - just don't miss that last exit before the bridge) - we made our fair share of the mess by driving cars and using electricity and eating crops grown with chemicals.

In fact, since this area filters the Mississippi, and the Mississippi drains most of the agricultural land in the U.S., it's a good bet that we've all made our fair share of this mess.

In short, we've got a lot of work to do rebuilding America's Wetland, and I'm starting with my back yard.

Before spring rolls in (Laissez le printemps rouler?) around the middle of March, I'll complete a Backyard Habitat landscape plan.

I'll scan it and post it as it comes along - but I'm starting now, so feel free to start sending me ideas for native, eco-friendly and wildlife-friendly plants if you have any ideas!

In the meantime, air quality is up next on the list for examining my eco-location. Cross your fingers for low air pollution . . . but don't hold your breath!

Adventures in Home-Cooking

2010-01-12T19:07:00.005-06:00

Well, folks, I have been reducing my arse off.

And by "reducing" of course I mean cooking at home instead of eating at restaurants or via drive through windows or using prepared foods and by "my arse" I literally mean my arse.

(Everything's funnier in the British dialect, no?)

I'm down two pounds. It's probably water weight - all weight loss seems to be water, whereas all weight gain is pure lard - Murphy's Law.

Still, I think it might have something to do with cooking at home a lot more than I usually do.

I am certainly setting cuisine standards that I won't be able to maintain when I get the environmental education job I'm hoping for, but what are standards if you can't blow them to smithereens, right?

Well, this is what I've learned from cooking home for the past couple of weeks:

1. Dishes are wretched. They're EVERYWHERE. All the time. There's a concise mathematical relationship between the deliciousness of the meal you cook and the number of dishes that are dirtied by the cooking. It's exponential.

2. Washing dishes in the dishwasher really does take less water than washing by hand. It also makes you feel less like a Dark Ages kitchen wench.

3. Never, under any circumstances, put bowls on the bottom rack of the dishwasher. It ruins the wash in every dishwasher I've ever owned. So you end up re-washing half the load and transform yourself into a water wasting kitchen wench. With dishpan hands.

4. Even with all the work, I still wouldn't use disposable dishes. Why bother to tear down all of those trees for leaky, flimsy plates when you're going to spend a bunch of time washing the pots and pans anyway? Silly kitchen wench.

Besides doing acres of dishes, I've also cooked some fairly fabulous meals. My favorite so far is a fairly scrumptious baked penne recipe, which I will share with those of you that have waded through my dishwater tirade thus far:

Dorothy's Baked Penne

Ingredients:

1 package of Italian Sweet Sausage

1 package organic penne pasta

1 package organic mozzarella (pre-shredded if you can find it)

Sauce:

2 cans organic diced tomatoes
1 carrot
1 stalk of celery
1/2 to 1 sweet onion
2 cloves garlic
3 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.
Put the water on to boil the pasta.
Dice the carrot, celery, and onion. Saute in olive oil in the bottom of a stock pot.
Mince the garlic. Add it to the saute when the onion starts to turn translucent.
Once the onion is translucent, add the two cans of tomatoes with their juice.
Let this simmer for 20ish minutes while you're busy doing everything else.
Salt the boiling water and put the pasta in to cook when the water has come to a boil.
Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into a medium-hi pan. Break up the sausage as it cooks.
Put a little of the tomato sauce in with the sausage so you can use it to deglaze the pan (AKA scrape up and dissolve all of the yummy bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.)
Put the rest of the tomato sauce in a blender or food processor and puree it.
Put the pureed sauce and the cooked sausage back into the stock pot together.
Add a handful of the shredded mozzarella to the sauce mixture.
When the pasta is al dente, strain it and add it to the sauce mixture.
Mix thoroughly.
Spray a 13x9 pan with olive oil (or grease it in any other way you like) and dump the pasta mixture in.
Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella all over the top.
Bake until the mozzarella on top is all bubbly and yummy - takes maybe 10 minutes.

This was a mixture of three different recipes from two different cook books with a lot of improvisation on my part. Next time I'll add parmesan cheese, too.

It got rave reviews from the family and we had leftovers to eat lunch for two days . . . in which time I had just about cleaned all of the dishes I dirtied in making it.

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My Trash Can Runneth Over

2010-01-03T18:48:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I'm not going to say that yesterday was an unmitigated disaster in terms of my quest to buy less.

It was a mitigated disaster.

The disaster part: Bed Bath and Beyond after-Christmas sale.

Bought twelve drapery panels, each in it's own clear plastic container (with zipper - why not just a flap, I do not know) and with a couple of pieces of cardboard stiffener inside.

Also bought a set of sheets on clearance, non-organic cotton. (I did just purchase an organic set for Abbey's new bed - part of her complete new bedroom suite. See? Mitigation and disaster.)

Also bought a new set of towels, non-organic cotton. Old ones have bleach stains, though I would swear they have never come within an arm's length of even a closed bleach container.

But they were all sooo pretty, and sooo cheap.

It's a quest for reduction, though, not a day trip.

Today's buying results were much better. I discovered Rouse's!!!

Rouse's is one of three local options for a grocery store. (There would be four, but I don't count Wal Mart - they're getting much better with eco-friendly products, but the noise and activity of the place gives me a twitch.) It's competitors are Winn Dixie and Lishman's.

Rouse's rocks!!!

Lishman's was too expensive, Winn Dixie was too expensive and the parking lot was a nightmare.

Rouse's is too expensive (but, then again, I'm comparing it to military commissary prices, so I may be a little biased), but it's got so many eco-friendly and organic products I was in green shopper's heaven!

Tonight we bought organic butter, cream cheese, broccoli, apples, cauliflower, lettuce, milk, and soy milk. We bought eco-friendly dish detergent and will be able to buy Mrs. Meyer's, Seventh Generation, or Ecover laundry and cleaning products when we need them!

Joy, joy, joy!

And I didn't even fill up the trash can with extra packaging when we got home!

Which was good, because they're all overflowing from the unpacking and new buying detritus of the past few weeks.

Seriously - when you can't recycle, the trash cans need to be emptied every day, it seems. Such a pain!

Then again, the mitigation there is that my dear husband is usually the one that empties the trash. Which he did (again) while we were out shopping.

Good husband.

Good grocery store.

Grateful wife/mother/tree hugger/shopper.

http://www.worldofocolorgallery.com

Bon Jour, Louisiana!

2010-01-02T15:10:00.002-06:00

It has been a busy two months since I wrote the last post in this blog. We have had adventures in life!

My husband finished his treatment for Lyme disease (round two) and we were transferred to and subsequently moved ourselves to Slidell, Louisiana.

Though we had hoped to move back to our native Virginia, we quickly discovered that our new home on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain is fantastic!

We have a little bit of waterfront on a freshwater canal (no alligators - I checked before we signed the lease) and can now seagull- and duck- and pelican-watch over morning coffee. Woohoo! I can't wait to see what birds join the party once I put my feeders up!

One of my first concerns about moving to Slidell was that the area wouldn't have any environmental education opportunities. Silly me! New Orleans is home to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, the Audubon Insectarium, and the Audubon Zoo, any of which I'd absolutely love to work at. (Are you listening, Audubon human resources people?)

There's also a plethora of wildlife refuges (read: swamps and marshes with alligators - I don't mind working with them, I just don't want them for neighbors - blatantly alligator-ist) and a fantastic botanical garden. (By "fantastic" I of course mean that I'm having fantasies of working there, teaching native gardening and garden photography to students of all ages.)

One major disappointment, though: Slidell has no recycling. None.

Milton had no curbside pickup, but I got used to taking it to a drop off center. Having no recycling at all really hurts. Literally - every time I have to throw away a recyclable, another drop of painful guilt falls into an ever-growing mental guilt bucket.

I understand why there's no recycling - the waste management system is still in knots cleaning up from hurricane Katrina. I'm not mad about it or anything, just terribly disappointed.

So, this will have to be my new year's resolution: to really and truly reduce my consumer footprint. Out of reduce, reuse, and recycle, I think reducing is the hardest.

It's especially hard when you're moving into a significantly larger house and suddenly find yourself in "need" of a lot of stuff.

It's even harder when there are after-Christmas sales everywhere. Everywhere!

So, this is my mission and my New Year's resolution: finding ways NOT to buy things. Maintaining the things we already own. Definitely buying things with less packaging (must find a bulk discount store in the area).

Tips and tricks are welcome, both on reducing and finding recycling options in the New Orleans area (as are job recommendations, preschool recommendations, and restaurant recommendations)!

Happy New Year to all - may 2010 bring us all exciting new adventures in nature and in life!

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Note This: FREE Shipping on EVERYTHING

2009-11-04T08:31:00.002-06:00

We are now offering free shipping on everything at our site. That's right, FREE. No limits. No matter how much you order, it ships FREE. Enjoy!

Shop now at: World of Color Photography Website

Pumpk-Info

2009-10-27T08:59:00.005-05:00

Though our pumpkin headed, toddler-sized scarecrow, "Pumpkinelope" has been sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch for over a week now, we won't head out to get our carving pumpkin until tomorrow.

The heat and moisture are so high here in Florida, I didn't want to put out a Jack-O-Lantern too early, lest it become a real fright by rotting right in front of us and before Halloween.

So, in honor of the scraping, carving, and lighting to come, a few pumpkin facts for you:

Pumpkin is tremendously good for you - its bright orange flesh is a clue to the large amounts of beta carotene (vitamin A) inside. It is also rich in potassium, fiber, Vitamin C, E, and K. Click on these links for a good pumpkin soup recipe and instructions on pumpkin seed roasting.

The top pumpkin-producing states are California, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania (listed in alphabetical order). They produced 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins last year. Source

Each year, growers compete for the title of growing the world’s largest pumpkin. The largest recorded pumpkin grown was on October 1, 2005 at the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Weighoff. It weighed in at 1,469 pounds, breaking all previous world records. It was grown by Larry Checkon of North Cambria, Penn. Source

American colonists sliced off pumpkin tops, removed the seeds, and filled the pumpkins with milk, spices, and honey. They then baked the entire pumpkin in hot ashes to make a dessert. Source

Pumpkins (which are biologically a fruit, not a vegetable, because they bear the seeds of the plant) are a member of the squash family, cousins to gourds, zucchini, and cucumbers.

The carving of jack-o'-lanterns originated from the tradition of carving the faces of lost souls into hollowed out pumpkins and turnips. A candle was placed inside the carvings making the faces glow. The Halloween lanterns were placed on doorsteps to ward off evil spirits. Source

Happy Halloween to all! Be sure to send in photos of your carving art - I'd love to post them!

One of these days, the perfect pumpkin will pose for my camera and I'll add its orangey awesomeness to the gallery collection. Check out the other oranges in the Orange Gallery.

Nature Quote - October 23, 2009

2009-10-23T09:08:00.003-05:00

My little girl is 3 years and 2 months old today - and this is 1 poem I can't wait to share with her! (How I wish it were illustrated!)

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
~George Cooper, "October's Party"

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Because I Was Looking, I Saw. . .

2009-10-21T18:17:00.003-05:00

a lot of really cool stuff happening in nature - from my backyard to Bear Lake, here are a few of the highlights:

A toad has taken up residence on or near our front porch. He (or she) appears to be your basic Bufo terrestris, about four inches nose to hind end, and getting plumper every night by feeding on the various bugs attracted by our porch light. We have not named our toad friend yet, so write in if you have toad moniker suggestions.

I have landscaped with wildlife in mind. I have even certified my yard as a Backyard Habitat. I'm used to birds at the feeder and anoles and geckos all around the house. But still, occasionally something catches me off guard and makes me so glad for my landscaping; a few days ago I spotted a mockingbird chasing a blue jay all around my crabapple tree. Then I saw why: the blue jay's beak was clamped around a ripe, red, crabapple the size of a fat blueberry. There are still hundreds of crabapples left on the tree, so I'm hoping to catch their Tom & Jerry act again!

Speaking of mockingbirds . . . they sure have moxie! While Abbey played at the playground next to our library this Monday night, I spotted a red shouldered hawk that came to rest in a bare tree across the street. I told Abbey and we edged closer to get a good look at the large, impressive raptor. And it was impressive, standing there still as a statue while a mockingbird hopped all around it, harassing its every last feather. This hawk could have made an appetizer out of the mockingbird, but still the smaller bird came to within inches. And the smaller bird achieved its goal - the unruffled but annoyed hawk took wing a minute or so later. I knew mockingbirds were protective and territorial, but this one seems either downright heroic or downright stupid. (Probably a little of both - when you come right down to it, all survival on the planet requires a little of both.)

Buckeye butterflies are everywhere! All over the woodland trail at Bear Lake, all over my zinnias, just all over. They are gorgeous! My identification books mention them massing at this time of year; not migrating like monarchs, but definitely moving southward. This is definitely a check mark in the "pro" column for living in the south.

We did get to see a bald eagle at Bear Lake. We haven't seen one on every visit, so it's special. This time, the great bird took off from a branch in a nearby pine snag so forcefully that the branch came tumbling down with a loud crack and rumbling clatter. The eagle flew over our heads while we were distracted with the noise. I caught it out of the corner of my eye and was able to alert Brian and Abbey before it turned to catch an air current and sailed back in front of us. A moment of pure natural magic, all the better for having seen it with my two best fellow explorers.

And we saw it because we were out there . . . just having fun and . . . looking.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Don't Forget: Orionid Meteor Showers this Week!

2009-10-19T09:28:00.003-05:00

Bundle up and get outside each night this week to see the Orionid meteor showers!

The best night will be Wednesday, the 21st, and the best viewing times are 2am-5am, but I doubt I'll be up and out that early (unless I have to wake up to pee in the middle of the night).

You should be able to see shooting stars from dusk on, particularly in the eastern sky. (They're called the Orionids because the meteors seem to radiate from the constellation Orion.)

Maximum rates are expected to be 20-30 per hour and since it's a crescent moon, that will make the sky dark and the meteors extra-visible.

Okay, I'm off to the store to stock up on jugs of apple cider to mull with cinnamon and take out with us when we go shooting star watching tonight.

Be sure to respond to this post and let me know how the shooting star show goes where you are!

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - October 9. 2009

2009-10-09T09:04:00.003-05:00

"The green grass and the happy skies court the fluttering butterflies." -Astrid Alauda

The air here is fairly filled with the fluttering wings of butterflies. Some are taking in the nectar of our fall flowers (we've still got months before the first hard frost) and some are merely stopping over on their way to points further south.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad they're here - they make life seem enchanted.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Autumn Action

2009-10-06T19:30:00.003-05:00

A well-supported principle of ecology is that the place where two ecosystems meet – between a forest and a stream, or a river and the sea – the diversity of life abounds. You’ll find more plants, more animals, more activity, courtesy of the mix.

I’m beginning to think the same principle holds true for the time around the change of seasons.

Fall fell on September 22 this year, and though afternoon temperatures here along the Gulf Coast are still mercilessly steamy, the air of autumn is all around.

The animals that seemed to loll through the end of summer’s heat (a wise tactic indeed – in the south you either take summer slowly or are struck dumb and still by its power) have been revived by the recent cool nights.

Here, at the change of seasons, birds and bugs (and bigger things, too) are teaching us about action and diversity in all their furry, feathered, whiskered and winged glory.

They know a change is coming.

They’re up and about and getting prepared.

They bicker and brag and celebrate and sing.

The opulence of summer has met the sweet breeze of autumn, and those of us lucky enough to be fed physically by the first and spiritually by the second . . . well, we need to get moving.

Now is the time to be outside – in this short reprieve between the hellish heat and the cruel cold – to be out looking and thinking and putting pen (or brush, or pixels, or child’s crayon if that’s what you have at hand) to paper.

We are the ones fortunate enough to be able to watch, listen, hear, taste, smell and see. We cannot capture the change, but it is both our responsibility and our reward to tell the story.

We can, each in our own way, share the joy and glory of the sweet place where two seasons meet, and mix, and move the world.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

This piece was originally written for the October 2009 issue of Moonshine Magazine.

New Photographs Available

2009-09-23T09:32:00.005-05:00

Our summer trip to Virginia was amazing! Making my way through the 300 frames (slowly) now, and have just added three new photographs to the gallery collection. Enjoy!

Poinsettia

Burgundy Swirl Dahlia

Appalachian Hillside Summer

Nature Quote - September 21, 2009

2009-09-21T09:10:00.002-05:00

The return of sunshine after days of rain is a better than winning the lottery!

"The sun is the epitome of benevolence - it is lifegiving and warmthgiving and happinessgiving, and to it we owe our thanksgiving." -Jessi Lane Adams

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - September 16, 2009

2009-09-16T09:54:00.006-05:00

“Nature is an infinite sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere” - Blaise Pascal

This quote reminds me of one of my mother's many wisdoms:

In discussing the photography that we both enjoy (why she doesn't sell hers, I don't know) she remarked at the infinite possibilities for shots. One subject could be shot from an infinite sphere of angles and distances, and each position could be shot infinite times because the light (and wind, and interaction with the universe) change every second of every day.

So, now I both blame her and credit her for the fact that during our recent visit to Virginia, I shot over 300 frames and am now sifting through them all to pick the very best.

Three. . .hundred. . .frames.

Thanks, Ma!

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - September 15, 2009

2009-09-15T21:53:00.002-05:00

A little ego boost from the Universe, itself:

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and
the stars; you have a right to be here.
- Desiderata

Of course, this also means that the trees and stars and ants and birds have just the same right, too. And aren't we lucky that they do?

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - September 14, 2009

2009-09-14T09:07:00.003-05:00

It's raining again today.

It rained all weekend.

It's going to rain all week.

Rather than looking at this as the depressing, housebound, cabin-fever occasion that it surely is, I've decided to look at it as the opportunity that, surely, it also is.

So, ten positive thoughts about rain:

1. It's watering in all of the plants I put in last week without raising my city water bill.

2. It's washing ragweed pollen out of the air.

3. It's making lots of pools and puddles from which beautiful wildlife can drink.

4. It's not flooding.

5. It's not drought.

6. It gives my daughter an opportunity to splash in puddles, which gives me the opportunity to splash with her and/or film her splashing - both of which are highly joyous.

7. It gives me the opportunity to go out in the rain and get wet so as to experience the bliss of coming in to get dry.

8. As my mother's Nana used to say: "All sunshine makes a desert."

9. It's great book reading and napping weather.

10. This last one is our quote of the day, courtesy of Ms. Dolly Parton: "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."

So now I'm going out for a walk in the drizzle. And I'm going to look for rainbows.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - September 11, 2009

2009-09-11T08:54:00.004-05:00

Even eight years later, when I hear the stories of those lost on this day, my eyes still well up with tears.

Though I was lucky enough not to lose anyone on this tragic day, I remember the grief of our nation and feel it still like a hole going straight through my chest and out my back. An emptiness in my heart and between my shoulder blades.

There is no quote that can soften the sadness of this day with the healing power of nature - though time in nature is perhaps one of the most healing things there is, for me, at least.

What I have found are these; words that help me to take a deep breath, and then to take another.

To recognize that we owe those who have left this life too soon our full attention to enjoying the planet while we're still here.

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." ~From a headstone in Ireland

"As long as I can I will look at this world for both of us. As long as I can I will laugh with the birds, I will sing with the flowers, I will pray to the stars, for both of us." ~Sascha, as posted on motivateus.com

Nature Quote - September 10, 2009

2009-09-10T08:22:00.002-05:00

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful.”
- Alice Walker

Alice Walker says here exactly what I've always believed: imperfection is perfect and perfection is, well, boring.

It's not always easy to remember, as we strive for excellence, strive to be better, but it is our imperfections that make us the most interesting!

The same goes for photography. You'll find in my collection of photographs that none of the specimens are perfect - always a bug here or a burnt spot there. Symmetry just slightly askew. (If that isn't a metaphor for life, I don't know what is.)

Rather than focusing solely on a subject's flaw(s), I try to consider it an interesting part of the flower's "face" - a mark of being real, living and growing in an imperfect world.

And then they become even more beautiful.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - September 9, 2009

2009-09-09T07:33:00.002-05:00

"There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story." - Linda Hogan

Today I plan to spend a lot of time outside. It's time to fertilize the garden here in Florida and I bought an organic fertilizer that I'll dissolve in the water from my rain barrel.

It will be a slow process of filling watering cans and watering each plant with the mixture - but that's what I want.

I want the time to look around. To think. To not think too much. To listen and absorb without fast forwarding to what's next.

I'll keep you posted on how the "story" unfolds.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - September 8, 2009

2009-09-08T08:23:00.003-05:00

Something appropriate for the first day of school:

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you." - Frank Lloyd Wright

The lessons in nature are too many to count, the peace there too great to measure. Both are good for students of all ages.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Three New Photographs in the Gallery Collection

2009-08-17T14:00:00.003-05:00

Farm Fresh

Watermelon

Buttercream

Thoughts from a Tired Gardener

2009-08-10T17:34:00.002-05:00

I am an avid gardener. Which, during summer along the Gulf Coast, is to say that I am a tired and defeated weeder.

I have been thoroughly and roundly defeated by the shy plant and crabgrass.

They mock me in the slanted light of morning, knowing that they will thrive in the heat of day while I stare, helpless, from my air conditioned barracks.

When I do venture out in the not-cool-but-no-longer-searingly-hot evenings to wrestle what I can out of the soil, I can hear the survivors whisper,

"Do not consider yourself a victor for those of us you have taken. Each of the fallen will be replaced with three new invaders."

They're right; their seeds outnumber me a million to one and they know I won't use the only WMDs at my disposal because broad-spectrum herbicides are bad for all manner of life (including dogs and daughters and the frogs that sing to me from my porch).

And so I struggle to hold my ground while the weeds know that the war will go on for eons and my little patch of resistance will someday be theirs again.

I would delve deeper into the drama, but I have to go out and pull weeds.

I leave you with this piece of wisdom from another Floridian, whose writing makes me believe that he has felt my weedy woes:

"Crabgrass can grow on bowling balls in airless rooms, and there is no known way to kill it that does not involve nuclear weapons."
-Dave Barry

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Back to Buzzing

2009-07-29T15:14:00.003-05:00

I'm back!

Logging in and finding that my last post was an entire month ago was disheartening but not surprising - I taught environmental camp for the first three weeks of July and it always exhausts me.

It's a dream job - not just because it's so fun and awesome that I can't believe they pay me to do it, but because I sleep so hard when I get home each day that I have to remind myself that the camp part wasn't actually a dream.

But now I'm back home and Abbey starts pre-school on Monday and it's time to get talking (typing) again.

My thoughts today turn to bugs.

(Just saying that has me picturing each thought in my brain as a different insect: many as ants working to build something big, others as cockroaches skittering away to hide from the light, logic as the great and merciless spider waiting to devour all of the fancy fliers.)

Back outside my brain, I have a mosquito bite and my daughter has a fire ant bite. We have reached that time of summer when the insects - who rule the world from under our noses and under our feet - are making their presence known.

I read recently in Animal Ignorance - a book I highly recommend - that if it were not for spiders, human kind would literally be up to its ears in insects. Drowning in bugs. Eeesh. Thank you, arachnids!

But, then again, if it weren't for bugs, we wouldn't have much to speak of at all - no flowering plants, so no fruit or veggies and no decomposition of dead plant matter, or meat matter for that fact. I'll take the buzz of mosquitos and the smell of flowers over the serene silence and the smell of hot rotting carcass and any day.

So, for my first post back here on the Web (sorry, I couldn't help myself), I'd like to extend great gob of gratitude to our six and eight legged friends. And to help me do it, a little something from E.O. Wilson:

"If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos."

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

When You've Got It, Flaunt It

2009-06-29T13:45:00.003-05:00

~ An article written for the June issue of Moonshine online magazine.~

A few mornings ago I took my daughter on our third blueberry-picking trip of the season. Less than ten minutes from our house is Lundy’s Blueberry Patch, a little plot of heaven on earth where Doc Lundy (a retired veterinarian) offers beautiful blueberries to the picking public from late May through mid-July.

“The blueberries are waning now,” Doc Lundy warned us, “but I think I saw some good ones out on row 57 and 58.”

I smiled at Doc – knowing how blueberry spoiled he is – and said we’d take what we could get.

Ha.

Ha, ha, ha!

Rows 57 and 58 may have been “waning”, but the bushes were still heavy with ripe, blue fruit. Hundreds of gleaming indigo orbs smiled at us as their juice-filled weight pulled branches down toward my pre-schooler’s eager little hands.

Abbey and I picked till our fingers were blue and our tongues deep purple. (Doc encourages his customers to “sample” while they pick, and we wouldn’t want to be rude . . . so we “sample” with abandon.)

Each bush had dozens of ripe berries on it because folks never remember to grab the berries from the shady center of the bush, where they grow extra fat and sweet. I don’t blame them for this, though, because a) there are so many berries on the outside of the bush to keep you busy picking and b) that means other folks leave the center berries for me.

I try to pick each bush thoroughly before moving on to the next, but most often a particularly rotund little sapphire will catch my eye on a neighboring plant and off I’ll go like a butterfly – fluttering blissfully and hungrily to the next pretty flower.

My daughter and I compete for who can find the biggest berry, all the while I’m smiling to myself between popping berries into my mouth, savoring the sweetness of the sun and fresh air, the trill of birdsong, and joy good company. (Abbey, though not quite three, has been known to pick over a pound of berries all on her own.)

Then, on the way out, my pink-cheeked and glistening little girl will turn the parental tables on me – it’s her turn to cajole “Let’s go! Hurry, hurry!” because I’m going slow, trying in vain to pick all of the berries I missed on our way to the end of the row.

The prices at Lundy’s are incredibly low and I always feel we should have picked more, even though blueberries and countless other gorgeous fruits and vegetables are available at rock-bottom prices at our weekly farmer’s market.

But that’s not what gets me. The part of the whole experience that really gets me is this: abundance.

Blueberry bushes are the definition of abundance.

Nature’s abundance is, perhaps, her greatest gift to us in summer. An abundance of flowers, of fruit, of vegetables, of animals, and, most profoundly, of light and color.

Summer is the time when Mother Nature is showing us that she’s got it and she ain’t afraid to flaunt it.

I say we use those extra summer hours of light to capture and reflect this glorious abundance, fullness, and ripeness. Though I remain the tree-hugging, reduce-reuse-recycle conservationist, I say that now is the time to use more paint and bolder colors. Take more photographs, create more sculpture.

Let your summer art be full and abundant, rich, bright, multi-hued and sparkling with the joy of nature’s annual promise fulfilled.

In fact, here’s a suggested color palette: Eggplant Purple, Rhubarb Magenta, Watermelon Pink, Strawberry Red, Georgia Peach, Bell Pepper Orange, Cantaloupe, Lemon Yellow, Banana Pepper Chartreuse, Cucumber Green and, of course, Blueberry Blue.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - June 25, 2009 -Farm Fresh

2009-06-25T18:27:00.002-05:00

This afternoon Abbey and I went out to visit Hicks Honey Farm. Just five miles outside of town and on a few acres we had an adventure better than the zoo.

We went to pick up beeswax tea light candles (I've gone completely off of paraffin candles - too many toxins, too much petroleum usage), but came home with so much more!

"Mr. Bee Man," as Abbey quickly named him, not only let her pet his sweet calico cat, but also held a big white goose for Abbey to pet its soft down feathers, dressed her in a beekeeper's hat (more like a dress on her) and showed her the bees coming back to the hive with their sacs full of pollen, and then took us to the hen yard so Abbey could pet a hen, too.

Abbey had already tried to catch several different roosters running around the property, but to no avail. Note to self: show Abbey the chicken catching scene from Rocky for encouragement.

So, Mr. Bee Man went into the hen house and gently grasped a hen that was currently laying. He brought her out and taught Abbey to pet her mottled black and white feathers gently and with her whole (little) hand.

And I didn't take any pictures. I just hope it's engraved on my brain.

On the upside, though, Mr. Bee Man was able to gather 10 eggs laid fresh today for us to buy for a paltry $2. I was so excited that I declared we'd have breakfast for dinner (a family favorite), whereupon he went into his home and collected another 12 to give us for free that had been laid a couple of days ago and he couldn't eat because - here's the kicker - he has high cholesterol.

Here I feel bound to note that cage-free and free-range hens lay eggs that are significantly better for you (lower in cholesterol and higher in omega-3s, I believe) than caged hens.

But, enough about me - I have a belly full of delicious eggs and a camera full of egg pictures (and blackberry pictures - picked up two pints at the Farmers' Market earlier this week), both of which need processing. So I'll leave you with this quote:

"It may be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs."
Margaret Thatcher

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Mourning Dove Chick Pics

2009-06-08T18:44:00.001-05:00

Two shots of our little hanging basket chick taken today:

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Mourning Dove Chick

2009-06-08T16:47:00.002-05:00

After all of that waiting, my husband was the first to spot our little mourning dove chick!

The chick was first seen Friday evening at dusk and appears to have doubled in size already. I'm charging a camera battery now, so stay tuned for pictures!

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Gorgeous Gulf (Photos taken May 31, 2009)

2009-06-04T10:18:00.004-05:00

Thinking about adding one of these to the collection of gift photos. Which one is your favorite?

Comment on this post to let me know which one you "vote" for!

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Learning Curve

2009-06-01T18:26:00.003-05:00

Today was the first day of environmental camp. I teach 8-12 year olds all about our excellent earth and our fabulous Florida ecosystems for six weeks every summer.

These are the best six weeks of my whole year!

This first camp started off particularly well - only five students, so I had lots of time to interact with each of them. They were smart, knowledgeable, kind, and eager to learn.

Pure bliss.

We discussed the elements of survival (air, water, food, shelter) and how to record data about wildlife in order to properly identify individuals (size, number of legs, body covering, activity, habitat, etc.) and all of the reasons WHY we want to "save the planet."

The best part, of course, was the time we spent outside. With little prompting from me, the kiddos were all over, finding damselflies and tadpoles and trumpet vine flowers and frogs and pill bugs and spiders and beetles and junebugs and all manner of wonderful things.

They turned over rocks, looked up at overhangs, poked at sap dripping out of the slash pines, and were absolutely psyched about it all.

Joy!

Their sense of wonder is a lesson in itself. More than I could teach, but something I am all to happy to foster.

So, here's to the beginning of a new adventure. A few quotes from the kids to revive your own sense of wonder:

Question: Why do we need lots of different kind of animals?
Answer: To eat them. (I loved this one. It was so authentic!)

"Oh, look! There's a mushroom!" "And there's a bug on it, too!"

"I think it's an American crow, because it was all black and it had a skinny beak." (He was comparing the crow to the raven in the bird identification book to try to figure out what he saw. And he was right, he had observed a crow.)

There are tons more, but my teacher brain and toddler-mommy brain are both terrifically tired and I must take myself for a time out.

Contented sigh.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

A Watched Egg Will Not Hatch

2009-05-27T10:33:00.006-05:00

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Right now I'm waiting, wondering when the mourning doves' eggs will hatch. I wish I had been more observant and noticed when they first came to nest in the hanging basket on the porch. Was it more than 18 days ago (the gestation time for mourning dove eggs)?

Are they sitting on bad eggs, doomed to disappointment (and I with them)? Or will we have cheeping dove babies any minute?

The possibilities for either exultant joy or deep sorrow are staggering. So many of life's experiences are a waiting game of one sort or another yet, when I searched, I found no good quote on nature and waiting.

How is that possible?!

Well, I refuse to wait for one to appear, so I'll create one here:

"Waiting is like a jawbreaker - hard and sweet at the same time."

It's frustrating and, occasionally, painful, too. But, in the end, we find that it is better enjoyed slowly and fully - savoring each layer of anticipation as a new flavor. We must try to remember not to crunch through too quickly because we will miss the possibility when it's gone.

And now I'm gone, too - gone out to check on the doves and eggs just one more time. . .

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - May 20, 2009 - On Weeds and Weeding

2009-05-20T15:57:00.004-05:00

Funny thing, being a naturalist and a gardener. It means one half of me recognizes weeds and the other sees only wildflowers.

The gardener wants them gone and the naturalist refuses to use chemicals to do it. And that means that one half of me is constantly bent over pulling weeds (trying not to moon the neighbors too badly) while the other half questions her own sanity and the date of inevitable spinal collapse.

I try to pull 100 weeds a day, but I forget on most days and so end up pulling five or six hundred in one evening to catch up. Yesterday was just such an evening.

While Abbey scampered about, pulling as many weeds as her preschool attention would allow (about three at a time, with long tricycle breaks in between), I yanked out every pesky "volunteer" I could find. My back ached, my knees creaked, my nails filled up with dirt. . .and it was wonderful.

The sun was low and sparkling gold, the breeze ruffled the leaves of trees and blades of grass, and a simple peace settled over my daughter and me as if for just those few minutes, I knew without a doubt that we were in the right place, doing the right thing.

And we'll get to do it again:

"But make no mistake: the weeds will win; nature bats last." ~Robert M. Pyle

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - May 18, 2009 - Spring Weather

2009-05-18T09:12:00.003-05:00

I watched the weather this morning over a cup of fair-trade, organic dark roast coffee. The coffee was delicious, but the weather pattern over the U.S. was even more enticing.

While the poor southwest is baking at 100 degrees for its umpteenth straight day, a glorious cool front has moved in over the midwest and east.

Just when I had resigned myself to five months of Florida summer and days that break 80 degrees before 8:00 a.m., Mother Nature throws us a meteorological curve ball! (Yes, women can pitch. If you doubt it, check out your nearest softball game. Those women could pitch a fly off a fencepost fifty yards - both killing the fly and shattering the post.)

It's 62 degrees, grey, and breezy here in the Florida panhandle! I would write more about this lovely reminder that summer doesn't really start till June 21, but I've got to get away from this keyboard and out into the gorgeous weather.

And so I'll leave you now with a quote from a famous American writer, observer, and lover of life's curve balls, quirks, and all things smart and funny:

“In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.” - Mark Twain

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - May 17, 2009 - The Gospel of Nature

2009-05-17T09:47:00.003-05:00

There were bluejays in my worship service this morning. Mourning Doves singing there, too. A little girl thoroughly enjoying herself with only sand and sky and grass and water from the hose. Two dogs at peace, sharing good tidings with me in their furry way.

There in my own back yard, feet planted softly in the Earth, my gratitude for Creation was immeasurable. In the birdsong and the breeze I heard that clear benediction of my familiar Lutheran service: "Thanks be to God!"

I think Luther himself might have had this experience once or twice, too:

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars." ~Martin Luther

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - May 15, 2009 - Galileo and Farmers' Markets

2009-05-15T14:38:00.003-05:00

This one is for my daughter Abbey who, upon our first visit to the Farmers' Market this season and greatly to her mother's joy and surprise, thought the fruit tables were much better than the candy in the checkout aisle at the grocery store.

When I informed her that we weren't buying peaches (I was going to wait for riper ones to appear on Saturday morning), Abbey protested "But, Mom, we NEED peaches."

When a kid's right, she's right.

Speaking of people who were right. . .

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do." ~ Galileo

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - May 13, 2009 - Fine Buy, Me!

2009-05-13T09:44:00.001-05:00

A few minutes ago I purchased some eco-friendly storage boxes from The Container Store. They're made of post-consumer recycled paper and they were not cheap. Even using the online discount code, I think I paid $12 for each of them.

I know that I could have purchased less expensive ones made of non-recycled materials, but in order to save the planet, we must not only recycle, we must buy recycled items. It's time to put our money where our recycling boxes are! Two quotes to inspire you to do the same:

"The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard." — Gaylord Nelson, former governor of Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day

"Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations." — Jean Paul Richter, German Romantic novelist and humorist

If we make environmental sustainability a factor in everyday choices - from the groceries we buy (local or organic, please) to the clothes we choose (great organic stuff here, too) to the homes, televisions, and appliances (green materials, green energy, and Energy Star options) - we'll be using the unprecedented power of the U.S. consumer economy to save the planet. Shopping for a cause! What could be better?

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - May 12, 2009 - Patience

2009-05-12T20:04:00.003-05:00

I got to spend all day today being a Mommy and I actually feel like I did a decent job of it which, as I think most mothers will attest, is a rare and wonderful feeling. The key, I think - for mothering two year olds, anyway - is patience. Because, really, there are very few times that we really have to be somewhere right now.

If we take a step back and indulge in our child's sense of wonder with them for a minute (or five), we find such amazing teaching and bonding opportunities! And, we learn to slow down a bit ourselves, to admire the ants and find shapes in the clouds and be grateful for the day's new blossoms.

The same goes for photography. Every moment of every day provides new opportunities to capture some stunning facet of the natural world. A lot of those moments we miss. Some we get, but not quite right. We must have patience with ourselves, too. When we slow down, look deeply, engage our minds and truly focus (pun entirely intended) - that's when new and untold treasures appear. In kids and in flowers.

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Nature Quote - May 11, 2009 - Purple

2009-05-11T15:19:00.002-05:00

The wonderful wild moss verbena (Verbena tenuisecta) are blooming with abandon here on the Gulf Coast. Perfect purple wildflowers that practically carpet the roadsides and trail sides, moving in wherever there's an inch of room and blooming from April till November. I love them almost as much as the butterflies do. So, in honor of the valiant, violet, vagrant verbena. . .

"I think it annoys God if you walk by the color purple in a field
and don't notice."
- Alice Walker
From The Color Purple

To learn more about verbena, visit the Verbena tenuisecta page at the USDA Plants Database.

There are many varieties of verbena that have been hybridized for use in home gardens (right now I've got both a royal purple variety and a red-with-white-center variety in my front garden), consider adding them to your garden for care-free beauty and lots of butterflies!

To see a photograph I took of a white garden verbena, check out Fresh.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Nature Quote - May 10, 2009 - Mothers

2009-05-10T17:30:00.003-05:00

This one is for all of the mothers out there, who certainly deserve at least a week's holiday and praise instead of one day! It is, however, in honor of the little mourning dove mother-to-be who sat patient and quiet (and probably petrified) as my family and I made a royal ruckus gardening in and around the porch that holds the hanging basket which she has made a home. Like all mothers, she is brave, dedicated, and at least a little bit crazy.

"God could not be everywhere and therefore He made mothers." - Jewish proverb

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Nature Quote - May 8, 2009

2009-05-08T12:56:00.005-05:00

The blythe breeze of a May day is both the delight and the demon of a nature photographer, even more so that of one specializing in close ups. Friday is my photography day (Monday is for Marketing, Wednesday is for Website Work) and it is just windy enough to keep the already high Gulf Coast temperature bearable. . .and just windy enough to make everything that I want to shoot dance, shimmy, and wave instead of holding still. So I took a break and came in to find an appropriate quote. Instead, I found two:

"Rough winds to shake the darling buds of May." - William Shakespeare
(Now, we all know that this is not a literal statement, but still, the Bard hit my dilemma right on the head.)

"A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache." - Catherine II

Now back out to indulge that imagination. A May breeze and a little time outside are also quite good for blowing indoor-office-induced cobwebs right out of your head.

http://www.worldofcolorphotography.com

Nature Quote - May 7, 2009

2009-05-07T08:45:00.004-05:00

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature." - Anne Frank

An amazing quote made even more stunning by the fact that it was written by a young girl who could not go outside at all. Made me take a deep breath and say a prayer of thanks for the beauty I find every day right on my own doorstep, in my front yard, all over my small town and even beneath my feet.

http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Mourning Dove

2009-05-06T12:09:00.004-05:00

This morning while I was making toast and coffee, I looked out onto our porch and noticed a mourning dove in one of our hanging baskets. The basket is planted with an asparagus fern, but apparently there's still enough room for two mourning doves (the second popped its head up right after I saw the first) and, I hope hope hope, a nest! In their honor, I've selected this as today's Nature Quote:

"Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission." - Mourning Dove, a member of the Native American Salish tribe

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Sultry

2009-05-05T14:08:00.001-05:00

After yesterday's pouring rain, today dawned golden and bright, with the morning sun making crystals of the raindrops still held on the plants' leaves and petals. It was absolutely breathtaking.

And then I stepped outside.

And quickly discovered air so thick with moisture that I, in fact, might have had trouble breathing because (silly me) I'm not accustomed to breathing underwater.

When they reported the weather as "humid" this morning, I believe our Gulf Coast weathermen were either making the most outrageous understatement in meteorological history, or playing rather tasteless joke on all of us. Had they wanted to get out the true story and warn the public properly, they would have put up a little image of a steam room with skull and crossbones over it and the warning caption "Do not go outside if you've a) forgotten deodorant or b) bothered to put on makeup or c) mind sweating through every stitch of clothing you're wearing."

And all of this was plainly obvious from just my first breath.

My second inhalation told me that it wasn't just moisture in the air, but moisture carrying the heady scent of every blooming flower in a five mile radius. Most close to home, the jasmine in full bloom scented the air with the essence of the sultry South.

There was no doubt about it - refreshed by yesterday's long, cool shower, nature had put on her perfume, unfurled her petals, and declared herself ready to mingle.

No less obvious than the haughty humans in a nightclub, all of the local wildlife is strutting its stuff and on the prowl for possible procreation opportunities.

How apropos, then, that today the local procreation poster children arrived: the "lovebugs".

Lovebugs (Plecia nearctica) are also called honeymoon flies or kissy bugs. They fly around attached to one another but, unlike that last nickname might suggest, they are not attached at the mouth.

For the next four weeks, the air will be full of paired lovebugs finding satisfaction in flight. Love on the fly. Or, rather, love on the wing of the fly.

And those of us that live here will heartlessly crush unknown millions of these diminutive duos as we zip from here to there in our cars (and sometimes on our bicycles - a lovebug couple in the face will pretty much ruin a ride, in case you were wondering).

Caught up in the heady perfume of the season, the copulating couples will meet life's windshield together. Sad, it's true, but not a bad way to go out.

At least they get to escape the humidity.

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Nature Quote - May 4, 2009

2009-05-04T19:22:00.001-05:00

We had an absolute deluge today! I got soaked to the skin and don’t have to water the plants for a week. Fantastic! In that vein, here’s a wonderful quote I found:

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” ~John Ruskin

View vibrant nature in sunshine, rain, wind, and frost at http://www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Are you listening?

2009-05-04T09:34:00.001-05:00

My daughter is learning about the five senses this week in daycare. She seems especially focused on hearing. She's always been one to ask "What's that sound," but now she's more attentive to subtler sounds. Listening to the world with her, mentally borrowing her fresh, young ears has got me thinking about this awesome sense - how much we use it subconsciously and how much we ignore the wonders it can bring us.

I think we ignore our hearing sometimes because we live in such a noisy world; right now I'm sitting in my office, listening to the clickety-clack of my fingers on the keyboard, my home's A/C air intake, and the ridiculously loud tick-tock of the clock on the wall. I would classify the latter two of the three sounds as moderately annoying.

I know I'm not the only one who sometimes gets the feeling that you'd like to have a mute button for life. Or at least the ability to tell all noise (not just toddlers and husbands, but splashing dishwashers and buzzing microwaves and TV commercials featuring overly-excited salesmen who've obviously been told that product sales are directly related to the volume of their voices) to "Shhhhhh!"

I think all of the noise we have to filter through all day makes us tired. It's just too much input.

On the other hand, when I throw open my office window, the sounds I hear make me at once excited, intrigued, and peaceful. Come to think of it, hang on, I'll open that window right now. . .

Okay, the first thing I hear kind of detracts from the point - it's the morning traffic on the mildly major road we live right next to. (Here's a piece of free advice: if you can avoid it, don't buy the model home that's at the beginning of a subdivision, right next to a mildly major road.)

Ah, but now here comes the reward. Above the traffic I hear the peeping of baby birds in my neighbor's live oak tree. I hear the rumble and crackle of distant thunder, warning of the approaching storm.

And, somehow, these sounds are changed by the high humidity and still air. It sounds like a rainy day even though the rain hasn't made it here yet.

I hear the quiet cheeps of mourning doves and the trills of titmice and chickadees who frequent my bird feeder.

These nature sounds make me breathe deeper, relax my tensed shoulders, close my eyes and pay attention to all of my less-used senses. They all deserve some positive input.

When the rain comes, I'll give them a treat by going outside, feeling the rain on my upturned palms and tasting the big, fresh drops on my tongue. I'll see the rain and let my eyes focus on the middle distance. (These eyes do a lot of focusing and examining for my macro photos, they deserve a break.) And, breathing deeply, I'll smell the ozone created by the lightning and the loveliness of wet leaves and forest floors.

Then I'll really have something to tell my daughter about. She is an excellent listener.

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If

2009-04-28T09:03:00.001-05:00

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." -- Siddhartha Buddha

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Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T17:41:00.005-05:00

This morning I reminded my daughter to wish everyone at her daycare "Happy Earth Day."

She immediately inquired "Happy Birthday?"

I could see the visions of cake and balloons sparkling in her eyes.

I gently corrected her, but it's hard to get the concept of the planet and taking care of it through to a two year old. (Though she does remember to turn off lights and water faucets and always colors on both sides of the paper. Good habits start young.)

Abbey's mistake got me to thinking, though: why not really celebrate Earth Day? Why not make a dessert with organic ingredients, light some beeswax candles, and buy each other eco-friendly gifts?

And, come to think of it, why shouldn't we get the day off to do community greening projects or at least spend the day outside enjoying this beautiful planet we inhabit?

I've got lots more ideas on this subject, but I have to go now - I'm baking a blue and green cake.

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FREE SHIPPING! Happy Earth Week!

2009-04-20T13:46:00.002-05:00

In honor of Earth Day, April 22, World of Color Photography will give full refunds of all shipping and handling charges on any items purchased from the website before midnight on Sunday, April 26. Happy Earth Week!

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Harvesters in Spring

2009-04-17T12:22:00.006-05:00

Enter the ant.

So, my daughter's doting grandmother (this would be my mom, Queen of Backyard Naturalists and Internet Shoppers) recently found out how much Abbey likes watching the fire ants that build mounds all over this great state. Abbey's been bitten more times than I can count by the little buggers, but still she loves to watch them. And, I must admit, I do, too. Though I probably spend more time watching her feet to make sure she doesn't get close and get bitten again.

Well, Grammy's aiding and abetting my daughter's nature study in the most wonderful way: she sent us an ant farm.

We never had an ant farm when I was a kid. (Mom says her naturalist tendencies have taken the last few decades to mature.) Now that we've had one for about 24 hours, I can say this:

It . . . is . . . AWESOME.

Abbey likes it. She looks at the industrious little insects whenever we remind her. (This is serious interest for a two year old.) I, however, am completely enthralled.

The fifty or so harvester ants in there have already dug two side tunnels half way down the eight inch mound and are carefully depositing each grain of sand that they move to a very precise location. They have a plan.

They also often fall down the outside of the domed "hill" but, protected by their hard exoskeletons, they quickly right themselves and start back up again. They are determined.

I must do more research to find out about these harvesters. All I know right now is that their bite is even more painful than a fire ant's bite, and I can tell you from experience that those are no fun. (I take breaks from studying the ants to check that the lid is still securely fastened at least a half dozen times a day.)

I want to learn more than the power of their bite, though. I know I'm not the first person to be intrigued by the seemingly utopian society of Antville, but where there's interest in the natural world, there's generally a good reason for it.

So, off to Google and Wikipedia and my stash of nature books and ID books I go. I'll be back with more info soon, but in the meantime, I think it's apropos for Earth Week to start thinking about these little sand movers: Each of us, doing just our little part, can make our home planet a more beautiful place.

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Springing Into Spring

2009-04-04T18:59:00.005-05:00

This piece was written for the April edition of Moonshine magazine. To view the whole magazine, please visit www.moonshine.southerncreativity.com

I recently had the good fortune to travel to Virginia and back over the first weekend of spring. Driving northward from the bountiful blooms of the Florida panhandle to the still-skeletal trees of the Appalachians, it seemed at first as if we were traveling back into winter. On the contrary, though, the longer I spent staring, rapt, out the windows, the more attuned my vision became to the subtler signs of mountain spring.

Where the azaleas, tulips, redbuds, and daffodils had already danced onto the stage of the deep South, singing “Spring is here!” the trees and plants of the mountains seemed, still, to be holding their breath, anxious and waiting in the wings for their cue.

This made me think that spring is the season of held breaths. Starting with that poor, beleaguered groundhog in early February, we’re all waiting for Mother Nature to tell us “It’s all right. You can breathe. I’m going to bring the flowers and the leaves and the warm sun and the soft breezes back this year. I keep my promises.”

And we wait and hope and wait and look for buds and tiny sprigs of peridot green and wait and then one bright morning, the natural world bursts forth in its party ruffles like a line of can-can dancers. The birds strike up the chorus and it’s time to celebrate!

So, artists, photographers, sculptors, crafters, knitters, jewelers, weavers, and writers, it is time for us to join the party. Not just to document the joy, but to take some time to revel – to let our own party ruffles fly out around us as we twirl in the confetti of petals. To strut our fine feathers. To turn our faces to the sun, smile, and say, “Welcome back!”

So get out there and party with the primavera! Take all of your supplies outside on the next sunny day and let loose. See your work in the truest (and prettiest) light: sunlight. Listen to the springsong and feel the warming wind, smell the blossoms on the fruit trees and trace the softest petals with the tip of your finger.

Take it all in and then let it go freely into new and inspired work. And, try to remember to dedicate at least one piece to Mother Nature – she deserves a thank you for always keeping her promises.

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New: Clearance Section

2009-03-29T19:38:00.003-05:00

As we've recently changed our frame style, we're clearing out our old stock of frames! I've selected a photograph to complement each frame and the results are available at tremendously reduced prices. Have a look!

www.worldofcolorgallery.com/Clearance/clearance.html

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Blooming

2009-03-18T19:49:00.004-05:00

Spring is springing out all over down here and it's gotten me to thinking about one of my mother's favorite phrases, "Bloom where you're planted."

I've always enjoyed the concept of being happy where you are, but never really delved into it. Now, surrounded by tulips and daffodils and blooming dogwoods and crabapples and pear trees and peach trees and wisteria, I'm thinking about it and getting a better grip on it.

"Bloom where you're planted" isn't just a simple instruction - if we follow the flowers' example, it's a step-by-step guide to a joyful life:

1. Start by sending out roots into your community. If you stay tightly closed in your seed shell, you'll be dark and lonely forever, so break out, get out immediately! Explore and let your feelers find for you places of nature that will inspire you, places of culture that will excite you, and (most importantly) friends that will nourish you.

2. Once you've got your roots taking up nutrition, learn to absorb the place and the people, go slow and take in the good parts while leaving the not so good parts alone, but without judgement.

3. Push through the muck till you see sunlight. Persevere.

4. Keep growing. Stand tall and strong, but let yourself be flexible so that you can dance in the breeze.

5. When the sun is warm and you are well rooted and nourished, open up and share all the best you have to give. You are wise and beautiful; feel the sunshine on your cheeks and know that you are reflecting that light to the world in a way only you can. You are beautiful. You are a miracle and a blessing all wrapped up into one - just like the blossoms of spring.

www.worldofcolorgallery.com

NEW Frame Style Examples

2009-03-14T18:23:00.012-05:00

Zinnia in Technicolor

20x20"

Frame Style: Black with Black Mat

Spring Daffodil

20x20"

Frame Style: White with White Mat

Eucalyptus II

20x20"

Frame Style: Oak with White Mat

Iris

20x20"

Frame Style: Walnut with White Mat

Rainbow of Rocks

20x20"

Frame Style: Chrome with Black Mat

www.worldofcolorgallery.com

New Work

2009-03-02T09:17:00.015-06:00

New photographs available at www.worldofcolorgallery.com !

Brugmansia's Blush

The swaying of Brugmansia's "Angel Bells" lure you in like singing sirens, but be careful - these pretty blooms decorate a plant with deadly poison.

Hydrangea's Blue Heart

I almost titled this "Life on Planet Earth", because the center of this beloved flower is so often unnoticed that when you do look at it, it's so fantastic that it seems as if we've got our own little aliens right here on our home planet.

Ruellia

Put this pretty purple "petunia" plant in a pot and you'll be pleased as punch with the end product. I promise.

Dry Tortuga

Though they may be humped and slow, no tortoise is an island. In fact, these rabbit-racing reptiles are imperiled all over the world. From the giant Galapagos tortoises to the gopher tortoises of Florida here in the U.S., "tortugas" need our help. Find out more at The Nature Conservancy's website, www.nature.org.

Coral Rose

Just barely over the border from the pink family into the orange family, this is the perfect color (for me, anyway) for a summer dress.

Fairy Forest

Look closely. Look with your skepticism closed and your imagination open. There! Did you see them?!

Curl Up with a Great Green Book

2009-02-18T15:46:00.006-06:00

We are what we take in. We are the food we eat, the water we drink, the words we listen to, the sentences we read. Though the weather may be dreadful outside, you can still bring nature into your mind and into your self by curling up with a great green book. (You'll be too green for words if you get the book from the library or second hand - it's better for the environment and much better for your wallet!) Here are a few of my very favorites to add to your reading list:

Fiction

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver - her description of my beloved Appalachian mountain ecosystems is lyrical and the characters and their stories are compelling. Barbara Kingsolver has written a number of books and essays; I highly recommend them all, especially her most recent book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

The full works of James Herriot - guaranteed feel-good reads about being a country vet.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London - a classic.

The poetry of Robert Frost - If you want to immerse yourself in the nature of New England or nature in general, Frost's poems will get you there.

Non-Fiction

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold - his thoughts on the history of a tree that he is currently sawing through leave me in awe every time I read them.

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey - I was never interested in the desert until I started reading this book. Abbey's descriptions are vivid and his take is very rough, very real. He also wrote a number of fiction pieces and other non-fiction. I've loved everything of his that I've read.

The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson - Should be required reading for all parents. For all people, come to think of it. Best to read this short book when you can go outside immediately afterward, take a deep breath, look around, and let the ensuing wave of gratitude sweep you away.

Cradle to Cradle by Michael Braungart & William McDonough - The "cradle to cradle" concept is considered revolutionary, but it shouldn't be. Of course we should design products this way - it's the slap-to-the-forehead simplicity of it that makes it genius.

The Foxfire Series edited by Eliot Wigginton - These collections of essays written by high schoolers on nature and tradition in the Appalachians are as good and straightforward an education in natural science as anyone could wish for.

A Country Year by Sue Hubbell - This one was a gift from my mother. She loves books that take you to a wonderful, beautiful place and then tell you interesting stories. Great mom, great taste, great book!

365 Ways to Save the Earth by Phillipe Bourseiller - A great book for any coffee table, it features stunning photography, amazing facts, and helpful suggestions on being green through small, feasible actions. You can pick this book up at any time, flip through it, and learn something new. Additionally, the pictures will inspire you to save the planet before all of the beauty in it disappears.

Essays and One Man's Meat by E. B. White - Writing this good doesn't come along every day, or every decade for that matter.

Books for Children

Hoot by Carl Hiassen - They made this into a major motion picture but, as always, the book is better.

On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier - This book is a wonderful gift for new parents.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss - A conservation classic, good for kids ages four through 104.

The Wump World by Bill Peet - I found this book when I was looking for something good to help explain air pollution to children. It did the trick nicely.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - Explains very nicely why we should ALL be tree huggers.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - Helps children understand that food isn't magically made at the grocery store in a gentle way.

Books for Parents

These books all have great information and/or fun, fast, and cheap activities that will help you introduce your child to the wonders of nature while having some serious fun yourself!

The Kids' Nature Book by Susan Milord

EcoArt! by Laurie Carlson

The Handy Science Answer Book compiled by the Science and Technology Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

A Mother's Manual for Summer Survival by Kathy Peel and Joy Mahaffey

Well, that's a start, anyway. I hope you'll check out these books and truly enjoy them. If you've got a favorite green book (or two) that I've missed, please share your recommendations with us!

www.worldofcolorgallery.com

A Season of Love

2009-02-12T17:35:00.003-06:00

Well folks, welcome back to the season of love. Though most folks will have their sense and senses overwhelmed by greeting cards and bouquets for the next couple of weeks, here in the south the best shows of love are in the trees right now: it’s courting season for the animals!

Here in the south, temperatures are on the rise and so are the libidos of our ardent avians. Whether you’re writing sonnets or capturing the beauty of flight in oils this season, take a minute to look out your window at the amazing adventures of our winged Romeos. The courtship rituals and displays of our songbirds are the best show in town. A few lessons in love from our fine-feathered friends:

Eat Like A Bird

This may be the best lesson my mother ever taught me about dating and marriage. Before a female cardinal will accept a male suitor as a mate, the male bird is expected to bring her food for a number of days. In this way, the female makes sure that the male is healthy enough and committed enough to take care of her and, hence, the chicks they will raise together. He literally has to show that he can bring home the bacon (or black-oil sunflower seed) reliably before she’ll invest the energy in helping him reproduce. Apparently courtship feeding is also the habit of many other species, including gulls, American Kestrels, Northern Harries, and Snowy Owls. Not so bird-brained after all, eh?

Give Gifts That Are Better Than Chocolate

House wrens build nests that females then judge and choose from. The best nest gets the girl. Bowerbirds build even more elaborate structures, complete with colored trinkets and that they find, to attract females. Life may be like a box of chocolates, but marriage is more like a house (or nest) – one that is built to be strong takes work, dedication, and upkeep; one that is weak will fall out from under you or down on top of you at the worst moment.

Do A Little Dance

There’s nothing like a little display of “the goods” to attract a mate. In the bird world, it’s usually the males in the spotlight, while the females get to play wallflower. Then, when a female spots a dapper dancer that just steals her birdy heart, she’ll go out to join her John Travolta in some couples dancing. I suppose the lesson we could all take from this is that in the game of love you’ve got to take a risk to get a big return – a little vulnerability and a lot of courage can get you a dancing partner for life. There’s no guarantee that you won’t step on each other’s toes, but at least you’ll have someone to shake your tail feathers with.

**This piece was originally published in the February 2009 issue of Moonshine, the online creativity magazine. View the entire magazine at www.moonshine.southerncreativity.com.**

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Chilling Facts About Cold Weather

2009-02-04T15:13:00.004-06:00

Okay, so hopefully you're snuggled up in a blanket and drinking a hot beverage, the warmth of which will help you appreciate the winter temperatures outside and how very "cool" cold can be:

1. If you pour a cup of water out of a window when it's -40 degrees Farenheit, the water will freeze before hit hits the ground. (Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA)

2. Snow forms in six basic shapes: columns, needles, plates, dendrites, columns with plates, and "irregular". (Source: Winter Snow Facts and Records, suite101.com)

3. Between 32°F and 25°F snowflakes form as thin, six-sides plates. Between 25°F and 21°F long needle shaped snowflakes are formed. When the temperature is 21°F to 14°F columnar snowflakes are formed. Between 14°F and 10°F snowflakes form as six-pointed stars. Finally, at temperatures of 10°F to 3°F dendrites are formed. The colder it is outside, the smaller the snowflakes that fall. (Source: youthonline.ca)

4. One inch of liquid rain is equivalent to ten inches of snow! (Source: NOAA)

5. You don't need clouds for snow; ice cyrstals can form and fall from clear skies when temperatures are less than 10 degrees Farenheit. (Source: NOAA)

6. All forms of frozen water on the Earth's land or sea surfaces and permafrost (perennially frozen ground) are grouped together and referred to as the Earth's "cryosphere". (Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center, NSIDC)

7. Approximately 10% of the surface of the Earth is covered by glaciers or ice sheets. (Source: NSIDC)

8. Antarctica is the largest single mass of ice on the planet; it comprises 70% of the Earth's fresh water. Buried beneath this ice sheet is Lake Vostok, a body of water that has been cut off from the rest of the planet since before humans walked the Earth. (Source: National Geographic Channel)

See? Cool, huh?

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Heatwave

2009-01-30T14:43:00.005-06:00

Thought the temperature is a pleasant 55 degrees in my Florida back yard, most of the nation is suffering what might be described as uncomfortably chilly weather.

So, for those of you who have cold fingers and toes, here's a little piece I found in a journal from June 2005, part of a writing assignment for my master's degree.

If this whole mind over matter thing is true, and I think it is, this should warm you up at least a degree or two:

I am sitting on the hot pavement of bridge number six north on the Blackwater State Heritage Trail. It's sultry. Sticky-hot. The humidity is like being in a steam room after several days of heavy rain. There is no breeze.

The brown, tannin-stained water of the wetland slough rolls beneath us, making little noise - just little rippling sounds where it swrils and eddies around the stems of plants - small maples and bog buttons and seemingly single fern leaves pointing at the sky.

These are mixed in with a thousand plants who are yet strangers to me. (It's like being at a cocktail party full of beautiful, interesting people - will there be enough time for me to know them all?)

A biker rides by and gives us a tiny breath of breeze.

Suddenly in the bright sunlight, the air can hold no more and fat drops begin peppering the water, the plants' leaves, the pavement, and my left thigh. A tiny, delicious relief.

It stays, a wet and shiny polka dot on my still untanned skin - simply because there is nowhere for it to go - the air will not take it back.

The momentary sprinkle does nothing to quiet the sweet trills around me - the caw caw caw of a large songbird in the distance, the occasional grrrulllp of a bullfrog, the twee twee of a jay , the buzz of dancing, mating dragonflies and (not far enough away) the rumble of logging trucks on Munson Highway.

I blow on my arm for a moment, hoping to cool the glistening sweat that has coated the inside of my elbow.

Beyond and above the powerlines that stretch through he wetland and over the bridge I see the bright whit of an anvil cloud and watch tis top billow and roll, building toward the edge of the troposphere.

I cannot tolerate my shoes and stick my bare feet out over the water - in hope of a cool updraft that doesn't come.

Still, bare feet always feel better. Freer.

I see trash trapped in a sandbar at the rivers' edge. It was white once - perhaps a bottle or bucket. Now it is brownish, old, and dirty. Funny that it is dirty when nothing else here is. Nature doesn't get dirty.

Splattering rain again. Smallish drops land on my outstretched legs - knees, calves, ankles - God bless it.

And on the page, too - ink is not waterproof.

This rain does not smell - or, rather, this place is so saturated with the scents of wet and decay and the sweet exhalation of green things that the smell of rain is incidental.

I ride this trail on my bicycle several times a week, but haven't before now gotten to sit still on it. Sitting still is marvelous.

I glimpse a brown bird that has taunted me on my rides. Not the shape of a robin, not the color of a mocking bird - it is itself, and another guest a the party that I'm eager to know.

What is that peeew peeew peeew peeew in the distance? Such a call from my childhood! It is the song of spring and "All's right with the world."

Maybe it's better that I don't know who sings it.

The slough flows from somewhere deep in the woods - an opening in the green of the trees that, to me, looks like all forest openings I've ever sen: like the entrance to an enchanted world.

How I long to hike up my skirt, jump in, and wade upstream in the cool, tea-brown water and into that dark, green garden.

But today, the only water for me is the bead of sweat rolling down my spine. It's time for me to go. Papers to write and research to cull. For a moment I wonder how that really might be taking away from my education.

www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Got Any Change?

2009-01-20T17:55:00.004-06:00

It is one of the great ironies of my life that, as a person who has trouble with change, I have fallen in love with a subject (the mercurial Mother Nature) that seems to be nothing but change.

I'm not sure why I have trouble with change. As a kid, I used to rearrange my room every few months and change my outfit every few hours. As an adult, though, I have the strangest reaction to change.

Take for example an average Thursday evening. All day at work I had been planning in the back of my head to spend the evening doing the laundry. I'd finally get through a whole week's laundry in one go. I really dislike doing laundry, but I was excited about it, in a cute, obsessive-compulsive sort of way.

Then (there's always a then, isn't there - it's the marker on the spot where the plot thickens) my husband called me at the office.

"I want to take you out to dinner," said my sensational spouse. "You're a wonderful woman and I want to take you on a nice date."

Now, I loved the compliment (the man has always been a stickler for accuracy, I might add), but the concept of a night out gave me pause. The little hamster that runs on the wheel that operates my brain stopped cold and said "Oh, no! What about the laundry?"

And I hate laundry. (Did I mention that? Oh, I did? Well, it deserves to be said twice.) That is the degree to which I have trouble with change. I mean, I got on board with the romantic date thing pretty quickly, but just the change in plans from what I had had planned was tough. It's like the brain hamster has trouble operating the clutch, disengaging one gear and switching to another are just a bit much for its furry little faculties.

So how is it that I can love so deeply nature, which seems to be nothing but change? For instance, off the top of my head:

-The planet is warming.
-The coyotes are actually expanding their range despite humans sprawling all over the landscape and paving paradise.
-Our nation that has suffered under a frighteningly anti-environmental administration has new hope, today, in a President whose platform is all about change for the better and who intends to do better through green projects.
-Even the moon changes shape every minute (predictable, yes, but still changing) and the sunlight on every flower I attempt to photograph changes every nanosecond.

Okay, that last one was cool. The fact that a flower or leaf or stone can appear wholly different because the sun is sashaying across the sky while our planet tilts toward or away from it in our annual Do-Si-Do, well that's just awesome.

I suppose, in the end, constant change means there will never be a shortage of surprises, never be a shortage of hope. Certainly there will never be a shortage of romance with this planet, because it is the heart's unchanging tendency, when presented with the glories of this place, to open in wonder and joy, awe and love.

Perhaps the lesson to learn is that embracing change is the only way to adapt and survive. (I'm reading Darwin's The Origin of Species via a daily post from dailylit.com - adapt, eat, and breed or sit still and wait to die seem to be the two main life choices there.)

Be like the coyote. Let the laundry pile up, go out into the world, experience the best it has to offer, and then try to give your best back to it. And then, if you're lucky enough to have been taken to a romantic dinner, and are therefore inclined to a little life change, go home and make more people like yourself!

www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Peanut-Buttery Crunch

2009-01-14T14:40:00.004-06:00

Well, the writing bug seems not to be biting this week, so instead of deep and complex nature thoughts (yeah, right) I've decided to share with you a simple and fun family nature activity. Grab a couple of kids or kids-at-heart and have some messy fun with this one:

Peanut Butter Pinecone Birdfeeders

Materials:
- one pine cone per feeder
- jar of peanut butter (crunchy is best)
- birdseed (optional)
- string or twine

Step 1: Gather pine cones from your yard, your neighbor's yard, the public park (as long as it's not a state or national park - there we take only photographs and leave only footprints).

Step 2: Bring the pine cones back inside so you don't freeze out in the cold!

Step 3: Somewhere you can make a big mess (e.g. kitchen table covered with newspaper) set out the pine cones and the peanut butter as well as a dish of birdseed (if you have it, black oil sunflower seed is best).

Step 4: Using your hands or spoons, smear the peanut butter all over the pine cone, making sure to stuff as much as you can into the cracks and crevices.

Step 5: Roll the sticky, peanut buttery pine cones in the bird seed to coat.

Step 6: Cut a nice long length of string and tie one end around the fat end of the pine cone. Hang outside from a tree branch.

Step 7: Watch the birds enjoy their winter treat!

Late winter residents will appreciate the calories from the peanut butter and birdseed - remember, birds' average body temperature is 104 degrees Farenheit, so they've got to burn a lot of fuel to maintain that internal temperature when outside temps drop below freezing. Also, any early migrants you have flying through the area will be happy to stop by your pine cone diner to fill up before flying further north. Do be a good host or hostess and provide them with a drink of water as well - any cheap terra cotta pot underliner can become an instant birdbath - just set it on a stump or a pile of rocks and keep it full and ice-free.

And after you're all done and all washed up, remember to sit down by a window with a hot cup of tea and enjoy a good view of all the great birdie action. I think I'll go do that now (maybe the writing bug is hiding out near the window).

www.worldofcolorgallery.com

Backyard Bird Envy

2009-01-07T13:46:00.005-06:00

So, you go and create a blog and then, shockingly, you find that you have to keep up with it. Oy.

Where have I been? In Virginia visiting family, generally. Specifically . . . worshipping the porcelain god in my parents' upstairs guest bathroom because I managed to catch the worst possible stomach virus in the history of mankind. Now you know that I love nature's colors - all of them - but I'm going to skip the description of the colors that went along with this particular natural event. You've seen them before, I'm sure. Or, if you haven't, I hope that you never, ever will.

I learned in my Buddhism seminar that we are supposed to pray for the happiness of all sentient beings, so I'm working on that. But, as far as I'm concerned, bacteria and viruses could not possibly have the neural networks required to be sentient, so I don't think Buddha would mind that I spent a few hours praying that all stomach viruses would be confined to the deepest, darkest pits of hell. What was I thinking? Silly me - they're already there. They probably run the joint.

Not that I'm bitter. Really.

My Virginia vacation wasn't a complete loss, though, because I got to spend time with my mom (an unassuming naturalist who's learned more from the creatures in her back yard than most learn from wildlife and forestry degree programs) talking nature and watching her birds.

To say that my mom has birds that visit her yard would be something like saying that Canada can be a bit chilly this time of year.

If it's a songbird living east of the Mississippi, chances are it can give you directions to Diane Clifford's deck and repeat the sound of her "I'm throwing peanuts out now" whistle. The woman has black oil sunflower seed in two different feeders and thistle seed in another. She has suet and peanut butter in a third and peanuts get thrown out on the deck regularly.

The yard is, of course, a certified Backyard Habitat, as is mine - but she's had hers for going on 30 years now and her birds are loyal. (Not like mine, who disappeared for no reason for weeks this fall. What's up with that?) In just a few minutes' observation, I easily spotted a Carolina wren, chickadees, titmice, a nuthatch, gold finches, cardinals, and an unusually large blue jay. There was also a red-bellied woodpecker in the woods nearby and a red-shouldered hawk that lives in the neighborhood.

And, speaking of larger species, my mom's deck is also the favorite eatery of a group of grey squirrels who must be the largest of their kind in the whole of North America. Seriously, these squirrels are huge. Fat and happy. Each one is the size of a cat, I swear.

Those are just a few of her winter avian friends. In the spring and summer there will also be warblers and catbirds and all sorts of migrants who rest and refuel at Di's Place. I can't blame them - I found it a great place to rest and refuel myself. Don't tell the birds and squirrels this, but if you think the bird food outside is good, you should check out the people food on the table inside . . . and don't even get me started on how nice the bathrooms are!

www.worldofcolorgallery.com