JJ Murphy is a real pro. She is thorough, clever, and delightful to work with. In working through the revision of my book, JJ was fully collaborative and her corrections and suggestions are excellent and welcome. I think the final results are stronger, and hopefully that will translate into happy readers and higher book sales.
Need a professional freelance writer? Contact
JJ Murphy, nature writer, curriculum creator, blogging hiker, photographer,
locavore, and tree-hugger. With more than 50 years of eco-centric living under
my belt, I can write relevant content that captures your personal style and
tone. Free yourself from writer's block. Browse my site and enjoy your visit.
Nature
Education
This is where I post curriculum activities, wilderness survival tips, sustainable
technology information and reliable resources.
Writing
Life
If you're looking for writing exercises, word play, writing techniques,
book reviews and resources I find enlightening, entertaining and educational,
this is the place.
Wild
Edibles
Here's the place to check for what it looks like, where to find it and how
to prepare a wide range of wild edibles, with links to established experts.
My
Opinion
Check here for my views and opinions about this rapidly changing world,
including my journal notes.
When new species of fungi are discovered, they are typically named by the people who discovered them either with their own names or the name of someone they wish to honor – or torment.
The current issue of Mycologia, a journal devoted to fungi, features a newly discovered species of stinkhorn mushroom.
Apparently the scientists who discovered this mushroom (Professors Dennis Desjardin and Brian Perry of San Fransisco State University) decided to name it after a colleague (named Robert Drewes, Curator of Herpetology at California Academy of Scientist).
The new mushroom, Phallus drewesii, found on the African island of Sao Tome, is described as two-inches long, with a white net-like stem and brown spore-covered head. It grows on wood, has a foul odor like rotting meat, and unlike other members of the stinkhorn genus, Phallus drewesii curves downward, rather than upward.
Stinkhorns attract flies, which consume the spores and then disperse them.
Clearly Drewes has a sense of humor. I have no doubt that he’ll find a way to pay back his colleagues with a discovery in the world of herpetology.
I know that everything the President of the United States does is a matter of public record. Swatting a fly seems hardly newsworthy to me. If I had swatted the fly, I’d have eaten it. I believe in eating what I kill.
Flooding and all water-related issues have dominated my life this year. Our CSA farmer says he’d rather have a dry year than a wet year, especially when irrigation is an option.
The universe is still laughing at my plan to spend most, if not all of the lengthening days of June outdoors under the stars. (more…)
In the face of an increasingly non-level playing field, my only option is to “think outside the box,” when it comes to personal and business survival.
For me the key question is, “Will I be able to sustainably maintain this system to support my quality of life?” If not, what’s my plan for when I hit diminishing returns? (more…)
I’m an education junkie and I have been blessed with excellent teachers.
My commitment to understanding the natural world is increasingly important. Which means that I refuse to let my time be robbed by promises of improved business results. There’s no quick route to understanding nature, but if I can provide meaningful information and value, then I’ll have to live with that as my definition of success. (more…)
Everyone I know is facing some sort of quality of life crisis and I’m no exception. I find it helpful to sort out my thoughts when I can go for a long hike.
The issues I have to resolve have kept me from spending more time in the woods, but most of the nice weather is still ahead of me. So much of what happens is how you deal with things.
I just made a series of decisions that I would have made differently if I had chosen to spend more time hiking. We all lose perspective from time to time. (more…)
I’m delighted that one of my fellow CSA members at Harmony Farm has joined me in eating the rhizomes and roots of the thistles we are weeding to make room for the cultivated vegetables.
When I hear a Wood Thrush sing for the first time each season, it’s a moment of pure joy. This has been a remarkable year. I not only got to hear a few stanzas, I got more than a glimpse. I’d love to have gotten closer, but I’ll take what I can get:
