Warm summer nights are one of the best times to enjoy nature.

All you need is a flashlight, the ability to count to 20 and access to a yard for an evening of fun.

Sweltering heat and humidity provide ideal conditions for insects.

My Permethrin-treated gear and a light breeze make a hike bearable. In the past, I’ve written poetry about insects. And I’m inspired to quote SUMMER by Walter Dean Myers whenever there’s a heat wave.

My recent discovery, Nature’s Everyday Mysteries by Sy Montgomery has me looking at mosquitoes in a new way.

I love the poem Summer by Walter Dean Myers.

The
line “Bugs buzzin’ from cousin to cousin” puts a smile on my overheated
face. Hot summer days and nights are perfect for studying all kinds of
insects.

Since I take steps to make myself inedible to insects, it’s much easier to observe and get to know the ones that crawl or fly across my path.

Here is a list of insects you’re likely to see in
northeast North America and some interesting facts about each as spring turns into summer:

We’re having a heat wave.

As the insect population explodes with increased heat and humidity, spider webs become fascinating objects for study. The following project is intended for spider webs that are no longer in use.

Watch a caterpillar become a butterfly.

In my constant search for ways to make nature accessible, here is another indoor activity.

This requires daily care, but the time invested brings joyous results.

Caterpillars typically eat one plant, so be sure to gather some of the plant when you collect the caterpillars. You may want to make additional houses for different species.

The only spiders and webs you typically encounter are online, and suddenly you’re invited to go hiking.

If you’re new to spending time in nature, but want to be a good sport, here are a few easy steps you can take to overcome your fear of crawly things and really enjoy the great outdoors.

This is an excellent project for urban dwellers.

It is easy to set up and you will be helping to recycle, renew, reuse – and create a whole new product – soil, perfect for planting seeds.

One of the best aspects of this project is that it allows you to see the relationship between food, compost and soil.

The size of the worm bin will be determined by how much space you have and how many food scraps you produce. You can construct the bin yourself out of wood, or buy a plastic bin, as long as you maintain a depth of 8-12 inches. (I’ve used plastic 20 gallon size bins successfully).

The best way to make this work is to have two bins, one for composting and one for harvested compost.

I wrote a poem entitled Natural Snack years before TV reality shows became popular.

I encourage you to read the poem and then try this recipe, remembering that most of us think nothing of eating lobster, which also has an exoskeleton.

Written in 1995, long before reality TV shows.

I have been blogging for one week. I have learned that �blog� is both a noun and a verb. I have also learned that blogging daily will allow search engines to spider the web in order to find my website, so people looking for my services can find me.