WriterByNature.com

February 28, 2010 7:15 am

The snow is waist deep. I’ve been snowed in since Thursday. It’s fun and at the same time, scary. What’s up with that? When did I become afraid of nature?

The dense heavy snow is good for making a quinzee. But considering I spent close to four hours moving enough snow away from my door to squeeze outside, I’m inclined to save my energy. My neighbors and I may be pecking at this with shovels until May.

My car is under this snow somewhere. The snow plow guy is not avoiding me. He needs to come back with a bucket loader. This rural driveway is too challenging for a suburban truck & plow. (more…)

January 15, 2010 9:30 am

I’m preparing tracking programs  – age of participants and size of group varies. Despite the bitter cold, the snow has not been deep, making it a spectacular winter for tracking. Now my photos look like what I study in Tracking and the Art of Seeing.

I understand my subject matter. Making it memorable, in the way that Gary Lincoff or Tom Volk does – that’s my present is to show, not tell while speaking.

Since tracking actually involves all the senses, what can I do that’s engaging and memorable before we hit the trail? One option is  coffee cup tracking, although I plan to use yogurt cups.

(more…)

August 27, 2009 9:52 am

This is what comes to my mind when I hear the word “blackberry,”

while most of the world thinks of this as a blackberry:

Sometimes I’m amused by the bizarre use of nature words in a high-tech context. Sometimes I find the whole disconnect upsetting.

Right now it’s hard to feel anything but joy while embracing the bounty of sun-ripened berries.

August 6, 2009 7:21 pm

I’m not going to reveal where this is:

Natural swimming holes are a blessing. It’s why I haven’t been online in several days.

I’m heading back there with my swim suit and a hammock.

June 18, 2009 9:02 am

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…)

June 10, 2009 1:52 am

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…)

June 2, 2009 1:16 am

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…)

January 25, 2009 3:03 pm

If you look carefully, you can see the outline of the body of the deer who rested here long enough to melt the snow.

The icy hiking trails are unfit for skis, snowshoes or hiking boots. The only alternative is to hike off-trail, following the lead of the deer and many other animals who live in these woods. Here are some more track photos: (more…)

January 10, 2009 7:41 am

It’s bitter cold and icy out as I stare at the dried morels I harvested and preserved last spring. I had been reluctant to lead a mushroom walk until COMA mycologists pointed out that all I needed to know was how to get to the trail head and where to follow the trail. I did not need mushroom identification skills.

The benefit of leading a group of experienced mycologists along one of my favorite trails was that I saw mushrooms I might have otherwise overlooked, including the prized morels.

I happily accepted the assignment of coordinating COMA’s walk schedule for the 2009 season. Mentors and field experience are motivation enough to keep a good thing going. (more…)

December 22, 2008 9:15 am

I started this blog bemoaning the 40-mph winds that will keep me off the trails. Wind is dangerous. I’m a regular DEMOCRACY NOW listener, so my time has been very well spent this morning listening to Amy Goodman’s interview with Tim DeChristopher.

While I was shoveling snow on Friday, this college student was bidding on Utah oil and gas drilling leases – outbidding the would-be polluters on 22,500 acres of our national parks. He can’t pay for this land. He just understood enough about the process to keep the lands from being considered for auction until after President Obama’s inauguration. GO, TIM, GO!

This is the kind of citizen action that keeps democracy alive.

Tim is 27-years-old. He’s not playing computer games or at the mall or mindlessly idling his SUV. Maybe he was home-schooled or raised eating locally-grown food. Tim can think, put pieces of a puzzle together and most importantly, take effective action.

I’m concerned that President Obama doesn’t fully grasp the issue of sustainable technology and the importance of sustainable food production.  My hero Michael Pollan’s reaction to Obama’s choice of Tom Vilsack as our next agriculture secretary is the source of this concern. My fellow CSA gardeners agree with Pollan.

But if there’s one young activist ready, willing and able to take effective action, there are certain to be others.