WriterByNature.com

September 13, 2009 7:06 am

Full credit for this title and the presentation goes to Sue Assinder and Gordon Rutter of the British Mycological Society. I would not have heard of them if I had not begun to spend time on the NAMA – North American Mycological Association website. I would not have made it a point to visit the NAMA education page without the support and mentoring of  Sandy Sheine, mycologist and former COMA President.

That said, I have added my own touches to this brilliant presentation:

Materials:

1. Blank paper and pencils,  pens or markers
2. Drawings or photos of Amanita muscaria
3. One or more round red balloons
4. A roll of biodegradable white toilet paper
5. Water – a bottle with a dropper is ideal

In some mushrooms (like the Amanita muscaria, whose  red cap and white spots often symbolize the idea of “mushroom”),  the mycelia are encased in a membrane called the “universal veil.” When the right amount of moisture is added, the mushroom grows.

To illustrate this: (more…)

July 28, 2009 6:56 am

This year’s atypically wet, cool spring and summer means that mushrooms we may not otherwise see are fruiting in abundance, while fungi we expect to see are scarce.

In many areas of nature education, students are encouraged to learn botanical names to avoid confusion and standardize communication.

In the world of mycology, the botanical names change more often than the common names of many species.

When Gary Lincoff pointed to a brittle mushroom with a textured green cap, I said, “Green quilted mushroom.”

Gary’s humor is superb, as he affirmed that sometimes the common names are more reliable than the botanical name.

He went on to explain that the mushroom we were discussing was previously known as Russula crustosa, but is now Russula parvovirescens.

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April 22, 2009 6:10 am

In my world, every day is Earth Day. Here’s another way to enjoy a walk in the woods.

All you need is a a mid-calf length pair of old wool socks (or wool leg warmers),  plastic bags, a bit of water and a sunny space. This works great with wool leg-wear that has moth holes.

If you have an extra large pair of wool socks, try putting them outside your shoes or a pair of sandals.  Otherwise put the wool socks or leg warmers on so they cover the outside your trousers from your ankles to just below your knees.

Take a walk through your local forest, field park or yard, making sure to brush against several different plants.

Then take off the socks and moisten or spray mist them, so they are damp, but not soaked.  Put them in a plastic bag that seals out air. You can also put one sock in each of two plastic bags.

If you use one plastic bag, place it in a sunny place and check daily to see what, if anything, sprouts. If you use two bags, place one in a sunny place and the other in the shade and compare the results.

If your socks or leg warmers are really old and beat up, try planting them to see if a micro meadow grows.

April 6, 2009 10:24 am

April showers bring May mushrooms – I hope.

In the meantime, this is a fun way to apply the concepts of evaporation and condensation,  while keeping plastic out of the landfill.

Materials:

1. A pair of scissors
2. A clear plastic 2-litter soda bottle, with cap
3. 1 cup of ice cubes
4. 1 cup of hot tap water (not boiling water)

Procedure:

1. Leave the cap on and cut the top third off the plastic soda bottle.
2. Put the cup of ice cubes into the cut off bottle top.
3. Pour the hot water into the bottom part of the plastic bottle.
4. Immediately set the top part of the plastic bottle, cap side down, into the bottom  part of the plastic bottle.
5. Watch as the water vapor fills the bottom part of the plastic bottle, rises, and cools as it reaches the ice. Keep watching and you’ll see water drops condense and fall from your cloud.

February 6, 2009 8:21 am

The Basic Essentials of Knots for the Outdoors by Cliff Jacobson is a book worth owning. Make sure to get the 1990 edition. There’s a later version I haven’t seen.

What makes this book stand out is that the diagrams are shown for both left-handed and right-handed orientation.  It rates with science books written by Margery Facklam . In both cases, the author is writing for school-aged readers, but the presentation is so clear, any reader new to the subject learns basic essential information.

Why is this such a big deal? I’ve been working on ways to spend time in nature, but with less disturbance to the area than constructing and breaking-down a debris hut or quinzee.  Knot-tying is essential to my next step into shelter. (more…)

December 24, 2008 6:42 am

English is a confusing language, so I’m not surprised that what I think are keywords are misunderstood by Google and other search engines. But every once in a while I get lucky.

Whatbird.com is an interactive bird identification site. What makes it really user-friendly is the amazing amount of detail organized in a user-friendly way. I spent hours listening to comparison recordings of thrushes, which are more often heard than seen, comparing photos and illustrations for visual identification, and checking out regional behavior differences in this  easy-to-read display of scientific data. (more…)

November 21, 2008 8:01 am

This is one of a series of articles designed to equip any naturalist with words that enhance learning and make field observation easier. Whether you’re a forager or a gardener, it’s useful to have a common vocabulary when talking about how plants grow. Here is a list of the more commonly used words for:

Flower Parts (more…)

November 14, 2008 6:48 am

This is one of a series of articles designed to equip any naturalist with words that enhance learning and make field observation easier. Here are the botanical terms for:

Leaf Shapes and Patterns

Alternate: leaves growing separately  and at different heights from each side of the stem

Opposite: leaves growing across from each other on the stem

Petiole: the stem that supports the leaf

Lobe: a rounded protrusion of a leaf (more…)

November 1, 2008 4:46 pm

The bad news is that I’m not finding items I used to find in retail stores. The good news is that I have another good reason not to get in the car, because I can find these products online and get paid to purchase them online.

Food:

Larabar Chocolate Coconut Chew 16 1.8 Oz bars

Jocalat Chocolate, Box of 16

Larabar Jocalat Variety Pack Of Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, And Chocolate Coffee, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 18)

Larabar Ginger Snap Box Of 16 1.8 oz

Creative Products:

- Super Sculpey Polymer Clay

Outdoors Products:

SAWYER® PREMIUM CLOTHING INSECT REPELLENT 24 oz Trigger Spray

Canon PowerShot A720IS 8MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Equinox Ultralight Nylon Tarp

2x Digital Telephoto Professional Series Lens (52mm) + 0.45x Digital Wide Angle Macro Professional Series Lens (52mm) + 3 Piece Digital Camera Filter Kit + Adapter Tube + Carrying Case + Tripod for Canon Powershot A700, A710, A720 IS Digital Cameras

Food Preservation:

FoodSaver V2440 Advanced Design Vacuum-Packaging System

Resource Books:

The Basic Essentials of Knots for the Outdoors

Camping’s Top Secrets, 3rd: A Lexicon of Camping Tips Only the Experts Know (Falcon Guides Camping)

Basic Essentials Map & Compass, 3rd (Basic Essentials Series)

October 16, 2008 6:43 am

Once the acorns fall, it’s easy to gather large quantities. But it’s worth the time to select only the good acorns. Thanks to Sam Thayer, here are a few things to look for when gathering acorns for your pantry.

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