WriterByNature.com

January 5, 2008 8:27 am

The Hawk Circle advertisement reads:

Two Feet of Fresh Snow
17 Degrees Below Zero
No Tent
No Electricity
No Problem.

The reason: a quinzee - an Inuit word for a snow shelter made from compressed snow, which is then hollowed out.

(more…)

April 16, 2007 6:10 am

Growing up in coastal Connecticut, I’ve witnessed the power of a “Nor’easter.”

Counterclockwise air currents being pushed from the northeast, draw moisture from the south, creating a storm as dangerous as a hurricane.

When a Nor’easter dumps snow, the impact is devastating. This particular Nor’easter has me glued to the window. Even the gossip which passes for news has made the weather the #1 story. (more…)

December 8, 2006 5:27 pm

When I first heard the news that searchers found trousers belonging to James Kim, I thought: hypothermia.

It breaks my heart that I was right. I don’t go anywhere without the basics of my pocket survival kit. I also have emergency supplies in my car.

Shelter is paramount in a survival situation. I’m not judging this man. I went bushwhacking the other day and ended up in a swamp. I knew I was within 2.5 miles of my car; I had more than four hours of daylight on a partly sunny, warm afternoon with no wind.

Still, an injury could have changed my afternoon. I had headed west off the trail and knew that I wanted to travel north. I was just looking for a little loop; what I thought was an abandoned field was in fact a wetland.

(more…)

September 19, 2006 4:21 am

I like exploring and the idea of house sitting makes sense to me.

I recently published this article on the housecarers.com website.

I grew up on a farm, so animal care is second nature. When my last pet passed on and I had sold my house, I moved into an apartment. My decision to seek a new community and my enjoyment of pets are the reasons I decided to list with housecarers.com. (more…)

August 28, 2006 5:34 am

A new television program aired on the Science Channel last night - Survivorman: Surviving Urban Disasters. It’s running again at 9:00 AM EDT.

Les Stroud did say he had nothing to do with post production. I found the editing confusing and wish CBS editors stuck with one scenario at a time, rather than rotating from home to office to car.

I’m sure this program was intended for release on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to get people thinking. (more…)

August 2, 2006 1:16 am

I was traveling in Israel last year at this time.

I have been struggling to comprehend what is going on and why. I received an email with two letters that left me asking the question: Could I survive in this environment?

For me, the difference in attitude between what each woman thinks is possible is key. I bolded the text that impacted me when I read these letters. (more…)

July 31, 2006 11:08 am

Another really good use for rock study is to look at which animals call rocks home.

All you need for this activity is an outdoor area with both sun and shade, four brick-sized rocks, a magnifying glass and a bit of patience. (more…)

May 27, 2006 3:46 am

Here’s what was on my mind this past week while (mostly) immersed in nature. (more…)

March 3, 2006 7:00 pm

My heart broke as I listened to one NPR report this morning. A man describes trying to put his devastated house in New Orleans back together, while city leaders debate whether his neighborhood should instead be turned into open space.

My heart ached for the man, who has only known this home. He speech suggests a hard-working, poor, and unworldly individual. I couldn’t tell if he’s elderly - but that would make his predicament even more daunting. I have no clue if he was white or black.

My heart ached as I thought about the first law of wilderness survival - a good shelter in a bad location is a bad shelter. (more…)

February 17, 2006 12:51 pm

Did you ever wonder how birds built their nests? Here’s a chance to be a bird and find out.

Look at nests built by different kinds of birds. If you don’t have any nests near by, exhibits in a nature museum or even photos of nests will work.

Make notes on the shapes, materials used, how they are placed in a tree, shrub, or on the ground, whether they are woven together, lined with mud, or just loosely piled up. (more…)