Nature’s multi-shaded red and gold rock sculptures appear to rise into the sky. My first visit to the Valley of Fire northeast of Las Vegas left me in awe of these sandstone formations that are over 150-180 million-year-old. I cannot imagine 150 million of anything, let alone years. I would later learn that their red color [...]

“Josh Fox [director of Gasland]  is our Martin Luther King,” I overheard one attendee say, as the rally ended and people got ready to speak with their elected officials. I joined several hundred of my fellow New Yorkers who traveled to Albany on Monday April 11, 2011 to rally and then meet with our elected [...]

Putting the concept of evaporation and condensation to the test while keeping plastic out of the land fill.

When I took my winter skills class, I discovered that one of my water bottles froze during my 3-day survival trek. In our results-driven culture, it’s easy to forget that the value of a lesson can be revealed days, months or years later. But the memory of how long it took for that ice to [...]

In the natural world, conserving resources and energy could save your life.

Thanks to New York State’s DEC, Cornell University and three nurseries, 330 trees will help control the erosion of this riparian floodplain. I was astonished to learn that the trees from one of the nurseries, RPM, were seeds one year ago.

I like this time of year. I want to feel good about the beauty around me. But I cannot ignore the impact of the extreme drought conditions on my favorite trails.

The common cattail (Typha latifolia )  is useful in all areas of survival. I have always enjoyed eating the early spring shoots. I’ve woven the leaves into mats for sitting, added pollen to baked goods, harvested the mature stalks for shelter insulation, and gathered the mature seed heads for pillow stuffing. This time of year, [...]

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 [...]

This is the sound of spring peepers and wood frogs singing a duet when the weather was warm last month. The swamp was too deep for me to get a glimpse, but the duet is still beautiful. [youtube lCkHHWFsFzM nolink]