WriterByNature.com

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.

July 23, 2008 8:15 am

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 melt, even in a heated room, taught me a useful lesson.

Now I hike with a frozen water bottle.

I add water to a clean bottle until it’s 2/3 full. I set the bottle in my freezer until just before I begin my hike; I top off the bottle with cold water, wrap it in a plastic bag, and put it in my day pack.

I can hike all day and into the evening, enjoying a refreshing sip of cold water, even on the hottest afternoon of the year.

June 11, 2008 8:50 am

Conserve energy. Human energy, machine energy, all energy.

I broke that rule yesterday, the fourth day of a heat wave. I had access to water and I swam vigorously. It felt really good to move. But I didn’t drink enough water. I had water. I just felt cool and refreshed, so I didn’t drink water.

Dehydration, like hypothermia, can be deadly. I need to re-train myself to drink water every 20 minutes. (more…)

November 6, 2007 6:30 pm

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.

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October 17, 2007 7:55 am

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.

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July 10, 2007 4:34 am

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, I love nibbling the shoots, raw in salad or steamed.

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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…)

March 30, 2007 5:09 pm

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.

February 15, 2007 4:59 am

No kidding. You can actually freeze snowballs for summer use. (more…)

February 9, 2007 4:19 am

This was originally written as a magazine submission. It was not published, but I believe this information is important. This is not something you can practice. I visualize this situation in order to imprint it. I hope I never fall through ice, but if I did, I’d be more likely to survive. (more…)