WriterByNature.com

March 26, 2008 7:02 am

The white-throated sparrow sings at 6:42 AM EST. I heard it for the first time two days ago. I couldn’t believe my ears. It’s warm enough this morning to leave the window open. I believe the sparrow is in my rhododendron. If I move, it will spook him. Cardinal just called. It’s 40-degrees F and cloudy, with rain on the way.

I can hear the mourning dove and see the silhouettes of the breakfast crowd land on pine branches. I usually write with pen and notebook standing at the window.

Here’s what else I see: (more…)

March 21, 2008 8:34 am

On tightly wound coils. The fierce, gale-force winds have been blowing for over 24 hours. Snow flurries swirled and collided just before dusk, then the sun appeared briefly before setting. The full moon makes it harder to see some of the other stars.

I’ve been reading and listening to news reports. I have to stop doing that. I need to get outdoors and hike, but monsoon rains and the dangers of high winds have been enough to keep me working on my homework for Mushroom U. Sorting out boletes is no small task. The good news is that there are no deadly boletes, although sorting out the bitter lookalikes from the choice edibles takes “dirt time,” and a workable key to sort out details.

The more I want to improve my nature skills, the more carefully and slowly I need to move in nature and in research. So, what do I do for exercise? These past few months, swimming and aquatic exercise. But the gym is far, which tugs at my carbon footprint issues and my budget.

I am blessed. My needs are met. My biggest concern is avoiding nature deficit disorder. It all seems so tangential, until you realize that trees are critical to our ability to breathe clean air. Trees also keep soil from eroding and prevent flooding.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, writes that deprivation from nature causes “increased feelings of stress, trouble paying attention, feelings of not being rooted in the world.”

I am blessed, I know where I can get a good 5-mile hike protected from the prevailing winds. That’s exactly the right way to celebrate this first full day of spring.

December 20, 2007 7:16 am

Gift giving is really important for the giver and the receiver. Shopping can be overwhelming when there are a myriad of choices. Here are two really excellent ways to spend holiday dollars.

Kiva helps provide micro-loans to third-world businesses. What an excellent way to teach a young person about finance and charity. For the budding entrepreneur in your life, what a wonderful way to acquire business skills. Here is some recent media coverage that says it really well. I gave and received Kiva gift certificates this year.

Concerned about your carbon footprint? Consider a donation to the Climate Trust, which uses the money to fund tree planting or alternative energy projects world-wide. A year of carbon emissions for an average person can be offset by a $200 donation.

As the years go by, people who know and love me have given up on figuring out what I would like and resorted to gift cards. Using the power of my pocketbook to support programs I believe in is the best way to put those gifts to use.

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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September 11, 2007 6:06 pm

In the past two weeks, my ceiling collapsed and my refrigerator died, taking all my frozen wild edibles with it. I feel blessed. I’m alive. And these problems have solutions.

Having lived in NYC for 20 years and worked in the twin towers, it’s hard not to think about what happened on this day six years ago.

On September 11, 2001, I owned a home outside of NYC and had been running my Virtual Assistant business for a little over one year.

In the ensuing six years I don’t feel spiritually, emotionally or financially better off. We have lost many of our civil rights and we have made life so much worse for people in other parts of the world.

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September 2, 2007 4:37 pm

I don’t know what made the rhododendron outside my apartment window bloom.

But it’s nice to see.

It has been a sunny, but cool and low-humidity day, making it perfect for a hike.

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August 29, 2007 5:52 pm

As we remember the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, I’m cleaning up from the results of a flood in my apartment.

From the moment I noticed the stain on the ceiling, to the 10 minutes it took the landlord to shut of the water to the building while I covered everything with tarps, enough water broke through the Sheetrock to damage the carpeting beyond repair. (more…)

August 23, 2007 6:19 am

The weather in my neck of the woods has been unseasonably cold. Too cold for the black trumpet mushrooms, but apparently not for this giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea).

I was out early, but not early enough to keep a few insects from taking a bite or two. This thing weighs at least 3 pounds.

What’s really neat is that I’m on my way to my first Clark Rogerson Foray, held annually by COMA. I’m going to bring this along.

July 26, 2007 2:33 pm

Enjoying nature is in the little things, like this insect (I think it’s a firefly) on a laurel node. Dawn and dusk are the best times for hiking; that’s when I see the most wildlife activity. (more…)

July 18, 2007 4:27 am

The workshops I attended at this event gave me an opportunity to meet and learn from dedicated naturalists.

Beyond the workshops, there were hands-on opportunities to learn trail-building skills, hikes, excursions to area events, vendors, book signings, and the most patient and helpful support staff anywhere.

I got pointers on nature photography, hanging my hammock, carrying less weight in my pack and fitting my hiking boots. I got a taste of fly fishing, archaeology, and political advocacy.

I really enjoyed spending a few days surrounded by like-minded people wearing cargo pants and hiking boots. The fact that people are willing to travel from Ohio, Indiana, Florida and every state on the AT, gives me hope that we can keep the planet from becoming entirely paved over.

It takes a great deal of cooperation - and just the right combination of vision and attention to detail - to host an event like this. The New York New Jersey Trail Conference, Ramapo College and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are amazing. (more…)