Connecting to nature through poetry and prose
An apple tree bloomsOn a forgotten road Time has passed us by It is said that New England established its first cultivated apple orchard in 1623. The location of the orchard was Beacon Hill in Massachusetts. The apple that was grown was called The Baldwin. Apple trees soon became a staple of the New England... Continue Reading →
This beautiful bracket mushroom's scientific name is Polyporus squamosus. It's common name is Dryad's Saddle. These polyporus fungus can either grow on fallen logs and tree stumps in a saprophytic relationship, or may be found as a parasitic growth on hardwood trees such as maple and elm. They have widespread distribution including being found in... Continue Reading →
One of the things I appreciate the most about the internet is that it allows me to connect and learn from people that I probably would have never met without it. For example, I now have a morning yoga practice because of several online yoga teachers, and my vegan cooking skills have skyrocketed as a... Continue Reading →
Today's Haiku: Tending the garden Caring for the young flowers Jump back! Happy toad. I am always excited to see the first toads of the season and the Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus americanus) is the type of toad that I encounter the most. Eastern American Toad These toads are between 2.5 and 3 inches... Continue Reading →
Wild Strawberry identification and how strawberries can help us build a connection to the land.
Today's Haiku: Early morning dewGathers in the unkept grassA snail emerges Snails are classified as gastropod mollusks. What this means that they are part of the larger mollusk phylum which includes snails, slugs, mussels, and octopuses. The more specific class gastropod, or gastropoda, narrows this group to snails and slugs. Gastropods either have a univalve... Continue Reading →
The flowering of the Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) is another sign of spring! These bright yellow flowers are a part of the buttercup family and bloom in our neighborhood around the end of April or beginning of May. As you can tell by the name, the Marsh Marigold likes to grow in wet areas. Their... Continue Reading →
My early morning walks are great for shifting my perspective about my neighborhood. What may seem mundane in the daylight, is unique and full of mystery in the darkness. On a recent walk, I was struck by the beauty of the unfurling fiddleheads and took their photos by the light of my headlamp. I am... Continue Reading →
Today's Haiku: From the distant treesA melodic musicalA winter wren song I had recently heard a friend describe the Winter Wren song as the electric guitar solo of the bird world. I think that is a good description of their cascading, bubbly song that last anywhere between 5 - 10 seconds. Click the link below... Continue Reading →
When I was a young boy there was this thing we did at night called a Snipe Hunt. A Snipe Hunt is where you headed into the woods after dark looking to see, or catch, a Snipe. Part of the challenge with this “hunt” was that no one knew what a Snipe was or what... Continue Reading →
Last week I introduced a new feature to my page called My Nature Connection Journal. It turns out it is a little harder to keep this up-to-date than I expected. Nevertheless, I added 18 birds, 1 new animal, and 7 new plants. One of the highlights from this week was finally being able to make... Continue Reading →
Today's Haiku: Rain taps the tin roofDroplets reflect the gray skyThe dove pecks the ground As I continue on my journey of nature connection, the sit spot practice remains a constant. Sometimes the red squirrels and the dark-eyed juncos come to visit, sometimes I sit alone. Sometimes there is a lot happening, and sometimes it... Continue Reading →
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