One way that scientists gather information about different species is to engage the public. Monitoring life cycles, sightings, phenological events, and migrations are all ways to find out more about what a particular species is doing and how it’s adapting to our changing world. One such example is the BioBlitz that is underway now for…
One of the things I learned about when I worked at a local land trust was spring ephemerals. Going into the job, I didn’t know much. I knew a lot about other topics, but spring ephemerals had escaped my attention. After I worked at the Mississippi Valley Conservancy in 2019, I learned to look for…
Today is Earth Day. I pulled out some of my environmental lessons and am working to put them together so I can post them to Teachers Pay Teachers. One idea I had in 2020 was to make a self-study activity card pack on the monarch butterfly for classroom use. Lately, it’s been on my mind…
It’s Poetry Friday and Janice Scully is our host. Please visit her blog for more poetry links and a place to leave your own word creations if you so desire. Thanks for hosting, Janice! At 10 am Central Time (Chicago) on a Friday morning in Wisconsin, I am again probably one of the last to…
Today is Poetry Friday! Our host is Laura Purdie Salas and she has tons of good news on her blog today. Make sure you check it out! You can also connect to more poets and their poetry at the end of her post! Thanks for hosting Laura! I’m preparing a presentation on bats for Environmental…
It’s time for monarch monitoring as my common milkweed stems have emerged in my yard! I’ll have to look back to be sure, but I think it’s early. Each year, since 2006, I’ve reported the emergence of the perennial milkweed in my yard to Journey North. This means I am a citizen scientist! The submission…
This week I am vacationing on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. It is our fourth visit to the Hawaiian Islands and our third to the island of Maui. This vacation was planned quickly, less than two and a half months ago, but came together despite the fast timing. Our previous visits have taken six months…
Planting for pollinators is currently all the rage! And, rightly so, we need our pollinators more than ever even as their populations have declined. The reason for this decline is multi-factorial. Contributing factors are habitat loss, competition of non-native species, pesticide use, climate change, and disease. Stabilization or reversal of pollinator population losses are essential…
Yesterday we did something exciting! We went to our land in the next town over to locate and measure a spot for a new pole building for my husband’s wood shop. He makes fine furniture. Building the shop will be the next step after our driveway is installed next month (hopefully). Our 14+ acre wooded…