The Sweet Stuff and Climate Change Do you realize that maple syrup production is being affected by climate change? It is! On a hike late this summer, I met a gentleman who had been tapping his maple trees for sap and making maple syrup for several years. Last year was different, he said. He had…
Conservation
Conservationists: Don’t Discount the Gardeners! A Slice of Life Tuesday Post.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about my own path in conservation. I consider myself a self-proclaimed Monarch conservationist, actively involved in helping to conserve and restore their habitat and well as sustaining the population for close to twenty years. But, where did my path as a conservationist start? I’ve actually thought a lot about this. Sure,…
Silent Sunday – Right in your own backyard: New Amsterdam Grasslands
A Step Back in Time
This morning I had coffee with a friend, a former teacher, and mentor to all three of my boys in the subject of mathematics. He appreciates the difference in all three of my sons, the way their abilities manifested, and their chosen paths. During our coffee clutches we attempt to solve the problems of the…
Poetry Friday: Meaningful Monarchs
Today is Poetry Friday and since I spent much of my week educating school children about Monarchs and their habitat, I thought I would write a poem about this wonderfully unique creature. Poetry Friday is sponsored by the Teacher Dance Blog this week. Thank you for hosting this wonderful community of writers. Meaningful Monarchs Meaningful…
Wordless Wednesday: Signs Seen Traveling & on the Trail
Nature Education…Stepping on a Nest of Ground Bees!
Today, I went into the field with our land manager and another coworker to do some work on invasive species – namely, buckthorn. It was storming when I awoke around 6 a.m. and I was not sure we’d go due to thunder and lightning but it seemed to be clearing as it approached the time…
Silent Sunday: The Magnificent Chrysalis
A Trip to Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa
Last Tuesday I did something I have never done before. I went on a field trip with the Master Gardener group to which I have belonged since 2004. Their trip was to a place in Decorah Iowa called Seed Savers Exchange. I’ve always been interested in the process of saving seeds, and here we got…
Slice of Life: Today Held A lot of Firsts
Today was busy, but a good busy. The fact it was good is important due to a slight meltdown I experienced last night. I told my twenty-year-old I am going to have to start paying him counseling fees! The First First I started my day by driving an hour to a rural village where I…










