What are you doing, personally, to make living during the COVID pandemic better for others? Anything? Or, are you just complaining? Be honest here. Are you actively trying to make life livable during this crisis? One of the debatable tenants of Environmental Education has become a guide for my life. It is that there MUST…
This spring I was to engage over 1,500 local youth in presentations regarding our environment. Handouts were ordered. Seeds were collected. Easels were purchased. April, May, and June were to be busy months. Since all those events were canceled due to the pandemic, I found my work as an environmental educator on pause. But, it…
In February, my husband and I visited White Sands National Park in New Mexico. It is our country’s newest National Park and being able to visit there just after it became one of our great protected parklands will always make it special to us. But, as amazing as it was, I am not sure it…
Lately, I’ve been wondering about the effects the pandemic has had on our environment. I’ve wondered seriously enough to search for professional journal articles specifically on this subject. What I found was mostly narrative, which disappointed me, as I had hoped to sustain my impressions with some facts. We’ve all seen the stories about nature…
My involvement in monarch conservation has spanned for almost two decades! Some, in our local community, might even refer to me as the butterfly lady! Teaching first my garden club students (over 500 hundred during the lifetime of the club) and then, neighbors, community members from other organizations such as Lion’s Club, church groups, and…
Last night, something magical happened in our yard! For many years, I raised monarch butterflies. This year, I have yet to see any eggs or larva on our milkweed plants. We have three patches of milkweed in our yard, each a different kind native to our area of the country. For almost two decades, I’ve…
One of my favorite Garden Club lessons was on Carnivorous Plants. Usually, I covered this group of plants in a unit on plant adaptations for that is exactly what these plants have done – adapted to survive! The most famous Carnivorous Plant is the Venus Fly Trap. It is a snap trap. But, did you…
Late yesterday, I posed several questions about a plant that is special to me. Today, the answers will be provided! The first question was: Do you know the common name for this plant? The answer is this plant Wild Blue Lupine. The scientific name is Lupinus perennis. This photo shows an example of a mature…
Do you know the common name for this plant? Where does it grow? Does it have any significance for conservation? Why or why not? When might you find it blooming? What insect relies on this plant to sustain its entire life cycle? Stop back Monday, June 1st, for the answers!
Cave Tours Last year at this time I was starting to organize two days of summer tours at the Kickapoo Caverns in Crawford County, Wisconsin. I had no knowledge of caves, let alone those that serve as a hibernaculum for bats. But, I was very interested in learning. My job was to organize the registrants…