Yesterday, I took an intro to foraging class. It was held by an organization called the Driftless Folk School and the session took place on the grounds of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near La Farge, Wisconsin. This area is a jaw-droppingly (my own term) beautiful part of Wisconsin. I was excited to go, as much…
I love to learn new things. I think it makes me a better and certainly, more interesting, person. Earlier this spring, we got a course flyer from an organization offering a variety classes in sustainable living. My husband was interested in the DIY dehydrator class and I was interested in the Spring Foraging class. By…
What have I done to celebrate the earth, I ask myself? Mostly, it’s involved informing others of the precious resources the earth provides. In the past, for celebrations of Earth Day I’ve presented to whole schools on topics such as the forest and monarch conservation. I’ve presented on the prairie as an ecosystem, and helped…
This spring has been one that I’ve really stopped to observe the changes in our environment. Part of this has been due to being asked to make a video for a local school’s environmental day and part is my own interest in phenology – or signs of the change of seasons. As I’ve aged, these…
Over the course of the last year, I have lamented the lack of travel. I like to travel. Sometimes our trips are to exotic locations like Kauai or Bermuda or Banff, and sometimes they are to a less dramatic location but still one we desired to see. My husband and I have talked about when…
Two years ago, when I worked for a local land trust, I had to organize education and outreach events. One such event, was Spring Foraging. Okay, it sounded fun but I had never foraged! Luckily, our local university had a mycology club and the student president was more than agreeable to lead the foraging hike…
I stood there, in the near blackness of the cave, in three inches of water. The sump pump was next to my boots with the electric cord visible through the murky water. I had only been in the cave once before and had not yet become of fan of them. The standing water was caused…
Who did I work with when I managed school gardens and taught after school garden clubs consisting of second through fifth grade students? Did I work alone? No, absolutely not! There was a team of people essential to making the garden clubs work. My post today was inspired by this photo (see below) from 2014…
A Fondness for Bugs Come along with me on your golden carpet of petals. There you sit so still and full of pride evident you are ready for a ride. Atop a pot glowing with a yellow hue your greenish color blends right in too. Still you stay, for the journey from front yard to…
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…