Late yesterday afternoon, I saw my first monarch caterpillar of the year. Really?! Wow, it is late. Five years ago, I saw my first larva on June 19th. We did move three hours north, but we moved to a cabin that we built in 2005 and have visited multiple times a year since. So, I…
gardening
Finally…Plants!
I’m at it again! Three days after we moved to our cabin, I had to grocery shop. But on the way, there is a Hardware Hank that sells plants from a greenhouse. I’ve bought plants from there before. Usually, at this time of year, they’re sold out and the greenhouse doors are closed. Luckily, when…
Silent Sunday: Recent Yard Photos
Getting Ready to Monitor Monarchs
Despite the generally cold and wet spring we’ve had, the milkweed has popped up in my gardens. The common milkweed is already about six inches tall and my rose milkweed has germinated even though it is still tiny. An unknowing eye would think it was a weed. I know better and didn’t pull it out….
Silent Sunday: Riverside Park and International Friendship Gardens, La Crosse Wisconsin
Today is Silent Sunday. Once a week, on this day I post my own photos on a theme of my choosing. All photos and text on this blog are copyrighted by Carol Labuzzetta (me) unless noted otherwise. There is no permission to duplicate in any form. Thank you!
The Milkweed is Up in My Wisconsin Yard
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…
Poetry Friday: The Birth of my Chapbook is Today!
After reviewing the second proof copy of my poetry chapbook, my book will go live on Amazon later today! And, just like that, my first book will be born! I’ll be a published author of my own compilation of work! Once I have the link, I’ll come back here and post it! My book’s link…
Silent Sunday: Gardens
Today is Silent Sunday! This is the day of the week that I post my own photography on a theme of my choosing. I hope you enjoy the gardens today! There is no permission to duplicate in any form. Thank you.
A Change of Mind and Heart: Education is not enough
When I was in graduate school for my natural resources degree (EE/EI), one of our first assignments was to read two papers written by seminal voices in the environmental field. One was by Richard Wilke and the other was by Jo Kwong. Before I started the assignment, I was pretty sure that I felt that…
Poetry Friday: Spring Has Sprung
This week I’ve been diligently working on an environmental day presentation for the first-grade classrooms at a local elementary school. Each year, I am asked back to provide a lesson for their earth day celebrations. Three of the topics I’ve presented were Forest Stewardship: Treating our Forests as our Friend, Monarch Life Cycles and Habitat,…







