Natural yards for the birds, bees and butterflies — and for the pleasure they brings human senses — are nothing new. I personally have created my own natural yard for decades, as has my brother. Where did that inspiration come from? Our forest ranger father, who taught all my siblings that lawns were silly, foolish,…
This isn’t meant to toot my horn or anything. It’s just a reminder: When you’re living out in nature, it’s always good to do the right thing, even if nobody else knows. Case in point? Several days ago, the dirt road to our place flooded. Yesterday, it was still flooded, BUT, it was sunny, so…
Coming through the woods at about 8:15 a.m. today, I spotted what I think is a barred owl in a shagbark hickory tree. It was surveying the white crownbeard wildflower patch, before heading off to a higher viewpoint. Here’s the YouTube video. I also joined eBird, run by Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. Looks to…
Invasive privet (aka Chinese privet) is a non-native species throughout the Southeast USA. Privet crowds out native wildflowers, bushes and trees, and is difficult to remove. For example, when I moved to my property in Catoosa County, Northwest Georgia, nearly the entire edge of my woods was a solid mass of privet. Since removing it,…
Earth Day’s 50! Then:/ I’m in Milwaukee’s River./ Now: I’ll plant Earth’s fields. Earth Day is 50! A half century ago I stood in the Milwaukee River in Estabrook Park near my home in Glendale, Wisconsin, loudly singing with other youth and cleaning out the old tires, mattress springs, tin cans and other junk that…
This evening, just before the sun set, I walked around the edge of my driveway, taking photos of tree in my yard (specifically on the edge of my property). I was stunned by the bio-diversity of this small plot of land. within the distance I can throw a baseball (which isn’t very far), I have…