The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart. – Helen Keller I vividly remember when I learned that my grandfather was becoming blind. Macular degeneration had destroyed all but his peripheral vision, and in order to see me when we spoke, he looked away from me. It was an eerie experience for a young boy. As his vision disappeared, his precious wood-carving tools began to gather dust in the basement, and his well-loved books sat silent on their shelves. But my grandfather never seemed upset as his vision faded. …
Nature
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Most Topular Stories
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Seeing Nature
Wild About Nature Blog27 Jan 2011 | 10:18 am -
WHAT IN THE HELL ARE WE DOING?
The Natural Eye Project17 Jan 2012 | 12:06 pmWHAT IN THE HELL DO WE THINK WE ARE DOING? -
I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART
The Natural Eye Project30 Jan 2012 | 5:55 pmI BELIEVE That everything we humans create has its origins in the Natural World and; That to the degree Nature is “sick” and out of balance so are we–spiritually, psychologically and physiologically; and That Nature is the common denominator among all living things and that All species are equal in their own right; and That [...] -
Irish mammals under serious threat from 'invasional meltdown'
ScienceDaily: Nature News21 Feb 2012 | 11:48 amSome of Ireland's oldest inhabitants are facing serious threat and possible extinction because of foreign species, according to researchers. -
A Bird With A Personality
Steve Creek Outdoors16 Feb 2012 | 6:26 amMy backyard bird for the day is the Northern Mockingbird. The Northern Mockingbird enjoys making its presence known. It usually sits conspicuously on high vegetation, fences, eaves, or telephone wires, or runs and hops along the ground. Found alone or in pairs throughout the year, mockingbirds aggressively chase off intruders on their territory. All About [...]Post from: Steve Creek OutdoorsA Bird With A Personality
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Nature - Issue - nature.com science feeds
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Flu papers warrant full publication
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmFlu papers warrant full publication Nature 482, 7386 (2012). doi:10.1038/482439a Although more debate is needed, the benefits of publishing sensitive data outweigh the risks that have so far been made public. -
Turing at 100
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmTuring at 100 Nature 482, 7386 (2012). doi:10.1038/482440a This year marks the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing. He deserves your attention. -
Over the line
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmOver the line Nature 482, 7386 (2012). doi:10.1038/482440b Dishonesty, however tempting, is the wrong way to tackle climate sceptics. -
The man behind the machine
The man behind the machine Nature 482, 7386 (2012). http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/482441a Author: Andrew Hodges Alan Turing is famous for many reasons. Andrew Hodges delves into why Turing's achievements took so long to be recognized. -
Evolution: Lilliputian lizards come to light
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmEvolution: Lilliputian lizards come to light Nature 482, 7386 (2012). doi:10.1038/482442a The forests of northern Madagascar harbour a dwarf chameleon that is the smallest lizard in the world in terms of total length. Adult males of the diminutive Brookesia micra reach a length of less than 24 millimetres.B. micra and three other tiny
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NatureNews - Most recent articles - nature.com science feeds
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Sirtuin protein linked to longevity in mammals
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmSirtuin protein linked to longevity in mammalsNature News , 22022012 doi: 10.1038/nature.2012.10074Heidi LedfordMale mice overproducing the protein sirtuin 6 have an extended lifespan. -
Flaws found in faster-than-light neutrino measurement
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmFlaws found in faster-than-light neutrino measurementNature News , 22022012 doi: 10.1038/nature.2012.10099Eugenie Samuel ReichTwo possible sources of error uncovered. -
Seven days: 17–23 February 2012
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmSeven days: 17–23 February 2012Nature 482, 444 22022012 doi: 10.1038/482444aThe week in science: Animals saved from chemical safety tests; fund launched to clean up methane and black-carbon emissions; and excitement over nanopore DNA sequencing. -
The human Y chromosome is here to stay
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmThe human Y chromosome is here to stayNature News , 22022012 doi: 10.1038/nature.2012.10082Ewen CallawayThe male sex-determining chromosome has lost only one gene in 25 million years. -
Growing pains for children's study
21 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmGrowing pains for children's studyNature 482, 448 22022012 doi: 10.1038/482448aMeredith WadmanDoor-to-door recruitment abandoned for US project.
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Nature
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Ocean Giants: Video: Dolphin Mud Walls
22 Feb 2012 | 5:03 pm(View full post to see video) Watch a scene from the PBS Nature film, Ocean Giants. In the shallows of Florida Bay, the fish can be very difficult to catch. Dolphins solve the problem by creating walls of mud that trap the nearby fish. (Video limited to U.S. & Territories.) -
Ocean Giants: Video: Bubble Play
22 Feb 2012 | 4:26 pm(View full post to see video) Watch a scene from the PBS Nature film, Ocean Giants. What will a group of dolphins make of the silvery rings of air produced by a bubble machine? (Video limited to U.S. & Territories.) -
Ocean Giants: Video: The Oldest Mammal on the Planet
22 Feb 2012 | 11:04 am(View full post to see video) Watch a scene from the PBS Nature film, Ocean Giants. Analysis of one Amino acid in the Bowhead Whale’s tissue is revealing astonishing information about their age. There are some estimates that the whales could be over 200 years old, making them one of the oldest animals on the planet. (Video limited to U.S. & Territories.) -
Ocean Giants: Whale Fact Sheet
22 Feb 2012 | 10:32 amClass: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Suborders: Mysticeti and Odontoceti The primary difference between the two suborders, Mysticeti and Odontoceti, has to do with the whale’s feeding hardware. Whales in the Mysticeti suborder have baleen plates that serve as a filter-feeding system, while marine mammals in the Odontoceti suborder—which includes dolphins and porpoises as well as whales—have teeth. Size and weight: Different species of whales vary drastically in terms of both size and weight. Baleen whales in the Mysticeti suborder are generally larger than those of the Odontoceti suborder. -
Ocean Giants: Video: The Mating Marathon
22 Feb 2012 | 9:33 am(View full post to see video) Watch a scene from the PBS Nature film, Ocean Giants. A group of humpback males compete for the affection of a female. After the fight, the losing males engage in some surprisingly gentle behavior. (Video limited to U.S. & Territories.)
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My Nature Posts -- The Nature Conservancy
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Wild Nature
15 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am© Wade Zimmerman/Arcaid/Corbis Wild Nature?In her new book "Rambunctious Garden" author and former Nature magazine correspondent Emma Marris argues that pristine wildness is a myth and that we live on a thoroughly domesticated planet whose management is up to us. What do you think? Does wilderness still exist? Share your thoughts below. Our Cool Green Science blog caught up with Marris to learn more about her provocative perspective. Read the full interview here. Login to my.nature.org to read your personalized posts, or to share your thoughts with our online community. -
Wild Nature?
14 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amIn her new book "Rambunctious Garden" author and former Nature magazine correspondent Emma Marris argues that pristine wildness is a myth and that we live on a thoroughly domesticated planet whose management is up to us. What do you think? Does wilderness still exist? Share your thoughts below. Our Cool Green Science blog caught up with Marris to learn more about her provocative perspective. Read the full interview here. Login to my.nature.org to read your personalized posts, or to share your thoughts with our online community. -
Young Artist Gives Back
6 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amVienna Vitek Read her remarkable story » Login to my.nature.org to read your personalized posts, or to share your thoughts with our online community. -
Panda Eats Shoots, Leaves—and Meat?!?
9 Jan 2012 | 12:00 amThe Nature Conservancy Read the remarkable story » Login to my.nature.org to read your personalized posts, or to share your thoughts with our online community. -
What Kind of Legacy Do You Want to Leave?
20 Dec 2011 | 12:00 amAmi Vitale “For future generations” has long been the phrase used by conservationists to explain their motivation for protecting the Earth. And it’s true that most people have an innate desire to leave the world a better place for their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. But in a world full of video games, mobile devices and flat-screen, we can’t just pass a better world to the next generation and hope for the best. They must be inspired to care about the natural world, in the same way something sparked that interest in us. Watch these videos that explore…
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[BWV] Blue Water News
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Gray Whales of Baja~ Underwater World
13 Feb 2012 | 7:50 amwww.bluewaterventures.org Join Blue Water Ventures every february in Baja as we explore the underwater world of gray whales and other marine wonders. We’ll seek eye to eye encounters with California gray whales, snorkel with sea lions and offer an opportunity to swim with the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. For centuries, California gray whales have traveled 10,000 miles round trip between their summer feeding grounds in Alaska and their winter breeding/calving grounds in the Pacific lagoons of Baja. Traveling in small skiffs into Magdalena Bay, we will wait… -
Blue Water Ventures Trip Highlights 2011
25 Jan 2012 | 9:56 amwww.bluewaterventures.org As I pack up for our upcoming Baja Adventure, I reflect upon what an amazing year we had in 2011. There were so many outstanding highlights some captured in these photos. I have led trips to Caribbean Reefs for decades and was extreme tidepooling as a kid long before I coined the term. What fuels my soul are the people who join my Blue Water adventures. Taking 10 year olds snorkeling with eye level views of sea otters or plunging into a Sierra stream is pure bliss, medicine for the soul. I’ve shared Elkhorn Slough with wonderful families who really care about… -
Extreme Tidepooling with Blue Water Ventures
12 Jan 2012 | 12:54 pmwww.bluewaterventures.org Join Blue Water Ventures as we explore the incredible diversity of California’s rocky intertidal. Wetsuits are recommended to “go extreme” in comfort as we scramble along the rocky nooks, crannies and caves of our coastal waters. This is a great outing for groups or schools looking for an adventurous and informative day with a naturalist guide. You will learn about the amazing adaptations of our intertidal inhabitants such as the feeding habits of sea stars and the mating strategy of barnacles. Contact Kim Powell, Owner at:… -
Humpback Whales of Santa Cruz: A Naturalist & Kayaker’s Perspective
10 Nov 2011 | 11:50 pmwww.bluewaterventures.org It started with an excited cry from Biology Teacher, Jane Orbuch ” Kim, there’s a whale”. I had just led 14 San Lornezo Valley High School students by kayak to the kelp beds edging a surf break known as Indicators in Santa Cruz. We were just about to begin a lesson in Kelp Forest Ecology. Slipping off of their sit on top style boats and into the invigorating 55 degree water, the students were anticipating an eye level encounter with sea otters, harbor seals, top snails and other wonders of this remarkable marine ecosystem. Humpback Whales were not… -
Kelp Forest Student Field Trip: Monterey Bay
18 Oct 2011 | 9:28 amwww.bluewaterventures.org Looking for a really unique experience for your students? During our adventurous field trip, we’ll slide off our sit on top kayaks to have an eye level experience with Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary! Using goggles or a mask/snorkel, take a look at the kelp forest or choose to remain dry and simply glide over the forest canopy searching for sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions and sea birds. Encompassing 5,322 square miles of ocean, our remarkable sanctuary supports one of the planet’s most biologically diverse marine ecosystems. The use of sit on…
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Nature Network Blog Posts
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Google Search Engine Software goes 'Chemistry' (from Paige Brown's blog)
22 Feb 2012 | 11:09 pmWhat if medical and environmental researchers could harness the power of internet search engine software – something like Google’s PageRank software that provides a detailed picture of all the links between the trillion-plus webpages on the internet – to create better drugs and environmental clean-up agents? All that these researchers would have to do is turn molecules into webpages, and turn the bonds that exist between molecules into hyperlinks. Then we could monitor the interactions between molecules just as easily as Google can monitor the network of links and webpages… -
Google Science Fair 2012: How can I reduce the carcinogens in grilled chicken? [video] (from Grrl Scientist's blog)
22 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amSUMMARY: Lauren, a 2011 Google Science Fair winner from USA, explains why her experiment about carcinogens was inspired by her evening meal Lauren, a 2011 Google Science Fair winner from USA, explains why her experiment about carcinogens was inspired by her evening meal: -
Space Weather Predictions (from Liz O'Connell's blog)
21 Feb 2012 | 5:59 pmby Laura Nielsen for FrontierScientists.We know that space weather can play havok with technology. Space weather has real effects on human society, technology, and our economy. How do we ready ourselves to deal with it?This rubber chicken can help.[ ] Camilla Corona SDO – NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory’s mascot at AGU 2011The chicken is Camilla Corona SDO, the mascot for NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The Observatory is a solar observing spacecraft which orbits Earth as it studies the Sun. Packing high-speed cameras and special telescopes, SDO takes rapid… -
Would I eat that? (from Eva Amsen's blog)
21 Feb 2012 | 10:36 amIt’s something I rarely talk about, but this year is my 10th anniversary of being vegetarian. I don’t know exactly when, because it was a very gradual process. I started slowly phasing out meat from my diet in the late nineties, but lapsed in early 2001, when I was staying in Quebec for four months. Soon after I got back to Holland, though, foot-and-mouth disease hit Europe. During the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, hundreds of thousands of cows were killed in Holland alone. The news showed images of piles of dead cows lying on barricaded farms. Many of them were healthy… -
Googol and Googolplex [video] (from Grrl Scientist's blog)
21 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amSUMMARY: And no, I am not talking about Google (originally, a spelling error) nor GooglePlus (a social media error) Image: Ross A Hall/creative commons.This video is full of fun geekiness, where physicists and mathematicians talk about “really big numbers”. How big are these “really big numbers”? How about the number 10100, which translates into 1 followed by 100 zeros? The shorthand name for that number is a Googol. Oh, maybe that number isn’t big enough for you then? How about 10Googol, which translates into 10(10100)? The original definition of that really big…
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ScienceDaily: Nature News
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Irish mammals under serious threat from 'invasional meltdown'
21 Feb 2012 | 11:48 amSome of Ireland's oldest inhabitants are facing serious threat and possible extinction because of foreign species, according to researchers. -
300-million-year-old forest discovered preserved in volanic ash
20 Feb 2012 | 3:13 pmPompeii-like, a 300-million-year-old tropical forest was preserved in ash when a volcano erupted in what is today northern China. Paleobotanists have reconstructed this fossilized forest, lending insight into the ecology and climate of its time. -
Yosemite's alpine chipmunks take genetic hit from climate change
19 Feb 2012 | 1:33 pmGlobal warming has driven Yosemite's alpine chipmunks to higher ground, prompting a startling decline in the species' genetic diversity, according to a new study. The genetic erosion occurred in the relatively short span of 90 years, highlighting the rapid threat changing climate can pose to a species. -
New hope for threatened freshwater dolphins in Asia
16 Feb 2012 | 12:39 pmThe Government of Bangladesh recently declared three new wildlife sanctuaries for endangered freshwater dolphins in the world's largest mangrove ecosystem – the Sundarbans, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society whose conservation work helped pinpoint the locations of the protected areas. -
Genes may travel from plant to plant to fuel evolution
16 Feb 2012 | 12:34 pmEvolutionary biologists have documented for the first time that plants pass genes from plant to plant to fuel their evolutionary development. The researchers found enzymes key to photosynthesis had been shared among plants with only a distant ancestral relationship. The genes were incorporated into the metabolic cycle of the recipient plant, aiding adaptation.
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NaturalNews.com
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Parsley is an effective antioxidant, diuretic, blood tonic, and more
23 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amParsley, that little piece of leafy green garnish that seems to decorate every plate in restaurants all across the U.S., is actually a serious herb which packs a powerful punch. Most people smile and ask sheepishly, "Are we supposed to eat it?" If it is certified organic... -
FDA takes stand for public health, resists industry pressures to increase allowable levels of toxic fungicide carbendazim in orange juice product imports
23 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amIn an unusual turn of events, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has actually decided to aggressively protect public health rather than shield corporate profits by denying a recent request made by the Juice Products Association (JPA), a juice industry trade... -
Is Big Pharma behind push to release critical details about H5N1 'super virus'?
23 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amFor the past several months, there has been an ongoing debate about whether or not to publish controversial research about a new militarized and highly-virulent strain of H5N1 avian flu capable of spreading between mammals, including between humans. The U.S. National... -
Warning about heavy metal toxicity and natural solutions
23 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amHeavy metal toxicity is a serious health problem due to the accumulating industrial waste products in our air, water and food supply. To make matters worse, your symptoms can not be properly treated by poorly-educated physicians. If you care about your health - get informed... -
North Carolina seed company joins class-action lawsuit against Monsanto that seeks protection against predatory patent lawsuits
23 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amAsheville, N.C.-based Sow True Seed, a seed company that offers non-GMO, non-hybrid, and open-pollinated varieties of heirloom, organic, and traditional seeds, has joined a class-action lawsuit against biotechnology giant Monsanto that seeks protection for farmers against...
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Nature Precedings
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Biodiversity is a cauliflower under the sunlight
22 Feb 2012 | 10:27 amFor a long time ecologists have questioned the variations of biodiversity across the latitudinal gradient. Recently it has emerged that the changes in β-diversity are caused simply by changes in the sizes of species pools. I combined the species pool size and the fractal nature of ecosystems to clarify some general patterns of this gradient. Considering temperature, humidity and NPP as the main variables of an ecosystem niche and as the axis of the polygon in the Cartesian plane, it is possible to build fractal hypervolumes, whose the fractal dimension rises up to three, moving towards… -
Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell transplantation alleviates Sjögren’s syndrome
22 Feb 2012 | 10:17 amSjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by dry mouth and eyes, and its treatment remains difficult and challenging. We revealed here that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) in SS-like NOD/Ltj mice were defective in immunoregulatory functions, and transplantation of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) suppressed autoimmunity and restored salivary gland secretory function. Infused MSCs migrated toward the inflammatory regions in a stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) dependent manner, and naturalization of SDF-1 ligand CXCR4 abolished the… -
Suppression of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced ornithine decarboxylase activity by resveratrol derivatives
22 Feb 2012 | 10:12 amAs demonstrated previously, resveratrol (3,4’,5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) inhibits 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the key rate limiting enzyme in mammalian polyamine synthesis. Using human bladder epithelial carcinoma HTB-24 cells in culture where resveratrol inhibits induction with an IC50 of 8.8 µM, we now report potential metabolites demonstrate greater activity [tetrabutylammonium (E)-4-(3,5-dihydroxystyryl)phenyl sulfate (IC50 1.2 µM), resveratrol tripotassium 3,5,4’-trisulfate (IC50 1.8 µM), resveratrol tripotassium… -
Weight matrix based identification of terpene synthases conserved motifs in Arabidopsis thaliana proteome
22 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amTerpenes comprise the most diverse collection of natural products. Out of more than 30,000 individual terpenoids identified, at least half are synthesized by plants. A relatively small, but quantitatively significant, number of terpenoids are involved in primary plant metabolism. However, the vast majorities are classified as secondary metabolites; compounds not required for plant growth and development but presumed to have an ecological function in communication or defense and are widely used in industrial applications. Terpene hydrocarbon scaffolds are generated by the action of the… -
Inhibiton of NFκB activation and aromatase activity by vanilloids: An in vitro and in silico study
22 Feb 2012 | 9:48 amTarget-specific drugs, including natural products, offer promise for the amelioration of cancer and other human ailments with reduced side-effects. Capsaicin, the pungent ingredient present in chillies (Capsicum annuum L.), and capsazepine, a synthetic analogue of capsaicin (collectively referred to as vanilloids), are known to possess a variety of pharmacological and physiological properties. In our continuous effort to discover cancer chemopreventive agents from natural products, we investigated the effect of vanilloids on NFκB activation with stably transfected 293/NFκB-Luc human…
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Nature
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Keeping the Great Lakes great
1 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amWell before Asian carp made the evening news, scientists warned of the threat the fish posed to Lake Michigan. Biologists worried that the voracious creatures — brought to the U.S. as a means to enhance fish farming along the lower Mississippi... -
Pat Morris of Stafford is a wildlife artist, who began her art career in the 1970s, focusing mainly on pet portraiture. By 1980 she was also painting wildlife, in particular the wolves that I had come to know in my association with a wolf ambassador program here in Connecticut.
15 Oct 2011 | 9:00 pm -
2012 Subaru Impreza: Beyond first impressions
11 Oct 2011 | 12:00 amThe redesigned 2012 Subaru Impreza's most compelling attributes are evident before you even start the engine. Take a glance and you'll see more mature styling in both the sedan and four-door hatchback. Get inside and you'll find excellent sightlines,... -
On the top of the world in western Norway
4 Oct 2011 | 1:09 pmRugged is putting it mildly when it comes to 80 percent of Norway. Historically, it was a challenge to live here. That's why Vikings ventured south and so many people left for America. But I find excuses to return to Norway almost annually. Three of my... -
On Lake Michigan, a coal-burning steamship gets a pass
1 Oct 2011 | 12:00 am— Built in the 1950s for the brawny task of ferrying railroad cars, the last coal-burning steamship on the Great Lakes is billed today as a nostalgic vacation shortcut between Wisconsin and Michigan. But every day it sails between this old...
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Nature Blogs - All Stories
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Faster-than-light neutrino measurement has two possible errors
22 Feb 2012 | 7:39 pmThe OPERA collaboration, which made headlines in September with the revolutionary claim to have clocked neutrinos traveling faster than the speed of light, has identified two possible sources of error in its experiment. If true its result would have violated Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, a cornerstone of modern physics. OPERA had collected data suggesting that neutrinos generated at CERN near Geneva and sent 730 kilometers to its detector Gran Sasso National Laboratory were arrivin... -
Download the Universe: Deborah Blum reviews “The Elements” | The Loom
22 Feb 2012 | 7:39 pmIt only makes sense that an accomplished writer on chemistry takes a look at a hugely successful ebook on chemistry. Here’s Deborah Blum’s review of Theodore Gray’s “The Elements.” -
Climate scientist admits responsibility for Heartland leak
22 Feb 2012 | 7:39 pmA leading climate scientist has apparently admitted obtaining and disseminating documents from the anti-climate change Heartland Institute. On his blog on the Huffington Post, the president of the Pacific Institute Peter Gleick said he was sent one of the documents by an anonymous source. After receiving this, he says, “in a serious lapse of my own professional judgment and ethics, I solicited and received additional materials directly from the Heartland Institute under someone else’s name”. ... -
This Week in PLoS Medicine: Life cycles & malaria drugs; Homocysteine & heart health; Text messages & health delivery
21 Feb 2012 | 7:10 pmImage Credit: Eric (HASH) Hersman Three new articles were published this week in PLoS Medicine in the research and magazine sections. Michael Delves and colleagues compare the activity of 50 current and experimental antimalarials against liver, sexual blood, and mosquito stages of selected human and nonhuman parasite species, including Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium berghei, and Plasmodium yoelii. To read more on the effects of homocysteine on cardiovascular health, visit our most recent... -
Media Release: High blood homocysteine levels are not linked with coronary heart disease
21 Feb 2012 | 7:10 pmImage Credit: Kevin K A comprehensive study in this week’s PLoS Medicine shows levels of the amino acid, homocysteine, have no meaningful effect on the risk of developing coronary heart disease, closing the door on the previously suggested benefits of lowering homocysteine with folate acid once and for all. Previous studies have suggested that high blood levels of homocysteine might be a modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease, but in a detailed analysis of data from 19 unpublished ...
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Lifescapes
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Seedlings!
31 Jan 2012 | 9:49 amIt's that time again. The last frost date here at Meadow Knoll is around the 20th of March, just about... -
Laura and Rose Resources 1
14 Jan 2012 | 9:55 amI've been taking a break from Widow's Tears to work on the book proposal for Laura and Rose, so that... -
Happy Dancin'!
11 Jan 2012 | 8:47 amReally happy news! Kerry Sparks at the Levine Agency will be representing my new narrative nonfiction project. The working title:... -
Well, well!
5 Jan 2012 | 12:32 pmIf you've been reading this blog for a while, you've been hearing (maybe more than you want) about our water... -
Widow's Tears 2
26 Dec 2011 | 10:20 amThe plant world is full of complicated surprises. A few days ago, I wrote about Widow's tears (Commelina sp.), also...
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Nature Blog Network
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Newest Blogs in the Network – 22nd February 2012
22 Feb 2012 | 12:30 amHello? I need my Mama. Is she here at Nature Blog Network? If you have seen her, tell her Millie is looking for her. There are so many people here. How will I find her? Are you called “Newbies”? I don’t know what that means, but you look friendly enough. I’ll wander around and see what you do here, just in case one of you 1955 humans find my mother. <sniff> BackYard Our Tin Barn – A freelance writer moves to a farm in the country, and learns about sustainable living, birds, trees, and the perfection in sunsets. Natural History DFW Urban… -
Newest Blogs in the Network – 15th February 2012
15 Feb 2012 | 12:30 amHey, guys! Valentine’s Day is over! “Oh go away. We’re busy. Oops! Oh my! NEWBIES are watching us from Nature Blog Network! What will they think of us? I hear there are 1953 people out there, all with their eyes bugged out. How embarrassing!” OK, you NEWBIES have seen it all, so now it’s time to read the members’ blogs and make some friends of your own. Some love sunshine, some love rain. But all love nature and love to explore new nature blogs. The members will be reading yours, too, so watch what you do! Birds Russel Jenkins Stoop… -
Newest Blogs in the Network – 8th February 2012
8 Feb 2012 | 12:30 am“Raindrops keep falling on your heads…” But not on MINE! Hello, NEWBIES at Nature Blog Network! Do you have your umbrellas? I hear there are lots of people here, out of 1905+ members, who love rainy days – except in California where it’s always sunshine. Oops! It’s raining there, too! You NEWBIES have so many blogs to read and so many friends to meet! Some love sunshine, some love rain. But all love nature and love to explore new nature blogs. So get ready for an avalanche of readers! Writing The Migrant Naturalist – Irish… -
Newest Blogs in the Network – 18th January 2012
18 Jan 2012 | 12:30 amHello, NEWBIES at Nature Blog Network! Could you possibly spare some grass or some hay I’m frightfully hungry. I hear there are lots of people here, out of 1884+ members, who may want a ride in exchange for some sustenance? Please share? You NEWBIES have so many blogs to read and so many friends to meet! Surely, out of all those friendships could arise one child who would love a ‘pony’ ride? OK, so I’m not a pony, but I do give rides! Invertebrates Splendour Awaits – Bug photography, bug science, bug wonder. Birds SA Birder – Birding… -
Newest Blogs in the Network – 11th January 2012
11 Jan 2012 | 12:30 amI see the NEWBIES at Nature Blog Network! Can you see ME? I am one of those beauties you photograph! I hear there are lots of people here, out of 1850+ members, who think we’re so beautiful they invade our privacy constantly. Shame on you! Can you at least ask, first? We’re not grudge holders, so we welcome you with posing and smiles! Congratulations! Art Wildlife Watercolour and Graphite Art – Passion, technique and understanding of the correct colour palette creates the wonderful three dimensional qualities found within every painting, showcasing the…
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Mon@rch's Nature Blog
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Snow Buntings
22 Feb 2012 | 9:59 pmFlock of Snow Buntings By: Pat Coate Our local bird club had a field trip this past weekend literally heading out to the freshly manured fields in the northeast part of the county hoping to see the snow buntings, horned lark and Lapland longspurs that would be drawn to the seeds in the manure. We got two out of three – missing out on the longspur. We had a good sized flock of snow buntings (in the 100s) swirling about, and a dozen or so horned larks. Also a bit of excitement as some in the group spotted a Lesser Black-backed Gull mixed in with Herring and Ring-billed gulls – the Lesser… -
Appalachian Trail – Mary’s Rock in Virgina
16 Feb 2012 | 10:24 pmView from Mary’s Rock, Appalachian Trail By: Pat Coate I have a dream to one day (soon) hike the Appalachian Trail (Tom A. are you in?). While visiting my father-in-law in Virginia, my husband and I got a small taste of it by hiking up to Mary’s Rock in Shenandoah National Park. It was beautiful and I do hope to get back sometime. In any case, my journey has started- 4 miles down, only 2,196 or so more to go! This stretch of the trail must be very well traveled as there was lots of erosion control along it, and just along that short stretch we ran into six other hikers. Only wildlife… -
The Joys of Bird Photography
8 Feb 2012 | 10:24 pmTree Sparrow in Flight By: Pat Coate One of the many joys of bird photography is the short window of opportunity you often have to get that ‘perfect’ shot. It’s sort of like the unpredictability of trying to get a squirming child to cooperate for the family Christmas shot – but with the added challenge of shooting outdoors and minus the ability to use bribes or silly faces to keep your subject still. Sometimes you get lucky and happen to capture a decent picture of a bird in flight, like the tree sparrow above. And sometimes you don’t always get a bird’s better side, like the… -
Ground Hogs Day 2012
2 Feb 2012 | 6:52 amTo all my Blogging friends; I Allegany Tom on the 2nd of February 2012 did not see my shadow when I woke up this morning. I predict that spring will come early this year!! I just love this holidays and on a side note . . . . Punxstawney Phil did see his shadow this morning! He is predicting that there will be “six more weeks of winter”!! (been doing this since 2006 and 75% wrong but this year I think I have a chance to be right) Post has been created with my iPhone! Subscribe to Mon@rch All Rights Reserved ©2006-2011 Filed under: iPhone -
Waterfowl and Eagle Count
26 Jan 2012 | 3:39 amBald Eagle along Allegheny River By: Pat Coate January 15th was the annual waterfowl and eagle count for the Buffalo Ornithological Society. Tim, Bert and I covered a section of Cattaraugus County in Western New York. Despite the warmer than average winter, that day started off at -10 degrees but we forged on, adding further evidence to my husband’s theory that birders are an odd lot. Waterfowl counts were down significantly from prior years. The prevailing thought was that a lot of water to the north (like Lake Erie) was not yet frozen over, so the birds had not yet moved down our way to…
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Coyote Crossing
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Desert Solar Bingo
12 Feb 2012 | 3:06 pmThose of you who've argued with other environmentalists about the wisdom of destroying old-growth desert for 20 years of electricity production will know that there are certain arguments that come up with depressing regularity. It can be deadeningly repetitive, and that gets old after a while. But now, in the best tradition of overused Internet tropes, you can at least play Bingo as you educate. And if you see some of your own favorite arguments on this Bingo card, please note the wise words of Kate Harding, who said: When a Bingo card exists, it's not for shutting down discussion. It's for… -
10 random things I remember
3 Feb 2012 | 1:49 pm1) When he was clean his forehead always smelled like corn chips. So did the pads of his feet. 2) He hated any sharp cracking sound. This limited our use of the fireplace we had for four years in Richmond. Our next-door neighbor there had a pool table in his garage, and when he used it Zeke would shivver in the corner. At the previous place, in downtown Oakland, when people brought out their fireworks (and worse) on July 4, he’d hide in the bathtub. 3) I took him hiking once in the Marin Headlands and he almost ate a Mission Blue butterfly, which is critically endangered. 4) He needed… -
Rejected Susan G. Komen Promotional Copy
2 Feb 2012 | 6:55 pmOkay, so maybe that’s a little over the top. -
On “exploding saltpeter”: a correction
31 Jan 2012 | 10:34 amIn October I posted a complaint about really bad science reporting that was based on a newspaper’s coverage of some egregiously wrong claims about molten salt thermal storage. Those claims were made by the couple behind “FriedCranes.org,” and consisted of allegations that sodium and potassium nitrate, commonly known as saltpeter and Chilean saltpeter and proposed as media for thermal storage in concentrating solar facilities, are dangerous high explosives. I countered this claim with references to the reasonably well established fact that neither substance is explosive or… -
I hate anniversaries
29 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pmFive years on Friday. Jesus Fucking Christ.
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Arizona Writer
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I was a teenage troll, or how I came to accept evolution
14 Feb 2012 | 4:30 pmToday is both Valentine's Day and my state's 100th anniversary! Hooray! For that, I've got a post about "my" Arizona spots, and a few links, coming next, but until then, Darwin Day was on Sunday, and I thought I'd share a post on an Arizona teacher I only later came to love. I didn't name names -- I don't know if he'd have wanted me to -- but those who had the same teacher will recognize him, and perhaps there are more like him. Love of science is appropriate for today, anyway, as is Arizonan stubbornness. My high school years were unremarkable. I didn’t hate them, but they certainly… -
Spider Sunday 2-12-12
13 Feb 2012 | 12:08 amAnother Spider Sunday! Also, happy Darwin Day! Go appreciate some biological diversity today.Scientists discover "most stretchable" spider silk in ItalyResearchers have identified the most stretchable egg sac ever tested. I'd say I felt like my egg sac was stretched when I was pregnant, but I've been informed that comparing parts of my own anatomy to those of arachnids "really isn't sexy, and you should stop doing it. Seriously. Stop it." Hmph. Anyway, super cool discovery not only because of the spider, but for potential nanomaterials design.Spiders to remain kings of the castle during… -
Travel Tuesday: Don Donnelly Stables
7 Feb 2012 | 5:19 pmA little over twenty years ago, for my eleventh birthday, my parents got me a horse.Well, not my own horse. My parents weren't crazy.As a child, I was in love with animals, but I was a little flighty. My parents weren’t ready to take on full-time horse care.So they did the next best thing. They got me a horseback ride. Not just a ride in circles on a hitched-up pony. A real, mountainside, hours-long horseback ride.The ride was about two hours, up into the foothills of the Superstition Mountains, and it was led by a guide from Don Donnelly Stables, based in Gold Canyon. It was one of the… -
Diplomacy
6 Feb 2012 | 3:53 pmTwo facts to know for this story: First, we're hugely pedantic sticklers for accuracy in this family. Seriously, our family has gotten into three-way blowouts over book titles, biology facts, or X-Men character arcs. Facts REALLY matter in this household (even fictional ones). Second, my son goes to public school.If you think you know where I'm going with this, you might be wrong. I'm a product of public school, and have a bunch of relatives who work or worked in public school. It's usually pretty great. My son's teachers, for the most part, have been wonderful. Even when they aren't great,… -
(Super) Spider Sunday!
5 Feb 2012 | 4:58 pm[Insert meta boringness and justification for recent sparseness of posting.][Insert clever jokes and/or comments about Arizona and/or nature news and/or my life in the intervening period.][Insert whining about wanting to be hired to write nature and travel stuff for actual Big Girl paychecks.]Now, then. Let's get this show back on the road. I shall start with your favorite topic and mine, spiders!Well, it's my favorite, anyway.If I haven't plugged it recently, you all need to get on Google+. It's growing into an awesome place to hang out (pun intended, for Plussers). It's especially good…
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gwenz wildlife weblog
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Martial Eagle
20 Feb 2012 | 2:29 amMartial Eagle, originally uploaded by gwendolen. Thanks to Tobie Muller for the ID. Hi Gwen, beautiful photograph of a juvenile Martial Eagle. Wahlberg’s has a smaller head and will show a yellow cere (also with pale morph). Features showing this as juvenile Martial is the slight crest, the dark cere and the white edges to the feathers that gives it a scalloped appearance. -
Waterbuck
9 Feb 2012 | 11:46 pmKing of the Road, originally uploaded by gwendolen. More about my recent trip to Kruger Park soon. Got birds too Hope to post one for Bird Photography Weekly this weekend. -
Happy Holidays
18 Dec 2011 | 5:21 amHappy Holidays, originally uploaded by gwendolen. -
Warming up in Kruger | Au revoir
12 Nov 2011 | 10:45 amThe next morning we visited Lake Panic to do some bird watching. It was quite busy at the hide, but we managed to squeeze in and get a spot. Me fooling around trying to capture a dragonfly After that we drove around for a bit and saw a Bateleur, elephants, piggies, more piggies and a Widow bird. Back at Skukuza we met some old friends for lunch and were treated on a lovely sighting just in front of us: A baby hippo. It even came out of the water later that afternoon and ran up and down the river bank That evening we had drinks on the deck overlooking the river and watched a herd of buffalo… -
Warming up in Kruger | Vervets
28 Oct 2011 | 4:44 amAfter we had settled in, we received visitors at our riverside bungalow. They stayed for a long time, peacefully foraging for food. I really enjoyed this sighting. As did this guy Hola bokkie, come sit with me
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ARCHEA
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LOVE YOUR WORLD. BE IDLE FREE
14 Feb 2012 | 7:00 pmWhen we are out enjoying the gorgeous wilderness that surrounds us, we think more about air quality and how amazing our world really it. When we get back to the city, we sometimes forget the little things we can do to help protect our air and water quality. I met two enthusiastic environmentalist today, Megan and Eric, who would like us to take up a couple of easy habits to do our part. They are raising awareness around greenhouse gas emissions and what you can do to make a difference. Idling your engine for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and causes more emissions that turning it off… -
PADDLING BEFORE THE FRONT
11 Feb 2012 | 5:20 pmWe soak up the breathtaking views after a long morning's paddle. The east and south sides of our route are bound by the imposing white peaks of the Cariboo Mountains, the northern boundary of the Interior wet belt, rising up across the Rocky Mountain Trench, and the Isaac Formation, the oldest of seven formations that make up the Cariboo Group. Some 270 million plus years ago, had one wanted to buy waterfront property in what is now British Columbia, you’d be looking somewhere between Prince George and the Alberta border. The rest of the province had yet to arrive but would be made up of… -
BRACKET FUNGUS: SUNLIT DROPLETS
4 Feb 2012 | 1:48 pm -
MUIR WOODS, CRICKET THERMOMETER
3 Feb 2012 | 2:49 pmOut in the woods and wondering what the temperature is? Slip down to the nearest stand of deciduous trees to search for the wee Snowy Tree Cricket, Oecanthus Fultoni, part of the order orthoptera. Snowy Tree Crickets and their cousins double as thermometers and wee garden predators, dining on aphids and other wee beasties. Weather conditions, both hot and cold, affect the speed at which they rub the base of their wings together and consequently regulate their rate of chirping.Listen for their tell-tale high pitch triple chirp sound in the early evening. Being in Canada, our crickets chirp in… -
JURASSIC BOUNTY: AMMONITE
30 Jan 2012 | 3:17 pmThose working in the Jurassic exposures on Vancouver Island are a determined crew. Most of the sedimentary deposits of the Jurassic are exposed in the hard to reach areas between Nootka Sound and Cape Scott. By the time these ammonites were being buried in sediment, Wrangellia, the predominately volcanic terrane that now forms Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands, had made its way to the northern mid-laditudes. This detail of the Jurassic ammonite, Paltechioceras sp. shot with an ultra-low f-stop, is from an all but inaccessible site in Sayward, Bonanza Group, Vancouver Island.
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NextNature.net - Exploring the Nature caused by People.
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Sand Engine Reinforces Dutch Coastline
22 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amNow here is an hands-on example of ‘guided growth‘ as a way to steer complex systems. Part of the Dutch coastline is currently being reinforced by creating a ‘sand engine’. This involves depositing 21.5 million cubic meters of sand in the shape of a hook extending from the coast near Ter Heijde. The sand is expected to be spread along the provincial coastline by the natural motion of wind, waves and currents. Ultimately the coast is expected to be broader and safer. Simulation of the expected functioning of the sand engine Click here to view the embedded video. -
Nanotech Bracelet Detects Allergies
21 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amDesigned by Luc de Smet, Awear is a speculative bracelet that can detect and record the sources of allergies for children in uncontrolled environments, such as schools and playgrounds. While the child wears the bracelet, parents or teachers can check the results on a computer or smartphone. It can be removed at any time when it is deemed no longer necessary or in the way. Awear works by using an array of nanosize Raman spectroscopes that can scan any surface where light pierces. These miniature spectroscopes would look inside the wearer’s skin to see if an allergic reaction is… -
Surviving Progress
20 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amClick here to view the embedded video. Montreal filmmakers Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks’ documentary feature, Surviving Progress presents the story of human advancement and reveals the risk of running the 21st century’s software — our know-how — on the ancient hardware of our primate brain which hasn’t been upgraded in 50,000 years. It is up to us to prove that making apes smarter was not an evolutionary dead-end. Thanks Linda. -
Edible Implants
19 Feb 2012 | 3:45 amWhy turn to implants when the female body can do it by itself? Dutch designer Femke Mosch came up with the idea of making edible implants that stimulate breast growth from within. -
Why does a Salad Cost More Than a Big Mac?
19 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amRemarkable infographic by pcrm.org. Via NY Times, via Consumerist.com.
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Birding Dude
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Wordless Wednesday...
22 Feb 2012 | 5:27 amOrange Crowned Warbler in the Bronx NY.Orange Crowned Warbler in Manhattan NY.Orange Crowned Warbler in Queens NY. -
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk Report 1-18-2012...
20 Feb 2012 | 8:53 pmOn Saturday, we began our bird walk by first scanning the parade grounds at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx NY. We focused on the enclosed area since a casual glance at the surrounding areas did not show any of the usual flock of Canada Geese feeding. Alex Pirko, one of our regulars arrived and informed the rest of us that he had seen a Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) while crossing the parade grounds. This was a new bird for the year at Van Courtlandt Park, so I took the group to look for the bird. As we made our way onto the field, small groups of Canada Geese began to fly in from the VC… -
Great Backyard Bird Count 2012...
17 Feb 2012 | 10:31 pmToday, marks the beginning of the 2012 GBBC (Great Backyard Bird Count) that will run through Monday, February 20th. This is the 15th annual count, which is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with Canadian Partner Bird Studies Canada and sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited.The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as… -
Wordless Wednesday...Hot Redheads!!
15 Feb 2012 | 9:53 pm -
Van Cortlandt Bird Walk Report 2-11-2012...
14 Feb 2012 | 9:19 pmOn Saturday, despite the dreary weather conditions 4 birders joined me for our bird walk at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx NY. We were missing a few of our regulars, but those who came out enjoyed a nice walk in the cold snowy weather. We began with our now ritual scan of the parade grounds, which yielded nothing of interest, then we made our way to the Van Cortlandt Lake and began scanning the flock of Canada Geese in the water and on the shore.I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted the star of Van Cortlandt Park for now 3 months and counting. A Greater-White fronted Goose! (Anser…
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Walking Nature Home
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Learning my limits
19 Feb 2012 | 8:40 pmYesterday morning, I hopped into my trusty little Subaru Forester, the car I call "Mountain Goat" for its ability to nimbly handle seeminly any road conditions, and drove to Westcliffe, a former mining town on the upper edge of the wide Wet Mountain Valley to attend an all-day workshop on creating websites with Wordpress. I left home at quarter past seven, as dawn light fingered down the mountainsides from the high peaks, and returned at quarter past six that evening, as dusk was gathering in the day. (Westcliffe is an hour away when the roads are clear--as they were yesterday.) My… -
Celebrating Love
13 Feb 2012 | 10:22 pmHappy Valentine's Day! I'm a shameless romantic, so I celebrate the day without regard to how commercialized it may be. I figure how I respond is my choice. I chose to honor the spirit of the day, so my Valentine's Day is about love, not money. Love comes in many forms. The one that's on my mind today (and every day), less than three months after the death of the love of my life, Richard Cabe, is the love we shared for almost 29 years. He named what ran between us a "body of love," as if it were a physical thing we nurtured. That's apt. Another way to describe… -
What's Cooking? (and changes to come)
9 Feb 2012 | 8:12 pmI haven't cooked much since Richard died. I've always loved to experiment with fresh food and make up new dishes, but the truth is, it's just not as interesting cooking for one. Furthermore, my neighborhood grocer, Ploughboy Local Market, now carries delicious deli items and soup made fresh in their kitchen from local foods (along with fresh-baked Salida Bread Company bread and rolls). The prices are reasonable, and I can even bring my own to-go container. It's just too easy to just walk down the block and come home bearing dinner in my stylin' and sustainable glass… -
Finding forgotten treasures
3 Feb 2012 | 2:28 pmIf I've been quiet lately, it's because I'm up to my ears with projects out of my comfort zone. I'm working with Colorado Art Ranch to get our guest cottage and Richard's shop ready for the Terraphilia Artist/Writer Residency program beginning later this year. Working with Art Ranch isn't outside my comfort zone; it's the remodeling and renovation part of the "getting ready." Design of built spaces was Richard's thing. I paid bills, kept him semi-organized, chose colors and dreamed landscaping. I don't have the "object manipulation gene"… -
Books and an Anniversary
27 Jan 2012 | 9:05 pmFirst the book. I'm slowly catching up on my stack of books-to-review. This week I picked up The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook, by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius, from Storey Publishing. (Disclosure: I know both authors. Which matters not a whit in this case: I'd write the same review regardless. This book blew me away.) I have dabbled in knitting over the years, and once enjoyed weaving on thumping floor-looms. But I am not a passionate fiber-crafter. So I didn't expect to fall in love with a book touted as a fiber encyclopedia, covering more than 200 fibers, "from animal…
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Jim Brandenburg
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More New Images
13 Feb 2012 | 5:58 pmHorses at Mont. St. Michel, Normandy, FranceEtretat, Normandy, FranceNoirmountier Island, FranceHere are a few more images Jim made with the Nikon D800. We will be posting more throughout the next few weeks including a video that Nikon should be releasing soon. Enjoy! -
Nikon D800 at 100%
10 Feb 2012 | 12:44 pmJim is very excited about Nikon's new D800. As we mentioned in our previous post, he was astounded by the image quality, and we wanted to show just how much detail the new camera produces. Below is Jim's French tree image and corresponding crops showing the image at 100%. This image was made using a Nikon D800 with Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens at f/8, 1/15sec and iso 100. The source of the crops are marked in red. ©Jim Brandenburg100% crop from Nikon D800. Photo by Jim Brandenburg.100% crop from Nikon D800. Photo by Jim Brandenburg. You can find more full-resolution… -
Preview of Jim's Work with the Nikon D800
7 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pmJim is extremely honored to be featured in today's highly anticipated launch of Nikon's new full-frame DSLR, the D800. Jim was commissioned by Nikon to demonstrate the incredible new camera’s technology, spending a month shooting with the D800 and a Nikon film crew on the northern coast of France. To me, cameras are more like paintbrushes than technology. The goal is not megapixels or technique but the image, and while camera models are important, they are not the be-all or end-all. But after a lifetime using countless cameras, I have found a new best friend. It was not love at first… -
Projects in Germany
2 Feb 2012 | 6:30 pmOver the past week, Jim has been very busy with projects in Germany. We thought we would share with you some of what he's working on. Jim has been doing numerous interviews with the German media. In today's issue of the newspaper DerWesten, Jim is shown juggling a wooden chair. DerWesten always photographs their subjects using the same props.__________________________Photographs of Jim by Marcus HiersemannJim participated in a local animal shelter's adoption event by photographing a few of the available animals, shown above. -
Upcoming Events & Exhibits
24 Jan 2012 | 2:49 pmWe have several upcoming Jim Brandenburg exhibits and presentations to share with you. All exhibits and events are listed under the Events & Exhibits page of this blog.The Jim Brandenburg retrospective exhibit, A Pristine Vision, is on display in Iserlohn until January 29th at the Municipal Art Gallery Iserlohn, Germany. Jim will give a presentation in Iserlohn about his work and this exhibit on January 27th.A Pristine Vision will open on March 17, 2012 to May 27, 2012 at Salo Art Museum, Salo, Finland. Municipal Art Gallery ~ Iserlohn, GermanyChased by the Light is on display at…
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The Ohio Nature Blog
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Red-bellied Woodpecker
21 Feb 2012 | 6:45 pmFemale Red-bellied woodpecker, showing a hint of her Red BellyI think I learned from good buddy Jim McCormac that the red-bellied woodpecker was named back in the day when Ornithologists used guns, not binoculars, to get a closer look at birds. The red belly of this species isn't obvious. Here's a female red-bellied from Deer Haven Preserve. You can just get a hint of the reddish feathers on her belly. With the bird in the hand though, this feature might stand out fairly easily.This concludes my bird series from Deer Haven Preserve. I need some new pictures- I'll… -
Lean & Mean
20 Feb 2012 | 2:05 pmDark-eyed Junco, Deer Haven Preserve, Delaware CountySo normally, we're used to seeing dark-eyed juncos sitting on top a snow pack of about eight inches with their feathers all puffed up to keep them warm, right? Not this virtually snowless winter- They're looking lean and mean. Well, maybe not mean. Perhaps cute is a better word. -Tom -
Who Are You & Why Are You Taking My Picture?
19 Feb 2012 | 7:39 pmI downloaded a few more pictures of my photo session of Deer Haven Preserve. I was hoping to share with you an image of a female hairy woodpecker, but I wasn't happy with any of the shots that I got. I was shooting with a low shutter speed. I couldn't get my timing down to photograph her when she wasn't moving. Oh well!But I did find this gem- A male northern cardinal "caught in the act".-Tom -
Cooper's Hawk
15 Feb 2012 | 6:44 pmImmature Cooper's Hawk- Deer Haven Preserve, Delaware County, Ohio -
Our State Bird
10 Feb 2012 | 1:15 pmThe Northern Cardinal, Ohio's state bird. But did you know six other states claim the Northern Cardinal as their state bird as well? I'm not sure when the Northern Cardinal became Ohio's state bird, but it's hard to think of any other species that would be a better choice. -Tom
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Wild About Nature Blog
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Help the Cheetahs!
10 Feb 2012 | 1:12 pmWe recently learned of a wonderful project headed by Marilu O’lyaryz. She is using her talents at film-making to bring attention to the plight of the cheetah. Predators throughout the world have experienced more than enough prosecution. Projects like these that benefit large predators are so important. Please visit her page and learn more about what she’s doing, and if you can contribute even a single dollar, it will be greatly appreciated! You can also visit her blog to learn more. We’re so inspired when people dedicate their energies to helping nature! We’ll leave… -
New Visitors in the Woods
2 Mar 2011 | 8:40 pmWe try to get out for a hike with Mirabelle almost every day. Often it’s just a walk down the long drive, but the other day we had a good two-hour adventure through the Hundred-Acre Wood. There were some new tracks in the woods that we hadn’t seen before. The glove in the bottom left is for reference, thought it’s kids-glove size so the tracks, though quite large, aren’t quite as big as you’d think. Does anyone recognize them? More clues can be found below if you’re stumped. Clues: These were found in a mixed hardwood forest along a rise going up to a… -
Seeing Nature
27 Jan 2011 | 10:18 amThe best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart. – Helen Keller I vividly remember when I learned that my grandfather was becoming blind. Macular degeneration had destroyed all but his peripheral vision, and in order to see me when we spoke, he looked away from me. It was an eerie experience for a young boy. As his vision disappeared, his precious wood-carving tools began to gather dust in the basement, and his well-loved books sat silent on their shelves. But my grandfather never seemed upset as his vision faded. … -
Come Adventure With Us!
19 Dec 2010 | 12:18 pmHello Everyone! Rebecca and I are proud to announce the birth of our first child, Mirabelle Soleil. We’re also announcing the launch of a new blog where you can read about her adventures. We’ll still be posting articles on Wild About Nature, but this new blog will feature our journey with natural parenting and a whole range of our life adventures — from wilderness survival to bellydance. We’ll be including our weekly Adventure Journal, as well as writing about diaperless parenting, Products Worth Actually Spending Money On, book reviews, natural birthing,… -
Brought To You By Nature
12 Dec 2010 | 10:32 amThe other day I brought a shelf fungus home. I found it on an old fallen tree that the neighbor was cutting up for firewood. This particular species, Ganoderma applanatum, or the Artists’s Fungus, is as hard as wood, and gets its name because the white spore surface on the bottom can be used as a canvas by artists. My thought was that we could affix it to the wall in our living room and use it as its name implied – as a shelf. Rebecca told me she’d have to think about it for a short while, assuring me I’d have an answer before the next millennium. The funny thing is that…
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Farmgirl Fare
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Wordless Wednesday Dose of Chicken Cute
22 Feb 2012 | 2:58 pmMore wordless cute? Here.More chickens? Here.More snow? Here. © FarmgirlFare.com -
Tuesday Dose of Cute: Snow Dogs
21 Feb 2012 | 7:34 pmMore photos below. . .Click here for the rest of this post » -
Monday Farm Photos: Out the Upstairs Windows
20 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am9am last Monday. . . More photos below. . .Click here for the rest of this post » -
Friday Farm Photo: The Great Backyard Bird Count Starts Today—and You're Invitied To Join In!
17 Feb 2012 | 11:29 amWe counted over 40 wild turkeys in the hayfield last Friday—a new record. Warmer temperatures and lack of snow in parts of North America have set the stage for what could be a most intriguing 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which runs from Friday, February 17th through Monday, February 20th. Bird and nature fans throughout North America are invited to take part in this neat four-day event, a joint project between The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Bird Studies Canada (BSC) that engages bird watchers in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of… -
Wednesday Dose of Cute: We Want Our Treats
15 Feb 2012 | 8:18 pmAnd we want them now. More sheep? Here.More snow photos? Here.More treats? Here and here and here. (In case you hadn't noticed, life on this farm revolves around treats.) © FarmgirlFare.com, home of Teddy, the eight-year-old enormous (and rather pushy) pet wether.
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10,000 Birds
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Cutting Down Spotted Owl Habitat in British Columbia
23 Feb 2012 | 12:02 amThis seems like a really bad idea. Unless, of course, the goal is to extirpate Spotted Owls in Canada.a -
Birding Kaliga Park, East Lake Toho
22 Feb 2012 | 6:04 pmThis is the final of three posts about the day I spent birding central Florida with Doug Gochfeld back in January at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival. You can read the first one, about our time at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, here, and the second, about birding Joe Overstreet Road and Kissimmee Lake, here.After we left Joe Overstreet Road by taking a left to head north on Canoe Creek Road, we were relatively happy with our day’s birding so far, though we had missed a couple of our target birds. Fortunately, we quickly remedied one of our dips when a Crested… -
Slow-Mo Video of Red-cockaded Woodpecker Foraging
22 Feb 2012 | 12:01 pmYou may remember the awesome encounter Doug and I had with Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area from this post. If you are some kind of idiot savant you might even remember that the last image of a Red-cockaded Woodpecker that I shared was of the bird holding a grub in its bill. What you didn’t know unless you are some kind of a psychic is that Doug managed to shoot some slow-motion video of the woodpecker getting that grub, video that he was kind enough to share.Check out the Red-cockaded Woodpecker getting its grub on – it’s well worth two… -
Snowy Owl Shot in Kansas
22 Feb 2012 | 8:15 amAs bad as birders think photographers are and photographers think birders are neither is as bad as the jerk who took a pot shot at a Snowy Owl in Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, near Great Bend, Kansas. The bird was brought in to a veterinarian but it was too late and the owl died.a -
Cemetery Sentinels
22 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amThere are certain families that I habitually fail to encounter when opportunities arise. I’ve had pretty lousy luck when it comes pittas and broadbills, and I also am really bad when it comes to the various night birds such as owls, nightjars and related species. It isn’t that I never see them, just that I often miss them.One family I have consistently dipped on are the Burhinidae, known variously as dikkops, thick-knees or stone-curlews. This is a rather odd family of ground living birds that have gone the night bird route of living, a style of life betrayed by their massive…
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Restoring The Landscape With Native Plants
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Propagating Remnant Populations of Rattlesnake Master
20 Feb 2012 | 8:49 amby Jim Nelson Could a poet be enraptured with a wild flower called Rattlesnake Master? Could a story teller be interested in the “rescue” of these novel shaped remnants from era of expansive Minnesota prairies? This plant’s name sounds more like a rock band. Eryngium yuccifolium is a long lived, low maintenance native perennial that seems to do well on a wide range of wet or dry soils. This plant is prized for its striking shape that adds texture to plantings. Larger plants can be a unique focal point in your garden. The plant is a host for some butterflies such as the… -
Native Plant of the Week: Cucumber Vine ~ Echinocystis lobata
17 Feb 2012 | 10:36 amCucumber Vine (Balsam Apple) ~ Echinocystis lobata The dried vines of Cucumber Vine are still evident this time of year as they hang from tree limbs and cover shrubs and grasses. This common, annual native vine is found most often along riparian areas or wetlands preferring moist, rich soils. The white, six parted flowers emerge in mid July in clusters (racemes) along the vine. Most of the flowers are male, just a few female flowers are interspersed. Cucumber Vine grows a significant amount for an annual vine, reaching heights of 30 feet or more. It often climbs horizontally along low lying… -
Dear Lawn, I'm Breaking Up With You
14 Feb 2012 | 8:06 amFor Valentine's Day, I'm celebrating Less Lawn and the upcoming release of Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives by local Minnesota author, Evelyn Hadden. This book will inspire you to break up (literally) with your lawn and find more loving, peaceful, no-mow landscapes that reflect natural landscapes. Many of the 50 landscapes featured in Evelyn's book are of Minnesota gardens - many of which are comprised of mostly or all native plants. Q & A With Author Evelyn Hadden Where and how does one begin converting their lawn in their yard to no-mow alternatives? Photo… -
Native Plant of the Week: Mayapple ~ Podophyllum peltatum
10 Feb 2012 | 10:06 amMayapple ~ Podophyllum peltatum It won't be long before the coiled up leaves of Mayapple start emerging through the soil. A wonderful spring emergence, Mayapples are often found in large clusters in woodlands. As the two oppositely arranged leaves unfurl, they open up into an umbrella like form creating a shaded spot for the flower underneath to emerge. The shoots appear as early as the beginning of April in Minnesota. This photo was taken at Nerstrand State Park after a fall understory burn. The two leaves are large, 6-8" across and lobed. They are thick and almost tacky to the touch. You… -
Creation of a Prairie Pond
6 Feb 2012 | 11:22 amAnother great pond project - thank you to Jim for sharing his process and story. Why Create a Prairie Pond by Jim Nelson We created a pond to enhance plant and animal diversity on our prairie. There is a 28 acre restored grassland and prairie remnant on the Nelson Family Farm in central Dakota County, MN. This land had been part of the historic prairie in Minnesota and tiny prairie remnants can be found in this otherwise intensive agricultural area. The creation of a prairie pond was the keystone of our multi-year prairie restoration. The pond connects restored areas with the historic prairie…
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simple.green.organic.happy.
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Gamechanger: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Book Club Day)
20 Feb 2012 | 11:57 pmThis is the story… of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air. -Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life In early 2008 I took two books out of the library that changed my family. The first was Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. The second was Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Her story is absolutely what inspired me to… -
Snowdrops 2012: Spring is Here? Already?
20 Feb 2012 | 2:51 pmThose who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature— the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. ― Rachel Carson This was pretty much the winter that wasn’t, huh? Hard to believe that the snowdrops are already pushing their way to the surface, their faces turned away from the brightness of the winter sun. We were supposed to get a bit of snow yesterday, and I’m vaguely disappointed we didn’t, as… -
Guess Whose Side of the Bed that Is? (Wordless-ish Wednesday)
15 Feb 2012 | 1:22 pmMINE. As soon as I haul my tired carcass out of bed in the morning those dogs jump in my grave, leaving only for the occasional snack or pee break. I have to bribe them with treats to get them to move long enough that I can make the bed, and most days anymore I don’t even bother, because they’ll just burrow and dig the blankets back to their liking. Seriously, why my side? What difference can it make to a dog? Would love to hear your amateur Dog Whisperer theories.
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Steve Creek Outdoors
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Why The Great Blue Heron Is My Favorite Bird, Part 3
22 Feb 2012 | 5:14 amFor the past 2 days I have been sharing why the Great Blue Heron is my favorite bird to photograph: Part 1 and Part 2 Reason number 3 is because the Great Blue Heron always lets me know when it’s fixing to try to catch a fish by pointing to where the fish is. This [...]Post from: Steve Creek OutdoorsWhy The Great Blue Heron Is My Favorite Bird, Part 3 -
Why The Great Blue Heron Is My Favorite Bird, Part 2
21 Feb 2012 | 4:50 amYesterday I shared with you one reason why the Great Blue Heron is my favorite bird to photograph (Why The Great Blue Heron Is My Favorite Bird, Part 1). Another reason is because this bird loves to be photographed. It will walk back and forth in front of me like it is on a Runway [...]Post from: Steve Creek OutdoorsWhy The Great Blue Heron Is My Favorite Bird, Part 2 -
Why The Great Blue Heron Is My Favorite Bird, Part 1
20 Feb 2012 | 4:41 amIf you have been following my blog for a while then you know that I make lots of photos of the Great Blue Heron. For the next few days I will show you why this bird is my favorite to photograph. Todays photo will show that the Great Blue Heron enjoys watching the sunrise as [...]Post from: Steve Creek OutdoorsWhy The Great Blue Heron Is My Favorite Bird, Part 1 -
Great Backyard Bird Count 2012
17 Feb 2012 | 4:36 amThe 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) starts today and will end on the 20th (February 17-20, 2012). The GBBC is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the U.S. and Canada. Please visit the official website [...]Post from: Steve Creek OutdoorsGreat Backyard Bird Count 2012 -
A Bird With A Personality
16 Feb 2012 | 6:26 amMy backyard bird for the day is the Northern Mockingbird. The Northern Mockingbird enjoys making its presence known. It usually sits conspicuously on high vegetation, fences, eaves, or telephone wires, or runs and hops along the ground. Found alone or in pairs throughout the year, mockingbirds aggressively chase off intruders on their territory. All About [...]Post from: Steve Creek OutdoorsA Bird With A Personality
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The Natural Eye Project
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I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART
30 Jan 2012 | 5:55 pmI BELIEVE That everything we humans create has its origins in the Natural World and; That to the degree Nature is “sick” and out of balance so are we–spiritually, psychologically and physiologically; and That Nature is the common denominator among all living things and that All species are equal in their own right; and That [...] -
Change is upon us and Change We Must
24 Jan 2012 | 2:14 amWE CANNOT EAT MONEY A Follow-Up To My Blog: “AN URGENT MEMO TO THE WORLD” HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON THE WALL HUMPTY DUMPTY HAD A GREAT FALL ALL THE KINGS’ HORSES AND ALL THE KINGS’ MEN COULD NOT PUT HUMPTY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN “This is probably the largest, the most deeply rooted, revolution that mankind [...] -
TO THE LAST FISH: Our Oceans Are Almost Empty
23 Jan 2012 | 7:45 pmIf we are to survive as a species, we can no longer sustain extracting our precious resources to the point of extinction. The health of the planet is our health. We must change and change now. SEE MY BLOGS: CHANGE IS UPON US, AND CHANGE WE MUST AND AN URGENT MEMO TO THE WORLD BONUS [...] -
WHAT IN THE HELL ARE WE DOING?
17 Jan 2012 | 12:06 pmWHAT IN THE HELL DO WE THINK WE ARE DOING? -
50-year-old CARTOON TRIED TO WARN US
16 Jan 2012 | 8:11 pm50-year-old CARTOON TRIED TO WARN US – YouTube. Filed under: CAPITALISM, CONSUMERISM, DEMOCRACY, ECONOMY, POLITICS, REVOLUTION, VIDEOS, FILMS, PHOTOGRAPHY Tagged: 2012elections, Business, Capitalism, consumerism, csr, democracy, finance, occupywallstreet, ows, politics
