Happy Holidays!

As I write this holiday wish I can see four pheasants running across my neighbors lawn. The suet feeder just outside my window is a very popular place and Blue Jays, Nuthatches, Chickadees, Titmice, and Downy Woodpeckers are all visiting frequently. Out over the lake I see two giant white birds and from this distance it’s hard to tell but I think they are Mute Swans. Cardinals are on the ground just outside my window and Ms Beanz is sitting at her favorite place on my desk where she watches the bird feeder. It’s a Good thing she’s small—there isn’t much room on my desk. Bo is at my feet under my desk and Rob is upstairs teaching a systems class online. I am reminded that life is good and minding the small stuff is sometimes a very good thing!

Despite a lousy economy and a bad year for business in general, I’m a happy camper. We survived the year, overcame two incredible health issues (his and hers), and added to our family (Ms Beanz). We are hopeful for our future and thankful for our family, friends, and followers! And we wish you the best of holidays.

I thought you might enjoy seeing these photos of Bo and Ms Beanz helping to decorate (or should I say deck?) our Christmas tree. If you don’t have pets I highly recommend it. These photos say it all!

    

Happy Holidays and wishing you the very best for a wonderful new year!

Jane & Rob

An Environmental Education Through Citizen Sciencry

I admire high schools that require their students to do some kind of community service  to graduate. I think we should all volunteer for community service at least once during our lives and preferably more than once. I also think that schools should require students to become citizen scientists. Perhaps elementary schools could adapt a citizen scientist requirement for graduation. They might if they knew what it meant to be a citizen scientist, how easy it is to participate, how much their students would learn, and how valuable their contributions would be to our environment.

A citizen scientist program is one in which everyday people (like you and me) volunteer to make scientific field observations and report their observations to a group of scientists. This soundsPhoto by IStockPhoto veryscientific but it isn’t. For example, in Cornell Laboratory’s Project FeederWatch citizens observe the birds at their backyard feeders for 15 minutes a week and report the species and numbers of each species that they see. Scientists benefit from this information; learning more about the movement of species, food preferences, eruptions, and general populations. Subscribers benefit by learning (from Cornell) how to identify species, from observing nature (which is proven to be beneficial to our health), and from knowing they are contributing to science while feeding and supporting wild birds. Besides all that, it’s fun!

From birds to frogs, stars to butterfly migrations, wildflowers to buds on trees, there is a citizen scientist program to suit every taste. Because these programs are designed for “everyday people” (like you and me) they are also well suited for your children to participate.

So let’s get together and ask our schools to promote (and someday require) participation in citizen sciencry (I just made up that word). And until they do, let’s you and I participate with our families. Take baby steps. Start with one simple program you can do with your kids.

Here are some programs, suggestions, and further reading:

A National Wildlife Federation article regarding Citizen Scientist Programs with links to programs: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Citizen-Science/Citizen-Science-Programs.aspx

Some of the most popular citizen scientist programs in the world are from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/netcommunity/page.aspx?pid=1664

Like sunflowers? Help follow bees: http://www.greatsunflower.org/

A magazine and website for Citizen Scientists from the Society for Amateur Scientists: http://www.sas.org/

Firefly Watch: https://www.mos.org/fireflywatch/

Whatever a Blue Jay Feels He Can Put Into Language

There is a group of Jays that live in my neighborhood who come when I call them. You can often hear my out on my deck calling “Peeeaaaaaanut” and those jays will fly to the trees closest to my deck. I’ve even seen them turn in flight at the sound of my voice. Once in the nearby trees they wait quietly as I toss peanuts over the rail or place them on the table on my deck. Then the birds fly quickly to retrieve the peanuts and retreat back to the trees. They will do this as long as I continue to toss nuts. The group of jays can grow to as many as five.The title of this blog is from Mark Twain’s “Jim Baker’s Blue Jay Yarn”

Sometimes they eat the peanuts right away, other times they bury them. I recently read that jays will move their cache during the winter to avoid predation. How do they remember where they buried them the first time, let alone the second or third?

What amazes me most about the jays is how they seek me out. My office is located in my walk-out basement. My computer is right next to a window. When the jays want peanuts they fly to the ground just out side my window and hop around trying to get my attention. They make a two syllable call that, with some imagination, could sound like “Peanut! Peanut!” They sometimes perch on the hose winder which sits just below my window. From there they can see me closely as I sit at my desk. 

The jays definitely observe me and know which floor I’m on in the house. Some mornings, if my bedroom curtains are open, the jays perch in the very tops of the trees and call and call until I get out of bed and feed them. My neighbors must hate that.

Here’s another interesting observation. I don’t feed the birds in the summer. It’s nesting season so and the jays don’t come around. But come fall, every year, for about six years now, those jays remember where to find food and how to get it easily. I hadn’t seen them since spring when they showed up about two weeks ago.

Outside my windows they look for me. Calling “Peanut Peanut” - at least, that’s how I hear it. I’m so impressed with the minds of those jays. They’ve done a great job of training me.

The Ants Go Marching One By One

“We also checked out some ant activity on the roots and trunk of another nearby tree. This was the first spot where the big explorer actually took several minutes to examine the ants up close with his magnifying glass. Then he explained to me that ants follow a scent (he called it a bad smell). You could break up their game of follow the leader (the only game ants know how to play, he added) by creating a new scent with your finger. He showed me how with such glowing pride that I was speechless.”

That is from the blog of Debi Huang, a Los Angeles-based wife, mom and adventure guide for two young boys. Her blog is the story of her nature-inspired adventures. The “big explorer” is her son.

Their ant adventure reminds me of a book I saw on Amazon and have been meaning to get. It’s called “Talking to Fireflies, Shrinking the Moon: Nature Activities for All Ages” by Edward Duensing.

Here’s an excerpt. 

To demonstrate that the ants are following a scent, and not just marching behind one another, run your finger across their path, roughing up the soil. The next ant to arrive at the rub mark you made will act quite confused. It will move from side to side and even backward trying to pick up the trail you erased by removing the pheromone with your finger. After much scouting around, the lost ant will eventually recommend the trail you have disturbed and go back to the business of gathering food for the colony.

I can’t honestly recommend the book because I haven’t read it yet but it does look like it’s packed with a lot of ideas.

This summer Debi picked up a copy of our “Take A City Nature Walk” and she discovered some incredible and surprising urban nature. Debi also reviewed City Nature Walk on her blog.. Check out what she thinks of the book, what she discovered on her urban walks, and what her readers have to offer about nature in the city:

http://goexplorenature.blogspot.com/2010/06/book-review-take-nature-city-walk.html

Thank you Debi. 

Click here to learn more about

Treasures of the Rahway River Park by Jessica Kirste, New Jersey

Thanks to photographer Jessica Kirste for sharing her photos and memories of the Rahway River Park in New Jersey:

The Clark, New Jersey section of the Rahway River Park is a short walk from my house. There I have discovered many creatures and birds to photograph. Everyday is a new day filled with new photos and new sightings. I’ve always walked by or around the river, even when I was young. When I got into digital photography in 2007 and started to practice using my camera by the river, that’s when my eyes were really opened up to all that lives right in my own backyard. I’ve seen things I have never seen before & been fortunate to have gotten close up with all sorts of wildlife which I would like to share with you here & hope you feel just as close as I have been through my photos.

 

My favorite is a wood duck that lived in Rahway River Park and hung out with the mallards instead of other wood ducks. I named him “Woody” and would watch him almost everyday. Wood ducks are normally a very skittish duck, but Woody acted more like a mallard and followed a female around.

The closest I have been to Woody would probably be about 5 feet away, and he is beautiful! In a way Woody had helped me because at the time I discovered this colorful little gem, my leg was in a brace and I was awaiting my surgery as my knee needed a ACL reconstruction, but I was motivated

to walk to the park to see Woody and photograph him as much as I could, he got me out there a lot!

My favorite time of year to take pictures has to be spring when the flowers are blooming and the babies are being born. Its a time to celebrate new life in the natural world! So far this year I have come across a mallard, and her eight babies, Canada goose family with six babies in which I have been photographing their progress every weekend, American robins feeding their young and bunnies out to play in the backyard. Its important to note that I don’t disrupt wildlife families when photographing them, I don’t go too close and give them the choice if they want to come closer & many times they do!

The geese seem to accept me and came over with their babies & laid down right along side me.

Last year while photographing Canada geese that only had one gosling, they took the baby too close to the waterfalls and due to the storms we had the day before the gosling got swept over the waterfalls, but survived. The parents flew to him but he was swept down stream. My sister & I searched for him & it wasn’t till the next day that I found him in the park where the river runs through, with a slightly broken beak and bleeding, he survived the cold night alone in the park and I named him Miracle. Miracle’s parents could not be found, so he went to Raptors Trust in Millington, NJ and was rehabilitated and released back into the wild. He recieved a second chance at life!

Photography has helped me to see nature better then ever before. Its also a fun hobby and a great way to connect with nature, hope you all enjoyed my photos and I encourage you to go out with the camera and take photos as well. The camera taught me to see better and I’m sure it will for you too!

Jessica Kirste

 

 

March 27 is Earth Hour. Turn off your lights for one hour at 8:30 PM.

Celebrate Earth Hour this year by taking a nature night hike for your hour and tell us what you saw and heard!

For more information about Earth Hour visit Earth Hour.org

April is Nature Month

April shows. Paris in the springtime. Cherry blossoms. Unofficial celebrations of April. April also has a lot of official celebrations. Here’s the short list. Please feel free to share others I’ve missed.

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Podcast: Nature Challenge #1: Find Red-winged Blackbirds

Coming soon (real soon) Podcasts

I’m going to start doing podcasts about nature (what else). The first one is a challenge to go outside and find a red-winged blackbird. If you don’t know that species of bird, this podcast is perfect for you. Watch for a link to the podcast soon (real soon)

NDBTUCGR25ZQ

Top 10 Signs of Spring

These are my top ten signs of spring for southeast PA. Are there others for you? Where are you located? Share your favorites….

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Avatar “The world we live in is just as amazing as the one we created for you”

I love that J. Letteri said in his acceptance speech for his Visual Effects Oscar: “Remember, the world we live in is just as amazing as the one we created for you”. WOW

This was the acceptance speech I’ll remember the most from the Oscars of 2010. Avatar was by far my favorite movie of the year and I think its message about nature is as important a message as we can give our children. But to hear these words from someone whose work depends on technology and who was awarded an Oscar for this technology was amazing to me.

Thank you Joe Letteri for reminding people that we live in an amazing world filled with amazing creatures every bit as amazing as those we saw in Avatar. And if you doubt his words or mine for even a second, here’s a visual reminder of what awaits us this spring and summer.

Discover it for yourself. Go outside and “Take A Minute To Be In It™”

The Philadelphia Flower Show

Some things are best said in photos. Such is the case for our day at the Philadelphia International Flower Show. I was honored to lecture again this year, presenting “Gardening to Attract Birds and Butterflies”. We had a great attendance and a lively audience followed by a book signing.

This year’s theme is Passport to the World. There was a giraffe made of orchids, an elephant and hot air balloon made of flowers, too. There were bulbs and bikes, Koi, a pagoda, and flowers in huge blocks of ice (my favorite), The Flower Show was as exciting and delightful as ever. Rob and I enjoyed ourselves immensely.

The show is open for two more days. I hope you get an opportunity to see it. There’s not much else quite like it. I hope to see you there next year, too! In the meantime, here are few photos:

A Winter Warm Up in Manhattan

Imagine an event in northern Manhattan that celebrates being in the outdoors. A happening where kids and their families can learn about outdoor activities—from sports to nature walks. A place to meet and greet, have your photo taken on the top of Mt. Everest, get lots of very cool stuff. Where you can play games, sample foods, dance to music, and take a nature walk with yours truly. And all of it free! Doesn’t this sound perfect?

Now imagine the event taking place in the dead of winter (yesterday the 13^th of February) in Swindler Cove Park along the East river on the northern tip of Manhattan. Imagine no sun but instead an eerie flat-gray sky. Imagine an average temperature of 28 degrees and a foot of crusty, soiled snow on the ground. Imagine a mild breeze blowing off the river—just enough to factor in a mild wind chill—the kind that makes your lips chap. Brrrrr!

It took 3.5 hours for Rob and I to get to Swindler Cove Park  (via car, train, and cab) and we arrived at 9 AM to a hustling scene of tents being erected, boxes being unloaded from trucks, and people moving things by wheel barrow, hand truck, and anything else they could muster. It was darn cold and there was snow and ice everywhere. As we navigated the walkway to find our place at the event I sang to myself “ice on the ground…ice on the ground…walk very carefully with ice on the ground”.  I kept questioning “what self respecting New Yorker is going to leave the warmth of their home to come outside on this cold, dreary day? No one will come to this event”.  But boy was I wrong. So wrong.

Kids with their Planet Explore bags of free stuffI was thrilled to see a large crowd attend the “Winter Warm Up”. People came for the free stuff from The North Face. They came for the entertainment. They came to see Swindler Cove Park and to learn about the New York Restoration Project. Some came because they are fans of NYRP and benefactors of their community programs.  They came for the nature walks and ice fishing lessons. They came for the food. But mostly, they came for the fresh air and a reason to be outdoors with their children in the dead of winter. There were children young and old and there were adults old and young. It was fantastic!

I don’t know how many people attended but I heard no complaints about the cold. People bundled up and there were lots of activities to keep them moving. A DJ helped to keep the crowd warm, too. There were people dancing everywhere—even during our nature walks.

Shadale, an event volunteer and my new friend from Albany, helped me lead my nature walks. Shadale and I in our “BFF” (Best Friends Forever) pose for Rob’s camera He found a small paper wasp nest and he also found a Praying Mantis egg case. He was very excited to share his findings with anyone and everyone! Despite the crowds and the music, we saw Canada Geese, Ring Billed Gulls, Mallards, and Cormorants near the shore. We saw House Sparrows, Chickadees, and Titmice flitting around the park. We saw evergreens, bushes with berries, and bare-naked deciduous trees. We found seeds from grasses and trees. And we found an old oak tree that was still hanging onto its gigantic brown, dead leaves.

This Winter Warm Up was a fabulous success. Everyone had a ball! It also marked the launch of a new website by The North Face called “Planet Explore”.  Visit this site and you can find outdoor activities in your neck of the woods. As the site grows so will the calendar so give it a little time if you don’t find events close to you the first time you visit. Become a member of the site and you’ll receive notification of events. I’m proud to say that I’ve been chosen as a “visionary” by The North Face and you’ll soon see my face and my public events in the visionary section of Planet Explore.  

Many people took our nature walk and learned about migration, hibernation, brumation, and all types of winter survival.I would have bet a lot of money that the cold weather and snow covered sidewalks would have kept people indoors yesterday. I’m so glad I was wrong. And I’m darn glad I’m not a betting person! On the train ride home I was stuck on a line from a Beatle’s song: “imagine all the people”. I think the turnout at this event speaks to our hunger to be in the outdoors. In Swindler Cove Park, NYRP has given New Yorkers a green space to return to the outdoors. I’m proud to have been a part of this Winter Warm Up. Watch our calendar and the Planet Explore site for more such events.

Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse, SnOMG

We have two feet of snow on the ground. That’s a lot of snow. And another two feet could be coming in the next 48 hours. I have to admit, even I have some difficulty getting around (walking) in two to four feet of snow. 

It’s also been cold (in the 20’s) and windy. Add to the mix that I had major surgery four weeks ago and the result is that I haven’t been out taking photos of nature. Call it excuses or call it sensibilities, either way, I haven’t done any tracking, birdwatching, or deer spotting. But I have managed to spend hours outdoors with Rob and our Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Bodhi.

Bodhi (B), Brandy (C) and Emma (T) taking a break..

Bo loves the snow and thrives in the cold. He has become the mayor of our street - he knows where all the dogs live and he hasn’t met one he doesn’t like. He stops by their doors every day on the way to his play area - a large hill at the end of our street. He gathers his dog friends and they play till they can hardly walk.  

Bodhi waiting for friends.

The dog owners stand around chattering and making sure their dogs stay off the road, with the pack, and picking up anything the dogs leave behind. The dogs exhaust themselves and go home with balls of frozen snow stuck to their fur.

On Sunday I was particularly pleased to see kids on the hill, too. Kids with sleds! Imagine that - children who were allowed to play outdoors. Of course these are my neighbors and I know them but that doesn’t make it any less exciting to see them busy at unstructured and unsupervised play. No adults were standing by saying “do this” or “sled here”. At the same time, all the adults in the neighborhood had an eye on the children, watching them and ensuring they were safe. 

Neighborhood kids having a blast in the snow.

What a step back in time. The snow brought most things to a halt (driving, shopping, working). People bundled up and walked around the neighborhood (no runners this weekend) and gathered together in impromptu groups to chat. There were sounds of children playing and laughing and dogs playing and barking. People were cleaning off their cars and sidewalks and helping their neighbors to do so, too.

I baked cinnamon buns for anyone who wanted them (it’s a snow day tradition of mine). Rob and I spent several hours out in the cold but we layered smartly and the warm sense of community and belonging helped protect us from the cold winter winds. 

Our neighbors love snow days - can you blame them?

So this weekend wasn’t about nature - at least it wasn’t about plants and animals (except of course, canines). But it was about the nature of people. And how a small “blizzard” can bring us outdoors and bring out the best in us - as we reached out to help, to enjoy, and to gather together. 

I hope you had a similar experience. If not, there’s always tomorrow with another 14 to 20 inches predicted. I hope your power stays on and that you stay warm. Please remember elderly neighbors and lend a hand if you can. And when the snow stops falling and the sun shines, please take your children outdoors. Enjoy the snow while you can. Spring will be here soon.

Yours in the outdoors,

Jane

P.S.For more photos of dogs in the snow see my photos at Flickr 

OMG—I Was a Walking Time Bomb—WK?

I spend a lot of time in the outdoors—much of it leisurely walking as I observe my surroundings. I look for and photograph plants and animals and it takes patience to do so. I sometimes cover a lot of ground but it takes me all day to do it. In other words, I’m not a power walker.

Last August Rob and I adopted our dog Bodhi (Bo-dee). My walks changed. Bodhi wants to explore, run, exercise. so now I take dog walks in addition to my nature walks. Bodhi loves to go to the park and we walk the same path every day to take him there. That path includes a very long and rather steep hill. Going down was easy. But coming home, we had to walk up the hill.

The hill was difficult for me. By the time I got to the top I’d be seriously short of breath and I had chest pain. I’d walk the rest of the distance home slowly and by the time I got to my house I recovered. Rob didn’t have that much trouble on the hill. I figured I did because I used to smoke. Or maybe because I need to lose weight (doesn’t everyone?). So I pushed myself from August to October trying to get to the top of the hill with no problem. It never worked. Rob suggested (more than once) I tell my doctor about the chest pain and shortness of breath. Instead, I kept pushing myself.

Finally in November I had my annual checkup. I did mention the hill to my doctor. That started a chain reaction. There was a stress test, lab tests, echo-cardiogram, heart catheterization, and finally—I was told that I had a blocked artery that couldn’t be repaired except with open heart surgery. A heart bypass! Over some shortness of breath! Who knew?

So, here it is February. I’m back to work. I’m just fine. I had the surgery—it was this new minimally invasive (through my ribs) surgery. I’m almost back to 100% and I can walk the hill without chest pain or shortness of breath!

It’s mortifying to think that every time I tried to master that hill I was pushing my heart to its limit. The doctor told me that the location of my blockage was such that had I had a heart attack, I’d be dead before I hit the ground.

February is National Heart Month. Have a checkup. You can’t be a mentor, leader, and activist from your grave. In between your teaching, nature walks, gardening with kids, and listening to kids, be sure listen to your body. One of my doctors said you should never be aware of your heart. In other words, if you have chest pain (at all) shortness of breath, tire easily, tell your doctor. I am living proof that we shouldn’t poo-poo signs and warnings.

I’m grateful to Rob and all of my doctors. Grateful we adopted Bodhi and I had trouble on that hill. I was a walking time bomb with no clue I was in danger. Now I’m 25 lbs lighter and watching my carbs, and eating a heart healthy diet (BTW, not difficult at all).

As for you—please get a checkup. You and I are doing very important work by helping to connect children with nature. I heart you! Don’t be a statistic!