Connecting to nature through poetry and prose
A gentle breezeShakes the honeysuckle treeA Monarch takes flight Honeysuckle is the name for a group of shrubs, vines, or herbs in the Caprifoliaceous family. These plants can be identified by their opposite leaves and flowers that have either bilateral or radial symmetry which flare into a trumpet-like shape(1). Honeysuckle Flower One thing that the... Continue Reading →
Lilacs, besides being truly beautiful plants to look at, have their roots firmly planted in human history through poetry and literature.
As the flowers from the Pin Cherry tree drop away, the white flowers of the Chokecherry emerge to take their place on the landscape. The woody plant known as Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) grows as a shrub or small tree under 30 feet in height. It often grows in dense thickets and in damp, rich soils. ... Continue Reading →
An apple tree bloomsOn a forgotten road Time has passed us by It is said that New England established its first cultivated apple orchard in 1623. The location of the orchard was Beacon Hill in Massachusetts. The apple that was grown was called The Baldwin. Apple trees soon became a staple of the New England... Continue Reading →
Wild Strawberry identification and how strawberries can help us build a connection to the land.
The flowering of the Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) is another sign of spring! These bright yellow flowers are a part of the buttercup family and bloom in our neighborhood around the end of April or beginning of May. As you can tell by the name, the Marsh Marigold likes to grow in wet areas. Their... Continue Reading →
My early morning walks are great for shifting my perspective about my neighborhood. What may seem mundane in the daylight, is unique and full of mystery in the darkness. On a recent walk, I was struck by the beauty of the unfurling fiddleheads and took their photos by the light of my headlamp. I am... Continue Reading →
Last week I introduced a new feature to my page called My Nature Connection Journal. It turns out it is a little harder to keep this up-to-date than I expected. Nevertheless, I added 18 birds, 1 new animal, and 7 new plants. One of the highlights from this week was finally being able to make... Continue Reading →
I am introducing a new feature to this site! My Nature Connection Journal is a bit of an experiment. The Journal is an attempt to track all my first encounters with non-human species throughout the year starting on April 22, 2021. My hope is to have an extensive list of birds, animals, and plants with... Continue Reading →
Naturalist Weekly 