Full Moon

It's almost the full moon! Spooky.

What will you be doing for Halloween? I'll be sitting at home getting my yearly fill of "The Changeling." Not the new one..oh no. This is the classic 1980 version with George C. Scott. A wonderful ghost story. I've watched it nearly every year since I was a wee child.

October in the Wasatch Mountains

The weather has been beautiful. We did have some snow early in the month, but that didn't seem to damper the beauty. There is still some great color in them hills.

My job sometimes requires (allows) me to get out on the trails to work on signs, or scout out a route for an upcoming tour. I had that chance a couple of times this past few weeks. I just wanted to share some of the beauty.





I was listening to an NPR broadcast about the need for play in the lives of children. Without it they loose their sense of wonder, curiosity, and imagination. I think that is one reason I love being out in nature - because there is always something wonderful to see or discover. It's okay to let yourself become lost in wonder.

Bird Feeders

The Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up in February. I wanted to do something in the park to help get people excited about it, and just birds in general. Do you have a bird feeder in your yard? Well, why not? Can't afford one? Well, can you afford milk? Can you afford a 2-liter or 16 oz. bottle of something? Ok, then you can make a bird feeder.

I made three feeders the other day here in the visitor center in about an hour. I hung them up and waited for the birds to find them. About a week later they did. So far I have black-capped chickadees, with dark-eyed juncos gathering what's on the ground. The suet feeder is receiving a steady flow of magpie visitors.

The 2-liter feeder

Anyway, I decided this would be a fun event to do with some of the locals. Invite them to bring milk jugs, egg cartons, 2-liter bottles, etc. And show them how to make a very effective and very economical bird feeder. I may even do the pine cone rolled in peanut butter and mixed seeds. There are so many easy ways to help the birds out this winter.

The 16-oz. feeder with a plastic dish attached to the bottom, and a chickadee flying contentedly away.

So if you ever need a fun, and easy craft for the kids (or for yourself), one that will continue to add joy even after it's complete, try making a homemade bird feeder. You won't be disappointed.

Dirt Time

Have you had yours?

In my cubical at work I have a little piece of paper with these words printed on it: "Have you had your dirt time today?"

It is a reminder to me of the importance of getting outside and discovering and learning through being there, not just from a book or the internet. And it's not just about learning; the real message is allowing and making time to play, wonder, and just be outside. I think I may have to add one of these pictures to that quote now, to get a real sense of just how important that dirt time is.

These are two of my nieces and they get it; children usually do.

Nature Hike

I took a group of folks out today for a nature hike to a "secret pond". I had about 30 people show up, which was great, because I had about 30 binoculars to give away as part of a year-long initiative to get kids and families back out into nature. The binoculars are to encourage them to get out and use them again. They were a hit!

The day couldn't have been better. The morning was cool, clear and beautiful. We saw some very fun flowers and birds on our way to the pond. I loved it each time I heard a kid or a parent exclaim how much they were enjoying this, and how they were so excited to be learning so many new plants, and "I've never seen that kind of bird before" with awe in their voices.





And the "never before" seen bird. Fantastic!

Sing out, little guy!

Once we got to the pond, the wonder and exploration reached out even to the adults as they saw the tracks of deer, coyote, and bobcat, butterflies all over, dragonflies and damselflies, tad poles, salamanders, frogs, and pelicans flying overhead. I admit, I was caught up in the excitement as well. Who wouldn't be? We were all kids again.







I love my job.
.

Fishing Club

This is the third year the park has sponsored a youth fishing club. We always get a great turn out. Usually we begin the club that last week in May. We decided to hold off a few weeks and make today, June 11, our first day.

I arrived to work this morning and it was raining. The kids still came. They practiced casting... in the rain, which soon turned to snow. Yes, it's still June 11. They divided into their groups and headed out to the pond to do a little...uh...ice fishing. The fish were biting, kids were catching, and having a great time. It was sill snowing. Most froze before we ended the morning of fishing and went back inside to warm up. Some stuck it out to the end.

We cleaned many, many fish...in the rain and snow. It was cold.

I promised the kids that next week it would be warm and sunny. It should be. It will be June 18. Right?

Oh, and I saw my first Western Tanager of the year on Saturday. Beautiful, beautiful birds.

.

Childhood Play

When I was little there was a pond, I called it the "Pollywog Pond", near my home. In fact, it was right down at the end of the street in an open field. Every spring, the shallow depression would fill with water, and "miraculously" tiny tadpoles would hatch and fill the small pond. It really stank, but that didn't seem to faze me at all. I was so amazed by these tiny little things swimming all over. I would always collect some and bring them home to raise. It was fascinating to watch their tails shorten, see them begin to grow legs, and soon turn into tiny little frogs. I loved that pond. I spent countless hours down there, playing in the water, watching the little tadpoles, playing in the smelly mud. Then, sadly, as happens to most natural places kids play, it soon disappeared under the wheels of bulldozers and houses sprung up in the place of the pond. I wondered what would happen to all those tadpoles. They were gone forever. And the people living right where they used to be had no idea of the incredible treasure they were living above.

There is a quote I recently read in a book talking about the loss of connection between children and nature. It rings true for me: "Direct contact to nature is essential for physical and emotional health." (Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv)

Kids need time and opportunities for unstructured play. Where they can use their imaginations. Make discoveries. Day-dream. Create. Explore. Wonder.

Here's a list of things I came up with to help remedy what's being called "Nature-Deficit Disorder":

A Naturalist's Remedy to Nature-Deficit Disorder!

Follow a stream * Walk a dog * Swing in the park *

Follow an animal trail * Splash in a puddle of water *

Sing in the rain * Gaze up at the stars *

Rake leaves and jump in them * Go fishing * Go hiking *

Try snowshoeing * Go camping * Climb a tree *

Make a leaf print * Find a pet rock *

Watch a bug crawl through the grass * Take a nature picture *

Start a nature journal * Find a quiet place *

Draw a picture of a tree, flower, rock, or mountain *

Listen to a bird sing * Learn a bird song and sing back *

Build a fort * Make a bird feeder * Identify animal scat *

Build a snowman * Stop and smell a flower *

Go swimming in a lake * Make a snow angel *

Have a snowball fight * Look for bugs *

Be still and LISTEN * Play tag *

Cook s'mores over a campfire * Go geocaching *

Drive through the canyon and look at fall leaves *

Wonder through the woods * Take a walk with a small child *

Visit a park * Go on a bike ride *

Skip rocks on a pond* Listen to a babbling brook *

Visit a nature center * Raise a frog