“You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” ― Miss Rumphius Whenever I see lupines in bloom I hear that quote from Miss Rumphius, one of my favorite children’s books, written by Maine author Barbara Cooney. It’s a simple, direct reminder of our personal responsibilities to this world and to everyone we share it with….
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Bees: Nature’s Essential Workers
We often overlook the individuals we take for granted but depend on daily to keep us fed, safe, and healthy. The list of essential workers is long, and today I’m adding one more name—pollinators. We’ve all got to eat, and one-third of the food we consume requires pollination. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization…
Go Big and Go Global, from Home
It’s Global Big Day. Look outside today, notice any birds, and you can be part of the largest biodiversity-related citizen science project in the world. Consider it a home science lab for all of us. Whether you see a lone bird or flocks where you live, record your observations on eBird, which is managed by…
Bird Blind
Whenever I hear the distinctive tapping of a pileated woodpecker during a run or hike I stop to look up. If I’m lucky while scanning the trees, I spot the swath of red cresting their heads as they drill for insects. Earlier this spring one flew directly across my path as I ran, disappearing low…
Winter-Spring
Early last week, as piles of snow transformed to shoe-sucking mud I was missing the way snowfall continually recasts our favorite, familiar landscapes in winter. It was spring though, and naturally it had moved onward—melting into Maine’s lakes, rivers, vernal ponds, and ground. I appreciate all New England seasons, even the mud one. I was…
The Privilege of Going Outdoors
Three weeks ago my family skinned up and skied down a ski hill about an hour from home. It was a sunny bluebird afternoon. After a peaceful climb through silent woods with fresh snow, a snack break up top where we listened to an owl, and time spent admiring the western Maine hills and mountains,…
Wild Ducks and Tomorrow
Wild ducks and tomorrow both come without calling. —Russian proverb It was a happy surprise on a Monday morning to have this mallard couple stop by our backyard for breakfast. I’m fairly certain this same pair returns to our neighborhood each spring to nest, after wintering down south. While we may not be able to travel…
Isolation
The word of the day is isolation. You can decide on the other 999 words for each of these pictures from the past week.
Perspective
Huh? In an increasingly off-kilter world, here’s an image that also feels a bit bewildering. My daughter hates looking at this picture (“it’s so weird!”). My son thinks it’s kind of cool (“it looks 2D and 3D at the same time”). And my husband called it “fascinating.” (That’s his shadow on the left riding the…