Notes from a Naturalist
August 27, 2020
Compass Trees
By Sam Nunes, Environmental Educator - August 2020
"Have you ever been on a hike and lost track of where you are? Luckily we have our phones to help us find our way, but we cannot always rely on these devices — service can be poor or battery levels can be low. Luckily nature is there to help guide us, as long as we are tuned into her signs. One of these signs comes from the trees, who are reliable companions, helping us orient ourselves and find our way."
-Read the full article here
July 20, 2020
Teachings from a Praying Mantis
By Allegra Jacobs, Animal Care Coordinator - July 2020
"I’ve always thought of myself as a very spiritual person. I was raised spiritually, with a love for Earth, nature, animals, and the presence of peace and quiet. I fall back on this when times get tough, and I’m sure I’m not the first person to admit that 2020 has been a very tough year so far." So what guidance can a praying mantis provide?"
-Read the full article here
June 15, 2020
Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?
By Sam Nunes, Environmental Educator - June 2020
"In June it’s common to find turtles crossing the road. Unfortunately, roads are a major cause of death for turtles because of the fragmentation of habitat along with increased risk of car strikes while crossing the road. So why do turtles cross the road? It’s not just to get to the other side..."
-Read the full article here
May 15, 2020
Loving our Lawn Weeds - Broadleaf Plantain
By Sam Nunes, Environmental Educator - May 2020
"Weed” is a word we use for a plant that is unwelcome and unwanted and perhaps grows a bit out of control. But if we can learn a little more about why they are so successful at growing and how they might benefit us, we can perhaps change our perspectives and respect these beautiful plants a little more..."
-Read the full article here
April 14, 2020
Forest Bathing
By Sam Nunes, Environmental Educator - April 2020
"Have you taken a bath in the forest recently? A new practice originating from Japan called shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is not a physical bath with water and soap, but more of a mental and physical cleansing that arises from spending time around trees. You don’t even need to be in a forest. Just near trees. But what benefits does spending time in nature have?"
-Read the full article here
March 16, 2020
Why Do Rivers Bend?
By Sam Nunes, Environmental Educator - March 2020
"Have you ever noticed the difference between a natural flowing river and a man-made canal? Canals move straight to their destination while rivers wind back and forth along the landscape. Humans make canals to travel the shortest amount of distance between two locations. If efficiency is so vital in ecosystems, why would nature increase the distance water has to travel to get to the ocean?"
-Read the full article here
February 10, 2020
Natural Hearts - Shapes in Nature
By Sam Nunes, Environmental Educator - February 2020
"Sight is one of the most important senses we rely on as humans. We are good at noticing colors, patterns, and shapes. In the month of February, people tend to have love on the mind, and a popular shape to represent this is the heart. Can you find heart shapes in nature? Here are some examples of hearts in nature and how they came to be..."
-Read the full article here
January 14, 2020
What the Size of a Snowflake can tell you
By Sam Nunes, Environmental Educator - January 2020
"In winter we can still find beautiful moments taking place around us. One of these beautiful moments is a snowflake! Its common knowledge that each snowflake is unique, but a single snowflake can tell us a lot about what is happening in the atmosphere around and above us. Why are some snowflakes smaller than others? Why does snow sometimes fall when it’s above freezing?"
-Read the full article here