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Peace of Nature

Eddie — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 19:16:51 +0000

Inner turmoil ends when I see you Swirling storms calm with your words Floundering spirits stand strong when you guide along the way Worry dies when I look into your eyes Confusion clears when your voice hits my ears Pain becomes pleasure when your heart touches mine And it [...]

The warmth of the sun

Eddie — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:40:10 +0000

A green leaf, singular, still While all the others sway in the breeze This one is motionless, peaceful in the shade of the trees For it, the chaos around holds no great thrill. Sun shines down on some Others are cloaked in shadows Creating an effect of color that grows and grows Reminding me once [...]

Manatees at Wakulla State Park, Florida

Eddie — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:31:10 +0000

While attending the recent Natural Areas Conference in Tallahassee, Florida, naturalist William Hudson and I took a little side trip to Leon Sinks, and then to Wakulla State Park. Wakulla Springs is the largest and deepest spring in the world, with a flow rate of something like 400,000 gallons per minute of water coming up from the [...]

3 great ways to enjoy Nature in Summer

Eddie — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:00:31 +0000

Now that Summer is upon us, don’t just turn on the air conditioning and crank up the video games. Get outside and connect with Nature! That doesn’t mean mowing the yard. Take the family or nudge a friend off the couch and go do something fun. Going outside is good for your physical and mental [...]

In search of the elusive Massasauga Rattlesnake

Eddie — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 01:42:08 +0000

Working with conservationists, biologists, naturalists and other Nature-loving folks has lots of advantages. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to attend a small expedition to count and measure Massasauga Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) in northeast Ohio. Because these snakes are a candidate for the federal endangered species list, you can’t [...]

How do you make a park?

Eddie — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 10:39:27 +0000

Hemlock woods in a peaceful park Parks and natural areas are vital to living a full life. Everyone loves them. But, do you know where parks come from? Do you know how they are created or could you name one person involved in creating a new park? Some of you might be able to answer [...]

Headwaters Adventure Race!

Eddie — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:46:43 +0000

What better way to enjoy the outdoors? Run, Bike and Canoe to the finish line with the Portage Park District. The race begins at 8 am on July 9, 2011 at Buchert Memorial Park, East High Street, Mantua Village, OH 44255. This event is a fun way to support the Portage Park District, get some great exercise, experience [...]

Nature is Irresistible

Eddie — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:52:40 +0000

Today I unexpectedly found a very important tie-in between one of my favorite blogs (Zen Habits, which is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of life) and neoNaturalist.com’s mission of connecting people to Nature. The premise of the Zen Habits post How to Be Irresistible at Any Age is that in order to be irresistible, you must express and [...]

Things we learn from Nature

Eddie — Fri, 13 May 2011 08:54:47 +0000

Walking through a long grass meadow one morning this week, I was amazed at the brilliant colors of the plants and animals in the morning light. Equally amazing were the crisp and clear sounds of the birds all around. All the world, at that moment, was right. Soon afterward, I returned to the house, energized about life. [...]

6 reasons to hike daily

Eddie — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 09:59:10 +0000

Who doesn’t love a good hike? Fresh air, singing birds, sunshine. What’s not to love? But are you a fair weather hiker? What about the dreary overcast days? What about drizzle and snow and cold? Mud? What fun is that? There are lots of good reasons to hike in Nature every single day. If you [...]

Beavers construct ideal habitats for bats

Eddie — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 07:19:53 +0000

“Forest that was both flooded and subjected to beaver logging supported the highest bat activity”- via BBC – Earth News – European beavers construct ideal habitats for bats. In a paper published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research, it is shown that reintroduction of beaver is associated with significantly higher amounts of bat activity. [...]

Winter Tracking Practice

Eddie — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:50:58 +0000

January is a great time of year to brush up on the Daniel Boone-esque skill of tracking animals. Better yet, it is a great time to expose your children to the wonders of Nature-sleuthing. The white snow picks up every trace of passing mammals. A little detective work might lead you to a great discovery. [...]

Just what is a neoNaturalist anyhow?

Eddie — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 09:42:11 +0000

Next week will mark the 7th anniversary of neoNaturalist.com. When the site started out I just wanted to provide trail descriptions from a naturalist’s perspective, rather than the bland, “trail is 1.5 miles long and gets muddy when it rains” drivel that you could find on the internet then. The idea was that you could [...]

Sketching Nature

Eddie — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:00:15 +0000

Drawing or sketching is an essential skill for aspiring naturalists, or anyone interested in understanding more about Nature and the world around them. It doesn’t take a ton of talent, but it does take some time. By spending a few hours looking closely at Nature and natural objects, you will begin to see the details [...]

Coming soon to a park near you…You!

Eddie — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:59:45 +0000

Any area has its own unique energy. You can feel it if you try. This character is right there for all to see, but it is actually much more than meets the eye. One of the best ways to get to know the vibe of the local Nature is to visit many different nearby parks [...]

Hike like Thoreau and Muir

Eddie — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 09:03:00 +0000

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. Henry David Thoreau In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. John Muir You might not be lucky enough or adventurous enough to be able to trek around in Yosemite every day like Muir. You might never set foot in Concord [...]

Why should Thoreau get all the Marrow?

Eddie — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:24:32 +0000

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau (Walden). To me, living deliberately [...]

Best Nature Blogs according to neoNaturalist.com

Eddie — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 13:00:46 +0000

I have been fairly inactive here at the Nature blog due to a hectic schedule at my day job (at Western Reserve Land Conservancy). While I haven’t had much to say here, I have been browsing other Nature related blogs recently. I thought since you were visiting here you might like Nature. So, I have [...]

Fall is the time to ID trees by their Bark

Eddie — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:00:39 +0000

With the leaves falling fast, now is a great time to start to identify trees by their Bark. Southern Ohio hit its peak for fall color this week, while northern Ohio has been declining for several weeks. A few oaks are holding onto their brown leaves. But as long as the weather cooperates, it isn’t [...]

Cuyahoga Valley – Trail Management Plan

Eddie — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 00:53:08 +0000

You can follow this link (National Park Service – PEPC – Trail Management Plan) to read and comment on the draft trail management plan for our Cuyahoga Valley National Park. If you care about the park and want to have a say in the trail management there, follow the link and provide some comments. Thanks.