Category: nature
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Blogtober: Owls
At my very first park job, one of the programs I most loved to lead was the Owl Prowl. That consisted of wandering down the trail, just after dark, with my participants and a red-masked flashlight (to prevent us from losing night vision) and a way to playback recordings. We usually have three main owl…
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Blogtober: Masked
It seems fitting that after writing about how maybe orange bugs seemed more prevalent just because they were easier to see amid the green leaves, today I write about masking and camouflage. I am fascinated by the different ways creatures have of disguising themselves. From cryptic patterns on their skin/exoskleleton, to even gluing pieces of…
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Blogtober: Lurking
As an introvert in a fairly extroverted job, I often struggle with how to start a conversation with park visitors. This summer, though, I hit on a technique that answers my plight nicely: the “interpreter lurk.” It’s not a formal program, but still helps me figure out which visitors are actually interested in learning more…
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Midnight
During a visit to Monhegan Island, Maine, this summer, I had the chance to try some newly purchased equipment: my mothing setup. I used the recommendations at https://calnature.org/blog/2017/9/27/diy-moth-light for what to buy, if you’re interested in trying this yourself. [Note that the web site seems to be having issues as I post this, hopefully that…
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Monsters?
For today’s prompt I immediately think of B-movie monsters. Often based on, or actually, giant bugs or spiders. But of course, to me bugs and spiders (the real thing) aren’t monsters at all. I actually love watching sci-fi shows and films to see how aliens are often depicted with patterns, body parts, coloring, etc. that…
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Freaky Family
First, an admission today. I deliberately scheduled this topic to give me an excuse to send birthday wishes to my sister. So: 🎉 Happy birthday, Cory! 🎉 I really enjoy having you for my sister. Now on to my actual response to today’s Blogtober prompt. When you look at the insect/arachnid/arthropod world, though, there aren’t…
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Bio(logy)
I was always a nature nerd. My favorite memories are of roaming the woods behind my house, planting things in the garden, or watching birds at the feeders. I am lucky to have a family who also all love nature. But I know not everybody has that advantage. So, consider me your nature guide-slash-mom! 🙂…
The Contented Naturalist 