Nature Walks
It's my belief that in order to really appreciate nature you have to get out in nature. Googling a picture of a forest or a lake does not count. There are so many outdoor activities: bike riding, rollerblading, walking, gardening, swimming, etc. Just find something that you like to do and get outside. When you start to appreciate and care about an outdoor area it make you want to protect it. So go find a spot, explore it, and find out what you can do to help keep it clean.
I'm trying my hand at garden; trying to plant regional and wildlife friendly plants, I've discovered that my green thumb only applies to a few select plants. Since it's winter, it's looking a little bare in my yard, but I'll share some of my plant successes with you.
One of my favorite activities is going out and exploring parks with my sister and our dog. I always have my camera with me and I love taking pictures of our adventures.
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This nature preserve is one of our favorites, with bark-trails, platforms, bogs, and a lake. Below is a photo from early November with the leaves in beautiful fall colors.
Perhaps one of my favorite trees at the bog is the Tamarack, which is a deciduous pine with mini pine cones.
Just a week later, the Tamaracks' needles turned a beautiful golden color.
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I snapped this picture of an Ornamental Crab-apple tree on a lovely late fall day along a popular paved trail. The birds will love these treats on a cold winter day.
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Various pictures from our many walks this fall with our corgi, Gracie.
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We set up a little bird feeder outside our basement window and the birds seem to really love it! Just yesterday I saw Blue Jays, Black-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees, Finches--including a Purple Finch--a Robin (that crazy bird should have flown South long ago!) and Tufted Titmice. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds is a great website to check out for all kinds of info about birds, from pictures to migration maps and even bird call sound clips.
I caught this little Tufted Titmouse having a snack. He looks a little bit like Robert De Niro, don't you think?
