Are Parks for the People?

I have been reading Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire in preparation for a trip to Utah's National Parks.  As I think about getting our pop-up ready for the summer season, I think about what he had to say about crowded parks being like little cities.

That is exactly the same thought I had as we camped last year in a state park near Atlanta.  At first I was happy to see all the families out in nature...until I looked closely at what they were doing and saying.  Kids riding bikes.  Light shows around trailers. Loud talking around the campfires. Adults were talking about what camping supplies they had and where to get them.  Kids were talking about playing games and what type of dog they had.  Dog walkers set off a round of early morning barking by every canine in the park.

What is interesting is how the park cleared out after the weekend and nature returned:  the chickadee was chirping, the frog calling. Gone were the sounds of speedboats and trucks along the campground roads.  Now the crows claimed their supremacy over the morsels left behind.  Finally, this was a place of peace and solitude, a place to appreciate nature.  But what about those others who had left?  What is green space when it is packed with people?  Where is the communion with nature when overpowered by the presence of  too many people?

I am reminded of a quote from Aldo Leopold's foreword to Sand County Almanac: "There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot." Count me among those who cannot!  My concern is that I will not be able to find the wild...to find the solitude I seek.  Certainly, I will not be camping this weekend, Memorial Day.  I know better than to do that.

I wish there were places for people like me.  Abbey referred to this problem in his book.  When Desert Solitaire was published in 1968, the National Park Service slogan was "Parks are for people."  But Abbey alerted readers to the problems of development of these last great wilderness areas. While the developments allowed more people in to the parks, he suggested that you can bring people to nature, but you can't make them appreciate it.  That is exactly the experience I had near Atlanta.  And in fact, the sheer numbers of people can impact the appreciation and enjoyment of nature.

If parks are for people, what about people like me? Where is my park?  During this summer season, I will probably have to stay home.  My park is the one after everyone has left for the season or gone back to work after the weekend.  My park is getting harder and harder to find.

Three Generations of Bug Lovers

On my granddaughter's third birthday, I decided to expand her nature study beyond birds.  It was time to explore the world of insects.  So, I sent off a package of tools for insect study: a field guide, magnifier, and collection jar.  Simple.  Later in the evening, my daughter sent me a photo of what they found:

Even though I could not be there, I can imagine the squeals of joy as she found this praying mantis....right in her backyard.

That got me to thinking about the many times my husband and I would point out insects to our kids.  The insect world is so diverse and fascinating.  AND abundant in our big backyard in the country. We saw ant lions, wheel bugs, velvet ants, and many more.

And this fascination with the insects can be traced back another generation...to my own childhood.  Even though I grew up in a city, I remember catching fireflies on a summer's evening.  Great fun.

I can't wait to go bug hunting with my granddaughter on her next visit to the country.

Nature Lover Revisited

Previously in this blog I wrote a post called "Tribute to a Nature Lover", dedicated to my mom.  The words I wrote then are no less true today, Mother's Day. While my mom is not with me this Mother's Day, she fills my thoughts.  So I created a Wordle from that blog.  This reveals the one constant for me in the memory of my mom--her love of nature and family.

Smelling Nature as Important as Seeing It

Recently I became aware of one of  Emily Dickinson's nature poems.

From Wikipedia

 
  Nature is what we see,
The Hill, the Afternoon--
    Squirrel, Eclipse, the Bumble-bee,
Nay--Nature is Heaven.

    Nature is what we hear,
The Bobolink, the Sea--
    thunder, the Cricket--
Nay--Nature is Harmony.

    Nature is what we know
But have no Art to say,
    So impotent our Wisdom is
To Her Simplicity.



I love the simplicity of the poem and respect for nature.  But the poem ended too soon for me, so I decided to add a stanza of my own, focusing on another sense:

    Nature is what we smell,
The Earth, the Mint Leaf--
    Pines, Flower Blossoms, the Rain--

Nay--Nature is Rich.





I decided to focus on a sense that we often overlook--or undersmell!  Smells of nature, research has shown, can reduce stress and boost the immune system. This research from a Tokyo scientist was reported in an Atlantic Cities web article.

Another reason it is better to get outside.

But I don't need more evidence that getting outside is a good thing.  However, today, I think I'll take a deep breathe and smell the nature around me.

I have added a stanza to the original poem.  What stanza would you add?

Sometimes Change is Fast

It has been a busy April, and I have spent much of it away from home.  I did not realize this until going on a nature walk in our woods last night.  It had been a couple of weeks since my last walk, and I wanted to see how spring was progressing.  It was a warm evening, the frogs were calling, and my dog was anxious to get some exercise, so we headed out.

The first thing that struck me was the mossy path.  It was now colored in several shades of brown, red, and green.

As I looked out into the woods, several spring wildflowers were in bloom.

I had noticed some species in the past, but this trillium was new.  I found many along the path, and some coming up right in the middle of the path.








And even more obvious were the red bud trees all in bloom.  I passed many along the trail that were in full purple adornment.

Spring was coming up through the winter waste such as this deer jaw.

Spring was changing things fast.  A couple of weeks ago, these mayapples were just bursting through the ground.  Now they covered the forest floor and were tall enough to shade the ground under them.

Even the decomposing deer skulls had changed.  There were many more carrion beetles under the skull.  They scurried so fast as I moved the skull that I could not get a focused picture.  Soon the skull will be only bone.

Fast change had occurred while I had been away.
New blossoms.  Plant growth.  More species.  More individuals. Decomposition. Life renewed.

The transformation and speed of that transformation were remarkable. I barely recognize our woods.  But this is what I have been waiting all winter to experience.  I welcome the changes..fast or slow!

Looking for Wildlife in the Big City

I was so excited to be heading to Boston for the National Science Teachers Association conference.  A co-worker and I were to present on "Science Literacy is for the Birds: Using Field Guides to Leverage Science Time". 

 The talk went well, the conference was fabulous, and so were all the other activities.  So I decided on a theme: look for wildlife in the big city.


 






In the exhibit hall we found this animated penguin and an alligator.  But that doesn't count.

We took a trip to Cape Cod to see Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.  Of course, the beach provided evidence of wildlife--Lady Slipper shells, Horsecrab shells, Mermaid's Purse, etc.

 And it seems that every meal we had was evidence of wildlife in the area, namely seafood! 



We even passed the Haymarket area with booths full of fruits, veggies, and fabulous looking seafood.

One of my favorite places was Boston Public Gardens with the "Make Way for Ducklings" display.  They were made of metal---but fun anyway!

I wasn't the only one on the duck.  A small child was also having fun with the display!




I loved all the ancient looking trees in the garden but wondered, why aren't they planting some replacements.  All seemed to be dying but beautiful.

I was surprised to see this redwood in the garden.










One evening we went to a baseball game at Fenway Park.  Maybe I would see wildlife there...other than the fans, that is!!

We found this plastic guy..the green monster....





And the official green monster, below.  It was awesome to see, but not exactly wildlife.

Perhaps I would find wildlife along the Freedom Trail.  We saw many famous sights that brought the Revolutionary period to life.  You could feel the presence of the great heroes of that time period, especially John Hancock (he did more than sign the Declaration), Sam and John Adams, and Paul Revere.

The red line, we discovered, led to the Freedom Trail sites.

Faneuil Hall, meeting place and open air market.

Old North Church...One if by land and two if by sea.

Old South Meeting House where 5000 crowded to debate the Boston Tea Party.  Here some students were reenacting the night of that debate. 

 

Finally we came upon the Boston Common--like any common of the time, a place used by all but subject to abuse (read "The Tragedy of the Commons").  This area seems so used that grass is not growing.

We saw many overly fat squirrels.  They approached us as if to say, "Where is my food?".  I'm sure many visitors feed them for there is little to support them in the common.




 The day was sunny and pleasant, but the sounds of honking car horns, people talking loudly, and music left me longing for some peace and quiet.





 
And there were birds. 

Pigeons, starlings and house sparrows.  All introduced species.  And all seemed ready for a handout as well.   Their populations seemed to be doing quite well.

This was to be the extent of the wildlife I would see.  The trip was fantastic, and I feel fortunate to have spent time in the big city.  But I was ready to head home and relax to the sounds of owls and frogs, cardinals and wood thrush.  Home, where wildlife abounds... and I should never take that for granted.

An Adventure with a Teachers' Hiking Club

When I received the invitation from a friend of mine to go on a hike with a group of teachers, I was excited.  These teachers are friends of mine, and I hadn't seen them in awhile.  The afternoon was to be almost 50 degrees which would be perfect for hiking.  And they were going to a place unknown to me...a new adventure.

The place was Clifty Creek Conservation Arean near Dixon, Missouri.  We parked in the small parking lot and prepared to hike. 

The trail was a 2.5 mile loop out to a natural bridge and back.  It was listed as moderately difficult, but we took our time, stopping to check out scat, rock formations, and the scenic beauty along the trail.  So it didn't seem too hard to me.  For most of the trail, we could look down and see the creek below.  It was relatively low; this has been a dry year.  And we commented on that fact along the way.

When we came to the natural bridge, it was breathtaking.

With this as a back drop, I felt pretty small!

Crossing the creek and continuing on the trail, we were rewarded with the first spring wildflowers that I have seen this year.  They covered one hillside. At the time I forgot the name, but later remembered it was the Trout Lily or Dog-tooth Violet.  No wonder I forgot...it has two common names.

Later, I looked this species up in a field guide, The Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region.  In Missouri it is called the White Dog-tooth Violet. This name refers to the tooth-like shape of the underground bulb.  We were on a natural area, so I did not dig up to see the bulb.  I'll take Audubon's word for it.  The other name, which is more appropriate since the flower is not like a violet at all, is Trout Lily.  This is due to the distinctive leaf markings that resemble a brown or brook trout. Whatever you call it, the spring flowers were a welcome sight.

We continued on the trail and soon returned to the parking lot.  It was a great way to spend an afternoon.  To me, there is nothing better than sharing nature with friends.

As we parted, we thought this should be called the Teachers' Hiking Club.  And with this group, I'm sure there is another adventure in our future.