Notice. Know. Be…in nature.

~ brightskymom ~ 3 Comments

Notice Know Be in NatureWinter’s heavy hand rests on the Eastern Coast. Freezing rains, snow that won’t pack, sullen gray skies, and the toe-numbing cold. What is a mom who believes that “nature is important” to do when the both she and the kids are in danger of turning into screen-zombies?

Yesterday, I pulled out a book for inspiration: Hunting Red.

The young narrator notices nature all around. She hunts with her eyes for the royal catchfly flower, and with her ears for the piercing whistle of the cardinal.

She knows what she finds by name – from the enormous pileated woodpecker to the tiny scarlet cup.

And she takes time to just be in nature – sitting quietly against a dead tree trunk or hiking the tallgrass prairie.

To notice nature we will have to be in nature. To know nature we will have to be in nature, and we will have to do some research. To be in nature we will have to make the conscious choice to go outside.

Notice.

Know.

Be.

This is what I want for my children and myself. It’s time to go outside and walk the talk. Come along for the adventure!

J4 Organic Challenge 2

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ 1 Comment

strawberry

Being organic isn’t primarily about doing what’s right for the environment, although it has a lot of environmental benefits.

It’s not about eating food that tastes better, because there’s no evidence to support that it universally does.

It’s not about eating food that’s more nutritious, because you can find everything from organic peanut butter cups (which are delicious) to organic soda pop.

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Being organic is first and foremost a personal decision, about limiting the amount of chemicals you put in your body. What makes your yoga mat springy—Azodicarbonamide—is the same stuff that makes your conventional bread springy. Ponder that while we gear up for the second J4 24 hour organic challenge. The four of us who attempted the first one failed. Read more about that here.

All you have to do to play is commit to eating only organic food for 24 hours. It is so, so simple. But those nonorganic items are insidious, and doing the challenge together gives us a forum for learning and sharing. Try it by joining us on Thursday, February 19.

Jeff’s tip: keep it simple and extra healthy. Drink water and fast for the 24 hours.

Jerry’s tip: To avoid sticker shock, start “replacing” staples with organic items. In Cedar Rapids, organic avocados sell for $1.25 at the New Pioneer Food Coop. Hy-Vee sells their freshly made, organic bread at buy 1 get one free starting at 6pm, bringing the price down to $3 a loaf.

Jan’s tip: Make sure you have organic coffee. It’s easier to make it through the 24 hours if you don’t have to change your routine, and easier to do everything when you’re not in caffeine withdrawal.

Snowshoeing to See the Woods

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ 1 Comment

The eleven inches of fresh falling snow transformed Bena Brook, creating a magical, monochromatic wonderland

upthebrook

From the exquisite sunlight filtering through the canopy

heaven

To the delicately wrought arched lairs formed by trees bending under the weight of the snow

archway

I had thought that my snowshoes would be the only red to be seen (snowshoeing is a great way to stay warm in the winter), but five red-headed woodpeckers came crashing through the woods in a very vocal territorial dispute

red, unsmudged

Both Two Point Dugout Lodge and the Leaf Tipi remained snug, providing dry cozy places to rest out of the wind and drink tea.

2point

leaftipi2

 To visit Bena Brook, rent snowshoes, or find Two Point Dugout Lodge, visit www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org

J4 Organic Challenge 1

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ 2 Comments

J4 issued a 24 hour eat organic only challenge, and this is what we learned:

  • Most of us have some organic things in our kitchens, but not enough to make complete or typical meals.
  • Our drink rituals-be it coffee, tea, or soda-can be our biggest downfall.
  • A trip to the local grocery store to fill out the planned meals in organic fashion resulted in sticker shock and non-availability.

From Jan:

The challenge was on – I had to eat only organic foods for the next 24 hours. Piece of cake! Well, maybe not cake but I was already mentally taking an inventory of my cupboards. Whole grains, beans, fresh fruit and veggies, granola – healthy food, right? Upon opening the cupboard doors I realized the quinoa was non-GMO, gluten-free, 100% whole grain but not organic. The whole grain kaniwa “superfood” touted the same labels but not organic. Neither was the heart-healthy whole grain pasta, or the natural granola. Okay, on the beans that I soak and simmer before eating. No luck. I was going to have to work harder at this. Yes! Finally, an organic banana was lurking on top of the microwave. Breakfast was in the bag but I’d better get ready for caffeine withdrawal because the coffee did not qualify. Nor did the tea. So on to lunch … a large container of organic spring greens would make a lovely salad and after rummaging through my freezer I found some dehydrated cherry tomatoes from last summer’s garden. Score! Dinner was looking a bit dismal. The yummy pumpkin soup I’d made from a volunteer pumpkin in my garden was disqualified by the chicken broth base that certainly was not organic. A frozen package of squash emerged from the depths of the freezer. Yes, this was a gift from a friend who belonged to an organic CSA last fall. Things were looking up. Then I remembered the venison steak my brother-in-law gave me. Hmmmm – local but I wonder what was on that corn that deer raided from the farm fields. It will have to do. I know this deer only ate grass! Now there are some black raspberries from the wild and the jar of dried mushrooms from last fall’s walk in the woods. Whew! I will survive but I think there is a trip to a different store in my future and I am starting to plan my 2015 garden!

Tip of the Challenge: Choose wisely where you shop.

  • Join the Iowa Valley Food Coop to get good prices on local, organically-raised meats. Shopping on-line at the co-op saves time hunting at the grocery store. http://www.iowavalleyfoodcoop.com
  • Fill in the gaps at New Pioneer Food Coop. Almost everything is organic and prices are close to the typical prices of non-organic items at conventional stores. As it is a further drive for all of us, a bit of planning is essential.  www.newpi.coop

Staying warm when it is below zero

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ 1 Comment

A fun way to stay warm in the winter is to build small, all-natural structures that block the wind. That way, whenever you’re out hiking and exploring, you have a cozy den as a destination to snug up inside. This quinzee is easy to find if you’re at the Indian Creek Nature Center. The leaf tipi is also at the Nature Center-you’ll just have to go on a longer adventure to discover it.

Leaf tipi
Leaf tipi
The quinzee mound is made, the door dug
The quinzee mound is made in the shape of a turtle, and the doorway is carved out
Nancy going inside
Nancy goes inside
And digs out a bit more space for us, so a few people can fit inside
And digs out a bit more space for us, so a few people can gather in the turtle

To Have a Pizza Party

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ 1 Comment

Dig down to the frost line, so everything doesn’t shift in the winter. Enlist friends to help with the digging.

Snuffies helps dig
Snuffies helps dig
Nanotig helps dig
Nanotig helps dig

 

Build a foundation, then level up the fire bricks
Build a foundation, then level up the fire bricks
Joe Zito doing the mud stomp, a mixture of clay and sand to form cob
Joe doing the mud stomp, a mixture of clay and sand to form cob
The first layer of cob, applied over a dome of sand.
The first layer of cob, applied over a dome of sand.
Take a break from stomping mud to appreciate the beautiful autumn
Andrea Blaha, doing the mud stomp with straw, clay and sand to form the second thermal layer of cob.
Andrea, doing the mud stomp with straw, clay and sand to form the second thermal layer of cob.
Mick and Jerry Snodgress, applying the second layer of cob.
Mick and Jerry, applying the second layer of cob.
Maria and Chauncey Snodgress at the end of forming the oven.
Maria and Chauncey at the end of forming the oven.
After things have had a few days to dry, we cut out the doorway.
After things have had a few days to dry, we cut out the doorway.
Elaine Ball is digging out the sand form.
Elaine is digging out the sand form.
A complete cob oven.
A complete cob oven.
Behind the wooden door
Behind the wooden door.
IMG_pie is done!
The first pizza party coincided with the first snowfall of winter.

 

 

 

Forest on the Fringe

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ Leave a comment

Forest on the Fringe author Bill Haywood has been working in Indian Creek Nature Center’s woodlands recently.

fotf_cover

In some areas, there are massive elms still standing and butternut trees still producing nuts-everything you could possibly want in a healthy Iowa woodland. But in other areas, invasive black locust and mulberry dominate the landscape. Bringing those sections back to health would involve massive ecosystem destruction, followed by expensive reconstruction. Bill has a better way. Through the woods, he has been dropping small, 3”-9” diameter trees.

Bill's clearing

This allows the mature-canopy trees, regardless of species, to continue stabilizing the existing ecology. Young desirable trees, including white oaks, butternuts, and shagbark hickories will be able to grow up in the pockets of sunlight he has created. Periodic fire will be used to keep the undesirable trees from reclaiming the sunlight. This long-term approach prevents erosion, relies on the intact components of the forest, and creates a healthy range of different age trees and amounts of sunlight throughout the woodlands.

Then the storms of last week hit, and overlaid on Bill’s careful work was the awesome path of wreckage left by a strong wind pattern. “Trail Destructo,” as my colleague Andrea Blaha calls it.

trail destructo

One of the butternuts was cracked in half and trails were covered by broken and twisted trees.

butternut tree down

 

At first I felt devastated. But then, I remembered the notes from the 1842 survey of this area. A significant windfall band that swept across the township was noted, not unlike what happened in Monday’s storms. While the damage to some of the existing trees is extensive, these wind events create pockets of open sunlight, allowing new growth and different species to develop in the woods. Downed trees are also great for fungus and replenishing the soil.

Scarlet cups, Ginger
Gabrielle Anderson’s scarlet cups in Hunting Red

scarlet cups, snipped

fungi

Nature’s Garden

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ Leave a comment

Other than garlic and a few perennials, I decided this year I wasn’t going to plant anything of my own.  I was just going to harvest Nature’s garden. The diversity is far greater than anything I could fit in my backyard. Today, we collected a bag of elderberry blossoms. After the petals dry and drop off the flowers they will make delicious tea.

 

The mulberries we ate right off of the tree as a fresh snack. If we had known we were going to find them, we would have brought a container to put them in-everyone knows vanilla ice cream is best with fresh mulberries.

mulberry for web

Gabrielle Anderson’s mulberry from Hunting Red.

Green Dragons

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ 1 Comment

I went to the stable for an afternoon ride on Frank. But it was a hot, muggy day and the buffalo gnats were biting.

Frank

 

Frank, and the rest of the herd, had taken refuge in the woods across Dry Creek. Which is certainly not dry right now, but at least there was a convenient log for me to use to cross the creek.

log across creek

I put his halter on, and started looking for a suitable log that I could use as a mounting block. While we wandered through the woods, I came across this surprising patch of green dragons. Surprising because the woodland is small and has been grazed for years, and it is full of green briar and garlic mustard. It is a lovely spot of shade and water for the horses, dogs, and kids, but ecologically it is degraded.

leaf whorlleaf and dragon

 

A good reminder that life-and nature-are always full of surprises.

green dragon berries copy

Gabrielle Anderson’s green dragon berries from Hunting Red.

 

 

 

Prairie Labyrinth

~ Jean Wiedenheft ~ Leave a comment

I was out mowing the prairie labyrinth at Indian Creek Nature Center.

IMG_20140605_113723006_HDR

 

While there was no red to be found, the area is thick with rattlesnake master.

IMG_20140605_113335518

It’s a beautiful site for a stroll, if you’re in eastern Iowa. It’s also a good place to check back periodically, because the reds will be popping up as the season progresses.

IMG_20140605_113159586