The big nest was suddenly there one morning. My next door neighbor called before 8 a.m. asking if I saw the big nest in the tree that grew in front of our houses. I hadn’t noticed it. We used my binoculars to marvel at the engineering skill of the big gray and tan object partially […]
Nature in Summer
Summer Moons and Nature Holidays
Summer is a time of celebration, of bright summer moons and nature holiday celebrations. Following the rhythm of the season brings us to the warmth and bright sunshine of summer. We are half way through the year. It is hard to believe but after the solstice on June 21st the days grow shorter as we […]
Seasonal Foods for Summer
Summer foods are fresh and simple. It is easy to eat whole healthy foods from local growers with farmer’s markets nearby. In Philadelphia, we have farmer’s markets all over the city. The markets include produce grown and sold by the actual growers. We have several farmers here in the city with csa (community-supported agriculture) programs. […]
Nature in Summer: An Overview
Nature in summer is bursting at the seams with life and activity. Let’s get started on this season’s nature study. Now we have the warmest time of the year with high temperatures, long hot days and uncomfortable warm nights. Summer for me, always has had a laid-back easiness. And a mañana attitude that things can […]
Naturalist News – Summer 2013
The summer solstice was hot and humid in Philadelphia. What else is new? It’s all that water. I can’t imagine what it will be like as the climate continues to warm. I like to wake up very early, tend my garden and get back in the shade of the house before the sun is high […]
Summer Solstice (Midsummer's Day)
Today is the Summer Solstice. It arrives at 7:09 p.m. This solstice’s signals the mid-point of the summer. The sun has reached the highest point in the sky and today is the longest day of the year. After today, the days grow shorter, until the Winter Solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the […]
Beltane – the beginning of summer
Today is Beltane. The sky is overcast and there is a slight chill in the air, but it feels as if a corner has been turned. It feels like summer. At some point during these past few days, spring has left us. Many of the cool-weather crops I planted in March and early April are […]
When is hurricane season?
In the Northern hemisphere, hurricane season lasts from June through November. Most storms happen two months after the summer solstice, in late summer through early autumn, with August and September being the most active months. The average number of storms throughout the world during a season is 85. What are they? Hurricanes are powerful violent […]
Lessons from a Hurricane
What can we learn from a hurricane? Without all the scientific instruments how would we know that a big, bad storm was coming? What signs could we look for?
Dog-day Cicadas
It’s early August and the signs of summer ending are everywhere. And the frenzied call of the Dog-day Cicadas fill the afternoon air.