Let’s go for a mid-winter nature walk, shall we? Starting at the Interpretive Center we find several things of interest, aside from the several feet of solid snow. Here we see and hear a flurry of bird activity, as the seed feeders behind the center have been attracting a small flock of house finches, black-capped …
Category Archive: Nature Writing
The Meadowlark
The meadowlark sings to greet the new day As sweet thoughts of the night shimmer away. Faint fading stars release their loving hold Of a story, forever gone, untold; Yet with each new chapter comes life reborn That strengthens our ties to the past we mourn. For the meadowlark truly sings for thee: Each sunrise …
Stranded
The following was written in early June 2008 and originally posted on one of my former blogs. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College and prior to working there I briefly took part in a National Park Service vegetation study on the Apostle Islands of northern Wisconsin. Thus ends one of the most stressful weeks of …
Populus
Only one thing bothers me these days: The thought of going unnoticed. Disregarded, discarded As if I were but a simple fallen leaf. I know you can see me. I’m standing right outside your house And I know you look out your bedroom window often enough. Is this too difficult to acknowledge? Trembling, I don’t …
Prairie Nightfall
The sun sets on the western horizon, yet the meadowlark sings as sweetly as if it were daybreak. A light breeze passes through the bowing grasses, the breath of God. Shadows take their brief but firm grasp on the golden sea, and heaven and earth are united. As the harrier settles down, the owl awakens. …
Finding Food in the Arboretum
Fall is the time for foraging. Birds, butterflies, squirrels, deer, and many other animals are busy looking for food that will give them the energy required for migration or the reserves to survive winter. Plentiful mountain-ash berries and crabapples are favored by flocks of migrating robins and cedar waxwings, while sparrows and finches are busy …
Adaptations for Winter
Winter is generally a tough season for wildlife. And the farther north you go, the tougher it becomes. In order to survive bitter cold, strong icy winds, and food shortages, the animals that call Minnesota their year-round home most be adapted for survival during our harshest season. Many of these adaptations can be seen here …
Water Stress
Being a wetland in southern Minnesota has been pretty tough in recent years. As in the past two summers, this summer’s rainfall was again well below average, approaching drought levels. For a perennial wetland ecosystem, this means trouble. Even in our small wetlands in the Linnaeus Arboretum we can see the effects of this water …
Sparking a Passion for Nature
Since early childhood, nature has caught my attention. Even then, did I think I would ever make a career out of this interest? Probably not. But here I am, at age 23, working as the Linnaeus Arboretum naturalist. Having just graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College this past May, it seems a bit odd being back …
The Song of the Boreal Owl
One of the funny things about birding is that the term destination is of little significance. Sure, birders usually have a specific area to which they’re driving, hiking, or even boating, but the goal of the trip is never a location. Rather, the goal is most often a sighting of a rare bird, something highly …