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All in One

About a month ago I worked for a few weeks as an outdoor educator taking kids fishing and helping them learn about fresh and saltwater ecosystems of the mid-Atlantic. A great job, indeed. I was out for about eight hours a day doing everything from putting worms on hooks and re-stringing fishing line to pointingContinue reading “All in One”

Butterflies

Butterflies give rise to joy. As evidence I would present laughs and wide eyed stares, winsome smiles and plenty of uuuuuus and ahhhhhhhs. My five and seven year old simply light up when they see a butterfly flutter about and I must admit that I catch a glow from their light. Finding critters to studyContinue reading “Butterflies”

The Young Life

A deer in the backyard always creates excitement in my house but make it a young deer, or, better yet, a really young deer and you get a bit more joy mixed in with the excitement. There is something extra special about seeing a young animal. Maybe younger animals are just cuter, like those ofContinue reading “The Young Life”

It’s the Little Things

We have written on our our blog before that large animals in the suburban environment are few and far between. In my neighborhood, a half hour outside of Washington, D.C., we routinely see deer and fox but sightings of larger animals are rare though not unheard of. Two weeks ago a neighbor sighted a blackContinue reading “It’s the Little Things”

Brook Trout

In this post thesuburbannaturalist gets out of the suburbs. About a month ago a friend and I headed out to the Shenandoah National Park (SNP) for some brook trout fishing, usually, an annual event. We were well aware of the thunderstorms in the forecast but, it was the only day both of us could goContinue reading “Brook Trout”

Overcoming a fear of nature

If nothing else I have bestowed upon my children my love of nature. They are not always as enthusiastic as I am about our natural world though they often come very close. From the time my children were quite little I have been introducing them to the world around us and encouraging them to exploreContinue reading “Overcoming a fear of nature”

(Re)Creating Memories in Nature

I remember my parents taking my siblings and I to Shenandoah National Park when I was very young. I was so young that I remember only a little from our visit but I distinctly recall my feelings from our trip. I remember feelings of wonder as we hiked down to a waterfall and trepidation asContinue reading “(Re)Creating Memories in Nature”

Teaching Stewardship

Last weekend my Girl Scouts (actually a Junior and a Brownie) took part in a stream cleanup for a creek that runs through our neighborhood. In all honesty, the kids view the stream clean up as a kind of treasure hunt as much as service project but that’s fine. What a great learning opportunity! EveryContinue reading “Teaching Stewardship”

Finding time for nature

My brother and I set about to write this blog just three months ago. We would share the duties and every week one of us would post on this site so that all I would need to come up with was about two posts a month. Just three months in I am already having issuesContinue reading “Finding time for nature”

Writing About Nature

Sometime last year I decided to start writing about my most seminal experiences in nature. These are moments that are seared into my memory they are simply, unforgettable. I treasure each of these memories for the sense of wonder , awe or sometimes fear that they instill in me. These memories, collectively, bring me backContinue reading “Writing About Nature”