In 2016 I’m doing a 365 Nature project. Each day of the year I will post something here about nature. It may be any format, a photo, video, audio, sketch or entry from my nature journal. It could be a written piece. Each day I will connect to nature in some way and share it here by the end of that day. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to the RSS feed or be notified by email. See all the 365 Nature posts.
I take advantage of the nature in the city so much that sometimes I need to give back. Over the last few months I’ve volunteered with the forest stewards at our local park to restore it. At the first work parties we cut back and dug up blackberry, freeing a lupine meadow. At other work parties we planted new sedges and ferns and transplanted other plants which had been crowded out. Today we tackled woody invasive plants in the wetlands, namely holly and laurel as well as the ever-present blackberry and ivy. It’s tough work, but also incredibly rewarding. It’s very pleasing to pull out a large group of holly to find an Oregon Grape hidden underneath. It’s also good exercise and it’s nice to be outside, listening to the birds. Another benefit is the chance to get off the trail and make new discoveries, like a strange black and white fungi I found growing from the base of a chopped down tree. (see photo in slideshow above)
I’m proud to be one in a line of stewards preserving and restoring the landscape for the plants and wildlife. It is our park after all, our local patch. I volunteers to make fliers to put up around the neighborhood. (In slideshow above) I’m glad to share my skills where I can.
