Enjoy the Lunar Eclipse!

Across much of the world, including here in New England, we'll have a great opportunity to enjoy a full Lunar Eclipse on Saturday, March 3, 2007! The eclipse will start at 4:30 p.m. and the full eclipse can be best viewed from roughly 6-8 p.m.

What is a lunar eclipse?
Simply put, it is when the moon is in the Earth's shadow. The Moon first reaches Earth's outer shadow, or penumbra. During this time, any change in appearance of the Moon may be difficult to detect, especially as here in CT it will still be light outside. The Moon next goes through the Earth's umbra, or inner shadow, for about an hour. After the Moon goes through the umbra, it must go through the other side of Earth's penumbra (outer shadow). Appearances of the Moon can be interesting! The Moon may look red, orange, yellow, brown, and various shades in between. This happens as the light of the sun passes through our atmosphere, the blue rays are blocked and only the red rays pass through.

What is a family to do?
1. Prepare for the fun

• Read together. Visit your local library for children's books on the night sky. Project Learning Tree (http://shop.plt.org/category.aspx?c=cg_childrens_books_astronomy(base)) recommends these books about the night sky.
• View the link by clicking on the title of this post; this link shows what a lunar eclipse will look like and also tells the time you can best view the different phases of the eclipse, depending on your time zone.
• Simulate a lunar eclipse by becoming a human eclipse. Have one person represent the Sun, Earth and Moon. In a dark room, have the Sun hold a flashlight above his/her head, aiming it toward the Earth. The Earth should stand in line next, with the light beaming onto him/her. The Moon should stand directly behind the Earth, and (hopefully!) you'll see the Earth's shadow now cast onto the Moon.

2. Host a Lunar Eclipse Party

• Gather the lawn chairs and blankets
• Enjoy a campfire, s'mores, and hot cocoa as you watch the Moon pass through the shadow of the Earth
• To make s'mores: Place a marshmallow on a stick or shishkebab stick, roast marshmallows in a campfire (adult supervision is obviously necessary!). Pull 'mallow off the stick and place on a square of graham cracker. Place a square of chocolate on the 'mallow and top it off with another graham cracker. Be sure to touch everything in sight with your now sticky fingers! ha ha Tip: don't bother washing the kids' hands until you're positive the marshmallow roasting is complete. Tip: Keep an area free for running space for the kids as they run off their sugar high!

3. Wrap-it Up!
Just like wrapping a birthday present and giving it to someone, your family can wrap-up their night of fun and share their experiences with someone else. It's a great way to give the feeling of friendship.

• Create a Masterpiece: Use crayon, colored pencils or paints to visualize on paper the colors of the moon as it went through Earth's shadow
• Write a Memoir: Write an account of the night and share it with someone who wasn't with you. Tell about the brisk air on your cheeks, the excitement of watching the moon and the night sky, the fun you had making s'mores......put it in an envelope and mail off to a friend or family member.

4. Enjoy!

Morning adventure

I was on my way to work this morning when I stopped at a local gas station to fill up the tank. As I'm standing outside my car, pumping gas into the tank, another gas station customer pulls up behind me. The driver of this car gets out and we start chatting about the morning. I just about finish getting gasoline, replace the nozzle into its cradle, when the woman behind me screams out loud, "AHHHHH! What is THAT thing!" I turn and look toward the direction of her trembling, pointing finger and see two very large antennae coming up over the edge of the trash can, searching, probing the can and the air. I walk towards the can (as she takes many steps back) and peer toward the insect. I couldn't believe what I was seeing - a walking stick! I haven't seen one of these insects in years, not since I was probably around ten years old, exploring the woods and my yard.

"Wow! This is so exciting!" I tell the woman. I identify the insect for her (she had never seen one before or heard of a walking stick)and proceed to put my hand out to let it crawl on me so I can get it off the garbage can where it would surely meet its demise. I tell her I am going to find a more suitable place for the insect. "Don't worry," I tell her, as she looks at me like I'm crazy, "I'm an environmental educator." As if that should explain it all! Ha ha.

As I look around the surroundings of concrete, asphalt, potted mums and a few dwarf Alberta spruces, I decide this is not habitat most conducive to walking sticks (which seem to prefer trees in the forest, especially oaks). I decide I will take the insect with me to work - great timing as I am leading a forester badge workshop in the afternoon for cub scouts - and release it there. I open the hatch on my car when the woman, watching me, yells out, "WHAT are you DOING!" Iexplain the connection between habitat, a scout workshop and teachable moments (maybe this was one, too) and tell her I am looking for a bug box. Yes, I usually have one in my car. Of course, a walking stick, with its long body, is not going to fit in a bug box, so I decided to put it in my camera case.

The woman proceeded to get back in her car and back-up to drive away from me - was she trying to tell me something? I get the insect in the camera case, bring it to work, set it up in a mini terrarium for the day, and utilize the walking stick for the cub scout workshop. The scouts were thrilled (as were their parents) with having such a neat opportunity to see something they'd never seen before, except on T.V. The scouts had to key out an oak tree in the woods where we proceeded to release the insect.

All in a day's work!

At August End ~ a poem

At August End

A leaf of birch has yellow turned
The goldenrod on roadside glows
And sugar maple here and there
Is green no more, and orange shows.

On verdant hedge, I cannot smell,
The Concord grape upon the vine,
But in just a week or two it will
Have ripened, purple, for the wine.

A station wagon passes by,
Off to college, back to class,
Yet younger children heedless play
Still barefoot on the August grass.

‘Tis August still, and days are warm,
Yet acorns pepper forest trail,
And summer breeze through open screen,
Will strengthen to October gale.

A time twixt seasons, August end.
And just as snowdrop heralds spring,
So goldenrod and turning birch
Will just as surely autumn bring.

And what I love at August end,
Is that it hints what’s next in store –
And knowing fall is drawing nigh
Makes me love August all the more.

By Adam R. Moore

Adam Moore is the Executive Director of Connecticut Forest & Park Association

Things I Saw Today

Okay, actually it was a few days ago, but it was such a good day for spotting nature nearby that I just had to share it! It's amazing what one observes when paying attention.

1. Bumblee on coneflower
I was walking out to my car in the morning, when I noticed all the bees on the coneflowers. They were just starting to move, to shake off their sleep of the cool air from the previous night and the dew of the morning. I walked over to one and gently stroked its back. Have you ever pet a bee?

2. Cormorant sitting on a lamppost along Route 8
So I get in the car and drive to work. Alongside the highway, I am accustomed to seeing pigeons, crows, and sometimes "Route 8 Red" the red-tailed hawk perched atop the lamppost. But this morning, I was delighted to see a cormant sitting on the metal post, overlooking the river below and the highway to its side.

3. Red-tailed hawk screeches
I come home from work to enjoy the screech, screech, screech of a red-tailed hawk from across the yard, probably after catching a rabbit, mouse or vole from the farmer's field.

4. Family of turkeys crossing the road
I drive to visit my sister in the next town over. On the way home, I have to stop my car and watch a turkey hen with her chicks cross into the brambles and tall grasses at the edge of the street.

5. Doe and fawn in yard
I get home, and I'm barely in the kitchen, when my husband quietly yells for me to come outside - quick! I rush to the back patio to see a large, spotted fawn in the yard, pacing alongside the neighbor's fence. The doe had apparently jumped the fence a moment earlier, and the fawn did not have the gumption to run and jump to follow its mother. A few moments later, the doe jumped back into our yard and ran in the opposite direction (no fences to jump that way!) with her fawn just at her heels.

6. Hum of cicadas
I go to bed, falling asleep to the magical buzz of cicadas. What a day!

Beginning Birding Family Hike

Birding - what a wonderful way to spend a slighty overcast day! Saturday, June 17th was the 7th week of the DEP's Great Park Pursuit, the outdoor challenge game of the No Child Left Inside initiative (click on title above for a link). I was happy to lead two hikes for families and get them excited about watching birds, learning about bird habitats and how to use binoculars. We had about 15 folks join in for a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk of Silver Sands State Park in Milford. After practicing how to hold, focus and use the binoculars, we were ready for action! Along the way we heard the sewing machine-like sounds of a marsh wren, watched a clapper rail preen, saw a black-crowned night heron land in the creek during low tide, enjoyed the red-winged blackbirds perched along the reeds and learned that there are many different kinds of gulls, not one generic "seagull." The families had a great time. One young boy, about 4 years old, was so excited to see birds, he'd hear holler every couple of minutes, "A BIRD! A BIRD!" He was thrilled to be the official spotter of the group as he watched for movement on the beach, along the tidal creeks or in the reeds themselves. Our first group was also thrilled to meet another birding group along the way, who helped us spot the marsh wren and told us about the clapper rail's side-compact body, which helps it hide amongst the reeds and marsh grasses.

Any family can bird watch together and I'd love to hear your stories and sightings! Family birding is a simple yet exciting way to spend time together while learning more and more about your feathered neighbors. You may want to keep a log, photographic journal or sketchbook of the birds you see together. It's fun to watch how they flap their wings, listen for their songs and calls, wathc them feeding, figuring out what kind of habitat they are in, and more. Whether birding from your backyard, a trail, a city park or state forest, let me know if you're a birding family, enjoying the outdoors together.

Photo of marsh wren from www.forestryimages.com

Nature's Beauty

Nature is a sea of forms
a leaf, a sunbeam, a landscape, the ocean-
what is common to them all is beauty...

Each moment has its own beauty; it beholds
every hour a picture which was never seen
before and which shall never be seen again...

Every hour and season yields its tribute of delight
from breathless noon to grimmest midnight.

---Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo courtesy of John H. Cudworth, formerly of West Hartford, now in Mahwah, NJ
Photos taken in 1999 of Rattlesnake Mountain and views from Bradley Mountain in Plainville

Art and Nature

Botanical Arts Workshops and Exhibits
New Pond Farm
101 Marchant Road
West Redding, CT 06896
203-938-2117


Sat June 10, 2006 11-4
DRAWING NATURE FOR THE COMPLETE BEGINNER To learn how to draw you must first learn how to see. Instruction will begin with observational skills and eye-hand coordination tips and techniques. Emerge with a sketchbook journal of studies, stumbles, and a few masterful drawings.



ART EXHIBITION - “SEEING NATURE AS AN ARTIST” In conjunction with the workshops, an exhibition of small paintings, of instructor and Naturalist Illustrator Cynthia Padilla.

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Highstead Arboretum
127 Lonetown Road
Redding, CT 06875
(203) 938-8809.

Sun June 11, 2006 11-4
NATURE DRAWING: COLORED PENCIL Colored pencil studies, as taught by the instructor, can look as luminous as paintings. We work from mounted live-plant Mountain Laurel cuttings in a relaxed classroom setting.


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The Connecticut College Arboretum
270 Mohegan Avenue,
Connecticut College
New London, CT 06320
860-439-5020


Wed June 14, 2006 6:30-9:30
BOTANICAL DRAWING The motionless plant specimen in a controlled classroom setting, allows for careful rendering of its form. We will start at the beginning by learning how to draw accurately through keen observation.

Thurs June 15, 2006 6:30-9:30
BOTANICAL PAINTING A successful botanical painting must combine accurate observation and graceful drawing with confident brushwork and a keen eye for color. Instruction will be in watercolor media.

BOTANICAL ARTS EXHIBITION May-August In conjunction with the workshops, an exhibition of traditional botanicals by national artist Cynthia Padilla will be on view. The diminutive works are drawn from live specimens…to scale….exhaustive detail. In addition to the art work, books of botany and botanical art will be on display along with pictures and history of the Arboretum as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Arboretum.

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Brookfield Craft Center
296 Whisconier Rd (Route 25)
Brookfield, CT 06804
203-775-4526


Sat - Sun June 24 - 25, 2006
PAINTED TILE MURALS Students in this intensive two-day workshop will learn how to create custom tile murals for the home or garden.

Mon - Fri June 26-30, 2006
NATURE DRAWING Sketch the beauty of the Connecticut flora and fauna on-location. Students will explore the tradition of the early countryside artists who documented nature from direct observation. Emphasis will be placed on quick, efficient studies executed in (portable) pen & ink and watercolor media.

BOTANICAL ARTS SELECTION In conjunction with the workshops, a selection of diminutive drawings and paintings of natural science subjects by artist Cynthia Padilla will be available in the gallery

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Hiking at Salmon River State Forest today

Hi Folks,
While hiking in the fog keeps the sun off our backs, we are experiencing a light rain with thunderstorms predicted. Let's play it safe this morning and enjoy the Salmon River hike another time. Other upcoming Family Guided Hikes, held the last weekend of the month are: June 24 Waterbury Area Trails in Waterbury; July 29 Webb Mountain, Monroe and August 26 Pataconk Lake State Park, Chester. All hikes are led from 10 a.m. to noon. Please watch the CFPA website (www.ctwoodlands.org) as more summer hikes (same dates) will be added in the next couple of weeks.
Happy Memorial Day weekend.
--Lori

Middle school students quietly enjoying the outdoors. 

Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder

Have you heard the interview between Diane Rehm, of The Diane Rehm Show on NPR, and Richard Louv? Mr. Louv authored Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. The program aired yesterday, the second day of 2006. I didn't hear the show myself, but our executive director told me he'd listened to it, so I took no time to find it on the web. If you missed it, visit http://wamu.org/programs/dr/06/01/02.php
and you can hear it online. I thought it was more of a discussion than interview and I really enjoyed listening to the thoughts of Mr. Louv and the callers and folks who e-mailed him questions.

The premise of the interview was for Mr. Louv to discuss his book, now in its sixth printing, I believe. As an environmental educator, I must admit I am strongly biased to the need for children to experience nature in the great outdoors. Louv states that Nature Deficit Disorder, while not a medical condition, is an alienation of our children from nature; he stresses the importance of reconnecting them with the outdoors in a society that has become so indoor oriented.

It is interesting to me that connecting to nature has to be such a dilemma in today's society. I grew up in a family that was lucky enough to enjoy camping trips together. We had a yard that directly connected to the woods and also had what we called The Wildlife on our street. A more apt term for today would be 'open space.' All this outdoor opportunity exposed my family and I to the beauty of the world and helped us, I believe, in caring for and respecting others. I thrived in our yard, in our woods, in our Wildlife. I loved catching bullfrogs, turning over logs for salamanders and sitting by the stream in solitude. I can still smell the skunk cabbage and hear the water as it gurgles downstream over the smooth, cold stones. I am confident that my parents, in their gentle way, played a large role in my becoming involved in environmental education. I have heard many anecdotal stories of folks in the field who were mentored by a caring adult to experience the outdoors, who shared the outdoors with them.

A gentleman calling from Florida to the show shared his experience as a mentor during the summer camp season. His organization helped teach survival and leadership skills to area youth. Louv acknowledged that many environmentalists/conservationists point to a transcendent experience they had in the outdoors as a child. With the lack of exposure to the outdoors in many kids today, it is important to wonder, as Louv does, who will be the next generation of earth's stewards. This is a dire question that we all need to ask ourselves if we wish to drink clean water and breathe in clean air. Of course, I would also add to that the importance to our spirits of watching the stars on a dark night, building a sandcastle on a litter-free beach and hiking a trail with vistas and views of the forest around us.

That Louv sees nature as a window into wonder, I cannot agree more. One never knows the magic found outside, waiting to be experienced. For me, nature was full of wonder, but it also meant family time. It was a quality time that my mother and father, brother and sister shared together. Whether telling stories around the campfire or visiting Duck Pond or enjoying an outdoor cook-out or simply running around the yard barefoot during a sun shower, a large part of my childhood was spent outdoors with my family. Looking back, I realize we had cultivated our own piece of heaven.

One of the callers to the show argued that scheduled outdoor sports, such as Little League games, offered plenty of time for kids to experience nature. Louv disagreed, as Diane Rehm stated that organized sports are a great experience -- in organized sports. While team playing can teach a child about teamwork, cohesiveness, healthy competition, respect and other societal norms, it does not, as Louv explains, offer the chance for the child to utilize all of his/her senses as nature does. Time in nature offers discovery, wonder, beauty. I can attest to that.

One of the things I enjoyed about this interview was the positive outlook. The idea that we need to create a balance in our children's lives. A caller shared her story of how she and her nine year-old daughter take "photo walks" together. This gives them time to enjoy the outdoors and it gives her daughter the experience in using current technology as she snaps the photos and uses the computer to send the photos to relatives. A balance! Louv does tell listeners that he does not think technology is evil, but that we need to carefully balance our use of time. He states that a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Study showed that an American child spends an average of 44 hours a week plugged into some kind of electronic media. This, if you ask me, is too many hours, too much time getting caught up in the "zone" where you're not aware of anything but what is on the screen in front of you. Another caller shared his suggestion of just keeping it simple - make the outdoors as accessible as we make our technology - or more so. Put the T.V. in the basement, don't let it be so tempting in our homes as it sits out in the open, waiting to be turned on! We should also be responsible for educating ourselves on the facts of the risks of being outside, rather than falling prey to our fears of the unknown, the outdoors, ruling our and especially our children's lives. Let's give the power to balance our lives back to ourselves, educate ourselves on the risks and precautions, and enjoy being a family and experiencing, as Ms. Rehm says, the magic of nature.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the interview between the host, Diane Rehm, and guest, Richard Louv. Have you seen "nature Deficit Disorder" in your family? How do you compete with today's busy schedule?

Hiking at Hammo

What a beautiful, crisp fall morning! So, yes, the hike is on! Join me at Hammonasset Beach State Park at 10 this morning for a guided hike for families. We'll meet at Meigs Point Nature Center. Visit this blog after our hike and share some of your finds, fun and discoveries. Directions can be found on the DEP website.
Wear your warm clothes and sturdy shoes for we'll be on the woodland trails of the park.