The Old Naturalist http://oldnaturalist.com a voice for the earth--honoring life and seeking beauty Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:52:19 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 216715386 La Gente de las Nubes – The Cloud People http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=7283&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-cloud-people-zapotec-culture-expressed-through-art http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=7283#comments Wed, 28 Feb 2024 21:28:05 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=7283 Continue reading ]]> Editado por Luz Toledo y de Instituto de Jovel, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.

Hace cinco años, tuve el honor de visitar el taller de Jacoba y Mária Ángeles, de San Martín Tilcajete, un pueblito en el estado de Oaxaca, Mexico.

Son artistas que tallan y pintan alebrijes, criaturas mágicas de madera. Para las artistas, que pasaba tanto tiempo creando las piezas, las criaturas tienen un espiritu dentro de ellos.

Five years ago, I had the honor to visit the  workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles, from San Martin Tilcajete a pueblo in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.

They are artists who carve and paint alebrijes, magical wooden creatures. To the artists, who spend so much time creating the pieces, the creatures have a spirit inside them.

La cultura zapoteca data de antes de Cristo. Los antepasados zapotecas eran artistas, granjeros, guerreros y constructores de pirámides.

En el siglo xvi, los zapotecas fueron conquistados por los aztecas. Después, los españoles invadieron y oprimieron a los zapotecas. Sin embargo, la resistencia y la belleza de la cultura zapoteca es evidente hoy en su arte.

The Zapotec culture dates before Christ. The Zapotec ancestors were artists, farmers, warriors and builders of pyramids.

In the 16th century, the Zapotecs were conquered by the Mexicas or Aztecs. Afterwards, the Spanish invaded and oppressed the Zapotecs.. However, the resilience and beauty of the Zapotec culture is evident today in their art.

The Zapotec believed that bats or murcielago were the keepers of the Underworld.

 

 

De acuerdo con las leyendas zapotecas, algunos de sus antepasados se originaron en las cuevas y otros de los árboles, y de los jaguares.

Tambíen, otros se creyeron ser descendientes de seres sobrenaturales que vivían en las nubes. Por esto se llamaron : Be’ena’Za’a” or “la gente de las nubes”.

According to Zapotec legends, some of their ancestors originated in caves, and others came from trees or jaguars.

Still others are believed to be descended from supernatural beings who lived in the clouds. That is why they are called “Be’ena’Za’a” – “The cloud people.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

El perro sagrado del zapoteco, “Xoloitzcuintl” o Xolo, simboliza la importancia de la familia, del liderazgo positivo y del poder espiritual.

The sacred dog of the Zapotec, Xoloitzcuintli or “Xolo” symbolizes the importance of  family, positive leadership and spiritual power.

El tlacuache – possum

photo by Jacobo and Mária Ángeles

En el taller hay ochenta artistas y una escuela donde enseñan a los pasantes quien viven en la comunidad. El taller está dedicado a mantener viva su cultura zapoteca.

In the workshop there are eighty artists, also, a school where they teach interns who live in the community. The workshop is dedicated to keeping their Zapotec culture alive.

El caracol simboliza el valor de contribuir a la comunidad. Este símbolo está usado en los diseños de los alebrijes. Otros animales honrados en sus diseños son las hormigas (trabajadores) y los peces (tranquilos). De esta manera, los artistas guardan su cultura llena de vida y honran a la naturaleza.

The snail symbolizes the value of contributing to the community. This symbol is used in the designs of the alebrijes. Other animals honored in their designs are ants (hardworking) and fish (calm). In this way, the artists keep their culture full of life and honor nature.

 

Zapotecs believed that iguanas represented creativity and sensitivity.

 

Photo by Jacobo Ángeles

La mayoría de los alebrijes están tallado del Copal. Es el árbol sagrado de la cultura zapoteca. Antes de empezar a trabajar, quemaron la resina del copal para ayudar a limpiar sus energía y conectado con sus antepasados. Mária Ángeles es la mujer en la imagen de la derecha. La mujer a la izquierda tiene diseñas caracol en su brazo.

Most of the alebrijes are carved from copal. It is the sacred tree of the Zapotec culture. Before starting to work, they burn the resin of the copal to help cleanse their energy and connect to their ancestors. Mária Ángeles is the woman in the image on the right. The woman on the left has caracol designs on her arm.

All of the work is done by hand using primitive tools: machetes, knives, and chisels. Photo by Jacobo and Mária Ángeles

Cuando un tallador comienza un proyecto, necesita estudiar la madera para encontrar el espíritu o “nahual” escondido dentro de la madera. Mientras se talla la madera, las artistas utilizan su imaginación y su habilidad con un machete.

When a carver starts a project, it is necessary to study the wood to find the spirit o nahual hidden inside the wood. While carving the wood, the artistas use their imagination and their skill with a machete.

An unfinished jaguar that our guide, Elias, was working on. The entire body will be covered with Zapotec symbols. The jaguar is the protector and signifies leadership.

Nuestra guia, Elias, ha estado pintando alebrijes por veinticinco años. Él y otros artistas solo usan  pigmentos natural: corteza de copal (el negro); bichos cochinillas ( el rojo); el piel de la granada (el amarillo), flores y otro materiales.

Our guide, Elias, has been painting alebrijes for 25 years. He and other artists only use natural pigments: copal bark (black), cochineal bugs (red), the skin of the pomegranate (yellow), flowers and other materials.

 

Los artistas pintan los diseños sin siguiente un estampado,  usando su creatividad innata. Elias dijo que pintando los diseños zapoteca todo el día puede ser una experiencia meditativa.

The artists paint the designs without following a pattern, using their innate creativity.  Elias said that painting the Zapotec symbols all day long can be a meditative experience.

A large piece may take 1.5 years to complete from start to finish and 10 weeks to paint. Elias and a team of other artists worked together on this lion project.

Copal Tree
photo by Jacobo y Mária Ángeles.

La resina del árbol de copal ha estado usada para incienso por más de setecientos años. Desafortunadamente, demasiados copales han sido cortados. Para garantizar la sobrevivencia de copal, el taller ha estado cultivando plántulas copales en sus viveros. Cada año, plantan tres mil plántulas en las montañas. Los árboles van a estar maduros en cuarenta años. Su visión a largo plazo garantiza que su negocio va a ser sostenible en el futuro. También, ellos estan regresando lo que tomaron de la Tierra.

The resin of the copal tree has been used for incense for more than seven hundred years. Unfortunately, too much copal has been cut. To guarantee the survival of copal, the workshop has been cultivating copal seedlings in their greenhouses. Each year, they plant three thousand seedlings in the mountains. The trees will be mature in forty years. Their long-term vision guarantees that their business will be sustainable in the future. Also, they are giving back what they took from the Earth.

The row on the right are one year old cutting grafts. The row on the left are seedlings planted from Copal seed.

8 year old Copal Tree

Los árboles serán cosechados después de cuarenta años. En ese momento, el tronco tendrá un metro de diámetro.

The trees will be harvested after 40 years. At that time the trunk will be a meter in diameter.

Yearly planting project that involves the entire community. photo by Jacobo y Mária Ángeles.

El taller de Jacoba y Mária Ángeles es un ejemplo positivo de qué pasa cuando los humanos siguen sus sueños y sus valores, entonces trabajan para lograrlos.

The workshop of Jacoba y Mária Ángeles is a positive example of what happens when humans follow their dreams and their values, then work to achieve them.

photo by Jacobo y Mária Ángeles.

Reader Jessica Blum shared the book, Dream Carver or El Tallador de Sueños para Amy Cordova

 

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La Historia de la Creación Maya / Mayan Creation Story http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12144&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=historia-de-la-creacion-maya-mayan-creation-story http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12144#comments Thu, 08 Feb 2024 03:18:01 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12144 Continue reading ]]> Contada por Francisco Arizmendi y editado por Luz  Toledo y de Instituto de Jovel, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
As told by Francisco Arizmendi and edited by Luz Toledo y de Instituto de Jovel, San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico.

 

Popol Vuh es el libro sagrado para los Mayas y cuenta la creación de los seres humanos. También es un libro de consejos.

Popol Vuh is a sacred book of the Mayans and describes the creation of human beings. It is also a book of advise.

un ejemplo de escritura maya. www.manzanillosun.com

Antes de los seres humanos, no existía nada en el universo. Sólo había agua y todo estaba muy tranquilo. Entonces los dioses se reunieron, y ellos decidieron crear al ser humano. La primera creación, fue un hombre de madera, pero el humano de madera no era capaz de hablar, ni era capaz de reproducirse. Un tiempo después, se olvidó a los dioses. Esta creación no sirvió para los dios, asi que los dioses enviaron una “lluvia de fuego”. Por lo tanto, los humanos de madera fueren quemados y ya no existieron más.

un lluvia de fuego.  www.freeimages.com

 

Before human beings, the only thing that existed in the universe was water and everything was very peaceful. Then the Gods met and they decided to create a human. The first creation was a human of wood, but the wooden human wasn’t able speak and was not able to reproduce. A while later, this wooden human forgot about the Gods. This creation was of no use to the Gods, so they sent a “rain of fire”. Therefore, the wooden humans were burned and no longer existed.

 

 

La segunda creación fueron los humanos de barro. Ellos hablaban y se reproducían, pero ellos, también, olvidaron a los dioses. Un tiempo después, los dioses enviaron una lluvia muy grande. Con esta lluvia, los humanos de barro desaparecieron.

The second creation were clay humans. They spoke, reproduced, but they, also, forgot the Gods. A while later, the gods sent a great rain. With this rain, the clay humans disappeared.

el humano de barro
Clay humans
www.bowers.org

 

un humano de maiz Gabriela Moreira, Instagram

En la tercera creación los dioses dijeron       “No vamos a usar madera, ni barro, ahora vamos a usar maíz”.  Los dioses hicieron al humano de maíz.

Nosotros somos de maíz. Comemos tortillas, tacos, tamales, y atole. Nuestro olor es maíz.

Hay cuatro colores de maíz: rojo, blanco, amarillo y negro. Los cuatro colores de maíz y los cuatro colores de la piel de los humanos significan que todo de los razas de los humanos son de maíz.

 

 

 

In the third creation, the Gods said, “We are not going to use wood, not clay, now we are going to use corn. The Gods made a human from corn.

We are made of corn. We eat tortillas, tacos, tamales, y atole; our smell is corn. Then we are from corn.

There are four colors of corn: rojo, blanco, amarillo and black. The four colors of corn and the four colors of the human skin signifies that the races of men are from corn.

Mis maestros: Luz Toledo/Francisco Arizmendi

 

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Ahuehuete http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12122&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ahuehuete http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12122#comments Mon, 22 Jan 2024 19:51:35 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12122 Continue reading ]]> Ahuehuete

Hace un año, tuve el placer de visitar un árbol, se llama, “ahuehuete”  en Nahuatl (a-way-way-tay) o en español, “El Tule”. Ahuehuete crece en el valle de Oaxaca, Mexico. Había muchas turistas mexicanos caminado alredador ahuehuete. Los jardines cerca del árbol eran magnificos con muchas flores, una fuente y árboles esculpidos con figuras diferentes. Los jardineros son artistas de la tierra.

A year ago, I had the pleasure to visit a tree called, “Ahuehuete” in Nahuatl (a-way-way-tay) or in Spanish, “El Tule”.  Ahuehuete grows in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico. There were many Mexican tourists walking around Ahuehuete. The gardens near the tree were magnificent with many flowers, a fountain and scultpted trees with different figures. The gardeners are artists of the land.

Ahuehuete es gigantesco y el árbol tenía ya un mil quinientos años cuando los españoles invadieron México in 1519. También, el ahuehuete tiene uno de los más grandes truncos del mundo. Este tipo de árbol es de la misma familia botánica de las secuoyas en California del Norte. Las secuoyas son los árboles más alto de la Tierra.

En Nahuatl, “ahuehuete” significa “agua profundo”.  Este tierra solía un pantano, pero ahora, la tierra es seca. Los granjeros y los constructores habían drenado el agua y esto ha estresado El Ahuehuete.

Ahuehuete is gigantic and the tree was already fifteen hundred years old when the Spaniards invaded Mexico in 1519. Also, Ahuehuete has one of the largest trunks on Earth. This type of tree is in the same botanical family as the sequoias in Northern California. The sequoias are the tallest trees on Earth.

In Nahuatl, “ahuehuete’ means “deep water”. This ground used to be a swamp, but today the earth is dry. Farmers and builders have drained the water and this has stressed Ahuehuete.

Un nudo en Ahuehuete

Por una hora, caminé alredador del ahuehuete y cada vista fue única. El árbol tiene una presencia que me sentí desde la distancia. ¡Tantas personas disfrutaban el ahuehuete de su propia manera! Yo vi a familias tomando fotos juntos; algunas mujeres jóvenes estaban posando por el árbol; los amantes estaban besándose y abrazándose. Me parece que el ahuehuete los miraba y disfrutaba de la conexión con los humanos.

For an hour I walked around Ahuehuete and each view was unique. The tree has a presence that I could feel at a distance. So many people were enjoying Ahuehuete in their own way! I saw families taking photos together; some young women were posing for the tree; lovers were kissing and hugging. It seemed to me that Ahuehuete was watching them and enjoyed the connection with humans.

Note: to watch the video, Do not Click on the Red Triangle – Click on “Watch on Youtube”

 

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Los Ojos de la Naturaleza The Eyes of Wildness http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=7754&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eyes-of-wildness http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=7754#comments Fri, 05 Jan 2024 15:00:08 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=7754 Continue reading ]]> Editado por Alli Redfield Platter y Luz Toledo de Instituto Jovel, San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico

Observar la naturaleza es un proceso de descubrimiento,
De encontrar la cuenta detrás de lo que se ve,
Entender más y ser tejido en la cuenta también.

Observing nature is a process of discovery,
Of finding the story behind what you are seeing,
of seeing more and being woven into the story as well.

Búhito cornudo
Horned owlets

Hace cinco inviernos, yo estaba siguienendo el crecimiento de dos búhitos cornudos. Salieron del nido, pero no podían volar bien y los depredadores lo estaban buscando.

Five winters ago, I was following the growth of two horned owlets. They left the nest, but weren’t able to fly well and the predators were looking for them.

Un día, cuando salí mi coche, oí los llamados de los cuervos en el bosque. Del sonido,  conocía los cuervos estaban hostigando un búho que estaba cerca. Inmediatamente, vi un búho adulto que llevaba un conejo en su garras y los cuervos estaban persiguiendolo detrás.

One day, when I got out of my car, I heard the calling of the crows in the forest. From the sound, I knew the crows were harassing an owl that was near. Immediately, I saw an adult owl carrying a rabbit in its claws and the crows were pursuing it from behind.

Otro día vi las huellas de un zorro y encontré un mapache muerto. Los depredadores estaban merodeando, buscando los búhitos.

Another day, I saw the tracks of  a fox and a dead raccoon. The predators were prowling, looking for the owlets.

 

La proxima vez estaba buscando para los búhitos pero encontré solo uno. El otro búhito no estaba por ningún lado. Me preguntaba si había matado para los depredadores.

The next time I was looking for the owlets, but found only one. The other owlet was no where to be found. I wondered if it was killed by predators.

la huella de un búho     Owl track

 

 

Bolitos de un Búho. Vomitan el pelo y los huesos de su presa. Owl pellet. They cough up the fur and bones of their prey

Dos semanas después, estaba preocupado del búhito desaparecido y subí una colina y desde allí tenía una amplia vista del bosque. Los búhitos no estaban en ninguna parte de la vista.

Two weeks later, I was worried about the missing owlet and climbed a hill and from there had  a wide view of the forest. The owlets were nowhere in sight.

Ví algunas huellas de un búho y encontraba dos bolitas de un búho. En ese momento, me di cuenta de que fui parte de la sagrada red de la vida.

 I saw some tracks from an owl and found two owl pellets. In that moment, I realized that I was part of the sacred web of life.

búhito cornudo
horned owlet

Yo caminaba más lejos y esperaba en silencio. Sentí que algo estaba viendome. Finalemente, me di la vuelta y vi los dos búhitos sólo cinco metros de distancía. Me enconté ver los búhitos y sentí su lucha por la supervivencia.

I walked further away and waited in silence. I felt that something was watching me. Finally, I turned around and saw both owlets only five meters away. I loved seeing the owlets and felt their fight for survival.

Búho Cornudo adulto
Adult Great Horned Owl

Uno de los búhos adulto empecía llamada de grande roblé a cien metros de distancia. Me pregunté si estaba tratando de alejadame de su búhitos? Entonces, los cuervos empezaban hostigando el adulto y el búho volaba más profundo en el bosque.

Esta experiencia abrigó mi corazón.

One of the adult owls started calling from a large oak 100 yards away. Was the adult trying to move me away from its owlets? Then the crows started harassing the adult and the owl flew deeper into the woods.

This experience warmed my heart.

 

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Nuestro Viaje a El Chiflón http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12085&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=viaje-a-comitan-y-el-chiflon-the-trip-to-comitan-and-el-chiflon http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12085#comments Fri, 22 Dec 2023 02:00:35 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12085 Continue reading ]]> Editado por Luz Toledo de Instituto Jovel, San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico

Nuestro Colectivo

Estaba muy emocianado de visitar la cascada El Chiflón que está cerca de la cuidad de Comitán en el estado de Chiapas, Mexico. Tomamos un collectivo de San Cristobal a Comitán. No estoy acostumbrado a ver tanto vehiculos se rebasaron en la carretara. Había muchas veces que estuve seguro de que moriría de un choque.

[I was very excited to visit the city of Comitán in the state of Chiapas. We took a public van from San Cristobal to Comitán. I am not accustomed to see so many vehicles passing on the highway. There were many times that I was sure that I would die from a crash]

Llegamos vivos a Comitán y la plaza fue decorada para la navidad. La plaza estaba tranquila, pero me gustó mejor el mercado local y las calles lejos de la plaza. Había muchas personas de la comunidad y menos turistas. Compré muchas cosas incluyendo: las frutas, los cacahuetes, y  las botanas para nuestra excursión el día siguiente a la cascada El Chiflón.

[We arrived alive in Comitán and the plaza was decorated for Christmas. The plaza was peaceful, but I liked the local market and the streets far from the plaza. There was more people from the community and less tourists. I bought a lot of things including fruits, peanuts, and snacks for our trip the following day to the waterfall, El Chiflón.]

Un adorno en la plaza de Comítan.

En la noche, fuimos a la plaza donde había esculturas con luces. Algunos de las esculturas incluyendo: un oso, unos venados, un regalo, unos adornos con colores diferente. Había familias caminando juntos y tomando fotos. !Era maravilloso¡

[In the night, we went to the plaza where there were sculptures with lights. Some of the sculptures included: a bear, some deer, a present, different colored ornaments. There were families walking together and taking photos. It was wonderful!]

El Sábado, nosotros tuvimos nuestra aventura a la cascada El Chiflón. Nuestro colectivo estaba lleno de gente, flores cortadas, paquetes, y sacos llenos de papas, pero no gallinas. Después de llegar a la entrada del Chiflón, tomamos un moto taxi al sendero de las casadas del Chiflón.

[Saturday, we had our adventure to the waterfall, El Chiflón. Our colectivo was filled with people, cut flowers, potato sacks, and packages, but no chickens. After arriving a the entrance to Chiflón, we took a moto-taxi to the trailhead of the waterfalls of Chiflón.]

Los escalones a El Chiflón

El comienzo del sendero subía gradualmente y entonces se hizo inclinado. De hecho, había un mil escalones hasta el fin del sendero. Había un letrero que decía, “Personas con problemas del corazón pueden tener dificultad.”

[The beginning of the trail climbed gradually and then became steeper. In fact, there were one thousand steps until the end of the trail. There was a sign that said, “Persons with heart problems may have difficulty.]

 

 

Una cascada lo largo del sendero. [A waterfall along the trail]

La caminata era difícile, pero el sonido del rio estuvo impactantes y su color verde era asombroso. Mientras caminaba veía muchas tipos de mariposas incluyendo el enorme azul morpho.

Había una familia con tres generaciones que seguimos a lo largo del sendero. El nieto ayudaba a la abuela a subir los escalones. Cuando el hijo menor se le cayó su juguete cuesta abajo, su hermano mayor fue a encontrarlo.

Azul Morpho
Photograph by Andrei Sourakov

[The hike was difficult, but the sound of the river was impressive and its green color was amazing. While I walked, I saw many types of butterflies, including the enormous blue morpho. There was a family with three generations that we followed along the trail. The grandson helped the grandmother up the stairs. When the youngest son dropped his toy downhill, his older brother went to find it.]

En la cima, estuvimos directamente en frente de la cascada. Había un arco iris, y la neblina de la cascada tocaba mi cara. La cascada estaba tan fuerte que creyó su propia brisa. Para mi, el Chiflón se sentía como si era vivo. Por un rato, yo salí del mundo de los humanos y recibí la bendición del Chiflón.

[At the summit we were directly in front of the waterfall. There was a rainbow and the mist from the waterfall touched my face and body. The waterfall was so strong that it created its own breeze. For me, El Chiflon felt as if it was alive. For awhile, I left the world of humans and received the blessing from El Chiflon.]

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A Patch of Prairie http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12060&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-patch-of-prairie http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12060#comments Thu, 28 Sep 2023 01:25:40 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=12060 Continue reading ]]>

Jerrold Gershone and Heather Holm, from Habitat Makers, share a 6 minute video of a prairie that I have been working at for more than two decades. Jerrold has several videos of other individuals who are dedicated to caring for the Earth. We are honored to share our project with you.

To see the video go to:

To see all of the Habitat Makers videos go to:

https://www.youtube.com/@habitatmakers2832

 

 

]]> http://oldnaturalist.com/?feed=rss2&p=12060 2 12060 Time of the Grasshoppers http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=26&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=time-of-the-grasshoppers http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=26#comments Wed, 30 Aug 2023 04:02:50 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=26 Continue reading ]]> Thanks to Amelia Ladd for her beautiful pen and ink sketches.

Time of the Grasshoppers   

Bush Katydid
photo by Lawrence Wade

For the past 20 years I have been working with 2nd graders studying grasshoppers. When you spend as much time as I have in the weeds looking for grasshoppers, their uniqueness and beauty goes right to your heart.

Grasshopper Life Cycle
Nature Seeker Workbook

Late summer/early fall is the Time of the Grasshoppers. In the past month I have noticed that the number of adult grasshoppers/crickets in the neighborhood has increased dramatically. It has taken the whole summer for the hoppers to go through their life cycle and most are now adults.  In the spring, the eggs hatch, however, if the rains come before the eggs hatch, many get washed out. The young hoppers go through at least five nymph stages. During this time they cannot fly. The last stage of their lives, they “get their wings” becoming adults, and the singing begins.

Katydid
Katydid calling at night.

 

Snowy Tree Cricket
Songs of Insects

One of my favorites is a night singer that calls from the trees, the snowy tree cricket.  It makes a continuous pulse, and is also called the “temperature cricket”, since the pulse changes with the temperature. You can figure out the outside temperature by counting the number of pulses in 15 seconds and multiply by 4, adding 32.

Snowy Tree Cricket calling at night.

The formula to determine the temperature from a snowy tree cricket is as follows:

________________   X   _____4_______ + 32  =  ______________
# of pulses in  15 seconds        (4 x 15 =60 seconds)                temperature in °F

 

Short -horned Grasshopper laying eggs
Nature Seeker Workbook

 

As soon as a hard frost hits, the “singing” drops from 100% to 0%. It is a shock and difficult to deal with emotionally since  it tells us that the seasons are changing. There is also a “quiet beauty” in knowing that the grasshoppers have completed their life cycles. The eggs resting in the ground, promise the continuation their species next year.

 

Carolina Grasshopper
Photo by Lawrence Wade

 

The Carolina grasshopper or locust is normally found on bare ground. It is one of our largest grasshoppers in Minnesota (2-3 inches long). They are easily identified when they fly because they have black wings.

 

Male Meadow Grasshopper calling from the grassland.
photo by Lawrence Wade

 

Female Meadow Grasshopper showing her sharp ovipositor at the end of the abdomen.
Nature Seeker Workbook

 

 

Meadow grasshoppers are found in tall marsh and prairie grass. The males make a repetitive buzzing sound in the grass during the day. The females are attracted to the sound. After they mate, the female will lay her eggs in a blade of grass  using her knife-like ovipositor.

 

 

Meadow Grasshopper calling in the weeds during the day.

Grasshopper Predators

Argiope or Garden Spider
photo by Lawrence Wade

 

The Argiope spider is a predator on grasshoppers and I often see them in weeds. They make a beautiful web up to 3 feet across.  Grasshoppers that fly/jump into the web are quickly wrapped up and mummified by the spider. The female Argiope is 4 times larger than the male.

 

Leopard frog
Photo by Lawrence Wade

 

 

The leopard frog is also a predator on grasshoppers and other grassland insects.

 

 

 

 

Grasshopper Laboratory

 

 

Download the Grasshopper activity pages from Nature Seeker Workbook
GrasshopperActivitySheet copy

Reader Bob Bigham added the following comment about grasshoppers:

“While growing up in Pinckneyville , Illinois we would go bug hunting and grasshoppers was one of our favorites. they would “spit tobacco juice” if we held them too tight. One day we flipped one over and it had a bright red hour glass on its belly, just like a black widow.”

Reader Becky Knickerbocker shared the following story:

Yesterday I was sitting outside on the patio at Chapel View Home in Hopkins. I was visiting with a 96 year old blind woman in a wheelchair. The sun was warming us and we were talking about the plants and animals I could see. Birds were singing, bees were buzzing, crickets were chirping, and squirrels and chipmunks were running past us with nuts in their mouths. All of a sudden a grasshopper landed on her knee. She said, “Oh, how fun. I like it. Don’t shoo it away. I can feel it!”

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Acorns to Oaks http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=3164&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pull-a-buckthorn-plant-an-oak http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=3164#comments Sun, 13 Aug 2023 12:50:22 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=3164 Continue reading ]]> Originally published in September 2013

How many acorns will survive and become mature oaks?  Even if none survive, the project will not be a failure, but a success, because the land had someone caring for its future.

Evergreen Park, Minnetonka, MN

Evergreen Park, Minnetonka, MN

There is a multitude of 100 year-old bur oaks in Evergreen Park near my home. However, there are no seedlings that will take the place of these old oaks when they are blown down or die from oak wilt. So what will this park look like in 50 to 100 years when the oaks die out? Buckthorn, box elder and green ash are not valued replacements to the majestic bur and red oak.

 

My neighborhood

My neighborhood

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One of my neighbors is looking into the future and is protecting a young oak.

When I look around my neighborhood it is easy to see that this was originally a bur oak savannah. However, many of my neighbors, including myself, have not honored the land. We have planted lawns, where there was once a forest floor; we mow down seedling oaks; we rake up the leaves that would normally breakdown and feed the forest; we plant trees that don’t belong in a bur oak forest, like white pine and spruce.

 

What to do?

Acorns to Oaks

Red Oak acorns on the left and Bur oak acorns on the right.

Red Oak acorns on the left and Bur oak acorns on the right.

About 1 week ago the bur oak acorns began to fall like rain on my roof (Aug. 7, 2023). In mid September, the red oaks acorns will begin falling. Red oak acorns take two years to develop on the tree, while white and bur oak acorns take only one year to develop.

White or bur oak acorns should be planted within a week of dropping or kept in the refrigerator, until planted. The red oak acorns need a period of cold storage, called stratification. They may be placed in a plastic bag and left at a temperature slightly above freezing for a period of 4-8 weeks. They can be planted the following spring.

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I did not use the acorns with holes made by the acorn weevil.

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I selected the largest dark acorns I could find. If they had insect holes from acorn weevil larvae or were cracked, I did not use them.

The floaters are hollow and will not germinate.

The floaters are hollow and will not germinate.

To determine whether the acorns were viable, I put them in a bucket of water for 15 minutes. The ones that floated, I scooped out because they were hollow and would not sprout.

acorn weevil larvae

acorn weevil larvae

The sinkers were the ones I kept for planting. I did this for 3 days and each day there were a few more acorns that floated. There were some acorn weevil larvae which had come out some of the acorns and were laying in the bucket.

important note: If you are going to plant in a park, work with your city forester or natural resources manager and develop a plan for your project.

A decade ago, I planted over a thousand a acorns in my neighborhood. This year my goal is to plant 50 bur oak acorns. When you plant an acorn, dig them into the ground about 2-3 inches.  If I see a small buckthorn, I’ll pull it up and pop an acorn in the hole. Next year when the seedlings develop leaves, I am going to have to find a way to protect them from rabbits and deer. I am thinking chicken wire tubes might be the way to go.

 

The acorn weevil has an interesting life cycle. The adult acorn weevil makes a hole in the developing acorn and lays an egg. The weevil larva hatches and eats the developing acorn. When the acorn falls to the ground, it triggers the larva to leave the acorn. The larva will live in the ground 1-2 years and then emerge as an adult.

I wanted to find out how many acorns were infested with weevil larvae.  I collected 100 acorns to determine what percent of the acorns were infested with weevil larvae and will not sprout. After three days, only five acorns floated (so 95% of the acorns were capable of sprouting).

There are many predators on acorns that are lying on the ground. Including, squirrels, mice, blue jays, deer and turkeys. If I plant 100 acorns,  how many of those will survive when the small seedlings emerge from the soil in the spring? Predators on the seedlings include: deer, mice, rabbits, and squirrels (they dig up the acorn). Possibly only 5% will  survive the first year (some quick math – 100 x 5% = 100 x .05 = 5 oaks).  Even if none survive to maturity, the project will not be a failure, but a success, because the land will have had someone caring for its future.

Teacher and homeschoolers

There is a Utube video called the “man who planted trees” www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYlsIZXCQa4

Screen Shot 2013-09-09 at 9.16.07 AM

The book, The Man Who Planted Trees I found inspiring. I have also seen it for sale at Amazon. Also I have seen it on-line for free without the illustrations.

If you want to learn how to identify, age, and determine the height of trees get a copy of Nature Seeker Workbook at the Old Naturalist website or Amazon.com.

In addition, you can Google “planting acorns” and read about the projects that other classes have done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Winter Birds http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=272&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=winter-birds http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=272#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2023 16:46:46 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=272 Continue reading ]]> All photos by Old Naturalist

Download the Winter Birds response sheet. Answer the questions using the text below.

Click here for the Winter Birds PDF.

Not all northern birds migrate south for the winter. A few birds eliminate the dangers of migration and take their chances with the weather and their ability to find food in the frozen northern climate. Since food is at a premium in the winter, you can easily attract birds to you home by putting out a feeder. My feeder is 20 feet from the house and birds have been readily coming to it all winter. I have two feeders: thistle feeder for goldfinches and a covered feeding station which has a suet feeder attached to it. I feed black sunflower seed only, because it is cheap and numerous species  eat the seed.

 

Blue jay

Most blue jays remain in Minnesota through the winter. However, some young birds migrate south in the fall. Jays can be easily told by the bluish color and the crest on their head. At the feeder, blue jays eat sunflower seeds and cracked corn. They will imitate the scream of a hawk to scare other birds away from the feeder. Blue jays can store a number of seeds or acorns in their gular pouch (part of their throat). Also, they store nuts in the hollows of trees and eat them later.

In March, blue jays begin singing their spring “pumphandle” song. Also, in early spring blue jays tend to flock together, calling “Jay, jay, jay” repeatedly. To hear the pumphandle call and other winter/spring birds go to: http://oldnaturalist.com/the-sounds-of-spring/

 

 

Male cardinal

The male cardinal can be told by its red color, black mask, and crest on its head. The back of this bird is a grayish red. The beak of the cardinal is orange and thick for cracking seeds. Cardinals will readily come to the feeder if sunflower seeds are available. In early February, male and female cardinals begin singing their spring calls, and establishing territories. In December and January, cardinals are not territorial and can be seen in small flocks of up to 20 birds. On cold winter days, cardinals seek protection in evergreen trees.

 

Female cardinal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

white breasted nuthatch

The white-breasted nuthatch is a small grayish-blue forest bird. Nuthatches are often seen upside-down on trees and have been called the “upside-down bird”. This behavior helps them see eggs and wintering insects.  A nuthatch uses its strong beak to dig out insect eggs found under tree bark. Male and female nuthatches maintain a feeding territory all year long. In late winter, nuthatches start setting up their nesting territories which are usually in the same area as their feeding territory. In February, males can be heard calling in the woods. The spring call of the nuthatch is a nasal “eee-eee-eee” (to hear a nuthatch call and other winter/spring birds go to: http://oldnaturalist.com/the-sounds-of-spring/

Nuthatches eat sunflower seeds, suet and corn and readily come to a bird feeder.

 

Chickadee

The chickadee is a favorite of many birdwatchers. It is a small bird and has a black cap and black bib. Chickadees are found in small flocks which remain in contact by singing “chick-a-dee-dee… chick-a-dee-dee”. When they are not at a feeder, chickadees search for insects or eggs on twigs and outer branches. At night, chickadees may sleep in a tree hole made by woodpeckers or they may roost in a small flock in an evergreen tree. In early February, chickadee flocks break up when they begin to select their mates. By mid February they begin singing their spring call, “Feebee…Feebee”. It is welcome sound during a long winter.

 

 

Goldfinch in winter plumage

 

Most goldfinch remain in Minnesota through the winter. But if food is scarce, they may migrate south in small flocks.
Goldfinch change color in the winter from a bright yellow summer plumage to a drab greenish-yellow color. The wing bars remain throughout the year. They are often seen in flocks of 8-10 birds at feeders. Goldfinch readily come to thistle feeders.

 

 

 

 

Male red poll

Redpolls do not migrate to the Twin Cities every year, but some winters they invade Minnesota in large numbers. The winter of 2009 was a “redpoll invasion year”. Redpolls are usually seen in small flocks and feed on grass seed and weed seeds. In spring, Redpolls migrate to the Canadian tundra to nest.

 

 

 

 

 

Junco

Juncos are one of the few birds that migrate to Minnesota in the winter. They migrate from Canada and tend to return to the same wintering area each year. They are usually seen in small flocks and feed on seeds on the ground. Juncos tend to roost in the same evergreen trees each night. They usually leave Minnesota in March and migrate north to nest. Juncos are one of the most common birds in North America with a total population estimate of over 500 million birds.

 

Pileated woodpecker

Pileated woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers in North America. They are about the size of a crow. Pileated woodpeckers live deep in the woods, but will visit backyard suet feeders. In February, they start setting up their mating territories and the loud spring call can be heard, “Kek-Kek-Kek-Kek-Kek-Kek”, echoing throughout the forest. A Pileated “drums” on trees to announce its territory. The sound is very loud and resembles an actual drum beating in the woods.

Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers

In Minnesota, the pileated woodpecker is commonly seen. However, in most parts of the United States, they are rare. Pileated woodpeckers eat carpenter ants. They search for the ants in diseased trees and cut large furrows deep in the wood. In fact, some trees are so “carved up” by pileated woodpeckers that they resemble wood sculptures in the forest.

Red bellied woodpecker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The red-bellied woodpecker can be told by its black and white ladder-back and the flaming red crown on the male’s head. The breast of a red-bellied woodpecker is tan and not red. Like most woodpeckers, they readily come to suet feeders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Male downy woodpecker

 

The downy woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in our northern woods. They are slightly larger than a chickadee. The male has a red spot on the back of the head and the female doesn’t.  Downy woodpeckers can be heard “drumming” in March. The sound resembles someone tapping rapidly on a tree. Downy woodpeckers will peck on a diseased tree over the winter, feeding on insect larvae and eggs.

The hairy woodpecker looks identical to the downy, but it is almost twice the size.

 

 

Do you want to keep track of winter birds you see in your neighborhood! You can print it out from the website (smaller size) or download a full-sized PDF. Click here for the Winter Birds PDF.

Illustrations by Amelia Ladd

Copyright Nature Seeker Workbook, April 2013.

 

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El Ojo de la Ballena – The Eye of the Whale http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=11943&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=el-ojo-de-la-ballena-las-aventuras-espanol-3 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=11943#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2023 18:35:04 +0000 http://oldnaturalist.com/?p=11943 Continue reading ]]> Yo asistía a Español Interactivo, una escuela immersíon en San Andrés Huayapam, México en el estado de Oaxaca. Yo escribí esta historia mientras estuve estudiando allí.

I attended Español Interactivo, an immersion school in San Andreas Huayapam in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. I wrote this story while I was studying there.

El Ojo de la Ballena   –  The Eye of the Whale

Ballena aleta
Justin Thompson

Hace cuarenta y seis años yo era investigador de ballenas en el Golfo de St Laurent, Quebec, Canadá. Después de seis meses de estudiar ballenas, dieciséis horas al día, las ballenas empezaron a visitarme en mi sueños. Tuve el mismo sueño tres veces ese verano.

Yo estaba en la playa,
y una ballena aleta nadó hacia mi
y su enorme cabeza se levantó
del agua.

Recuerdo que su ojo me miraba, muy intensamente. No era un sueño ordinario, sino como una visión. Tuve la impresión de que la ballena me estaba llamando.

Forty-six years ago I was a whale researcher in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, Canada. After six months of studying whales sixteen hours a day, the whales started visiting me in my dreams. I had the same dream three times that summer. I was at the beach and a fin whale swam towards me and his enormous head raised up from the water.

I remember its eye looked at me very intensely. It was not an ordinary dream, but like a vision. I had the impression that the whale was calling me.

El  libro sobre las ballenas

Hace veinticinco años, escribí un libro sobre ballenas. Las ballenas estaban todavía en mi corazón.

Twenty-five years ago, I wrote a book about whales. The whales were still in my heart.

La Antártida está llamando….

Hace seis años fui a la Antártida con un grupo espiritual. En La Antártida muchas   ballenas fueron matado por los balleneros. Este incluye más de doscientas mil ballenas azules, los animales más grandes del mundo.  Yo siento mucha verguenza debido a un acto tan indiferente. A veces, lo encuentro difícil ser un humano.

Six years ago, I went to Antarctica with a spiritual group. In Antarctica, many whales were killed by whalers. This includes more than two hundred thousand blue whales, the largest animals in the world. I feel a lot shame because of such an uncaring act. At times I find it hard to be a human.

 

Hornos grande donde la grasa de las ballenas se estaba cocinada

Visitamos dos estaciones balleneras que ya no funcionaba (cerca de 1920). Yo veía los hornos grande donde la grasa de las ballenas se estaba cocinada en aceite de las ballenas. Con horror, me di cuenta de lo que se estaba viendo y lloré incontrolablemente. La energía del asesinato estaba todavía ahí después de cien años.

We visited two non-functioning whaling stations (cerca de 1920). I saw the ovens where the fat of the whales was cooked into whale oil. With horror, I realized what I was seeing and I cried uncontrollably. The energy of murder was still there after one hundred years.

There were whale bones on the beach. I felt the agony of the whales that were murdered there. When a whale was killed the water was red with its blood. The Earth was wounded and we prayed to free the pain.

huesos de las ballenas

Habían los huesos de las ballenas en la playa. Sentí la agonía de las ballenas que asesinaban ahí. Cuando una ballena fue mataban, el agua se teñia de rojo con su sangre. La Tierra fue herida y nosotros rezamos para liberar el dolor.

Huesos de las ballenas en la playa
Genocidio
Hace muchos años
Todavía, el aire olío de agonía.
Humanos aspiran el dolor
Humanos respiran esperanza
Las lágrimas caen en la arena
Quitando la mancha de la Tierra
Curando
a ballenas y humanos.

There were whale bones on the beach. I felt the agony of the whales that were murdered there. When a whale was killed the water was red with its blood. The Earth was wounded and we prayed to free the pain.

Whale bones on the beach
Genocide
Many years ago
Still the air smelled of agony
Humans breathe in the pain
Humans breathe out hope
Tears fall on the sand
Removing the stain on the Earth
Healing
For whales and humans

Ballenas Jorobada
Photo by Jane Ball

Esa noche,había más de cincuenta ballenas jorobada cerca de nuestro barco. Hubo una celebración grandiosa de la vida por las ballenas y los humanos.

Para me la experiencia en la Antártida completó un ciclo que comenzó hace muchos años con el sueño del ‘ojo de la ballena’.

That night there were more than fifty humpback whales near our boat. It was a huge celebration for the life of whales and humans.

For me, the experience in Antarctica completed a cycle that began many years ago with the dream of the ‘eye of the whale’.

 

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