The Old Naturalist

Oceans Preschool

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Lawrence Wade

Chinstrap Penguin

Black-Tipped Reef Shark (Marc Anderson)

Moray eel coming out of its hole (Jane Ball)

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

First Annual Pick-up the Poop Day

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Lawrence Wade

The issue here is not just about dog poop.
It is more about caring for our wild spaces.
When we are out for a walk,
are we conscience of the land
and the parks we value so much?

All you need is a bucket, plastic bag, mutt mitt or pooper scooper.

Calling all dog owners, the city of Minnetonka is heading the first city-wide “Pick-up the Poop” day in the state of Minnesota (That may not be true). Saturday, March 14th 10 am to noon at Purgatory Park (17315 Excelsior Blvd, Mntka). Bring a bucket, big plastic bag, a “mutt mitt” or scooper and your pooch. If you are going to pick-up at another park, come to Purgatory Park for the weigh in. Early returns from Evergreen Park show a collection of 20 lbs.

Why pick-up poop?
Our suburban wild spaces are out of balance. Normally in an open space of 20 acres, there might be one family of foxes. Introduce 100 dogs into that space and nature’s balance is negatively impacted. 90% of the dog owners pick up after their dogs. The 10% (10 dogs/owners) who are not picking up, are creating the problem. We can estimate that those 10 dogs might leave 5 pounds of poop each week. Multiply that over a 5 month winter (November to March). Now you have 100 pounds of poop on the land. When the spring rains come, the pet waste runs into our low areas, ponds and creeks. Now we have a water quality issue. The poop that stays in forest is a public health problem . The bacteria and pathogens in animal waste can negatively impact wild and domestic animals that eat it.

We all love our dogs. But we also love the land that we walk on. We need to be as caring about the land as much as we do our dogs.

Mookie

Posted in Nature Guardians | 4 Comments

Otter Dreams

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Lawrence Wade

Three poets, Jeff Saslow, Rich Kessler, and Christina Gregory try to find light and balance during the darkness of winter and the stress of everyday life. Join them, as they express their connection to Nature through the written word.
Unless noted, all photos by Old Naturalist

River Otters

The river otter’s homes are the joy of open holes,
Usually a foot in diameter,
and dot snowy Minnehaha Creek
On a cold, February afternoon.
The dark icy water of blackness houses a secret under the white world beneath my feet.

The otters enter the abyss to fish,
But then use the snowy creek to slide along as a game and a ritual,
Much like us who walk, ski
and pull children’s sleds on the surface.
The dogs sniff around the half open holes,
Their nose in touch with an otter or two
That danced, slid and fished eight to twelve hours earlier.

Now there are no otters in sight.
No smells that we, of course, can decipher.
But the open holes, the icy slides,
The dog’s attention are a testament
To something much deeper and unknown on the Creek,
Inside our bodies and just inside the walls of our world.

J. Saslow – Feb. 2015

White field

White blizzard
Low winter angle of sunlight
Brown grasses through white frosting
I ski through my cake
Past twilight into the night

Blanketed hills
Tucked in dark woods
I push and slide
Toward marshmallow prairies
My insides are sucking on sweets
While my winded face meets my self again.

J. Saslow

Haikus – Rich Kessler

ice cracks underfoot
alone silence broken
by my racing heart

bare cold icy branch
closed buds huddle together
long for spring’s warm sun

I profess my love
midnight new year’s eve
full moon steals the show

I live between two skis.
Across a snow white sheet.
On a sky-blue-pink March day.
The wind blows a mystery.

I fall asleep between seconds.
My body shudders
I’m on the upward side of time
I awake
Sliding on a frozen, glass creek
My heart is all that is warm.

J. Saslow March ‘09

www.its.caltech.edu

Spontaneous Combustion

In the mist of mystery
In the spheres of frozen longing
You are born
Quickened by the rise and fall of wind
The mystical design of old.

Pure vapor is the womb
Tossed about the riding tide of streaming air
Agitated, perplexed, driven to create and birth your wonder for our viewing.

You trick us into thinking you are unique
Yet you follow the manual; dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s
Always 6 branches
Always measured
Always following your crystal destiny.

Condensing cold upon the nascent flake
You grow tihe frenetic energy into branches, fern like and precious.
Colonized symmetrically
Randomized mathematically
Stretched beyond the imagination

And in the chemical bond you join to others like yourself
Lining up, marching as it were, into the form within your knowing
And deep within you assemble
Spontaneously
Organically
Magically,,,

Fresh baby snow

Christina Gregory, January 2015

River Otter Tracks

Posted in Nature Poetry, Winter | 6 Comments

Los animales en Invierno

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Lawrence Wade

Ese zorro es malo!
D
No soy malo, Solo tengo hambre
G
Hambre como puedo ser
A
Este ardilla parece linda para ti
D
Me parece comida para mi
G
El zorro es el depredador
D
Y la ardilla es la presa
E
El zorro tiene que agarrar la ardilla
A
Pero la ardilla quiere escapar,
A
escapar, escapar, escapar

Porque el depredador es importante en naturaleza?

El Búho

Great Horned Owl
Dom Braud

Barred Owl
photo by Celeste Rouse

Owl wing prints in the snow

El búho esta buscando para un ratón en el bosque.
El búho oye un ratón.
Vuela del árbol. Sus alas no hacen ruido cuando vuelan.
El ratón no sabe que el búho esta ahí.
Mata su presa con sus garras.
Regresa a su árbol para comer el ratón.
No es posible comer todos los partes del ratón.

Huellas del animales en la nieve

Squirrel Track
The arrow shows the direction of travel.
The smaller front feet hit first and the larger hind feet jump over them.

Pájaros del Invierno

Carpintero Crestado Pileated woodpecker

Carpintero Común Downy Woodpecker

carpintero vientre rojo Red bellied Woodpecker

Arrendajo azul blue jay

Cardenal rojo Cardinal

carbonero Chickadee

Trepador Azul White-breasted Nuthatch

Posted in Seasons, Spanish, Winter | Leave a comment

Hidden Secrets of the Minnehaha

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Lawrence Wade

I spend a lot of time on Minnehaha Creek. A sanctuary about a mile from my home. While skiing and hiking along the creek, I have seen and been part of some amazing things. If you have some memories of your time on the creek, share a comment and I’ll incorporate into the posting.

Early morning Ice Fog

Long Shadows of Winter

Fox Tracks crossing the creek.

Mink on the bike path

River Otter plunge hole and slide

River Otter Tracks

Reader Laura Arndt, shared the following comment: “Big Willow is my favorite place to be, no matter what season it is!!! “

Late afternoon Sundog

Reader Dean Hansen shared this memory: “Ahh, Minnehaha Creek. (Actually, it’s pronounced “crick”, but you know that, right?) I grew up between Bloomington and Cedar avenues two houses south of 49th Street. We spent countless hours playing near the crick and in the surrounding Minnehaha Park when we were kids. There was a fine sliding hill just to the north of where 17th Avenue South hits 49th Street, and this hill was packed with kids in the winter. Back when we had real winters (1945 to maybe 1957). Somewhere in the attic are 16 mm color movies my dad took of us kids tobogganing on that famous hill. “

A crow landed leaving its wing and tail feathers in the snow.

A crow flying close to the ground, but never touching.

Lu Harland contributed the following memory: “I used to play down by the creek as well, but in Hopkins by Knollwood Plaza. I use to love catching crayfish under the rocks and tubing down the creek with our bumper tennis shoes on.”

Water Lily frozen in time

Shapes created by nature

A rooster snowdrift

Eagles patrol the creek

Mookie

Sunset in January

Posted in Connecting to Nature, Photography/Art, Seasons, Winter | 12 Comments

What is Life?

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Lawrence Wade

Our readers ponder, the age old question, “What is Life?”
Each person contributing a 3 line form that is unique and a blessing in its own way.

Thanks to all the contributors (in order): Kathleen Kahlil, Dewey Hassig, Allison Platter, Carol Wade, Linda Hansen, Rich Kessler, Steve Casper, Judith Brook, Cathy Jordan, Lucia Harland, Dale Antonsen, Lyndra Hearn Antonson, Jennifer Parker, Paula Frakes

Photo by Old Naturalist

What is Life?
The aliveness in every cell
as the wind blows through
connecting, caressing, informing.

An oak tree
An acorn
A squirrel
Perpetual motion.

Photo by Mick Schulte

What is Life?
Fresh air, movement, and nature
Love, family and companionship
Growth, laughter and wisdom

The tiny fingers of a newborn grasping yours
The joy in her parents faces
The wonder of all that is to come

What is Life?
Breathing in and out of fears and disappointments – letting go, leaning in, living on Inhaling hope in the sparkle of snowfall, exhaling angst, hurt & hurry,
A late day sun blanket, a swish of air when nature breathes too.

Photo by Linda Hansen

What is Life?
Sweet, cool, red chunks of watermelon quench my thirst
Crashing waves, salt air, hot sand and creosote boardwalks
Smell of old magazines, 60 years ago, in grandma’s attic.

“Stream stomping” with my two daughters
And sitting on the shore eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Watching dragonflies mate and lay their eggs on the duck weed right before our eyes

Photo by Mike Farrell

What is Life?
Damp fresh smell by the ocean that clears my lungs from city traffic and city streets.
Hearing bird songs and thundering waves that clear my head from too much chatter in my mind.
Feeling my soul while walking in the woods surrounded by breathtaking grandeur.

China Cove – photo by Old Naturalist

What is Life?

It is the secrets of the forest, The sound of wind in the summer leaves
buried below layers of pine needles The cold blue and white of winter
The babble of the brook teaming with life
The sway of the top-heavy grasses in the marsh

www.panoramio.com

                                                         What is Life?
The Spark of the Creator                 Life is a gift from God
Within the everlasting souls                   A spiritual opportunity to learn
Of all who dwell in the sacred space          How to give and receive divine love
Of this Garden we all share

Big Bay – Photo by Dale Antonson

What is Life?

It is the bent backs working steamy rice fields to feed families
The cacophony of colors reflecting the sunlight|
The innovation born in remote corners of our world to adapt and thrive

Photo by Jennifer Parker

What is Life?
The brilliance of fresh newly fallen snow
Crisp air breathed in… warm breath breathed out
Another day … alive with purpose and hope.

Photo by Old Naturalist

Posted in Connecting to Nature | 4 Comments

One Vacant Lot at a Time

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Lawrence Wade

Creating Life-Bearing Spaces
If you are interested in creating a life-bearing space in your neighborhood, download our booklet, One Vacant Lot at a Time, and learn more about our story, our management plan, and methods we have developed.

One Vacant Lot

“Seeing native wildflowers fills my heart. So, being able to help take an empty strip of land and watch its hard, dry soil become looser, darker and richer after the very first wildflowers, was magical.” Veronica Smith

Migrating Monarch feeding on Rough Blazingstar (Lawrence Wade)

“Creating a thriving prairie out of a wasteland has been a wonderful education in land transformation. It’s also shown me a way to give back to the planet that does not bring immediate benefit to me, but provides a long term benefit for the health of the local environment.” Michael Smith

Twelve-Spotted Skimmer
(Sam Barczak)

It was in 1993 that we first started working at our vacant lot. There was garbage littered everywhere and the land was hard-scrabble. We started small 30’ x 60 feet, and all of the work was done using pick-axes. The dominant plants were leafy spurge, Canada thistle, and ragweed, all indicators of extreme neglect of the land.

I did not know that the land would take on a life of its own, when it was given a caring human touch. Lawrence Wade

Goldfinch nest (Lawrence Wade)

For 20 years we have been restoring this land that is sandwiched between a busy roadway in Minnetonka, Minnesota and a bike path. So people walking by can see what we are doing. Some people stare at us suspiciously or in disbelief when they see us working in such a “weedy” lot. The most classic comment ever made was on an evening when we were swatting mosquitoes and pulling Canada thistle. The passerby looked down at us and said, “What are you doing down there, do you know?”

Yellow-legged Grasshopper
(Lawrence Wade)

In time we expanded the scope of the prairie. Today it is about an acre in size and is a source of food for bees, birds, rabbits, dragonflies, butterflies, and small mammals. Ducks and deer have nested among the plants. Now it has reached a point of aliveness and vibrancy that still requires some tending and weeding, it has a life of its own and the beauty continues to amaze us.

Friends of the Trail Photo Gallery

Great Golden Digger Wasp
(Lawrence Wade)

Green Darner
(Lawrence Wade)

Young Cottontail
(Sam Barczak)

Posted in Connecting to Nature, Nature Guardians | 4 Comments

Autumn Winds

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Lawrence Wade

Poets at Gatewood School open their hearts to the changing season.
Photos contributed by Gatewood 5th graders.
This wonderful student opportunity was funded by the Gatewood PTO.

Rob Evers
The maple
A fallen friend.
Decaying slowly
Tree huggers crying
Rest In Peace

Daylily pod

Emma Robinson
I smell the crisp autumn air
Hear the sweet chirps of the chickadees
The daylily pod rattles in the wind
The leaves crunch underfoot
The baby blue sky washes the clouds away
The sun is biting at my cheeks

Conor Brace
Leaves
leaves are masters of disguise
as the seasons get colder
they change their cloaks green to yellow yellow to orange orange to red
then down they go using themselves as parachutes gliding
d
o
w
n
to the cold snowy ground

Cecilia Ritenour
i am the mist only coming when it rains
i am the beautiful leaves on the ground
i am the bur oak tree standing strong
i am the maple snag, there all alone
i am the red oak/ Lucky’s tree
i am the cottonwood looking above the others
i am the mouse in the bird house
i am the tall wet grass

Makenna Harris
I see a maple tree with a long shadow and bright spots of sunlight.
I smell nature’s fresh air
I feel the cold grass against my cheek
I hear leaves on a cottonwood tree crinkling and singing in the wind.
I touch the pine needles
Pointy like a porcupine and sticky like glue
I feel like a baby bird ready to spread my wings and fly.

Zadyn Kallio
Red star
Fallen from the heavens
Going back to Mother Earth

Nebat Mohammed
Flapping wings
Fly to Mexico
Orange
A leaf of life
I wonder if they are real?
Wings and flight
Joyful

Ja’Ana Johnson
I see the blue sky
washing over the clouds
I hear the chickadee calling in the forest
I touch the orange and red maple leaves falling on the ground
I feel the sun warming my skin
I smell Mother Nature growing inside me

Elaine Pantaleon

Colorful Birds
Beautiful colorful leaves on a small flying tree
like a bright airplane
in the sky
dazzling and joyful
shall always fly high
The bright feather leaves

Justin Irseng
Little frog
Great little frog friend.
Found outside of school.
Resting on a hand.

Lindsay Gaasch
In The Tiny Mist Droplets,
In The Bark Of A Maple Tree,
In The Roots Of A Bur Oak,
In The Fur Of A Field Mouse,
In The Heat Of The Sun,
In My Heart Beauty Lies.

Ramsha Isaaq
Road Kill
Brown, White, Black, and Gray
Look’s like a stuffed eagle in display
It makes me feel sad that it is
Dead
Up hill , down hill, it was alive
But now it is dead before its time
Who ever killed him
Must be ashamed
Cause
Today is the day
I don’t feel okay.

Korbin Rear
My shadow
Pitch black
Waiting there
Hiding from the sun
so fun.

Nebilla Mohammed
Fall is colorful
Animals are migrating
Nature is alive

Tyus Carter
The sun
It’s amazing
light reflected off leaves
Feeling inspired
beautiful

Nora Paavola
Bobcat
I have paws
The size of a baby’s palm
I am as fluffy
As a pillow
I am as fierce
As the wind

Zach Johnston
Blue Phoenix
It’s as blue
as blue fire
and it gives off
the heat of the fire
in the feather

Celeste Moe
Nature
I smell
the sweet smell of crab apple
I hear
the thudding of a woodpecker
pecking on trees
I feel happy
when I see the red leaves of the maple tree
I touch
the bumpy rough surface of the dogwood
I see
A little helicopter spinning in the air as it is falling

Kristina Thompson
Nature’s Kind
The crab apple tree springing from the soil,
The call of a blue jay coming home,
The helicopter that soars through the mystic air,
The dogwood that is not hollow inside
Is a beautiful tree,
The bumble bee getting pollen for the winter,
I feel the a flower sprouting out its beauty.

Marriona Cameron
I see a small brown pillbug
I smell the flowers and they remind me of strawberries
I hear a blubird calling its mate from up high
I feel smooth red and juicy crab apples
I touch a red dogwood branch
it has a rough surface

Wooly Bear

Bahja Jama
feels fuzzy
lying on the ground
trying to climb something
making its way to life

Sadaq Abullahi
I am somebody
I can’t do as well as others
I can’t write as well as others
I can’t pretend to be somebody
I am somebody
I am tall
I am bilingual
I am kind
I am somebody
I have dark skin
I have brown eyes
I have a bro and a sis
I am somebody
I don’t own pets
I do like pizza
I don’t like being bossed around
I am somebody
I must be the best that i can be
I must be loved
I must be respected, protected, and never rejected
I am somebody

Amber Hysjulien
Smooth, colorful
Creative, special
Soft when wet
Beauty like an egg
Sleep softly little rock.

Lars Seefelt
I see the leaves falling
Cracking in the air
I hear leaves dancing
And singing in the wind
they crunch in my hand
I feel them comfort me
I smell the winter air coming
leaves falling.

Posted in Fall, Nature Poetry | 11 Comments

Hatchling Highway

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Lawrence Wade

Many thanks to Grace Sheely for sharing this wonderful story.

On the morning of September 2, 2014, I was thinking of all the students heading back to school and the excitement of their first day. My brooding thoughts were deeper as this morning was my first September day without any students of my own to send off on that yellow school bus, because I am now an empty nester.

I headed down the path of Purgatory Park enjoying the park’s beauty and my dog’s company when I stopped dead in my tracks. The rocks below my feet were moving. I suspected that I was losing my mind. I looked closer as I pondered whether I had had enough coffee prior to my 9 am dog walk. I studied the first rock and indeed it was moving. Upon closer inspection, I watched a 2 inch baby snapping turtle totally covered in sand move down the pathway; at his best, he was a moving sandy rock. His five sisters and brothers were all within 6 feet of him and all six were marching directly down the center path at Purgatory Park. I took the time to say hello to each little baby, to admire its soft shell, to pick each one up and carefully placed it closer to a grassy edge of the pathway.