February 2020 - Winter!

winter, a little snow, Community and Landscape Eco Workshop (CLEW), debris hut camping, and more.  

Check out my daily blog for the month of February 2020 (Churoo 2020). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2020 February / Churoo: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2020/20-02churoo.html

         This February 2020, I taught a Community and Landscape Eco Workshop (CLEW), via the Galien Valley Nature and Culture Program.   
Class lessons include activities related to the 40 Sustainability Categories and the  
ABC Garden of Community Education. Also, one day we all built a debris hut frame.  Another day, at a different site, we each took turns experiencing a completed debris hut, covered with snow. (See photos of class activities, in my daily blog.)   
 
         Meanwhile, during February, no wildflowers are blooming, but the wildflowers' dead stalks and seed heads are present, sticking out of the snow.  For instance, I found the brown dead stalks and seed heads of the Indian Pipes (Monotropa uniflora) wildflower, next to the Galien River. (See photos of wildflowers, in my daily blog.)  
  
          Year round, to represent Pizzo, an ecological restoration firm, I attend a local chamber of commerce mixer, each month, at a different local business.  Attending commerce mixers is one of many ways to continually get to see more of the local area, little by little.  This February, the commerce mixer was at the event room of Froehlich's, a local restaurant and bakery, just a few blocks from my house.  I'd been to Froehlich's restaurant and bakery, before, but not yet to its event room. (See photos of Three Oaks, downtown Three Oaks, and Froehlich's restaurant, in my daily blog.) 

          This February 2020 is a month of shallow snow (6-inches (15 cm) or less).  On most days, there was snow on the ground, but the snow was not deep.  It snowed a little, melted, snowed a little, melted, etc.  A local cross-country skiing venue has been open, only 3 days this year, because the snow has been so shallow.  I went skiing on one of those days.  (See photos of winter activities, in my daily blog.)  

        Enjoy the weather where you are. Happy February.
 

January 2020 - Winter!

winter, a little snow, debris hut camping, community and nature books, famous quotes, and more.  

Check out my daily blog for the month of January 2020 (Wookooch 2020). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2020 January / Wookooch: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2020/20-01wookooch.html

         Happy 2020. I started out the new year right, by sleeping overnight outdoors, in a debris hut. Usually still, I sleep indoors, in a bed.  (See photos of debris hut, in my daily blog.)

        In the January blog, I post some quotes, that I've collected over the years. Plus, I post a few books (about community and nature) that I have read and I am currently reading.  (See more quotes in my daily blog.)

Our village life would stagnate if it were not for 

the unexplored forests and meadows around it.  

We need the tonic of wildness.  

- Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Nature's first and last lessons teach man to be kind. 

- Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings

All natural areas are our teachers 

and great sources of 

inspiration, learning, and beauty.  

- Tom Brown Jr., Apache Tribe, 

The Forgotten Wilderness

        It's been a warm winter month, this January 2020.  I've seen the Woolly Bear Caterpillar and Bluebirds, active, this January, in Michigan.  One day was 60 degrees F (15 C), and a few kids jumped into frigid Lake Michigan.  Other days have gotten only a few little snowfalls.  Most days, there was no snow on the ground.  On January 10, it rained 3 inches and the Galien River surged 3-feet-high.  But, eventually, it was more like winter.  January 19 was the coldest day in January - the morning was 9 degrees F (-13 C).  We got a few inches of snow on the night of January 17, plus a few more on January 19, perhaps 6 inches (15 cm) total.  (See photos of woolly bear caterpillar, Galien River, and winter scenes, in my daily blog.)

        Enjoy the weather where you are. Happy New Year.  
               

December 2019 monthly post

40 sustainability categories.

Check out my daily blog for the month of December 2019 (Jaethaz 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 December / Jaethaz: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-12jaethaz.html

         In December, the last of the falling fall leaves continue to drop to the ground.  The Village of Three Oaks, Michigan, even now, is still collecting leaves that people rake from their yards to the curb.  At large, all of the leaves have dropped by now, mid-December, even from the trees that drop their leaves later than others: oaks, beeches, silver maples, and callery pear trees.   (See photos of trees and nature, in my daily blog.)

         For the December daily blog, I focused on exhibiting examples with photos of how I've been supporting each of the  40 Sustainability Categories. By looking at my daily blog for December 2019, you'll get a good idea of what I've been working on for the past 15 or more years.  (See photos of sustainability activities, in my daily blog.)
         
         Enjoy the last few days of fall.  The first day of winter is Saturday, December 21, 2019.  

November 2019 monthly post

fall nature classes, 40 sustainability categories, pumpkins, leaves changing colors, and more.  

Check out my daily blog for the month of November 2019 (Zhazaw 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 November / Zhazaw: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-11zhazaw.html

         In September, October, and November, I teach nature classes for the fall semester, through the Galien Valley Nature and Culture Program.  This semester, I'm teaching Community and Landscape: Eco Workshop (CLEW), Nature and Community Arts (NCA), and Phone Apps Nature (PAN).  (See photos of class activities, in my daily blog.)

        Class lessons include activities related to the 40 Sustainability Categories.  
Check out the 40 Sustainability Categories, on my z-hub website.   
www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/sustain.html

        In November, in ecological restoration work, once most leaves fall off trees, it's the beginning of burn season.  Burn season is from November to May.  (See photos of prescribed fire of a prairie, in Michigan, in my daily blog.)

        The dramatic changing color of leaves and maximum fall color is the last two weeks of October and first week(s) of November, here in southwest Michigan. In my Daily Blog, see many photos of leaves changing colors over the past few weeks.   (See photos of the changing colors of trees, in my daily blog.)

        By now, mid-November, most trees have dropped all their leaves.  Meanwhile, in mid-November, many oaks, beeches, and silver maples still cling on to many of their withered leaves.  It's not winter yet, but southern Michigan usually gets a little snow in the fall and spring. Just recently, there was 2-inches of snow on the ground, for 5 days. It's melted now.
         Enjoy the fall season, pumpkins, pumpkin pie, etc.  Happy Thanksgiving.  

October 2019 monthly post

fall nature classes, 40 sustainability categories, fall harvest of potatoes, collecting seeds, wildflowers, wild animals, and more.  Happy Fall!

Check out my daily blog for the month of October 2019 (Faga 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 October / Faga: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-10faga.html

        Happy Fall.  This month of October 2019, from our vegetable garden, we harvested all the potatoes and the last of our watermelon.  The zucchini plant is still growing new zucchini.   (See photos of my veggie garden, in my daily blog.)

         In September, October, and November, I teach nature classes for the fall semester, through the Galien Valley Nature and Culture Program.  This semester, I'm teaching Community and Landscape: Eco Workshop (CLEW), Nature and Community Arts (NCA), and Phone Apps Nature (PAN).  (See photos of class activities, in my daily blog.)

         Class lessons include activities related to the 40 Sustainability Categories.  
Check out the 40 Sustainability Categories, on my z-hub website.  
www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/sustain.html

        Meanwhile, during October, for ecological restoration work, I've been collecting seeds from wildflowers, in prairies, wetlands, and woodlands of Michigan sites.  See seeds and flowers photos in my blog.  (See photos of flowers and seeds, in my daily blog.)  

        Many people think of wildflowers blooming in spring.  Yet, even in October, some wildflowers bloom, including the purple blossoms of the New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), the blue blossoms of the Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii), and the orange blossoms of the Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis).  (See photos of native fall flowers, in my daily blog.)
        
         My nature class students especially enjoyed popping the seed pods of the Jewelweed.  My blog includes photos of wild animals too, including the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) and Green Frog (Rana clamitans). My nature class students especially enjoyed holding various bugs, including the Walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata) and Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa).  (See photos of native wild animals, in my daily blog.)

         In mid-October, only now is the beginning of the bulk of leaves changing color, here in southwest Michigan.  Full fall color is the last two weeks of October and first week of November.   Enjoy the changing fall colors of leaves. 

September 2019 monthly post

ABC Garden textbook, summer harvest watermelon, lake and beach, prairie flowers, and more. Happy Summer!

Check out my daily blog for the month of September 2019 (Ingbing 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 September / Ingbing: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-09ingbing.html

        This month of September 2019, from our vegetable garden, we've been harvesting zucchini, cucumbers, and watermelon.  Plus, I gave a public talk on Community Gardens, on August 24.  In correlation to the talk, I worked on a design and web page of the ABC Garden.   In September, I updated a textbook of mine for my Community and Landscape class.  The updated textbook includes information on the ABC Garden and CEEE: culture-education-ecology-economy.  My Community and Landscape class began on September 22.  (See photos of veggie garden, ABC Garden, and textbook, in my daily blog.)

        Meanwhile, during September, the last month of summer, we had some nice hot summer afternoons at the beach, along Lake Michigan.  In September, for ecological restoration work, this month, for the first time ever, I went to work at a national park.  Yes, I live near a national park now.  As of this year, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is now officially Indiana Dunes National Park.   I still work at Michigan sites as well.   See photos in my blog.  Happy late-summer prairie flowers!  Many native prairie flowers of late summer are now blooming, including the Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), Ironweed  (Vernonia sp.), and more.  (See photos of Lake Michigan, restoration work, and native summer prairie flowers, in my daily blog.)

         Happy end of Summer.  Happy Beginning of Fall, on September 23, 2019.  

August 2019 monthly post

ABC Garden, summer harvest, zucchini and cucumber, lake and beach, prairie flowers, and more.  Happy Summer!

Check out my daily blog for the month of August 2019 (Doipoil 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 August / Doipoil: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-08doipoil.html

        This month of August 2019, from our vegetable garden, we've been harvesting zucchini and cucumbers.  See photos in my blog.  I'm giving a public talk on Community Gardens, on August 24.  In correlation to the talk, I worked on a design and web page of the ABC Garden.  
Check out the ABC Garden.  
Meanwhile, Lake Michigan and the beach are great.  July was very hot.  August has been cooler, but it's still dry.  There has been very little rain, so far this summer.  For ecological restoration work, this month, for the first time, I've been working at an EPA site (National Environmental Protection Agency), in Indiana.  I still work at Michigan sites as well.   See photos in my blog.  Happy summer prairie flowers!  Many native prairie flowers of mid to late summer are now blooming, including the Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana), and more.  Enjoy September, the last month of summer!

my July 2019 monthly post

vegetable garden, hot summer, blue-n-green summer scarf, lake and beach, prairie flowers, and more. Happy Summer!

Check out my daily blog for the month of July 2019 (Siloi 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 July / Siloi: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-07siloi.html

        This month of July 2019, I've been growing a vegetable garden.  We cover the ground with newspaper (4-pages thick) to help keep the weeds from growing.  See photos in my blog.  The cucumbers, zucchini, and potatoes are growing well.  After Michigan's cold, wet, rainy spring (April to June), Michigan has had a hot, humid, sunny, dry (no rain) summer since June 24 until now, July 18, so far.  Lately, the weather has been 80 degrees F (26 degrees C).  Tomorrow, it's supposed to be 95 F (35 C).  It's summer, so I put away my pink-n-yellow spring scarf, and I started wearing my blue-n-green summer scarf, which I crocheted during travels, earlier this year.  It's hot outdoors, but the indoors of some places are frigid with air conditioning.  The lake and beach are great. The hot weather has warmed Lake Michigan's water up to 75 F (23 C), which is great for swimming and staying warm at the beach.   For ecological restoration, I've been working at Michigan prairies and woods, and Indiana wetlands. See photos in my blog.  Happy summer prairie flowers!  Many native prairie flowers are now blooming, including the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), PInk Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa), Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata), Orange Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), and more.  Enjoy your summer!

my June 2019 monthly post

trip to western USA, mountains, sand dunes, canyons, creeks, flowers, lizards, hoodoos, and more. Happy Spring!

Check out my daily blog for the month of June 2019 (Hoehee 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 June / Hoehee: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-06hoehee.html

        This month of June 2019, the Juneberry (Amelanchier arborea), a wild native Michigan small tree, grows tasty edible fruit. Also, in Michigan, in June, the iris, lupine, spiderwort, and other flowers bloom.  There are many beautiful and fun places to visit throughout the world and the USA, including steep, hilly, and flat places.  Sometimes my family travels to the eastern USA to Pennsylvania, Boston, North Carolina, etc.  Sometimes my family travels north to see more of the huge state of Michigan.   This June, my family went on a spring trip out to the western USA: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, etc.  Indeed it was spring.  Temperatures were cool.  We experienced sun, rain, snow, and hail.  We saw many spring western flowers, including cactus flowers, agave flowers, and beardtongue flowers.  See photos of the USA west in spring, see mountains, canyons, creeks, flowers, lizards, hoodoos, and more.  Happy Spring!

my May 2019 monthly post

Blog 1st Anniversary!, nature and art class, planting design, stewardship fieldwork, spring wildflowers, and more.  Happy Spring!

I started my 2 blogs in May 2018. 
My blogs: Daily Blog and Monthly Blog
Happy Blog 1st Anniversary.  

Check out my daily blog for the month of May 2019 (Yeeyoet 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 May / Yeeyoet: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-05yeeyoet.html

        This month of May 2019, the leaves have been growing on trees, and the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is blooming.  I ate some redbud flowers.  Via the Galien Valley Nature and Culture Program, I'm teaching a combo nature and art class: "Nature and the Community Arts," at Fernwood Gardens, in Niles, Michigan.  On daily blog, see photos of nature classes activities.  For landscape architecture (z-hub z-design), I worked on a planting design of native flowers.  For ecological restoration, I started doing stewardship fieldwork.  On daily blog, see photos of spring fieldwork, including clearing, burning, seeding, and weeding.    Happy spring flowers!  My daily blog includes many May woodland native wildflowers photos, such as of mayapple, wild columbine, jack-in-the-pulpit, and more, as well as some exotic garden flowers, such as tulips.  Also, I have some native Michigan wildlife photos of a wood frog, a bullfrog, and spotted turtles.   Enjoy your spring!

my April 2019 monthly post

nature and art class, frogs and tadpoles, yellow-n-pink scarf, spring wildflowers, primitive bushcrafts, and more. Happy Spring!

Check out my daily blog for the month of April 2019 (Menen 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

See more photos:

My Daily Blog for 2019 April / Menen: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-04menen.html

        This month of April 2019, yay! the plants are starting to grow again.  I've been nibbling on the fresh new leaves of dandelions, plantain, violets, etc.  Via the Galien Valley Nature and Culture Program, I'm teaching a combo nature and art class: "Nature and the Community Arts," at Fernwood Gardens, in Niles, Michigan.  On daily blog, see photos of nature classes activities.   For my ecological restoration work, I attended a spring wetlands wildlife workshop.  On daily blog, see photos of frogs and salamanders.  Plus, on my own, I found some frog eggs and newly-hatched teeny tiny tadpoles.  It's spring, so I put away my red-n-purple winter scarf, and I started wearing my yellow-n-pink spring scarf, which I crocheted during travels, a few months ago. On my daily blog, see my scarf.  Happy spring flowers!  My daily blog includes many spring woodland native wildflowers photos, such as of hepatica, bloodroot, spring beauty, and more, as well as some exotic garden flowers, such as daffodils.  Also, I worked on primitive bushcrafts such as grass mats, baskets, burn bowls, and cordage.  Plus, I finally, for the first time, added a few photos to pages of my monthly blog.  Have you seen Zoe's Monthly Blog's nature page or science and art page or other pages?  Enjoy your spring!

my March 2019 monthly post

eastern bluebirds mating, eastern tiger salamander, Lake Michigan ice thaws, and more.  Happy Winter!

Check out my daily blog for the month of March 2019 (Shoover 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

My Daily Blog for 2019 March / Shoover: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-03shoover.html

        Happy End of Winter.  Now it's spring.  But for much of March, it was winter.  Here in southwest Michigan, we had snow and temperatures went down as far as 5 degrees F (-15 Celsius).  Meanwhile, several signs of the oncoming spring appeared too.  The snow melted away. 
         In March, this last month of winter, I saw many signs of the approaching spring and took photos of some of them. There have been chickadees, nuthatches, and juncos about all winter.  They are quiet on frigid winter days.  For example, Monday, March 4, was bitter cold and silent. No birds moved or made a sound, that day.  The next day, the chickadees, nuthatches, and juncos were active again.   On March 8, the 1-inch of snow  covering the ground vanished in 2 hours.  We haven't seen snow since.  As far as spring birds go, about March 11th, I first heard robins and red-wing blackbirds.  Wednesday, March 14, was a warm, wet, rainy day, enough so to bring out salamanders.  Todd took some photos of a Eastern Tiger Salamander.  Great photos!  I posted the salamander photos on my blog. Also, on March 14, from inside my house, I could hear a male Cardinal sing all day, outdoors, to declare his territory, despite it being a rainy day. The next day, the weather got cold again.  Lake Michigan kept it's frozen surface throughout much of March. Yet, on Monday, March 18, the birds were active like crazy, like a spring day, although it was only 38 degrees F (3 Celsius).  I watched a pair of nuthatches lovingly talk back and forth with each other in conversation.  The chickadees were in pairs too.  I heard Sandhill Cranes honk high up in the sky, as they are migrating back north.  Eastern Bluebirds have migrated back to Michigan too.  On Tuesday, March 19, in the throes of love, two bluebirds fell from a tree branch to the ground, right in front of me; they mated for a moment and flew off together. The Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) flower buds are opening.  The Sharp-Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) flower shoots are sprouting up, right next to the sprouts of native Wild Onion / Ramp.   The rains on March 20 and the winds on March 22 broke up the ice, which covered Lake Michigan to the horizon, just a week ago.  Today, March 23, only some small broken bits and pieces (6-inches-long to 3-feet-long) of Lake Michigan ice remains washed up in a continuous linear pile, along the edge of the beach.
         Enjoy the changing of the seasons! 
        

my February 2019 monthly post

spelt bread, winter snow, holistic sustainability, 7 goals of education and economy, and more. Happy Winter!

Check out my daily blog for the month of February 2019 (Churoo 2019). Each day shows some various activities that I do in science, art, nature, culture, land stewardship,
culture, education, ecology, economy, health, and in learning about holistic good, morals, and beyond. I post a photo every day. Enjoy!

My Daily Blog for 2019 February / Churoo: Daily Blog   

www.z-hub.org/zle-blog/z2019/19-02churoo.html

        Happy Winter.  This month of February 2019, my family got back into grinding grain and baking bread again.  To try a different grain than we got before, this time we have spelt.  We're making spelt bread.  Our first two loaves were delicious.  
         In February, for landscape architecture, I revised and posted the 40 ways to sustain and enrich communities, people, and nature, that I originally made in 2012.  I posted it in the Holistic Sustainability page.  I use the word "holistic" not to narrowly mean herbal medicines alone, but to broadly mean whole culture, including economy, education, science, art, the way we live, learn, and work, etc.  My blog website has several pages on holistic pursuits.  Also I wrote about Changes needed in Education and the Economy: 7 goals and success indicators in culture, education, ecology, and economy, in order to help communities, people, and nature.  
         Plus, my February Daily Blog has several photos of winter snow, in Michigan, and outdoor snow activities: sledding, cross country skiing, etc.  In February, Lake Michigan's surface froze into ice.  Also, Michigan had some days that were subzero all day long.  We got down to -18 degrees F.   Wildflowers can still be seen in winter.  The stalks are dead, but the flower species are still identifiable by its dead stalks and seed heads.  They add visual and textural interest to the winter landscape. 
          Also, I posted a few snowy photos of Three Rivers, Michigan.  This month, I visited Three Rivers, Michigan, for the first time ever.  My aunt-in-law has some art in a Three Rivers art show.  In Michigan, several people confuse Three Oaks with Three Rivers, because both town names have the word Three.   Yet, they are very different.  Three Oaks has 1 river near it: the Galien River.  But, Three Rivers has 3 rivers (St. Joseph River, Portage River, and Rocky River) run right through the heart of town.