By Ginny Sullivan Gazette Contributing Writer
Research shows that children benefit from spending time in nature. The benefits are enormous and far-reaching—including increased attention, greater physical activity, more complex use of language and improved social skills. But how should we incorporate this understanding into the places we design for children’s play? Whenever I consult with schools about making changes to their outdoor play space, I advocate for the creative potential of a rich natural environment. And when they are asked, teachers and children say this is what they want as well.
By Ted Watt
What’s not to love about fireflies? Their soft, twinkling lights inspire romance and poetry. Do you remember trying to catch them when you were a kid? These warm, humid June nights are perfect for observing this unique summer spectacle. But the tiny sparkling lights in meadows, parks and backyards aren’t designed for our pleasure they’re mating signals.
By Katie Koerten
When I first became interested in birds and their identification in the wild, I was daunted by the prospect of identifying raptors (birds of prey) in flight. Sure, field guides are helpful when it comes to looking for coloring and field marks, but when you’re standing on the ground and the bird is flying across the sky, these characteristics can be hard to detect. From a distance you can’t determine size with much certainty, let alone any markings. Often you can just make out the shape of the bird, and maybe catch a few wing flaps before it soars out of sight.
By Lawrence J. Winship
Each spring I wander my favorite haunts in search of ephemeral spring wildflowers. Patches of adder’s tongue, trillium, bloodroot, wild ginger, bleeding heart and spring beauty can be hard to find, but are so rewarding. These reliable harbingers of the deep forest shade to come are locally rare, mainly because of past land use practices. Widespread forest clearing and plowing in the 1700s and 1800s killed native plants and depleted their seed banks, wiping out local populations. Re-establishment of spring ephemerals requires at least two things: plants in nearby non- tilled areas to serve as seed sources, and time—lots of time, because seed dispersal is often a slow process.
By Mary Kraus
Wouldn’t it be great: A home that produces as much energy as it uses. No utility bills. Maybe some income for energy production. And the knowledge that you have reduced your ecological footprint and impact on global warming. It used to sound like a dream, but now that dream is well within reach. How do I know? I’m living it! And it didn’t take much to get there.
By Michael Dover
Spring! ’Tis the season for walking, biking, paddling or just plain being outside. Even after a mild winter like the one just past, we’re still ready to stretch our limbs, breathe deeply and soak in the sunshine. Let’s all follow our best instincts and get outdoors. This year, though, you might try a new way: spend some of that time in silence.
By Elizabeth Farnsworth
OK, be honest: What’s the stereotype you imagine when you hear the word “botanist”? Perhaps you picture a bespectacled academic pottering about the woods in search of her favorite moonwort. (What’s a moonwort, anyway?) Botany is often thought of as a quaint, Victorian pastime; but those of us who do it for a living think of ourselves more as Indiana Jones adventurers, coming up with new discoveries in the field all the time. This is 21st-century botany, so why not use the latest computer technology to help us out?
By David Spector
In March many people notice American robins on lawns. As the ground thaws and earthworms become available, robins—both those returning from further south and those that spent the winter nearby feeding on fruit—reappear on lawns. The robin’s red breast is well-known; indeed it is the red breast shared with the European robin that inspired English immigrants to give our bird the same name. What about the rest of the bird? What does the bill look like? The face? The tail? How can we identify an American robin when we can’t see the breast, but can glimpse just a small part of the bird? Close examination of American robins can bring greater appreciation of the whole bird and open a window into aspects of the bird’s natural history.
By Ken Gooch
Most people think of cities and urban areas when they think of Massachusetts. Even though we’re a densely populated state, the Commonwealth is also the eighth most forested state in the country. Sixty-two percent—3,060,000 acres—of our land is covered by forest. Most likely, people didn’t think much about the health of Massachusetts forests prior to the infestation and defoliation of trees by the gypsy moth in the early 1880s. The problem of invasive, non-native pests was not well understood at the time.
By Katie Koerten
With their bald red heads and carrion-eating ways, turkey vultures may at first glance lack the splendor of some of our other soaring birds. They may not carry the same symbolic importance of say, a bald eagle. They may not seem to have an exceptional skill, like the speedy peregrine falcon. But look a little closer and you will see that turkey vultures are just as impressive as more “charismatic“ birds.
Hitchcock Center for the Environment
at Hampshire College
845 West Street | Amherst MA 01002 | 413.256.6006 | 413.253.2809 fax