16 Nature Goals for 2016

Last year, I enjoyed setting and working on 15 nature goals for 2015. For 13 out of the 15 goals, I either met and/or made progress on them. Had I not set the goals, I would not have done or enjoyed as much as I did outdoors as I did.

So, for 2016 I've set 16 goals. Some are new goals, some are continuations of ones I enjoyed last year, and others are ones that I didn't have a chance to complete last year.

1. Take 12 new hikes.
2. Coach the Wildlife Project Bowl teams for our 4-H Club. Last year, I coached our club's first-ever junior team for the Wildlife Project Bowl from January-April. This year, all the team members returned and six new youth joined. There's a junior and senior team as well a three associate coaches that I'll be working with to help the youth prepare for the regional (and hopefully) state Wildlife Project Bowls.
3. Read 6 nature books or publications. There are two new publications for the Wildlife Project Bowl that I need to read this year. That leaves four books that I can select that are my choice.
4. Visit 5 state parks in Minnesota that I’ve never seen. I would like to visit Afton, Fort Snelling, Lake Maria, Frontenac, and Forestville/Mystery Cave. Go as a family when possible, and take the dogs with us on some of the visits as we explore new trails and parks.
5. Visit 4 nature centers that I haven’t visited before.
6. See a National Forest. Aim for Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington (state) in June.
7. Identify and journal about 3 new types of wildlife. I'll use the Handbook of Nature Study for information as well as the internet.
8. Identify and journal about 3 new birds.
9. Do a Nature Photo of the Week challenge using prompts I found from various challenges.
10. Go on 2 camping trips.
11. Plant on our nature trail 10 trees and shrubs that are native to Minnesota. We used to have a closed-loop trail on the back part of the farm when I did an art and farm camp for children.
      After I stopped doing the camp and a development was built adjacent to our property, I no longer had a desire to walk back there. Now, after planting evergreens about a decade ago along the border, they have filled in quite nicely.
       It's time to revisit having a trail again and using that part of the land. I'd like to focus on trees and shrubs that are particularly beneficial to bees and other pollinators.
12. Do 2 entries per month in my nature journal.
13. Attend 4 workshops, classes, or activities at state parks.
14. Visit two new national wildlife refuges in Minnesota (Sherburne and Upper Mississippi). Sherburne is 1 hour and 4 minutes to the west of home; and Upper Mississippi is by Winona – or about 3 hours away.
15. Have 6 picnics when the weather is pleasant and we aren't battling with mosquitoes.
16. Learn 3 new outdoor skills, hobbies, or sports.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 52 - Waterfall

Of course I would leave the "Waterfall" theme for the Nature Photo of the Week challenge until the last week of the year. In Minnesota, there are not many waterfalls that aren't frozen over at this time of the year. (Though, actually, a couple of weeks ago when it was in the 40s, none of the lakes, rivers, or waterfalls had frozen over for the winter. It was very atypical for this time of the year.)

At any rate, I wanted to find something that showed water - in some form - at this time of the year. Snow is the closest thing to a waterfall that I could find.

As I walked around the backyard yesterday afternoon, I looked for snow that was falling over an edge - just like a waterfall. In this case, the snow was falling over the edge of the branch...just a little, but it was still making its way downward.

A few day ago, there was a beautiful snowfall and all the branches were covered with a couple of inches of snow. Those mornings - when I look out the window and see everything layered with snow - are some of my favorite ones in the winter.

Although I'm not a fan of frigidly cold weather, I do like seeing the snow on the evergreens. It doesn't stay for long like that - the wind blows the snow to the ground. Yet, for that short period of time, it truly can take me to another world of peaceful solitude.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 50 - Bubbly

Although this post says it is Week 50 of the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, in reality it's the last week of  December. I didn't keep up with the weekly photos during the December despite the beautiful, mild weather.

Most of the time, ironically, I spent indoors getting caught up on projects or volunteering. 

So, it's December 27th today - a frigid day in Minnesota - although quite typical for this time of the year. 

After spending most of the day planning the next few months of homeschooling, I wanted to take a break and go outdoors. 

Cooper knew the minute I closed the laptop and headed for the closet to get a pair of socks that something exciting was happening.

He could barely contain himself. "Bubbly" doesn't even capture the enthusiasm he had for going on a walk. Aspen, too, was excited about being able to explore the road side...all those interesting smells that the backyard doesn't hold.

We made it down past the neighboring farm and began walking between a couple of fields - usually corn before it it's harvested in November.

We didn't make it down to the end of pathway (where the cornfields end and there's an open area now covered with snow). That area is alfalfa. Surrounding it - in late summer - are milkweed plants and clover. A couple of summers ago, I walked with the dogs along that pathway and there were so many monarchs gathered on the plants. It was like a meeting area, in a way. A rest stop on the journey south. The one time I didn't have my camera with me...it was when there were so many vibrantly-colored monarchs all around me - that beautiful orange against the deep green grass was breath-taking.

Anyway...it's a different season now. Much colder. The dogs' paws get cold so walks are shorter. But the enthusiasm for getting out and exploring doesn't lessen.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 49 - Moon

This week for the 49th week of the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, I chose the theme "Moon" from the list.

The remaining three themes are rather challenging ones given this time of the year. Honestly, I'm not sure yet how I'm going to find examples of them in the winter in Minnesota.

That being said, the weather has been beautifully mild here for most of the month. I have been enjoying it because it makes getting things done outdoors so much easier.

The photo this week was actually taken by Olivia. We were coming home from an activity and the moon was still high in the sky...or, rather, half of it was visible in the sky.

She grabbed her camera and took some photos. Rather than duplicating the same shot, it was easier to use her photograph.

The photo is untouched. That's how brilliantly blue it was that day.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 48 - Pebbles

This week Sophia, Olivia, and I went to Interstate State Park in Minnesota. There were plenty of pebbles and small rocks around the park as well as large rock formations.

It seemed fitting that the prompt for the Nature Photo of the Week challenge that I chose for this week was "Pebbles."

The photo, however, is not of pebbles. Rather, it is of an interesting area of the park that has rock formations withe various colors. The stripes and waves of colors vary from rock to rock. It's beautiful.

According to the DNR information about Interstate State Park, "About 1.1 billion years ago, earthquakes erupted from Taylors Falls to Lake Superior. At least 10 different lava flows were the result. The hardened basalt rock from these lava flows was partly responsible for the formation of the Dalles of the St. Croix and the bottom of the river.

"From 530 million years ago up until 70 million years ago, the state was washed by advancing and retreating seas. Evidence of these ancient seas is revealed in the sedimentary rocks and formations found in the park. These rocks contain fossil remains of ancient animals, evidence of various creatures, and ripple marks left in stone by the now vanished seas.

"Actually, there have been many different St. Croix Valleys down through the ages. The original one was formed about 70 million years ago. The last one, which exists today, was formed about 10,000 years ago."

When I think of the size of the glaciers in relationship to the size of the rocks that were before me, they are pebbles - such small rocks - compared to the massive glaciers moving through this area.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 47 - Sunshine

For the 47th week of the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, I chose the theme of "Sunshine." 

At first glance, this appears to be an abandoned paper wasp nest. However, there is indeed sunshine. 

It's particularly significant because we have had rain this month more than we have had snow. I'm not complaining - because it is so much easier to do outdoor chores when there is no snow on the ground.

The flip side is that the ground goes between being hard, and being soft and squishy. The latter is rather difficult for the horses (and us) near the barn.

At any rate, the sun was shining on this particular day, and I removed the wasp nest from one of the trees in the horses' pasture. The rain had taken a toll on the exterior of the nest, but it is still intact enough to get an idea what the structure of the nest was like.

Sophia will be doing a 4-H project on the differences between wasps and honeybees for her entomology project this year. This wasp nest will, more than likely, be a part of her project and/or display.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 46 - Silhouette

This week for the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, there weren't a lot of options still available. Out of the remaining seven prompts, the closest I could come to this one of the swans was "Silhouette." Although a reflection and silhouette are completely different things, this was the closest prompt I could "justify" as using.

I wanted to include the swans in this year's challenge because they were such a magnificent site. There were about a dozen swans in a medium-size pond that we see on the way to Sophia's harp lesson this week.

With the unseasonably warmer weather we've been having during November, the water has not frozen over and it seems like migration of some waterfowl are later than normal.

Sophia, Olivia, and I watched the swans from the car for quite a while. As we were parked on the side of the road, many cars and trucks passed us. Everyone seemed in such a hurry to get somewhere else, unable to stop - even for a moment - to enjoy the beauty of the swans at this time of the year.

It's not something you see normally in this area...making it even more important that we took the time to stop and enjoy what we were able to see that afternoon.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 45 - Inspiration

As I looked around the farm, there are still some milkweed seeds in the pods waiting for the wind (or a person) to lift them in the air and help them find a new home.

To me, it's inspiring when I look at the seeds. Each represents a new plant...a new place for a monarch to find food and a home for a new generation of butterflies.

For the past two months, we have been working on trying to get approval for planting a pollinator habitat plot on public land that is about a half a block away. Our 4-H club received funding for the project, and we have enlisted the help of three community members who have been invaluable in terms of meeting with the Parks and Recreation Committee and City Council.

Hopefully the project is approved soon so that we can move forward and start planning for the educational and planting day that will be in Spring 2016.

Until then, my focus is on continuing to all the majority of land on the farm to be wild and to let the milkweed take root wherever it can. Anything to help the monarchs have more food and shelter in the future.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 44 - Furry

This week for the Nature Photo of the Week I chose the theme "Furry." It is quite fitting since the horses now have their winter coats and have a lot more hair than they did during the summer.

Hoss resting in the sun.

According to Penn State University, "Many may ask why the horse’s coat covering is called hair and not fur. Animals with a coat covering that is denser were utilized in garments, hence those coat covering were called fur. The horse’s coat covering is not used in wearing apparel and therefore it is called hair."

PSU continued, "In normal conditions a horse’s hair coat protects them against the cold temperatures in winter and is replaced in spring with a lighter coat that is more easily adapt at drying out if the horse becomes over heated and sweaty.

"The horse actually has three different hair coats. A summer hair coat and two winter coat growths. In the fall the summer coat sheds out and as the horse’s body prepares for winter it produces the two different winter hairs. One is a short, thick layer, while the other is long hairs that will stick up and provide air spaces that serve as an insulating layer against cold winter temperatures."

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 43 - Bridge

This week has been a rather dreary one with constant rain. There was even some light snow on Wednesday, October 28th that made a brief appearance and then melted by the next day. 

This morning and early afternoon it was raining again. Sophia and Olivia hoped by this evening that the rain would stop so they wouldn't have to carry umbrellas while trick-or-treating. The rain did, indeed, stop by early afternoon.

This photo, the 43rd one of the year for the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, shows a break in the rain. The photo was taken from the shore of the St. Croix River at Osceola Landing. This is from the Minnesota side of the river looking north towards the bridge that connects Minnesota to Wisconsin.

We traveled across it quite a few times this past week:

- Monday - we helped create treat bags with the seniors at the nursing home so they could pass out candy to preschoolers who came to visit them on Friday all dressed up in Halloween costumes.

- Friday - Sophia and Olivia participated in the Halloween Costume Contest at the nursing home. Afterwards, we all helped serve root beer and puff corn for a mid-afternoon snack.

- Saturday - I went to Urgent Care to have my head checked out after the car door hit it on Tuesday while I was at my parents' home. I had the car parked on their driveway which is on a hill. When I opened the door, I must have been standing too close to the door or at the wrong angle and it hit my forehead.

Long story short: I've had pain where the door hit my forehead since Tuesday and I thought I noticed that it looked kind of swollen. That or my skin is aging in an odd way.

After headaches all week and a rather disconcerting moment of confusion when looking at my car and not realizing it was mine...I went in to Urgent Care today.

Ends up I have a concussion and my forehead is, in fact, swollen. I'm supposed to take it easy for two weeks and be very careful to try not to bump my head again. Apparently if your head is injured while the first concussion/your brain is healing the outcome potentially isn't as favorable the second time around.

So: rest...making sure I'm careful with my head and it doesn't get hit again...ice on my forehead...and alternating Ibuprofen and Tylenol until the pain and swelling go away. And, that, is Halloween and my nature photo all wrapped up in one.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 42 - Crisp

This week for the 42nd week of the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, I chose the word "Crisp."

The Indian corn was hard to the touch - nothing like the sweet corn we enjoy during the summer. Each of the ears we saw had different colors - so vibrant in the sun. The husks were crisp and were quite loud as we pulled them back to reveal the colorful corn kernels.

There was Popping corn too - equally as crisp or hard as the Indian corn. It, too, was beautifully colored.

I took this photo at Lendt's Pumpkin Patch in Wyoming, Minnesota. They offer a hayride for groups where we were able to see beehives and learn about bees; pick a pumpkin from the field; and choose two ears of corn (one Indian and one Popping). There were lots of opportunities for kids to play on equipment and in a corn pit - complete with a slide, buckets, shovels, and gutters that you could pour the shell corn down from the second floor to first floor.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 41 - Sunshine

For the 41st Nature Photo of the Week theme, "Sunshine," I chose flowers that reminded me of sunshine and the sun.

These flowers were at Franconia Sculpture Park along the trail that goes through the park and leads to various sculptures.

Our 4-H Photography Club met again this month and spent about 1 1/2 hours walking through the park. Between taking photographs of the sculptures, I enjoyed looking at the natural areas of the park - seeing milkweed seeds on the grass pathways, sections of prairie, and a beautiful, clear sky.

We have been very fortunate these past two meetings to have such lovely days to spend outdoors taking photos. I am grateful for the parent who is leading these sessions. If they weren't set up, chances are we would not have been out exploring the sculpture park on this particular afternoon. I would have missed all the beautiful things I saw...plus the always-changing fall leaves which are in full splendor right now.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 39 - Details

During the past week, it has been raining off and on. This morning, it was raining and when there was a break in the rain, we went to the apple orchard for a tour with our 4-H club.

This beautiful orange flower was in a container garden outside of their little shop.

The level of detail in this one flower amazes me. I look at all the petals and how beautifully they are arranged. The different size petals - from the tiniest ones in the center to largest ones on the outside of the flower - are all a vibrant shade of orange - a welcome color against the gray sky.

It seemed like this was a fitting photo for theme of the 39th week of the Nature Photo of the Week: Details.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 38 - Reflection

Today we went on a hike at William O'Brien State Park. It is one of four hikes that we did over the past two days during a camping trip at the park with our 4-H club.

The photo I chose is of two rocks in the St. Croix River. The clouds are reflected in the water (though not clearly) which makes it seem almost like an abstract painting to me in some ways.

We had a small group of people that we camped with - only one other family spent the day on Thursday during the day; and another family spent the afternoon on Thursday and stayed overnight.

However, in retrospect, having only one other family to spend time with and get to know better was an ideal way to spend this field trip. What made it even better was that for both families, there were new experiences that each had while at William O'Brien. 

What was fun for us was being able to introduce a family to overnight camping. The children had never been camping before or stayed in a camper cabin...so the experience was new for them. 

Being able to go on the same hike with two different families who have two vastly different age ranges of children also gave me an opportunity to see nature and the same area from two distinctly diverse ways. 

I also enjoyed showing the youngest children the "gnome house" that Sophia and Olivia used to be thrilled to find and sit in when they were little. Passing along those memories and that tradition was fun for me to do. And, like the theme of this week, gave me an opportunity to reflect on all the wonderful memories I have of exploring William O'Brien State Park with Sophia and Olivia throughout the years.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 37 - Clouds

One of the new activities that we're doing this year is having a 4-H Photography Club thanks to one of the parents in the club.

Our first outing was to St. Croix State Park in Hinckley, Minnesota. It's about an hour and a half from our home, but well worth the drive. It's a huge state park and it feels like you're in another world when you are here.

The day was beautiful - warm, but not hot; and a gorgeous blue sky dotted with snow-white clouds.

I had the dogs with me while Sophia and Olivia took photos and participated in the Photography Club. We enjoyed going on a hike and exploring an area that we had not been before. The dogs were picking up a lot of different scents which kept them interested and their tails wagging the entire time.

Afterwards, we stopped at Dairy Queen for a treat. In addition to treats for us, we got the dogs their own little vanilla ice cream cups. Needless to say, they were thrilled at their surprise treat. They slept well on the way back home which was nice.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 36 - Stranger

This is a slight departure from the "normal" Nature Photo of the Week. For the 36th week, I chose the theme "Stranger."

Out of the photos I took this past week, this one from our first 4-H meeting of the year, shows how children - some strangers to one another and some friends who knew one another from last year - came together and had fun playing with a parachute.

Getting youth outside - whether they are 2 years old or 15 years old (the age ranges of the youth in our 4-H club and their younger siblings) - is so important to their health and well-being. The smiles, laughter, and fun they had together was worth the investment of the parachute.

Children who were once strangers easily became friends this week when they were having fun together playing outdoors in nature.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 35 - Sparkle

For the 35th week of the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, I looked through my photographs and selected this one to go with the theme "Sparkle."

I'm not sure this butterfly truly "sparkles." Yet, when I looked up the definition of the word "sparkle" - there were quite a few synonyms that I thought fit this butterfly as I remember looking at it while Olivia held it:

Shimmer.
Shine.
Gleam.

The colors were iridescent - changing ever so slightly in the slight between different shades of purples and blues.

The stop at the Butterfly House at the Minnesota State Fair was a much-needed break and visual treat. It's always one of the highlights at the fair for us. 

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 34 - Circle

For this week's Nature Photo of the Week, I chose the theme "Circle." I didn't have too many pictures to choose from since much of the past week focused on catching up on things I needed to do following my mom's visitation, funeral, and burial from August 15th-21st.

So, I chose this image of a setting sun. It's not a great image...it's difficult to see how truly beautiful the pale lavender and magenta sky was and how the entire circle of the sun was illuminated in the sky as it set.

This was the image at 6:48 p.m. as I pulled our driveway. Earlier that day, was my mom's visitation, funeral, and burial. The setting sun...kind of a closing chapter of the day (and my life)...felt like the most appropriate image of the week.

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 34 - Tradition

One of our favorite traditions during the summer is raising monarch butterflies. We have been doing this for many years now...since Sophia and Olivia were young girls.

This is the first monarch that we raised and released this season. It had rained the evening before and throughout the day. We gave this butterfly plenty of time to dry its wings and then waited for the rain to stop during the day before releasing it.

It seemed to enjoy these flowers a lot, and stayed there a long time. The vivid color of the monarch against the flowers made for an uplifting image on an otherwise dreary day.

This is the 34th picture for the Nature Photo of the Week. The theme was "Tradition."

Nature Photo of the Week - Week 33 - Energy

As I reviewed the photos that I took during the past week and the remaining themes for the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, I chose the word "Energy" as I looked as this uncapped frame from a beehive.

We were invited to go to Sophia's mentor's home to watch and participate in the honey extraction process. This is one of dozens and dozens of frames that Phil had uncapped. This one, like the others, is resting on a bar while the honey slowly drips from the frame.

After a batch of ten frames is removed from the extractor, this one and nine more frames will be next. The extractor spins the frames and the centrifugal force removes the honey from the frames.

We were able to taste the honey fresh from the frames once it was extracted. It was delicious! There is nothing that you can buy in the grocery store that compares to local honey.

Sophia and I are very excited to be able to extract honey next year from her hive. Hopefully it will be the start of a rewarding - and perhaps profitable - hobby that she can enjoy throughout her life.