Betsy S. Franz ~ The Nature Lady

Yes, Virginia, I am a Nature Nerd

2010-12-24T09:55:00.001-05:00

Someone asked me the other day whether I thought there were starting to be more or less people practicing "green" eco-friendly gardening. Skeptics are starting to say that the whole "green movement" is on the wane. I don't think that is true. Why? Because I believe.

I believe that people are starting to realize the impact of their actions. I believe that more and more people want to do their part to help create a better world for future generations. And I definitely believe in Nature Nerds.

What are nature nerds? Nature nerds are people that are so in awe of the natural world around them, that they work to protect it.

So, with apologies to newsman Francis Pharcellus Church, who created this wonderful reply to Miss Virginia O’Hanlon when she wrote a letter to the New York Sun questioning the existence of Santa Claus, I give you:
Yes Virginia, I am a Nature Nerd

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there are no Nature Nerds.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; are there Nature Nerds?
"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there are Nature Nerds.They exist as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Nature Nerds. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Nature Nerds! …… The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. ……. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Nature Nerds! Thank God! they live, and they live forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, they will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

Technorati Tags: betsy franz,nature nerds,New York Sun,Yes Virginia,Nature nerd,Leonardo DiCaprio,Bette Midler,Martha Stewart,Time Magazine,Newsweek,Francis Pharcellus Church

Dear Santa - A Christmas Poem for Our Times

2010-12-14T13:08:00.001-05:00

One of the things I love about Christmas is the fact that we are allowed to be just as sentimental and schmaltzy as we want. After all, 'tis the season, right?

This is a poem I wrote back in 1994 when I was self-publishing a newsletter entitled "Going for It!!! Helping You Make Your Life and Your World a Better Place."

I knew how corny it was, even back then, but my mother and I shared a lot of laughs working on the poem together.

Mom passed away last year and reading this poem again reminds me of her wonderful laugh and smile and all of the good times we shared "trying to make the world a better place." I know I'm being a bit sentimental, but 'tis the season, right?

Here's the original poem "Dear Santa" written by Betsy S. Franz with a little help from mom, complete with the clipart we used for the newsletter.

Dear Santa,

I'm dreaming of a better world
A nicer place to be
Where everyone is good and kind
And no one's mean to me.

Where people help each other out
And share the food they eat
So no one has to do without
Or live out on the street

Where no one owns a knife or gun
So kids can safely play
Where gangs think sports and games are fun
And solve their fights that way

Where the air is clean, the oceans too
There's no polluted land
There's lots of space for everyone
Both animals and man.

Where people's minds aren't all messed up
With alcohol and drugs
And when they need some comforting
They can get a dose of hugs.

Where everyone stays healthy
Almost no one's ever sick
But if they do get something
They get better really quick.

Where everyone treats everyone
The same way as a brother
Regardless of age, race or sex
They all love one another.

I know that most the other kids
Prob'ly ask for toys
But I think that these are better things
For all the girls and boys.

Since I know you're very busy
I'd like to do my part
I want to make a better world
Just tell me where to start.

©1994 Betsy S. Franz & Ruth L. Stabler
All Rights Reserved

New widget lets you share Green Gardening Tips

2010-10-29T12:22:00.000-04:00

Want an easy way to add green gardening tips to your website or blog? Just click on the Add Widget button on the Green Gardening Tips Widget in the Sidebar. Gardening tips are updated weekly!

The ones that DIDN'T get away

2010-10-12T18:05:00.000-04:00

We are up in North Carolina staying in a really nice cabin on a rapid rushing creek, called Snowbird Creek. Tom was out fly-fishing last evening when I heard him say "oh crap" or something similar. I went out to see what was going on and he told me that one of the lenses fell out of his glasses into the creek. He was standing on a couple of rocks, bent down looking for the lens to his glasses. It was getting close to dusk, so after about 15 minutes he came up to the cabin and started looking for the REST of his glasses, which he had put into one of the pockets of his fishing vest. Well, turned out THEY had fallen out of the vest while he was looking for the lost lens.

Quite a bit of cussing ensued. But I suggested that he take a flashlight out there and maybe the light would reflect off the glasses. Sure enough, first he found the frames and then after awhile he found one of the lenses. He kept looking but it was getting darker and darker so he finally gave up and came in.

First thing this morning, we thought he might as well go look one more time. The sun was shining now and maybe his polarized sunglasses would help. He wasn't out there for more than about five or ten minutes when I heard him come stomping back up the back porch steps. Believe it or not, he had found the other lens.

Pretty darn great way to start the day!!

Later, we rented a fishing boat on Lake Santeetlah. Beautiful lake. Couldn't get a fish to bite, though. It started raining, which was no big deal. Then the lightening started. Kind of scary. It probably took us a good hour to get back to the boat rental place, ducking lightening all the way. But we made it, safe and sound.

Tom's out there fly-fishing again and I think I hear thunder so I better go keep an eye on him.

"My book" mentioned on Good Morning America today

2010-10-08T10:28:00.000-04:00

It was pretty exciting to see the interview with Deborah Norville on today's Good Morning America. She talked about the new Chicken Soup for the Soup book Think Positive which has one of my stories in it. This is my fifth Chicken Soup for the Soul Book!

Hummingbirds & Butterflies outside my window

2010-09-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

I have this beautiful coral porterweed plant growing right outside of my office window.

The hummingbirds and butterflies love it.

Of course, I've tried to get photos of more than one type of butterfly and / or a hummmingbird in the same photo at once but you all know how quick those beautiful little beauties can be.

I wanted to share some of the photos, anyway, since it is such a pleasure to see!

Look closely at the photos to see the hidden butterflies or hummingbirds in the background.

Also, today is a very active hummingbird day with males and females fighting for the rights to the feeders and flowers.

I don't care who you are, or what you believe, you gotta love starting the day like this

2010-09-12T13:29:00.002-04:00

Yesterday morning, while Tom and I were taking our morning walk, there was a sky-writing plane in the sky trying to write SOMETHING but it was so windy that the words were blowing away as quickly as he was writing them.

We could make out the word "Love" but that was about it. We assumed it was some sort of love message from a man to a woman, or vice versa.

Today while walking, the sky-writer was up there again. Of course, I didn't have my camera so we rushed through our walk so I could get home and get one.

The messages were religious in tone which, personally, I thought was a pretty neat way to start a Sunday.

But no matter what you believe, you kind of have to love waking up in the morning and seeing a smiley face in the sky!

This beautiful bobcat stopped by for Wildlife Wednesday

2010-07-28T10:04:00.000-04:00

Funny, I just had a dream that I was playing with three bobcat babies. And a few days later, this beauty showed up.

Post your wildlife photos for Wildlife Wednesday

Rescued Baby Hummingbird Fed in Hand by Mother

2010-07-16T15:54:00.001-04:00

Very cool hummingbird video forwared to me by my good friend Leslie Pernas-Giz. Wonderful example of the wonders of nature.

Wildlife wonderland

2010-07-07T13:05:00.000-04:00

There is always something magical about seeing two species hanging out together in our wildlife habitat.

This squirrel and rabbit didn't seem to be the least bit bothered to be browsing in the same area of the yard.

Barred owl trying to beat the heat

2010-06-17T14:50:00.000-04:00

I have been busy trying to get ready for the launch of a new environmentally friendly gardening blog I will writing for the Washington DC Metro area, so I haven't been spending as much time in the yard as I would like. But I have seen a few interesting things.

First off, at least once a day, I see one or both of the swallowtail kites that have been hanging around. Sometimes I hear them first, sometimes I just happen to be lucky enough to be outside when they fly over. But it's always very cool. I know they aren't out there that often so the fact that I get to see them always seems like one of those serendipitous sightings. My guess is that they hang around over near Lake Washington and just fly over my house during the day.

I saw three raccoons yesterday morning. Probably the babies that lived in our owl nest box during the cold of the winter. Not my favorite "critters" but kind of cute.

We have lots of cardinal babies and Carolina wren babies. I saw a diligent male dove helping to build a nest twig by twig the other day and just saw a bluejay with a few twigs of grass. There are so many red-bellied woodpeckers, they must have nested someplace on our property but I'm not sure where. And great crested flycatchers have completely ignored the beautiful new nest box I made for them and are, instead, using the old beat up one that has been previously used by both titmice and flying squirrels.

The titmice had a nest in another box but have abandoned it. Not sure what spooked them out of there but they were very agitated the last day I saw them using the box and I never saw babies.

I've heard and seen black snakes capturing some of the leopard frogs out by the pond. Always pretty eerie. I hear the frog crying as the snake pulls it back into the woods. Ugh. But that's life and death in the forest.

Anyway, lots of birds using the bird baths in this heat. Love to see the northern parulas in there, as they are some of my favorites. Cardinals and bluejays also seem to love to take a dip. But my favorite site of the last few weeks has been this beautiful barred owl taking a drink and a little dip of his own. It was a great reminder for me to make sure I keep the birdbaths full.

If you know anyone in the Washington DC metro area, I hope you will let them know about my new blog. It's exciting to me that government groups see the value in spreading the word about how to create environmentally friendly landscapes and I promise to make it as fun as they will allow! If you want to join the fun, you can subscribe to the posts or follow the blog on Facebook or twitter.

What is the best way to protect the environment? Join the discussion

2010-05-27T08:16:00.000-04:00

There is no debate over the fact that Brevard County is a remarkable place of beauty and natural wonders. There is almost constant debate about the best ways to protect it.

On April 16, 2010, President Obama launched America's Great Outdoors Initiative, which focuses on promoting community level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces.

The President said that the initiative will be an effort to collect the best ideas on conservation from local communities to help reconnect Americans to the outdoors. The outdoors initiative will also encourage families to spend more time outdoors by building on the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative.

As part of the initiative, the President has launched a national dialogue about conservation in America, asking America's thoughts about conserving our outdoor spaces. A website has been setup to help initiate this national conversation.

This is the perfect opportunity for everyone to share their thoughts about what needs to be protected, why it needs to be protected and how.

Please join the conversation about America’s Great Outdoors. Share your thoughts about the places you love, your community’s efforts to protect them, and how we can better support modern-day land and water conservation efforts happening right here in Brevard and across the country.

Visit America's Great Outdoors Idea Jam and search to see if your idea is already listed. For example, Master Naturalist Programs have been listed as a great way to connect people to nature. If you like that idea, you can add your comments and promote the idea. If you see ideas that you strongly disagree with, you can add your comments and demote the idea. If your idea is not listed, you can add it.

Community-driven efforts have always been crucial to help conserve America’s land, water, and wildlife. Without them , we would not be blessed with so many wonderful parks, refuges, forests, and open spaces that we enjoy today.

Share your thoughts. Brag about your projects. Keep the conversation going!

Nature's miracles

2010-05-26T17:56:00.000-04:00

It's been a great couple of days in our forest. A bobcat in the backyard yesterday morning, a ruby throated hummingbird at the feeder in the afternoon and a pair of swallow tail kites overhead this afternoon. Beautiful!

My Visit from the President and note from Ted Turner

2010-05-05T10:03:00.002-04:00

The President visited one of my websites the other day. Okay, I don't have any proof that it was actually President Obama that visited. My husband thinks that maybe it was Michelle or one of the girls, since I had sent them a copy of my book, How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet. Maybe it was. But someone from the "Executive Office of the President" did. It showed up in my statcounter report. Plus, right after that, someone from the Department of Homeland Security visited, so I'm thinking that both vists were legit.

And yesterday I got an email message from Ted Turner. Sure, it is kind of a form letter but it does have my name and address at the top and directly refers to my project, Take Care of Your Share and it does say "Sincerely, Ted Turner" at the bottom.

In fact, so far this year, I've also gotten email messages from James Taylor's assistant, because I listed Mr. Taylor as one of my favorite nature nerds. And from Jeff Corwin's friend Anurag, because they wanted me to contribute to Corwin Connect. And from someone working with Stevie Wonder because they wanted to buy some of my domain names. At one point, Arnold Schwarzenegger was even following me on Twitter.

Sure, they are only internet connections, but they are still pretty impressive to me. Someone from the office of the president visited my website! Someone from Ted Turner's office held my book in his (or her) hand and sent me an email message. Governor Schwarzenegger was watching my tweets. Stevie Wonder and I both thought that the domain name Wondersnevercease was a really cool one.

Hey, when you have a project or a mission or a goal (and I do) it's pretty hard getting noticed sometimes. So I'll take any encouragement I can get. Maybe I should put a notice on my website that quotes Ted Turner as saying that my project is a "noble concept of helping to save the planet".

In the end sometimes, it isn't really about who gives you financial support or says "how can I help" or passes your idea onto someone else who can get things done.

Sometimes it just helps to know that you are getting noticed.

Bobcats back in town?

2010-05-03T09:19:00.000-04:00

One of my neighbors called me yesterday and told me that there were some big mammals in her yard in the morning. She wasn't sure what they were and even wondered if they were Florida panthers. She had seen three of them.

Florida panthers are very rare AND we don't really live in that remote of an area, so my guess is that they were bobcats. But seeing three bobcats is, in itself, pretty unusual.

She is the third neighbor that has told me that they have seen a pair of large unidentified animals in our neighborhood in the last six months or so. Much to my dismay, one neighbor even had a beautiful bobcat trapped and removed, so I was a little surprised that I keep hearing that at least two of them are still around. (I'm just assuming that what everyone is seeing are bobcats, since I have seen them on my own property before, although I think the one that I was seeing was the one that got trapped).

We live close to town but everyone in our neighborhood has at least two acres and some of us have kept our lots wooded. Many of the neighbors raise chickens and have duck ponds which is probably what keeps the bobcats (and foxes) hanging around.

They are truly beautiful creatures and it would be nice if all of us could coexist in this neighborhood.

I was out walking around my property looking for evidence of bobcats yesterday and found an area in my yard with miscellaneous piles of animal droppings in it. I did a little research on the internet and found out that it is common for wildlife species to all use the same spot for depositing their scat. The references I found online called it a wildlife latrine.

Just another great example of how educational a wildlife habitat at home can be.

Titmice in a tither

2010-05-03T08:40:00.000-04:00

Something has the titmice in a tither! I'm not sure what is going on, but they dive bomb me when I walk out the front door. My guess is that they must have babies that fledged, but I never did hear the tell-tale tweets of tiny titties.

Anyway, I'm worried that there may be a baby on the ground someplace out there so I'm going to put on a jacket, with a hood, and sunglasses and go take a look.

I know it may be silly to protect myself so much from such tiny birds, but I saw them attacking a huge barred owl one evening and HE ducked, so I guess I can, too. Hopefully, all is well with these cute little birds.

Please help by Promoting my idea for America's Great Outdoors Initiative

2010-04-29T07:38:00.000-04:00

For the past seven years, I've been working on what I believe is the best way to get both kids and adults outside and to encourage them to learn how to protect the environment.

I firmly believe that the best way to get people more involved with the environment is to start in their own yards...."Their share of the planet"...and encourage them to get up close and personal with the environment. I believe that when people do that, they eventually begin to appreciate all of nature a little more and then they begin to take more responsiblity for protecting the planet.

For seven years I've been trying to get the government more involved with "educating and encouraging others" to take care of their own share of the planet. http://www.takecareofyourshare.com/

The recent book I published, How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet, is a compilation of many of the things I have written on the subject AND America's Great Outdoors Initiative might finally be the action I need to encourage some government organizations to adopt the project.

I think that if I can get more people to vote for my idea, it will keep it near the front of this website, which is about the Great Outdoors Initiative.

To vote, people need to go here to create a username (email address) and password: http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/register

They then need to go here to login: http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf?opendatabase&login=1

And back here to Promote my idea (box on left) and leave comments if desired: http://tinyurl.com/27me6a3

Its unfortunate that the process is a little complicated, but it is just a few simple steps and it could really make a difference towards creating a whole new generation of environmental stewards.
Thanks for any help you can provide.

Betsy S. Franz

President Obama, You are my favorite Nature Nerd!

2010-04-22T15:20:00.002-04:00

But times have changed. Protecting the planet and all of its creepy crawly inhabitants is not only sociably responsible AND socially acceptable but it is also suddenly cool. Yes, it's finally cool to be a Nature Nerd! Read full nature nerd post here.
So I guess I need to step up my research and see if I CAN find a celebrity that admits to their nerdiness.

What about our illustrious president, Barack Obama. He sounds pretty nerdish to me. And with his trips to our beautiful national parks, his new organic garden and his recent signing of America's Great Outdoors Initiative, he must definitely love nature.

John Hodgman left no stone unturned when quizzing the president about his nerdiness.

Whether he will admit it or not, I have high hopes that Barack Obama is, indeed, a nature nerd.

Mother Earth - If You Love Her, She'll Love You Back

2010-04-22T09:34:00.010-04:00

The first thing I do every morning, even though it is still dark when I wake up, is to go outside and take a walk around our little woods. My eyes are usually still blurred with sleep and that, combined with the darkness of early morning, makes it difficult to see what is out and about that early, but I can distinguish some things from their sound, alone. The catbirds and cardinals and titmice are always out early, as well as the Carolina wrens. If I hear something scampering through the fallen leaves, it is usually a raccoon or possum hurrying back to wherever it is they hide during the day.

I continue walking and by the second or third trip around my yard, it is light enough to see the different bird species. I check on the hanging chrysalides and see if the visiting critters left me any blueberries on our bushes and whether the birdbaths need to be refilled. Once I see and hear the first visit of the hummingbirds each morning I go inside to get on with my day.

This is my morning ritual. It always starts my day off with such a wonderful sense of peace and gratitude and it helps to remind me of the importance of what I do for the rest of the day - encouraging other people to see and appreciate
all of these wonders.

I think I have a somewhat unique relationship with the critters in my little habitat.

It's a little too comfortable for some people. They don't understand why I'm not afraid of the huge barred owls or the hawks or the bobcat that visit our property. And I think it is because they seem to have no fear of me.

The hummingbirds flutter right around my head when I need to be reminded to fill their feeders and the gray squirrels often sit right on my windowsill watching me as I write. The bobcats and owls pay me little more than just a passing glance.

Life goes on around me every day...babies are born, families grow, and new generations soon follow in the steps of their doting parents.

Does this sound like something out of a children's fairy tale? It does to me. It's the fairy tale that I always imagined when I was a child and I just can't believe how incredibly lucky I am that I get to live it every day.

Today, on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, I encourage you to go outside. Get to know Mother Nature the way that I do and it won't be long before you see how magical it feels when she loves you back.

Article written by Betsy S. Franz, all rights reserved.

How I Single-Handedly Helped Save the Planet

2010-04-21T13:07:00.002-04:00

Some people may question why I'm taking responsibility for the new Whitehouse website "Tips for Going Green". But other people who have followed me on my environmental journey for the last few years will not.

Seven years ago, while doing some volunteer work for a well-known national wildlife organization, I realized how difficult it was to find legitimate environment information on the internet. The information was certainly out there, but it was interspersed with hundreds and thousands of other websites that were just trying to sell something or earn money for their cause without providing any real information. So I began my "mission" to try to encourage a national program called Take Care of Your Share that created a gateway for all of the legitimate information that is available through government, university and other educational websites.

I created the gateway website (http://www.takecareofyourshare.com/) and I contacted representatives from every state asking them to help me by providing me the names of the organizations within their state that help to educate their citizens to Take Care of The Environment. Only a handful responded. But I updated the website as best I could. When someone clicked on a link for water conservation, it would go to the EPA website. When they clicked on Wildlife Habitat, it would go to NRCS. I provided other government resources for every form of environmental impact that I could think of. I created petitions for people to sign and I continued my letter-writing campaign while I wrote articles and blog posts and books encouraging people to Take Care of Their Share of the environment.

The writing presented a problem. Some publications thought that allowing me to write about saving the environment was a conflict of interest. Although I could never understand that logic, it did lose me some writing jobs. I tried to apply for grants to give the books away but again, I was told that it was a conflict of interest, even if I didn't earn any income from the books.

So I continued to write and I continued to blog and tweet and pass along the message of how important I thought it was for everyone to learn how to Take Care of Their Share of the Planet.

There was a voice inside me that kept nagging me to give it up and telling me that I should, instead, buckle down and try to add a little income to our household. (Or maybe that was just my husband). But my love of nature made me persevere.

And then today, I visited the White House website and saw their page called Tips for Going Green. I clicked on a link called Protect the Environment at Home and saw that it went to the EPA website. I clicked on a link for Backyard Conservation and it went to the NRCS site and I thought My God!!! They did it! They finally caved in to all of my pleading and created the website that our country needs.

Was it my "mission" that got it done? Did my mission even help a little? Who knows. Maybe all of my nagging emails to the president and to the hundreds of other government organizations finally made a difference to someone. Maybe the copy of the book How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet that I sent to Michelle and Malia and Sasha Obama got passed around the White House during a family dinner.

But the fact is, it doesn't really matter whether it was my actions or whether our country has just finally reached the tipping point that made this the right time for these actions to occur. All I know is, that until I get a call from President Obama telling me otherwise, I'm going to take all of the credit!

When it comes to Earth Day, it's Okay to Fake It

2010-04-20T09:51:00.005-04:00

By Betsy S. Franz, all rights reserved.

I've seen some articles recently questioning whether Earth Day has become just another marketing ploy...whether it has become too commercial...a way for businesses and individuals to jump up and proclaim their greenness. My response to that question is, it really doesn't matter. Because the great thing about Earth Day is, even if you don't really MEAN IT, from your heart, everything you do for Earth Day still makes a difference.

There are a lot of holidays that were probably invented by greeting card companies or groups that thought they weren't getting the attention they deserved. And consumers that fall into the hype about these "holidays", such as grandparent’s day or secretaries’ day may run out and buy a card or flowers for the appropriate recipient. The effect of these efforts is usually minimal. And certainly days like Presidents Day or Memorial Day or Veterans Day may cause us to stop and give our respects for a few moments, but really, don't we just like them because we get the day off from work?

Even the effects of Christmas, with all the generosity and love that it illicit, usually only lasts until New Years. Then we forget our good cheer and our kindness and fall back into our routines of indifference for another year.

But Earth Day is different (and I capitalize the words because, in my mind, they are a capital event). Every effort that is being made for Earth Day, whether it is being made for the planet or for the publicity, has the potential to make a huge impact. Every store that gives away free reusable shopping bags makes a difference. Every workshop about environmentally friendly landscape practices makes a difference. Every school around the world that is taking the opportunity to get their kids outside and teach them about the wonders of the planet is making a difference.

The primary difference with Earth Day, perhaps, is that every time that Earth Day "rolls around", it picks up new activists, enthusiasts, and environmentalists that get hooked on taking care of this bright big beautiful blue and green ball and they decide to make some permanent changes in their lives.

Forty years ago, I paid little attention to Earth Day. Twenty years ago, I was shoulder to shoulder with my friends and fellow nature-lovers (that’s me in the hot pink shorts) holding Earth Day events at our local park. Was I faking it a little back then, just to be cool and hang out with my friends? Maybe a little.

But today, I start every day opening my doors, appreciating the wonders of the beautiful world around me, and wondering what I can do to help protect this wonderful planet. Somewhere along the line, I quit faking it and starting really feeling it. And now, to me Earth Day is every day.

So if you want to make Earth Day a commercial enterprise, go right ahead. Tout your greenness. Shout your environmental enthusiasm. Because when it comes to Earth Day, it’s okay to fake it.

America's Great Outdoors Initiative ~ How to Take Care of Your Share

2010-04-17T10:16:00.000-04:00

President Obama launched America's Great Outdoors Initiative yesterday, which focuses on promoting community level efforts to get people outside so that they will learn to conserve outdoor spaces. As part of the initiative, regional sessions are going to be held to come up with ideas to reconnect people with nature.

This is such exciting news for all of us who understand the benefits of getting people outside into nature.

Please start NOW to keep the idea of a Take Care of Your Share campaign in the minds of the politicians that will help make the decisions about this important project.

Since 2003, this effort has been educating and encouraging property owners to learn about their share of the planet by getting outside and enjoying nature.

Use this link NOW to email President Obama and encourage him to help us all Take Care of Our Share of the Planet.

For more information about the Take Care of Your Share Campaign, visit these links:
The petition: Take Care of Your Share Petition
The book: How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet

The website: Take Care of Your Share

10 Earthday activities to help share your passion for the planet

2010-04-16T11:54:00.006-04:00

Article written by Betsy S. Franz, all rights reserved.

"In the end, we conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand. We understand only what we are taught."- Baba Dioum, Senegalese Poet

What's the best way to help the environment? Get people up close and personal with nature so they will learn to appreciate what it is we are all trying so hard to protect. With that is mind, here are 10 Earth Day activities to help share your passion for the planet.

Most of these activities were written with children in mind, but you may be surpised to learn how much fun they are for adults, too! In fact, many of them are great fun for adult Earth Day celebrations or for any eco-minded couples. So in honor of Earth Day, Get outside and explore!

1) Have a scavenger hunt in your yard (can also be carried out at a local park): Wake up early and take a quiet walk around your yard with a notebook in hand. Look for at least ten wonderful, curiosities of nature that aren’t easily noticed and make a list of them. Perhaps you will see some caterpillars dining on a host plant or a beautiful spider web stretched across two tree limbs or a tiny little tree frog hidden in the leaves of a flower. Make a list of your finds (but not their locations). Give a copy of the list to each of your children or other participants and have a scavenger hunt in your yard. Whoever finds all the items first wins!

2) Play Got W.O.N.!: Similar to the scavenger hunt above, in this activity, each participant is sent out into the yard to see how many Wonders of Nature (W.O.N) that they can find in an allotted time. At the signal of the timekeeper, each participant heads out looking for wonders. When they find something of interest, they yell “Got W.O.N.”, and the name of the Wonder of Nature that they have discovered. An example would be “Got W.O.N. – Hawk feather!” or “Got W.O.N. – monarch chrysalis.” At the end of the allotted time, the person with the most Wonders is the Winner!

3) Get silly: Play animal charades. Have the participants act out their favorite animal and see if the other players can guess what they are. Does all of that wing flapping and running around look more like a butterfly or a bird? If you want to be really specific, try to guess the species, too. Unlike typical charades, animal noises are allowed! For adults only, get inspired with some Green Porno by the beautiful and talented Isabella Rossellini

4) Get sensitive: Use all of your senses to explore your habitat. Start with your eyesight and have each participant mention several things that they see in their surroundings. Then have them close their eyes and mention things that they hear. Do you hear birds, bees, hummingbirds? Next, try smell. If you grow flowers or herbs, be sure and share those wonderful aromas with them. For touch, have them close their eyes and guide them to touch various textures, such as tree bark or grass. Can they guess what they are touching? If you grow your own fruit or vegetables, include whatever is ripe (and clean) in your sensory explorations.

5) Share the wonders of your wildlife garden: Do you already have a wildlife friendly landscape? Then why not share it with others? Invite a friend over and take them for a walk through your yard. While they are enjoying the visiting birds and butterflies, collect seeds and cuttings of wildlife friendly plants to share with them. Print out information sheets from your computer about what types of wildlife they attract. Give them the “wildlife garden starter kit” as a gift.

6) ID some wildlife: Pack up your digital cameras and visit a local birding spot, park or nature preserve. Take photos of as many different birds and other critters as you can. When you get back home, see how many of the species you can identifying by using bird guides, such as the Silbey Guide to Birds, or online resources such as those listed on the Take Care of Your Share website.

7) Start a wildlife garden: If you don’t already have a wildlife friendly landscape, start one! All you have to do is provide the four basic necessities for wildlife: food, water, safety and places to raise their young. There are many wonderful books and online sites available to help get you started. Here is one of our favorites sites and, of course, our favorite book.

8) Start a wildlife habitat journal: Keeping a wildlife habitat journal is a great way to learn about the wildlife in your yard. You will learn landscape basics such as which plants are most favored. But a journal will also allow you to better monitor the exciting progress of the entire butterfly life cycle from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly and will let you know when to re-hang feeders for your visiting hummingbirds. Here’s a great article about the topic and there is much more information in the book shown above.

9) Start a wildlife life list: For birders, a life list is a cumulative record of bird species that have been positively identified and seen by individual birders. In our landscape, we have broadened our life list to include other species. Here is a link to our birding life list.

10) Get Certified: If you do already have a wildlife friendly garden, get it certified. There are several programs that allow you to get your wildlife friendly landscape certified. One of the most well known is the National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Program

How do you share your passion for the planet? Share your story and win!

2010-04-14T10:55:00.006-04:00

One of the best ways that we can help to protect the environment is to share our passion for the planet with others!

As naturalists, scientists, nature writers and photographers, we already understand the wonders of wildlife and the excitement of the environment, but there are many people out there who do not. And although we may be tempted to try to persuade others with lectures about environmental responsibility and the extinction of species, we will probably make a much bigger impact if we share our passion.

We need to become PR people for the planet and evangelists for the earth. We need to get others to feel what we feel and to see what we see. We don’t need to explain the details of the whys and the hows of the natural world as much as we need to share the wonders.

So, how do you share your passion for the planet? Share your stories with us by leaving a comment below or by emailing your comments to thenaturelady@earthlink.net.

Contributors will be eligible to receive one of ten free copies of How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet, which you may choose to keep or to pass along to a friend.*

Here is our first story to help get your started. It was posted on our local Audubon message board by a local birder, Leslie Pernas-Giz:

"I just wanted to let everyone know what a wonderful encounter I just had this Sunday morning. I was sitting outside looking for morning birds and a young man (about 12-13 yrs old) came to the fence with a pair of binoculars. He introduced himself as James from Connecticut and he saw through eBird that I have Painted Buntings in my yard and asked if he could come in. His Grandfather brought him up from Vero and they were also headed towards the Viera Wetlands.

They stayed about 30 minutes and fortunately the PB's male and female came and James was thrilled. To say the least this young man also made my day and I was so glad to be able to help the future generation.

Leslie
Melbourne, FL"

*Names will be chosen at random from all entries submitted between now and Earthday to receive free copies of How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet.

Passalong Your Passion for the Planet

2010-04-11T15:30:00.001-04:00

If you are from the south, or if you know someone who is a dedicated gardener, you have probably heard the phrase “passalong plants”.

This phrase describes the point in most gardeners’ lives when their hobby quietly changes from a pastime to a passion. When that happens, they want to share their joy. They give flowers to friends. They share homegrown produce and herbs with neighbors. They even begin collecting seeds and rooting their cuttings so they can encourage new gardeners. They’ve discovered the deep wonder of working the earth and they want to share it. And from the process, multitudes of new gardeners have been encouraged to get outside and to enjoy the pleasures of the earth.

Steve Bender and Felder Rushing explain this gardening custom is their book, Passalong Plants (© 2002, University of North Carolina Press). "The experience of husbanding a flower through sowing, germination, growth, and blossoming is so spiritually rewarding that it engenders a sort of botanical evangelism in its participants," Bender and Rushing explain. "It simply reflects the belief that people don't own the wonders of nature, they just take care of them for awhile. What brings joy to one should bring joy to all."

These words seem to exemplify the fact that gardeners don’t just passalong their plants. They passalong their passion. And as nature lovers, we should all take heed of those words. What brings joy to us can bring joy to others. We just need to quit being shy about passing along our passion.

As naturalists, scientists, nature writers and photographers, we already understand the wonders of wildlife and the excitement of the environment, but there are many people out there who do not. And although we may be tempted to try to persuade them with lectures about environmental responsibility and the extinction of species, we will probably make a much bigger impact if we share our passion.

We need to become PR people for the planet and evangelists for the earth. We need to get others to feel what we feel and to see what we see. We don’t need to explain the details of the whys and the hows of the natural world as much as we need to share the wonders.

Amateur nature photographers capture incredible images of miraculous events that are occurring all around them but their photos sit unshared on their computers. Writers pen inspirational thoughts about the joys and miracles of their experiences in nature and then hide their journals away in desk drawers. Scientists and naturalists make new discoveries every day that they share with their colleagues but keep quiet about when in the company of family and friends.

But now is not the time to be shy. The environment is suffering and we hold the key to its survival. The key is our passion.

Pope Benedict XVI's Message for World Peace Day encouraged humankind to "renew and strengthen their covenant between human beings and the environment." The United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. But environmental advocates such as Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), feel that we will make little progress unless we can get people outside to experience nature.

“Human beings are becoming increasingly cut off from nature,” Djorghlaf said. “Without contact [with nature], people are not aware that their patterns of consumption lead to habitat loss, pollution and other drivers of biodiversity loss.”

And that’s where we come in. All of us feel a spark of excitement when we make a new discovery in nature. And we need to share that spark….share that joy….share that discovery.

Whether you share your enthusiasm for nature quietly with your closest friends and family, on-line with blogs and wildlife forums or at weekly meetings of your favorite social get-togethers, don’t be reluctant to share. Teaching others about your passion for the planet can be a valuable gift for both them and the environment.

Don’t ever feel like your photos are not good enough or your blog posts aren’t important. If you were excited by something in nature, than share that excitement. Passalong your passion for the planet so that we can all make sure we have a healthy planet to continue to passalong.

"In the end, we conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand. We understand only what we are taught.” - Baba Dioum, Senegalese Poet

Saving our Planet from Nature Deficit Disorder

2010-04-11T15:25:00.002-04:00

In 2005, author Richard Louv wrote a book entitled, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. The book was so popular that it was updated, expanded and reprinted in 2008.

Louv’s book sheds light on a situation that won’t come as a surprise to most parents: Modern society has created a drastic disconnect between young people and nature.

Its obvious why this disconnect has occurred. Today's kids have too much homework, too many after school activities and too many electronic playthings keeping them inside. Too much negative news has instilled sometimes-unrealistic fears in both parents and children: fear of traffic, fear of crime, fear of strangers and even of nature itself. And rapid development is quickly eating up many of the parks and other really fun places to play.

For whatever reason, kids just aren’t playing outside much anymore — not even in their own backyards.

Louv’s title would lead you to believe that this is causing a health problem for modern children. And he does, in fact, touch on many of the “mental, physical and spiritual health” aspects that this deficit creates including loneliness, depression, high rates of obesity, and the onset of one-time adult conditions such as diabetes and a shortened life expectancy. On the other hand, he states, research shows that exposure to nature helps reduce the symptoms of hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, while improving memory, concentration and grades.

But perhaps the most important aspect of this “nature deficit” is the one that should have made it to the cover of the book. Correcting the problem isn’t just necessary for the health of our children. It is necessary for the health of the entire planet.

If kids don't go outside, how are they going to learn to respect the planet? Ten or fifteen years from now, those kids are going to be making the decisions about parks and public gardens and university horticulture programs. They are going to be creating the land clearing ordinances and voting on whether to fund endangered land programs. And most of them will think of trees as nothing more than messy things that drop leaves all over their front yards and insects as things that bug them.

The truth is that adults as well as children seem to be experiencing a rapid disconnect from nature, and for many of the same reasons. We have become enslaved by our electronics, fearful of crime, strangers and unknown creatures that lurk in the woods. And we are just too busy to find any free time between dusk and dawn.
As kids, we would fidget through school, eager to be outside to climb trees, fish, and just explore the bugs and birds and other beasties that we found as we scouted through our own backyards. We squeezed every moment from our outdoor adventures, reluctantly tearing ourselves away when called in at night as the owls began to call and the fireflies began to dance across the sky.

But many adults have lost that sense of wonder they once felt for the environment. The songs of the birds and the fluttering butterflies go virtually unnoticed. And our children, our spirits and our planet are all paying the price.

It’s a wonderful cause to want to help save the planet. But it isn’t a planet of asphalt and steel and huge skyscrapers we are trying to protect. It’s the little things. The miniscule miracles. The things we sometimes forget to even notice.

So go outside! Get eye to eye with nature. For it is there, perhaps, when we get up close and personal with the birds and the butterflies and the creatures that visit our gardens and wander through our yards that we realize what it is we are trying so hard to protect.

If you are a property owner, you own a piece of the planet. Get to know it. And then learn how to Take Care of Your Share.

**Betsy Franz is the author of How to To Take Care of Your Share of the Planet

Jeff Corwin's new global community for wildlife, conservation and outdoor recreation

2010-04-08T21:08:00.001-04:00

I was thrilled several weeks ago to be contacted by Anurag Agarwal, long-time friend of emmy award winner Jeff Corwin, one of my favorite wildlife crusaders.

I am even more thrilled (and honored) to have one of my articles be the FIRST to appear on their new website, CorwinConnect.

Their mission statement, copied from the site, is:

To be the bridge between humankind and the natural resources we all depend on by connecting and empowering a global community to the planet.
• We want to be the world’s #1 community of “global citizens” connected to wildlife, conservation, eco-travel and tourism, outdoor recreation and sustainability.

• Our goal is to provide a platform for organizations, experts, citizens and corporations who are on the front lines and have conservation stories to share that need our attention

We will accomplish this by working to build an engaged and interactive global community that:

Builds a bridge between people and all things related to the planet

Encourages leading a sustainable lifestyle

Educates and mobilizes the public to become responsible global citizens

Utilizes an integrated media platform with multiple channels including social media, education and publishing

Provides a global network of experts, organizations, causes and resources
-----------------------------

Become a part of it! Contribute your stories to CorwinConnect and follow Jeff on twitter

Florida Wildflower Foundation opens Seeds for Schools grant program

2010-04-01T18:53:00.002-04:00

Florida schoolteachers are invited to apply for the Florida Wildflower Foundation's new "Seeds for Schools" grant program through April 30, 2010. The program gives teachers the opportunity to immerse students in Florida's native flora and fauna through the planting and growing of native wildflower gardens from seed.
Twenty $50 seed certificates will be awarded to qualifying teachers on a first-come, first-served basis (only one application per school, please). Grant applications will be accepted via the Foundation's Web site. Florida Wildflower Foundation members are eligible for an extra $10 worth of seed. For information on membership, click here.

Seed awards will be redeemed through the Florida Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers Association (www.floridawildflowers.com) in time for fall planting. To increase success, the Foundation will provide expert advice and help teachers find resources within area organizations, such as garden clubs, the Florida Master Gardeners program and Florida Native Plant Society chapters.

The program is funded by donations made through the sale of the State Wildflower license tag. For “Seeds for Schools” details or to apply for a grant, visit www.floridawildflowerfoundation.org/seedsforschools.html.

Great Horned Owl

2010-04-01T13:32:00.000-04:00

My neighbor, Roy, just gave me a call because he saw this great horned owl in his backyard. Check out the size of the feet on this thing!

Roy told me that he has seen and heard them mating. What is really cool is that we also have barred owls and screech owls nesting in our neighborhood.

Trampled by the "Green" Movement

2010-03-31T09:37:00.001-04:00

With the election of President Obama, I heaved a huge sigh of relief. Finally, a president that not only understands the importance of healing the environment, but one who also understands the significance of citizen participation in the process.

For years, eager environmentalists like myself have been trying to eke out a living with our ideas and products in a country that wasn’t quite ready to grasp the importance of living in a more sustainable way. Suddenly, there appeared to be some hope that green businesses and green initiatives might finally get the leg up that they need to drop the misnomers of ‘tree huggers’ and ‘radicals’ and ease their products and programs into mainstream commerce.

All across America, aging eco-hippies gathered produce from their organic gardens to hold celebrations in their decades-old energy-efficient homes. It was a time to relax and celebrate as they envisioned what they would finally be able to do when they began earning income with their hemp clothing , solar panels, and composting toilets designs. Finally, what was once extreme would be mainstream!

But when the new day dawned and these long-time eco-trepenurs began seeking assistance for their plans and projects and ideas, the reality of the new green movement hit them like a ton of home-made, adobe bricks. The movement that they had created and lived for twenty or twenty-five years, had moved right past them!

Resusable shopping bags, like the ones they began sewing at home in the early ‘70’s and lugging to craft fairs and farmer’s markets ever since, are now being mass-produced and distributed by thousands (or perhaps millions) and are only a mouseclick away via the world-wide web. Rain barrels, which have been a mainstay of self-sufficient living for hundreds or thousands of years are being sold in-store and online by the big box stores such as Walmart and Home Depot.

The products and procedures that they had created to reduce their impact on society and the earth and to keep them out of the rat race had now been taken over by the rats! And the big problem with this new rush for “green” everything is that these originators of environmental products and ideas, products that are now making huge corporations millions of dollars, just don’t know how to compete. They designed their products and lived their lives of self-sufficiency to escape the world of board rooms and business suits and cut-throat competition. They just aren’t cut out for it. Certainly not at this point of their lives.

‘Ah, but that’s cool,” they thought. “It may have taken decades of decadence and destruction for the general public to understand the impact of their actions, but finally, many have seen the light – and it is in the shape of a compact fluorescent bulb.”

“All of these new and eager young minds are sure to add impetus to the healing of the planet and slow down and maybe, someday, even stop the degradation of our environment. Or will they?”

In the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, the era of self-sufficient living was a communal one. People worked together to develop ideas and projects and initiatives to save the planet. They were discovering processes for living their lives the way they wanted and like-minds got together and participated in the process together. It was cooperative. It wasn’t a competition.

But now, money is involved. The economy is suffering and the green movement is being touted as a panacea. People are seeing an opportunity to make money off the whole environmental movement and nobody wants to share. Minds that were previously working together to solve problems are now divisive and defensive. It’s gone from being a sincere desire to go green and turned into a severe desire to earn green. The collective consciousness has crumbled. And the result is an endless array of weakened-pseudo-solutions instead of the strong, powerful processes and policies that cooperative minds could create.

But do the lust for the almighty dollar along with the world’s economic problems actually run the risk of slowing down the environmental progress of the country more than they have of helping it? They already have.

The perfect examples of this ‘every entrepreneur for himself’ mentality are the many new websites that are popping up that are touting themselves as THE “Green Business Directory.” Each one has a smattering of listings and the curious internet searcher could easily be fooled into thinking that if a business isn’t listed….well, they must not be green. But a closer look at the sites will reveal that almost all of them are fee based listings. Companies can list themselves for a price, and in many cases can even ‘earn’ green certification (usually a logo or symbol of some kind that was developed by the website itself) for a higher price.

Both the businesses and consumers are suffering from this glut of green guidebooks. The consumer still has an almost endless array of sites he must search to find green businesses. None of them appear to be any more complete or “official” than the last. And anyone with a green business could easily go broke trying to pay the annual fees to be listed on these sites.

So rather than having one good, strong site that we all can go to and find the information we need, more and more sites are going to continue to pop up and dilute the effectiveness of the sites that are already out there. As long as there are free websites (ning, myspace, LinkedIn) and the possibility for income (google ads, affiliate programs, etc.), everyone is going to want to try to get their share of the new Green economy.

All I know is, that sort of mindset would have gotten you kicked right out of the commune.

©, 2009 Betsy S. Franz, All Rights Reserved

Winter in Florida

2010-02-21T13:46:00.004-05:00

It is a beautiful February day here in Florida.

Bright sun and 73 degrees.

All of the critters are coming out for some sun.

Hummingbird with damaged beak

2010-02-12T17:22:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to figure out what was wrong with this hummingbird's beak. Looking at the photos, it looks almost the same as a hummingbird that we had found at one time that got its beak stuck in the screen around our screen room and had worn spots in its beak trying to get out.

Unfortunately, the other hummer died before he could get himself free from the screen. We have a really large screen room so I'm not sure what to do about it if hummers keep getting caught in it.

Random Acts of Kindness Week - February 15-21, 2010

2010-02-12T09:24:00.003-05:00

Is it a good sign or a bad sign that the GBBC (Feb. 12 - 15th) has gotten LOTS more attention than Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb 15 - 21st)? In any case, I decided to pull out an OLD article I wrote (circa 1994) when I was publishing a little newsletter called Going For it!!! Helping You Make Your Life and Your World a Better Place. Ahh to be young and idealistic. So much more fun to be OLDER and STILL be idealistic. Here's my old list from an article entitled "Plant a Seed of Kindness", with updates for 2010. Feel free to add comments with some of your own:

"...The only way to make the world a better place is to start planting seeds of kindness. Here are some ideas for acts of kindness to plant in the world. It won't be long before others follow your example and we see kindnesses sprouting up all over the place!!

*NEW: Take kids outside and participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count to help them experience the wonders of nature.

* Hold doors for people.

* Send REAL greeting cards and letters and especially thank you notes. Everyone loves something fun in the mail other than bills and advertisements.

* On your way into a store, bring in a shopping cart, especially on days windy enough to blow the carts into parked cars.

* Leave the best parking spots for the other guys.

* Drop pennies on the ground, heads up. Many people remember the old rhyme of "find a penny, pick it up and all the day you have good luck." *NEW: Better yet, drop a quarter. Finding money always brings a smile to someones face!

* Hand out fortune cookies at the end of work meetings. Fortune cookies are available in most grocery stores near the Chinese foods and will give you the opportunity to share a positive thought with your co-workers.

* Take a polaroid camera to public places and hand out pictures of people enjoying themselves. (You can tell this one was from 1994!! Before digital cameras were everywhere!!)

* TREAT OTHERS LIKE THEY ALREADY ARE WHAT THEY WISH TO BE.

* If a child is selling something or collecting donations, counteract all the rejections they receive by not just buying something or donating but by shaking their hand and telling them how happy you are to help someone working for such a good cause.

* Pat people on the back, shake hands, make eye contact, put your arm around their shoulders or hug them, when appropriate. People like human contact!!

* Write thank you notes to stores, restaurants and business where you have received good service. Include names of helpful employees when possible.

* Compliment people on their achievements. *NEW: RETWEET GOOD POSTS!

* Greet your lover with a ten second kiss. You'll be surprised how long, and how NICE ten seconds is.

* Treat the workers at your favorite garage, post office or library with a box of donuts or other bakery goodies.

* Pass on second-hand praise rather than propagating harmful gossip.

* Stop what you are doing and look at people when they speak to you.

* Gift wrap little things: your kids allowance, your husbands new toothbrush, the report you did for your boss. Everyone likes unwrapping gifts.

* If you find a book that makes you happy, donate it to your local library so others can share the joy.

* Tired of all the bad news in the paper? Call (or email) the Local News Editor to report good things you see happening around you.

* If you are a boss, use post-it notes or other personal messages to commend good work. Better yet, send an email message to let the whole group know how you feel.

* Plan kind deeds for dates or time with the kids: pick litter up off the beach, visit shut-ins, work in a soup kitchen or volunteer together.

* Allow people to keep their secrets OR to share them with you with complete trust.

* Treat everyone like a tipping customer.

* Tell someone you admire how you REALLY feel about them. Embarrassed by all that sentimentality? Write a letter. If you are REALLY shy, don't sign it.

* Take the words "you should" out of your vocabulary.

* Hide notes of praise, thanks and kind words around your office, home or the home of someone you visit.

* If you wake up before your lover, turn off the alarm clock and wake them with kisses instead.

* Dedicate songs on the radio, not just to your lover, but to your friends and family, too.

* Celebrate every holiday, no matter how small.

* If you live up north, send colored leaves to your southern friends in the fall. If you live near the ocean, send in-land friends seashells. Include "Wish you were here" notes.

* Compliment other people's children. Nobody tires of hearing what a beautiful baby or a well-behaved child they have.

* Honor and respect viewpoints alternative to your own. The world would be a boring place if we were all the same.

* Share a full moon or a beautiful night sky with someone by calling them and telling them to look out their window.

* Start a friendly chain letter. Write down your favorite inspirational quotes or make photocopies of your favorite cartoons. Mail them to 5 friends, asking them to add their favorites to the list and mail to five more friends, etc., etc., etc.

* Help your kids think up their own "Acts of Kindness"

* At the end of every day, reflect on your acts of Kindness of the day. If you can't think of any special acts you carried out, do one before you go to sleep. Write "Good Morning" on the bathroom mirror with soap, write a special note to slip in your child's drawer, write a check to your favorite charity or a thank you note to someone.

The kindness revolution has already been started. Secret acts of kindness are brightening the days of lucky, unsuspecting recipients every day. Join the Revolution!!! Plant the seeds by practicing the deeds!! Little acts can change anyones day from so-so to so-FINE! From mundane to MAGNIFICENT! From blase' to blessed. It only takes a minute to change someone's day, life and world!

Great Backyard Bird Count Special

2010-02-11T16:25:00.006-05:00

To me, participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to kick off our valentine's day weekend.

My husband and I love spending time in nature and lying in our hammock watching and listening to the birds and the bees has added a new depth to our relationship.

To help encourage others to learn more about the wildlife that shares their landscape, we are offering a Great Backyard Birdcount Discount for copies of How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet - a book that educates and encourages all property owners to create landscapes that are inviting to wildlife as well as encourages them to participate in various wildlife counts. (Did you know there are also counts for butterflies and hummingbirds?)

During this special, single copies are available for $5.00 plus $2.00 shipping. Order ten or more and get them for 45% off the retail price of $6.95.

email the Nature Lady for more info.

Bird species can predict your future mate

2010-02-11T08:35:00.005-05:00

Here's a new one on me. Apparently, the first bird that a single woman sees on Valentine's Day will predict what kind of husband she will find.

An article in today's Telegraph UK states: The practice of reading signs from birds, which dates back to Greek and Roman times, dictates that the first bird an unmarried woman sees on Valentine's Day is an omen of her future husband's character.

"Who's your lovebird? The ornithomancist's guide

Blackbird: he'll be involved in charitable or spiritual work – an aid worker of vicar

Dove: your marriage to him will be happy and loving

Robin: he earns his living through water – a naval officer or fisherman

Sparrow: he works with the land – a farmer or tree surgeon

Blue bird: he likes to make others smile – a comedian

Woodpecker: no marriage will take place

Duck: your relationship with him will be homely and stable

Gull: he travels a great deal for work

Birds of prey: he is a businessman, politician or leader

Goldfinch: he is a person of means

Kingfisher: he has already done well or inherited money

Pigeon: he will eventually return to the place where he grew up"

Read Full Article Here

National Park Series - redefines America the Beautiful

2010-02-10T12:46:00.007-05:00

I read on twitter that the Ken Burns National Park series is re-airing on PBS. That series had me so in awe! I think I sat there with my mouth gaping the whole time! I don't know how anyone can see the series and not be changed. I know that my visits to our National Parks have certainly changed me.

The first time I ever visited a National Park was in 1984. That year, I quit the job that I had worked for ten years and I headed out on an open-ended, cross-country trip with the goal of finding the most beautiful spot in America.

I was 29 years old and had spent my whole life on the east coast, first in New Jersey and then in Florida. I had never slept, bathed, or camped outside.

I bought a small used pickup truck with a bed topper on the back, and loaded it up with a tent, pots, pans, campstove, lanterns, clothing and various and other sundries I thought I would need on my trip.

My co-traveller on the trek was a rather nomadic man who was ten years my senior. He had spent most of his life travelling across the country and knew all the most beautiful spots to visit.

We spent over three months on the road, from June until September, driving by day and stopping, often in remote areas, to setup camp and explore. It was definitely the most incredible time in my life.

Nights were spent sleeping outside under the stars, often in areas marked with grizzly bear warnings. Days were spent driving, seeing one fantastic vista after another, or stopping and hiking to reach waterfalls and other hidden wonders.

We visited or passed through at least 40 of the 50 states. We stayed in more national and state parks than I can remember. We saw more wild animals than I ever knew existed in the wilds of the United States, including moose, elk, bear, bison and incredibly beautiful herds of wild horses.

My favorite park was, and still is, Yellowstone National Park. For a true nature nerd like me, visiting Yellowstone is like stepping through the looking glass into a fantasy world. I have never been disappointed with Yellowstone and I will never grow tired of the vistas, the wildlife and sharing the sense of wonder with the other visitors that I've met while journeying through the park.

When we returned to Florida after three months on the road, I was a much different person. Somehow, all of the feelings of discontent that I had felt before I left were gone. It was a change to my spirit. To my soul. I had a tremendous new respect and admiration for our country and I had a firm new understanding of what I wanted to do with my life.

What I REALLY wanted to do was to someday be rich enough so that I could set aside a beautiful piece of land for other people to enjoy for eternity. So far I haven't reached that level of prosperity.

So instead, I spend as much of my time as I can writing about the wonders of nature, hoping to encourage others to appreciate and respect them as much as I do. And of course, when I earn enough income from those efforts, I donate to the organizations that support the National Parks and the wildlife in this country.

I believe that if everyone had the opportunity to see our country the way that I did that year, we wouldn't have the same problems that we do now with people destroying the environment.

It's a beautiful planet. Learn how to take care of your share.

In Memory of Bob Zinski

2010-02-04T08:50:00.006-05:00

I hesitated over posting this message, since I always hate to be the bearer of sad news. But I firmly believe that we should do our part to make sure that the memories of our friends and loved ones live on.

Robert J. Zinski, 43 of Blue Bell, died Sunday January 17, 2010 at his home surrounded by his wife, family and friends after a courageous two year battle with liver cancer. Bob fought the disease with dignity, courage and a sense of humor and was an inspiration to many. He was the loving husband of Janine Cocker Zinski of Blue Bell. Born in Pittsburgh, he was a son of Rose Marie (Sekelik) Zinski of Pittsburgh and the late Joseph Zinski.

Bob's story was covered by ESPN back in August of 2009

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/e60/news/story?id=4388823

If the above link doesn't work, here is the link to a youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dJyfI99_FU

His wife, Janine, posted this message on his CaringBridge page last night.

------------------

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 8:35 PM, CST
Something Bob would have wanted - While I am very sensitive about Bob's CaringBridge journal, I believe that he would have wanted you to be aware that his ESPN story is airing again (in an updated version), since it is Super Bowl week once again and his story is so powerful. When the producer contacted me last week, I initially hesitated on agreeing to be interviewed but after much prayer and talk with family and friends, I decided that its what Bob would have wanted. Additionally, if his story can further reach and help even just one more person, I realized it is an important goal and message to share... so I swallowed my pride, tried to hold back the tears, and answered their questions. The show will air on Outside the Lines, Friday at 3:30 on ESPN. It will also air on First Take on ESPN 2 tomorrow (Thursday) at roughly 11:40am and then again at 1:40pm, so check your local listing and watch or set your DVRs. God willing, it will be another amazing, inspirational journey that can only come from Bob himself. And if I may quote from the guy who married us, (according to Bob on July 5, 2008), Pastor Tom Pirrone of Calvary Church said this past Sunday, "I have never seen anything like this!" which is a true tribute to the unique and amazing person Bob was. Bob, your story, your spirit and your legacy will live on forever... I love you!
Janine, a proud and honored wife

-------------------

His love story and his experience with cancer, and the way that he handled it, are an extreme inspiration. If you remember Bob.....his pleasant smile....and his ready laugh, please spend a few moments thinking about him this weekend.

And the Oscar for their Supporting Role in Protecting the Planet goes to......

2010-02-02T20:55:00.011-05:00

Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were revealed today and the list is full of celebrities that not only intrigue us with their acting ability but also do much to inspire us with their altruism. Almost all of the nominated stars are generous with their time and money in supporting various charitable causes.

But the Nature Lady's Oscar for Saving the Planet goes to these nominees who are well known for supporting environmental causes:

Actor in a Supporting Role Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”

Harrelson designed an eco-suite for the Triton Hotel in San Francisco. The hotel is eco-friendly and donates a percentage of the room revenue to Trust for Public Lands. Source
Harrelson founded Voice Yourself to help promote the importance of caring for the planet.
Plus, he taught one of our favorite Nature Nerds, Alicia Silverstone, to garden in the nude.

Actress in a Supporting Role Penélope Cruz in “Nine” The Oscar nominee thinks everyone should drive hybrids and teamed up with other celebs to organize a fleet of hybrids to shuttle bigwigs around Hollywood during the 2009 awards ceremonies.

Actor in a Leading Role Colin Firth in “A Single Man” - Firth is entering his third retail venture by founding a new environment-friendly store in Chiswick, England that aims to be a full-service location where people can find inspiration, ideas, advice, and products for green living. What’s even more impressive though is that Firth’s new store in western London, "Eco", has now become the driving force in a campaign to make Chiswick the first “eco village” in London. The campaign calls for shops, businesses, and locals to support a few key green issues: - “ban the use of plastic bags and replace them with sustainable alternatives- campaign the local council for better commercial recycling provision- switch to a green energy supplier”, according to their website. Source

Morgan Freeman in “Invictus” - "I firmly believe that alternative fuel supplies need to be developed to allow the United States to wean itself off of its significant dependence on foreign oil," Freeman said. "Moreover, I feel that our development of alternative sources such as biodiesel fuel will help the environment, farmers, and the economy in general. I look forward to participating in the growth of this company as well as the alternative fuels industry." Source

George Clooney in “Up in the Air” - More and more, Clooney seems to be getting into this environment thing, showing love for eco-friendly gadgets, like the Commuter Cars Tango, which gets 135 miles to a charge. He was reportedly the first to own one. In typical Clooney fashion, he then set his sights on another fast-moving beauty, more specifically the $100,000 Tesla Roadster, which runs entirely on electrical power and gets the equivalent of 150 miles to the gallon. source

Actor in a Supporting Role Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Damon co-founded the H20 Project to raise money and awareness on the need for clean drinking water and the importance of conserving water around the world.

Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” Actress Sandra Bullock is doing her bit to save the environment, by launching a range of eco-friendly candles. The actress unveiled her wax creations on an episode of Oprah Winfrey's talk show, which aired on Tuesday-- Earth Day.She revealed how she developed the line of candles using soy wax, after learning all about the chemicals that are normally used in their production. Bullock also uses biodegradable utensils at her restaurant and organic cleanser in her home. Source

Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” - Helps to educate the public about the importance of healthy foods for our children. "How we grow food, greatly effects the environment," says Streep. "Keeping focused on this issue is of utmost importance. Pesticide use can have a devastating effect on animal and insect life, is a major cause of water and soil pollution, is the cause of terminal illnesses of farm workers who inappropriately apply the chemicals, and is hazardous to the health of children and adults who consume inappropriate amounts of pesticide residues on their foods. As we leave the twentieth century, it is clear that the public is beginning to understand this and statistics show the increase in organic sales, which proves that people are choosing pesticide-free foods. The USDA is in the process of setting, for the first time, national standards for organic food production. This is very exciting." Source

Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart” - Gyllenhaal is regularly at work for various charities, promoting causes that benefit both the planet and the people on it, and she promotes green changes by putting them into practice in her own life, choosing eco-friendly fashions and green household items like bamboo sheets. Even the set of her recently-wrapped movie Away We Go was green, with organic and local food, biodegradable and recyclable diningware, and biodiesel vehicles. Source

Blog Post ©2010 Betsy S. Franz, Author of How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet
All rights reserved

Repeat After Me - Money Wants Me!!!

2010-02-01T13:06:00.006-05:00

I was reading a book on writing by Ariel Gore. If you haven't read her yet, you need to.

Anyway, I'm sure you have read books before that talk about using positive statements to attract the things you want in your life. Things like "I attract wealth" or "I am open and receptive to perfect love". I like her take on attracting money a little better.

This is from her book "How to be a Famous Writer Before You're Dead"

"When money is tight, I chant the chant lit star Inga Muscio taught me: "I am a money magnet. Money flows naturally and easily into my life. Money is sexually attracted to me. Money stays up at night thinking about me....."

Ever since I read that, I've been chanting all kinds of fun things about money. "Money is stalking me. Money is looking for me right now. {And my favorite one} Money is so hot for me that it can't think of anything else but getting into my pants (pockets)."

Silly, I know. But it seems to be working. I've already made more money this year than I usually do by the end of January. And it has come to me in the strangest ways.

I know that I didn't used to have a very good prosperity mentality. In fact, I used to often tell people "I know how to do everything but make money." That statement was kind of like a restraining order against my prosperity. But I'm taking down my barriers to money.

So everyone who wants to have a prosperous 2010, repeat (and retweet) after me:

"I know you want me, money. So Come on! Here I am. Come and get me!"

Michael Jackson's Earth Song - a Plea for all to Take Care of Their Share

2010-02-01T07:22:00.007-05:00

Everyone who watched the Grammy's last night was treated to the wonderful musical and visual presentation of Michael Jackson's tribute to Mother Earth.

The King of Pop's "Earth Song" was accompanied by on-stage stars Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson as well as images of rain forests, waterfalls, and butterflies.

It was introduced by Lionel Richie, who said the performance was meant by Jackson as a call to action against the destruction of Nature and animals by humans.

I hope that everyone that saw this beautiful tribute to the planet will heed the call and learn to Take Care of their Share.

How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet.

The Worth of a Teacher

2010-01-30T12:54:00.003-05:00

This is an email message that I got that was too good to not pass along. Thanks Sydney, for sharing.

Subject: WHAT DO TEACHERS MAKE?

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Barbara . Be honest. What do you make?"

Barbara, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life ( Barbara paused one last time and then continued.)

Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.

You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

What do you make Mr. CEO?

His jaw dropped, he went silent.

THIS IS WORTH SENDING TO EVERY TEACHER, EVERY CEO, EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW.

Even all your personal teachers like mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, coaches and your spiritual leaders/teachers.

A profound answer!!!

10 Ways that Birders and Wildlife Watchers will Help Save the Planet

2010-01-29T09:55:00.008-05:00

According to the 2006 Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Related-Associated Recreation (FHWAR), over 71.1 million people in the U.S. participated in at least one type of wildlife-watching activity such as observing, feeding, or photographing fish and other wildlife*.

Here are ten ways that these birders and wildlife watchers will contribute to the health of our planet, their bodies and the economic outlook of our country.

1) Wildlife watchers often create environmentally friendly landscapes using less chemicals, less water and more plants which provide food for wildlife.
Impact: cleaner eco-systems and improved wildlife habitat.
*Source: How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet.

2) Wildlife watchers spend more time outdoors, which helps improve their health.
Impact: healthier minds and bodies and less electricity use at home.
*Source: AARP Bulletin

3) Wildlife watchers get their KIDS outdoors, helping to combat Nature Deficit Disorder, a problem that can lead to problems such as childhood obesity, ADD and depression.
Impact: healthier children
*Source: Last Child in the Woods

4) In 2006, Wildlife watchers spent over $45.7 billion on their hobby. This spending supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in industries and businesses.
Impact: contribution to economic recovery
*Source: National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associate Recreation

5) Getting up close and personal with wildlife helps to develop a sense of wonder and responsibility, encouraging more people to help protect the flora and fauna around them. Impact: protection of species.
*Source: How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet.

6) Wildlife watching helps to improve your eyesight, hearing and memory.
Impact: better health
*Source: How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet.

7) Wildlife watchers are responsible pet owners, which is safer for the pets, the local wildlife and helps to cut down on animal euthanasia.
Impact: less animal euthanasia
It is estimated that 3-4 million pets are euthanized by shelters each year. *Source: Humane Society of the United States

8) Wildlife watchers often create landscapes that attract pollinating insects such as birds, butterflies and bees. It is estimated that over three-quarters of the staple crop plant that feed humankind rely on pollination from these beneficial creatures.
Impact: more pollinators = more food crops
*Source: How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet.

9) Wildlife watchers who report their findings through 'citizen science' programs and other bird counts help researchers to investigate far-reaching questions such as the impacts of West Nile virus, global warming, and acid rain on birds and other species.
Impact: preservation of species
*Source: How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet.

10) The largest percentage of Wildlife watchers have incomes of over $100,000 and often donate to larger wildlife organizations such as NWF and Audubon which, in turn, spend billions of dollars helping to protect our environment and wildlife.

*The 2006 Survey uses a strict definition of wildlife watching. Participants must either take a “special interest” in wildlife around their homes or take a trip for the “primary purpose” of wildlife watching. Secondary wildlife watching, such as incidentally observing wildlife while pleasure driving, is not included.

The Valentine's Gift that Keeps on Giving

2010-01-12T21:33:00.005-05:00

I can think of few things as sexy and romantic as lying in bed early in the morning and having my husband reach over and gently nudge me awake and whisper those words that always send a wonderful shiver through me.

"Hootie's outside," he'll say. And a huge smile crosses my face as I snuggle back into his arms and listen.

Hootie is the name that we have given to a large barred owl that lives on our property. The sound is so faint through the windows, that I don’t know how my husband hears it. But he does. And knowing how it makes me feel, he wants me to hear it too.

Sharing the wonders of nature together has become a very special part of our relationship. It has made us more aware of our surroundings...more tuned in to the sights, sounds, smells and tactile sensations of the world around us. And of course, those feelings have spilled over into our relationship.

If you are looking for the perfect valentines gift for your lover or spouse, considering giving them a copy of How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet. This little book inspires the reader to get up close and personal with the natural world around them so that they will learn to take care of their share of the planet. In the process, it encourages you to share your experience with others.

If you do it right, it will bring a whole lot of sexiness back to your relationship.

Winter Hard on Wildlife

2010-01-10T16:03:00.003-05:00

In my book, How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet, I warn against people interfering with nature. But today, it is hard for me to not want to interfere.

This poor bird has been sitting on the ground on our property all day, moving every now and then to get more sun. On the other side of the property is a very large barred owl. I can hear him hooting right now. Maybe even calling his mate.

I don't have much hope that the first bird is going to make it through the night with the owls and hawks around.

Cold birds, etc.

2010-01-10T11:54:00.002-05:00

Thought I would post this bird to see if I can get a quick ID. I think it is a whip-poor-will. The poor thing looks COLD!

My book lists whip-poor-wills as endangered.

Get to to know the wildlife in your yard

2010-01-09T16:29:00.003-05:00

I hope you like this little video I made to remind everyone to get to know the wildlife in their yards. And then to do their part to protect it.

To find out more about how you can Take Care of Your Share of the Planet, read the book.

James Taylor - Advocate for Wildlife

2010-01-09T11:33:00.004-05:00

Today's featured nature nerd is one of my favorite performers of all time, Mr. James Taylor. If you have ever heard him, you need to see him in person. If you have ever seen him in person, you need to get on his mailing list. And if you love nature, you need to watch this little video.

Awesome Texas Morning

2010-01-07T20:17:00.006-05:00

Here's another great one I got in email that I wanted to pass along.

(After the horses moved on, the doe came for her fawn, so all is well, in case you were wondering...)

How to Stay Young

2010-01-05T19:28:00.005-05:00

I received this is an email message today and thought it was worth sharing.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud.. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER : Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

Thought for the day

2010-01-04T10:11:00.003-05:00

"When I go into the garden with a spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)

Bringing Sexy Back -- to the Environment

2010-01-03T11:13:00.014-05:00

The United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. Pope Benedict XVI's Message for World Peace Day encouraged mankind to "renew and strengthen their covenant between human beings and the environment." Yet naysayers are concerned that the mission of protecting the environment isn't "sexy" enough to create a strong following.

My answer to that comment is, if you don't find protecting the environment sexy enough, then you aren't doing it right.

Getting to know nature holds the same promise of elation as any of life's great pleasures. You have to utilize your senses to savor it slowly. You have to caress it, smell it, feel it. You have to allow yourself to be amazed by it.

Enjoying Mother Nature can stimulate the senses as much as any fine wine or delectable meal. She contains all of the wonders and miracles of life as a newborn infant. The same prospects of pleasure as a rainy afternoon at home with your lover. All of the emotional splendor of a fine symphony or opera.

What you experience when you taste the wine, see your newborn , spend time with a loved one or listen to an opera is up to you. Any of those things can bring tears to your eyes, when experienced fully. And so will the wonders of nature when you take the time to explore them.

Albert Einstein once said “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Perhaps that is the secret to all of life's relationships. Never forget to be amazed by the wonders around you. Hold on to that incredible joy that you felt when you first saw your newborn infant, that heart-racing rush of love when you first kissed your spouse, and the incredible sense of wonder that you experienced when you first heard the call of a wolf late at night while camping under the stars or first saw a tiny iridescent hummingbird fluttering around your gardens. And remember, remember, remember that none of those things will last forever unless you make an effort to protect them and nurture them and let them know you care.

In 2010, make it a goal to put the sexy back into your life. Savor the wonders around you. And then learn to cherish them....to protect them....to Take Care of Your Share.

Betsy Franz is the author of "How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet."

http://tinyurl.com/yeabrl6

New Book Stresses Message from Pope

2010-01-01T10:10:00.011-05:00

VATICAN CITY (VIS): The Message of Pope Benedict XVI for the celebration of the forty-third World Day of Peace was made public today. the Day is due to be celebrated on 1 January 2010 and has as its theme: "If You Want To Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation".

Pope's Message for World Day of Peace

Man's inhumanity to man has given rise to numerous threats to peace and to authentic and integral human development - wars, international and regional conflicts, acts of terrorism, and violations of human rights. Yet no less troubling are the threats arising from the neglect - if not downright misuse - of the earth and the natural goods that God has given us. For this reason, it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen "that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards whom we are journeying". read full article

In a coincidence inspired by the writer's own spiritual relationship with nature and the environment, a new book entitled How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet, was released on the same day as the Pope's speech.

"When you talk about saving the planet, the concept is too huge and impersonal for some people to get personally attached to,” author Betsy Franz said. “You need to come back down to earth where you can get eye to eye with the little things….the miniscule miracles. The birds and the bees and other creatures that add color and song and a whole world of wonder to our lives if we will just take the time to get to know them.”

With that thought in mind, Franz has created a book that provides enough information to guide the reader in creating environmentally friendly landscapes that will be safe havens for local wildlife and then encourages them to keep a journal during their progress, both for the educational (left brained) benefits and for the sense of wonder (right brained) that will be discovered as they get to know the flora and fauna in their habitat on a more intimate level.

"I was amazed when I woke up and read the Pope's comments," Franz said. "I had felt an urgency to complete this book and have it available at the first of the year. I hope that I can help encourage more people to take the Pope's message to heart so that they each will accept the responsiblity to Take Care of Their Share of the Planet.

Help us build Lou's Greenhouse!

2009-10-28T09:09:00.004-04:00

Lou Encouraged us all to Sow Our Wild O.A.K.s(Ordinary Acts of Kindness)

Lou Poulos was a kind man with a big smile and a generous heart. As a local award-winning landscaper, he planted oaks (and other plants) for a living. He also planted O.A.K.s (Ordinary Acts of Kindness) with the way he lived his life.

Lou passed away unexpectedly on October 18, 2009 and, as those who loved him, we want to continue sowing his O.A.K.s (Ordinary Acts of Kindness).

Our goal is to raise enough money to build Lou's Greenhouse. Lou's Greenhouse will be a part of the larger Cygnet House project - a group foster care home which will be built in Central Brevard.

Named after a baby swan, the Cygnet House will be a foster care group home for children ages 6-14 years old that have been placed in the protective services of the Department of Children & Families, District VII in Brevard County.

Plans for the Cygnet House include a butterfly garden and a vegetable garden where the children will learn the many benefits of working in a garden.

Our goal is to raise enough funds to build Lou's Greenhouse and Garden Shed - an on-site structure to further instill the love of gardening and plants into the children of Cygnet House.
We will be raising these funds through donations, plant sales and other means.

If you would like to find out how you can help us build Lou's Greenhouse, please email us.

My Mother's Giving Tree

2009-10-12T12:10:00.001-04:00

It was probably around 1974 or 1975 that I first read the book, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. I worked in a public library back then, which to me was tantamount to making daily visits to one of the rooms of Heaven. I love books – both reading them and discussing them with others. It is a love that was instilled in me from an early age by a mother that taught us to read long before we learned to do much of anything else.

Although The Giving Tree is considered a children’s book, like many of Silverstein’s books, it has a powerful message for people of all ages. The message is about unconditional, lasting love and it is depicted through the relationship of a young boy and a tree.

I’m sure when I first discovered the book, I took it home to share it with my mother. She loved books as much as I did, and the message was one that I knew she would appreciate.

My mother, Ruth Lay Stabler, passed away on September 7, 2009. During the last ten years of her life, although her mind was slowly slipping away, she was still my constant giving tree. During those final years, I learned more about love and kindness and the power of laughter and importance of appreciating each moment of love than I have ever learned before. Like the tree in Silverstein’s book, she was my Giving Tree, teaching powerful lessons up until the end.

On October 13, 2009, Lou Poulos Landscaping of Malabar, Florida is very generously donating and planting a large oak in memory of my mother in Gleason Park in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida.

I wish that there were a way for me to encourage every person that sees that tree to read the book and appreciate its lessons. I wish I could just put a bench beneath the tree and always have the book there to encourage others to read it and absorb its wonderful story of lasting love. But of course, I can’t.

If you haven’t read The Giving Tree yet, I encourage you to do so. Why not check it out from your local library, and find a good tree to sit beneath and give it a read. I think it will make the tree very happy.

Our first rain barrel

2009-09-02T15:30:00.004-04:00

Just created and installed our first rain barrel this weekend. We've had over 8 inches of rain since then. Very easy and fun project!

Rain barrel classes are available in Brevard County, Florida through Brevard County Natural Resources Management.

Email: mailto:elizabeth.melvin@brevardcounty.us

Spiders in Space and other neat Shuttle Passengers

2009-08-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

One of the most exciting things about living in Brevard County, Florida is being able to proudly proclaim that we live on the Spacecoast of Florida - home of Cape Canaveral and the United States Space Shuttle.

In recognition of my love of nature and NASA, I have compiled this quiz about Critters that have been to space:

1) What species of arachnid (spider) spent some time on the International Space Station? Answer

2) This is the same type of spider that played a starring role in what popular children's book?Answer

3) What species of butterfly made the journey with them? Answer

4) What sort of larval host plant could be used by this butterfly? Answer

5) What kind of insect was sent along to feed the arachnids? Answer

For more information about the results of taking these critters to space, read this article.

To teach your kids a lot more about our space program, visit NASA Kids' Club

And to learn more about our friendly neighborhood insects, click here.

Here's a cute video of a spider crawling across a lens when someone was filming the space shuttle.

Beautiful Nude Nature Nerd - Alicia Silverstone

2009-08-23T18:10:00.005-04:00

Alicia Silverstone Gardens Nude - Now THAT's a true Nature Nerd.

Post from Limelife.com, August 19, 2009.

Actress Alicia Silverstone has told how Woody Harrelson inspired her to become a nudist. The Clueless star said she first got into taking her clothes off while she was tending to her garden.

Read full post.

Alicia Silverstone’s Sexy Veggie PSA
Order a FREE vegetarian starter kit at GoVeg.com

15 Sure Signs that You Are a Nature Nerd (Wait! That's a Good Thing!)

2009-08-20T21:12:00.021-04:00

There used to be two distinct types of people: the cool people and the nerds. The cool people were the football players, the cheerleaders, and anyone in a rock band. The nerds were the ones who got good grades, wore black rimmed glasses and were much more likely to have a microscope or a telescope at home than they were to have a date on Friday night.

But times have changed. Protecting the planet and all of its creepy crawly inhabitants is not only sociably responsible AND socially acceptable but it is also suddenly cool. Yes, it's finally cool to be a Nature Nerd!

So whether you are a star studded celebrity, a prima ballerina or a single parent , it’s time to admit your nerdiness to the world. Go ahead and get excited about the tadpoles in your garden pond and the butterflies eating your herb garden! Grab the magnifying glass and a good nature guide and share the great outdoors with the ones you love.

And if you still aren’t sure whether you want to admit that you are a nerd or not, here are a few questions to help you decide:

You may be a nature nerd if:

1. You monthly bill for birdseed is greater than your TV cable bill.

2. You feel bad for the bugs that splatter on your windshield.

3. You have ever stopped traffic and played crossing guard for turtles, squirrels, ducks or other critters who are trying to cross the road.

You have a birding Life List.

You don’t mind when caterpillars eat all of your plants and are even happy to buy them more.

You have funerals for the critters that die in your yard.

Your neighbors have ever reported you for having an overgrown yard because you have let your landscape “go native”.

You have visited at least one of the stops on a designated American Birding trail.

You know the difference between a lepidopterist and an ornithologist AND you know how to spell them both.

You have suddenly become the “eccentric” neighbor who wants everyone to keep their cat indoors.

The binoculars you keep by your back window are for bird watching, not people watching.

You have given first names to all of the various critters that come to your property and you recognize them by name.

You are one of the 100,000+ people who has had your yard certified as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat.

You’d rather capture a bug or spider and take it outside than squish it.

And the number one way to tell whether you may be a Nature Nerd…..
You not only know what a chrysalis is but you have one in a jar in your bedroom.

My Tweet Retreat

2009-08-15T11:05:00.017-04:00

View of our backyard

There is an article in this morning's paper about what people would (or should) do with their money if they win the powerball, which is up to $213 million, I believe.

This is what I would do. I'd build a Tweet Retreat.

We live on a beautiful 2 acre piece of property that is heavilly wooded. I've always wanted to build some raised platforms and decks that would let me climp up and just sit among the treetops and be with the birds. From there, I could tweet about the tweeters.

Here is a photo of a platform that my friends Blair and Dawn Witherington built in their yard.

The bottom photo is the view from their deck.

Dawn and Blair are wildlife lovers. I have written about their very wildlife friendly, native landscaped yard on several occasions.

In fact, they own the world's Champion firebush, which has been registered with American Forests National Register of Big Trees, which I have also had the honor of writing about.

Dawn is a wonderful graphic designer and her husband is a marine biologist.

Check out their books on Amazon.

Butterflies are brutal ~ and you thought singles bars were bad

2009-08-14T12:26:00.007-04:00

From the book "Florida's Fabulous Butterflies" Males (zebra longwings) can detect the scent of a female within her pupa before she emerges, and a number of males may congregate. The males will literally fight with each other for the opportunity of mating with the female as soon as she breaks the pupal skin. The fastest, strongest male will prevail. This behavior has been called "pupal rape", since the female may be too weak immediately after emerging to effectively resist. In some cases the males can gain entry to the pupal case and then do not even wait for the female to emerge. They mate with her inside the case. After mating, the successful male applies a chemical which acts as a repellant to other males. This helps ensure that the offspring will carry only the genes of the first male."

Few minutes later. Had to change memory card in camera.

Bobcat in the backyard

2009-08-02T10:29:00.005-04:00

I was just taking a stroll around our property, in one of those completely blissful moods where I was just enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. I walked up to our large gardening pergola in the backyard and didn't pay much attention when I heard the sound of something rubbing against the plastic flower pots underneath it. I assumed it was just a squirrel or some other small critters.

What a thrill it was to catch a glimpse of our resident bobcat as he sped off down the path.

He must have been laying there, right in the pergola, and was probably as surprised to see me as I was to see him!

Preserve wildlife habitat in your own yard

2009-08-01T18:34:00.002-04:00

Excerpted from Stokes Bird Gardening Book: The Complete Guide to Creating a Bird-Friendly Habitat in Your Backyard (Stokes Backyard Nature Books.)'

"One of the ways to preserve valuable natural habitat is to buy it, either at the federal, state or local level. But this can only go so far. It will always be the case that the vast majority of land is in private ownership. In the end, one of the best ways to preserve land and habitats is for each of us to do so on our own property and in our own backyard."

Nature Nerd of the Day ~ Susan Snyder

2009-07-13T16:21:00.006-04:00

I found teacher and naturalist Susan Snyder through her blog, Nature's Call, “an online project that is designed to help people step out of their hermetically sealed, electronically wired lives and reconnect with the natural environment.”

When I read her “About Me” page, I knew she was a true nature nerd who is doing her part to protect the environment by educating others to get up close and personal with nature. Below is an excerpt from that page.

“As a teacher at a nature center in the Intermountain West, Susan has met children who know what penguins and clown fish look like (presumably because of the movies "Happy Feet'" and "Finding Nemo"), but cannot recognize a robin.

Several times each week, Susan will share stories and tips to help inspire people to get outside and find a little bit of nature to enjoy, whether they are exploring an urban courtyard, a public park or the vast open spaces of the American West.

She also will discuss the issues and challenges that have alienated people from the outdoors.

"Global warming is scary," Susan says, "but an American child who has never touched a real grasshopper is scarier."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susan Snyder is a writer and a teacher-naturalist at a Northern Utah nature center.

Susan researched and wrote about nature and environmental issues for nearly 25 years as a newspaper journalist before turning to teaching full time. She has learned that preservation of a thing is done best by those who have grown to know and appreciate it.”

Her comment about nature nerds: "Nerds are good. They are the only ones who pick at something long enough to make stuff work."

Susan is currently in Maine, where she will spend the rest of this month doing field work for her master's degree in ecological teaching and learning (with the Audubon Institute through Lesley University).

Technorati Tags: Nature's Call,Nature nerd,Susan Snyder, Utah, global warming

Organic Gardens Initiative

2009-07-11T08:07:00.003-04:00

Article from City Farmer News
Hollywood’s Amy Smart, Nicole Richie and Anna Getty launch the School Gardens Program
Linked by Michael Levenston
HOLLYWOOD - MAY 12: Anna Getty, Nicole Richie, and Amy Smart attend The Environmental Media Association’s Organic Gardens Initiative launch held at The Helen Bernstein High School on May 12, 2009 in Hollywood, California.Photo: Alexandra Wyman
EMA’s Young Hollywood Board launches the School Gardens Program!
The Environmental Media Association (EMA), Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and sponsor Yes To Carrots, a natural personal care brand, have launched an ongoing partnership to support organic gardens and greenery in urban schools across Los Angeles. Read Article

Today’s Celebrity Nature Nerd ~ Robert Redford

2009-07-10T17:03:00.006-04:00

That’s right. I’m calling Robert Redford a nature nerd. And if he wants to call me and complain about it, I’ll keep my phone lines open!

Seriously, few celebrities have done as much for environmental awareness as Robert Redford. And unlike some celebrities who may have jumped on the bandwagon recently just because it’s so eco-chic, Redford works to protect the environment because of the personal connection that he feels for the wilderness. Redford sees his time in nature as: “a release from chaos and confinement, an incredible liftoff.”

Redford has been a noted environmentalist since the early 1970s when he was a founding member of the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and lobbied heavily for the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. As far back as 1975, he produced short films and documentaries promoting solar power. Redford remains a trustee of NRDC; the organization recently named its new Santa Monica, Calif., office building after him -- it is "the greenest building in America" according to the U.S. Green Building Council. For decades, Redford also has supported pro-environment political candidates, mostly at state and local levels. Source

He is the recipient of numerous awards for his work in the environmental and arts arenas as well as his advocacy on behalf of Native Americans. These include the 1987 United Nations Global 500 Award; the 1989 Audubon Medal; the 1993 Earth Day International Award; the 1994 Nature Conservancy Award and others. Source
Without Redford there would be no Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, a 1.7-million-acre (7,571 sq km) expanse of land that the star, among others, fought to keep out of commercial hands from 1975 until 1996, when President Clinton effectively closed it to development. Source
More great information about Robert Redford can be found in this great article by Amanda Griscom Little (a well-known nature nerd in her own right) written for Mother Earth News
You can read Redford's blog posts on the Huffington Post, onearth, and the Sundance Channel

Technorati Tags: Nature nerd,Robert Redford,environment,environmentalist,Natural Resources Defense Council,NRDC,Audubon medal,Grand staircase,Huffington Post,Sundance,Sundance Channel

Free federal tax incentive green decoder

2009-07-10T14:33:00.003-04:00

Free Federal Tax Incentive Green Decoder
Written by Keith Rockmael on greenbuilding elements.com
Published on July 10th, 2009

Did you know that if you install a Biomass Stove – wood, pellets, etc. that you can nab a 30% tax credit ($1,500 max) up until 2010? Who knows that homeowners can get a 30% tax break for installing Solar Hot Water Heating until 2016? Maybe the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which was signed into law by President Obama in February 2009 isn’t as complicated as the IRS tax code but does anyone really want to delve into the 400 pages of legislation to figure all the ins and outs about how to qualify for the green tax credits available to homeowners?
In a Cliff’s Notes version of the myriad incentives, rebates, and tax incentives GREENandSAVE has created a Federal Tax Incentive Decoder and condensed the material to 11 bite sized pages. Best of all, this resource does not cost a dime and can be downloaded Read Entire Article here

My Nature Hero of the Day

2009-07-09T20:41:00.005-04:00

I don’t like to pin the tag “nature nerd” on anyone without their approval, so instead, I will call this lady my nature hero of the day.

Professor Works to Improve Tourism to Natural Habitats

Robin Andersen, Ph.D., says better promotion of ecotourism could increase support for wildlife conservation efforts.
Photo by Gina Vergel
Article from Inside Fordham Online

By Gina Vergel
Increasing concern for the environment has led to a new way for people to experience the natural world. Ecotourism, also known as sustainable travel or green travel, is becoming one of the largest global industries.
That’s a good thing, right?
Not entirely, said Robin Andersen, Ph.D., professor of communication and media studies.
Andersen is studying how ecotourism is promoted—especially with regard to conservation efforts, biodiversity and wildlife management. Eventually, she hopes to design informational materials that will increase tourists’ involvement in wildlife conservation efforts.
“Let’s figure out a way to change attitudes and behaviors so that tourists really want to preserve the environment or save animals,” Andersen said, “not just go and have a thrill ride into the animals’ habitats.” Click here to read full article

Technorati Tags: Nature nerd,Robin Andersen PhD,wildlife conservation,Gina Vergel,Fordham University,Ecotourism,habitats

Paul McCartney ~ An Official Nature Nerd

2009-07-08T22:10:00.017-04:00

My first verified report of a celebrity nature nerd! Maybe this will bring some more all-star bird nerds out of the woodwork!

Paul McCartney: I love birds
By SIMON COSYNS. The Sun
Published: 28 Nov 2008

IT'S official. Paul McCartney likes birds. I'm talking, naturally, about our feathered friends - a constant source of inspiration to Britain's greatest living songwriter from his Beatles days right up to his latest project. His third collaborative album with producer and Killing Joke bassist Youth (aka Martin Glover), bears a handsome ditty called Two Magpies, the latest McCartney bird song.
"I've always liked birds. It's a theme of mine," Paul explains when we meet to discuss Electric Arguments by The Fireman, an album that's getting him some of the best reviews for many a year. "I think they're symbolic of freedom, of flying away.
"As a kid, I was a keen ornithologist and had a little pocket book, the Observer's Book Of Birds. I lived on the outskirts of Liverpool and could walk just a mile to be in quite deep countryside." Read Entire Article

Nature nerd press release

2009-07-07T22:00:00.003-04:00

For immediate release: PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 07, 2009 – Freelance writer and environmentalist Betsy S. Franz has launched a full-scale search for celebrity nature nerds. Franz, who believes that the future health of the environment depends on the willingness of citizens to get “up close and personal” with the wildlife around them, is looking for celebrities to help encourage this message. Read more

Technorati Tags: environment,Nature nerd,PRLog,press Release,Betsy Franz

Martha Stewart is an honorary Nature Nerd

2009-07-06T22:11:00.003-04:00

Since Martha Stewart has had her yard certified as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat, she must definitely be a nature nerd. After all, once we begin to invite the birds and beasties into our own backyards, it is very difficult to not get attached to the little critters and to marvel at the wonders they bring to our landscapes.

Technorati Tags: Martha Stewart,Nature nerd,National Wildlife Federation,Certified Wildlife Habitat

Craig Tufts ascended to heavenly habitat

2009-07-06T09:12:00.002-04:00

Obituary

Tufts advocated backyard wildlife
By Adrian HigginsThe Washington Post

WASHINGTON — Craig Tufts, a naturalist who saw every backyard as a potential haven for wildlife, died June 21 at his home in suburban Middleburg, Va. He had brain cancer. He was 62.
As chief naturalist of the National Wildlife Federation, Tufts was the most visible advocate for its highly popular Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. Since the program's inception in 1973, more than 120,000 private gardens across the United States have been certified as being wildlife friendly after owners followed the environmental group's guidelines.
Tufts, who worked for the Reston, Va.-based organization for almost 33 years, did not start the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program, but he refined it and gave it national prominence. He developed its guidelines and promoted it through speaking engagements and frequent media interviews. Read complete article

‘Green’ yards get break: Florida offers protection

2009-07-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

By Kevin Spear
Sentinel Staff Writer

July 6, 2009

When state Sen. Carey Baker proposed a law encouraging Florida homeowners to get rid of thirsty grass, he had Dorothy Bombera in mind. The Venice retiree has steadily ripped out her lawn, making room for daisies, perennial peanuts, palms and other drought-resistant plants.
But not all of her neighbors found the new scenery attractive, and her homeowners association threatened to fine Bombera if she didn't re-create the old, conventional yard.
Last week, Baker's legislation was signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist, and Bombera is now off the hook."They were up to a $480 fine," Bombera said of the homeowners association. "I think that passing this was the most wonderful thing."

Read full article.

Can celebrity nature nerds help save the planet?

2009-07-06T08:40:00.002-04:00

Article from guardian.co.uk

Can artists save the world?
The environment is this year's big theme across the arts. Here's how Britain's greenest cultural avengers plan to save the world

Paul Arendt
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 5 July 2009 21.30 BST

"No artist has ethical sympathies," Oscar Wilde once wrote. "An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style. All art is quite useless."
Try telling that to today's writers, artists, film-makers, architects, actors and musicians. An ethical sympathy – and, specifically, an environmental conscience – is fast becoming de rigueur. The last five years have seen an unprecedented flowering of eco-awareness and activism throughout the arts, at home and abroad. From giant multiplexes to 50-seat fringe venues, from sweaty stadiums to intimate galleries, artist are talking – and singing, and writing, and painting – about the planet's inexorable drift towards disaster. Read complete article.

Great story about celebrity nature nerds

2009-07-05T18:29:00.006-04:00

Story is from dailybreeze.com
“Celebrity nature nerds in `green' fight

By Noaki Schwartz, The Associated Press
Posted: 07/10/2008 10:49:32 PM PDT

On a tree-lined corner of Studio City filled with modest homes, flower gardens and neighbors who chat across back fences, two wiry celebrities are engaged in a green grudge match.

The good-natured competition between actor Ed Begley Jr. and Bill Nye, the host of the educational series "Bill Nye, the Science Guy" began when Nye moved into the neighborhood two years ago. Since then the two moderately famous and slightly geeky environmentalists have matched wits over whose home can leave a smaller carbon footprint. Read Full Article

Technorati Tags: ed begley jr,bill nye the science guy,green,nature nerds,nature nerd

Nerd is not a dirty word

2009-07-03T08:27:00.006-04:00

I am a little amused with the comment from a nature loving, environmentalist who has a problem with my blogs about Nature Nerds. Here is an excerpt of her comment:

“…nature nerd is not something you'll ever find me calling myself. "Nerd" gets caught in my throat almost as quickly as "reject" or "weirdo," and as much as I agree with most of what you're saying, and am proud to do and discover all that nature offers, it's not a label I choose to perpetuate. Don't think for a minute, that I'm not fully aware of how nature-lovers are perceived by the majority of others in the world. That's just it! I hope for greater acceptance--and that goal is what drives my writing and my blog. The whole "nerd" label is exactly what I am attempting to dispel.”

I’m surprised that this particular reader didn’t see that the whole point of my nerdish blog post is to DISPEL the bad connotations of the “nature nerd” moniker and to bring bird watching and nature watching out into the open as not only a great, fun acceptable pastime, but also a very easy and acceptable way for every homeowner to do their part to help Take Care of Their Share of the Planet.

Nature Nerds NEED to stand up and admit who they are and what they are. Keep in mind that Treehugger was just as negative of a term at one time, and now Treehugger.com is one of the most well-respected environmental blogs out there.

I AM A NATURE NERD, and proud of it! However, if anyone has a problem with the word nerd, it might help to think of it as an acronym. We are nature Nurturers, Enthusiasts, Researchers and Devotees. We are Nature N.E.R.D.s ~ hear us roar!

Technorati Tags: nature Nerd,nature,environmentalist,Nerds,Take Care of Your Share,Treehugger.com

Would Arnold Ask, “Are Your A Nature Nerd?”

2009-07-02T10:40:00.007-04:00

Are you a nature nerd?

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Photo created on http://www.oncoverpage.com/.

You May Already be a Nature Nerd

2009-07-01T17:28:00.010-04:00

When I was growing up, there were two distinct types of people: the cool people and the nerds. The cool people were the football players, the cheerleaders, and anyone in a rock band. The nerds were the ones who got good grades, wore black rimmed glasses and were much more likely to have a microscope or a telescope at home than they were to have a date on Friday night.

Generally speaking, the birdwatchers and the backyard botanists fell into the nerd category. Cool kids didn’t even know what a chrysalis was much less have one in a jar in their bedroom.
But times have changed. Protecting the planet and all of its creepy crawly inhabitants is not only sociably responsible AND socially acceptable but it is also suddenly cool.

Sure, there are many different shades of ‘green’, and environmental responsibility takes many forms. Every day citizens and celebrities alike are proud to proclaim their passion for solar energy and hybrid automobiles. But how many of them are ready to come out of the closet when it comes to the more nerdish pastimes such as bird watching and butterfly gardening? How many of them are ready to admit that they not only hug trees, but they also fondle flowers and even caress critters from time to time?

Certainly we can imagine animal activist celebs such as Mary Tyler Moore and Ellen DeGeneres getting eye-to-eye with the bunnies and squirrels in their yard. And Martha Stewart must surely appreciate the serenade of songbirds in her flower filled gardens.

But what about other well-known environmental celebrities? Do nature lover Darryl Hannah and inner-city gardener Bette Midler welcome the wonders of wildlife to their backyard landscapes? Has Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Bacon or Ed Begley Jr. ever marveled at the metamorphous of a butterfly? Do Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pierce Brosnan hang nectar feeders to attract hovering hummingbirds? Has Ted Danson, Willie Nelson or Robert Kennedy, Jr. ever pulled out a magnifying glass to help identify an unknown insect?

If they haven’t, then perhaps they should. It’s a wonderful cause to want to save the planet but it isn’t a planet of asphalt and steel and carbon spewing monolithic factories that we are trying to save. It’s the miniscule miracles. The sights that, in the past, only the nerds have taken the time to notice. And it is there, perhaps, when one gets eye-to-eye with the birds and the butterflies and the creatures that visit our gardens and wander through our yards, that we realize what it is we are working so hard to protect.

So whether you are a star studded celebrity, a prima ballerina or a single parent , it’s time to admit your nerdiness to the world. Go ahead and get excited about the tadpoles in your garden pond and the butterflies eating your herb garden! Grab the magnifying glass and a good nature guide and share the great outdoors with the ones you love.

And if you still aren’t sure whether you want to admit that you are a nerd or not, here are a few questions to help you decide:

You may be a nature nerd if:

You monthly bill for birdseed is greater than your TV cable bill.
You feel bad for the bugs that splatter on your windshield.
You have ever stopped traffic and played crossing guard for turtles, squirrels, ducks or other critters who are trying to cross the road.
You have a birding Life List.
You don’t mind when caterpillars eat all of your plants and are even happy to buy them more.
You have funerals for the critters that die in your yard.
Your neighbors have ever reported you for having an overgrown yard because you have let your landscape “go native”.
You have ever reported your neighbors for cutting down trees that are protected.
You have visited at least one of the stops on the Great American Birding trail.
You know the difference between a lepidopterist and an ornithologist AND you know how to spell them both.
You have suddenly become the “eccentric” neighbor who wants everyone to keep their cat out of your yard.
The binoculars you keep by your back window are for bird watching, not people watching.
You have given first names to all of the various critters that come to your property and you recognize them by name.
You are one of the 70,000+ people who has had your yard certified as a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat.
You’d rather capture a bug or spider and take it outside than squish it.

And the number one way to tell whether you may be a Nature Nerd…..

You not only know what a chrysalis is but you have one in a jar in your bedroom.

According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associate Recreation, there are over 71 million bird and wildlife watchers in the United States. Rumors among various birding groups on the internet hint that Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Carrie Fisher and Paul McCartney may be among the many celebrities that dabble in this nerdish pastime.

For more information about how to become a nerd for birds and other backyard wildlife, visit these sites:

National Audubon Society - http://www.audubon.org/ - - For over 100 years, Audubon has been working to protect birds, other wildlife, and their habitats.

National Wildlife Federation - http://www.nwf.org/ - Founded in 1936, It’s purpose has always been to bring together individuals, organizations and agencies interested in the restoration and conservation of wildlife resources.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/LabPrograms/citSci/index.html - The Lab is a nonprofit membership institution whose mission is to interpret and conserve the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. They believe that bird enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels can and do make a difference.

And if you are already a proud nature nerd, please leave a comment below to proclaim your nerdiness to the world!!

Technorati Tags: Leonardo DiCaprio,Ed Begley Jr,Bette Midler,nature lover,Willie Nelson,Darryl Hannah,Martha Stewart,Ellen DeGeneres,Mary Tyler Moore,Nature nerd,Nature,gardens,lover,wildlife,Kevin Bacon,Arnold Schwarzenegger,Pierce Brosnan,Ted Danson,Willie Nelson,Robert Kennedy Jr,insect,birds,garden,National Wildlife Federation,Habitat,Mick Jagger,Eric Clapton,Carrie Fisher,Paul McCartney,Audubon,conservation,Cornell Lab of Ornithology,earth,citizen scientists,Betsy Franz,Franz,yards,habitats,nerds,nerdish,critters,butterflies

Hummers and Skunk Apes

2009-06-30T21:35:00.007-04:00

There was a time when I no more believed in the presence of hummingbirds in Brevard County, Florida than I did of the legendary skunk ape…a Bigfoot-like creature that supposedly roams the wild areas of Florida. I’m from Missouri, better known as the show-me state, and since I had never seen hummingbirds in Brevard County, they were just a myth to me.

But after years of gardening to try to attract them (hummingbirds, not skunk apes), we were finally blessed with the presence of these beautiful winged creatures at our home back in 2004. They arrived during the winds from hurricane Frances to feed on a firebush plant that we had planted near the front of our house. We were so excited and enthralled that we immediately went and dug out an old hummingbird feeder, made sugar water nectar, and hung the feeder near out kitchen window. Sure enough, the hummingbird returned rather quickly to feed on the nectar and the plants.

The next day, I was in Walmart stocking up on hummingbird plants and feeders, and we have been rewarded with visits from hummingbirds ever since.

I lived in Florida for 37 years before I was able to entice a hummingbird to my yard by changing some of my gardening practices. It took a hurricane for me to be able to really observe them up close. Since then, I have been able to sit on a bench on my front porch and watch daily as hummingbirds visit my feeders. I have seen what I have only read about before: their territorial actions of chasing other hummers from the feeder and their fights with the bees that also visit the feeders. I have had them hover in front of me and make their tiny chirping sound and I even had one fly right in between my arms as I re-hung a cleaned feeder.

Since we first purchased our property, we began immediately to make an effort to keep our property wildlife friendly. We have purchased plants that are favorites of local wildlife, have provided water and shelter and have eliminated the use of harmful chemicals in our yard. We have done this not only because we love seeing gopher tortoises, rabbits, birds, butterflies, foxes and even a bobcat in our yard. But also because we love the natural beauty of Brevard County, Florida and want to do our part to help preserve it.

If you are a property owner, you have the incredible opportunity to get a birds-eye view of the wonders of nature happening right outside your door.

Please do your part for the environment by learning how to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet.

TechnoratiTags: Hummers,Brevard,Florida,Bigfoot,creature,Missouri,myth,hurricane,Frances,sugar,plants,Walmart,yard,porch,actions,effort,wildlife,birds,owner,nature,door,environment,Take,Care,Share,Planet,hummingbirds,hummingbird,feeder,nectar,feeders

New article published

2009-06-29T13:58:00.004-04:00

Received a copy of a new magazine with one of my articles in it today. That's always a good feeling. It's an article about attracting beneficial insects and it is in the July-August 2009 issue of South Carolina Wildlife magazine.

I love writing for wildlife magazines and South Carolina Wildlife is a particular favorite!

In response to comment: “…eco style gardens are more labor extensive”

2009-06-26T12:24:00.005-04:00

Regarding a previous post about builders and environmental groups working together, Barend made these comments:

“…Those willing to investigate an eco style garden discover that the more diversity in plant material, the more flowering and perennial material; the more labor intensive the landscape becomes. They also find that by going this route they also face increased implementation cost since more material needs to be installed (more labor), drainage is more important, , more care should be given to irrigation issues, including "smart" controllers and continued maintenance could become cost prohibitive.”

Again, Barend, I think that you are proving the point of how important it is to educate the public about the benefits of environmentally friendly landscapes. The goal of an environmentally friendly landscape is to create a landscape that works WITH the site conditions, not against them. A properly installed environmentally friendly landscape requires less water and less maintenance. For more information, I suggest that you explore some of the information on this website: Take Care of Your Share

One more statistic you might find interesting. According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation, 67.8 million responders said that they participate in backyard bird and wildlife watching around their homes. As a backyard naturalist myself, I can attest to the fact that most wildlife lovers are very interested in developing wildlife friendly landscapes to help pursue their pastime.

Environmentally Friendly Landscapes - Comments by Dean Hill, ASLA, CGP

2009-06-26T11:15:00.008-04:00

I have read your origingal post and feel that the key is really in educating homeowners and builders that by incorporating environmentally friendly landscaping. can save them MONEY. By incorporating the concepts of environmentally friendly landscaping, homeowner can save money on their water, heating and cooling bills and yes, even have lower maintenance.

Rainwater harvesting, incorporating native plants, turf reduction, hardscape and building envelope shading and the use of permeable pavements are just a few ways in which homeowners can save money and be environmentally friendly . My contention has always been that there are just as many ways to go green outside as there are inside. Educating homeowners is key and the success is equating it to their wallets! Once the education process is initiated and there is interest, then a knowledgeable designer can start to explore the options of recycled materials, locally sourced materials, cradle-to-cradle materials, rain gardens, alternative energy, integrated pest management, Urban Heat Island Effect, green roofs, greywater harvesting, smart irrigation, LED outdoor lighting, propane powered lawn equipment, bioswales and much, much more.

Developers and builders are slow to learn and implement the concepts of Conservation Planning and Low Impact Development (LID), but those that do are finding great returns in a very tough market. If the process is started at the development phase then builders are more inclined to follow along. Developers need to see that these techniques can save them money, builders need realize the savings and homeowners also can be educated to the cost savings.

Here is just a small example of how homeowners can save money on their water bill:
Save money on your water bill

For more information, please feel free to check out:
http://www.greendeantv.com/

http://www.tangiblegreen.com/

https://twitter.com/greendeantv

New, extensive list of green building groups and programs, by state

2009-06-26T10:05:00.001-04:00

In an effort to help prospective home buyers and green builders find each other, I have completed an extensive new list of green building groups and programs, by state. My next step will be a page listing individual builders. If you are a green builder, feel free to go ahead and send me a link to your site and I will add you when I get the chance to work on that page.

Green Building Programs by state

Best way for environmental groups to approach builders

2009-06-25T10:56:00.005-04:00

Regarding a previous post about builders and environmental groups working together, Leslie asked this question:

“Betsy - I've been following you for a while. I'm a habitat host and ambassador in Illinois. I really like this idea of also helping green builders to use green habitat. How did you get started with builders?
Leslie
Wheaton, IL”

This is my reply:
Leslie, I first got the idea to work with builders back in 2003, while the construction industry was booming. My idea was to create a packet of information that builders could hand out to their new homeowners about how to take care of their new landscape. Because builders were so busy at that time, there was little interest in the project.

As green building programs began developing and I began researching them, I realized that some of them are very landscape focused. When I realized the local builder was showcasing their green home, I created a proposal to them to create the demonstration green home and they accepted the proposal.

My suggestion to you is to visit the National Association of Home Builder’s website, locate your local builder’s association and find out if they have a green committee. Chances are, they do. Ask them if you can give a presentation for their green committee or for the builder’s association in general. WHEN they say yes, as I am confident that they will, make sure that you are prepared to present your case about the benefits of wildlife habitat.

You can also look for local green builders in your area by checking this site: greenbuilding

Will Homebuyers Choose Environmentally Friendly Landscapes?

2009-06-25T09:12:00.004-04:00

Regarding a previous post about builders and environmental groups working together, Dan, on LinkedIn, raised a good question:

“Betsy, I enjoyed reading your post, I would imagine that the model was definitely one of a kind. I would be interested how fast it either sold or how many others purchased asked for that kind of additional landscape? We find that spending the extra on anything but a custom home for clients already in contract rarely pays off even if highly valuable. I wish more would actually see the landscape as an integral part of the residence as well.
Dan”

Here is my reply:
Dan, since this model home is in Florida, one of the hardest hit areas in the construction slowdown, I believe that this is a bad time to judge the effectiveness of ANY changes made to a home. The particular model home in my previous post did sell quickly but I do not know whether the landscape played a factor in the sale.

I can tell you that many visitors to the home, and many of the workers that helped build the home, were surprised by the visiting birds and butterflies. I believe that if we had thought of this project sooner and were able to establish some of the plants at an earlier point in the process, that we could have had much more “life in the landscape”.

I think the important thing to keep in mind here is that many people know very little about the advantages of creating an environmentally friendly landscape. Builders have long been seen as the bad guys when it comes to damaging wildlife habitat while homeowners have not understood their ability and responsibility to help minimize the effect a new home can have on the environment.

Compare landscapes, if you will, to re-usable shopping bags at the grocery store. Two years ago, no one was using them. But eventually, more and more people began to “bring their own” until eventually, in my local grocery store anyway, the re-useable bags are so common place that they are no longer the exception to the rule.

Here is an excerpt from my book, The Wildlife Habitat Journal: Restoring and Exploring Wildlife Habitat in Your Own Backyard. “We are all still in the learning stages when it comes to sharing our landscapes with wildlife. Things that we thought that we knew, such as bugs being bad and chemicals being good, need to be forgotten. New lessons need to be learned. Just as huge treeless lawns gained popularity slowly and by example, so will the yards that provide flowers and native plants for wildlife.”

Butterfly gardens are big now. Educators are teaching the joy, environmental and educational benefits of wildlife gardens in our schools. Eventually, if environmental groups and builders work together, we can make a change both to the environment and to the somewhat negative image that builders once had. At least if every builder OFFERS an environmentally friendly landscape package, they put the choice for conservation, preservation and restoration of local habitat into the hands of the new homeowner.
© 2009, Betsy S. Franz

The Life of a Nature Writer

2009-06-22T12:26:00.003-04:00

I feel like such a geek sometimes - a complete nerd - when it comes to nature. I spend my time on my property kneeling down to get eye to eye with tortoises and slugs and caterpillars.

When I am wandering around, binoculars in hand, scanning the tree tops in search of some elusive bird that I hear but can't quite see, it often makes me chuckle, thinking of what the teenage me would have thought about what a nerd the adult me has turned out to be.

I am a birdwatcher, for Heaven's sake. I have become the strange neighbor that used to live down the road telling neighbors to keep their cat out of her yard to give the wildlife a fighting chance. I am the crazy lady who stands in the middle of a heavily trafficked road playing crossing guard to a mother duck and her young. I am the one that lets a large section of my lawn grow full of weeds and calls it a native landscape and the one that calls code enforcement when someone cuts down their 100 year old, protected trees. I am everything that the teenage me would have ridiculed and shunned.

I think of all the time I spent as a super cool teenager whining about how bored I was. About how I had nothing to do. My parents would say, “Well, why don’t you just go outside.” But I was way too cool to want to go out and look at the beautiful full moon my mother wanted to show me. I was too cool to want to just pull up a lawn chair and stare at the ocean with my dad. And now, I would love to be able to do nothing but spend time in nature. It’s where I find my solace and my peace.

But all of that beautiful nature that was around when I was a child is getting harder and harder to find. The woods are few and far between. The beach is dirty and crowded. The full moon is blocked by rows and rows of multi-story buildings.

I’ve got my own little piece of Paradise. A two acre piece of land that my husband and I bought as much to protect the trees from someone else’s bulldozing as to build our own little retreat. There’s a part of me that would like to just stay at home on our property, wandering around communing with the critters like a modern-day Elly Mae Clampett. I’ve got squirrels and rabbits and birds and all sorts of other wild creatures that share this space with me. I’d never be at a loss for something new to see.

But there is something inside me that won’t let me stay outside. It’s an urgency. A feeling of dread. A sense that I have to hurry up and convince other people to stop and look at all of this nature before it’s too late.

I’m not the type of person to chain myself to a tree or storm city hall or throw paint on the furs of the fashionably chic. I’m a little too meek for that. My words are my ammunition in this fight for nature, and so I use my opposable thumbs sitting at a computer, firing off missives and essays and petitions. I create websites about the virtues of the land and how to protect it. I set up habitat help-lines to answer people’s questions.

And it’s hard work. Not the actual writing and web-page coding and research and correspondence. What’s hard is staying inside.

I have a corner office with windows on two sides. There are hummingbirds and butterflies out front and warblers and hawks and rabbits and snakes out the side and I sit here with my chin resting on the window sill thinking “I just want to go outside”.

© Betsy S. Franz. Essay previously published in Florida Wildlife Magazine as a photo essay.

Photos for your blog

2009-06-04T22:24:00.005-04:00

Photos make a huge difference in a blog entry. Life the colorful little hippie I have in the previous blog post or the lady sitting on the toilet that I used in one of my previous blogs.

A great place to get photos for your blog, or for any other purpose, is through Dreamstime.

You can purchase photos for a very reasonable price AND you can sell some of your own photos and make a little extra money.

The next time you need a great photo (you can't really beat the lady with the laptop on the John now, can you?) check out Dreamstime!

Learn to Take Care of Your Share

2009-05-15T10:27:00.000-04:00

It’s a wonderful cause to want to help save the planet.
But it isn’t just a planet of asphalt and steel and huge skyscrapers we are trying to protect. It’s the little things. The miniscule miracles. The things we sometimes forget to even notice.

So go outside! Get eye to eye with nature. For it is there, perhaps, when we get up close and personal with the birds and the butterflies and the creatures that visit our gardens and wander through our yards that we realize what it is we are trying so hard to protect.

If you are a property owner, you own a piece of the planet. Learn to Take Care of Your Share.