If you live in the eastern half of the United States, native Wild Columbine might be a good choice for birdscaping. The Callaway Garden planted just a couple plants three years ago. We looked for a native plant nursery to find this variety and found Naturally Native Nursery in Bowling Green, Ohio. These plants spread
Nature Principle by Richard Louv
The Nature Principle is Richard Louv’s “companion” to Last Child in the Woods and covers some parallel topics as well as delves into more reasons to connect or reconnect with nature. The Nature Principle could be considered a book to promote ending nature-deficit-disorder in adults. Louv introduces and expands on many catch phrases or buzzwords
Why Use Native Plants for Birdscaping
While plotting and planning our backyard birdscaping project, a discussion arose on whether native plants are really that important, especially when a comparable “ornamental” can be used and still enjoyed by wildlife. I have been hearing the phrase “use native plants” for at least as long as I’ve been interested in birdscaping (before I was
17-year Cicadas are for the Birds!
In 2007, the Birdfreaks went Cuckoo for Cicadas. A 17-year periodical cicada called Brood XIII emerged to the delight of bird species in northern Illinois and a few nearby states (MAP). It was amazing to see so many cicadas at once, the noise was deafening and the birds went crazy for them! We even found
Planting an Orchard
In the hopes to produce some of our own food, we decided this year we would be planting an orchard at Callaway Farm. After a ton of research, we found a place in Michigan that ships bare root trees and purchased seven fruit trees including 5 apple, one peach, and one pear. We meant to
Feral Rewilding the Land, the Sea, and Human Life
Feral Rewilding the Land the Sea and Human Life by George Monbiot centers around the idea that conservation is not enough and that a rewilding effort needs to be in place to reach goals far beyond what most conservation and restoration efforts currently are focused on. Rewilding is simple in the abstract: bring back the
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Children & Nature Network
In 2006, the Children & Nature Network was created by Richard Louv, Cheryl Charles, Martha Farrell Erickson, Martin LeBlanc, Michael Pertschuk and Amy Pertschuk. Their vision: “A world in which all children play, learn and grow with nature in their everyday lives.” The Children & Nature Network is a great resource for information about connecting
Crossley ID Guide Britain & Ireland
The Crossley Id Guide Britain & Ireland follows the unique and beloved format of other Crossley ID guides with this one of course covering birds found in Great Britain and Ireland. Most of the text is written by nature writer Dominic Couzens but is a bit overshadowed by the dizzying array of birds to be