When people envision the “west” a lot of images come to mind: mountains, cowboys, large landscapes. Tallgrass prairies are not often on that list. Mention Kansas and people glaze over or remember it as a place to “drive through” or “fly over”. So, for William Least Heat-Moon to construct a 600+ page book centered on
Continue reading Review of PrairyErth by William Least Heat-Moon
Bison Union Co. is a western brand that sells hats, t-shirts, and an appeal to what makes America great. They also sell coffee which I’ll get to plus some other goods: mugs, patches and even boots to name a few. Their apparel is largely bison themed as you’d expect. Yet many hats feature emblematic animals
Continue reading Bison Union Company – Modern Frontier Apparel & Coffee
Coffee and birding go together like bacon and more bacon. Birds and Beans Coffee is the only brand of coffee that solely sells organic, shade-grown, and Bird Certified® coffee. Bird Friendly® coffee is coffee that comes from family farms in Latin America that provide good, forest-like habitat for birds. Rather than being grown on farms
“Plant trees.” That is the Morton family motto, spearheaded by J. Sterling Morton who started Arbor Day in 1872. His son, Joy, established Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois in 1922. Since then, the arboretum has grown to 1,700 acres and a much-needed outdoor space for one of the most populous areas of the country.
Continue reading The Morton Arboretum – Living Museum of Trees and Much More
My love for prairies runs deep, much like the roots of the interesting plants that make up the prairie ecosystem. Growing up in the “Land of Lincoln”, it took awhile to realize that Illinois had another noble nickname: the Prairie State. Historically, around two-thirds of Illinois was prairie. Today, it is difficult to find prairies
Continue reading American Prairie Reserve – Montana’s Best Kept Secret
There is no denying, I am a dog person. I have always been drawn to dogs and have felt a deep, perhaps you could call it spiritual, connection towards canines. Thus, it is easy to feel that same connection towards wolves and coyotes. But it goes beyond the human-dog relationship. Undomesticated “dogs” play a critical
There are many famous names in the history of conservation. But there are also some not-so-famous ones, especially outside the United States. Nature’s Allies: Eight Conservationists Who Changed Our World highlights eight major players in conservation. Some are exceptionally well-known: Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, John Muir. Others you may never heard of before. John Muir
Continue reading Nature’s Allies – Eight Conservationists Who Changed the World
The National Park Service officially began with the passing of the Organic Act of 1916. After 100 years, and 400 plus “units”, the park service remains as one of the nation’s best source of recreation and natural ecosystem protection. But what do we have to look forward for the next 100 years? The National Park
