Author: Melissa Dowland
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A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies
On many trips I’ve led, especially ones where we see large groups of wildlife, someone asks about the collective noun for whatever species we’re observing. Whether it’s a romp of otters or a symphony of swans, it’s always fun to look that up and/or make it up (because “symphony” is not the legit collective noun… Read more…
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A Monarch Pilgrimage
Each breaking wave, each rush of the sea on the slope of sand, reminds me why these places of pilgrimage matter. They matter to me because in the long view, I do not.~Terry Tempest Williams In mid-January, I had the privilege to take 12 exceptional North Carolina educators to Mexico. We had two primary goals:… Read more…
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Across the Plains… Again!
Caminente, son tus huellasel camino y nada más;Caminente, no hoy caminose hace camino el andar.Al andar se hace el camino,y al volver la vista atrásse ve la senda que nuncase ha de volver a pisar.Caminent, no hay caminosino estelas en la mar. Traveler, your footprintsare the only road, nothing else.Traveler, there is no road;you make… Read more…
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Plants, People, Privilege?
soft-soled sneakers step through messy mud, slip on stained stepping stones, dealing death-blows to decades of root work, rhizomes, winter rosettes of limp leaves no longer lifelike, lingering bereft, half-buried, burdened by compaction and lack of traction and human tracks from soft-soled sneakers, sealed over brown feet, belonging to bodies of brown men marching mindless of… Read more…
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Truck Camping 101
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be. ~Douglas Adams Melissa and Mike’s top ten tips (plus) for camping in your truck… Don’t run your truck through a mud hole that tops the hood on the first day. And if you… Read more…
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Flower Parts: The Iris’ Have It
In the Spring a fuller crimson comes upon the robin’s breast;In the Spring the wanton lapwing gets himself another crest; In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish’d dove;In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. ~Alfred, Lord Tennyson I’ve been meaning to take a look at this… Read more…
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Jack… or Jill… in the Pulpit?
The Lord chose to reveal his power and his love through two human faces: the face of his divine Son made man and the face of a creature, a woman, Mary. Women make their contribution to the Church in a way that is properly theirs, by making present the tender strength of Mary, the Mother…… Read more…
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Plant Parts Part 3: Wild Columbine
Ephemeral Delicate, perfumed phlox;A mist of columbine, clinging to earth;Phoebe’s gravelly voice,Titmouse — tender, sweet;A dogwood cloud hover aboveVibrant, fresh leaves. FleetingFalling flowers, already spent;A garden, no longer my own. A spring, a garden, will come again;At home in the hope, the beauty. Bittersweetand fast-fading. Always returning! Mike has shared some of my poetry on… Read more…
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Flower Parts Part 2: Our State Flower
Whereas, the Dogwood is a radiantly beautiful flower which grows abundantly in all parts of the State; and Whereas, there is a great demand from all parts of the State that this Legislature adopt an official flower; Now, therefore, The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact: That the Dogwood be, and it is hereby,… Read more…
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Whether you want to or not… Parts of a Flower
When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. I want them to see it whether they want to or not. ~Georgia O’Keeffe So far this spring, I’ve had to cancel workshops that I was planning… Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 