Category: Trip report
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The Show
Watching huge flocks of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky, amid a cacophony of honking, is a little like standing inside a snow globe. ~Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snow_goose/lifehistory When I saw this quote, I said, yup, they nailed it. On almost any day from mid-December through early February, you have a good chance… Read more…
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Spectacle
I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. ~John Burroughs It has been a great winter of experiences in nature. I have had the pleasure of sharing many special sights and sounds with a number of special people, as well as having moments of solitude in… Read more…
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Changing Weather
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin My group last weekend certainly experienced most of these types of weather, something not that uncommon on an eastern North Carolina winter outing. I always… Read more…
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December Scenes
If we can somehow retain places where we can always sense the mystery of the unknown, our lives will be richer. ~Sigurd F. Olson Wildlife refuges, parks, open spaces – these are the special places I love. And we are lucky here in North Carolina to have an incredible variety of public lands to enjoy.… Read more…
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Learning by Experience
The feeling of respect for all species will help us recognize the noblest nature in ourselves. ~Thich Nhat Hanh Last Saturday I had the pleasure of sharing two of my favorite places with an enthusiastic group of NC State students in the Leopold Wildlife Club. I was asked if I would accompany them on a… Read more…
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Boneyard and Butterflies
Discovering this idyllic place, we find ourselves filled with a yearning to linger here, where time stands still and beauty overwhelms. ~Anonymous Another report on my recent trip to the South Carolina Lowcountry…after looking for dolphins on the boat charter and enjoying some of the fine dining to be found in Charleston, it was off… Read more…
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Lounging in the Lowcountry
I have heard it said that an inoculation to the sights and smells of the Carolina lowcountry is an almost irreversible antidote to the charms of other landscapes. ~Pat Conroy I recently made a leisurely trip to the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Lowcountry generally refers to the lands along the coast from Charleston to the… Read more…
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To the Sea
Salmon abound in great quantities at certain seasons of the year, when the water in every direction seems to be filled with them… ~James Alden, U.S. Coast Survey, 1853, describing the waters around San Juan Island After camping and hiking in Olympic National Park, the next leg of the journey was by ferry, to San… Read more…
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A Park Made for Hiking
Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. ~John Muir I just returned from a wonderful trip to the Pacific Northwest where I had two main goals – visit Olympic National Park, and try to see Orca Whales. The first part of the trip was to the… Read more…
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Growing Up Green
Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises. ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca Just finished a very wet weekend with a wonderful family from the Netherlands down at Pocosin Lakes and Alligator River National Wildlife refuges. Since it was raining most of Friday afternoon, I didn’t even take… Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 