Connecting-with-Nature - What's New

Keep up-to-date with new pages and interesting tidbits at Connecting-with-Nature.net.

For environment and ecology news see ""In the News"

Jun 30, 2008, The Best of Backyard Habitat is Now on DVD

Watch the Best of Backyard Habitat on dvd and learn how to attract animals to your garden.

Jun 19, 2008, Best Books and Equipment for Nature Study

The Best books and equipment on nature for naturalists everywhere.

Jun 19, 2008, Summer Begins - June 20th

June 20th, is the Summer Solstice. The summer season officially begins with the sun at its highest point in the sky.

Jun 10, 2008, Plants Database is now live!

I am very happy to tell you, the new Plants Database is now live on Connecting-with-Nature.net.

It is a collection of plants that attract birds, butterflies and other animals to your garden or balcony.

A new plant or two will be added each week.

I am really excited about this.

Donna

Jun 10, 2008, Thursday, June 19, 2008 is The Third Annual "Dump the Pump Day"

"The day is dedicated to raising awareness that riding public transportation helps improve the environment and conserves fuel. It also offers the opportunity for people to beat the high price of gasoline and support public transportation as an important travel option that helps reduce our dependence on foreign oil as well as reducing the amount of harmful greenhouse gases that are emitted into our environment."

Jun 10, 2008, Saturday is National Get Outdoors Day

National Get Outdoors Day is Saturday, June 14, 2008.

"National Get Outdoors Day is an outgrowth of the Get Outdoors USA! campaign, which encourages Americans, especially our youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace our parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters."

To celebrate I will be at my local Wildflower Reserve learning how to propagate native plants.

Go to your state's Natural Resource Department's website to learn more.

Follow the link to Pennsylvania's National Get Outdoors Day celebrations.

Jun 10, 2008, Considered about eating sustainable seafood?

I eat very little red meat (I have a weakness for bacon). I eat mostly fish and shellfish. I keep a Seafood Watch guide in my wallet. It's useful when food shopping at the supermarket or in a restaurant.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has provided handy online Seafood Watch Guides for all regions of the U.S.

If you would like a handy Seafood Watch guide it is a available as a download-able page, a pocket-sized guide or as a file for your mobile device, follow the link above.

These guides give the latest sustainable seafood choices available for different regions of the U.S. It lists those fish and seafood species which are abundant, well managed or fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.

The lists tell you what seafood to avoid and which are over fished and or fished or farmed in ways that harm marine life or the environment.

If you are traveling to another region, you can print one out for your destination.

May 21, 2008, Summer Plants for Attracting Hummingbirds

This list of summer plants are great for attracting hummingbirds to gardens in eastern North America.

May 5, 2008, Spring Blooming Nectar Flowers to Attract Hummingbirds

Spring blooming nectar flowers will draw early arriving hummingbirds to your garden, habitat or balcony. Here is a list of plants.

Apr 30, 2008, Spring Blossoms Photos from Around Philadelphia

I like taking spring blossom photos around the Philadelphia area. Beautiful flowers are so welcome now.

Apr 20, 2008, Lyrids Meteor Shower is April 22nd

April 22nd is the peak day of the Lyrids Meteor Shower.

The moon's phase is a waning gibbous and viewing prospects are poor. The large bright moon will reflect too much light to see the meteors (shooting stars) clearly.

Apr 20, 2008, Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22

Happy Earth Day! Do you have any special plans? The Earth Day network has news, events and information to help us care for our beautiful planet. I usually attend festivities at my alma mater but the Pennsylvania primary is also Tuesday and I will be waiting in line to vote.

Apr 15, 2008, Hummingbird Migration Dates

These hummingbird migration dates will help you to know when to put out your nectar feeders.

Apr 15, 2008, Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

This hummingbird nectar recipe is easy to make. It attracts hummers to your backyard.

Apr 15, 2008, Hummingbirds

Hmingbirds are unique birds. And it not hard to attract them your garden.

Apr 14, 2008, National Environmental Education Week

National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is the largest organized environmental education event in the United States. It increases the educational impact of Earth Day by creating a full week of educational preparation, learning, and activities in K-12 classrooms, nature centers, zoos, museums, and aquariums. (from the website)

This is a good source of nature activities for teachers, homeschooolers and moms and dads who enjoy teaching their children about the natural world.

The week runs from April 13th through the 18th.

Apr 10, 2008, Hummingbird Migration

Hummingbird migration takes place in the spring and fall in North America. Understanding it helps us to attract the birds to our gardens.

Apr 10, 2008, Hummingbird Migration Map

If you are a hummingbird watcher, www.hummingbird.net provides a map filled in by volunteers. Volunteers input when hummingbirds are first sighted around North America. This can be useful when deciding when to put out your nectar feeders.

Mar 19, 2008, Spring Begins Marcvh 20th

Spring begins in the northern hemisphere at 1:28 am est.

Check out the Nature in Spring page to gear up for a season of birth and renewal.

Feb 9, 2008, Animal Signs

This list of animal signs can be used with children or as nature journal prompts

Feb 9, 2008, Winter Scavenger Hunt

This winter scavenger hunt is fun for children and adults. It can also be used as nature journal prompts.

Feb 4, 2008, How to Attract Birds to Your Yard

To attract birds to your garden is pretty easy. And you don't need too much special equipment.

Feb 4, 2008, Set Out Your Birdhouses!

The breeding season seems to have begun here in the Delaware Valley.

It is a good idea to set up your birdhouses before March 1. Birds looking for nesting sites, just might chose your move in condition nest box.

Remember to check out the building nest structures pdf.

Jan 31, 2008, A Nature in Winter Book List

Winter is mysterious. These books provide informtion on winter ecology, so your nature study continues.

Jan 30, 2008, Monthly Nature Calendar for 2008

Special dates for 2008

Jan 30, 2008, Animal Field Guides

Animal field guides provide basic information on many of the animals we see in our neighborhoods.

Jan 30, 2008, Foxes

Foxes are agile animals. They live close to us even though we rarely see them.

Jan 30, 2008, Red Fox

The red fox often lives in the cemetries, rail yards and woods of our neighborhoods.

Jan 30, 2008, Gray Fox

The gray fox ranges thtoughout North America.

Jan 23, 2008, Nature Journaling with Kids

Nature journaling with kids is fun and easy with a little planning. Here are some ideas to help.

Jan 20, 2008, The Amateur Naturalist

Being an amateur naturalist is simply learning to not just see but observe. Begin here.

Jan 20, 2008, Keeping a nature journal

Here’s how to get started keeping a nature journal. Read on to learn the basics along with a full page of nature journal prompts.

Jan 16, 2008, Delaware Valley Nature Workshops

There are many Delaware Valley nature workhops around. Here is a list for great places to check out.

Jan 16, 2008, Nature Workshop Resources

Taking a nature workshop can help your understanding of nature and ecology grow by leaps and bounds. Here are some places to take workshops.

Jan 15, 2008, Grinnell Format for Keeping a Nature Journal

Use the Grinnell Format to improve your nature journal note-taking.

Jan 15, 2008, Catalog the specimens you collect

Keeping a catalog of the specimens you collect is a good why to expand your nature knowledge.

Jan 15, 2008, Using a Species Account

A species account is helpful in learning about plants and animals. A good companion to a nature journal.

Jan 15, 2008, Using a Field Notebook

A field notebook holds your observations for your nature journal.

Jan 15, 2008, A Field Journal Using the Grinnell System

The Field Journal is a important to keeping good nature notes for your nature journal.

Jan 15, 2008, The Grinnell System for Keeping Nature Journals

The Grinnell System is the one professional field naturalists use. It is improve your knowledge about nature.