"The wildlife is so tame," said several people on my recent trip to the Galapagos Islands, and the point seems inarguable as a brown pelican landed next to me on the beach. The exotic blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca boobies were oblivious to our tour of their home. Snorkeling in the off-shore waters floated us next … Continue reading Galapagos: Garden or Wild Place?
Mr. Cook Goes to Washington
I believe that natural places have the power to heal our dis-ease with life and to restore our perspective on what really matters. Places are why I started this blog. Recently I found myself in a strange, disorienting place: Washington DC. And rather than walking a pine-needle path, I was wearing out my shoes on the … Continue reading Mr. Cook Goes to Washington
Three Things Anyone–including you–Can Do to Help the Environment
David BrowerSomedays I feel like the task is too great, the struggle too demanding. A report about new--or decades old--toxins in the air and water; the count of 180 invasive species in the Great Lakes; the latest disturbing data on a warming planet; or just one more patch of litter along my favorite river; all … Continue reading Three Things Anyone–including you–Can Do to Help the Environment
Biking Through Nature, Past and Present: The Natchez Trace
Like plants and animals which adapt to their environment over time, how we travel has also evolved in response to changing circumstances. I recently learned this first-hand on a spring bike trip in Mississippi.The Natchez Trace is an ancient route that angles northeast from the lower Mississippi River to the rich farmlands of central … Continue reading Biking Through Nature, Past and Present: The Natchez Trace
The Sandhill Cranes of Nebraska
Some places have a signature animal species that defines a particular natural environment. For me, they include the alligators of the Okefenokee, the wolves of Isle Royale, and the Kirtland's Warbler of the Au Sable Plains. Ever since youthful trips across the Great Plains in the spring, I have also associated the Sandhill Cranes with … Continue reading The Sandhill Cranes of Nebraska
Winter Solstice and the Anthropocene
Life moves in cycles, and on December 21 we mark the turning of a very big cycle, the Winter Solstice. Light, which has been lessening, will now begin gathering and the mechanism that powers life will bring us, eventually, back to a spring of new growth. As I try and reason through the profound phenomenon … Continue reading Winter Solstice and the Anthropocene
Five Truths Found in Nature
On September 11 this year, I got up early, walked to the beach and watched a great black-backed gull in the surf. After breakfast, I got on a bicycle and rode off into a fog so wet that I needed raingear. Later, the sun prevailed and I spent a glorious day immersed in nature, fully aware … Continue reading Five Truths Found in Nature
Paying it Forward with the Kirtland’s Warbler
When it comes to nature, how can we pay it forward? You know the concept: someone does a good deed for you, or pays off your debt, and you reciprocate by extending your generosity and good will to the next person in line. But hasn't nature also done us many a good deed? And don't … Continue reading Paying it Forward with the Kirtland’s Warbler
Wind Power from the Thumb
On the same day the United Nation's issued another report detailing the dangers of climate change, I visited one of the many places in Michigan where people are trying to figure out how to generate electricity while avoiding damage to our environment. I found no panacea, but came away hopeful. As with many challenges we face, … Continue reading Wind Power from the Thumb
Tracks, Trails, and the Value of Nature
Get outside! This winter has been long, cold, and stormy, but rather than admit defeat I headed to the Upper Peninsula for a few days of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. And while making my own tracks, I discovered the tracks of the others who enjoy the outdoors, both animal and human. Following a trail got … Continue reading Tracks, Trails, and the Value of Nature