by Sharon Ernst | Mar 14, 2025 | Nature Notes
It’s mid-March and the annual bird migration has begun. Around here, the robins returned in February, and I thought I saw a turkey vulture. As the weeks go by, I will hear plenty of different types of birdsong in the woods, letting me know the seasonal residents have...
by Sharon Ernst | Jan 18, 2025 | Musings
Jimmy Carter’s passing has me remembering my environmental awakening in the 1970s—and the disillusionment that has been holding me back…until now. The Lightbulb Award The country was in an oil crisis and the President asked people to save energy. Turning...
by Sharon Ernst | Dec 4, 2024 | Nature Notes, Starting a Farm
We had a lot of rain and the pond that is the cornerstone of the wetland restoration project filled up…and overflowed. But I guess that’s the nature of a wetland! (You can see a video of the pond full of water here.) To be honest, it is shocking to see how...
by Sharon Ernst | Oct 29, 2024 | Starting a Farm
We have a huge project happening on our 22 acres: a wetland restoration project. And not just any wetland restoration, but the first for our conservation district. So it’s a big deal for them too. This has been a year in the making, although all we’ve had...
by Sharon Ernst | Sep 27, 2024 | Nature Notes
We quit mowing our chicken yard, and boy, has that been hard for me to get used to! It looks like crap! I’m trying to get used to the new look, because there’s a reason we quit mowing. Ever since reading “Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to...
