November has brought us beautiful fall colors, mass bird migration, and even a beaver moon. It’s been eventful to say the least! As we hunker down and prepare for the festivities that November also brings, let’s remember to give thanks for not only friends and family, but for nature and all that it has to offer. Remember that it’s waiting for you just outside your door, so make the best of it!
The color of fall
If you find yourself out on a short hike through a park or walk around the neighborhood, try to live in the moment and experience something in nature as simple as it may be. Take a minute to stop and breathe in the cool, crisp air. Listen to the crinkly oak leaves blowing in the wind and the trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes bugling overhead. Touch the smooth white bark of a birch or the pointy tip of an acorn. It doesn’t take much to feel connected with nature and you’ll be surprised (or maybe not) with how calming it can be.
American coot
My family and I recently took a trip out to Cherokee Marsh to get outside and connect with nature. Even though there are no flowers in bloom or bees buzzing around, nature is still just as busy as ever. While looking out over the marsh, at first glance it looked like a painting of water with brown vegetation scattered throughout. After sitting for a minute or two, the painting came to life!
American coots (pictured above) began to peak out from behind the cattails. Tiny wakes trailing behind muskrats rippled on the water’s surface. Two bald eagles soared above the marsh and were promptly chased away by noisy crows. If we hadn’t sat and observed for just a few minutes, we would have missed all of that!
Autumn meadowhawk
As we began to head out from the overlook, we were amazed to see two dragonflies on one of the boardwalk planks. In the summer there are so many dragonflies that it can be easy to slowly stop noticing them. However, when the weather starts to get cold and all the insects seem to vanish, seeing just two dragonflies becomes a noteworthy observation! It turns out these are Autumn meadowhawks and as their name implies, it’s not uncommon to see them flying around in November.
Green elf cup
During a time of year when everything seems to be various shades of gold, copper, and brown it’s quite magical when you stumble across something bright blue on a log! At first, I thought it was fake. The photo above of the green elf cup fungus doesn’t quite do the color justice. I looked up the fungus and it turns out that green elf cup (despite being blue) is common to see this time of year and often stains the logs blue. In fact, the fungus-stained logs (“spalted wood”) are highly valued by woodworkers who use the colored wood to create beautiful works of art. You learn something every day!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this month’s nature update and however you decide to spend the holidays, I hope you’re able to get outside at least once and make a new or long-lost connection with nature!
P.S. Give a year-end gift to Groundswell today! Thank you for helping to protect special places and connect others with nature.