Reading the Land
As the crops are harvested in the fall, the land’s forms become more clear. Gentle swells and swales that were obscured by corn are suddenly prominent. If one takes the time to learn the language of the land forms, the land...
Tag: The Land Conservancy of McHenry County
TLC is Not…
When The Land Conservancy of McHenry County did a survey of members and other community stakeholders last year, one of the frustrating results was that even some people who know me personally still think TLC is something...
A warming planet affects the world’s most vulnerable most
Okay, someone has to say it, and it might as well be me. The average temperature on the planet is rising. It has been for some time. Sea levels are rising. Weather patterns are less predictable. Violent storm events are becoming...
A Drought of Words About Drought
Drought. It’s a serious problem this year, but I have been reluctant to write about it. Frankly, the images that come to my mind are not pretty.
I think of famine and pictures of small children with distended bellies...
Words of Wisdom from a very old Bur Oak
There is a bur oak at Woodstock’s Hennen Conservation Area that has come to be called “Granny” oak, in recognition of multiple generations of her progeny that are found all around her. At 49 inches in diameter, she is over...
A couple (3) haikus for our oaks
Do you remember writing haiku poems in Grade School? They are short – a classic haiku is just 17 syllables, in a three line, 5-7-5 format. In Japan, where this form of poetry originated, there is almost always a reference...