To Worry No More - or Less

In December its easy to see
Hawks and waxwings
Flying from tree to leafless tree,
Olive, orange and rust against the gray.
And I worry they may lack
Berries and mice in such fresh, cold air.

Turning, as dry leaves stir
I remember
Who will draw curtains against the chill
Who will land this night in linen and lofty down
To worry no more - or less,
And who will tuck heads beneath a wing
And in the dawn seek well with keen eyes
Their daily fare

End of Otter Creek Park - Update

I received a reply from Metro Parks to a letter of concern I had written this morning and discovered that Louisville is in discussions with the state of Kentucky about converting Otter Creek Park into a wildlife management area. While this is not the ideal solution, it is far better than turning 2,600 acres of parkland into subdivisions with a view. I'm going to keep up with the issue but for now, please read this from the online Courier-Journal.

The End of Otter Creek?

Have you heard that Louisville will be closing Otter Creek Park? It's true. I heard on NPR this morning that it could be opened to commercial development. Meade County Judge Executive Harry Craycroft says , "his government could take over the park, if it’s opened to commercial interests."

We must rail against this failure to look past the end of our nose! This is what people do when times get tough. We exploit what is precious to gain temporary relief. If the economy worsens will Jefferson Forest be next? I understand the necessity of budget cuts. I understand that services at Otter Creek may need to be curtailed. But to open the park for commercial development is short sighted and simply wrong. There are both environmental and cultural heritage reasons for opposing the commercialization of Otter Creek Park.

There are numerous options for the thousands of acres at Otter Creek Park that would not destroy it. Please become informed about the issue and encourage the Mayor and your city council members to look for conservation options before selling out to developers.

Start at: http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/parks/ottercreek/FAQ_closure.htm
and: http://www.wfpl.org/CMS/?p=2822

Thanks for allowing me to rant in this space.

A New Post from an Old Writer

Hello Nature Writers!

I am delighted by the election of Barack Obama! How far we've come as a nation and oh, how challenged we are. I, like many, have high hopes but it is necessary to temper hope and be realistic. The honeymoon will be a short one as the people will demand the impossible but I believe, none the less, we have picked a winner.
In his book "The Audacity of Hope" he inspired me when he said, "If we aren't willing to pay a price for our values, if we aren't willing to make some sacrifices in order to realize them, then we should ask ourselves whether we truly believe in them at all." For me, conservation of nature and encouraging a resilient and sustainable community are values that rank with peace, justice and human rights.
Because of war, the financial crisis and the energy crisis we may think the environment is far down on the priority list. It is not. Environmental issues are embedded in almost all issues. It will be important to watch the trade offs and compromises carefully in the first hundred days. If nature is getting short shrift, on her behalf I will be compelled by my values to make myself heard. I must say that I have greater confidence in Barack's ears than those of the man currently in power :-)

Out of the Unknown

Part of the fun of tuning in to nature is the learning. With my memory it's especially rewarding because I get to learn the same things over and over again. Tavia's Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher was a new one for me. I'm now wondering if the little gray bird with white tail stripes that I saw from a distance the other day might have been a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher instead of a Slate Colored Junco like I assumed at the time. I'll never know but next time I'll look a little more closely before jumping to conclusions. I remember thinking at the time, "Haven't the Junco's left yet?"

The picture posted here was named "UnknownRedShrubFlower" in my pics folder until I stumbled upon it while browsing The Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants - Eastern/Central. The picture in the guide slapped me "upside the head." Because it's such a distinctive flower I knew it was a match. The unknown shrub has been transformed in my mind to Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpurious). I've seen this plant before, I think, but never took time to look it up. The picture here was taken last fall at Floyd's Fork Park in Jefferson County KY right along the creek. Hailed by it's exotic shape and brilliant red/scarlet foliage, flowers and berries I was compelled to stop the car and snap off a couple of pictures. I looked in the rear view mirror first, of course.

It turns out the plant is considered to have numerous medicinal uses and the fruit, seeds and bark are considered poisonous. I have to laugh. A beautiful unknown plant now has a personality. Not only is the personality bestowed with a history of herbal medicine, it has an absolutely intriguing name. Why in the world would it be called Wahoo? Could it be for it's tonic, laxative and diuretic properties? Perhaps, but I won't to jump to conclusions.

new spring morning

the orchestra tunes
no pushing the snooze this dawn
the birds are back!

rhetorical question

how many branches
can we cut off the life tree
before it falls down?