Next to birds and flowers, I probably pay closest attention to butterflies and moths. These are fascinating creatures with winged scales (which is reflected in the name of their order, Lepidoptera, or lepidopterans, from Greek lepis, meaning “scale,” and pteros, meaning “wing”). An estimated 180,000 lepidopteran species exist on this planet which is a formidable … Continue reading Beauteous Butterflies
On this day it is good to remind ourselves of how truly special a home planet we live on, how totally and thoroughly we are dependent on Mother Earth who daily showers us with myriad gifts. When I saw our first pasqueflowers of the season only this past week, with the buds and flowers emerging … Continue reading Earth Day 2024
In last week’s post about Sanora Babb’s remarkable memoir, An Owl on Every Post, the Great Plains play a central role. Today I want to talk more about Chico Basin Ranch, my very own favorite place on the plains not too far from Colorado Springs, which straddles both El Paso County, my home county, and … Continue reading Paradise Lost?
As I will never be in a position elevated enough to snap a “blue marble” photo of our gem of a planet from space, the closest I can ever get is to take images through the window of a commercial airplane cruising at an altitude that ranges between 33,000 and 42,000 feet (10.000 to 12.800 … Continue reading Today is Earth Day
Some of you will remember how gobsmacked I was by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. When I learned that she had written an earlier book, I ordered Gathering Moss from one of our local independent bookstores, first read it in December, and just finished delving into it for the second time. Gathering Moss is as … Continue reading Gathering Moss
tanja britton 