Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica Brilliant drops of blue sky with wispy white clouds. All atop a native perennial, sky at my fingertips. The best billboards for pollinator passersby.

Nature and Beauty are Bread for the Soul

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” – John Muir Photo taken a few days ago in Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, Missouri.  Get out and enjoy Autumn before the wind and cold sweep away all the

Creeping into Autumn

I took this picture a couple weeks ago as the local Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) population began changing into its vibrant red garb.  Thank you, Nature!!! Virginia Creeper often gets mistaken for Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), but is 5-leaved, whereas the Poison Ivy is 3-leaved.  Both are native to this area, but I’d highly recommend

Hitched to Nature, Hitched to the Universe

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” ~John Muir One of my favorite quotes…it not only inspires my continued appreciation for the natural world, but it also clarifies my thoughts on Sustainability. *I took this photo at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit,

Bluebell Blooms Bring Back Spring

When I see Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), I know that, despite the calendar date, Spring has truly arrived! Delicate new blooms Ephemeral spring beauty Look down. Don’t miss it!

Fire: Prescription for Life

Fires, floods, fallen trees, All appears lost, all looks dead, Yet life rekindles!   I took a 4-mile hike yesterday with some friends along Pickle Creek in Hawn State Park, near Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.  Spring is finally springing, though I’ve yet to see many spring ephemerals popping up yet.  Can’t wait for the bluebells (see

Winter Hiking: A Great Idea!

Just after Christmas, I took some friends on a day hike south of St. Louis, Missouri.  Winter hikes are the best…no ticks or mosquitoes!  And the weather this day was particularly pleasant. We visited Hickory Canyons Natural Area, in Ste Genevieve County, which features box canyons and sandstone cliffs.  During the right winter conditions, icicles

Finch Food

Summer Setting, a photo by mostendorf1 on Flickr. Took this a couple weeks ago at Shaw Nature Reserve. This is Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), a native prairie flower that is popular in area landscaping.  This is one of those flowers that traditional landscapers/gardeners are really beginning to embrace.  That’s good! because as Coneflower ripens, it

Blazing Star Visitor

Blazing Star Visited, a photo by mostendorf1 on Flickr. I actually took this photo back in July, and the Blazing Star (probably Liatris pycnostrachya) has pretty much gone to seed at this point. Nonetheless, I just wanted to share this with you.This field of Blazing Star inhabited really rocky soils, leftovers from a lead/zinc mining

Echinacea Visitor

Echinacea Visitor, a photo by mostendorf1 on Flickr. No worries. I haven’t stopped taking pictures of nature and I haven’t stopped advocating for environmental sustainability. Anywho, I continue to take advantage of the natural areas and native landscaping at Shaw Nature Reserve.This is a Pearl Crescent Butterfly on a Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).