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

Muir Never Saw a Discontented Tree

“I never saw a discontented tree.  They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do.”  ~John Muir Took this photo last fall at Pere Marquette State Park, near Grafton, IL.  What a wonderful evening trek it was.

Halloween Hike at Castlewood

I visited Castlewood State Park, just outside of St. Louis, for a rejuvenating hike. Even though we’ve passed our peak for fall color, I brought along the camera.  And I’m glad I did!! The lighting and shadow from the half-empty canopy made photography in the forest fun. A jewel in the rubble.  An oak leaf

Falling

It’s been an interesting month, to say the least.  In short, I’m on the hunt for career opportunities in the St. Louis area.  I’ve been updating my LinkedIn profile and my resume.  I’m very interested in conservation, environmental science, sustainability consulting, environmental education, living architecture, stormwater management, and riparian zone restoration, to name a few. 

Along the Great River Road

This weekend, we ventured along the Great River Road to Pere Marquette State Park to marvel at autumn’s fireworks.  This state park is just outside of Grafton, Illinois (motorcycle heaven) near the fork of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.  We took a relaxing hike in the woods among several trees including Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum),