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!

Forest March in February

The truck rumbled and rattled and crackled along the gravel road back to the park office;  I was sitting in the bed, relaxing in the open air.  The cool air  and the speed of the truck felt brisk, though it was fortunately offset by the pleasant warmth and radiance of the sunny day.  The truck

Butterfly along Vertical Prairie

This little guy was hanging out on a green retaining wall planted with Missouri natives.

Desaturated Prairie

Here’s the last photo from my visit to Shaw Nature Reserve last weekend. Another prairie plant I’m unfamiliar with.  I suppose that makes it easier for me to mess with the saturation/contrast of the original then… The original. Let me know if you’re familiar with this plant species, genus, or family.

More Prairie, More Fall Color

One more photo from our trail walk at Shaw Nature Reserve on Prairie Day. I almost NEVER edit my photos beyond the occasional crop and resize.  The first photo, however, I thought Looked pretty good.  Here are both.  

Fall Bloomer in the Prairie

This was also in the prairie at Shaw Nature Reserve along with the Gentian (See previous entry).  It appears to be Slender False Foxglove (Agalinis tenuifolia), formerly known as Gerardia tenuifolia.  It is a beautiful native, late-season annual.

Prairie Gentian

Today was Prairie Day at Shaw Nature Reserve.  I learned how to use an atlatl, saw many cool exhibits, ate a bison burger, and took a walk through the prairie with the camera.   While the brutal drought is still evident throughout the region, the recent rains seem to be aiding in the fall bloom

Summer Day Hike at Shaw Nature Reserve

With a lull in the hot weather, we took a day hike today out at Shaw Nature Reserve.  Things looked crispy and dried up.  But, all things considered, the natives seem to be surviving.  Anywho, here are a few photos of our outing. Beautiful seed pods.  This is Baptisia, though the exact species may be False

Living Wall Prezi

I recently experimented with the innovative presentation tool called Prezi.  This is an amazing way to visualize presentations, get the bigger picture, and allow for a less linear look.  This is a presentation I made last week outlining the basics about living walls “Introduction to Living Walls” Let me know what you think.  If the

Getting ‘Sustainably’ Involved in Saint Louis

I like St. Louis, although it’s not my hometown.  I did not grow up here.  I can’t answer ‘the high school question‘ with a name St. Louis natives can readily recognize.  In the name of graduate school at SIUE (studying Environmental Sciences, living walls, green roofs, etc.),  I left my home in southwest Missouri and