Tennessee Naturalist - Invertebrates

This is the forth video in my Naturalist Series and the third video of the classes that I'm taking to become a Certified Tennessee Naturalist. This class was called "The World of Invertebrates:  Pollinators, Predators, Pests and Parasitoids". The class was wonderful a very knowledgeable instructor and staff.

The class covered:

- Characteristics and life cycles of insects
- Identification of insects using keys
- Overview of other arthropods (spiders, isopods, mites, etc.)
- Methods of collecting and observing insects and other arthropods- Ecological roles of arthropods

You can watch this video here.


Links:

Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary: http://www.owlshill.org/
Tennessee Naturalist Program: http://tnnaturalist.org/

Owl's Hill 5Th Anniversary - Mack Prichard

Today marks the 5th year anniversary of Owl's Hill's Tennessee Naturalist Program. After church, our youngest DD and myself will me heading over there to hear Mack Prichard speak.


For those that live in Tennessee and don't know, Mack is our State Naturalist Emeritus, State Geologist Emeritus and was VERY instrumental in the founding of a lot of our state parks and natural areas.

This should be pretty cool!

Tennessee Naturalist Program - Volunteering (Chinese Privet and Bush Honeysuckle)

I just posted another video in my Tennessee Naturalist series. This one talks about volunteering and how to identify Chinese Privet and Bush Honeysuckle.

National Public Lands Day - Invasive Plant Clean-up, Part 2

I just got back from National Public Lands Day where I had the privilege to lead and to work along side of some amazing Scouts. It was a great morning and these guys worked very hard to clear Bush Honeysuckle and Chinese Privet from Old Fort Park.

I highly recommend these types of volunteer opportunities for those looking to give back as they are a great way to show good environmental stewardship.

National Public Lands Day - Invasive Plant Clean-up, Part 1

Well, I'm off to fulfill some volunteer hours for my Certified Tennessee Naturalist Program. I'll be leading a group of people in invasive plant removal.

Have a nice morning!

A Good Story

I understand that corn can't pollinate that far away, but it's a good story none-the less!

There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year he won the award for the best grown corn. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.

“Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”
So is with our lives... Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all...
 
-Call it power of collectivity...
-Call it a principle of success...
-Call it a law of life.
The fact is, none of us truly wins, until we all win!!

Book Finds - Peterson's Guide

With the upcoming Certified Tennessee Naturalist program that I am going to be going through, some of the tools of the trade that I am going to need including some Peterson's Guides.

While I am out at library sales and at Goodwill, I am constantly on the lookout for books that will be a good addition to my homesteading/naturalist library and ones that will benefit for me in my quest to live a self-sufficient lifestyle.

While at a library sale, I came across this book, which I was able to purchase for .50! While this book was published in 1951 and is is not the most recent edition of the guide, it is a very neat addition to the library, none-the-less!

Always stop and look through older books. You never know what you are going to find!