The Popularity of Coyote Scat

I’m not entirely clear why, but searches for coyote scat are far more prevalent that I ever could have guessed.  In the last week, eight people have found my site through a search for ‘coyote scat’.  The last 30 days shows 25 hits from the same search, and 38 over the past 3 months. Does this say more about my site, or the intrigue factor of coyote scat??  Perhaps I don’t really want an answer to that question.

Since the search term ‘coyote scat’ is the second-most popular for my site recently (third for the past quarter), I feel obligated to share some scat (apologies to those with more, um, delicate sensibilities):

If you’re new to my blog (perhaps coming here after a Google search for ‘coyote scat’…) you’re probably wondering why I have coyote scat in a jar (never mind the fact that I’ve taken a photo of it).  It’s worth mentioning that I’m a naturalist, and keep a collection of scat. Yes, I did actually admit that to the world at large, but it’s helpful for some of the programs I run. You’d be surprised (or maybe not) at how fascinating people find scat.

You can also check out my post on differentiating coyote scat from a domestic dog’s. I suspect that people who are doing coyote scat searches are looking to figure out if they have coyotes living around them based on the droppings they’ve found.  If so, you might also find this article on living safely around wildlife helpful.  Still have questions about coyote scat?  Ask away in the comments (or contact me directly if you’re uncomfortable talking about scat publicly…).  Thanks for stopping by!

Wordless Wednesday: Grape Hyacinth

A Carpet of Ferns

I love ferns. No particular reason why; I just love their soft green color and delicate fronds. Wherever they’re growing – a forested area, roadside or garden – they have an old-growth look that isn’t like anything else in the natural world to my eye. Perhaps its the knowledge that they existed in the Mesozoic Era with the dinosaurs (albeit in a much larger form), or just my early memories of wandering old forests carpeted in ferns and moss as a young child.

Google Runs My Life

Resistant is futile – my electronic life is now completely run by Google.  For a little while, there was still Dropbox, and a few other areas of holdout, but it’s all over now. I’ve got my Android phone, Gmail, Goole Docs and don’t know where I’d be if I couldn’t access my Google calendar. And now there’s Google Drive – a piece of software that can be downloaded onto your PC and allows complete freedom for you to integrate the files on your hard drive with those in the Google cloud – now called Google Drive. I loved Google Docs, and this Drive thing just makes everything easier. I’m a little scared. I can organize all the files on my hard drive that I also want to keep in the cloud through Drive, and it goes with me wherever I can access my Google account.

I’ve resisted Microsoft for everything except my OS, and have had hardly anything to do with Apple. But Google? Yup – I’ve submitted. I’m really hoping that they doesn’t ever change their company motto from “Don’t be evil” or I’m f***ed.  Anyone else out there completely running on Google?

 

 

Climate Impacts Day – Event Review

Our event for Climate Impacts Day on Saturday (5/5/12) was small, but successful. Cindy Haynes of C. C. Blooms, who so generously allowed us to gather at her shop, was home sick, and we were bummed not to have her with us.  But we were joined by Coyote (2nd from right) who is backpacking along the east coast, and walked to Lunenburg from Groton, MA specifically to attend the event.  And later in the afternoon Jay Weiner (far right) stopped by to make some connections with our programs and share some local opportunities that we hope to be involved with in the future .  The lovely Claudette isn’t pictured (because she took the picture, and was adamant about not having her photo taken), but was instrumental in the success of our little gathering in many ways.

Our focus on Saturday was the effect several severe storms have had in central Massachusetts over the past 4 years. Locally, we still talk about the ’08 ice storm that left many residents without power for nearly 2 weeks. And Hurricane Irene and the October Snowstorm of 2011 left widespread damage that will remain noticeable for some time to come.  We chatted with a few folks who stopped by the store, and shared stories of how our lives have been impacted by the increasingly erratic weather.

If you’d like more information about how climate change will continue to affect the weather (and the world), visit 350.org,  the ClimateDots.org website and download this Severe Storm fact sheet to help inform others.  And please take some time to visit ClimateDots.org, and view some of the amazing – and heart-wrenching – photos that were taken around the world on 5/5/12.  This is real. This is now. Severe weather threatens everyone. No one will be exempt from the damages of climate change caused by humans.

Although this doesn’t fall into my traditional Nature Notes activities, I’m including it for this week  seeing as I was spending time outdoors, educating folks about the connections between human actions and the effects on our natural world.  Rachel Carson said something to the effect of never being able to be at peace in nature if she didn’t speak up against the atrocities committed against our Earth. I couldn’t agree more.