Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I recently had the thrill of participating in a moth survey, thanks to my friends Blaine Rothauser of GZA Geoenvironmental, Inc. and Dennis Briede of Blairstown, NJ, whose meadow at the base of the Kittatinny Mountains harbors and nurtures abu

Hello fellow lovers of all things green, As I write, to my delight, it’s the morning after a porch camp. Our run of excessive heat and humidity has dampened enthusiasm for sleeping on the futon on the screen porch in recent weeks. I adore the sounds of nature during each camp an

Hello fellow lovers of all things green, I had the pleasure of meeting Carol Decker at her Garden Party and Art Show, co-hosted by Fran’s (Delgado) Farmhouse Kitchen, to benefit Birth Haven in Newton, NJ, which provides shelter and support for homeless pregnant women and girls.

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Last week, we discussed how disease and insects are impacting stands of trees. Among them, the emerald ash borer has devastated native ash trees, which comprise roughly ten percent of the forests here in Northern New Jersey. Some specimen tree

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Dragonflies are fascinating creatures with an unusual lifecycle and folklore to match. Plus, they benefit our gardens by controlling pests—a perfect unfolding. A few weeks ago, I shared a story about the Preservation of the Paulinskill River a

Hello, Fellow Readers, These are nutty times. Far nuttier than usual in my neck of the woods. The Shagbark Hickory nuts are overabundant and golf ball and size, so much so that walking amongst them is risky for ankle stability. It’s called masting when there’s an excess of

Hello, fellow readers, I always enjoy hiking along the Appalachian Trail with a longtime friend from Boonton, NJ. While meandering the rocky terrain peppered with hemlock and Spruce, Barbara asked why some trees remain evergreen and others don’t. Good question. Let’s ask t

Hello fellow readers, Over the almost eleven years of our column chats, I’ve often accessed the wisdom of Dennis Briede from Blairstown, NJ, who I refer to as my birder buddy, although he’s knowledgeable (I’d say expert, but he never boasts) on plants and wildlife an

Hello, fellow readers, There is wisdom in the rhythm of the water. Water is everywhere, including as vapor in our atmosphere and the cells of all living things. During a deep freeze like the one we recently enjoyed, some say endured, ice crystals decorated our storm windows like etchi

Hello fellow readers, My neighbor Bill ate his volleyball – a Giant Puffball Mushroom, that is. I have a volleyball, too, that I’ve been monitoring in amazement, but eating it didn’t occur to me. But it turns out they are delicious. Giant Puffball Mushrooms are one o