I Love my Garden!

I know I haven't written much lately, but my excuse is spending most of my free time canning and freezing (and eating!) the bounty of beans, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage, and onions growing in my garden.

It's really turned out to be fun! I love just walking through the garden every day and watching things grow. Going produce shopping in the backyard is pretty amazing too!

I also love to see the variety of life when I walk through. By not using any chemicals and maintaining a healthy growing environment, all kinds of living things feel welcome. Yesterday I spotted this little green frog sitting on a pepper.

My garden is also host to...

• big fat earthworms that aerate and fertilize the soil
• frogs, toads and wasps that prey on bugs
• wildflowers that attract bees and other pollinators

Sure, I occasionally have not so welcome guests stop by, like the hoard of Japanese Beetles that descended on the pole beans, or the bunny that (so far) only nibbles on a few low hanging beans. We are maintaining a balance with hand removal and deterrents like spraying with compost tea (or dog hair in the case of the bunny) and keeping the pesky critters under control.

Without chemicals, and not too much labor, the small plot produces more delicious healthy food than we can eat, and I also get the pleasure of watching the wildlife that make my garden their home!

Summer Foraging- Wild Fruits

This year I've harvested and made jam and other delicious treats from juneberries, mulberries, and cherries. I have plans for crabapples, wild plum, elderberries, chokeberries, and all other berries and fruits I can find at work, at home, and in wild areas where I live.

Go Wild!
Foraging for wild fruit is a fun, inexpensive way to have fresh fruit. Most freeze well or make wonderful preserves for year round enjoyment of seasonal fruits.

• Wild Fruit Jam Recipes

But Be Careful...
Most people can identify a raspberry or blackberry, but many other fruits are a little more difficult, and may look similar to other plants with poisonous fruits. Before you go foraging, learn how to identify the plants (and similar looking dangerous plants) and refresh your memory each year. If you are just starting out, it's best to go with someone who can identify the plants. Be careful picking fruits near roadways. Pollutants like heavy metals, may be found in fruit growing along highways.

• 'Foraging for Berries, the Special on Nature’s Produce Aisle' - NYTimes.com

It's Mulberry Time!

I just picked my first bowl of mulberries from the tree in my backyard. I have ambitions to make jam with them, but I can't pick enough before the bloodthirsty mosquitoes drive me out. I may have to resort to the old 'shaking' method.

Back in the day, when it was mulberry time my siblings and I would take an old bed sheet and some ice cream buckets, and walk down the fence line in the fields near our house. There were several big mulberry trees that were covered in the juicy black fruits. My brother would climb the tree and shake the branches, and the tree would rain berries onto the sheet that my sister and I held below. We would fill buckets and eat handfuls on the way home. While we scrubbed our purple hands, mom would make jam and syrup from the mulberries. Our favorite treat was fresh mulberries on vanilla ice cream. We still enjoy mulberry time in summer, but now my brother has a special pole and tarp to collect enough mulberries to make wine.

When I bought my house, there were several mulberry trees growing in the yard. They are considered a weed tree around here, and most were removed along with the buckthorn and other weeds. Somehow, one tiny tree in the back corner escaped the chainsaw. It is now almost ten feet tall and covered in berries. The birds and I share the fruit. Nostalgia has kept it alive this far, but it will have to convince the less nostalgic of my household by producing some delicious berry treats. I guess I better put on some more bug spray, find a tarp, and go shake the tree...

How to use mulberries: This sweet fruit can be used in any berry recipe, and they also mix well with other fruit.

• 12 recipes from justberryrecipes.com
• Sweet-Hot Mulberry Jam
• Wild Jams And Jellies: Delicious Recipes Using 75 Wild Edibles
• Mulberry Crisp (this one was so good it had people licking their bowls and fighting over seconds, I used a bit less sugar in the filling though, the mulberries are sweet already)
  

The Fisher- Wildlife Encounters in the North Woods

It was a hot muggy day in June when I braved mosquitoes, ticks, deep woods and swamp to see a fisher den.

It was the weekend of our annual 'Sibling Retreat' at our family cabin in the north woods of Wisconsin. On a hike with his dog the day before, my brother spotted the den and the mother fisher with three babies. When he told the tail, the rest of us were intrigued. It's not often you see a this extremely shy and solitary animal, let alone four of them and a den. We followed him through the deep woods equipped with camera and bug spray to catch a glimpse of these interesting creatures.

The first time I saw a fisher I didn't even know what I was looking at. We were driving down the road (in that same area) when we saw a big brown animal in the road. It was too big to be a cat, too small to be a dog or bear, and shaped like a weasel. It ran into the woods as we got closer, but when we stopped to look closer it charged out at us and tried to attack the tires! We thought it could be a marten, but the locals said it was most likely a fisher, a very aggressive predator, similar in appearance but larger (4-15 lbs and 29-47 inches in length) than the marten.

The den was a hole in the top of a tall hollow tree deep in a quiet part of the forest. The mother fisher was not around but we could see three pairs of eyes looking down at us. The babies look like a combination of bear cub and kitten. Cute, I thought, until I spied the leg of a fawn hanging from the tree and the rest of the unfortunate prey strewn about the swampy ground. A creepy sight, but somewhat rare, fisher usually prey on small mammals and some ground birds. We didn't stay long, the mosquitoes swarm if you stop moving, but I did get a couple shots of the young ones. The fisher's dark brown pelt is prized for fur, and the species has ridden a population roller coaster in this country, as trapping regulations have changed. It is proving to be an adaptable species, and they are now finding a way to survive in suburban areas as the preferred habitat (deep old woods with high canopy cover) is lost to logging and development. There have been reports of fisher in surburban backyards and attacks on stray cats and dogs and some domestic pets.
More info...

Fast Food Industry Hurts Southern Forests

Southern forests of North America, the most threatened forests in the US, supply 60% of US paper (15% of global). Over 30% of native Southeastern plant communities have become endangered.

Fast food restaurants are leaders in consumption of paper products and contribute to waste in landfills and litter on roadsides.

The Dogwood Alliance, formed to increase awareness of the problems that Southern forests face. Their new campaign No Free Refills targets food packaging in the fast food industry.

To reduce their impact on the environment, the Dogwood Alliance suggests Fast Food Retailers

• reducing packaging
• use 100% post-consumer recycled boxboard
• not use paper from endangered forests or industrial pine plantations
• recycle waste
  

Examples of Progress:
Americans use 15 billion disposable hot beverage cups every year.
Starbucks now uses 10 percent recycled post-consumer cup (instead of non-recycled paper). This will save 11,000 tons of wood and 47 million gallons of water.

A Touch of the News

• As of Feb. 17, 2009 my television will not work when the US switches to digital. Darn. Millions of people will have to buy new television sets or adapters to replace older sets, or (gasp!) not be able to watch tv in every room of their house!

• Scientists are working on more effective and longer lasting alternatives to DEET, now that they have figured out how the chemical works to repel insects.

• Mats made of human hair and oyster mushrooms can be used to clean up oil spills.

• The Guerrilla Gardening Movement is planting gardens on the sly in public areas. They even use seed bombs!

• A promising biofuel made with algae and saltwater could power existing cars in the next five years.

The Scent of Spring: Lily-of-the-Valley

A previous owner of my house planted Lily-of-the-Valley around the house, and now is the time of year when this small plant gets noticed. With the windows open, the sharp sweet scent wafts in. Working outside I suddenly stop when I walk through the area.

Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis)
A small spreading plant that was introduced from Europe, with nodding bell-shaped white flowers with scalloped edges. Flowers are waxy tepals (fused petals and sepals).

I am always curious to know how flowers are pollinated and why they look (and smell) the way they do. The sweet scent of the Lily of the Valley attracts bees and flies, which find a reward of nectar up inside the tiny white bells. Bees also collect the pollen. Every now and then I see little red fruits, but it was interesting to find out they are usually sterile. Since it spreads by rhizomes, the plants are all clones.

I also found out that all parts of the plant are toxic (as I'm rubbing a flower I picked all over my face). Lily of the Valley is used by the perfume and pharmaceutical industries.

Convallaria comes from the Latin convallis meaning "a valley", and majalis means 'in May' referring to the flowers.

Other common names include Our Lady's tears (tears Mary shed at the cross turned to Lilies of the Valley), May Lily, May Bells, Lily Constancy, and Ladder-to-Heaven.

A Touch of the News

• Palm oil: Good for us but bad for environment? Production leads to deforestation in Southeast Asia, which increases greenhouse gases and threatens orangutan habitat.

• Due to 'budget cuts', the USDA is eliminating the program to collect and share data on pesticide use and risk. The program was already scaled back in 2007 to only track pesticide on cotton, apples and organic apples. Many environmental groups and industry groups are speaking out against the move. Except for Monsanto. Curious...

• 'Women’s Voices for the Earth' promotes safer household cleaners by throwing make-your-own cleaning supplies parties.

• What's in your microbiome? Scientists are learning more about the colonies of good bacteria that live in and on our bodies. Did you know that your bacterial cells outnumber your human cells by 10 to 1?

My Backyard Birds: Northern Flicker

For reasons unknown, this year I am really noticing birds. I don’t know why I didn’t see them before, but now I see them everywhere. I am making an effort to get to know them, starting with the ones that visit my yard. I would like to know their names, where they came from, what they eat, and the things they do for us that we probably don’t realize.

A Feeding Flicker
This spring I was throwing some sticks on the brush pile in the back yard when I noticed the most striking bird feeding on the ground. She paused to look at me and then continued jabbing at the ground. I ran to grab my camera and capture this unusual sight. It was a female Northern Flicker, and she was feeding on ants in my lawn.

Ant-Eating Woodpeckers
Flickers are a type of woodpecker, different in that they spend some time feeding on the ground. Like woodpeckers, they can be heard rapping on dead trees. They have a long tongue that curls inside its skull until needed to shoot out and catch ants (three inches past their beak!). They eat more ants than other birds, and a single Flicker was found with 5,000 ants in its stomach. Flickers also eat other insects, fruits, and acorns, as well as suet, raisins and apples at feeders in cold months.

Flicker Markings
The Flicker was a larger bird (about 12” long) of light brown color with a red crescent on the back of her neck, and a black ‘bib’ on her chest with black spots underneath. Males (and young) have a noticeable black ‘mustache’. In flight, the Flicker has a white rump, until it lands and virtually vanishes against the bark of a tree.

Welcoming Flickers
Flickers used to be more common in backyards, but declined after people began killing their prey with lawn pesticides. As more and more people practice natural gardening and lawn care, Flickers are finding our yards a more welcoming habitat.

I like to think the female Flicker would enjoy nesting in my yard (I even left some dead parts of trees for her!), but I haven’t seen her around in a while. Hopefully she wasn’t too put off by my staring at her with my big zoom lens. It was amazing to witness her feeding in my lawn, and I’m glad for the opportunity to watch such a beautiful bird in action.

Female Flicker © 2008 Rachel Logterman

Eating Weeds? A Garlic Mustard Recipe

It's about that time when the weeds start growing faster than the garden plants. Weeding is a necessary chore in the garden, but why throw all your hard work away? Many people don't realize that some weeds are actually edible.

Garlic Mustard
This highly invasive weed was brought here from Europe as a culinary herb. The leaves have spicy somewhat bitter flavor with a hint of garlic. Not many animals eat it, and with it's numerous seeds, it spreads like mad. Garlic Mustard is a big problem for our woodlands; it shades out native wildflowers and quickly destroys the native habitat.

Now is a great time to remove these weeds before seeds form. As long as you're pulling them out, why not put the weed to use? Garlic Mustard leaves can be used as you would greens, or it can be used in pesto. I found this recipe and decided to try it. It turned out really good, and fresh!

Pasta with Garlic Mustard Pesto (modified from this Grist post)

1 clove garlic
2 cups (washed) garlic mustard leaves
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp pine nuts (optional)
3 T of grated Parmesan Cheese (not the powdered stuff in the can)
1/2 cup of olive oil

Use a food processor (or mortar and pestle) and grind the garlic, garlic mustard leaves, salt, cheese, and pine nuts until smooth. Add olive oil until you get the right texture.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup or so of the cooking water in the pan to thin the pesto. Toss pasta and pesto. Sprinkle some more Parmesan on top for garnish.

I added cooked garbanzo beans for some protein, but you could add chicken or shrimp, or eat as it is.

Other Weeds for the Dinner Table:

• Purslane: I have tried this Vitamin C rich weed, and will have to share my Purslane Potato Salad later this year (it's at it's peak in July around here).

• Dandelion: I keep meaning to pick some young leaves to throw in a salad, and I have yet to try the unopened flower buds and the tender spring roots as vegetables, but I hear they are pretty tasty. Maybe some good recipes will get me motivated?

Caution: Always be careful when eating wild foods, be sure you know what you are eating, and try only a little at first to make sure you are not allergic. Be sure you know they were not sprayed with any herbicides.

Happy International Migratory Bird Day!

The second Saturday each May, International Migratory Bird Day is celebrated to bring awareness to migratory birds and their habitats.

From WI DNR:“International Migratory Bird Day is a time to reflect on the beauty and joy neotropical migrant birds bring us,” said Sumner Matteson, an avian ecologist with the Department of Natural Resources. “These long-distance migrants, especially the warblers and other colorful songbirds, are the crown jewels of the bird world.”

He noted the arrival of these birds from places as far away as Central and South America reminds us that not only do they have to contend with the rigors of flying long distances but with hazards such as the proliferation of tall structures such as cell towers, wind turbines and TV towers, and with dwindling or fragmented stop-over habitats along the way to their breeding grounds.

(Yellow Rumped Warbler © 2008 Rachel Logterman)

Photo Tour of Devil's Lake in Spring

Click here to view this photo book.

(After clicking above, click Full Screen on the top right to make bigger)

If you would like to purchase prints, email me and I will add to my Outdoor Adventures Gallery.

Sustainable Living Challenge

This blog is a record of my journey to add a little bit of 'the way it used to be' to my modern life. I want to get back to when we, didn't spend so much money we don't have on things we don't need. Back when we went outside, knew our neighbors and saw more wildlife. Back to shopping on main street, and eating real nutritious food.

Sustainable Living Challenge
This year, my sister Sarah and I have been working on (and just now getting organized) our personal plans to become more sustainable. We will be reporting our progress in our newsletter Handcrafts & All Things Green. Sign up for updates there by entering your email in the top left corner (be sure to watch for an email confirmation in your inbox!).

Basic Goals of the Sustainable Living Challenge:

1. Be Healthy
2. Maintain an Efficient and Sustainable Home
3. Benefit the Environment
4. Save Money
5. Support Community
6. Live a Simple & Enjoyable Life
7. Encourage and Inspire others

We made goals based on our different situations, but we challenge you to come up with your own Sustainable Living Challenge. Feel free to add comments or email us anytime.

Super Suet Recipe for Backyard Birds

My boyfriend's coworker gave us a sample of this suet with the recipe. She gives them as Christmas gifts. I have it in the freezer right now until winter, but I can't wait to try it out! My birds are going to love it!

Super Suet
Created by Judy Benner
Made by Kathy Feucht

1 cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 cup Lard (No Substitutes!)
2 cup Quick Oats
1 cup flour
2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar

Melt peanut butter and lard in the microwave or double boiler on low. Stir in remaining ingredients and put into square freezer containers. Keep in the fridge or freezer until needed.
Makes 6-8 suet cakes, fits most suet holders (or you can make your own with recycled onion bags)

Suet cakes are a high-energy food and will attract many different types of birds.

Northern Flicker © 2008 Rachel Logterman

New Word of the Day: Biobigotry

I learned a new word today- biobigotry:

"the persistent and often irrational desire to be surrounded only by those species of which one approves, and to exclude any animals, plants and other life forms that one finds offensive."

According to the article Noble Eagles, Nasty Pigeons, Biased Humans from the New York Times, biobigotry is

"...the dislike we direct toward creatures that live outdoors and generally mind their own business, but that behave in ways we find rude, irritating, selfish or contemptible."

Squirrels, starlings, sparrows, weeds...
We spend so much time cursing the 'evil' plants and animals, when forgetting that we were the ones that created the environment that they find so attractive. We degrade the habitats for the plants and animals we do like.

Rabbits and deer are problems because we yank and spray every offensive weed that they would actually prefer to eat over our ornamental plants. The species that are pests are either exotic with no natural enemy, or have adapted to human altered habitats.

More to Come...
I will be exploring this subject in depth after I read the newest book in my collection- “Bringing Nature Home-How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens” by Doug Tallamy, chairman of the department of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware.

Tallamy was interviewed in this New York Times article 'To Feed the Birds, First Feed the Bugs' on what he and his wife are doing for wild things on their own 10 acres.

Curious Cardinal © 2008 Rachel Logterman

My Favorite Sunsets

Click here to view this photo book.

Get Out There!

In Americans Spending Less Time in Nature a biologist at University of Illinois releases trends from data gathered on outdoor activities. He found that over the last decade, the percentage of Americans that fish, camp, visit parks, or take part in other nature-based activities has declined at a little over 1% each year (With the exception of hunting which has stayed the same, and backpacking which has risen slightly).

While people who do participate in those outdoor activities may say 'Good, more peace and quiet for me out there', it can have an affect on the future of our natural spaces. People who do not visit the parks or other natural places might be less likely to protect or support them. Without funding and support, our public natural spaces may cease to be.

So what are you waiting for? There are probably many natural areas near you that you don't even realize are there. Check out your state's DNR website and explore the possibilities.

Maybe you would really love to do more outdoor activities, but don't have anyone to do them with and don't want to go alone. I was feeling the same way, until I met someone who loves the outdoors as much if not more than I do, who was also member of a local camping/hiking group through Meetup.com. This is a great place to find people in your area with your interests.

Now you have no more excuses (cold doesn't count either, see Winter Camping), so Get Out There!

FYI- The USDA Forest Service's national campaign “Get Outdoors” (launched this February) is trying to encourage children to explore our national forests, learn about healthy outdoor exercise, and learn more about the natural world.

Trip to Glacier Park- MT

I know, it took me a while to put this together! In August of 2007 I was fortunate to go on a trip to Montana and see and hike the amazing trails at Glacier National Park in Montana. Here is my photojournal from this amazing trip. (Click below and then hit Full Screen to see it a little closer up)

Click here to view this photo book.

Winter Camping

2007 was a year of many firsts for me, one of which was camping in November. I survived a 20 degree night with a good tent, hot water bottles, lots of layers of clothing, and piles of wool blankets. With a Christmas present of a pair of really nice snowshoes(Atlas Women's Snowshoe), and some simply glorious winter snowshoe outings with the dogs, now I am being encouraged to try real winter camping. I had been thinking more and more about it when I ran across this article. I love how the author captures the magic of the outdoors in winter.

Camping Under a Mantle of Snow
By Dave Caldwell, Published New York Times: January 4, 2008

"The great outdoors beckons, even in the dead of winter.

Yes, it is colder, windier. But the air is crisper, the views clearer, the animal tracks easier to see. And that blanket of snow on the ground and the glaze of ice on bare tree branches transform the woods. Here is the best part, though, hikers, skiers and snowshoers say: the abundance of blissful winter solitude."

While this article refers to areas in the Northeast US that are good for winter activities, it also has a link to a site that offers winter camping tips, including safety tips and packing lists.

For more in-depth info on winter camping, I'm told 'Bills Winter Camping' website is the best.

My first published article!

Chicagoland Gardening magazine published my article and pictures (written with the help of my boss, Mary) in their January/February 2008 issue. The article is under the Chicagoland Natives Section, and titled 'Native Plants to Attract Wildlife'. It is about trees and shrubs you can use in your landscape that are beneficial to wildlife, especially birds.