Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification: Plants (May 6-8)

Our "Plants Class" family on a trail walk in GSMNP

I know I've mentioned this program in a previous post, but I just wanted to give some of you a little more information on the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program(SANCP). This certification program is a series of 8 x 2 1/2 day classes which are taken at the Tremont Institute in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.(Here is the link for more specifics on the classes. http://www.gsmit.org/sancp.)
Upon completion of the program graduates receive a certificate from the University of Tennessee, documenting the 100+ hours of study and class time dedicated to earning the certificate....so that is the background.

With the completion of the Plants class this past weekend, I am now halfway through the program, and my goal is to have 7 of the 8 classes completed by the end of this calendar year. Over the course of the weekend, we keyed trees, group-guided some wildflower walks with some impromptu interpretation, discussed "fern sex"(which is fascinating) and just generally learned a lot about the "green wall out there." Learning in a place like the Smokies can feel daunting, as a result of its bio-diversity....but you just have to keep everything in perspective. You can't learn everything in a weekend, but each class covers a different subject area and provides a great base of knowledge from which to grow. Though some of the weekends have been pretty intense, with a lot of material is packed into a short amount of time, I can honestly say that I can't think of too many other ways I would rather spend my free time(okay I'd rather be fly-fishing, but that is about it).  The quality of instruction is top-notch as the staff of the Tremont Institute and local experts come to help instruct and guide each class. It is really a unique experience to truly immerse yourself in learning about such a wonderfully unique and bio-diverse area.  If you are within driving distance of the Smokies, and have the interest,  I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend checking out this program. It is really pretty special and I can't wait to get down there in July for 2 more classes!

With Thankfulness and Appreciation....Greg (J.A.A.N.)

Celebrating Accidental Naturalists.....Everywhere!

     As I've been writing this blog over the last few months, I've come to the realization (based on some of my traffic stats for the site...thanks Google!) that the name of my blog coincides with other blogs and websites out there, written by others who also consider themselves Accidental Naturalists.
   
     As a result, I have decided to change the name of my blog from "The Accidental Naturalist"(since I realize that this can sound presumptive to some) to "Just Another Accidental Naturalist."(fireworks are exploding, confetti is flying, spotlights are beaming....well maybe just in my mind.)

At first,  I kind of liked the name "The Accidental Naturalist" because that is what I consider myself and I honestly thought this made me unique. What I've come to realize is that it doesn't matter whether I or someone else consider himself/herself THE Accidental Naturalist, I think the wonderful thing is that there are many people out there who have discovered and re-kindled their passion for the natural world and want to share that with others in a variety of different ways. I've realized that there are many Accidental Naturalists and we're all just ordinary people who desire to learn more, and even better, who want to share that knowledge with others..AND we may have never expected to be doing this as a career, hobby or whatever.  It is really inspiring and invigorating for me to know that there are many other people out there who are at various points of their naturalist journey. So let's celebrate some of the other accidental naturalists out there:

Maria Mudd Ruth (http://mariaruthbooks.blogspot.com/), an environmental educator and author from Olympis, WA. Maria...you are well ahead of me...starting out as a writer:) I will definitely be checking out some of your books as they sound wonderful.

Stefan Milkowski (http://northernflux.blogspot.com/2007/04/accidental-naturalist.html) , a freelance reporter in Alaska, studying and writing about how climate change is affecting the Last Frontier. If I am ever in Alaska Stefan, I am going to track you down so we can slay some trout together.






Mareth,  who describes herself as "a tour guide, kayaker and sporadic Alaskan" in her blog. http://notesfromanaccidentalnaturalist.blogspot.com/
I've not done much kayaking Mareth, but if I make my way up to the 49th state, my family and I will give you a call.

You see, I am quite certain many of us  never told our parents that we were going to be "naturalists" when we grow up (maybe a lucky few out there did).....but it in the end, it is the path that has pulled-in many of us.  I'm sure that many of you never dreamed that this is the direction that your life might take, but then you open your eyes to those experiences in life that truly stir your soul: fly-fishing in a cool mountain stream and marveling at a mountain sunset that turns rocks wonderful shades of blue and gray and violet...or the sight of a doe and her fawns moving quietly and effortlessly through the leaf litter of an eastern forest....or the sight of a child just looking at something "common" like an acorn or a "sweetgum ball" with complete fascination.  It is in these moments that I have been inspired to learn more about the world around me and to share it with others. It's why I have chosen to become a naturalist....even if accidentally!

Cheers to all of the Accidental Naturalists out there!(did you hear the cork pop...or at least the twist off cap of a bottle of Alaskan Amber?)

With Thankfulness and Appreciation...Greg (Just Another Accidental Naturalist)

"Time Away" and New Discoveries

Sorry all that I've been remiss in my blogging duties recently.  Life kind of "took over" during the last 2 weeks, with some travel to Pennsylvania for the Easter weekend and mad studying happening as I finished up my final exams this semester at school. Of course all of this came up right after my last post where I lauded myself for my dedication to getting out to my sit spot regularly for 3 weeks. Oh well...you just have to keep moving forward right.  A few interesting things have occurred since my last post.

My family and I traveled to my parents' house in eastern PA over the Easter holiday weekend.  It was really interesting to me going back since I had more consistently started my sit spot routine. I took a few walks in the woods behind their house over the course of the weekend and it was as if I was truly seeing those woods for the first time.  I mean....they were always there while I was growing up, and as kids we spent a significant time trapsing around in them, but this was the first time that I notice the "ginormous" tuliptree(which I now know is part of the Magnolia family, Magnoliaceae) in my parent backyard and the variety of oaks, including several chinkapins.  

The really cool thing was that I saw how similar those woods are to many of the areas that I've explored in my current neighborhood in the Cincinnati area. It was a neat experience to feel like I've actually begun to "know" more about these woods, even though I had spent more time there as a youngster.  I guess that is part of the power and enlightenment of the sit spot experience. Not only do you gain a strong connection for that place where you spend a lot of time...you begin to see new things and notice details about other places you've been a thousand times.

Sat April 30th - I did manage to get out to my spot over the weekend and was able to spend a good 90 mins or so exploring. It was a bit odd, as I had not been there for about a week and a half and it felt as if I had not been there for a year and a half. So much seemed to have taken place in just a very short time. In the time since my last visit, most of the trees went from just "budding out" with their spring flowers to having fully developed, vibrant green leaves bursting from their branches.  I had never really noticed before how quickly that spring awakening really takes place....it was neat to see that. Also, I had a few good bird experiences that day too. 

 First...I saw one of my usual robins, which was nice as I settled back into my spot.  I watched him for about 5 minutes foraging, but then all of a sudden he alarmed and flew off.  I was a bit disappointed that he flew away and I began to question whether it was something that I did, when an older gentleman and his large black dog appeared from around the corner, walking along a trail.  It was just like JY often cites in his "Advanced Bird Language" CD, how the most common ground birds are such great signals of activity. It was neat to see that happen.

Also, shortly after I settled into my spot I say 2 hawks circling high above my spot and I watched them for a few minutes making the rounds ans scanning the forest below.  I tried to follow them the best I could with my binos, but the soon disappeared from my sight. I have seen these 2 hawks(I think they are Cooper's hawks, but not entirely sure) on several different occasions at the park, hunting together and putting on shows of aerial acrobatics straight out of a dogfight seen in Top Gun(am I dating myself now?) The really cool thing happened about 30 mins later when I had decided to try to follow a bird call that I did not recognize(likely some sort of warbler passing through the neighborhood was my guess) and I stumbled onto some trails I had never explored before.  On this trail, I found a new section of the creek to explore and I discovered some really interesting buckeye trees along the creek bank.  When I was emerging from the wooded trail, I saw the "hawk couple" come flying through the trees over me and land on a tree branch about 30 feet above me.  It was really neat to see them, as I have not really had a chance to see the hawks just sitting in a tree. I got a decent look at them through my binos and was amazed by the size of these hawks.  They were communicating quite a bit and it seemed to me that they were definitely in hunting mode.  During this time, I did notice that the woods got very, very quiet....with really no bird-calling taking place, except for a red-bellied woodpecker off in the distance.(I need to see if woodpeckers are a part of a hawk's diet or not.) 

Well that is my update, and I promise to do a better job over the next few days/weeks getting a post out.  I have really missed my sit-spot time and have definitely felt the impact at work, so I need to get back into the routine.  I will have to start next week though, as I am headed to the Tremont Institute at GSMNP for a "Plants" class, the fourth class of eight in the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification program.  This is the first time that my wife and daughter are going to head down with me.  While I am in class, they'll actually be enjoying doing a little hiking in the park. Hopefully, we will get down there early enough on Friday for me to get a little bit of "trout-slaying" in with my trusty 3-weight fly rod.

With Thankfulness and Appreciation....Greg(a.k.a the Accidental Naturalist)

Sit Spot Day 21 - Pure Gratitude

Day 21 - I have to say I am pretty darn proud of myself for getting out to my spot almost every day since the start of the Wilderness Awareness School's "30 Day Sit Spot Challenge.(http://kamana.org/lessons/articles/30-day-sit-spot-challenge/)

I was initially excited by the idea of starting the sit spot routine and the 30-Day Challenge gave me a good reason to try it out.  The sit spot is THE core routine of the Kamana Naturalist program and it has quickly become an essential part of my day.  In my 37 years, I have NEVER been a morning person....but I've rarely missed an early morning sit in the past 3 weeks.  For me, it has become a necessary part of starting the day off with a clear and present mind.  On his new CD's "Reclaiming Our Natural Connection," Jon Young talks a lot about our need for a little bit of timelessness in our day.  Can you remember the last time you just spent some time NOT worrying about time. We've allowed ourselves to become so over-scheduled and time sensitive, that we rarely give ourselves even 15 minutes to just relax and let our brains get some downtime. We just move from event to event, squeezing more and more activity into each day. In the past, the only time I've really allowed myself timelessness has been done while sitting in front of the TV; but in those cases I also typically had my laptop open and my mind was rarely present in the moment. That was not downtime for me at all and I never felt anything regenerative as a result of this. What I have enjoyed most about the "sit spot" routine is that it has given me permission to have that regenerative time and has allowed me to see things I've never seen. I guess that is what JY means when he says that you "need to lose your mind to come to your senses." If you are reading this and have never tried doing a sit spot or just giving yourself some timelessness each day, I HIGHLY recommend it.

My "sit" today was a short stroll through the forest on my way into work. I spent most of the time trying to avoid big mudholes along the trail.  The most enjoyable part of my walk was the sight of a robin, sitting in a tree facing the morning sun, just singing his heart out.  I felt compelled to stop and just soak in the moment as the sun bounced off of his "orange" breast,  while he belted out his song with such enthusiasm and vigor. I am certain that all life in the area has had to hunker down over the past few nights,  as the thunderstorms have rolled through, so it was almost as if this bird was singing his "thanks" to the sun for the warmth it was providing him. I was just thankful for the few quiet moments I took aside the trail to enjoy such a simple and wonderful display of pure gratitude.

With Thankfulness and Appreciation...Greg(a.k.a The Accidental Naturalist)

Sit Spot Day 20 - More Flooding and My Maple Seat

My Flooded Creek-Crossing Site

Day 20 - Overnight, we again had severe thunderstorms as a large system has been moving across the US and dumping lots of precipitation on us. We had to have a bit of a family slumber party last night, since the thunderstorm/tornado warning alarms began going off around 12:30AM...which woke up our daughter. We spent the next few hours subsurface in our "rec room" keeping an eye on the news and catching up on some new episodes of "Deadliest Catch."(Anyways...I digress).

I had to find an alternate route into my spot this AM as a result of the rains and flooding that occurred in the park.  I typically cross the creek on a few rocks, but since they were submerged by the fast-moving "chocolate water," I had to find an alternate route.  This were quiet this AM, with only a few robin and cardinal sightings. 

My Maple - L side for dry days, R side for damp days

I do think this would be a good opportunity to introduce you to my comfy sit spot seat.  It is a very flexible little spot leaning up against the maple tree....I sit on the left side on dry days and when it is wet(like this AM), I sit my "keester" on the root on the right side to keep off the ground. It works out well.  

I moved around the area quite a bit this AM to assess how bad the area had flooded.  I noticed how saturated the mossy areas on the hill were and lamented the fact that several trees got blown over during the storm.  Oh well...I guess that is all part of it and the reason why I have been coming day after day...to see the changes that happen over the course of days, months and years. Any morning spent at my spot us a good morning, wet or dry.

With Thankfulness & Appreciation...Greg (a.k.a The Accidental Naturalist)

Oh...by the way...on my way to my car, I had to snap a picture of the flooded beach volleyball court.  As I snapped the picture, a city parks employee called over to me "Volleyball by canoe!!!", which made me chuckle.

"VOLLEYBALL BY CANOE!"

Day 19: Thunderstorms & a Soggy Sit

                                                                                          G. LaFata
My daughter's favorite swingset...drowning in 6" of water

Day 19 - To say the park was a little soggy this AM would be a severe understatement.  We had some serious thunderstorms in the area overnight and the rain, thunder and lightening continued into the morning.  I decided I would still head out, since the rain was fairly light.

As I got into my spot, I spooked one of the robins out of the brush pile right next to my spot. I froze as the bird flew away and I was disappointed in myself for alarming it. In addition to scaring the robin off, I also caught sight of a hopping white tail headed for the brush....the little rabbit took off as soon as he heard the robin. I still have plenty more opportunity to grow my awareness I guess.

As I settled in, I was curious to see how the storm and the weather would affect the birds and their behavior.  Honestly, I did not see anything out of the ordinary from what I have been normally observing.  The birds were active and sang through the rain and thunder.  As a matter of fact, they did not seem bothered at all by the storm.  As I spent about 45 mins there, the weather began to get worse, so I decided to call it a day.  I got to spend some time with my robin friends, who landed on a branch above me and checked me out. I always enjoy when they "stop by." Hopefully I won't scare anyone out there tomorrow.

With Thankfulness and Appreciation...Greg (a.k.a. The Accidental Naturalist)

Day 18 - An Evening Stroll

Wood Thrush - I am pretty certain this was what I saw.

Day 18 - Unfortunately, I just couldn't make it out on Monday morning...and I have to say I paid for it at work, as I didn't feel like my mind was in the the right place all morning.  I've truly become accustomed to nourishing my mind and body with quiet solitude in the morning and not having it was difficult. I knew I would have to get out in the afternoon on my way home...which I did, thankfully. Since there was a lot of activity with nicer weather arriving, I decided to take a stroll on a northerly trail headed away from my spot and thought I might look for some birds.  As I strolled, I caught the motion of a bird in the shrubs off to my left.  At first I assumed it was a robin, but I decided to take a closer look with my binoculars. To my surprise, it was not a robin and in fact was a bird I had never seen before.  I never really got a great look since the bird was doing a good job of "hiding in the shrubs, but I did my best to capture the bird in my mind's eye for later research. It was generally brown on top but had spots down it's whitish breast. (When I returned home, I dug into my Sibley's Field Guide and my best guess is that it was a Wood Thrush...but I'm still not sure....another mystery to look forward to.) Either way, the bird was beautful and its camouflage was very effective.) I enjoyed my stroll and met a very nice gentleman on the trail who was walking his dogs.  He stopped and chatted with me for about 20 minutes about the area, hawks in the park and just general small-talk.  He's lived here all his life (he is 57) so it was fun to just listen to someone talk about the area and raising a family here. I look forward to bumping into him and his 2 bichons again. After our short chat, I finished up my stroll...but took the opportunity to watch a Red-Bellied Woodpecker enjoying his work on my way out of the forest.

With Thankfulness and Appreciation...Greg (a.k.a. The Accidental Naturalist)

Day 17: Family Fun in the Sun (and Wind)

                                                                                         G. LaFata
"My Spot"

Sorry it's taken me a few days to post folks! I am certain a few of you have been waiting on the edge of your seat for my posts. Thought I'd share some pics, since I've spoken so much about my spot, but haven't shared any of my own pics up until this point.

Sit Spot Day 17 - Sunday was a glorious day in the neighborhood.  The weather was perfect...it was in the high 70's/low 80's with a consistent W/SWerly wind.  Since I'd been feeling a bit guilty about spending time alone at my spot, my wife and I decided to make my sit on this day a "family-outing"....well sort of.  My wife and daughter played at the park, as I went down to my favorite maple tree and enjoyed a bit of time enjoying the view. We decided that I could get my 45 mins in, and then we would all get together for a picnic lunch and some kite flying(since the wind was ideal). Not too much to report other than several hawk sightings over the course of the 3 hours my family and I spent in the park.  I brought my camera on this day and for some reason I was drawn to take a lot of pictures.  I thought it would be nice to begin to share with you all some real photos of "my home away from home."  Here are some pics of the robins, wildflowers, budding trees, and my family just enjoying the weather...I think I'll let the pictures do the talking for this day.

With Thankfulness and Appreciation....Greg (a.k.a The Accidental Naturalist)

                                                                                                                 G. LaFata
My "custom maple backrest"- with flowers atop

                                                                                                                  G. LaFata
The neighborhood robins foraging

                                                                                                                  G. LaFata
Simple, but still beautiful in its simplicity

                                                                                                                    G. LaFata
Flowering maples along the creek

                                                                                                                   G. LaFata
My daughter discovering acorn tops("involucres")

                                                                                                                   G. LaFata
....and also learning about the power of the wind

Days 15 & 16 - A Short Sit, Cheery Chickadees and Hunting Hawks

Day 15 - Stopped for a bit on my way home from work, but only had 15 mins or so to spend. (A little time spent is better than no time right?)  It rained quite a bit today, so the creek was at a very high level as I crossed.  I could not spend too much quality time, but got to relax and enjoy the company of one of the robins for a little while, while it foraged in the grass to the west of my spot.  I was able to clear my mind and relax as I just enjoyed watching the wind sweep through the forest, after the rain had moved through. I only spent a short time, but knew I would be back the next day to get a more quality sit.

Day 16 - I was able to get out for a mid-day sit today.  The day has been gray and dreary, with a large front moving the the area.  It's been windy and raining off and on throughout the day.  As I headed down the hill towards my usual spot, I caught the site of a White-breasted Nuthatch moving up a tree.  I then saw a Red-Bellied Woodpecker come around the far side of the tree and start scurrying up the opposite side from the Nuthatch.  It was fun to watch them climb in the typical "woodpecker" gate up opposite sides of the tree.  I decided to move on after a few minutes, as I was anxious to sit down and relax against the mossy trunk of my favorite maple tree.  Things were fairly quiet as I settled into my spot. I looked around for the usual robins, but I did not see them, so I began scanning along the creek bank to see what was around.  Within a few mintues, I noticed a couple of chickadees in a shrub along the creek bank, feeding on some of the new green sprouts that the spring weather has helped produce. They were quietly feeding and I enjoyed watching them move around in the shrub, hanging off the bottom of tiny branches and enjoying some fresh greens.  Off to my right I heard the the "chicka-dee-dee-dee" of another chickadee in the distance, which was a fairly common event...but then the "chicka-dee-dee-dee" calls got louder and closer to together and I noticed they began to come from several birds in the woodline...almost like a wave.  I focused my binoculars on the 2 feeding chickadees, as this was beginning to sound more like an alarm to me, then the normal chickadee chatter.  The chickadees took on an almost "nervous" posture as their heads were moving in all directions, as if they were looking for something.  I could feel the tension building, as other birds continued to alarm, and just as I turned my head back to the north, I caught motion out of the corner of my eye.  It was a hawk swooping into the open space in front of me, hunting for something to eat.  I did not get a great look at him, but he was a large bird....much bigger than the sharp-shinned I had seen a few weeks back.(My guess is a red-tail, but he was moving too fast for me to make a positive ID.) He moved off to the south, southwest through the trees and I lost sight of him.  I tried to find him in the trees with my binoculars, but I could not.  As I sat there and processed the information, I was proud that I had recognized the "alarm" behavior and the hawk was my validation of what I was hearing.  I looked around and listened to better understand what the effect of the hawk's pass was...and I realized the forest had gone dead silent.  I sat there for the next 10 minutes and heard nary a sound nor the movement of a single bird.   I smiled in appreciation of what I witnessed and decided to call it a day.  On the way out of my spot, I met up with my wife and 2 yr old daughter (who were up playing in the park above me) and we took a family stroll through the woods. We spotted a few more hunting hawks moving though the woods as we walked along the creek.  It was a wonderful day!

With Thankfulness and Appreciation...Greg (a.k.a the Accidental Naturalist)

Days 13 & 14 - An Evening Sit and Maple Inspiration

Day 13 - OK...so I'd been feeling guilty for not getting into my spot for the last 2 days.  My schedule had just gotten overwhelming with work and school and I just couldn't find sufficient time to get out there.  I was missing my robin friends, so on Day 13 I finally got out there.  This time, I stopped on my way home from work, which gave me my first opportunity to enjoy the peace and solitude of the setting sun.  The forest was much quieter than what I typically experience in my morning sessions.  There was a lot of activity going on outside the forest, as there was a baseball game going on and as well as a lively game of beach volleyball. This didn't really seem to bother the birds I saw scavenging to and fro, as the noise was off in the distance.  I look forward to the opportunity to spend some evening time in my spot as the spring turns to summer and the daylight lingers.

                                                                                          G. LaFata

Day 14 - So I am back in my routine and was able to get out to my spot this morning.  I again saw my friendly neighborhood robins and enjoyed watching the couple moving across my spot for about 15 mins or so.  Eventually, I felt like I wanted to explore a bit.  A few days earlier, I had ID'd the tree I use as a backrest as a maple based on the opposite leaf scars and the bark.  Now, I was beginning to see the tree flowering high up at the top. (I never really noticed before how the flowering starts from the top...it makes a lot of sense given more exposure to the sun, but I had never really paid too much attention prior to my sit spot routines.) Anyways, once I took a good luck at the "flowers",  I began to move around my spot to see how many other maples I could identify.  I find quite a few within a 20 ft radius of the other, as well as a string of trees along the far creek banks to the west of my spot. It was clear to me after about a 10 minute walk around the perimeter, that this forest is really DOMINATED by maples and oaks, with  few hickories around as well.  I will be interested in tracking the full cycle of watching these trees leaf and produce their winged seedpods(samaras) through the spring and summer, only to see the leaves drop off through the fall and winter. I see that I will never be bored at my spot, as nature always provides a new mystery to uncover or a new trail to explore.

With Thankfulness and Appreciation, Greg (a.k.a. The Accidental Naturalist)

Sit Spot Days 9 & 10 - Magical Robins and Cottontails

Day 9 -  There I was....at my sit spot.  It was early and I was enjoying the symphony of the dawn chorus  unfolding before me.  The robins and cardinals seemed to be switching off taking their leads and solos. It was dark, so I could not see much, so I saw it as an opportunity to just close my eyes and listen for a while.  It seemed like my eyes were closed for only a few moments, when I felt compelled to open them. I used my "owl eyes," scanned around a bit and did not see anything; but I just had that feeling that I was being watched. I sat there in the very early morning light,  attentive that something was "out there." While scanning I looked over to my right and saw a leaf that turned into a robin and back into a leaf again,  as I strained my eyes to look at it.  I had brought a pair of binoculars(a recent early birthday gift from my father-in-law...thank you Tom!) and decided I would take a look at that leaf with my binos.  Even with my binos trained on this object, there just was not enough light to be certain.  On minute my mind was" made up" that it was a robin and the next that it was a brown leaf.  This went on for about 10 minutes until the light had come up enough to aid in my identification process and it was in fact.....a robin. Once I realized it was a robin, I was happy to focus my attention on just observing it for a while.  About 2 minutes after its identity was confirmed, it sprung out of its resting position to "spar" with another male robin just behind a tree in my view.  The interesting thing was that these 2 robins clashed just out of my view behind the tree and that was the last I saw of them....it was almost as if they exploded into each other and just disappeared.  I am beginning to believe that robins have the ability appear and disappear at will...at least at my secret spot they do. 


Also, I don't know what it was about this AM, but it was definitely the start of the "territoriality season" in my neighborhood.  Shortly after I arrived home,  I saw another 2 male robins clashing and making all sorts of noise in the neighbor's yard....and throughout the day I witnessed several more male robin acts of aggressiveness.  I look forward to seeing how long this will go on. 


Day 10 - This AM started out normal enough, except for the fact that I "alarmed" a dog on my way to my sit spot. I was doing my best to "fox walk" on the mecadem trail on the way down the hill to my spot, when I stepped on an acorn remnant that cracked loud enough to get the big dog(in a yard adjacent to the park) barking.  I have to say that it was a bit nerve-racking, since that dog sounded BIG and I wasn't totally certain that it was fenced in.  All of a sudden I started getting crazed dog images in my head, where some big beast would come charging out of the darkness. I picked up my pace and decided that moving out of the area was the best strategy (As I write this, my window is open and I have heard about 3 bouts of robin aggression in the last 10 minutes, so the battles go on....but I digress.) I got into my spot quickly,  following the shadows of the trees as I normally do, to try to minimize the presence of my arrival.  I got into a comfortable position, and for some reason was able to quiet my mind fairly quickly.  I enjoyed listening to the birds as dawn was approaching.  I heard robins singing to my west and south, as well a host of the usual suspects(chickadees, cardinals and some new birds I have yet to identify.) I begin to focus on a robin alarming behind me, but I could not locate the bird up in the tree.  I was curious to see if it was one of the "regulars" or just a "transient" robin passing through....no luck there. When my eyes returned to my normal scanning area...a small cottontail rabbit came hopped into my view from the east. I was SO EXCITED, since he was only about 30 feet away and right in front of me.  I remained as still as possible, anticipating having some time to just observe this rabbit and its morning routine.  It was acting very normally foraging around, which made me feel good that it was not too concerned with my presence....when all of a sudden it stopped and looked right at me. At this point, I thought I was "made" and that the show would be over; but that rabbit, began hopping toward me.  It would hop a little, then stop and turn toward me...then hopped at me.  My heart started beating faster as this rabbit was traveling in such a manner that I actually thought to myself, "What do I do if this thing hops into my lap?" The rabbit got closer and closer until it was within 10 feet of me....this was by far the closest I had ever been to a rabbit that was just going about its business and acting normally.  Finally the rabbit veered off to the east and entered the woodline


With Thankfulness and Appreciation...Greg (a.k.a the Accidental Naturalist)

Sit Spot Days 6, 7 & 8

It's been a busy week for me...lots going on in my life right now, but I've still managed to make time each day to get to my sit spot.  I know it's only been a week of me getting out there, but I almost feel like I will be missing out on something if I don't get out there.


Day 6: I took a different path into my sit spot on Wed and I ran into the male robin I'd been seeing; but this time he was in a small tree on the far side of the creek...about 200ft away from where my spot is.  This was good because it reminded me of Jon talking about getting to know the boundaries of a birds territory. Things were fairly quiet at my spot that day, but I did see the local robin couple on my way out of the spot, down on the near side the creek where I have seen them in the past. On my way out I decided to sit down next to the creek and just enjoy their company for a few minutes before leaving.  I have seen robins 1000's of times throughout my life, but I have really begun to connect with these little guys...I guess I've really started to feel a bit of the power of the sit spot.


Day 7: Unfortunately, I was in a pretty bad mood on Thurs AM. I had a very early conference call for work that did not go very well.  Anyways....it took me some time and quite a bit of concentration to "let go" of it all as I settled into my spot. I finally cleared my head about 30 minutes into my session.  At that point, I had noticed quite a bit of noise coming from 2 separate Red-Bellied Woodpeckers...one in the Southwest and one behind me almost due East.  I was drawn for some reason to get up out of my spot and head up the hill a bit to see if I could spot the Red-Bellied that was calling from behind my spot. I slowly "fox walked" up the incline for about 5 minutes and I could not find it. Finally, I picked up on the motion of the bird moving into another tree...it landed and began calling...then, I heard the other Red-Bellied call back. Shortly after that the second bird came and landed in the same tree.   I thought it was really SPECIAL to see the 2 birds together in the tree, since I've typically only ever seen one Red-Bellied Woodpecker at a time. What happened next made the day REALLY special.  Three little Red-Bellied Woodpeckers flew into the same tree, to join the couple. The whole "family" hopped around within a few branches of each other and then they all headed off to the Southwest about 2 mins later. My jaw literally dropped and I wished I had had my camera. I will remember this day as the morning I learned that Woodpeckers are certainly not just solitary creatures.


Day 8: It rained at various times this AM, during my session, so I really struggled to hear bird song when the rain picked up. I had to get into work earlier this AM, so I spent most of my time at my spot in the dark...but I did get to enjoy the dawn chorus. I have noticed over the last few mornings that there are more calls happening that I don't recognize.  With the spring advancing, I am certain that new birds are showing up that I have not yet had the chance to identify visually or by call. I got a good hour in this AM, but did not see too much activity in the darkness until....I stood up to leave.  When I got up, I saw the flash of 2 white-tails about 100 yards in front of me in another section of forest.  On one hand, I was disappointed to have spooked them, but on the other hand I was extremely awed by the fact that the deer knew I was there all along...even from that distance.  At that point, I was sad that I couldn't stay longer to see if they would re-emerge, but I had to head home.  For now the dream of just sitting quietly at my spot and having those white-tails feeding nearby will have to remain a dream to look forward to.  It is experiences like this that I strive for and they energize me to get to my spot each day.

With Thankfulness and Appreciation....Greg (a.k.a. the Accidental Naturalist)

Sit Spot Day 5 - A Brief Visit

Day 5 - Because I had to get into work earlier than normal this AM, I did not get to spend much time in my spot.  I only got to spend about 20 mins enjoying the scene, but was proud of myself for getting out there at all.  It was a relatively quiet morning, after the heavy rains we had yesterday. The water level had really come up on the creek I have to cross to get into my spot.  The ground was wet, but I made a discovery about the tree I typically lean against...one side of it has an exposed root that acts like a little seat shelf.  I sat on that root this AM to at least try to keep my bottom dry.


As far as the action this AM, I mainly heard the usual suspects: chickadees, cardinals and robins. I did get a visit from the resident male robin, but only got to enjoy it for a couple of minutes before I had to head out.  I so enjoy seeing him and I am hoping that, in time,  he is truly glad to see me as well.


With Thankfulness and Appreciation....Greg (a.k.a. the Accidental Naturalist)

30 Day SS Challenge (Days 3 and 4) - White-Tails and Robins

Sorry I missed out on my post for Day 3, so I will combine it into one post here for Days 3 and 4.


Day 3 - Sunday April 3.  I got up a little later than I had been on Sunday AM(my wife and I were busy painting our bedroom most of Saturday), but decided that it would be nice to get into my spot a little later to see what if anything is different(it was about 8:30 AM).  I was a bit embarrassed as I headed down the trail into the forest that I "bumbled" into 3 white-tail deer. I was embarrassed because on Jon Young's tape "Advanced Bird Language" he talks about being like the Owl and pausing before you enter the forest....not me...it was Sunday morning and I went "a-bumblin!!!'" Anyways, I caught the flick of the white-tail out of the corner of my eye and I stopped.  I wasn't sure exactly what it was at first and I was excited because I knew it wasn't a squirrel.  As I scanned the forest, I saw the 2 does off to my right, just staring at me. I moved to get a little better look and one went scrambling off flashing it's white tail and rump at me, signaling " I am out of here." But JY, talks in his recordings about the fact that a white tail deer will flash that "white rear" to appear as if it is headed off...and then tuck the tail down tightly to hide the white,  as it stops and keeps a watchful eye on whatever or whomever disturbed it(in this case me.) After she ran off, I began to walk down the trail when I saw another white-tail standing in the middle of the trail (20 feet in front of me) completely frozen just staring at me, as if to say "geez....can you be any louder, some decent deer are trying to eat around here." I moved to try to grab my camera out of my pocket and she was off.  I then moved a bit more quickly down the trail into my spot, since I wanted to see if I could spot the deer in the forest as I sat by the tree.  When I finally arrived, I tried to calm myself down and quieted my mind as I scanned the tree line.  I was able to see 2 of the 3 deer I spotted, but never the 3rd.  I had a great time just watching with my binoculars as they foraged and moved very quietly through the trees and deep leaf litter. I lost them after about 10 minutes, as they almost seemed to vanish. It was really exciting. I know that everyone typically sees deer around in their neighborhoods, but there is something so special to me about seeing deer move around in the forest...so silent and so graceful. Later that morning, I was happy to see the local robin couple(Mr and Mrs. Robin, as my daughter likes to refer to the birds)...I was fearful after the Sharp-shinned hawk episode(See SS Day 2 entry).


Day 4 - I was awakened at about 6AM this AM, by a robin in my backyard just singing it's little heart out...it was a nice way to wake up(almost like violins....almost:)).  We had our bedroom windows open overnight, since there was a nice breeze blowing, as a result of the warm-front that moved in from the southwest over the weekend.
      I got into my spot just before 6:30AM and the trees were really moving and crEEAking. As I sat next to "my tree", I was nervously looking around to determine if there were any dead branches or "widow-makers" above me(didn't appear to be). I felt generally safe...but also looked around and did not see any Eastern hemlocks in the vicinity in case things got worse!(JY talks about this being a good tree for shelter, since the boughs stretch down to the ground). Things were a little "slow" this AM as I waited to SEE signs of life in the morning light. The robins were up well before the cardinals for some reason this AM...not sure why, but the cardinals are often the lone voices in the woods when I normally arrive. At any rate, I continued to scan the area using my wide-angle vision(WAV) looking for the neighborhood cardinal and robin couples. I was beginning to feel disappointed that neither couple dropped by, when I noticed a brown leaf twitching in the wind about 20 feet in front of my spot....right where I had seen the robins on Day 2.  I strained my eyes to look at it and then my eyes began to play tricks on me...as the leaf transformed into a robin and then back into a leaf.  As I continued to really look at this brown object, I then saw the flick of a tail and it was as if the robin just appeared.  "How long have you been there?, " I thought to myself as it seemed like I had looked at that "leaf" at least 20 times as I was settling into my spot.  Oh well....I guess my awareness is not yet anywhere close to what I want it to be, but in any case, I was THRILLED to see my neighbor.  For about the next 5 minutes we just watched each other and enjoyed each other's company in the soft glow of a windy, spring morning.


With Thankfulness and Appreciation....Greg(aka the Accidental Naturalist)

The 30-Day Sit Spot Challenge(Day 2)

Day 2 of the Wilderness Awareness School's 30-Day sit spot challenge... and my morning was AWESOME.  The morning started out normal enough, with me getting into my spot in a local park around 7:30AM;  the sun had been up for about an hour and the "morning chorus" had certainly subsided. I settled into "my spot," and focused on quieting my mind. Within the first 10 minutes, a male cardinal that I saw on Day 1 moved up into the trees above me to get a look at me. I actually felt good about this, since it was as if a new neighbor was just dropping by to say hello.
     As I relaxed against the trunk of the tree,  I continued to scan the area in front of me when out of the corner of my eye, I picked up a male robin sitting on the end of a twiggy shrub down by the creek. He looked to be fairly relaxed and just enjoying the morning, as I was.  Within a few minutes he was down on the ground about 20 feet in front of me, looking for food in the open grass with his partner. I had not seen these robins on day 1, so again I was pleased that I got to "meet" these 2 neighbors.  I was really focused on watching these 2 to see if I could identify any marks on them so that I could recognize them in the future...but I was also trying not to stare at them, because I know that can spook birds off.)
     I watched the 2 robins foraging in the grass (headed generally north) for about 5 or 10 minutes, and the forest was fairly quiet, except for the sound of a cardinal in the distance.  All of a sudden, both robins stopped exactly where they were and crouched as low to the ground as they possibly could.  I really had no idea what was going on...it felt like odd behavior to me, but I was honestly unsure what to expect. After about 30 seconds of watching these 2 birds crouch in absolute stillness, they both burst into flight, made an alarm call and headed off very quickly headed south.  At this point I was riveted....they had been acting normally with me around, so I knew it wasn't me; some one or some thing had caused this behavior and the alarm response, but I honestly had no idea what to expect.
      As soon as they flew off, I became "hyper-alert", scanning the forest to see what sent them out of the area so quickly. (If I had been on a seat, I would have been on the edge of it.)  Within about 30 seconds of the couple fleeing, a beautiful hawk flew out of a tree about 100 feet in front of my sit spot and headed off in the direction of the robins. As it swept by, about 50 feet in front of me, I concentrated on its appearance, but I wasn't sure of the exact type of hawk. (After consulting my field guides when I returned home, my best guess is that it was a Sharp-shinned hawk,  based on having a longer tail and brown and white on its chest/wing plumage....one field guide also talked about the fact that they often fly low when hunting and that sounded like the behavior I witnessed). It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!! as I'd really been wanting to see one after hearing Jon talk about how dangerous of hunters they are on both the "Seeing Through Native Eyes" and "Advanced Bird Language CD's.  Because I had recently completed Kamana I, and had just finished listening to the "Advanced Bird Language CD" this past week, I felt so appreciative to have witnessed this event; it would have been SO easy to miss if I hadn't at least had an inkling about the concepts of baseline and alarm behavior in birds.

Looking forward to getting out there for Day 3 and having my new neighbors greet me again!

Greg (a.k.a. the Accidental Naturalist)

P.S. On my way out of my spot....I FINALLY visually identified a bird that I had been hearing everywhere for about a month(near my yard, at the Nature Center where I volunteer, and now at my sit spot)...it was driving me CRAZY!!!! It was a Red-bellied Woodpecker and I'd been hearing it's call everywhere! It took me awhile because the call was slightly different from what I had heard from the calls on my iPad Birdsong App;  I felt so honored, appreciative and energized that this bird finally revealed itself to me.

Sit Spot Practice- Day One

Well...today was my first opportunity to truly try out a sit spot.  I've been sizing up some locations overs the last few weeks/months...but I finally just decided to do it.  One of my motivations was that I signed up for the 30 day sit-spot challenge through Jon Young's Wilderness Awareness School.  It doesn't officially start until April 1st, but I thought I'd give it a try.  On Jon Young's "Advanced Bird Language" CD's he suggests that when you do this for the first time that you should try to get into the spot before the sun comes up.  I was so excited as I got into position at 6:45AM that things were still quiet and the birds weren't yet awake.

I was a bit apprehensive at first, as it has been a long time since I was sitting on the ground in the dark in an open field, with thickets and woodline nearby. I was able to settle in though and enjoy the quiet.  When I arrived there was only the sound of 1 or 2 birds calling to each other....then a few minutes later the cardinal joined in. Then more cardinals were singing and I was enjoying the loud "water-whistle like" voices of the cardinals. "chew..  chew...chew...chew.chew.chew.chew." It was wonderful to actually hear the forest begin to wake; but then, I was scared out of my shorts as I heard a bawgh,bawgh,bawgh...BAGAWW!!!! coming from about 20 feet to my right in some brush that I almost sat next to.  I was frightened by the sound initially, but then I comforted myself and tried to steady my mind. As I listened more to the noise, I came to the conclusion that it was probably Wood Frogs(still a guess?), since I had heard similar sounds in the GSMNP about a month ago.  In the end, I spent about an hour there, continuing to hear more birds join the chorus...more cardinals, then the chicakdees, robins and the titmice. The sun had come up by this point and I was ready to head home and check on my wife and daughter(who had slept on the couch the previous night because my daughter got up at 3AM and wanted to play. Like a trooper my wife played puzzles, colored and watched a Clifford movie with her until Syndey finally fell asleep at 6AM).  I look forward to returning to that spot to listen to it all over again.  As Jon says, there really is something special about listening to the sound of the "morning chorus."

With appreciation,

Greg, A.K.A The Accidental Naturalist

The Journey's Begun...

Well...it's been nearly 5 months since my last post.  Gonna start doing this more regularly. That 1st post was created on the day that I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the North Cascades Institute to learn a little bit more about their Master's in Environmental Education program.  I am excited and energized about the potential future that I may create should I decide to attend this program. To some extent that was really a spark for me to get moving on figuring out "where I go from here."

Since my last post I've accomplished A LOT  in determining whether this Naturalist /Environmental Educator path is the right one for me.  Let me summarize what I've accomplished over the last 5 months:

- GSMNP: 3 of 8 courses completed at Great Smoky Mountain National Park (Tremont Institute) in the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program.(Mammals, Naturalist Skills & Interpretation).

- Classes at Cincinnati Nature Center(CNC): 12 hour Member Naturalist Workshop; Primitive Cooking, Nature Observation & Tracking with Tom Brown III.

- Volunteering at CNC: Worked in the Sugar House running the evaporator and talking about the process    of making syrup during the  for Maple Syrup Season; now working 6 hours per month helping the Director    of Marketing and Membership with market research projects.

- Kamana Naturalist Program- I have recently completed Kamana I through Jon Young's Wilderness Awareness School and look forward to starting Kamana II in May '11.

Phew..I have done quite a bit, but I still have a lot planned for the remainder of the year:
CNC: Nature Mentoring I and II (March/April);"Playing in Nature" in May(tentative).
SANCP: Plants(May); Aquatic Natural History/Reptiles & Amphibians(July); S. Appalachian Ecology(Sep)
Marine Mammal Naturalist Training: Super-excited to FINALLY have the chance to attend this course out in the San Juan Islands. Thanks Mom and Dad for the graduation gift!

Oh...did I mention I am finishing up my MBA part-time at Xavier as well:)

With Thankfulness and Appreciation....Greg(aka the Accidental Naturalist)