by Winding Pathways | Nov 5, 2014 | Uncategorized
There’s a simple solution to two problems often encountered by people who feed birds in their backyards. Either few birds visit the feeder or the darn birds perch on deck chairs and poop on the furniture.
Birds shun a backyard feeder for many reasons, but the most common is lack of habitat. Birds mainly visit feeders with a wide array of trees, shrubs and grasses with water close by. Offer expensive gourmet bird feed in poor habitat and few birds will come. Those that do will usually be English sparrows and pigeons.
Birds prefer perching on natural branches while waiting their turn to hop on a feeder. If few branches are around they’ll often use outdoor furniture and make a mess.
The long term solution to both problems is to plant a diversity of trees, shrubs, tall grasses and wildflowers in the yard. These can take years to mature. A short term solution is to erect what Winding Pathways calls “Poop Posts.” Scrounge a few dead branches eight or ten feet long, dig a hole and “plant them” in the yard about a dozen feet from feeders and away from furniture. These fake trees give birds a place to perch and when they poop it becomes lawn fertilizer. Come spring simply remove the sticks.
Give yourself and your feathered friends a break and set a poop post in the ground before freeze-up.
by Winding Pathways | Nov 3, 2014 | Preparedness
Zombies and Ebola are all the rage and have people worried, but they are a less likely threat than power outages.
Massive storms, like this year’s East Coast Halloween Horror, that dropped up to a foot of snow in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and have caused power outages in the Northeast and curtailed transportation are the serious hazard people should prepare for.
Could your family ride out a couple of weeks without electricity following a blizzard, ice storm, or major flood? Or leave on a moment’s notice if a fire or even lava flow threatens? (Think California and Hawaii) Taking simple steps in advance will make enduring days without power and out of your home a relatively comfortable time.
Winding Pathways encourages families to prepare for a big storm by assembling a kit containing easy to acquire and relatively inexpensive items like nonperishable food and water, and things most people never think about – like having a stash of cash on hand. Remember, credit and debit cards don’t work without electricity. A backup heat source that doesn’t require electricity keeps pipes and people from freezing should a power failure knock out the furnace.
This is the time to get ready for that weather emergency. For details check the Winding Pathways Blog on Preparedness . It includes detailed tips for disaster preparation.
by Winding Pathways | Nov 1, 2014 | Nature
Need help identifying a plant or bird? Want to take a walk through a woodland, prairie or wetland? Interested in mixing with other folks who enjoy the outdoors or, perhaps, volunteering to take children on outdoor adventures?
Connect with your local nature center. About a thousand centers are scattered about the United States and Canada. Most, but far from all, are in urban areas. Some are funded and operated by governments but many are private nonprofit organizations.
No matter how your local nature center is funded or operated it typically hires staff naturalists and educators well versed in subject areas such as local fauna and flora, geology and astronomy. A nature center is often the best place to get information about nature. Typically centers offer educational programs for families, adults and school groups. Most welcome and train volunteers for a variety of fascinating tasks.
Nature centers normally have a building, natural land bisected by trail, and a dandy website to help keep folks up to date on what’s happening outside.
Two good ways to find the center closest to you are:
The Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA) has a member Reciprocal Benefits Program.
Wikipedia has a list of nature centers organized by state. Remember, anyone can add or edit which is both good and bad. Check to verify information.
