by Winding Pathways | Jul 6, 2023 | Nature, Trees, Trees/Shrubs
Just what impact did the heavy wildfire smoke that blanketed vast regions of Canada and the United States have on plants? We wondered. The news media warned of smoke’s impact on people and pets and cautioned us to stay indoors and limit physical activity. But what about plants?
For many June days smoke from Canadian fires settled over Winding Pathways and a vast area of North America. With the Western United States likely to ignite later in the summer, it’s time for Smokey Bear to get ready for more action these growing-season days.
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Air quality is compromised by smoke. Photo credit NP
Impact on Photovoltaics
We watched the real-time production monitor on our photovoltaic system during smokey days. It indicated that smoke was reducing our collector’s ability to turn solar energy into electricity. Was something similar happening with crops, trees, and lawns?
We turned to wildfire and smoke experts at our alma mater, the University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources, for answers.
Smokes filters light.
Dr. Charles Goebel, Professor of Forest Ecosystem Restoration, explained, “Yes, smoke can impede photosynthesis. There is some research that indicates that short-term smoke exposure can reduce photosynthesis by as much as 50%. This is, in part, due to the reduced light intensity, destruction of chlorophyll, and reducing the flow of carbon dioxide through stomata.” He added that lower levels of smoke can help plants by increasing the carbon dioxide level and diffusing the light that some plants use better than direct sunlight.
How Plants React to Smoke
Dr. Goebel added fascinating aspects about plants and smoke. “Plants can filter out some smoke particles but probably not enough to make much difference during heavy smoke events. Smoke particles that settle to the ground may have some beneficial impact on plants. Smoke contains calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which are essential plant nutrients,” he added.
Wait…There Is More!
Wildfires are common in the West.
Dr. Lena N. Kobziar, Associate Professor of Wildland Fire Science, added: “We know that fires emit microbes (fungi, bacteria, archaea) along with other gaseous and particulate matter. Smoke transmits these living microbes that can colonize damaged soil and begin to grow and multiply. This can help the soil,” she said.
Want to learn more? Dr. Kobziar’s Fire Ecology Lab website has an enormous amount of current information on wildfires and their impact on forests and people.
The University of Idaho
We’re Vandals……meaning graduates of the University of Idaho. Our immediate family earned four degrees there. We’ve joke that the “real” U of I is not in Iowa City but in Moscow, Idaho. The Vandals are its mascot.
We enjoyed our academic careers at the U of I. Knowledge gained there helped our lives and careers and we humbly thank its faculty for continuing to answer our nature-related questions, like about smoke, years after graduation.
It’s a great institution. Take a look at the University of Idaho’s website. Go, Vandals!
by Winding Pathways | Jun 29, 2023 | Gazette Features, Travel/Columns, Wonderment
HOW?
Ancient people accomplished what seems impossible. How did they do it?
We recently toured the Earthmoving Legacy Center near Elkader, Iowa. On display were diesel and gasoline-powered machines able to move massive quantities of dirt for today’s needs. (Moving Heaven and Earth)
A month later we stood in a field near Chillicothe, Ohio, gazing at an enormous earth mound. The next day we visited other nearby sites with earthen walls, circles, and squares. All were separated by many miles and were large – some spanning hundreds of feet long and dozens of stories high. All were made around 2000 years ago by people of the Hopewell Culture. We learned that the squares are identical and fit inside the large circles. Somehow, they did this hard work without machines. No metal shovels. Not even wheelbarrows. How did they do it?
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Modern intersecting with ancient.
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Headquarters.
Can a Principle of Geology Lend Insights?
Recreated Earthworks
Hopewell, like visits to Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa and Cahokia in Illinois, stimulates more questions than answers. Perhaps a tenet of Geology can guide us. The Present is the Key to the Past. So, let’s consider. Why do we build structures? How do we move earth today? What do people who build need to sustain them while they build? (Food, shelter, clothing) Who provides this? Where do we get our goods? Perhaps these questions can provide insight into the past.
History is Written by the “Victors”
In our 1950s and 1960s school classes, we learned that European explorers and early settlers discovered scattered bands of Native Americans making a primitive living hunting, gathering, and gardening. No mention was made of our continent’s once vast population of sophisticated, technologically-advanced, and organized Native Americans who built magnificent structures and had an extensive trade system. Some of us did learn about the impressive Mayan and Aztec cultures in Mesoamerica.
Amazing Commerce
Pipestone was traded far and wide.
Little did we learn about the varied North American indigenous cultures that were far superior than originally believed. For example, Hopewell people made tools of obsidian that originated at Yellowstone, created jewelry of copper from the upper Great Lakes region, and used shells from the Gulf of Mexico. They somehow got these distantly sourced goods without airplanes, trucks, or Amazon Prime! Somehow goods moved across thousands of miles before horses and even wheels were available.
Sources of Information
Archeologists have solved some riddles about how ancient people did things, but many mysteries remain. Puzzling and fascinating. We have had published a number of pieces on ancients including the desert Southwest, to Pipestone in Minnesota, to Mounds along the Mississippi from Effigy to Cahokia.
Together, let us learn more about the rich heritage that is both before, beneath us, and behind us. A good source of information is The Great Courses offerings by Dr. Edwin Barnhart, Ancient Civilizations of North America, and Dr. Daniel Cobb, Native Peoples of North America.
by Winding Pathways | Jun 22, 2023 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Foraging, Mammals, Nature, Pests
Fish Camp Woes
This year a giant bear tore up the Popsie Fish Company’s camp near the remote Egegik River in Southwest Alaska before the salmon arrived. These huge brown bears are smart, hungry, and massively powerful.
Early Work on Salmon
Good Catch
Early in his career, Rich was a salmon biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, working near the Egegik River. While there he loved eating the most delicious fish……. Sockeye Salmon.
During the summer millions of wild salmon of five species swarm into Bristol Bay but the sockeye is the most abundant. They are caught by many commercial fishing companies who net them in the bay and along beaches. State biologists ensure that enough fish survive nets to ascend rivers, spawn, and produce plenty of young to keep the runs robust.
Remembering Salmon Dinners
Fresh salmon is a treat.
Nearly a half-century ago he and Marion, co-owners of Winding Pathways, moved to the Midwest where there are no Sockeye Salmon. But they love grilling salmon fillets they order from the Popsie Fish Company. It catches, processes, and ships frozen fillets. The Pattersons occasionally order a box. In addition to being delicious and healthy, Alaskan Sockeye salmon are wild fish managed as a sustainable resource.
Bears on the Prowl
This year Popsie Owner Tony Neal had a problem. Like all commercial fishermen, he and his staff arrived well before the salmon run to set up their camp and prepare for fishing. That’s when the trouble arrived.
A brown bear tore its way into their building. Take a look at the photos to see what the bear did. It’s a mess.
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Bears are powerful. Photo Eric Handstad
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The work room is all shambles after a bear tore it up. Photo Eric Handstad
There is good news. There’s enough time before the salmon arrive to get everything fixed and ready to catch those delicious fish. To see Popsie Fish Company staff in action take a look at their website www.popsiefishco.com.
Increasing Occurrences of Bears
Iowans occasionally report a bear sighting, especially in NE Iowa where the woods make great shelter and rivers excellent corridors to travel.
Bears are increasing across the country even in urban areas. Past photos in papers have shown a bear walking down a major road near New York City. A recent newspaper article reported how a bear crashed into an Avon, CT, bakery and gobbled up 60 cupcakes before lumbering off. At Cedar Lake, Denville, NJ, a mama bear, and three cubs were recently spotted walking along the road. Actually, that is a fairly common sighting. Residents spread the word so walkers will be alert.
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Suburban NJ has some prolific and big bears.
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Bear and cubs. Photo Catherine Christ
The town police even fondly named one bruin “The Italian Bear.” Each night just after restaurants closed a fat bear would wander from its den, climb into the local Italian eatery’s dumpster, gorge itself, take a snooze, and come morning, climb out and go back to its secret den. Never hurt anyone.
SRF took this pix of a bear peering in the window.
In rural New Hampshire, friends have had bears visit the yard and peek into the house through the windows frequently.
First Person Story
Picket fence was torn apart by a hungry spring-time bear.
Jackie and Peter Hull in Bedford, Virginia, shared this first-person story of the spring adventures with an unruly bear. “Well, I got up bright and early one spring morning, peeked out the bedroom window and what did I see? A smashed six-foot piece of picket fence, a broken spindle on the front porch, and a shepherd’s hook bent to the ground.
“Lucky me I brought the bird feeders in last night. So now I know I can’t feed the birds anymore this year. This is the second year running when on Mother’s Day last year, a bear came and smashed the spindles on the porch railing and a different six-foot piece of fence.
“Later we found bear tracks in the red Virginia clay bordering the flower bed on the outside of the fence. It left its muddy red prints on the fence and the steps going to the side door of the house!
“What to do but repair the fence again, wash the feeders, and put them in the basement? I have decided to store the leftover bird feed in a large bag in the freezer for next winter.
“I will miss my “bird buddies” but I don’t what a 250+ pound bear in my house either. So, words to the wise, the same ones the ranger gave me last year, ‘Bring your feeders in now.'”
Alaskan Bear.
Back in Alaska, it is common even in suburban Anchorage neighborhoods to see a bear lumbering down a road. An Alaska-born, former Gazette editor spoke nonchalantly about bears and recess at schools. “We always had outdoor recess…except when a bear roamed the playground.”
Bears are about that is for sure!
by Winding Pathways | Jun 15, 2023 | Nature, Reflections/Profiles, Wonderment
Sitting: it’s a rewarding outdoor activity. How can that be when everyone knows that being outdoors means movement? Hiking, cycling, skiing, canoeing, and swimming all get the heart beating and muscles working.
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You see everything on RAGBRAI
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Kayaking gets the heart pumping and strengthens the arms
We love all these activities but recently were reminded that sitting quietly is a fascinating and productive way to spend time outdoors. On a gorgeous May morning, we stopped at the road’s end in Iowa’s Brush Creek Canyon Nature Preserve. A narrow informal path lured us past a rock outcropping high above a gurgling brook.
We carried the sling chairs and binoculars that we keep in the car down a narrow informal footpath. Just a hundred yards later we found a level spot with a perfect view downward through trees to the water.
Sit we did. Enmeshed in secluded quiet we sat so still that warblers and vireos flitted among the trees. Even a hummingbird buzzed in front of us. A fly settled on Rich’s pants, explored a bit, and then went on its way.
Active outdoor activities are good for the body and mind, but sometimes sitting is the best way to notice our world and its inhabitants. When we scurry down a trail, wildlife hides or flees. When we sit and become part of the landscape, wildlife ignores the human presence and goes about its business.
Tree branches help you watch the moon move across the sky.
Here’s our favorite sitting exercise that can be done almost anywhere. As a full moon rises, position a comfortable chair with tree branches or even overhead wires between it and the moon. Sit very still. Using branches or the wire as a reference it’s possible to watch the moon move.
Oh, Brush Creek Canyon. We recommend it as one of Iowa’s wildest natural gems. It’s just north of Arlington in Fayette County. Go outside. Have fun.
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Couple by lake
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Wonderment
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Finding peace
by Winding Pathways | Jun 8, 2023 | Garden/Yard, Nature, Pests
A “Hard Knock Life”
A tick’s life is hard. I’m hungry. I am a tick and I’ve been waiting a week for a juicy raccoon, dog, or wild turkey to walk by. Even a mouse would be welcome.
So far, no luck. I know a tick’s best bet for grabbing a passing animal is the “questing” position, so I’ve been hanging on to a branch with both pairs of my hind legs. My front pair of legs sticks out into the path ready to grab the fur or feathers of a passing animal. So far, no animal. Patience is hard and I’m hungry.
Larval Luck
I was luckier last year when I was a larva. I was hungry then, too, but the wait was short. A big, furry animal humans call a dog ambled by. Even though I only had six legs then I was able to grab a hold, and the rest was easy. I crawled around exploring under the fur until I found a spot with soft thin skin, dug in, and chowed down. Boy was that blood tasty! It was so nutritious that I left my host to grow and graduate. I’m now a tick nymph, complete with eight legs, but I need more blood to transform into an adult.
I’m still hungry. As I sit waiting, I admire the mosquitoes and flies that buzz by over my perch. They don’t need to be patient but can fly and search for a blood-rich victim. I can’t fly or jump, so all I can do is patiently wait until something walks by. I hope that’s soon because many of my fellow ticks starve.
Attracted to Carbon Dioxide and Moisture
What’s this? I sense a bubble of carbon dioxide and moisture. Might be the breath of an animal. Now I feel the vibration of footsteps. Must be a big animal. My front legs are outstretched in anticipation and I’m not disappointed.
I grab hold of a strange animal. It’s tall with only two legs. No hair. No feathers. Just some sort of covering over thin skin. No chance of biting through it, but I got a good grip on that covering and started climbing using all of my eight legs. Soon I was under what humans call pants and kept exploring and climbing. Bingo, I found a nice moist spot where my blood dinner was just beneath thin skin. I got ready to feast.
Then something happened. I should be happy with a meal so close at hand. Instead, I felt sick. My legs wouldn’t hold on and I dropped to the ground lifeless.
About Ticks
Pity the poor tick the above. Well, maybe not. It’s hard to pity an animal that can spread disease and discomfort. Ticks usually feed on mammals, birds, and even reptiles but if none come around, human blood suits them just fine.
Ticks are effective disease spreaders because of their relatively long life which can extend for two or three years and their habit of eating a blood meal during different life stages. This enables them to bite one animal carrying a disease in its blood and inject it into a different animal during a later feeding.
Seriously Avoiding Ticks
At Winding Pathways, we take ticks seriously. Rich has had Lyme disease twice, fortunately successfully cured by strong antibiotics. Other people are not as lucky and experience long-term symptoms. And, Lyme is not the only disease ticks spread.
Understanding ticks and taking precautions reduces the odds a person will be bitten and contract a disease from them.
How ticks Operate
Ticks are ambush hunters. As the tick describes above, they wait for a victim to pass within grabbing distance of their front legs. Often ticks walk around on their victim for several hours before they dig through the skin and help themselves to a blood meal.
In order to contract a tick-borne disease a victim must be bitten, so a walking tick won’t transmit illness.
Reduce Your Odds
We often explore the woods, work in our yard and garden, and generally spend time in tick country. Here are precautions we take that reduce the odds of a tick bite:
- We spray our outdoor clothes and shoes with permethrin. It lasts for several washings and kills ticks. The hapless tick described above fell victim to this chemical.
- We often tuck our pants legs into our socks, sprayed with permethrin, to make it hard for any tick that gets on our socks or pants to get under them.
- After returning to the house, we disrobe and shower after we have checked for ticks. They prefer moist dark body areas so we especially check those places. Clothing goes into the washer.
- We watch for symptoms of Lyme Disease, especially a rash and fatigue. If they appear we call our physician immediately.
Promising Product
A few years ago, Rich was so determined to prevent another Lyme Disease incident that he invested in socks, pants, and shirts from Insect Shield. The company infuses its clothing with permethrin that, they claim, is effective for at least 70 washings.
Does this chemical work? Is Insect Shield clothing worth buying? Well, since wearing it Rich hasn’t found a tick on him and he’s been free of Lyme Disease. That’s not a scientific verdict but it’s good enough for him to keep wearing the clothes.
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Tiny ticks can cause problems, so we go prepared in nature.
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Pants, boots, varied sprays can reduce odds of picking up ticks
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gaiters with tick guard helps repel ticks.
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Pants, shirts, and socks infused with permethrin appear to keep ticks off.
Disclaimer
Rich purchased his Insect Shield clothing at the retail price. He’s still testing them but they seem to work. Winding Pathways was not paid for this blog.
