by Kevin Shank | Aug 23, 2022
Choose a wildflower and media, but be forewarned—color sells. It is really hard to beat color. And be creative. We encourage you to make your flower fun to view. Consider the setting—should it be a simple portrait of the blossom, or should it have a critter? Should it...
by Cheryl Shank | Jul 1, 2022 | 2022, 07 July, Articles & Stories, Learning By Doing, Plants & Fungi, Wildflowers
Fireweed in Rocky Mountains. Photo © Dogwood Ridge. The scenarios are endless. A slope covered with goldenrod and daisies…the first autumn olives opening…a dogwood in full bloom…a facet of my brain whispers, Time for another wildflower arrangement. When I say flower...
by Mary Ella Ramer, 15 | Apr 1, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Articles & Stories, Plants & Fungi, Wildflowers
Photo © Dreamstime.com. “Look, Mary Ella, another contest!” my brother announced. I hurried over to the sofa where he was poring over the pages of the latest Nature Friend.“Wildflower ‘Learning by Doing’ Contest,” I read aloud. “Write a “Learning by Doing” story of...
by Laura Kauffman | Apr 1, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Articles & Stories, Plants & Fungi, Wildflowers
Photo © Dreamstime.com. Another school day was over. Eager students burst from the schoolhouse doors and headed for the road toward home.Danny waved and watched them leave for a minute before turning toward the low corner of the schoolyard. He swung his heavy boots...
by Kevin Shank | Aug 26, 2021 | 2021, 08, August, From the Editor's Quill, Plants & Fungi, Wildflowers
Wildflower adventures—some of you certainly took them. By absorbing nature—the birds, the flowers, the butterflies, the turtles, the snakes—with your family and friends, your lives were enriched. Thank you to each one who participated in this little contest. It was...
by Maria Carver | Jul 28, 2021 | 2021, 08, August, Articles & Stories, Cardinals, Tanagers, & Allies, Mammals, Plants & Fungi, Wildflowers
Treasure hunts are lots of fun, aren’t they? The suspense of knowing that something special is hidden, prolonged by the fact that it takes effort to find! It was with that sort of feeling that we hopped out of the car at Campbell Valley Park—our starting point for the...
by The Lapp Family | Jul 27, 2021 | 2021, 08, August, Articles & Stories, Plants & Fungi, Wildflowers
On the first Sunday in May, Dad announced, “Let’s go to Rexmont for a drive on such a nice day.” “We could take our wildflower guide and a notebook,” I decided. “And let’s see how many wildflowers we can identify for the Nature Friend Wildflower Contest. Daisy...
by Lydiann Zimmerman | Jul 21, 2021 | 2021, 08, August, Articles & Stories, Birds, Kinglets, Plants & Fungi, Wildflowers
The day was perfect for my annual wildflower hunt. On a day like this, it was hard to decide—should I look up for birds or down for flowers? With my trusty Alpen binoculars slung around my neck, I strolled a couple hundred feet down the road to where I knew the...
by Eugene Martin | Jul 20, 2021 | 2021, 08, August, Flycatchers, Plants & Fungi, The Birders' Trail, Wildflowers
The morning was pleasantly breezy. As I snatched a wildflower guide plus pen and paper, I could feel that I was in for an adventure or two. This would be my first wildflower hunt, and I was somewhat new to identifying them, although I am an avid birder. But it sounded...
by Kevin Shank | Jul 20, 2021 | 2021, 08, August, Birds, Flycatchers, Let's Take a Hike, Wildflowers
Background photo © Kevin Shank.
