Boise By Nature

April was full of beautiful blooms April was a gorgeous month of the Earth coming alive again after winter. The weather was gorgeous for the most part, which was a saving grace to a month of social distancing and the Stay at Home order.  Here's a brief reflection on the goals that I set at the beginning of the month:  1. Put out hummingbird feeder. I hung up my bird feeder, although I think I will move it to a better location to hopefully attract more hummingbirds (I have yet to see any so far).  2. Keep up a fitness routine. Right now this means a combination of hiking, biking, running, and exercise videos . I continued to do my best to remain consistent with getting outdoors and getting movement as it really helps me physically and mentally. This was a perfect month to start spending more time outside, as it really warmed up.   3. Camp once this month, to maintain consistency with my goal to camp at least once/month throughout 2020. This goal may ha...

I have had the pleasure of living and working in several states across the country, and wanted to share a bit about how the Master Naturalist program works in different states. For this post, I wrote about my experience with the Master Naturalist program in Missouri and Idaho. Read on to learn more!  Missouri The Missouri Master Naturalist program is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the University of Missouri Extension. There are twelve chapters across the state, and the program welcomes those who do not have a chapter nearby to start a new chapter. The basic training course is at the chapter level and involves 40 hours of basic training. After the basic training course is completed, students are considered Master Naturalist "trainees" and must complete eight hours of advancing training and 40 hours of volunteer service each year to be a certified Master Naturalist. MDC and MU Extension Staff serve as advisors to each chapter. I h...

Master Naturalist programs across the country I have had the pleasure of living and working in several states across the country, and wanted to share a bit about how the Master Naturalist program works in different states. For this post, I have two lovely friends as guest writers who are sharing about the Vermont Master Naturalist and California Master Naturalist programs. Read on to learn more!  California UC California Naturalist (CalNat) is a statewide program run out of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, and is the newest UC ANR program with its first pilot certification course taking place in 2010. Since then, it has quickly grown to be offered at almost 50 locations across the 10 bioregions of California! The program is offered via a "train the trainer" model, where CalNat trains groups of instructors who are based at different organizations - environmental non profits, nature centers and museums, land trusts and conservancies, UC reserves and campuses, and c...

A Great Blue Heron in the Boise River  We have had such spectacular spring weather here in Boise, something I feel so fortunate for as we all navigate social distancing and the Stay at Home order. It's great to have the beautiful sunshine to get outside in and watch the world wake up during spring.  I came across this spring poem by Mary Oliver, one of my favorite poets. I love the sense of hope it instills. The children in this poem are so jubilant at the discovery of spring wildflowers. I think as adults, we can still be enthused and jubilant at small treasures of nature. Delight in the small details of the natural world and spend time observing nature to feel a sense of peace during this uncertain time.  Children, It’s Spring by Mary Oliver And this is the lady Whom everyone loves, Ms. Violet in her purple gown Or, on special occasions, A dress the color Of sunlight. She sits In the mossy weeds and waits To be noticed. ...

Spend time outside learning about plants and animals to celebrate Earth Day Wednesday, April 22, 2020 is Earth Day! Normally there are different ways to celebrate Earth Day through community-led events, but this year, everything looks a little different. Because we are still social distancing, I wanted to list a few ideas of how you can celebrate Earth Day and Earth Week this year. 1. Trash cleanup: go to a nearby park and spend an hour picking up trash (using gloves, of course). Have you ever driven or walked by an area in your neighborhood and seen litter? Now is the time to grab a trash bag and some gloves and pick it up! Your actions may inspire your neighbors to clean up some trash, too.  2. Participate in the City Nature Challenge , which will take place on April 24, 2020. Check out the website and see if your city is participating. Then, spend April 24-27 taking photos of plants and animals. April 28-May 3 is part two, in which citizen scientists (that's you!) spe...

Arrowleaf balsamroot in the Boise foothills What a beautiful sight it is to round the corner on a trail this time of year and spot a splash of canary yellow adorning the hillsides! Arrowleaf balsamroot ( Balsamorhiza sagittata) flowers   are blooming now, and what a display they provide!  This is a very showy member of the Asteraceae (sunflower/aster) family, and is commonly found throughout the western United States in mountainside fields. Another common name is the Oregon sunflower.  All parts of the Arrowleaf balsamroot plant were used by Native Americans and today it can serve as an emergency survival food.  Read about its historical and medicinal uses from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks .  Find out more on this plant from the U.S. Forest Service .  Have you ever seen this beautiful flower on hillsides in the West? 

Map of the Boise Driving Tour to go along with this guide. Find the map here . We're all still under the statewide Stay at Home order here in Idaho, but many of us are itching to get out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather we've been having. Luckily, outdoor recreation is still permissible and encouraged, as long as social distancing guidelines are followed.  Another great way to shake things up and enjoy the beauty of this time to year is to take a scenic drive around Boise. I put together a guide of some significant parts of Boise  Here is a map with directions between each stop on the driving tour: Boise Driving Tour Map 1. Start at the  Idaho State Capitol Building in downtown Boise. Did you know it's the only capitol building in the U.S. that is heated with geothermal water?   check out this online tour of the Capitol and this fact page on the Capitol .  2. Cruise through downtown and stretch your legs at Freak Alley Gallery ,  an a...

Back in March, when the novel Coronavirus was just on the cusp of changing our daily lives, I listened to an episode of  Gretchen Rubin's podcast  in which she encouraged listeners to take photos of signs of the coronavirus pandemic. I took her suggestion to heart, and wanted to share some of the photos I've taken so far. This exercise has actually made me notice signs and details around town. I'll continue to take photos as I see them. 

Find your solace in the great outdoors If you are home and quarantined, you may be feeling cooped up and maybe even bored. Hopefully the only fever you're coming down with is cabin fever! I'm doing my best to re-frame this time spent closer to home as an opportunity to slow down and do things I wouldn't normally do. Nature has always been a source of great comfort for me, and I feel grateful that my state's current Stay At Home order still allows for outdoor recreation--provided that it is close to home and people maintain the six feet of social distancing.  This beautiful poem is often cited during challenging times and brings me such tranquility.  "The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come in...

Get out in the fresh air and put your observation skills to the test Need something to do while in quarantine? Embark on an outdoor scavenger hunt around your neighborhood. Challenge your friends, family members that are far away, or neighbors to do the same, and exchange photos! This is a great way to get out of the house and connect with those you care about, and do something with your time.  Below are a few clues you can use for your outdoor scavenger hunt. Get creative and come up with some of your own too!  1. A sign of spring 2. A sign of our Coronavirus times 3. A house or building feature that you like 4. Something that needs repair 5. Something that strikes you as humorous/ironic Spending time outdoors will lift your spirits!

Aase's onion (Allium aaseae) There are a couple of early April wildflowers that I have found around Boise that I wanted to share.  Biscuitroot (Lomatium spp.) Aase's onion ( Allium aaseae ): this is a rare species that is found only in six counties of southwestern Idaho. The leaves are grass-like, and the plant thrives in lower-elevation sites with sandy soils. Flowers appear in March or April. Low-elevation foothills trails just outside Boise are good places to look for this plant.  Biscuitroot ( Lomatium spp. ): there are at least five different species of Biscuitroot or Desert Parsley in the foothills, so I'm not sure exactly which one this is.  Redstem stork's bill ( Erodium cicutarium ): flowering occurs in early spring and sometimes again in the fall for this wildflower. Stems are reddish, hairy, and sticky.  Speckled Alder ( Alnus incana ): found near water or wetland areas. Redstem stork's bill (Erodium cicutarium) Speckled Alder...

Not in Idaho! Elephant's Head (Pedicularis groenlandica) in the Sierra Nevada of California Spring is arriving quickly, and it's one of my favorite seasons because of the beautiful display of wildflowers that we are treated to as each day unfolds. Learning to identify wildflowers and exploring different natural areas to find them is one of my greatest joys, and I find that it helps me to really savor and appreciate a season that otherwise can feel so fleeting.  So what's the best way to learn to identify wildflowers? Field guides and websites are key resources to have in your toolkit. I also encourage you to seek out local naturalist-led hikes that focus specifically on identifying flowers. There is nothing quite like learning from local experts, so bring your notebook and prepare to learn a lot! One of my favorite aspects of  Here is a list of resources for identifying wildflowers: Boise National Forest Wildflowers website : This U.S. Forest Service page outl...

"It's Essential You Stay Home" Message   Like most of us, I am experiencing a spectrum of emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some things I'm doing to make the quarantine more enjoyable: 1. Sign up for a Quarantine Pen Pal . I heard about this on a podcast, and have been exchanging emails with my pen pal, who is from Texas. It's great to hear from someone in a different part of the country, and I feel like coming out of this experience with a new friend is the best silver lining possible! 2. Start a new hobby, or pick up an old one. I have been doing a bit of watercolor painting, and it's amazingly relaxing. Try knitting, playing an old musical instrument, or writing a letter. 3. Start a fitness challenge with family members or friends. This is a wonderful way to keep in touch with people you care about, and try to maintain your fitness level and habits throughout this time. You can set personal, overarching goals (example: running thre...

Gray's Biscuitroot/Gray's Desert Parsley (Lomatium grayi) Happy April! April is usually the beginnings of more consistent springlike weather, and I am so excited to see the spring unfold here in Idaho. This month is beginning with a statewide stay at home order in place due to coronavirus, so I have designed my April goals to be fairly flexible given the circumstances.  1. Put out hummingbird feeder.  2. Keep up a fitness routine. Right now this means a combination of hiking, biking, running, and exercise videos.  3. Camp once this month, to maintain consistency with my goal to camp at least once/month throughout 2020. This goal may have to be postponed depending on the stay at home order and the latest developments with COVID-19.  4. Take one photo each day. I did this in April 2019, and loved how much more appreciative and observant I felt over the month, and how it allowed me to focus on small details of each day.   5. Continue to seek out...