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...

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...

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!